Business of the House

Mr JOHN AQUILINA (Riverstone—Leader of the House) [4.27 p.m.]: I move:

That standing and sessional orders be suspended to permit:

(1) the introduction of the following bills at this sitting, notice of which was given this day for tomorrow:

Mining Amendment (Improvements on Land) Bill 2008
Water (Commonwealth Powers) Bill 2008
Water Management Amendment Bill 2008, and

(2) the resumption of and passage through all remaining stages of the aforementioned bills at any subsequent sitting.

The Government is required to amend the Water (Commonwealth Powers) Bill 2008 and the Water Management Amendment Bill 2008 during the current week of Parliament to conform to the Commonwealth powers. I understand that must be done by 2 November 2008. There are also substantial and important reasons as to why we must debate the Minding Amendment (Improvements on Land) Bill 2008. For those reasons the Government has moved the motion to reallocate Government business and expedite the bills forthwith.

Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI (Murrumbidgee) [4.29 p.m.]: The Opposition does not support the motion to suspend standing and sessional orders. A discussion took place earlier today. The Leader of the House has taken a leaf out of the Premier's book and is misleading the House. Earlier the Leader of the House said that the Government motion to suspend standing and sessional orders would relate only to agreement in principle speeches today and then the proper process would enable the Opposition and the crossbenchers to look at the legislation. The legislation related to water regulation is particularly relevant to me because there will be significant jurisdictional changes as to who runs the rivers and dams in New South Wales. Potentially we will have no time to consider that bill. I am sure the member for Dubbo and the member for Tamworth share my concern. Just like the Premier, who has now lied three or four times since becoming Premier, the Leader of the House is joining in the fun.

Mr John Aquilina: Point of order: The member for Murrumbidgee called me a liar. I take offence at his remark. It is untrue. I ask that he withdraw the remark.

Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI: I understand the sensitivity about the word "lie". I replace it with "misled". As to the urgency of debating these bills, recently the Parliament sat for two days but it has not really sat since the end of June. Parliament will sit three days this week and then adjourn for three weeks. A couple of weeks ago when the Government recalled the Parliament for two days we debated virtually no legislation and the Government wasted half a million dollars of taxpayers' money. Suddenly it is urgent that we debate these bills. As the member for Clarence said, the motion illustrates how lazy the New South Wales Labor Party has become. The Minister for Planning is laughing. Members would recall her comment about family friendly hours. She was upset that she would be required to work in her electorate. I understand that the Minister for Planning would be upset about sitting late tonight. The Opposition does not support the motion. I move an amendment as follows:

That the motion be amended by leaving out all words after "That" with a view to inserting instead:

"the notice of motion of no confidence given by the Leader of the Opposition be called on forthwith."

Trusty Rusty has got up to give some advice. If a matter of urgency needs to be debated today those Labor members who have been doorknocking in Ryde—

ACTING-SPEAKER (Ms Diane Beamer): Order! The amendment moved by the member for Murrumbidgee is out of order and outside the leave of the motion before the House.

Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI: I understand that standing orders are always interpreted to favour the Government, but if there were ever a matter of urgency to be debated today it is whether the people of New South Wales have confidence in the Government. Any member who has been doorknocking in Ryde, Lakemba or Cabramatta would have come to the conclusion that the public does not have confidence in the New South Wales Labor Party. We have seen that the Premier does not have any influence within the Labor Party: The shady forces that run Sussex Street chose his front bench. The member for Monaro must be disappointed that he is on the backbench and Joe Tripodi is on the frontbench. He lost plenty of skin for the Labor Party over the electricity privatisation, which was very unpopular in his own electorate. He asked two or three questions in Parliament about the electricity privatisation in return for a promise to be on the frontbench. But Karl Bitar would have none of it. I do not know what the member for Monaro has done to Karl Bitar. Who is not getting a Christmas card from Paul McLeay? It would be funny if it were not so serious for the future of New South Wales. I know that my amendment will be ruled out of order, which is unfortunate for the people of New South Wales.

Mr JOHN AQUILINA (Riverstone—Leader of the House) [4.34 p.m.], in reply: It has become increasingly frustrating to debate the suspension of standing and sessional orders when the member who has the responsibility on behalf of the Opposition to debate the motion does not know the standing or sessional orders. The member for Murrumbidgee moved an amendment knowing full well—or perhaps not knowing at all—there is no provision within the rules for an amendment to the motion I have moved. That goes to show the increasing realm of irrelevance that the Opposition moves in and the increasing irrelevance of the member for Murrumbidgee in his role as the leader of Opposition business in the House. However, the member made one relevant point in relation to Christmas cards. As has been my custom for many years, I shall send all members on both sides of the House a Christmas card. My Christmas cards will provide funding for the Cancer Council of New South Wales. I encourage all members on both sides of the House to do likewise. By members sending each other Christmas cards, we will support a worthwhile charity. Members should ensure when they purchase their Christmas cards that they provide charity benefits as well.

Mr Adrian Piccoli: Point of order: Are you going to rule on the amendment, Madam Acting-Speaker?

ACTING-SPEAKER (Ms Diane Beamer): Order! I ruled that it is out of order.

Mr Adrian Piccoli: Point of order: As to the relevance of the amendment, the motion of the Leader of the House referred to a number of bills, notice of which was given today. My amendment does not relate to a bill but it relates to a notice of motion that was given today. I do not understand how the amendment is not relevant.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Ms Diane Beamer): Order! I have made my ruling.

Question—That the motion be agreed to—put.

The House divided.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Motion agreed to.