Consideration of Motions to be Accorded Priority

Ms CARMEL TEBBUTT: This motion should be accorded priority because climate change is one of the most important issues confronting our State and the world today. The science is very clear and global experts agree that we do not have time to waste if we are to address climate change. Only today we heard about the devastation of corn crops in the United States of America because of floods. According to the World Wildlife Fund there has been a 25 per cent reduction in krill, due to the melting of ice. That is having an effect on the blue whale, the minke whale and other whales. The motion is urgent because there is no time to waste. The New South Wales Government is taking action with its energy efficiency package to assist the people of New South Wales to reduce their carbon footprint and energy bills—but one would not think so, to listen to the Opposition.

It is incumbent on this Parliament to make sure that the people of New South Wales are made aware of these important initiatives and that they understand the benefits of this package. It is urgent to debate my motion today because we must ensure that the people and businesses of New South Wales are well aware of the Parliament's commitment to addressing energy efficiency measures. Debate on this motion will make people aware that the New South Wales Parliament is committed to addressing climate change and will provide an opportunity to rebut some of the myths peddled by members opposite.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will cease interjecting.

Ms CARMEL TEBBUTT: My motion is urgent, and it is genuinely important—as opposed to the rehashed motion put forward by the Leader of the Opposition. He has used it just about every day this week, simply as an excuse for more muckracking and political point-scoring.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will cease interjecting.

Ms CARMEL TEBBUTT: The people of New South Wales look to this Parliament for leadership.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Wakehurst will take his screaming match outside the Chamber.

Ms CARMEL TEBBUTT: The people of New South Wales look to this Parliament to show that we are committed not only to addressing climate change but also to supporting them in doing their bit to address climate change. The people look to this Parliament to make sure that we show the community the measures that are available to them. For all those reasons, my motion is urgent and I urge members to support it.


Mr BARRY O'FARRELL (Ku-ring-gai—Leader of the Opposition) [3.31 p.m.]: I am shocked by the crocodile tears of the member for Marrickville. That strong performance and the standard she sets are in stark contrast to the performance and standards of the Premier. When I gave notice of my priority motion about the Premier's lack of leadership, his weakness and his failure to impose standards, the biggest cheer I heard was from the member for Marrickville, the premier-in-waiting. When the member for Marrickville spoke to her priority motion there were more Government members present than for any other priority motion this week. They are her supporters. They, like members on this side of the House, deplore the weakness and the lack of standards shown by the Premier.

Today we woke to the appalling revelation that across New South Wales there is one part-time Aboriginal specialist child sexual assault worker—one for the entire State, despite a report two years ago that found that children in Aboriginal communities are four times more likely to suffer sexual assault than in any other community. This Government cannot find sufficient child sexual assault workers. However, it can devote one full-time employee in the Premier's Department to dig dirt on the Iguana workers who dared to stand up to John Della Bosca and Belinda Neal. My motion is all about standards and the Premier's refusal to do anything about the standards of behaviour of his team. It is about the failure of his third most senior Minister, John Della Bosca, to apologise for either his wife's or his own behaviour at Iguanas on 6 June 2006.

This is about the failure of Government members to stand up for the restaurant workers involved in that incident. This week I read that caucus cheered when John Della Bosca entered the meeting. What a great signal to the community about that side of politics and their so-called concern about "Your rights at work". They were happy to talk about workers' rights last November and they were happy to stand up for workers last March, but they are not prepared to stand up for workers who deal with them in nightclubs. Today we heard from the only Labor member who is prepared to stand up for staff and against assaults on staff. Regrettably, the Minister for Juvenile Justice was concerned about assaults on staff in juvenile detention centres only, not about verbal assaults on and intimidation of staff in nightclubs.

Mr Steve Whan: Point of order: As much as I am enjoying another of Barry's magical mystery tours—

The SPEAKER: Order! What is the point of order?

Mr Steve Whan: My point of order is that so far we have heard nothing relevant to the wording of the motion for which the Leader of the Opposition seeks priority. I ask you to draw him back to establishing priority for his motion. I know it is a grab bag, but at least—

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Monaro will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition will speak to his motion.

Mr BARRY O'FARRELL: Standards of behaviour do not encompass my motion. The motion just explains that the problem the member for Monaro and the Labor Party has is not an ethical problem. It is a cultural problem. Government members do not understand the truth, they cannot recognise the truth and they will not ever say the truth, even when the public interest demands it. Forget that Paul Lister is a member of the Labor Party and that he has worked on a number of campaigns for the Government. He is a full-time employee of the Premier's Department, and he was instructed by the Premier's Office to go out and dig dirt on young restaurant workers. Why? Is that in the interests of the Premier's Department? Is that in the interests of the people of this State? No. It is in the interests of John Della Bosca, Belinda Neal and Morris Iemma.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Clarence will cease interjecting.

Mr Steve Whan: Point of order: Mr Speaker, you have consistently ruled in this place that attacks on persons, particularly persons who are not able to defend themselves in this place, must be by way of substantive motion. The motion of the Leader of the Opposition has nothing to do with the individual named. It makes no mention of him. It is not a substantive motion.

The SPEAKER: Order! I have heard enough from the member for Monaro. The Leader of the Opposition will keep his remarks within the leave of the motion.

Mr BARRY O'FARRELL: Government members—whether it is the member for Monaro, other members or the Premier—have shown a pattern of behaviour: whatever it takes! Say whatever it takes, do whatever it takes, use public resources to whatever purpose. After 13 years in office they believe that they own the State and can treat the people of the State in any way they choose. They do not need anger management counselling, they need a few lessons in telling the truth. We have a dopey, dithering, deceptive and disreputable Premier who in America would be called a doofus. [Time expired.]

Question—That the motion of the member for Marrickville be accorded priority—put.

The House divided.

Question resolved in the affirmative.