STATUTES AMENDMENT (BUDGET 2010) BILL

Final Stages

Consideration in committee of the Legislative Council's amendments.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I move:

That the Legislative Council's amendments be agreed to.

The shadow treasurer has asked for a brief explanation as to the nature of the amendments. As we indicated to the house, initial advice when the bill was drafted was that we had covered all the public sector employees necessary. What we found in the drafting from parliamentary counsel is that there had been some incorrect advice provided, I understand, from crown law (but these things happen) to parliamentary counsel. I do not want to blame anyone but I may as well set the record straight—one of those, either parliamentary counsel or crown law. We did not include employees of Parliament House, so we have had to ensure that consistency was such that employees of Parliament House were also included.

There are amendments relating to the decision by the government to do away with the annoying registration stickers and amendments were agreed between the parties in another place as to the implementation of that, particularly picking up concerns that had been identified by the Motor Trade Association that we also consult with—almost always—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: You don't consult budget matters before a budget, member for Bragg.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I didn't mislead the house. You don't consult on a budget prior to the budget.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: We did, when it was appropriate.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes, that is what you do with a budget. I know you have never done one and are unlikely to ever do one.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Really. Well, that would have to be very special then.

The CHAIR: While this exchange is scintillating, perhaps we could carry on, Treasurer.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: In essence, if the member would like more, I am happy to give him a more in depth explanation, if he wishes.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: I thank the Treasurer for that explanation. Although I was aware of the amendments and the purpose behind them, I think it was important for the record of this house and for Independents and other members who have not necessarily been intimately involved in every negotiation of the amendments to have it on record so that they know what they are voting for.

The opposition's understanding of the amendments is as the Treasurer has explained; that is, in the rush of the Treasurer to cut the Public Service entitlements, in the rush to slash their long service leave and their superannuation, they accidentally left out a section of the Public Service who are here in Parliament House. The Treasurer and I are hoping that it will not affect the operations of the house too much in this bill going through.

The other issue relates to issues raised by the opposition in questioning in this chamber about how the motor trade's members or those in motor trade industries were going to be better protected from the way the bill was drafted in relation to their members accidentally driving an unregistered car, given that the sticker would be taken off, how were they to know whether that was to be registered. Through questioning here, and the Hon. John Darley in another place, to his credit, also put amendments forward and took this matter up, the government has reneged and had to bring in its own amendments. So, the government is in the embarrassing position of having to bring in two sets of amendments to its own budget bill, which is rare, but that is the circumstance we are in.

Even though the government delayed the budget till September so that it could get it absolutely right, we find that there was the $330 million correction, and then there were the two sets of legislative corrections we have had to have through these amendments we are now supporting. As we have done with this bill, the government gets its budget bill, so the opposition is not objecting to the amendments and supports them.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I must point out an error the shadow treasurer made: we are not cutting public servants' superannuation; it is a measure to do with long service leave.

Motion carried.