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  4. 15 November 2000

Consideration Of Urgent Motions

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About this Item
SpeakersGaudry Mr Bryce; Tink Mr Andrew
BusinessConsideration of Urgent Motion, Division


    CONSIDERATION OF URGENT MOTIONS
Page: 9988
    Steel Tank and Pipe Manufacturing Company Workers Entitlements

    Mr GAUDRY (Newcastle—Parliamentary Secretary) [4.15 p.m.]: My motion is urgent because 60 workers at Steel Tank and Pipe [STP] Carrington in Newcastle are picketing that business because they face the loss of their entitlements. The work that remains there is not worth one cent to them, and they need the support of this House to achieve justice. The motion is urgent because those workers are among some 200 workers across Australia employed by the group of companies run by STP who are set to lose some $3.3 million of their entitlements under the current system of workplace relations and the Federal Corporations Law. This is the latest in a long chain of company liquidations as a result of which workers have been denied their entitlements while company directors have walked free.

    The motion is urgent because it is time for this House to call on the Federal Government to enact laws to protect worker entitlements and to ensure that company directors provide for them as part of their legal obligation. The House needs to debate as a matter of urgency the setting up of an industry-funded structure to secure those funds for workers. I am sure all members of this House will wish to join in this debate because in all electorates across New South Wales workers are being denied their entitlements under the current legislation.
    Police Station Closures

    Mr TINK (Epping) [4.17 p.m.]: My motion is urgent because many hundreds of people are signing petitions to this Parliament expressing concern about the closure of police stations, which is the substance of the motion. My motion is urgent because day after day constituents of the Premier in the Malabar area are sending petitions to Parliament. Those petitions demonstrate the importance of this matter to Parliament. The matter is urgent because many constituents in the Randwick area, which is in the electorate of the honourable member for Heffron, are also signing petitions which that have also been presented to Parliament. Some of those who are signing the petitions relating to the Randwick police station live in the electorate of the honourable member for Coogee. The honourable member for Bligh held a public meeting which I attended—

    Mr Whelan: Point of order: The honourable member has a duty to tell the truth in this Chamber. He is deliberately misleading the Chamber. The honourable member knows that matter has been denied, denied and denied, yet he is too thick to understand.

    Mr SPEAKER: Order! No point of order is involved.

    Mr TINK: The motion is urgent in light of what the Minister just said. The Deputy Commissioner for Operations, backed by the advice of Mr Temby, who was present at the expense of taxpayers, gave evidence to a parliamentary inquiry that police stations are closing. The Minister is saying the deputy commissioner, supported by a Queen's Counsel, is lying to Parliament. Who is lying? Is it the Minister or is it the deputy commissioner, with the support of a Queen's Counsel? The Minister is lying.

    Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the House will remain silent and cease inciting the honourable member for Epping to attack him across the Chamber. The honourable member for Epping will address his remarks through the Chair.

    Mr TINK: This matter is urgent—

    Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the Leader of the House to order.

    Mr TINK: —because the deputy commissioner, supported by a Queen's Counsel who was giving him technical advice, told a parliamentary committee that police station closures would go ahead. The deputy commissioner nominated the police stations, which included Cabramatta and Fairfield.

    Mr Whelan: That is denied.

    Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Epping will address his remarks through the Chair.

    Mr TINK: No-one has denied that Fairfield police station will close. The most the Premier said today when he was doorstopped at Randwick—and it was the only sensible thing he said at Randwick—was that apparently Cabramatta police station will not close, although it was specifically on the deputy police commissioner's agenda only a week ago at a parliamentary committee. The Premier has not ruled out the closure of Fairfield police station. The deputy commissioner specifically mentioned Fairfield.

    Mr Whelan: It is ruled out.

    Mr TINK: Rule out Malabar now! Rule out Randwick!

    Mr SPEAKER: Order! I suggest to the Leader of the House that he leave the Chamber until the honourable member for Epping has completed his contribution.

    Mr TINK: This matter is urgent because the police Minister might, if debate on my motion proceeds, rule out Malabar, Paddington, Woolloomooloo, Redfern, Surrey Hills, Mascot and Fairfield. The only police station he has ruled out is Cabramatta. None of the other police stations is ruled out. They are all ruled in. The deputy commissioner, with the advantage of thousands of dollars spent on a Queen's Counsel to support him and help him make his case, specifically said that all those police stations are not ruled out.

    Mr Whelan: Point of order: It is not appropriate to cast aspersions on someone who is not a member of this House. Mr Ian Temby, QC, is a member of the New South Wales bar.

    Mr Hartcher: And a member of the Labor Party.

    Mr Whelan: Recently Mr Temby was briefed by the leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party.

    [Time expired.]

    Question—That the motion for urgent consideration of the honourable member for Newcastle be proceeded with—put.

    The House divided.
    Ayes, 48
            Mr Amery
            Ms Andrews
            Mr Aquilina
            Mr Ashton
            Mr Bartlett
            Ms Beamer
            Mr Black
            Mr Brown
            Miss Burton
            Mr Campbell
            Mr Collier
            Mr Crittenden
            Mr Debus
            Mr Gaudry
            Mr Gibson
            Mr Greene
            Mrs Grusovin            		Ms Harrison
            Mr Hickey
            Mr Iemma
            Mr Knowles
            Mrs Lo Po'
            Mr Lynch
            Mr Markham
            Mr Martin
            Mr McBride
            Mr McManus
            Ms Meagher
            Ms Megarrity
            Mr Mills
            Mr Moss
            Mr Newell
            Ms Nori
            Mr Orkopoulos            		Mr E. T. Page
            Mr Price
            Dr Refshauge
            Ms Saliba
            Mr Scully
            Mr W. D. Smith
            Mr Stewart
            Mr Tripodi
            Mr Watkins
            Mr Whelan
            Mr Woods
            Mr Yeadon

            Tellers,
            Mr Anderson
            Mr Thompson
    Noes, 36
            Mr Armstrong
            Mr Barr
            Mr Brogden
            Mr Collins
            Mr Debnam
            Mr George
            Mr Glachan
            Mr Hartcher
            Mr Hazzard
            Ms Hodgkinson
            Mr Humpherson
            Dr Kernohan
            Mr Kerr            		Mr Maguire
            Mr McGrane
            Mr Merton
            Mr O'Doherty
            Mr O'Farrell
            Mr Oakeshott
            Mr D. L. Page
            Mr Piccoli
            Mr Richardson
            Mr Rozzoli
            Ms Seaton
            Mrs Skinner
            Mr Slack-Smith            		Mr Souris
            Mr Stoner
            Mr Tink
            Mr Torbay
            Mr J. H. Turner
            Mr R. W. Turner
            Mr Webb
            Mr Windsor

            Tellers,
            Mr Fraser
            Mr R. H. L. Smith

    Pair
                    Mr HunterMrs Chikarovski

    Question resolved in the affirmative.

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