Southport MP. MP for Southport, Gold Coast. Peter Lawlor: peterlawlor.com.au

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Motion: Labor State Conference
Posted by editor (editor) on Mar 03 2010
2010 >>

Hon. PJ LAWLOR (Southport—ALP) (Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading) (6.00 pm): Groucho

Marx could have had the LNP in mind when he said, ‘I’ve got principles and if you don’t like them I’ve got

others.’ Where are the LNP’s principles? The answer is that they have none. This motion is all about

LNP opportunism. They do not care about workers. We can see the crowd that you have drawn today.

What would you do if you were in government? We know what you would do. I will give you a few

examples in just a minute.

Mr SPEAKER: The honourable minister will talk through the chair, thank you.

Mr LAWLOR: What about the sheer hypocrisy of the Leader of the Opposition sending an email

out today addressed to—

Dear Labor Caucus Members, and union members

Re: Urgent special motion to save Labor’s State Conference.

The Leader of the Opposition had better not go into the theatre. He would close the Phantom ofthe Opera in one night. Have a look at the crowd. The workers’ friend? You have got to be joking. This

comes from the leader of a party that confiscated millions of dollars of electrical workers’

superannuation in the 1980s. This is the leader of a party who now says he is the workers’ friend. What

gets worse about the hypocrisy is that the email states—

And will the Premier give Labor MPs a conscience vote?

This is from a leader who two weeks ago would not give his own members a conscience vote on

altruistic surrogacy. Now he is asking for a conscience vote on this ridiculous motion. I used to say back

in the 1980s that I lost all interest in satire when Joh Bjelke-Petersen made Terry Lewis Queensland’s

Father of the Year. However, any flickering interest I had in satire has well and truly been doused by the

Leader of the Opposition tonight masquerading as the workers’ friend, saving the Labor Party and the

union. What an absolute outrageous joke. I will just quote from a few things in relation to democracy.

Mr Gibson interjected.

Mr LAWLOR: I am not as versed in the history of the LNP as those opposite are. The LNP state

executive has been trying to silence critics, the Leader of the Opposition being one of them, of course,

and there are many of them. For instance, Gary Hardgrave has been given a show-cause notice as to

why he should not be expelled. Why? The notice relates to comments he made about the state

opposition being hopeless. He made the comments not as an LNP member but as a radio announcer.

For telling the truth the member for Burnett was dropped from the high office of deputy whip because he

dared to vote for a spill. In my opinion those opposite came to the right decision about the member for

the grassy knoll. I think the right result was achieved. Everyone knows that he was 16 before he learnt to

wave goodbye. The LNP has sought to silence other critics, such as Mal Brough.

A government member: Poor old Mal.

Mr LAWLOR: Poor old Mal, that is right. He was not wanted by the LNP because he dared to

criticise the way the party was formed. He has also criticised—and is correct—the way it has been

operated since. Even Michael Johnson is now being investigated, not that I have much sympathy for

him.

Mr Johnson: He’s done nothing wrong.

Mr LAWLOR: You might be right there. Quoting from Joe Hockey—

... as a government, sold Telstra...governments shouldn’t be in the business of owning business.

Quoting from John-Paul Langbroek—

our belief that the government does not have to be involved in activities that can be best performed by private enterprise.

The Leader of the Opposition has also been quoted as saying the asset sales are inevitable. Directing

his comments at ETU members, Tim Nicholls has been quoted as saying—

One has to ask: why not sell the poles and wires as well? Why not sell the generators as well? Most informed commentators know

that this is the best solution to provide adequate power efficiently and with little risk to government.

(Time expired)

Last changed: Mar 03 2010 at 3:19 PM

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Motion: Labor State Conference