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Other Parliamentary SpeechesThis page is dedicated to Peter's speeches during parliament that do not fall under Questions or Questions without notice. They range from debating legislation, reporting on events or issues in his seat of Southport and his Ministerial Statements.
Election 2004 |
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| Posted by Administrator (admin) on May 12 2004 |
| Other Speeches >> |
Firstly, let me offer my congratulations to the Speaker on his election for the third time to the position of Speaker of this House. About three years ago I stood in this chamber and made my first speech in this place. I spoke about the economic and social pressures on people living in the electorate of Southport, as is the case in other areas of the state. They were concerned, as they still are, with the cost of living, the cost and difficulty of accessing health care, the need for their children to get a good education, the importance of training, job security and the creation of new jobs, the effectiveness of community policing and the protection of our environment and also the lack of public housing.
It has been a privilege to represent the people of Southport for the past three years-workers, unemployed, sick, disabled, senior citizens, struggling small business people and many others. I consider the past three years was my apprenticeship, and I am now better qualified to represent the people of Southport and I thank them for again putting their faith in me. I again assure them that that faith is not misplaced. The people of Southport have had three years of first-hand experience of a Beattie Labor government and obviously liked what they saw. They expressed their approval through the ballot box, where we increased the primary vote by 3.3 per cent to 54 per cent.
I think it is appropriate for me to express my commiserations to my opponents-Mr Williams, Mr Latto and Bob Bennett. Having been beaten three times in Southport before I was successful in 2001, I know exactly how they feel.
There are many people to thank for our success. As with the 2001 victory, it is not a victory for me but for many people-branch members, staff, family and community members. Particular thanks go to my greatest fans and maybe my only fans-my children, Ali, Jane and Phil. Ali and Jane live in London and could not come home this time, but I know they were supporting me from afar. Phil came home from London, where he was working between university years when the election was called and he was a great help to me. My dad, Jim, assisted as did my brother Gerard. My campaign manager, Terry Callaghan, and staff, Sharyn Masters and Peter Keech, were towers of strength as were so many branch members, particularly Don Townsend, and many other friends, especially Lindesay Jones. John and Meg Coonan, Jeff and Judy Brown and Jack Carroll came from interstate to help on the election day.
There are a few issues that I would like to mention, and the first relates to health. Under Labor, Queensland Health has employed an extra 1,800 nurses and spent a further $180 million on new hospital equipment. We have committed to employ a further 1,500 nurses in the next three years. The federal government's own Productivity Commission says that Queensland now has the shortest waiting times in Australia.
Locally during the past three years the Beattie government has spent $55 million on an upgrade of the Gold Coast Hospital, $3.1 million on an MRI unit at the Gold Coast Hospital and also committed $7 million for the Cardiac Catheter Centre at the Gold Coast Hospital. Additionally, $110 million has been allocated to tackle elective surgery waiting lists and $10 million for two travel and dental teams which will effectively give an additional 18,000 free dental visits.
Back in the dark National Party days of 1997, 40.5 per cent of category 2 patients across the state were waiting too long for their surgery, which was nothing short of an embarrassment. More people were being added to the waiting list than were being treated and the best the coalition government of the time could hope for was that 40 per cent of patients would be treated on time. People might remember that under the Nationals the Gold Coast Hospital was underfunded by $10 million a year, prompting a Gold Coast Sun driven protest in the streets. In less than six years we have moved from a position where the Nationals were too embarrassed to release waiting times to a point where 2003 is likely to go down as the best year on record for patients waiting for elective surgery in these categories.
Rather than rest on its laurels, the government has continued to address waiting times for elective surgery. Bulk-billing by GPs has plummeted by 11 per cent under John Howard and here in the federal electorate of Moncrieff the rate of bulk-billing has fallen by a whopping 13.5 per cent. It really should not come as a surprise, as when in opposition John Howard told Sydney radio listeners-
We will be proposing changes to Medicare which amount to its de facto dismantling... We'll pull it right apart. The second thing we'll do is get rid of the bulk-billing system. It's an absolute rort.
The impact on the state health system is that the public hospitals are now under much greater pressure than ever before because it is more difficult to find bulk-billing doctors.
In relation to transport and traffic congestion, the Gold Coast of course is a rapidly growing city and it is unfortunate that the Gold Coast City Council tries at every opportunity to wash its hands of the problem whilst at the same time approving many high-density developments which exacerbate the problem. The government formed a committee chaired by my parliamentary colleague the member for Broadwater, Peta-Kaye Croft, which with the Gold Coast City Council and Main Roads Department is investigating solutions for the traffic congestion on Frank and Broad streets. The Beattie government is also committed to a $247 million upgrade of the Gold Coast railway line, which will allow trains to run at 15-minute intervals and thereby reduce the delays and the congestion which is presently experienced on this very popular service which was reintroduced by the Beattie Labor government. We should always remember, too, that it was the coalition government which ripped up the train line to the Gold Coast in 1966. Not only did it rip it up; it ripped it up with such haste that a locomotive was left at Coolangatta which had to be dismantled and brought back by road.
Mr Shine: That was visionary.
Mr LAWLOR: Very visionary. Southport is undergoing extensive redevelopment and it is therefore particularly important that we continue to protect from commercial development our major open space, which is the Broadwater and the western foreshore. We must not allow our greatest natural asset to be taken over and used for projects such as special events precincts or the relocation of the Indy track.
In relation to education, some of the new students at the Arundel State School will be younger than usual. These students are part of the Beattie government's prep year trial. By starting early, these students are helping the Beattie government build a bright future for them and Queensland's education system. The new prep year trial is just part of what the Beattie government is doing for education in Queensland.
This year 26 per cent of the state's budget has been invested in education. This investment will deliver on Peter Beattie's promises for more teachers, smaller classes, new schools, a prep year trial, school upgrades and programs to make sure students are either learning or earning. Peter Beattie's commitment to education and making Queensland the Smart State is all about delivering the jobs of the future. State schools in the Southport electorate have received unprecedented attention in respect of maintenance and facilities, and this attention will continue for the next three years.
Policing and community safety is a key issue on the Gold Coast, and the Beattie Labor government is determined to fight for the best deal for the community in this regard. Since coming to government in July 1998, the number of funded police in the Gold Coast police district has increased by 145 officers- from 503 to 648 as at 1 October last year, including an extra 87 officers since February 2001. The good news is that these increases to police numbers are set to continue. In this financial year about 300 extra officers will be employed thanks to funding provided by the government. In fact, each year we have been in government we have increased police numbers by about this figure, and as these police numbers show we are getting our fair share of them on the Gold Coast. A $2.4 million redevelopment of the Southport station is also scheduled.
We have also committed to a police beat at Arundel. Also the so-called antihoon legislation has been a great success. Car hoons have no respect. They treat the roads as race tracks. They need to be stopped. The Beattie government has new laws which aim to teach car hoons that, if they drive dangerously, they had better get used to walking. More than 800 hoons' cars have been taken off the road. In the south-east region, 306 have been impounded and in the Gold Coast district 233 have been impounded.
It is time to get tough on car hoons. These new laws protect our community. On the Gold Coast the results speak for themselves.
Since being elected the Beattie government has been committed to reducing unemployment and creating jobs. In our local suburbs this commitment has been delivered through almost $6 million in Breaking the Unemployment Cycle funding between October 1998 and September 2002, which created 629 jobs. A further 185 jobs were created up to last year and there is more to come.
In relation to public housing, $475,000 was approved to upgrade 12 three bedroom houses in Molendinar. That included painting, new fencing, pergolas and driveways. The government has helped transform Molendinar by improving the visual appearance of the suburb, the quality of housing, as well as community safety and pride through renewal activity. Construction of 22 units for seniors and disabled in Railway Street and North Streets and the purchase of $1 million plus of land for further construction of public housing is another indication of the importance that this government places on public housing.
The Department of Public Works continues its commitment to training of apprentices through QBuild. In February 2004 five apprentices started their career on the Gold Coast. They were among 100 new apprentices and trainees who were successful in winning jobs across Queensland. Q-Build has a strong reputation for excellence in training apprentices. The apprenticeship program is a real investment in the future of our state's building industry. About 60 per cent of the new apprentices are based outsideBrisbane. The program also represents a massive investment in our state's regional skills base, and this program will continue.
Legislation has been passed in this parliament to end broadscale tree clearing in Queensland where the equivalent of 1,200 football fields a day are cleared. Over 20 million hectares will be saved for future generations. Like no other government before it the Queensland Beattie Labor government has worked and is continuing to work to promote balanced and environmentally sustainable development. This is appreciated by the voters in most electorates, including Southport.
One of the minuses of the most recent election is the loss of three good friends to all of us in Trevor Strong, Steve Rogers and Christine Scott. I wish them all the best in the future. Who knows, we might see them back here one day.
Again I thank the people of Southport for placing their trust in me. The support of and service to the constituents of Southport continues to be my highest priority. Last changed: [PUBLISHED_DATE] at 12:00 AM
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