Page 328 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 7 March 2007
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government business that there would not be extensions and people willy-nilly being given rights to speak again. We have in the past given people the right to speak again when it has been prearranged, as we did last week in relation to a vote of no confidence. That offer was not taken up, by the way. But this is just an ordinary thing. This government want to filibuster because they do not want to talk about buses.
Mr Barr: Mr Speaker, I speak in support of the motion to suspend standing orders. I simply require another 30 to 40 seconds to respond to an issue that Mrs Dunne has raised in her speech and I look forward to the opportunity of the Assembly granting me that time.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella) (5.46): Mr Speaker, I would very much like to hear Mr Barr’s 30 or 40 seconds.
Mrs Dunne: You could ask him in the lobby later.
MR GENTLEMAN: I would be very happy, whether he talks about buses or Mrs Dunne talks about buses.
Question resolved in the affirmative, with the concurrence of an absolute majority.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation and Minister for Industrial Relations) (5.46): Mr Speaker, I do note that Mrs Dunne has expressed very strong views in support of those members of the Transport Workers Union who are employed as bus drivers and that she seeks the support of the minister—
MR SPEAKER: Let us not forget, Mr Barr, that you are speaking to the amendment.
MR BARR: Indeed, in relation to the impact of the new federal workplace laws—
MR SPEAKER: And you should remain relevant.
MR BARR: on Canberra employees, and then Mr Stefaniak’s amendment that these are positive effects. I simply draw to Mrs Dunne’s attention the fact that there are, I think, about 320 ACTION employees who are facing personal fines of $6,500 each as a result of the WorkChoices legislation.
If Mrs Dunne is prepared to make a public statement in this place about her support for bus drivers in this town, I very much look forward to when the federal government seeks to pursue this matter under the WorkChoices legislation, and Mrs Dunne will join me and everyone on this side of the chamber in opposing that outrageous action from the commonwealth government in seeking to impose individual fines of up to $6,600 each on each of those employees as a result of industrial action that was taken by the Transport Workers Union. If Mrs Dunne is fair dinkum about standing up for bus drivers in this town, I look forward to her standing with us in opposition to those fines.
MR SPEAKER: The question is that Mr Stefaniak’s amendments Nos (1) and (2) be agreed to.
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