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  4. 7 June 2006

Business of the House

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About this Item
SubjectsEthics; Parliament: New South Wales; Public Transport; Snowy Mountains
SpeakersScully Mr Carl; O'Farrell Mr Barry; Speaker
BusinessSuspension of Orders, Motion


    BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Page: 824


    Routine of Business: Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders

    Mr CARL SCULLY (Smithfield—Minister for Police) [3.46 p.m.]: I move:

    That standing and sessional orders be suspended to permit at this sitting:

    (1) the resumption of the adjourned debate and progress through all remaining stages of the Transport Administration Amendment (Travel Concession) Bill;

    (2) consideration of the motion in respect of functions of the Parliamentary Ethics Adviser, from the conclusion of which, until the rising of the House, no divisions or quorums to be called; and

    (3) at the conclusion of Government Business, the House to adjourn without motion being moved.

    For the information of honourable members, it is proposed that from 7.30 p.m. this evening the Transport Administration Amendment (Travel Concession) Bill be dealt with, the motion in respect of the functions of the Parliamentary Ethics Adviser be moved and passed, the introduction up to and including the Minister's second reading speech of the Education Amendment (Financial Assistance to Non-Government Schools) Bill, and then a motion to take note of the budget estimates and related papers and subsequent debate.

    Mr BARRY O'FARRELL (Ku-ring-gai—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) [3.47 p.m.]: The Opposition opposes the motion. For the second time in a row this evening the House will be debating matters at a time that should have been allocated to other bills. I can predict that tomorrow private members' business will be deferred. Therefore I move:

    That the motion be amended by leaving out paragraph (3) with a view to inserting instead:

    "(3) the introduction and consideration of all stages at this sitting of the Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Amendment (Protect Snowy Hydro) Bill."

    It is important to have that bill pass through all stages this evening because the Minister responsible for the privatisation of Snowy Hydro, the Hon. John Della Bosca, gave it away on radio last Friday. When asked by Phil Clark on Radio 2GB whether he would still try to sell Snowy Hydro at a later date, he said, "Well, not right now." The reality is that the Snowy Hydro bill, which members on this side of the House voted against in 1997 when we accurately predicted it would lead the Government to try to sell Snowy Hydro, still allows the Minister responsible, the Hon. John Della Bosca, to sell at a moment's whim. Notwithstanding the action taken by the Prime Minister in preventing the sale of his 13 per cent of Snowy Hydro—an action that forced a backdown by the State governments in New South Wales and Victoria—if this Parliament adjourns this week without amending the legislation, the Iemma Government could still sell Snowy Hydro on another whim.

    The Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Bill, which passed through the upper House with the support of the then sole Greens member, allows the Minister to dispose of shares without reference to Parliament. The amendment to the motion would allow the bill proposed by the honourable member for Orange to be debated in this Chamber. The bill is simple. It makes clear that any attempt in the future to sell Snowy Hydro Limited would have to be approved by both Houses of Parliament and the Governor. I expect all members to support that legislation, and I particularly expect the honourable member for Monaro to support the amendment.

    If the honourable member for Monaro does not support the amendment, then he does not support the retention of Snowy Hydro Limited in public hands. The bill will provide a guarantee to electors in Monaro and throughout the State that no Iemma Government Minister at a whim will be able to sell that instrumentality. The amendment could not be clearer. It seeks to delete paragraph (3) and insert a new paragraph (3), which will allow the bill to be introduced and pass through all stages this evening. It will allow the House to vote on the bill. We are about to vote on the amendment to the motion.

    Mr SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members will resume their seats. There is too much conversation in the Chamber.

    Mr BARRY O'FARRELL: The vote on the amendment will test the honourable member for Monaro and the honourable member for Murray-Darling. It will allow all Government members who allegedly represent Country Labour to show their true intentions. Do they trust the Minister for Commerce to continue to have the unfettered power that was provided by the Parliament in 1997 or will they support the legislation that is being introduced by the honourable member for Orange to ensure that Parliament has the final power about any future privatisation, sale or disposal of the shares in Snowy Hydro Limited? I seek the support of the House.

    Question—That the words stand—put.

    The House divided.
    Ayes, 51
            Ms Allan
            Mr Amery
            Ms Andrews
            Ms Beamer
            Mr Black
            Mr Brown
            Ms Burney
            Miss Burton
            Mr Campbell
            Mr Chaytor
            Mr Collier
            Mr Corrigan
            Mr Crittenden
            Ms Daley
            Mr D'Amore
            Mr Debus
            Ms Gadiel
            Mr Gaudry            		Mr Gibson
            Mr Greene
            Ms Hay
            Mr Hickey
            Mr Hunter
            Ms Judge
            Ms Keneally
            Mr Lynch
            Mr McBride
            Mr McLeay
            Ms Meagher
            Ms Megarrity
            Mr Mills
            Mr Morris
            Mr Newell
            Ms Nori
            Mr Orkopoulos
            Mr Pearce            		Mrs Perry
            Mr Price
            Ms Saliba
            Mr Sartor
            Mr Scully
            Mr Shearan
            Mr Stewart
            Ms Tebbutt
            Mr Tripodi
            Mr Watkins
            Mr West
            Mr Whan
            Mr Yeadon

            Tellers,
            Mr Ashton
            Mr Martin

    Noes, 36

    Mr Aplin
    Mr Armstrong
    Mr Barr
    Ms Berejiklian
    Mr Cansdell
    Mr Constance
    Mr Debnam
    Mr Draper
    Mrs Fardell
    Mr Fraser
    Mrs Hancock
    Mr Hartcher
    Ms Hodgkinson    		Mrs Hopwood
    Mr Humpherson
    Mr Kerr
    Mr McTaggart
    Mr Merton
    Ms Moore
    Mr Oakeshott
    Mr O'Farrell
    Mr Page
    Mr Piccoli
    Mr Pringle
    Mr Richardson
    Ms Seaton    		Mrs Skinner
    Mr Slack-Smith
    Mr Souris
    Mr Stoner
    Mr Tink
    Mr Torbay
    Mr J. H. Turner
    Mr R. W. Turner

    Tellers,
    Mr George
    Mr Maguire

    Question resolved in the affirmative.

    Amendment negatived.

    Motion agreed to.

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