legislative assembly wednesday october · 1298 13 october 1982 questions upon notice wednesday, 13...

Queensland

Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]

Legislative Assembly

WEDNESDAY, 13 OCTOBER 1982

Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy

1298 13 October 1982 Questions Upon Notice

WEDNESDAY, 13 OCTOBER 1982

Mr SPEAKER (Hon. S. J. MuUer, Fassifern) read prayers and took the chair at 11 a.m,

PETmONS The Clerk announced the receipt of the foUowing petitions—

Penalties for Cmeliy to Animals From Mr Burns (198 signatories) praying that the ParUament of Queensland will

increase penalties for cruelty to animals.

Amendment of Traffic Acts Amendment BiU From Mr Tenni (46 signatories) praying that the Parliament of Queendand will

amend legislation dealing with persons found to be driving with a blood alcohol content in excess of .05 per cent.

[Similar petitions were received from Mr Menzel (62 signatories), Dr Edwards (20 signatories), Dr Scott-Young (57 signatories), Mr I. J. Gibbs (41 signatories), Mr Muntz (8(X) signatories), Mr Prest (21 signatories), Dr Lockwood (14 signatories) and Mr Harper (18 signatories).]

Rent Increases, Inala From Mr Hooper (89 signatories) praying that the Parliament of Queensland will

give special consideration in respect of Inala in relation to rent increases in that community.

Establishment of Adoption Contact Rjcgister From Dr Lockwood (56 signatories) praying that the ParUament of Queensland will

reverse Cabinet's decision not to legislate for the establishment of an adoption contact register.

Appointment of Therapists to Narbethong School From Sir WiUiam Knox (129 signatories) praying that the Pariiament of Queensland

will appoint a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist and a speech therapist, each on a full-time basis, to the Narbethong School.

Petitions received.

QUESTIONS UPON NOTICE Questions submitted on notice by members were answered as follows:—

1. Buying and Exporting of Queensland Gemstones

Mr Greenwood asked the Minister for Mines and Bnergy— With reference to complamts which have recently been made that a buying nng

for gemstones is operating m Queensland and operating in such a way that many

Questions Upon Notice 13 October 1982 1299

of the best quality sapphires and emeralds produced in this State are being exported for cutting and setting overseas to the detriment of Queensland industry—

(1) Has he any data avaUable on this problem?

(2) If so, wiU he make it available to the House?

Answer:— (1 & 2) The Department of Mines regulates mining of gemstones in Queens

land, not the buying and selUng. Therefore, the department does not have any details of tniyers operating on the gemfields within this State.

However, it is assumed that the honourable member is refening to the Thai buyers. These buyers have been operating on the fields for many years and the questi(m of their role is a perennial one in a situation where market forces undoubtedly prevaU.

The Commonwealth/State Joint Study Group on raw mineral processing in its report "The AustraUan Gemstone Processing Industry" concluded that the present marketing system is convenient to miners since they can readily dispose of their gemstones aUhough not necessarUy at the highest price.

The study group did go on to recommend that gemstone marketing faciUties be investigated with a view to encourage the orderly development of the industry, but saw this in the context of increased processing of gemstones in Australia. The recommendations put forward by the study group are essentially matters for Commonwealth Govemment action.

2. Precepts Levied under Rabbit Act Mr Neal asked the Minister for Lands and Forestry—

Whh reference to precepts levied under the Rabbit Act— (1) What are the amounts levied in each of the local authorhy areas involved

for 1982-83 and for the past four years? (2) What is the percentage increase for each local authority for those same years? (3) In view of the unfavourable seasonal conditions that continue to prevail in

many of those areas and an inflation rate of around 10 per cent, why has it been necessary to increase these levies by up to 60 per cent on last year's levy in some areas?

Answer:— (1 & 2) The amounts levied in respect of each local authority area making up

the rabbh control area as constituted by the Rabbit Act 1964-1972 are as detaUed in the attached schedule marked "A"

(3) As indicated by tiie figures in the accompanying schedule marked "B" it has become necessary over the past four years to progressively increase the Rabbit Act levy in respect of those shires owing to:—

(i) Inflationary factors; (U) The limit of 0.25 cents in the dollar that is allowed to be levied restricting

the amount of funds that can be raised in respect of the rabbit control area by way of Rabbit Act levy;

(iU) The number of shires that have needed to haye been placed on the maximum rate over recent years having caused a diminution in the number of local authority areas where the Rabbit Act levy can and could be increased to offset rising costs through inflation.

In this regard, it should be particularly noted that over the past three financial years and for the fiscal year 1982-83, the Rabbit Control Authority has budgeted for absolute essentials only and, in order to make ends meet, has even had to curtail the purchase of new motor vehicles to replace its existing fleet.

I seek leave to have the schedules incorporated in "Hansard".

(Leave granted.)


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3. Loss of Revenue on Construction and Machinery Inspections Mr Yewdale asked the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations—

Whh reference to the AudUor-General's report tabled in Pariiament recently wherein it was stated that (a) approximately 10 per cent of inspections of constmctions in respect of which notifications had been received by the division were not perfonned and prepaid fees amounting to $150,000 were refunded, (b) m the case of machinery inspections, it is estimated that at least one-4hird of the inspections required by the relative Act were not performed with a probable resuhant loss of revenue of not less than $500,000, and (c) inspections of motor vehicles were performed in respect of only 57 per cent of the vehicles for which notices of inspection were issued thus bringing about foregone revenue of approximately $450,(XX)—

What action, if any, is he prepared to take to overcome this obvious mismanagement of his department that has been highlighted over a two year period, in riew of over $lm loss of revenue to the Govemment and the obvious lack of concem for the levies and for the safety of Queenslanders?

Answer:— I will deal with the honourable member's question seriatim, but h is firstly

necessary to quote the Auditor-General's observations on the matters which the honourable member has raised. The Auditor-General said—

"It is recognized that the non-collection of revenue is not the major concem in this situation, a more important aspect being the maintaining of safety standards in the most crucial areas and management advises that h has attempted to aUocate its available resources to meet this requirement. It is also recognized that the loss in revenue is countered to a degree by savings in staff costs".

DeaUng firstly with inspection of construction work, it has not been possible to inspect all construction work notified because of staff shortages. However, the Construction Safety Regulations have recently been amended to exempt from notification and payment of fees any construction of a single-unit dweUing costing less than $65,000. This does not exempt the constructor from complying whh the safety provisions of the Construction Safety Act.

In the case of machinery inspections there has been a distinct problem in that it has not been possible to attract suitable applicants for appointment as inspectors of machinery. The reasons for the recruitment problem have been carefully examined by a committee of experts, including two professional engineers aj^nted by the Public Service Board. The recommendations of this committee wiU be implemented. Cabinet has already approved necessary amendments to the Inspection of Machinery Act and a BiU is now being drafted by the ParUamentary Counsel. Meanwhile, as was mentioned by the Audhor-General, the inspectorial staff is cmicentrating on high-risk areas. In addition, the Intemal Operational Audh Service has recently concluded an investigation into the Machinery Inspectorate and its advice is now being examined.

On the question relating to motor vehicle inspections. Cabinet has approved in principle a new inspection system for commercial motor vehicles through authorised inspection stations and a requirement that high-risk vehicles must have inspections as a requisite precondition for renewal of registration by the Main Roads Department, Low-risk vehicles have also been exempted from inspection to enable concentration of inspectorial resources in the high-risk areas. Cabinet has also awxMnted a steenng commhtee composed of senior officers of the Departments of Main Roads, Transpwl, Employment and Labor Relations and the Public Service Board to oversee the development of the new motor vehicle inspection function. However, as I pointed out to the House m a ministerial statement on 23 September 1982, the new arrangements in relation to motor vehicle inspections cannot come into fuU effect iintil January 1984 because of: Main Roads Department computer-programming requirements.

4. Minimum-quantity Requirements in Food Sales Mr Yewdale asked the Minister for Employment and Labour RelatiMis—

With reference to the requirement adopted by food outlets, in particular ^h and chip shops, to purchase a minimum quantity of chips when purchasing fish, on

Questioos Upon Notice 13 October 1982 1303

example of which is a requirement to purchase either fifty cents' or one doUar's worth of chips whh no option in between, and that of other outlets which wiU not seU fish to customers unless they purchase chips as weU—

WUl he, as a matter of principle, have the overall situation investigated to ascertain the legatities of the seUers' actions from such outlets?

Atuwer:— I am advised that the proprietors of these businesses are within their legal r^hts.

However, m an article in the "Daily Sun" of 6 September 1982, it was rqmrted that the honourable member had himself investigated this matter in Rockhampton. The general take-away shop was selUng fish and chips as a package, but the honouraUe member is also reported as having received calls from fish and chip shops telUng him that they stUl operate in the old way. It would seem therefore that the free enterprise system wiU decide whether such shops stay in business, as indeed the consumer has freedom of choice.

5, Monitoring of Noise Levels Mr Yewdale asked the Minister for Local Govemment, Main Roads and Police—

Whh reference to the responsibility of the Police Department to administer certain provisions of the Noise Abatement Act, particularly noise emanating from premises which could be considered as bemg at too high a volume—

(1) Have any instruments been issued by the department to aUow noise levels to be monitored and, if so, hOw many and where are they provided?

(2) If not, what method is used to ascertain when a noise level is deemed to be of an annoyance to the community?

Atuwer:— ' (1) No.

(2) It is for the police officer attending the complaint to form the opinion whether the noise is excessive or not.

Section 33 of the Noise Abatement Act requires a police officer to be satisfied that the noise complained of is clearly audible within part of the premises of the complainant that he might be reasonably expected to use (other than for a brief period), and the police oflicer be of the opinion that the noise is excessive by reason of the level or nature thereof.

6. Teaching Schoolchildren Words of "Advance Australia Fair" Mr Tumer asked the Minister for Education—

Whh reference to the success of the Commonwealth Games recently held m Brisbane, the amount of national pride engendered by the success of our athletes and the playing of "Advance AustraUa Fair" at the victory ceremonies—

WUl he initiate moves whhiii the school system to teach aU schoolchUdren the words of our national song?

Answer:^— I can only endorse most heartily the sentiment that the recent Cbinmonwealth

Games were an outstanding success. However, with regard to the matter raised by the honourable member for Warrego, I must report that Queensland has foUowed the guide-lines on the use of the National Anthem and National Tun© issued by the Commonwealth in April 1978. These state:

"The national poU resulted in a choice of the majority of voters for 'Advance Australia Fair'. 'Advance Australia Fair* is therefore now regarded as the people's choice for a national tune. There are, however, no official words for it, h is a tune to be played, not a song to be sung."

This i* the Commonwealth Govemment's ruling on the matter. However, I will undertake to oomey the honourable member's sentiments to the Commonwealth Mimster and to State Ministers for consideration.


7. Special Allocation of Funds to Paroo Shire Council Mr Turner asked the Premier—

With reference to the serious drought conditions prevailing in the Paroo Shi and the effect this drought is having on employment opportunities—

Will consideration be given to providing a special allocation of funds to the Paroo Shire Council to allow for the employment of many people who have lost jobs because of drought conditions?

Answer:—

The Government is very much aware that many people have been thrown out of work because of serious drought conditions in a number of shires, including Paroo.

As a result, I have already made representations to the Right HonOiir blb the Prime Minister seeking the introduction of a scheme to assist local authdfities to relieve drought-induced unemployment in rural areas. • " > ;

I can assure the honourable member that his area will be assisted if we can get Commonwealth Govemment support.

8. Establishment of Oil Refinery at CunnamuUa'

Mr Turner asked the Premier—

With reference to the success of the western,. Queensland oil and gas fields and the necessity for a pipeline to a coastal point—

WUl he initiate action to have this pipeline located via CunnamuUa and press for the establishment of a refinery at CunnamuUa, which would then be a central point for transport of oil products to the northern, southern or eastem parts of Australia?

A nswer:—

Proposals have been invited for constructing, owning and operating an oil pipeline from the Jackson field in South-west Queensland to Brisbane. Submissions are required to include details of the proposed route between Jackson-Brisbane or Jac}cson-Moonie,

One of the benefits of an oil pipeline cdnneeriiig the Jackson field- with 'Mbonie or Brisbane would be the encouragement of further exploration in the areas which could be connected to the pipeline. •; ,.

The closing date for proposals is 25 October 1982, and until the proposals' have been received and examined, it is not possible to say what route might beFfreferred. The most direct route between Jackson and Moonie or Brisbane would come "within 40 kilometres of CunnamuUa.

The honourable member's suggestion has a great deal of merit and will be sympathetically considered when the submissions I have referred to are being examined.

9. Workers' Compensation Payments • Mr Hansen asked the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations—

(1) Is workers' compensation intended to reimburse a worker for wages lost through accidents at work or going to or from home to work?

(2) May a person casually employed only draw workers' compensation at tlie, weekly rate averaged over the past year's income?

(3) Is this amount the net income and, if h includes overtime, is this also part of the income considered?

(4) Is no account taken of wage increases and/or inflation differential between the current year and past years?

(5) Where the previous year's average weekly eamings are less than the minimum wage, what amount is paid in compensation?

A nswer:— (I) Weekly benefits payable under the provisions of the Workers' Compensation

Act are not intended to reimburse a worker for wages lost through an accident a work or going to or from work.


The intention of weekly benefits is to compensate, to a statutory degree, the injured worker for his loss of earning capacity.

In the case of a worker employed under an award or registered industrial agreement, he receives his award wage, which is that amount he would receive if he were absent from work on paid sick leave. A worker who is employed under a contract of service is paid 80 per centum of the contract of service salary. For the period in excess of 26 weeks, those workers receive the guaranteed minimum wage, currently $160.90, plus an allowance for a dependent wife of $27.35 and $11.25 for each dependent child.

(2) When considering the weekly rate of compensation payable to a casual worker, the Workers Compensation Board must have regard for the casual worker's average weekly earnings during the twelve months last preceding the date of injury or, if he had not been so long continuously employed, during the period for which he had been continuously employed.

•'(3) Calculations are the actual gross earnings and overtime from all employment, but not any special expenses entailed by the nature of the employment. -.r

..(4) In the case of an injured worker employed under an award or registered industrial agreement, for the first 26 weeks of incapacity, benefits paid equ^l that award or registered industrial agreement as varied from time to time. However, in the case of a casual worker there is no allowance for variation as benefits are governed by the average weekly earning pertaining at the date of injury.

(5) When the award wage is less than the guaranteed minimum wage (as in the case of apprentices or other junior employees), the benefit paid is award applicable throughout the duration of incapacity.

In the case of a casual worker, where special circumstances prevail against the casual worker and his average weekly earnings are less than the guaranteed minimum' wage, the board wiH consider paying the guaranteed minimum wage.

The circumstances of casual employment are many and varied, and therefore the poUcylof the Workers Compensation Board is,to consider every case on its merits, keeping in mind the casual worker's actual economic loss.

10. : Pulp and Paper Mill, South-east Queensland

Mr Hansen asked the Minister for Lands and Forestry— • (1) Has AustraUan Paper Manufacturers Limited indefinitely deferred plans for

a pulp and jjaper mill ih South-east Queensland? (2) Does this mean that the company has forfehed any option it may have

held over timber in Queensland State forests? (3) Is the Government seeking to interest any other company in the proposition

and, if not, for what period may APM retain its options in this project?

Answer:— . . (1) APM has indicated to the Government that U is unable to proceed at. present

with plans for a pulp mill in South-east Queensland because of the unfavourable economic and market situation which now exists and sought deferment of further consideration of its proposal for the present.

(2) APM wUl however retain the rights it already holds to pulpwood supplies from the Beerburrum State Forest. The company does not hold any rights or options to those addhional supplies of pulpwood which were recently advertised for sale in the Gympie/Maryborough area, and these remain available for sale.

(3) The Government has subsequently received an approach from a Finnish company, Ekono Oy, to conduct a feasibility study into the estabUshment of a pulp/ paper mill to utilise the pulpwood available in the Gympie/Maryborough area. In the circumstances, this company has now been given approval to finalise its proposed feasibility study within a period of 18 months. During this period the APM proposal will not be further considered by the Government.


11. Roof-painting, Baillie Henderson Hospital Mr Hansen asked the Minister for Works and Housing—

With reference to his recent media release of 11 August that a $50,979 project to reroof Browne House at the Baillie Henderson Hospital in Toowoomba will be carried out by the Works Department—

(1) As the reason given for this work is that the roof is rasted and considerably weathered^ wiU he explain why this roof, guttering and downpipes were painted as recently as July?

(2) What was the cost of this roof-painting work which now apparently is to be scrapped?

Answer:—

(1) It is agreed that concurrent actions were under consideration, one for an interim measure of temporary maintenance of painting of this roof and the other a more costly exercise of total replacement. Approval was given for the external painting of Browne House, and the painting of the roof was carried out at the same time as it was not expected that funds would be available for some tune to replace the roof. A review of the financial position aUowed the approval for the reiriacemcnt of the roof, but this work has not proceeded as the interim measure of painting the roof has delayed this need.

(2) The cost of roof painting was $2,915, and it is expected that the money expended wUl give an extended life to the roof.

12. Australian Conference of Principals of CoUeges of Advanced ^ucation Mr McKechnie asked the Minister for Education—

(1) Is he aware of a statement in "The Australian" Higher Education Supplement of 11 August that the AustraUan Conference of Principals of Colleges of Advanced Education (ACOP) has sent the Federal Minister for Education, and other Commonwealth authorities, a statement on "The Functions of CoUeges of Advanced Education in Australia" seeking its endorsement by these Commonwealth authorities?

(2) On what grounds does ACOP in this way seek to pre-empt the prerogative of State Parliaments to determine the functions of colleges of advanced education through State legislation?

(3) Will he object in the strongest terms to his Federal counterpart about this development and seek assurance from him that nehher he nor other Federal agencies wiU interfere as proposed by ACOP in matters that are the clear constitutional prerogative of the States?

(4) Are the principals of any of the Queensland coUeges members of ACOP?

(5) If so, wUl he make mquiries into the funding of ACOP (which it is understood mamtains a fuU-time secretariat and office facilities in Canberra) whh a vjew to informing the House at a later date whether the resources of any Queenslahd irflege contribute to such funding?

(6) If any resources are so contributed, wiU he explain how coUeges can find funds for this purpose when they are constantly complainuig of inadequate funding for teaching?

Answer:— (1) Yes, I have moreover already protested to the secretary of the Conference of

Prmcipals in the matter and requested him to inform the Commonwealth ^^°^^^^ that the statements submitted by the Conference of Principals for endorsement by those

..OMnmonweailth authorities do not necessarily describe accurately the situation in Queensland.

(2) Perhaps the kindest thing that might be said is that m a moment of ^f°^ the principals sought to play God. They were no doubt encouraged in tl»® f**'!: that the Commonwealth Govemment and its authorities persistently accord the to •


ference of Principals equivalent status to State Governments and other formal State bodies in consultation on advanced education matters. I have objected frequently to this practice of the Commonwealth's seriously discounting the position of the States.

(3) Yes. (4) It is understood aU six are. This being so, I regret to have to point out to

the House that the college councUs, whose servants the principals are, have apparently ehher been ignored in the present matter by the principals or have been party to the abenation. If the principals operated with the concurrence of their councUs, I remind councils that they are bound by Government policy, and h is a clear policy that (^eensland advanced education institutions have no access to Commonwealth authorities. That interface is reserved for the State Government and its formaUy appointed authorities.

(5) I shaU make the necessary inquiries and report back to the House at an eariy date.

(6) I would expect college councils to use whatever funds are available to them for direct benefit to students; for examfrie, in improvii^ Ubrary services, the reduction of which on account of constrained funding has been the subject of representaticm by students to me and other members of Parliament.

II, Registration Fee for Driving Instruction Schools Mr Booth asked the Minister for Transport—

Whh reference to the present registration fee ior a driving instruction school of $275.00, and as most country driving instruction schools have only one or two cars—

Has any consideration been given to a lower rate where the number of cars is not more than two?

Answer:— The honourable member will appreciate that Government fees and charges are

levied to defray administrative costs and the level of such fees is not determined solely on a revenue raising basis.

Total revenue derived from the registration of all driving instruction schools in Queensland, during the fiscal year ended 30 June 1982, amounted to $41,638 only, which cannot be regarded as an excessive burden on the drivmg School industry.

There is no legislation restriction on the number of driving instruction schook that may be registered or the number of vehicles that may be <^erated on behalf of those schools.

As any registered driving instmction school may operate branches throughout the State, the potential for busuiess growth is not determined by the actual locality in which the school origmated and therefore all driving instruction schools pay school registration fees on an equhable basis.

The current level of fees also ensures a reasonable standard of operation in the public interest, and assists m precluding from the industry substandard operators with insufficient capital to provide and maintain a satisfactory service.

I would also point out that the majority of driving instruction schools operating m the metropoUtan area and provincial cities have feweir than three vehicles <^rating on their behalf.

14. Travel Concessions for Handicapped Persons

Mr Warburton asked the Minister for Health— Whh reference to handicapped persons employed at a number of special workshops

such as Endeavour Workshops and Help Industries Limited at Fison Avenue, Eagle Farm—

(1) Is he aware that, although.the very same types of handicapped persons attend the workshops mentioned, those attending Help Industries Limhed are denied fuH travel concessions enjoyed by others?

(2) Does he agree that this is an anomalous situation that should not be aUowed to continue?

1308 13 October 1982 Questions UpOn Notice

(3) What action wUl be taken to ensure that the same travel concessi(ms aonlv to all involved handicapped persons? i. ^^•'

Answer:—

(1) I am aware that my department provides raU, bus and taxi-cab travel to trainees attending sheltered workshops/activhy therapy centres conducted by the Endeavour Foundation and the Muhiple Handicap Association of Queensland and that similar assistance has not been provided to trainees of other sheltered workshops conducted in this State

(2) The extension of my department's commitment to the provision of travel passes for trainees of sheltered workshops must be regulated by the finances that are available

(3) In the present period of financial restraint that applies to all Government spending. I cannot envisage the acceptance of further commhment at this stage or in the near future.

15. Traffic Count, Leichhardt Highway >••

Mr Hari>er asked the Minister for Local Government, Main Roads and Police—

Whh reference to the Leichhardt Highway between Wandoan and Taroom, and between Taroom and Theodore (a) what are the latest traffic-count figures available, (b) when were these recorded, and (c) is a break-dOwn available, either by statistics or estimates, to indicate the approximate number, of heavy articulated road vehicles, vehicles towing caravans and normal motor vehicles?

Answer:—

The results of a traffic census conducted on the Leichhardt Highway in 1981 are detailed as follows:—

Wandoan to Taroom—average daily traffic is 500 vehicles, which is made up as follows:—

52 per ceiit cars; 22 per cent light commercial, vehicles; 13 per cept.trucks; 12 per cent semi-trailers; 1 per cent road trains. Taroom to Theodore—average daUy traffic is 450 vehicles, which is made upas

follows:— 52 per cent cars; 20 per cent Ught,commercial vehicles; 12 per cent tmcks;

13 per cent semi-trailers; 3 per cent road trains. There are no separate data available on vehicles towing caravans.

16. Jojoba International Pty Ltd and Redchamp Research Station Pty Ltd Mr Harper asked the Minister for" Justice and Attomey-General—

With reference to a question asked of him by me on 17 August, and to questions asked of the Minister for Primary Industries on 4 March and 5 August, in regard to a company known as Jojoba International Pty Ltd—

(1) Is he aware of an article titled "Making Money on Jojoba" which appeared in the publication "industry North Queensland" in August?

(2) Does he agree that statements in that article are likely to mislead potential investors and wiU he take action to ensure that adequate publidty is given to the true facts surrounding jojoba and the two companies mentioned in the article. Jojoba Intemational Pty Ltd and Redchamp Research Station Pty Ltd, particularly having regard to an edhorial note in the pubUcation invhmg attention to sections 52 and 53 of the Federal Trade Practices Act?

•• • Answer:— " '

(1) Yes. (2) I am. concerned at the statements made in the article and intend writing to

the editor of "Industry North Queensland" drawing his attention to the statements previously made by both my colleague the Honourable the Minister for Pnniary Industries and myself outlining the facts surrounding this scheme and waming intendmg investors in the project to carefully consider the risks involved before making any financial commitments.


The article states that Mr Greg McLaughUn and Mr Garry Watkins of Townsville are registered whh the Commissioner for Corporate Affairs as investment consuhants. This is not so.

Applications for licences as dealers' representatives have been received from Mr Gregory John McLaughUn of 3 Wyuna Street, Murray, Townsville, and Mr Allan Garrett Watkins of 195 Charles Street, Heatley, Townsville, who may be the same persons as mentioned in the article.

However, no licences can be issued untU Jojoba International Pty Ltd and Redchamp Research Station Pty Ltd have complied with the prescribed interest provisions of the Companies (Queensland) Code. These provisions protect the investing public in that they require the registration of a prospectus and approved deed with a tmstee company as trustee.

Jojoba International Pty Ltd has been prosecuted for failure to comply with the earlier provisions of the Companies C!ode relating to prescribed interest, and although the magistrate dismissed the complaint an appeal to the Supreme Court is being prepared.

The Ck)mmissioner for Corporate Affairs is currently investigating Jojoba International Pty Ltd and Redchamp Research Station Pty Ltd and is in the course of obtaining (jueen's Counsel's advice as to whether legal action can be taken against them for possible breaches of the Companies and Securities Industry Codes.

Whh respect to the possible implications of the Trade Practices Act, I will refer the honourable member's concern to the appropriate Federal Minister for his consideration.

17. Mobile Dental CUnic, Harristown Area Mr Warner asked the Minister for Health—

(1) Is he aware that a mobile dental clinic now servicing the Harristown primary school at Toowoomba for the last few months has at least a further five months' work at that school and that there is a desperate need for the Govemment's free dental service at the other nine primary schools in that area?

(2) WiU he give immediate consideration to allocating another mobile dental cUnic to the area to alleviate this situation?

Answer:— ,

(1 & 2) Harristown primary school and other schools in the Toowoomba area not yet serviced by the School Dental Service are included in a dental district which is in the process of development. A mobile dental cUnic currently under construction has been allocated to this district and is expected to be delivered before the end of this year. Subject to the availability of funds, this mobile cUnic will be fully operational early in 1983.

The dental district in question will then be fully staffed and equipped.

18. Works Department Contract whh KDS Constructions

Mr Prest asked the Minister for Works and Housings (1) Will he list the names of the companies which have, in the past three years,

been unable to fulfil contractual commitments to the Works Department and the names of the company directors?

(2) As KDS Constructions went into liquidation owing money to many sniaU businesses for work such as floor coverings, electrical work, landscapmg and engineering services, did KDS Constructions give a declaration that aU subcontractors had been paid?

(3) If so, what action can be taken against KDS Constructions when such declaration is false?

(4) Did his department know that the contractor, KDS Constructions, had previous financial diflicuhies whh his other companies and, desphe this knowledge, was he stUl awarded other contracts by his department?


(5) If so, wiU he ensure that no future contracts wiU be awarded to companies whose directors have been involved in activities previously resulting in liquidation causing the brunt of losses to be borne by small businesses or subcontractors?

Answer:— (1) Nema Constructions Pty Ltd

Directors—^William Alfred Stockwell Necia Ann Stockwell Lance Robert Lawler •Victor John Allan

A. D. Bell & Sons

Directors—Thomas Hethermgton Bell Colin Andrew Bell (appointed 17-7-70) Andrew Gordon Bell John Andrew BeU (resigned 17-7-70)

R. A, 'Vines Building Contractors Pty Ltd Directors—Robert Anthony Vines

Barbara Laraine Vines Barline Industries Pty Ltd

Directors—^NeviUe Charles Harris Barbara Jean Harris

R. A. J. Trotter Pty Ltd Director—R. A. J. Trotter

Flinders Enterprises Pty Ltd Director—Peter K. Glen

Halgima Pty Ltd trading as K. D. S. Constmctions Directors—Patricia Alexa MacGregor (rwigried 8-10-7 )

Rodney Robert Graham (resigned 8-10-79) Geoffrey Russell Home (appointed 8-10^79) Cecil Benjamin Appleton (appomted 8-10-79)

W. A. R. Homes Pty Ltd Directors—^Evangelos Kyriazis

Despina Duncan Norman L. Miles Betty A. Miles

Central Earth Moving Contractors tradmg as J & M Plant Hire Directors—James Sweeny

Mary Lucey G. H. Dean & Co. Pty Ltd

Directors^—Geoffrey Harding Dean Betty Lorraine Dean

D; M. Barrett Pty Ltd Directors—David Mark Barrett

Geoffrey Leon Hyland EzibUt Pty Ltd

Directors—^I.awrence Noel Ward Brian Thomas Parry

Noel Albury Constmctions Pty Ltd Director—Noel Albury

J. O'Shea & Co. ^ty Ltd Directors—James Clarence O'Shea

LUlian Myrtle O'Shea

Questions upon Notice 13 October 1982 1311

K & R Fabrications (Qld) Pty Ltd Directors—Kenneth William Hurry

Ray Sampson

(2 & 3) Under the general conditions of contract, K. D. S. Constructions were only required to furnish proof of payment for work carried out by nominated subcontractors as distinct from ordinary subcontractors and suppliers. Halgima Pty Ltd trading as K. D. S. Constructions had three contracts with the Department of Works and in only (me of these contracts was there a nominated subcontract. On this contract two statutory declarations were received that all payments due to the nominated subcontractor had been made. Subsequently, advice was received from the nominated subcontractor concerned that he had not received fuU payment and the department took the action provided by the conditions of contract and withheld payments from K. D. S. Constmctions.

(4) The Department of Works had no knowledge of any alleged previous financial difficulties with other companies with which the directors of Halgima Pty Ltd may have been associated. The department received a report from a credit management service on Halgima Pty Ltd trading as K. D. S. Constmctions which revealed no registered charges recorded and a clear credit record in the name of the subject proprietor company and hs directors.

(5) The Department of Works continues to exercise extreme qaution in awarding contracts to companies where the directors have previous involvement with liquidations or a poor record of payment.

19. Houses under Guaranteed Rental Arrangements Mr Prest asked the Minister for Works and Housing—

(1) Is he aware that houses under the guaranteed rental arrangements are occupied by persons who have their own homes rented out or leased and, in some instances, have more than one property from which they are receiving income by way of rental or lease payments?

(2) What action will he take in relation to these tenants?

(3) If no action is to be taken, does not this represent a double standard whereby persons employed by companies or statutory bodies with houses under guaranteed rental arrangements are aUowed the privUege of more than one income, whereas an ordinary tenant of the Queensland Housing Commission is unable to obtam a Queensland Housing Commission home if he was owner or part-owner of a private residence which he could occupy and also he must disclose his fuU mcome in order that the rent payable can be assessed accordingly under the new rental assessment scheme to come into effect from 1 November?

Answer:— (1 to 3) No, because the Commission's tenant is the employer who subleases to

his employee. The rent charged or the employee's financial circumstances are not known to the commission. Because of this it is not possible to take any action. These are not welfare houses. They have been constmcted from funds raised on the private market. Rents charged for the houses are based on cost recovery and payment of caiHtal debt.

20. Land Prices, Gladstone Mr Prest asked the Minister for Works and Housing—

With reference to a recent land sale held in a first-class residential area of Gladstone, in which the highest bid on any block was $7,000, such blocks. ultimately bemg passed m at auction, which clearly shows the depressed market at the present thne^

(1) Does this indicate that prices being asked by the Land Administration Com-inissiori and the Queensland Housing Commission at the present time from tenants wishing to freehold or purchase land are greatly inflated?


(2) Will he give serious consideration to lowering, the valuation of land to a mor realistic price to aUow tenants who have occupied commission homes for some years and are genuine in their desire to purchase the opportunity to do so?

Answer:—

(1 «& 2) It is not known where the subject land is shuated, but no developer could afford to sell land in Gladstone suitable for buUding purposes for $7,()00. Development costs to the commission would vary, but the mmimum per allotment woiild be—

Raw land cost, , . . . 1,800 Development . . . . 8,500 Administration . . . . 500 Interest . . . . . . . . 500

$11,300

. Valuations of land, whether for freeholding or purchase by a tenant, are determined from the most recent sales of comparable land in the area. If sale prices of private land drop, so do the. commission's valuations. ....

21. Farms, Fairbaim Dam Project

Mr Lester asked the Minister for Water Resources and Aboriginal and Island Affairs— (1) What is the current situation in relation to farms in the vicinity of the

Fairbaim Dam? (2) How many farms are currently involved?

(3) How many farms and licences will be involved whein the project is completed? (4) What are the costs and benefits of the project?

Answer:— ' '" (1) During the current financial year it is expected that development of the Emerald

irrigation project will be completed. Works now under construction or" proposed will serve an additional five farms from the channel system. The Queensland Water Resources Commission is currently considering applications for additional waterworks licences along the Nogoa River to utilise the extra supply from the dam made available following the decision not to constmct a power-station at Blackwater.

(2) CXirrently a total of 65 farms are served from the channel systep and 21 by private diversion from the dam and Nogoa River.

(3) When the project is completed, h is anticipated that a total of 70 famis will be served from the channel system, and up to 41 by private diversion from .the dam and the Nogoa River.

(4) To 30 June 1982, a total of $40,433,512 had been expended on the project. A further $1.3m is provided in the current year's budget to complete work in the area,

22. Sending of Obscene Literature through the MaU Mr' Lester asked the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General—

(1) Is he aware that there are problems in obtaining convictions for sending obscene literature through the maU?

(2) WiU he undertake a review of this problem?

Answer:— (1 & 2) Where material is forwarded through the mail, there are obvious

difficulties in determining the identity of the person who forwards the material and in establishing any offence. There are various Acts in Queendand which deal wun obscene materials, but Queensland is limited in what it can do in respect of P » " " sent through the mail as, generally speaking, the Commonwealth is the junsdjcum with authority in this regard. However, I wUl refer the honourable members concem to the appropriate Federal Minister to ascertain the current position.


23.

24.

Stanwell Power Station Mr Hartwig asked the Minister for Mines and Energy—

(1) What is the present situation regarding progress on the Stanwell Power Station? (2) What have driUing tests for water on the power-station site revealed?

(3) Have the drUling tests for water that wUl be required by the power-station proved that adequate water supplies are available?

(4) What amount of money has been paid by QEGB to acquire the properties resumed for power-station requirements at Stanwell?

Answer:—

(1) Drilling is proceeding on site to determine rock characteristics for foundation design and ayaUabUity of stone and gravel for constmction purposes. Tenders have been received for turbine and boUer plant and are now being evaluated. Tenders are being caUed for installation of pipes and constmction of a smaU dam for construction water.

(2 & 3) DriUing tests for water have shown that there should be sufficient water within site boundaries for construction of the power-station.

(4) So far an amount of $2,595,075 has been paid for land required for the power-station. (Compensation for five properties has not been finally determined.

Road-works, Livingstone, Fitzroy and Banana Shires Mr Hartwig asked the Minister for Local Government, Main Roads and Police^-

(1) When wiU the bridge now under construction over Fig-Tree Creek at Yeppoon be open for traffic? '-

(2) What amount of money has been and is being expended on main road ^orks, bridges, culverts, etcetera, in the Livingstone Shire, Fitzroy Shire and the Banana Shire for the years 1979-80, 1980-81, 1981-82 and how much is proposed fOr 1982-83, including costs of constmction of the Bruce Highway?

Answer:— (1) The bridge now under construction over Fig-Tree Creek at Yeppoon wUl be

opened for the 1982 Christmas holiday traffic using temporary approaches. (2) The permanent works. expenditures for the shires are detailed as . follows:

Year

1979-80

1980-81

1981-82

1982-83

Banana Shhe

$ ' ; ' / • )

, .. 2-3m .

,; 3-6m ';

6-3m

4-4m

Fitzroy Shhe

4,000 IC '.

14,900

196,000

810,000

Livingstone Shhe

$ l--5m

l-8m

30m

21m

Subject to the Commonwealth's approval Of the AustraUan Bicenterihial Road Development Local Roads Program, it is anticipated that Fitzroy Shire's" allocation wUl be increased to $lm. '< i •

25. RaUway Administration Complex, Rockhampton ::•'

Mr Wright.asked the Minister for Transport— (1) When is h anticipated that the Railway Administration Complex in Rock

hampton will be. opened?, (2) Was the delay caused because the firm which -supplied the glass for the

windows proyided an unsafe product? ,, . . Q) Who approved the tender for the glass and windows and'is any legal «i,ction

planned against the firm or any public servant involved in approving the tender?

1314 13 October 1982 QuesUons Upon Notice

Answer:— (1) The building will be officiaUy opened on 10 November 1982. (2) The windows supplied by the contractor, Graham Evans & Coy (Qld) Pty

Ltd were not acceptable to the Railway Department's chief engineer.

(3) The specification for the works set out the requirements in regard to the wmdows to be installed. Legal action is not required to be taken against the firm or any railway employee.

26. Westwood Home Mr Wright asked the Minister for Health—

With reference to the Westwood Home near Rockhampton— (1) Will he make a detailed statement as to his department's plan for this

facUity? (2) Will he consider using the complex as a rehabiUtation centre for alcohdics

and dmg addicts once it is no longer required for aged care purposes? (3) As he is winding down the use of the insthution for aged care purposes, what

action i being taken to accommodate those persons being shifted?

Answer:— (1) The Westwood Hospital is being progressively phased out because it has

readied the end of hs economic life. (2) Because of the condition of the building as stated in (1), it is not proposed

to rebuUd on that site nor to expend large amounts of money which would be required to upgrade the building. However, the Salvation Army has shown an interest in the establishment of an alcoholic centre or general rehabiUtation institution on that site, and I em stiU awaiting a fuU submission on that proposal from them. Ownership of the land and buildings will revert to the Land Administration Commission at the stage when total vacation is effected, and any negotiations at that time will be a matter between interested parties and the Land Administration Commission.

(3) Adequate provision is being made for the present residents of Westwood by way of the new 4(>-bed nursing home at North Rockhampton which is due for completion by the end of the current calendar year. This unit wUl be further extended by the addition of two more 40-bed unhs making the total beds avaUable ultimately at the North Rockhampton site 120. Some residents may be accommodated dsewhere as appropriate to their needs.

27. Global-QBAS Pty Ltd Mr Wright asked the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General—

With reference to a firm trading as Global-QBAS Group Pty Ltd— (1) When was the company incorporated?

(2) When did the company actually commence business?

(3) Who are the directors and proprietors of this company?

(4) Does the company which is said to be involved m the business d selling product advice to consumers now operate from the same buUding and address as (^eensland Buyers Advisors Service Pty Ltd that went into liquidation some weeks ago.

(5) Are the directors and proprietors of QBAS the same people as those now nmning Global-QBAS Group Pty Ltd?

(6) Did QBAS go into liquidation and bankruptcy owmg many hundreds of th(Misands of dollars in debts and unsecured loans?

(7) Is he aware that the new company is using the identical promotional material as used by QBAS?

(8) What action can be taken against the directors m view of a claim made by senior management that "QBAS was put into liquidation for practical purposes .

QuestioM Upon Notice 13 October 1982 1315

(9) WiU he investigate Global-QBAS Group Pty Ltd and, m order to protect new creditors, consumer members and trader members, suspend the company's <^>erations uatU such an investigation has been fiiudised?

Answer:— (1) The records held in the Office of the Commissioner for Corporate Affairs

indicate that on 14 October 1981 Duffwell Pty Ltd was incorporated. This company changed its name to Buyers Holdings (Qld) Pty Ltd on 25 Janaury 1982 and then to^jSiobi^-^A&Gfoup Pty Ltd on 13 Septexober 1982.

(2) The records held in the commissioner's office do not disclose this mfomiation.

(3) The public records held in the commissioner's office detail the current directors as:—

Name Date of Appointment Joseph Henry Sanders 5 September 1982 Alex Ruscuklic 31 August 1982 David Vincent McCarthy 31 August 1982

As the company is not yet requhed to lodge an annual retum, details of the current shareholders are not known. However, an allotment of 998 $1 shares was made to Buyers Holdings (Aust) Pty Ltd on 31 August 1982.

(4) Records maintained in the commissioner's office further reveal that the registered office for both companies was 42 Albert Street, Brisbane.

(5) From time to time since 18 November 1981, A. RuscukUc has been a director of (Queensland Buyers Advisory Service Pty Ltd and Global—QBAS Group Pty Ltd.

The Corporate Affairs records reveal that A. RuscukUc was a shareholder of (Queensland Buyers Advisory Service Pty Ltd and is also a shareholder of Buyers Holdings (Aust) Pty Ltd, which as mentioned above was allotted shares in Global— (^AS Group Pty Ltd.

(6) A statement of affairs which would indicate the amount of the company's indditedness at the time of liquidation has not yet been lodged with the commissioner.

(7) I am not aware of the promotional material being used by Global—QBAS Group Pty Ltd.

(8) Such a statement as indicated by the honourable member for Rockhampton would not in itself give rise to the need for an investigation into the affairs of Queensland Buyers Advisory Service Pty Ltd, However, when the liquidator lodges the returns prescribed by the Companies (Queensland) Ckxie, these wiU be carefuUy examined and at that time appropriate action will be considered.

(9) There is no provision for the suspension of the operations of a company under the code. However should the commissioner obtain suhable evidence of any breaches of the code by this company I can assure the honourable member that appropriate action wiU be taken.

28. Financial Assistance for Co-operative Sugar Mills and Cane Growers Mr Menzel asked the Minister for Primary Industries—

Whh reference to the serious dedme in world sugar prices and the resultant drastic drop in income to sugar mills and cane growers—

(1) WiU he make a submission to Cabinet for low-interest bridging finance for coK)perative sugar mUls similar to rural reconstmction money for cane growers?

(2) Will he extend the upper limit for mral reconstruction money for cane growers and significantly reduce the interest rate?

Answer:— (1) I am very much aware of the problems being caused both to cane growers

and to sugar millers by the downturn in sugar prices on world markets. I have kept Qbinet informed of these developments and as recently as Monday, 11 October, raised the question of the possibiUty of special assistance bdng required for co-operative sugar mills. At this stage, I have not received any specific requests from the mdustry. However, I would look to the Co-operative Sugar Millers' Association to prepare a submission for consideration at the earliest opportunity.

1316 13 October 1982 Questions Upon,Notice

(2) To date, the; Rural Reconstruction Board has been able, from its existing resources, to provide assistance tp meet the essential carry-on. requirements of cane farmer appUcants. The chairman of the board has been requested to kee;p me advised of developments and of special problems which may become evident.

29. Sand Dredging, Barron River

Mr, Tenni asked the Minister for Northern Development and Maritime ..Services-Will he give approval to the Cairns Port Authority to mcrease the quantity of

sand taken frpm the Barron River by operators whh dredging permits to avoid the present alarmmg silting up of the river and which wiU also make sand available at a lower price to the people of the Cairns area?

Answer:—

The tidal reaches of the Barron River lie within Caims Harbour and permits for removal of sand and gravel from this area are issued by the C ainis Port Authority pursuant to by-laws made under the Harbours Act 1955 to 1982.

An interdepartmental committee which reported to the Government in December 1980 recommended that the quantity of sand and gravel remOved from the active channels and bar of the Barron River be kept within the annual average quantity suppUed by the river to the delta area to avoid causing erosion to the river banks and adjacent beaches. This meant that the annual extraction rate was to be kept at approximately 20 (XX) cubic metres. The Cairns Port Authority has advised the Department of Harbours and Marine that it is moving to implement this recommendation by progressively reducing the quantity for which permits are issued.

Although there may be some siltation near the mouth of the river, it is not practicable to keep the bar navigable at low water without continual dred^ng at a level which would deprive beaches to the north of the river of the sand which they badly need. However, I wiU arrange for soundings to be taken to establish just what, changes have occurred in this area,

30. Daintree River ,. ,

Mr Tenni asked the Minister for Northem Development and Maritime Services—

(1) Is the Daintree River stiU classified as a navigable river which requires all bridges,-power Unes, etcetera, to have a minimum clearance of 25 metres above king tide level? , .

(2) If this is correct, will he have this altered as soon as possible?

Answer:— (1 & 2) Approval under the Harbours Act 1955-1982 is required for the constmction

of Works on or across all navigable rivers. There is no standard height required for structures crossing navigable rivers. The

allowable height is determined having regard to factors such as the present and potential use of the water-way and the type of vessels using the water-way and no record can be found of any requirement in this, area of the height mentioned by the honourable member. If the honourable member is aware of any proposed.constraction which is likely to be affected by a height requirement, I would be pleased to advise him of .the position following the submission of the appUcation for approval or, if necessary, arrange for preliminary consideration to be given whh a view to advismg whether approval would be likely to be forthcoming.

31. Approval for Jet-ski Hire Business, Tlnnabutra Waters Mr Tenni asked the Minister for Water Resources and Aboriginal and Island Affairs-

' Whh reference to my deputation to him and Mr D. Beattie concerning approval for an aqua jet jet-ski hire business at Tinnaburra Waters near Yungaburra whtch was to commence on 25 September—

As Mr Beattie has not contacted me regarding this matter as promised and the Mareeba office is unco-operative, and that 25 September is now long past, whom can I now contact to obtain some co-operation?


Answer:— ....... „ /; The application to operate a jet-ski hire service on Tinaroo Falls Dam was received at the Mareeba office of- the Queensland Water Resources Commission on 15 September.

FoUowing the representations from the honourable member, the applicant was advised on 24 September by the Mareeba office that approval was given to operate the service on a trial basis for 12 moriths subjiect to the applicant also obtaining any necessary endorsements from the local authority concerned and the Departmerit of Harbours and Marine.

The comrnissioner regrets his failure to advise the honourable member of the action taken. I wUl provide the honourable member with a copy of the letter setting out the above in a day or two.

32. Proposed Technical College, Oxford Park Mr MiUiner asked the Minister for Education—

, With reference to a previous question of mine regarding the proposed Technical College at Oxford Park—

" (1) What courses will be offered at the coHege? (2) What is the anticipated starting date of the project? (3) What is the antidpated completion date of the project? (4) What is the estimated cost of the project? (5) Has money been allocated in this year's Budget for this project?

Answer:— (1) The courses it is planned to offer are— Certificate in Horticulture; Pre-vocational^—^Practices of Urban Horticulture; Pre-

employment—Groundsman/Gardener Assistant, Market Garden/Cut Florist Garden Assistant, Rorist Assistant; Practices—Commercial Horticulture Crops, Urban Horticulture; Service/Operators—Turf and Greenkeeping, Course in Weed Control, Pest Control, Irrigation Machinery and Pradices, Turf Machine Operation and Maintenance, Nursery Equipment Operation and Maintenance, Tree Surgery Operators, Management in the Horticultural Industry, Landscape C!ontractors.

(2) The planned starting time is March 1983. - ••

(3) This project should be completed by February 1984. (4) The cost of the project is estimated at $3,048,000 based on December 1981

prices. (5) This project is to be funded by the Commonwealth Govemment through the

Technical and Further Education CouncU. The TAFE CouncU wiU provide $45,000 in the 1982 calendar year for design. The balance of funds will be provided by the TAFE Council over the construction period.

33. ' Printing Tradesmen, Government Printing Office

M, Milline,r asked the Minister for Environment, Valuation and Administrative Services—

(1) Have staff levels of tradesmen employed in the printing industry at the Government Prmting Office in (Jueensland dropped over the past 12 months,

(2) If so, by how many in each department?

(3) What is the weekly gross amount without overtime paid to tradesmen in the'printing industry employed at the Government Printing Office iri Queensland?

.(4) What is the gross weekly amount without overtime paid to a tradesman in the printing industry in each of the Government Printing Offices throughout Australia?

. . .(5) How-does the gross weekly wage without overtime in Queensland compare , " witli'a)i other,. Government Printing Offices throughout Australia including the C^overn-

meiit Printing Office iu Canberra?


Answer:— The details sought by the honourable member wUl require additional time to

research. I ask him to direct the question to me again on 20 October 1982.

Mr MUUner: I do so accordingly.

34. Natural Gas Reserves, South-east Queensland Dr LQck,woodask;ed.the<.NititJster fop.Mines and Energy—

Havet drilling and, prodiidum flow t^sts indicated whether there is sufficient natural gas reserve to service the domestic requirements of Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba and South-east Queensland, as well as existing commitments to industry, to allow supply to Du Font's proposed ammonium nitrate plant?

Answer:— There are sufficient proven reserves of natural gas tp meet the present supply

contracts for the domestic and industry requirements of Brisbane, Ipswich, iTobwoomba and South-east Queensland as weU as of the proposed requirement by Du Pcmt. Development of the unconnected gas fields in the Denison Trough area niorth of Injune and the Cooper Basin in the south-west of the State could add significantly to (nirrently connected reserves.

35. Proposed Ammonium Nitrate Plant, Wetalla Dr Lockwood asked the Minister for Commerce and Industry—

(1) Has Du Pont Australia Ltd yet retumed the environmental impact statement for its proposed ammonium nitrate plant at WetaUa?

(2) If not, when was it due or when is it expected?

(3) How long wiU it take for interested parties to obtain a copy ooce it is r^umed?

Answer:— (1 to 3) The project impact statement for Du Pout's prc >osed ammonium nitrate

plant at Toowoomba is expected to be completed early in November. As soon as copies are available, they will be forwarded to the advisory bodies for comment. The advisory bodies include local members of ParUiunent, Government departments, local authorities, other semi-government authorities and a number pf other organisations in the Toowoomba area. I understand that Du Pont proposes to place copies with the Toowoomba City Council, in local libraries and at the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education where they can be made available for pubUc pemsal and comment,

36. Correct Usage of Thles of Her Majesty the Queen and of Anthems Dr Lockwood asked the Premier—

(1) What is the correct usage of the titles of Her Majesty the Queen of (a) the Commonwealth, (b) the United Kmgdom, (c) England, (d) Australia and (e) Queensland?

(2) What is the correct usage of the anthems (a) "God Save the Queen'*, (b) "Advance Australia Fair" and (c) "Song of Australia"?

(3) If there is not a pamphlet setting out this information, wUl he consider having one prepared?

Answer:— (1 to 3) I am not sure what information the honourable member actually requires,

but the Queen's style and titles in Australia a r e -Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.

The poshion in so far as "God Save the Queen" is concemed is that it is *» National Anthem to be played on royal and vice-regal occasions. As the """"J*" member would be aware, a national poU some years ago resulted m a choice oi


majority of voters for "Advance AustraUa Fair", which is now regarded as the people's choice for a National Tune. "Song of Australia" does not come within either of these categories.

Therefore, there is only one National Anthem, which is played on suitable official occasions, but it is left to the organisers of any particular function to choose either the National Anthem or the National Tune.

The Queensland Government takes the view that Her Majesty the Queen is officially recognised as the Queen of AustraUa and thus our Head of State. For this reason h is considered quhe appropriate to play and/or sing the National Anthem m our schools and at official fundions.

It is not considered necessary to produce a pamphlet on these matters.

37. Net Fishing, Pumicestone Channel and Bribie Island Mr Frawley asked the Minister for Primary Industries—

(1) What areas in Pumicestone Channel are banned for net fishing? (2) Has his department any plans for further restrictions in Pumicestone Channel? (3) Are there any restrictions regarding net fiishing on the ocean side of Bribie

bland?

Answer:— (1 & 2) A limited licence fishery was introduced to Pumicestone Strait on 12

November 1981. Seventeen master fishermen were granted access based on prior involvement in and dependence on the fishery. A further two "retired" fishermen also hold Ucences endorsed to operate in the limited licence fishery. Approval to operate in the fishery attaches to the master fisherman's licence and is not transferable. Further, operators are required to lodge production returns, and failure to meet required standards of involvement in the fishery would disqualify the licence holder from renewal of the entry endorsement.

In addition to restriction of the number of master fishermen aUowed to use nets in the strait, the following further restrictions apply—

the use of nets in the passage and southern beach area to Skirmish Point is prohibited on week-ends;

the use of nets is prohibited in the northern end of the strait from the Caloundra bar to the mouth of Bell's Creek including both Bell's and Lamerough Creek all year round;

the use of nets is prohibited in all creeks flowing into the strait excluding part of Coochin Creek all year round;

the use of nets is prohibited in the southern end of the strait from the northern bank of Ninghi Creek south to the southem mouth of the strait all year round;

the use of beam trawls is prohibited in all areas of the strait excluding an area from the mouth of Bell's Creek to Egg Island aU year round. The abovementioned restrictions were arrived at following full consultation with

the local shire councils, progress associations, the local community, and affected commercial operators, and it is not planned to vary them at this time.

(3) Whh regard to restrictions on net fishing on the ocean side of Bribie Island, this is prohibited from a point directly opposite the former Military Jetty in the strait north to the southern end of the said spit at Kings Beach. A fishing boundary marker has been erected defining this area. Further restrictions in respect of net mesh sizes, length of net and conditions of use also apply.

38. Proposed Uranium Enrichment Plant Mr Frawley asked the Minister for Commerce and Industry—

(1) Has his department or the State Govemment received any information from the Federal Govemment regarding the proposed uranium enrichment plant for Queensland, one potential site for which is the Caboolture area where there are many dtizens wiio have contacted me about their concem regarding some of the implications of this plant?


(2) Does uranium hexafluoride (UFe) in gas form constitute a danger to people and animals or is it completely harmless?

Answer:— As this matter is the responsibility of the Honourable, the Premier, I suggest

that the question be directed to him.

39, Sale of Unroadworthy Motor Vehicle Mr McLean asked the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations—

With reference to the case of Dennis Roder of 57 Macrossan Avenue, Norman Park, who was sold an unroadworthy Ford panel van camper by Peter Poulsen of Peter's Discount Autos and certified as roadworthy by an approved examiner, Paul Bonsey—

(1) What action has been taken or is being taken against Poulsen and Bonsey under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act or any other Act?

(2) What is the maximum fine for (a) not providing a purchaser with a roadworthy certificate and (b) falsifying a roadworthy certificate?

(3) Is he aware of any action that can be taken against Poulsen for (a);claiming that Mr Roder was a pensioner when registering the vehicle, when he was not and (b) falsely claiming that the vehicle was four-cylinder instead of six-cylinder?

(4) If he cannot take action, will he refer the matter to the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General or to the Minister for Police?

(5) If the actions, referred to in (1), against Poulsen and Bonsey are successful, what financial redress wiU be available to Dennis Roder?

Answer:— .••'.': (1) Prosecutory action has been initiated against both Poulsen and Bonsey under

the Motor Vehicles Safety Act. (2) (a) $500.

(b) $500. •

(3 & 4) The honourable member should address these questions to the appropriate Ministers.

;,; <5) The Motor Vehicles Safety Act 1980 does not provide for compensation. Mr Roder is free to take civil action against Mr Poulsen to recoup any loss, he has suffered.

40. Brisbane River Ferry Service, Bulimba-City Mr McLean asked the Minister for' Trans{x>rt—

With reference to the up-down Brisbane River ferry service from Bulimba to the city—-

(1) What is the usage of this service? (2) What extensions to this service are planned for the future? ; (3) When will these extensions take place? ,,.

~ Answer:— (1) Based on a March 1982 passenger count on a daily basis, there are;480Tfetum

trips from the new Hawthorne and Bulimba ui>-down river ferry service. Of these 268 originate in the Bulimba area.

(2) I have for many years, both as a back-bench member and a Minister, been a strong advocate of the extension of ferry services to Kingsford Smith Drive, and MTA officers are currently examining the possibUity of extending this service to that area. The possibiUty of a service to the university from the city area is alsopr^tly under consideration. However, disappointirig support by the student body a few years ago when this was given a trial and also the absence of a smtable termii^' ^ the south end of the city casts some doul^t as to its feasibility. , , :~ ':'. (3) A precise.targd has not been, set for. the introduction of,extended seryi^ as

this is dependent upon the acquisition of new, faster ferry boats and the estaWishmen of new ferry terminals.


41. Effect of Wage/Rential Scheme on Private Residential Rental Market Mr McLean asked the Minister for Works and Housing—

Whh reference to a recent media statement by the REIA which stated that the vacancy rate for Brisbane's private residential rental market was at a very tight 0.8 per cent—

(1) What survey was undertaken by his department to gauge the effects that the new wage/rental scheme would have on this private residential mairkd?

(2) If a survey was conducted, what are the findings?

(3) If no investigations have been undertaken, wiU a survey now be conducted?

Answer:— (1 to 3) First, Id me point ou^ that the .8 per cent rental vacancy level

quoted is in fact an easing of the .2 per cent level in June this year. Approximatdy 7 (XX) Housing Commission tenants were paying full rents. Income

information was sought from these tenants. Until that was recdved and an assessment made the commission could not judge what impact the proposed rental poUcy would have on the private rental markd.

The information is stiU bdng assessed, but what is already estabUshed in that thousands of famiUes will have reduced rents under the proposed new scheme.

As I promised Parliament recently, the scheme will not be instituted untU all the facts disclosed by these income statements are considered. Present indications from the sample to hand are that there will be very little movement in the private rental market. It must be appreciated that rents wiU not rise to the new level immediately. Rises wiU be staged so that- no hardship wiU be suffered by any famUy.

The option of home-ownership, either on the private markd or by buying the house in which tenants are now living, is avaUable. The commission's new home-ownership assistance scheme could help them to do so.

42. Thomeside RaU Service Mr Goleby asked the Minister for Transport—

With reference to the success of the Thomeside rail extension— (1) How many weekly tickets have been purchased for each of the first two

weeks of operation? (2) How many multi tickets have been purchased for each week of operation? (3) What is the total number of tickets sold in each week of operation? (4) What is the total revenue from ticket sales for each week of operation? (5) How many inquires have been received from the pubUc for interstate tickds? (6) In view of the success of public support for this new raU service, what action

is being taken to enlarge the car-park to accommodate the 180 to 200 cars being parked in the vicinity of the station daily?

Answer:— (1 to 6) I am informed by my Commissioner for Railways that in the first week

of operation commencing on 26 September 1982 a total of 51 weekly tickets were purchased. This increased to 86 in the second week. As weU as this one addhional season ticket was purchased in the first week. A total of 942 tickets was sold in the first week on the new Thorneside extension line and 1 481 in the. second week. The revenue in the first week was $1,587.84 and this increased to $3,376.55 in the second week. To date only two inquiries have been received for interstate tickets—one each week.

The number of cars p>arkihg at Thorneside has exceedeid forecasts and greatly exceeded the car-parking capacity, and it appears that the Commonwealth Games has been a significant contributing factor. It is intended to increase the parking capacity to the extent necessary to accommodate regular demands as soon as funds can be allocated. 19785—45


I should like to place on record my appreciation of all that the honourable member has done in promoting this new rail link and taking such an active interest in its future.

43. Police Staffing and Accommodation, Gold Coast

Mr Borbidge asked the Minister for Local Govermnent, Main Roads and Police--(1) How many addhional police have been stationed on the Gold Coast since

November 1980?

(2) To where have they been aUocated and to what sections of the Police Department?

(3) Are plans to allocate additional police officers proceeding satisfactorily? i

(4) When is it expected that work wUl commence on the new police headquarters at Broadbeach?

Answer:— (1 to 4) Smce 1 November 1980, 53 addhional police have been stationed on

the Gold Coast.

The additional police have been aUocated as follows:-— Southport .. 1 inspector

2 technical officers (scenes of crime) 14 constables, induding 2 water, police, and 2

Dog Squad members Broadbeach .. 8 sergeants 1/C

7 constables Burleigh Heads 1 sergeant 2/C

5 constables Coolangatta .. 1 senior sergeant (to replace 1 sergeant 1/C)

7 constables . (2 to replace 2 sergeants 2/C) Coomera 2 constables (traffic) Gold Coast (CIB) 7. detective or plainclothes constables Nerang .. 1 constable

Any increase in strength of poUce at the Gold Coast wiU be dependent upon man-I>ower available for this purpose and also the needs of other areas throughout the State.

Tenders for the new police headquarters at Broadbeach have closed and a decision on the successful tenderer will be made in the near future. Work on the project should commence soon after the contract has been let.

44, Development Study of Industrial Land, Burldgh/Merrimac Area Mr Borbidge asked the Minister for Commerce and Industry—

With reference to the Treasurer's announcement m the Budget of a feasibility study for the development of industrial land recently purchased by the Government in the Burldgh/Merrimac area—

(1) When is it anticipated that the study wiU commence?

(2) In view of the shortage of such estates on the Gold Coast, wiU the study and development of the estate be proceeded with as quickly as resources permit?

Answer:— (1 & 2) The Government has purchased land for the purposes of establishing a Cro^

industrial estate in the West Burieigh area. Funds are not available this ^^^^^^^f for the commissioning of a study into the best means of subdivision of the land. 1 conscious of the need for land Iv industrialists in different centres of the State, an development will proceed as funding permits.

Matters of PubUc Interest 13 October 1982 1323

45. Accidents on Brisbane-Gold Coast Section of Pacific Highway During C!ommonwealth Games

Mr Borbidge asked the Minister for Transport— (1) How many accidents were reported on the Pacific Highway between Brisbane

and the Gold Coast during the period of the Commonwealth Games?

(2) Of these accidents, how many fataUties were recorded?

Answer:—

(1 & 2) As the honourable member would be aware, the Traffic Act requires the driver of any vehicle, tram or animal involved in an incident resulting in injury to or death, or damage to property in excess of $1,000, to report the incident to the officer in charge of the nearest police station or to any member of the Police Force as soon as reasonably practicable after the occurrence of the incident.

Although road accident reports completed by police officers are forwarded to my department for the recording of information, it is common for such reports to be delayed owing ito further police investigations.

To date no reports from the Police Department have yet reached my department for accidents which occurred during the (jommonwealth Games period.

I would therefore suggest that the honourable member might consider redireding his question to my coUeague the Honourable the Minister for Local Govemment, Main Roads and Police.

46. Extension of Cost/Value Limit, Queensland Housing Commission Mr Eaton asked the Minister for Works and Housmg—

(1) With continually increasing housing and building costs, is the Government giving consideration to extendmg the present $30,(XX) cost/value limit, under the present Queensland Housing Ck)mmission ownership scheme to a higher limit?

(2) If not, wUI he initiate a move to extend the limit to $40,(XX) to allow more applicants on lower incomes to take advantage of the benefits applicable under this scheme instead of the much costlier commercial scheme which is stopping a large number of families owning their own houses?

Answer:— (1 & 2) Since the new scheme started on 1 August 1982, 587 applicants have qualified

for home-ownership finance under the Interest Subsidy Scheme. This indicates that the $30,000 maximum is helping a large number of intending home owners who would not otherwise have been able to achieve home-ownership. Any necessary increase in the maximum amount of $30,000 will be carefully monitored.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The time aUotted for questions has now expired.

MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST

Women of the Year Luncheon

Mrs NELSON (Aspley) (12 noon): On Monday, 11 October, a luncheon was held m Brisbane. It has been an annual event since 1975. It draws together women of achievement and success throughout Australia. This year, I was invited to that luncheon. Unlike other members of ParUament, the member for Salisbury (Mrs Kyburz) and I were invited because we were seen as part of that group of achieving women in Australian society.

Honourable Members interjected.

Mrs NELSON: That may sound very tedious to the male members of the Parliament, but the luncheon has a long history and, because of the Press coverage of an incident that occurred at the luncheon, I should like to give the Pariiament the history of the holding of the luncheon.

1324 13 Odober 1982 Matters of Public Interest

The organisation responsible for the luncheon may not get the credh that U deserves It began in London 27 years ago, not to support charity but to promote the status of women in society, and in 1975 it came to Australia for a similar purpose. It began in Brisbane in 1975, and it returned to Brisbane in 1982, in the year of the Commonwealth Games. It is held in a different Australian capital city each year to allow as many people as possible from around the nation to attend.

This year, 500 women from every walk of life were present at the luncheon. As I said previously, they were invited to the luncheon because in the eyes of the organisers not necessarily in the eyes of the invitees, they were seen as achievers.

Regrettably, that luncheon became the focus of attention for the media, not because of what it was or what it represented in AustraUan society but because of an incident that took place during the luncheon. I wish to speak to the House on the basis of what actually took place, because no other members of Parliament were there and I was there. Some of the emotive statements made on both sides Of the House yesterday and the emotive comments made by many members of the Press, both male and female, who. were not present at that luncheon leave a great deal to be desired, and I,believe that, in the interests of justice for all the women present at that luncheon and for the guest speaker, who was criticised, the matter should be raised in the Parliament.

Ms O'Shane was not the only speaker, nor was she the. only speaker interjected on at that luncheon. There was a substantial number of speakers at the luncheon. Professor Tess Brophy, the first woman president of the Australian Medical Association, was the first speaker, and she was followed by the president of the National Party in Australia. A speech was delivered by Jane Singleton on behalf of Professor Leonie Kramer, amongst other achieving women in the nation.

The Prime Minister of the nation considered the luncheon important enough to write a letter giving it his whole-hearted support.

Mr Scott interjected.

Mrs NELSON: I shall reply to that interjectiori because the honourable member's emotive and irrational comments in the House yesterday, based on second-hand information and his own prejudice. Were no better than the behaviour of people at that luncheon. In fact, the emotive comments from the other side of the House did not lead me to respect the institution of Parliament any more.

Ms O'Shane is not an innocent in poUtics. She has had a tough life. She had a sad marriage. She picked herself up by the bootstraps, went to Sydney, reared her chUdren, put herself through law and gained a senior position in the Public Service in New South Wales. Regardless of what one feels about her political commitments, she deserves some credit and recognition in Australian society for what she has achieved.

By making a wildly inflammatory and inaccurate statement in a speech to that luncheon, she also deserved the reaction that she recdved. If society, believes in the right of free speech, then that right is exercised by the people who listen to it. That lady made a speech that was political in content and inaccurate in fact. She made allegations that were not able to be substantiated. A great number of the members of the audience reacted quite normally, as members of every other Australian political audience have done for many years. In this nation we have freedom of speech, and when a polhical statement is made publicly, we also have the right of reply.

I stress to the House that I did not interject on the lady. I beUeved that she was enthled to be heard in silence. I believe, too, that I am entitled to be heard in silence in this ParUament. Unfortunately, the prejudice exhibited by members of the Opposition is no different from the sort of prejudice and reaction-—-

Mr Scott: What about that side?

Mrs NELSON: I have already commented on the Govemment side of the House,

In the time left to me I make what I believe to be a more important commait, which is on the reaction of certain sections of the media. I have read the ^^^^ made, ''Ladies, your show is slipping." One headline was, "Black VIP hissed andtooed by women". The editorial in today's "Telegraph" said that the woman was heckled for telling the tmth when other people were making platitudinous speeches. What pious


nonsense! How dare the editor of the "Telegraph", who was not at the lunch, make a comment oh the speeches made by successful and achievmg women in Australia, simply because he chose to accept what was wrhten about that lunch and was not present to hear h.

Ms O'Shane made some significant comments about the treatment of Aborigines in Queensland, many of which were true. However, much of what she said was not accurate, and I believe that the audience had a right to comment. I believe also that a woman in her position, with a law degree, should have known better than to teU those present that $40,000 coUeded from the poverty^tricken blacks of Queensland, given m bail money, was forfehed to the Queensland Govemment as consolidated revenue. I^at was ndhing short of Mrational and nonsensical. When anyone forfeits baU, of course the money goes to consolidated revenue.

Ld me say that the cartoon by Alan Moir—I suspect it has a quid each way; it has a littie dig at everybody present, including the lady herself—is a more accurate representation of the behaviour of the Press after the event. They epitomised a lot of chooks runiung round. Frankly, I am appalled by the quaUty of reporting on that occasion. I was seated at a table in a position in which I was able to see people coming and going and able also to see the activities of most members of the media present. It was quite amusing— in fact, it was fascinating to me—to watch the significant looks of boredom on the faces of a number of the jourrfalists present, to be followed by a rush of great excitement in thdr faces when Ms O'Shane developed the thmst of her speech.

The very real tragedy of that is that the Austr^ian media is prepared to sensationalise the trivial and trivialise the sensational. It is time people commented that that is not the sort of Press we want in this country. We, will not have the tyi)e of country we all, as private citizens, deserve if that was }he coverage given to a group of people rfrom aroimd the country who gathered together for such an occasion. In fact, they raised ,$27,0(X) for the Brain Foundation. I am sure that most members of ParUament are aware of the work of that foundation, which seeks to help pjeople who have suffered brain damage^ or who have brain disorders. The lunch is not held to raise money; that was a side benefit. The lunch is held to draw together women from around Australia to gain strength from each other through thdr achievements and to say to the world, "This is what women in Australian society can achieve."

I found Ms cyShane's response to the audience reaction amusing. The lady is a sophisticated political activist and her speech was deUberate in intent. Her comments about the reactions to it were deliberate in intent.

Mr Scott: You are being patronising.

Mrs NELSON: I am not bdng patronising. It happens to be true. The woman is clever, and I have already given her a pat on the back for her abiUty. Unlike the member for Cbok, I cpuld not give a hoot that she is an Aborigine or a Thursday Islander. That is his obsession, not mine.

Mr Scott: It's worrying you.

Mrs NELSON: No, it is worrying the honourable member. It was his irrational speech in Parliament yesterday that prompted me to speak. There were 500 people at the luncheon, of whom that lady was one.

(Time expired.)

Human Relationship Courses

Mr SHAW (Wynnum) (12.10 p.m.): Some years have expired since the Select Committee on Education recommended that human relationship courses be introduced into Queensland State schools. Since that time there has been a lack of positive action on the part of the (jovernment to introduce such courses. At that time the Premier said that in his opinion their introduction would never take place. He said, "It is just not on."

Recently a committee, set up under the chairmanship of the Reverend Allan Male, was asked to do several things m relation to the introduction of human relationship courses. First of aU, it was asked to decide whether or not they should be introduced, which was a matter that had already been decided by the select committee and something that had been weU estabUshed in the communhy, although some sections of the public had expressed some fears about their introduction.

1326 13 October 1982 Matters of PubUc Interest

Secondly the committee was asked to investigate what topics should be included in the courses. That was a very important task, although I am not convuiced that the committee was the best body to undertake it. The committee was also asked to determine the age groups to be included in the courses. Although it was not specifically stated, I am sure the committee would have also decided what matters were appropriate for the age groups that were eventually decided upon.

The committee recently concluded its investigations and its recommendations have been made available to the Govemment. I am amazed that the Minister for Education on behalf of the Government, has refused to make any comment on them and has refused to make them pubUc. Parents have a right to know what is contained in those recommendations. The best way to estabUsh whether they are the most appropriate for Queensland schools is to seek the widest possible comment on them.

I am concemed about several aspects of the introduction of these courses. I am particularly concerned that the Minister said, "This could mean, subject to acceptance, that courses wiU be introduced next year." After much delay and after years of Government inaction, within a few months the courses are to be mshed into our schools. Although I support the courses, several matters need to be considered.

The most important of aU is the selection of the teachers who wUl undertake the courses. It could well be said that the Government should be wary of volunteers. I do not believe that the selection of teachers can be carried out in the few months remaining before the commencement of the next school year. The selection of the syllabus for the courses is important, but what is even more important is the passing on of that syUabus and the relevant information to the teachers who wiU be expected to implement h. The need for a period of in-service teacher training has been demonstrated where such courses have been introduced.

It would be most unfair to expect teachers to use their own discretion and their own judgment on such a matter, because the community at large holds a wide divergence of opinion on what is acceptable, what is up to date and modem, what is going too far and what should be relegated to the dim, dark areas of history.,

I call on the Minister to abandon his proposal to introduce the courses next year. He should proceed with the recommendations but adopt the course that I have outlined, that is to make the recommendations available to aU concemed so that there can be public comment to which the Education Department can respond. He should allow the necessary time for the teachers to be properly seleded and tramed to clearly understand what is expected of them, and for parents to examine what wiU be taught to their children. They need to see what books wiU be included and given the opportunity to pass judgment upon them and make suggestions about any changes ccmsidered necessary.

The Minister's proposal allows insufficient thne for that to be done, and a considerable amount of harm could be done if it is carried out. I think it is fair to say that the proposal would be a blueprint for disaster. It would give every opportunhy for the situation feared by people such as Mrs Rona Joyner and her organisation to occur. I have always argued that h is possible to avoid situations of that sort, but what the Minister is proposing is a classic example of providing every opportunity for those sorts of mistakes to occur and for mistakes that have been reported in other places to be repeated.

I said that the selection of teachers is most important. Their maturity wUl be an important, if not the most important, factor. They should also be selected for their understanding of the children with whom they are dealing and the subject of the courses, and for their attitude towards chUdren. It is probably essential that wherever possible we use teachers who are experienced whh the class-room shuation to deal with this subject.

I reiterate that teachers must be properly trained. They must understand what B expected of them, and if that understandhig is clear there can be no excuses later if they deviate from what is expected of them. At the same time, parents must know what to expect, and I think that from both pomts of view, to be fah to the teachers and the pubUc, it is necessary for the teachers to be trained to understand what tne course entails. It must be clear to them what is to be taught, when U is to be taugw and how it is to be taught. I do not think that this is a matter of flexibiUty. Those tbXK things need to be speU out clearly before we move into the introduction of tiie coursw. It would be a tragedy if we were to msh into them. The syllabus needs to be prepareo,

Matters of PuWic Interest 13 Odober 1982 1327

and the books selected and available everywhere to allow the pubUc comment that I have said is essential. PubUc opinions and atthudes are important from both pomts of view. Not only is it necessary to listen to the fears people have, but also h is necessary to have parents understand what is intended by the introduction of the courses,

I cannot understand why the Minister has said that he wiU make no comment on the Male committee report. There seems to be every reason why there should be no secrecy. There seems to be no reason why the details of what that committee has suggested should not be made available to the pubUc.

Mr Davis: Secrecy, secrecy, that's what h is.

Mr SHAW: Perhaps the preoccupation with secrecy has become a habit. I fear that if these sorts of mistakes occur we will see a reaction, a move to ban

the courses, and we will then retum to what we saw in the past, with the matter being introduced quietly without any sort of guidance or control in subjeds like biology and science where teachers have to feel their way and are often subject to unfair criticism. We would then see the abandonment of this very worthwhile project and the whole niatter taken out of the class-room where it could be handled properly by trained and experienced teachers and once again put behind the tennis shed where it should never be.

(Hme expired.)

Fishing Marine College

Mr POWELL (Isis) (12.20 p.m.): The honourable member for Wynnum carried on about the Govemment's having a preoccupation with secrecy. He seems to have a preoccupation with sex education. The report to which he referred was commissioned by the Govemment. Obviously it has to go to the Government before it becomes public property. Events will flow in their proper course. The honourable member should wait a Uttle while rather than be preoccupied with a matter that is very unimportant in the whole spectmm of education.

The matter of pubUc interest that I raise today relates to the fact that at this moment, iri Bundaberg, the AustraUan Council of Technical and Further Education is meeting to inspect a site for what I hope will become a Ashing marine college.

I have made a number of announcements about this matter and given Press releases to the media in Bundaberg, which they have chosen not to print.

Mr Davis interjected.

Mr POWELL: For the information of the honourable member for Brisbane Central, I pdnt out that no black ban is imposed on me. The media concerned raised the ban, but they stUl do not bother printing anything. Nothing has changed. This is a serious matter. The member for Brisbane Central should keep quid and listen to what I have to say,

I am seeking the support of this Assembly for the establishment of a fishing marine college under the auspices of TAFE. It has been proposed that such a college should be established somewhere in Australia. It is to be funded by the Federal Government, and it is proposed that it should be under the auspices of the colleges of advanced education or the universities.

Tertiary institutions would be totally unacceptable to the people who would avail themselves of such a course, which should be designed to assist fishermen to be more efficient in their industry in this country. It is stupid to suggest that fishermen ought to attend a university to leam how to fish and to leam new fishing techniques. Firstly, they would be totally incompatible with the campus that they would be required to attend and, secondly, it is more than likely that those who would be asked to do the lecturing would have absolutely no practical experience in the industry.

Mr Vaughan: It happens in other places.

Mr POWELL: Unfortunately, h does. I am hoping that h wUl not happen in AustraUa, and that is why I am making this speech today..

The estabUshment of a fishing marine coUege ought to lie whh technical and further education. Lecturers with expertise in a particular field can be brought in, but not necessarily because they have academic qualifications. If fishermen were to attend universities or

1328 13 October 1982 Matters of PubUc Uiterest

CAEs, it is clear that only people with tertiary quaUfications would be acceptable to those institutions. The lecturers chosen would not necessarily be the right people to lecture the fishermen of this nation, and it should be remembered that the college will be for the nation as a whole.

I beUeve that we should establish a case for the college's coming under the auspices of TAFE. I know that the AustraUan Council of TAFE, which is presently meeting in Bundaberg on this issue, is willing to accept the- responsibility). The State Government has proposed that the coUege should be administered by TAFE, and I think that the Federal Government has been convinced on that point.

Now that I have established the need for TAFE to take over the college, the question is: Why should it be based in Bundaberg? In Bundaberg a complex is available on the banks of the Burnett River. It is the old East Bundaberg State School. For various reasons, the school, as a school, was shifted from that location. Currently, the buildings are bdng used by the Bundaberg TAFE college. The caphal investment required to establish a college would be drastically reduced because the buildings and the land are tiiere.

Unfortunately, some people within,;the Federal Government and some people within the State Government seem to be bent on throwing money around so that they can build monuments to themselves or to other people. The faciUty that is available for use in Bundaberg now is one that is eminently suited to a fishing marine college. It is situated on the banks of the Burndt River. At the bank of the river there is deep water in which it is possible to moor vessels, certainly vessels of the size used in the fishing industry.

The geography of Bundaberg also lends itself admirably to the siting of such a college. Bundaberg is situated at the south end of the Great Barrier Reef. Therefore, it is handy for vessels engaged in reef fishing. It is only 50 miles fjom the mouth of the Burnett River to the Continental Shelf. Therefore, deep-sea trawling could also be practised and trained for. There is a desperate need within the Australian fishing industry for fishermen to realise the resources that are available within the 2(X)-mile limit. Although we thumb our noses at the tuna-fishing industry, it is an industry in which Australians should be inv9lved, Instead of allowing Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese long-liners to take our tuna, our own fishermen should be taking them. Our techniques should be different from the techniques traditionally used within the Australian fishing industry. Because of Bundaberg's proximity to deep water and fishing grounds, those techniques could be taught there. There is a suitable area for scallop trawling quite close to Sandy Cape, again within the geography of Hervey Bay, It is close to Bundaberg and in comparatively safe, calm waters and can be trawled in almost any weather. Clonsequently, that is another reason for siting the college in Bundaberg. Geographical features similar to those in the Bundaberg area do not exist anywhere else in Australia.

In the early months of the year banana prawns are abundant along the coastline quite close to Bundaberg. New techniques need to be developed. Fishermen must understand the need for conservation. It is quite clear that if they rake the bottom of the ocean and remove every living organism or kill marine Ufe that they do not want, ultimately their livelihood and the fishing industry of this nation will be destroyed. Therefore, conservation is a matter that the college will have to take under its wing. In the area close to Gladstone, down through Sandy Strait to Inskip Point and Tin Can Bay, there are numerous areas in which conservation can be practised.

Because of the sugar-cane harvester industry that is based in Bundaberg—a world-wide export industry is based in Bundaberg—the development of hydraulics and other technology has improved. Bundaberg is becoming a centre for that industry. Hydraulics are used on fishing vessels with great effect. Today, hydrauUcs are being used far more than ever before. Fishermen need to understand not only how to use hydraulics and where hydraulics can be used but also how to repair them while they are out at sea. Bundaberg's location is ideal from that point of view.

It might interest members of this Assembly to know that there are very few netmakers in AustraUa and that most of the nets used in the industry are imported from Taiwan. Recently, when a netmaker was required in the southern States, it was necessary to obtain the .services of one from Bundaberg. Bundaberg has people with the skills to train others how to make nets, particularly the right type of net for the trawling mdustry.

Mattei-8 <rf PubUc Interest 13 October 1982 1329

Because of Massey-Ferguson's involvement in the use of electronics on cane harvesters, it has acquired expertise that can be used within the fishing industry. Once again, the expertise within Massey-Ferguson and Tofts in Bundaberg—Massey-FerguSon for electronics and Tofts for hydiraulies—can be carried over into the fishing industry. The people who would be used as the lecturers in that type of course are in Bundaberg now.

There is no sense at aU in est^lishing a college in Hobart or Coffs Harbour, or anywhere else but Bundaberg. fhe people are in Bundaberg. If a coUege was estabUshed in another part of Australia^ the people would have to be transferred to it. The expertise is in Bundaberg. Geographically, Bundaberg is ideally located. It lies close to the Great Barrier Reef and to shaUow trawling and deep trawling grounds. Finally, I believe that that TAFE college can suitably perform the work.

(Time expired.)

Local Government Seminars; Extension of Term of ParUament

Mr HARTWIG (Callide) (12.30 p.m.): Generally speaking, local authority elections are held approximately three or four months after a State election. Very often, persons who have succeeded in business are approached by political parties and other organisations to stand for eledion to local authorities. If they are eleded, they sit at a coundl table with fellow councillors. In one instance in Queensland, the whole of a councU was sacked and replaced with a totally new council.

I suggest that the Minister for Local Govemment look at the possibUity of conduding local government seminars so that new councillors can take their place at the council table with a sound knowledge of thdr responsibilities in representing the ratepayers. Such seminars would enable counoillors to give better representation and to have more say at the councU table than at present.

I have witnessed the enadment of what is commonly known as the Town Planning Act. It was acc^ted by many local authorities. I have also witnessed councillors sitting round a table without a sound knowledge of the provisions of that Act. They do not know what it is all about. Therdore, it has been necessary for some councils to appoint paid administrators. They throw the book at their councils, telling them what- they can do and what they cannot do.

If councUlors had a proper town planning background and a sound knowledge of their responsibilities in relation to the provision of water, sewerage and roads, they would be able to say to their administrators, "We as a council will decide what wiU be done." They would not need to be told what to do by a paid servant of the council.

Seminars could be held in North (Juedisland, Central Queensland and South-east Queensland. Some years ago I attended such a semiimr at the University of New England in Armidale. The State president of the Local Government Association delivered a lecture, as did the Australian president of the association. His counterpart from New Zealand and various (lepartmental officers also spoke to the delegates. From those speakers we learned more in a few days than we would have leamed in years in our councUs.

Day after day I recdve telephone complaints from ratepayers who are asked to contribute towards the cost of roads. Many are asked to do things that are not above board.

I know of one chap who told his daughter, "If you give me $10,000 over a number of years I will give you two acres of land." That block was located in a small place named Coowonga. It had a road frontage and other fadUties. The daughter worked hard and later married. She and her husband paid her father $12,(XX) for the land. He is now a pensioner.

When the appUcation was submitted to council, the Uttle chap with the book said, "Council won't allow you to subdivide", because of this and that. The town planning provisions are only a guide and councils can override them. I am not knocking councillors because there are decent and clever men in local government but, because many councils are new, the councillors are not aware of their responsibiUties and what the town planning Act provides. They back down.

Unfortunately, in the instance to which I have referred, the application for subdivision was disallowed. TTie man could not provide his daughter with two acres of land, although, over a number of years, she had paid him $12,000 for it. He is a pensioner and cannot repay the $12,000, so that young couple are unable to secure a small block of land. We as Queenslanders .should ensure that that sort of thing does not happen.

1330 13 October 1982 Matters of Public Interest


Mr HARTWIG: Local government is the form of govemment nearest to the people It must never be forgotten that its primary purpose is to look after the welfare of the people.

I suggest that three years is a ridiculous period for any local govemment, State Government or Federal Government to implement stable policies. I looked up the average life of Governments and found that it is about two years and eight months. The cost of elections to the taxpayers and ratepayers is exorbitant. This Pariiament sits for about 60 days a year, so in a little over two and a half years it would sit about 160 days. 1 do not know how any Govemment can achieve stability in hs policies in that time. This is a matter that should very weU be considered. People say, "If you get a crook Govemment four years is too long." '

I re-emphasise that it is time that people looked at the candidates. I might add that some of the best members of this place came through the local govemment ranks. One can always tell those members who have had experience in local government. I believe that four years would provide a reasonable term of office for a Government. I would like the Queensland Cabinet to consider introducing a four-year term of office for this Parliament and to extend the provision to local government. Four years is a short enough period within which to implement policies and to get stabUity in the State Government and local government areas.

Bridge to North Stradbroke Island

Mr MACKENROTH (Chatsworth) (12.39 p.m.): Today, I wish to express concem about the Government's proposal to build a bridge to North Stradbroke Island. During the past few years we have heard a lot about this bridge. The Minister for Local Govemment, Main Roads and Police said that a bridge would not be built to the island in his lifetime. After the announcement of the latest Government's decision, I wonder whether the Minister is predicting how long he will live.

The latest proposal by the Government is a farce. It is caUing for proposals from developers. It is asking developers to submit what they would like to do and what they would like to receive from the Government for building the bridge.

The Government has called for proposals and will consider them in its study on whether or not there should be a bridge. The correct course of action would be to wait until the study is completed before Cabinet makes a decision to go ahead with the bridge.

Have a look at the opposition to the bridge. The local residents on North Stradbroke Island are opposed to the bridge. Members of the boating fraternity who use Moreton Bay are opposed to the bridge. Conservationists are opposed to the bridge. The bulk of people on the mainland, in Brisbane and in the Redland Shire are opposed to the bridge. I would like to know who wants the bridge. Why is there such great concern at present to build a bridge? Who is caUing for the bridge? We do not have hordes of people saying, "We have to build a bridge." or writing to the papers as concemed chizens saying that we must have a bridge.

The only people talking about a bridge being built are land developers. The only person who has written to me saying that there must be a bridge was a solicitor who bought a block of land on RusseU Island. His argument was that his block of land was not accessible to the mainland and that the Government should therefore build a bridge. As he is a solicitor, one would expect him to be an intelligent person and to have enough brains to know before he bought the land that there was not a bridge to the island. He certainly should not be making demands on the Govemment to buUd a bridge to the island so that he has access.

Mr R. J. Gibbs: The fact that he is a solicitor does not necessarily mean that he is intelligent.

Mr MACKENROTH: No. I said that one would assume that he was intelligent.


Mr Booth: That argument of yours that, if he had bought land bdore there was a bridge, a bridge should not be buUt—'wouldn't that apply to aU of Queensland? If we had adopted your argument

Mr MACKENROTH: We are talking about a completely different thing. We are talking about buUding a bridge to an island whoi there is no public caU for it. On the other hand, the Govemment seems to be committed to proceeding with it.

On four different occasions in the last five years the Government has proposed the idea of a bridge. Each time the land developers used that proposal to sell land. In "The Ck)urier-Mail" notices on land for sale there are ads along the lines of, "Buy land on Russell Island or Stradbroke Island before the bridge is built. Get in before the bridge is built. Gd the cheap prices." Those people are using the Govemment to sell land. They are using the Government to speculate. The most recent occasion is the fourth time. On three occasions the Government has said, after such speculation, that no bridge will be buih. A statement was made in 1978, when the local councU wanted a bridge built. The chairman of the coundl at that stage was Councillor Wood, who said, "Cbuncil is anxious to develop Stradbroke Island as an elite tourist area." However, the argument being used now is that a bridge will make it more accessible to the general public. The council wanted it as an elite tourist area. Judging by the prices paid at land sales on the island, it is being considered as an elite area for the privileged few.

The bulk of the people on Stradbroke Island at hoUday times are families who have been forced off the Gold Coast; families who in the past used campsites on the Gold Coast for a very cheap famUy holiday. However, that area has been developed to such a stage that no campsites are left on the Gold Cbast. Those people have been forced to go to North Stradbroke Island. Devdopers on the Gold Coast are running out of i>rime land on vvhich to constmd multi-storey unit buildings. What is the result? The Government is considering building a bridge across to North Stradbroke Island so that the Gold Coast can be extended further north. All that will do is open the area up for the very rich. That is what I believe is behind the move.

I now wish to examine the latest proposal. On 18 May this year "The Cknirier-Mail" carried an exclusive story, which stated that the proposed $50m North Stradbroke Island bridge would be only the first stage of a scheme that could result in the creation of a $500m city of 20000 to 30 (XX) people near Point Lookout, the island's most famous beauty spot. The article also stated that the development was to be undertaken by a private group that would receive from the Government between 5 and 10 sq. km of Crown land in return for building the bridge.

On 3 June 1982 the Deputy Premier and Treasurer stated— "The State Government wHl nOt consider any proposal that would link North

Stradbroke Island by bridge in return for development rights on island Crown land. The Treasurer, Dr Edwards, confirmed this yesterday and admhted that such a

proposal had been put to the government. The proposal came from' a South Korean company prepared to spend $45 million

on the bridge that would be built with 45 percent Korean labor in retum for 3(X) ha of the island.

Dr Edwards said the government had rejected this proposal bdore Cabinet dedded it supported the prindple of a bridge along guidelines stUl being worked out."

That statement by Dr Edwards was that the Govemment would in no way consider exchanging Crown land on Stradbroke Island for the right to build a bridge. However, a very small Press article contained a Cabind decision that—

"The govemment would consider any private enterprise proposal in rdurn for Crown land on the island suitable for development or a franchise agreement for operation of the bridge on a toU basis."

That is a complete somersault from the announcement of the Deputy Premier, because the Cabinet has now dedded to give away Crown land to a developer. Then the Cabinet has the audacity to tell us that h wUl not cost the people of Queensland anything. I suggest that if the Government gives a p>rivate developer some of the State's land, it must be costing something because the State owns that land.

Mr R. J. Gibbs: Prime land.

Mr MACKENROTH: Yes, h is prime land.

1332 13 Odober 1982 Matters of Public Uiterest

If one goes to Stradbroke Island now and sees the current development being undertaken by the Lands Department at Point Lookout, one wiU see that it is ndhing short of raping the land. BuUdozers have gone through acres and acres of land and knocked down every tree. That is the type of proposal that the Government sees as conH fn! Stradbroke Island. * ^ '"'

Mr R. J. Gibbs: Do you think that once they build a bridge to Stradbroke Moreton wUl be next? '

Mr MACKENROTH: That would not surprise me. If the Govemment could get a bridge built to Moreton Island, it certainly would. On that point, if one looks at what the Queensland Government is presentiy doing and considers the number of islands in Moreton Bay, there is a proposal to establish a pulp paper miU and a coal-loading facility on Bribie Island; it wants to sand-mine Moreton Island and to buUd a bridge to and have a large development on North Stradbroke Island. The only island Idt is South Stradbroke Island, and if the Government remains in office for much longer it wUl find some way to destroy that island, too.

I do not believe that we can go along in life without development, but I do not believe we have to develop everything around us. The Govemment must closely consider the State's natural resources to ddermine what should be left for future generations. I believe that the sand islands of Moreton Bay should be left in thdr natural state for future generations.

(Time expired.)

Media Ethics

Mr SIMPSON (Cooroora) (12.49 p.m.): I rise today to bring to the attention of the public, if that is possible, my concern about the media. History states that the freedom of the Press will be lost only if the media does not exercise responsibiUty.

Opposition Members interjected.

Mr SIMPSON: It is obvious that Opposition members beUeve that the media are displaying perfect professionalism.

I would draw the attention of members of the media, particularly those who still act professionally, to the fact that they have a code of ethics. AU members of the Australian Journalists Association are obliged to stand by their feUow members in observing and enforcing the AJA code of ethics which states—

"1 . To report and interpret the news with scrupulous honesty; 2. Not to suppress essential fact, and not to distort the truth by omission or

wrongful emphasis; 3. To respect confidences in all circumstances; 4. To observe at all times the fratemity of their profession, and never to take

unfair advantage of feUow members of the Australian JoumaUsts' Association; 5. Never to accept any form of bribe, nor to permit personal interest to

influence them in the discharge of their duties; 6. To use only honest methods to obtain news, pictures and documents—'

I wonder what Mr Tomkins would think of that— "7. To reveal their identity as members of the Press Or of radio or television

services before using any personal interview or picture for publication; 8. Always to maintain, through their conduct, fuU public confidence in the

integrity and dignity of their caUing." Members of the pubUc continually mdicate to me that they are disgusted with the

reporting of local events at which they have been present and on other occasions when they find conflicting and biased reporting. Members should remember the very high ethics to which I have just referred. Yet we stUl find the sort of comment by editorial wnters that we see in today's "Telegraph"—

'one of the most repressive, racist legislative instruments in the world, the Aboriginals Act.'"

That statement does not hold up; it is misleading. But it is only one of many.


Let us look at Jack Stanaway. Of course, we know him to be unbiased! He writes without any distortion whatsoever! Of course, he is Casey's ex-Press secretary. He referred to gerrymanders

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Miller): Order! The honourable member will refer to the Honourable the Leader of the Opposition as the Honourable the Leader of the Opposhion and not as Casey.

Mr SIMPSON: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I referred to the Leader of the Opposition. Stanaway was his Press secretary. In one article he referred to the gerrymander in Queensland, and next to that feature article was the editorial to which I have just referred. It said that the electoral system is a disgrace to Australia. An editorial in "The COurier-MaU" referred to the same subject. The definition of "gerrymander" is to rig an eledoral boundary to keep a Govemment in office. Labor brought in the present system of setting electoral boundaries in Queensland, but it lost office under that system so it quite obviously cannot now be a gerrymander.

Mr R. J. GIBBS: I rise to a point of order. If the honourable member checks his history he wiU find that he has made a totally untruthful statement. The Labor Party at no time introduced that system, and as a member of the Labor Party I find the statement offensive.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member cannot take a point of order on behalf of any poUtical party.

Mr SIMPSON: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. That point of order emphasises that my remarks are hurting Opposition members. They know that the Labor Party introduced the zonal system in (Queensland, a system to which they now take objection. Now they have to cop it because another party won on their system.

Quite apart from that, many of the refeUces to "gerrymander" refer to percentages. No person is elected to this Parliament on less than 50 per cent of the votes. It is about time that Labor members stopped misleading the public and the children of this State. It is the candidate who receives more than 50 per cent of the votes who gains election to this Parliament. If the Labor Party's 40 per cent of the votes was applied across the board, not one Labor member would be elected to this ParUament.

When a seminar was held at the Park Royal on the Queensland electoral system, none other than Wiltshire, a known protagonist and supporter of the Labor-sociaUst Opposition received all the Press publicity. When CoUn Hughes of the Australian National Univershy said that it was rubbish to suggest a gerrymander operated in Queensland, the media did not report his remarks because it did not suit them. Ever so many editorials say virtually the same thing.

An editor of a newspaper has the right to refuse to print any letter addressed to him, but he does not have the right to edit letters or remove from them any criticism of the media. That has happened in the last fortnight. The editor of the "Sunshine Coast Daily" did it. That is typical of the abuse and unfair reporting by the media to which 1 have referred.

In today's issue of "The Courier-MaU" a Press reporter by the name of Ian Miller, who knows nothing about drovers dogs or what may be said to them," referred to the speech and behaviour of members in this House. He mislead the public—that is another no-no so far as Press ethics are concemed— into believing that there can be no comments or interjections here. That is completely false. The Chair proteds the person who has the caU so that he may be heard.

Mr Moore: That does not mean that a member has to be heard in silence.

Mr SIMPSON: It does not. Anyone who goes to a Pariiament, where only one person at a time can speak knows that it is as dead as a dodo. There is no parleying, no spirit of criticism, which can best be engaged m—as the Opposhion has done during my speech—at the time when members are most hurt. That is all part of ParUament.

Mr MUler further mislead the public into thinking that we have gdd taps, when they are brass; that gold leaf decorates this beautiful building when, in fact, it is gold paint; that the pandUng in this Chamber is cedar, when, in fact, it is yeUowwood, in keeping with the Speaker s dais. Mr MiUer also referred to opulence ih certain rooms

1334 13 October 1982 Traffic Ads Amendmem Bill

that have been restored to their original glory thanks to the craftsmanship of today's workers which matches that of yesterday's. His statements were designed to put down this Parliament and to degrade it in the eyes of the public so that the people will not respect it. Only the socialists adopt that attitude.

(Time expired.)

At 12.59 p.m.,

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr MiUer): Order! By agreement, the time alldted for the debate on matters of public interest has now expired.

[Sitting suspended from 12.59 to 2.15 p.m.]

TRAFFIC ACTS AMENDMENT BILL

Second Reading—Resumption of Debate

Debate resumed from 12 October (see p. 1292) on Mr Line's motion— "That the BiU be now read a second time."

Mr DAVIS (Brisbane Central) (2.15 p.m.): Before the House adjoumed last night I said that I would not Uke to see the debate turn into a party political wrangle. Unfortunately, the member for Sherwood (Mr Innes) introduced party political matters into the debate. Like my colleagues, I was absolutely amazed to hear him say that the ALP did not want to support the Bill because it was concemed that it would go against the ALP in various electorates represented by ALP members. The Opposition spokesman made it quite clear that the Opposition would be supporting the Bill purely and simply on the grounds that it beUeves that legislation should be standard throughout Australia. If the blood alcohol level is .05 in the other States, h should be .05 in Queensland. Later, when members see the ALP poUcy platform documents, which will be the most comprehensive poUcy platform documents to be distributed—

Mr Gygar interjected.

Mr DAVIS: I am pleased that one of the inane interjections made by the member for Stafford has given me the opportunity to repeat that I certainly do not Uke introducing politics into such an important debate, but I am going to. They were introduced last night by the member for Sherwood.

I have in my possession a great golden document entitled "Give the Liberals the numbers!" It is the Liberal policy on road safety. The time is now opportune to show the House what the Liberal Party's policy is on drink driving, and I make a comparison between the ALP and the Liberal Party.

It has been approximately 20 months to two years. since the last election. Let us see how much the members of the Liberal Party, including the Liberal Minister for Transport, have done about drink driving. The .05 legislation is part of h. The Liberal Party's previous policy on road safety and drink driving stated—

"Alcohol and,other drugs are major ingredients jn our high road toll of death arid injury. More people have been killed or injured on Australian roads as a result of alOohol and drugs than those kiUed during wars."

The ALP agrees whh that. That policy was espoused by the Treasurer (Dr Edwards). The Liberal Party said that it would introduce a comprehensive drink and drug driving prevention program at schools to increase awareness of the dangers to future vehicle users. That was not done.

Yesterday the member for Sherwood had the audacity to criticise the Australian Labor Party. The Liberal Party said that h was going to co-operate With the Queensland Motels Association to try to develop a system that would reduce the number of people leaving hotels by vehicle in an intoxicated conditioft. That was not done. There hai beJn no collaboration between the Queensland Hotds Associatiofl and the Minister.

Mr LANfe: I rise to a point of order. The statemeht.made by the honourable nien|^r IS untrue and I ask that it bo withdrawn. ,, ,,; i , ,

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister asks that the'statement be vrfthdi'aiwtt; •' '•' '

Traffic Acts Amendment BUl 13 October 1982 1335

Mr DAVIS: I bow to your mUng, Mr Speaker, but I point out that I have checked this matter whh a number of hotels in my electorate. As you would be aware, I have more hotels in my electorate than has any other member in the House.

The Liberal Party also proclaimed that it would encourage the provision of alcotester kits in hotels and in other places where alcohol is consumed so that customers cOuld test themselves voluntarily. I have not seen the mstaUation bf great numbers of alcotesters in hotels, nor have I heard the Minister come out in support of the mstaUation of alcotesters in hotels. That is something that the Labor Party has suggested time and thne again.

The Liberal Party said that h would encourage hotel bars to display wall posters in prominent positions to indicate the number of standard drinks and period of consumption that would render a driver of a motor vehicle or a rider of a motor cycle unfit to drive. I have not seen many hotel bars displaying such posters. Frankly, I do not think that the Minister and his coUeagues want to offend the hotel lobby. Everyone knows that it is the greatest contributor to Liberal Party funds.

The Liberal Party went on to say that it would undertake a major revision of the penalties imposed for drink driving, with a view to imposing more effective deterrents. That has not been done. The Liberal Party said that it would investigate the use of the Alcohol and Dmg Dependence Service and counselling services for persons convicted in courts of drink-driving charges, particularly repeated offenders. That has not been done.

Probably the only thing the Liberal Party has done—it is typical of this revenue-collecting Government—is ensure increased surveUlance of roads during late-night hours in an attempt to detect drivers who are driving under the influence of alcohol and other related drugs.

As Opposition members have said repeatedly, Queensland has a system of random breath-testing, but it is different from the systems that apply in other States. A Queensland police officer can pull up any motorist he wishes, supposedly for the purpose of checking his licence. So Queensland does have a system of random breath-testing. The Labor Party does not support the way in which the Police Force and the Queensland Government supervise the testing of persons under the drink-driving legislation.

As I said last night, the Labor Party has asked just about every section of the community to put forward suggestions as to how it would reduce the road toll. The Labor Party supports the reduction in the blood alcohol level to .05, because at least it achieves uniformity. The Opposition also supports random breath-testing similar to that conducted in Victoria. I and some of my colleagues went to Victoria to see how the system works. I am more in favour of the Victorian legislation than the Queensland legislation. At least a Victorian motorist who is subjected to a breathalyser test knows how the system works. He knows how the police officers are required to carry out their duties and he knows how the test is to be conducted.

In addition, they adopt a far more humane attitude than is adopted in Queensland. If; during random breath-testing, a person is found to have a blood alcohol level in excess of .05, which is the permissible level in Victoria, he is aUowed to go home and is summonsed to appear in court at a later date. That is different from the rather barbaric treatment that is meted out to such people in this State.

Mr Shaw interjected.

Mr DAVIS: The member for Wyimum has suggested that the police in Queensland pick and choose. If a person who is a big wheel in the National Party or the Liberal Party in Queensland is found to be driving with more than the prescribed blood alcohol level, he is allowed to go home and is summonsed to appear in court at a later date, but the knockabout ordinary motorist who is picked up for driving under the influence of alcohol is put into the can and rusts away there for many hours. That treatment is not meted out to certain knights of the realm.

The Labor Party supports the legislation but it has reservations about it. As I said before, this matter should not be kicked about in the polhical arena. There should be a pariiamentary standing committee on road safety, which could invite members of our society to come forward and give their views in an endeavour to reduce the road toll. We should not try to make political propaganda out of this matter, as the member for Sherwood tried to do last night.

1336 13 October 1982 Traffic. Acts Amendment Bill

Mr GYGAR (Stafford) (2.27 p.m.): It is about time that every member of this Assembly and everybody in Queensland realised that there is a war going on on our roads In fact, the casualty rate in that war is far higher than it was in any of the more standard conflicts in which this country has been involved. People are going down on our roads like flies. The position has become so bad that we lose more people on the roads in this State in a year than the Australian people lost dicing the entire Vietnam war. The position on our roads is so bad that, even when we were fighting in Vietnam, U was safer for young men of that age group to put on a green uniforin and go into the conflict than it was for them to stay at home. If they had stayed at home, a higher proportion of them would have died or been kiUed on our roads than would have faUen as a result of combat or disease in the war theatre. That is an absolutely appalling situation.

If a disease in this State was kiUing more than 550 people a year, maiming thousands and filling hospital beds for literally tens of thousands of man days, there would be an uproar that would shake the roof of this Parliament, and the Govemment, if h did nothing about it, would fall within a month. But because that is happening on our roads and because people are being killed in traffic accidents, it seems that we are supposed to ignore it,

I think that I have a reputation for being a little hard Une on these issues, and I shall continue to take such a stand. More young Queenslanders are being destroyed on our roads than by any other means, and. I include dmgs and the other great evils in society. The road problem is the worst health hazard that we have in this State, and something has to be done about it.

The health regulations in this State can be described as being nothing short of draconian—and so they should be—to prevent people from getting food poisoning. Under our health regulations, people are'prohibited from doing many things that people think are relatively harmless and that they would like to be able to do freely, because there is a chance that if they do them a disease might spread. There is a similar logic behind road safety legislation. We must have draconian road safety legislation for the same reason that we have to have draconian health regulations. The risks of not having such regulations are far too great.

That is why I enthusiastically support this .05 legislation. Some people will stand up and say, "Oh, I can be .05 and I am sober and safe." Sure, some people can make up weird sausages in their backyard, and they can be safe; but the law is made because many people cannot make safe things. Many people cannot drive safely with a blood alcohol level of .05. It is not merely reasonable; it is the only responsible course of action to take to make sure that these health hazards are not released onto our roads.

Mr Shaw interjected.

Mr GYGAR: We do it with sausages. Why not do it with drivers? I welcome the honourable member's argument on that basis. I can see no difference between road safety legislation and health regulations. We are talking about the same thing: the lives, health and welfare of everyone in Queenslahd. We are talking about the greatest killer of them all,

Mr Fouras interjected.

Mr GYGAR: The honourable member for South Brisbane smirks. Can he name any disease in this State that kills 550 people a year and maims thousands about which we do not do something?

Mr Fouras: Cigarettes.

Dr Scott-Young: Cigarettes do not. They may, oveir a period of 20 years.

Mr GYGAR: T bow to the learned medical opinion of the honourable member behind rhe to refute the argiiirient of the member for South Brisbane.

We have a responsibility in this field and we can do somethmg about it. We are doing it.

Mr.,Burns-iiiterjected.

Mr GYQAR:. Honourable members opposite seem to he upset about this legislation. For the life of me, I cannot, understand why.

Mr Shaw: Why .05? Why not .02 or .03?

Traffic Acts Amendment BiU 13 October 1982 1337

Mr GYGAR: If the honourable member wants my opmion, I will buy his interjection. Anybody who is in the sUghtest way affected by alcohol would, if I had the choice, be rattUng the bars the next day. Drink drivers are murderers. Anybody who deliberately induces in himself a state in which he is a risk to the population and then deliberately goes out on the roads to perpetrate that risk should, for my money, be gone. We find it uncomfortable to live with that. We find members of Parliament shrinking away from it. We find members of the public shrinking away from it because they know damned well that there have been numerous occasions when they should, have been caught and were not. That is what we have to change. We have to change the social attitude in Australia of people thinking it is all right to "get a few under the belt" and then drive. It is not all right. It is killing our people. This Government and every other responsible Government and organisation has to face up to that problem and be prepared to bite the bullet. To do anything else is to sentence another 595 Queenslanders to be corpses on our roads, a vast percentage of those deaths being caused by drink.

I support the legislation. 1 congratulate the Minister for introducing it. I think it is appropriate, too, to mention the good work carried out by the Road Safdy Ck)uncU. In its last two years in this State we have seen more activity and more aggressive work— more good work—done by the Road Safety Council than we have seen for a long time.

Something I would Uke to recognise is the new campaign that is based on individual responsibility, because road safety is an individual responsibility. The days have long gone when people can sit back smugly and say, ''Oh, it is terrible. The Government ought to do something about it." The Government cannot do something about everything. Governments alone cannot fix all the problems of our age. Individuals must be involved in those decisions. Individuals must bear up to and accept their own responsibilities.

Every individual who drives out of a hotel car-park drunk has to be prepared to face his responsibility. To my way of thinking, that responsibility is to go to gaol if he gets caught—and for a very long stretch of rattling the bars if he injures or kills an innocent person on the roads. People must realise that they are responsible for road safety, and I am delighted that the Minister and the Road Safety Council, which he chairs, are introducing the "It's up to you" campaign. We can stand up here and make all the speeches we like, we can pass all the laws we like^we could bring in 20 years for .01 if we wanted to— but that will not stop the road toll. It will discourage quite a few drivers, I wUI admit, but it won't stop the road toll, K

Mr Burns: Do you want to stop the road toll? Stop selling petrol.

Mr GYGAR: The honourable member may be right; but then I seem to recall newspaper reports I have seen in museums applauding the introduction of the motor car because, as they said' in those days, that would bring an end to the ravages of drunken riders dareering up and down the streets on their horses, knocking over innocent pedestrians. So it may be that stopping the sale of petrol would not work either.

Nothing we can do here wUl completely solve the problem. The only thing that will solve it is if individual road users are prepared to face up to their responsibiUties and accept the challdige, the responsibUity and the duty, because they take the lives of others in their hands every time they go onto the roads.

I congratulate the Queensland Road Safety C!ouncU for recognising and promoting that fact because, in the long mn, that is where the solution lies. Every road user must recognise his responsibility and fulfil that responsibUhy.

Mr BURNS (Lytton) (2.36 p.m.): Today we are debating the National-Liberal Government's answer to the rising number of people killed and injured on our roads each year. .• - - •

Motorists, pedestrians, nfotpr-cycUsts, truck drivers and others who use our road system are entitled to believe that' the Government has fully researched this question and, after making a thorough examination of all the facts, has dedded that the solutions contained in this Bill are urgently needed to substantially reduce the tragic loss of life on the State's roads.

In his second-reading speech the Minister said— "The most'Important change is that in relation to drink driving, and h is

proposed to reduce the prescribed blood concentration from .08 to .05 per cent."

1338 13 October 1982 Traffic Ads Amendment Bill

The Minister also said— "The other important aspect of the BUl is that it proposes that a court be

given the power, in addition to any penalty that h may order him to attend within the period of disqualification a defensive driving course to be conducted bv the Queensland Road Safdy CouncU." ^

According to the Minister's speech notes— "The BUl also provides for amendments to those sections that relate to the

compulsory taking of blood samples from road accident victims by medical practitioners for a laboratory test."

At this time that is the Government's total answer to motorised murder on the State's highways.

I wish to examine each point separately and then propose some answers of my own, I do not intend to try to score any poUtical points on the issue as h is one that transcends those bounds. But at the same time I will remind the Minister of a few of his earlier statements. I do not want him to take them as personal attacks on him; I simply ask him to explain his change of heart.

The Minister supplied the ParUament with very few facts to back up these new moves. On the change to .05 per cent he said—

" for the year ended June 1981. of the 322 drivers killed, btood alcohol tests were performed in 243 cases, of which 144, or 59 per cent, proved positive. Six of those killed show a blood alcohol concentration of between .05 per cent and .08 per cent."

Of the people tested, 40.7 per cent had a blood alcohol level below .05 per cent, which means that they were virtually in the non-drinking class; 2.5 per cent had a blood alcohol level between .05 per cent and .08 per cent; and 56.8 per cent had a blood alcohol level over .08 per cent. So 6 out of the 322 of those kUled were between .05 per cent and .08 per cent and would have been affected by this legislation.

Honourable members wiU notice that I did not say they would have lived, for the tests were not taken untU after the accident. The only difference this legislation would have made is to have aUowed their insurance comfmnies to rduse to pay any claims made against those drivers. In some cases it would have affected the innocent party to the acddent.

The Minister did not explain why the Government was concentrating its efforts on this 2.5 per cent and not the 56.8 per cent where one would expect action could substantially reduce deaths due to drink driving.

Other than an explanation of the effects of alcohol on drivers, the only other pertinent point the Minister made was—

"In the same period the results of breathalyser or blood alcohol tests on drivers involved in road acddents revealed that of 1 815 tests, 1 630, or 90 per cent, proved positive. I l l drivers, or 7 per cent, showed a blood alcohol concentration between .05 per cent and .08 per cent."

The other sd of figures the Minister gave at this time in his speech referred to how many drivers had been caught and charged as a result of breathalyser tests. I say they are the figures of faUure. All of our effwls should have been aimed at stopping a person from driving after drinking. Unless we can convince Queenslanders of that, we are failing.

A driver must believe that he wiU be detected, beUeve he wiU be charged, believe he will be punished, and see the penalty as too great a price to pay for any benefit he might gain by the offence. I am reminded of that telling Moir cartoon fn>m "The Courier-Mail" which had the Victorians saying, "We save more lives," and the Minister replying, "But we get more convictions."

I have recdved the permission of Mr Speaker to include in "Hansard" the following figures on drink-driving offences in (^eensland which come from the Queensland Parliamentary Library and the Australian Bureau of Statistics—

Year Drink-Driving Offences 1974-75 . . . . . . 9052 1975-76 1976-77 1977-78 1978-79 1979-80 1980-81

11140 12047 11084 14 790 16756 19408

Traffic Ads Amendment BiU 13 October 1982 1339

Who can deny that what the Minister says is tme—that is, that Queensland is catching more and, at the same time, kiUing more? If our legislation had been effective and people were worried about the effects of the legislation, the number bdng caught would not be increasmg; it would be decreasing. That is what impressed me about the Vidorian portion. The number being caught is decreasing and is very small because people are scared to drink and drive.

So as far as we can ascertain from the Minister's second-reading speech the legislation has been introduced as a result of tests that showed 6 out of 322 tested drivers killed in the year to June 1981 had a blood alcohol content of between .05 and .08 and 111 out of 1815 tested drivers involved in accidents during the same period had a blood alcohol content of between .05 and ,08.

The Liberal Minister who introduced this Bill has not provided the House with reasons for changing his own stand on this matter. As I say, this is not personal. The Minister was reported in the Press as a back-bencher and later as a Minister on this subject. I will quote the articles so he knows what I am talking about.

On 9 July 1981, he was reported in "The Courier-Mail"— "Mr Lane, who administers the Act, said he had supported the .08 blood

alcohol level for many years. 'However, I am examining whether the level should be lowered for persistent

offenders and for first and second year licence holders who are convicted,' Mr Lane said."

He could not say when the review would be completed or whether .05 was the level he had in mind.

No reference is made in his speech to this House on lowering the level for persistent offenders or for first and second-year Ucence-holders, but he has apparently made up his mind about .05.

Three months later the.minister was the subject of a Parker Point in the "Telegraph" on 21 October 1981— just 12 months ago. It said—

"Despite alcohol having been irrefutably pinpointed as one of the main causes of fatality and injury, there is to be no lowering of the permissible blood alcohol level.

Here, permissibility is to remain at .08 per cent as the Transport Minister has made plain, and that's regardless of the fact that both New South Wales and Victoria have dropped permissibiUty to .05.

On the matter of reducing the permissible blood alcohol level he has said simply that it won't be on—because 'the public doesn't want it.' "

So, in October 1981 the Minister was against reducing the blood alcohol level to .05 because "the public doesn't want it."

As I said at the outset, the ParUament of Queensland, when called upon to debate this measure, should be provided with detailed facts and aU research data that would help members to make a -considered,' responsible judgment on the issue. Obviously the Minister has changed his mind in, the past 12 months. One would think that we would have been provided with some evidence for this change.

To be fair, I thbiight we should see what has happened since 1981 that would have caused the Minister to change his long-standing support of .08. The figures for years 1979-80 and 1980.81 are available.

In 1979-80 16 drivers Wde killed with blood alcohol levels of between .05 and .08. In 1980-81 that drOpped by half to 8. So there was no significant increase but a substantial reduction. '

Comparisons of quarterly figures which are more up to date show—

Quarter to (Quarter to (Quarter to September 1980 2 deaths (05 to :08) \ , -Quarter to fS^^r^tar^Ua^ IO&1 A Aor>tUt! 'r.f\< *r.. .na\ r 1^

Quarter to

June June September September December December March March

1980 1981 1980 1981 1980 1981 1981, 1982

4 deaths 1 death 2 deaths 4 deaths 2 deaths 2 deaths 5 deaths 1 death

(05 to (05 to (05 to (05 to (05 to (05 to (05 to (05 to

•08) •08) :08) •08) •08) •08) •08) •08)

Quarter to December 1980 2 deaths (05 to 08) \ ^„„^^ Qtiarter tp ' TTi«'«.mV«ir loSi •? Af-athi r-ns tn •n!i\ r square Quarter, tb - 4

1340 13 Odober 1982 Traffic Acts Amendmem BiU

So there is not a lot of difference there. I spoke.to a police inspector in charge of traffic who said that I should look at figures related to single-lane sections of road.

During .1981, the latest period for which figures are available, accidents on a two-lane section of the Bruce Highway claimed seven lives in Caboolture Shire, 19 in Landsborough Shire and nine in Maroochy Shire—a total of 35 deaths over that relatively short length of road. But we are talking only about the deaths of eight people whose measured blood alcohol content was .05. That section of the Bruce Highway killed 35 people in 12 months; yet, for example, in a section of four-lane highway in the Coomera police area only two people died in the same 12 months to March this year. On the four-lane section of highway near Wacol, no people died in the same period. The police inspector to whom I spoke estimated that the duplication of 20 km of the Bruce Highway in this area could save 20 lives a year. So if the Minister is talking about saving lives, there is a practical example of what can be done.

It makes me wonder about the Government's decision to introduce this legislation. Its first decision in relation to road safety this year is the proposed reduction to .05 which will supposedly be the most effective action it can take to reduce the road toll.

Mr Vaughan: That wouldn't bring in revenue.

Mr BURNS: I do not really want to debate that. I am trying to put the case as coldly and rationaUy as I can.

The members of the State Parliamentary Road Safety Committee have spent a lot of time talking to people from many areas. We have looked at the proposaJ for a change to .05 coldly and rationaUy but cannot see any argument in favour of it. We accept what Dr Herron, the Minister for Local Government, Main Roads and Police and everyone else has been saying, namely, that there should be national uniformity. We accept the legislation on that basis but we cannot see this as the single most important step in road safety.

My submission is that the RACQ is right when it accuses the Queensland Govemment of—

"taking a piecemeal approach to road safety improvement with rushed uncoordinated legislation based on emotion, poUtical expediency and perhaps even wishful thinking, instead of being part of a planned programme based on expert research and investigation."

That RACQ press statement is borne out when it is found that the Govemment is refusing to wait for a joint Road Safety Council/RACQ research projed before rushing into .05 legislation.

The RACQ was so convinced of the urgent need for effective research, particularly in rdation to the problem of drink driving, that it offered to fund such a joint research program.

The RACQ kindly presented a slide presentation to our caucus to highlight its views on alcohol and its effect on drink driving. Anyone who is interested will find it worth while to talk to the RACQ officers who will spend some time explaming the views held by the RACQ. Speaking truthfuUy, I believe that these officers would change the mind and attitude of many honourable members to drink driving. It is a weU worthwhile presentation presented by officials of an organisation that represents the majority of car drivers in Queensland. I repeat that the RACQ offered to fund a joint research program.

The National Party conference supported a proposal from its own committee that this legislation be deferred until that research was completed. Because the Liberal Transport Minister (Mr Lane), and the Cabinet rejected the request I presume that they have some compdling evidence that not only wUl this legislation work, but also that it must be implemented immediately and cannot be delayed for one, two or three months.

Mr Lane: Do you intend to vote in favour of it?

Mr BURNS: Yes.

Mr Lane: You are speaking against it now,

Mr BURNS: No. I think that the Government is emphasising the wrong thing. 1 would prefer Pariiament, today, to be debating random breath tests. I would rather see random breath tests introduced immediately. The one question hanging over random


breath-testing is whether it can be applied fairly in Brisbane and in the provincial cities and towns. It should be implemented for 12 months so that it could be tested, after which we could consider the facts.i We should do nothing as a Parliament that we are not prepared to look at in 12 months' time to see if it is worth while. If we accept .05 today, why should not the Government spend a Uttle money on checking the effects of this legislation, and come back to Parliament with a weU researched document made available to the public and the motor organisations showing the proof of the legislation? If we are forced to eat our words we will certainly do so. If we do have to eat our words we should see what else can be done.

Mr Lane: You are going to vote for it?

Mr BURNS: Yes.

Mr Lane: That is the final test?

Mr BURNS: Yes, the final test.

Mr Lane interjected.

Mr BURNS: There will be no worry. Our spokesman, the honourable member for Townsville South made that point for us.

Mr Lane: 1 was wondering whether you disagreed with him.

Mr BURNS: I do not disagree with him. I intend to vote for it but I do not believe that it is the most important road safety step the Government can take. For 12 months we have been bombarded with the worst death toll for some time. The 550 Campaign is dying because of the large number of people being slaughtered on our roads. The Government's panic answer is to lower the level to .05.

On 1 August 1982, the Minister when talking about the .05 legislation, said— "This measure is to be implemented primarily for its deterrent effect on those

persons who consume alcohol socially and then drive and it is hoped that the reduction in the level will make drivers carefully consider their level of alcohol consumption on these occasions."

The Minister said, "It is hoped. . . " Surely motorists and their famUies are entitled to expect legislation based on a little more than hope. They want legislation based on facts; they want cold, hard material placed before them to convince them that it is right.

What does research show? In New South Wales Dr Ross Homel, a senior lecturer at Sydney's Macquarie University, produced figures on the introduction of .05 in December 1980.

In the first two months after it was introduced, the number of deaths was 21 per cent higher than in the same period the previous year. I emphasise that was in the first two months after it was introduced. That was the effect of the .05 legislation in New South Wales in the two months after it was introduced—^21 per cent more deaths!

In case anyone argues that there are more convictions in Queensland, I point out that the rate of imprisonment for driving offences in New South Wales increased in the period prior to the introduction of the .05 level. So threats of gaol and a reduction to .05 do not appear to have been the answer in New South Wales.

Victoria has had .05 since the mid '60s. There was no massive reduction in road deaths until the early '70s, when random breath tests were introduced. If .05 was such a successful answer, why were all those people not saved in the 1960-70 period? It would appear that the legislation was not effective. New South Wales, after having the .05 level in operation since December 1980, is moving for random breath tests. It is obvious that the New South Wales Government does not believe that .05 is the major answer.

I am trying to highlight the need for the Govemment to spend money on research and not come to us with seat-of-the-pants emotional judgments. Because of the deaths on the roads, the Govemment looked around and said, "Find something we can do to show the people that we are active on this matter." I believe that the Govemment could have found a lot more important items to act on. In a moment I will state what I think the Govemment should have done.

1342 13 October 1982 Traffic Acts Amendment BiU

Among the reasons given for the failure of these methods to reduce the road toll-particularly the .05 standing alone—lack of pubUcity is constantly mentioned Imens v and continuing publicity in combination whh visible police enforcement seems to be mo t effective in deterring drivers from breaking the law. That is the approach that the supporter of random breath-testing have used. The success of random breath-testing in Victoria ahhough there is debate over it, has bolstered their cause. '

The Minister continually asks where I stand and how I wiU vote. I reject out of hand the view that action to stop a driver drinking and then kilUng and maiming his fellow citizens is a restriction of civU liberties. No-one has the right to demand the ciril liberty to drive when he is drunk. Such a claim is stupid and, to my mind, is used only by those who do not understand civU liberties or demand that only they should have them and not the victims of their indiscretion or, should I say, crime.

Having said that, I am not convinced that a change in the permissible blood alcohol content from .08 per cent to .05 per cent will have any effect on road casualty rates But I endorse the need for uniform road laws throughout this nation and will support such a proposal.

Mr Lane: You don't agree with us, but you are going to vote for us?

Mr BURNS: Why "us"? Let us come back to why. I listened to the Liberal Party president (Dr Herron) attack the Minister over the change to the road transport speed limits for large vehicles. He said that it was time that these ad hoc decisions were stopped and that something was done about a uniform national approach.

Mr Lane: He has since told me that he was misquoted.

Mr BURNS: He has not told the newspapers. I would really like to hear it from him,

Mr Lane: That is what many people in politics do— say things publicly and then tell you something different in private.

Mr BURNS: That is the Minister's criticism of his own president. Mr Lane: You had no trouble with Peter Beattie?

Mr BURNS: I do not have trouble with any members of the Labor Party.

Mr Gygar: You have a few problems with Ed at the moment, don't you?

Mr BURNS: I am having no problems at the moment.

Let me refer to a national approach. The national campaign to reduce road carnage, funded jointly by the Commonwealth and the States, would have sigiiificance to the Minister for Main Roads (Mr Hinze). He wanted a uniform approach, and he said, "ft is no good saying Queenslanders, Victorians or Tasmanians are being kUIed in large numbers— they are all Australians." That is the first time that anyone in this Parlianient from the National Party has ever recognised us as Australians; we are always Queenslanders—until we are killed on the roads, when suddenly we are Australians.

On 20 June 1982, the Queensland Liberal Party president (Dr Herron) advocated a task force of State and Federal Governments to counter Australia's road toll.

Honourable Members interjected.

Mr BURNS: I wiU take the interjections in a moment. Dr Herron criticised what he termed ad hoc and poUtical measures to counter the

camage and said that there had to be a national approach to define goals and develop a strategy. Dr Herron stated, "It seems to me that all that happens in Queensland in relation to the road trauma is point-scoring and ad hoc decisions such as the recent move to lower the speed of semi-trailers which was a poUtical one." I stand alongside Dr Herron, alongside Mr Hinze and alongside of all those people •]!, ,

Mr Lane: Sir Robert Sparkes?

Mr BURNS: I do not think Sir Robert Spatkes Wants anythirig done on many of these issues. AU the National Party is really interested in is money. If h is interestea in solving this problem, h is riot apparent. I must say that aU I knOw of his stand is( that he wanted this matter deferred untU after the RACQ and other" people had conducted a joint study.


However, now that the Minister is gomg to introduce the .05, I want him to guarantee that he wiU study hs implementation for 12 months and come back to Parliament whh some facts and figures after that period so that we can see the results. But bdore he does that, he should teU us today why he is introducing the .05 provision. Let him produce some facts and figures to show why.

Mr Tenni interjected.

Mr BURNS: The honourable member cannot show me any reports to indicate the resuhs of other legislative action taken previously to promote road safety. Measures are brought forward in this Parliament and if they are failures the Govemment introduces further measures. It keeps shovelUng them in. It is time that the Govemment spent some time and money on studying the resuhs of those measures and ascertaining a few facts.

On the Minister's second point—I support the extension of the valuable defensive driving couse. The evidence is that age rather than experience is most important in predicting accident rates. Young males in the 18 to 23 age group are most at risk whether people start driving at 17, 18 or 19 years of age. The Minister should consider a proposal that after a certain period—say, two years—all newly Ucensed drivers must undertake a defensive driving course.

Mr Lane: Compulsory, you mean?

Mr BURNS: Yes, after two years. If that were done the driving skills of motorists should gradually improve, thereby reducing the potential for trouble on the roads. Driving standards need to be improved. The easiest way of improving them is by conducting defensive driving courses. A motorist should be given a couple of years in which to practise and in which to develop some skills. After that, he should undertake a defensive driving course.

Mr Tenni: What about Cooktown?

Mr BURNS: People are conducting defensive driving courses voluntarily. Motorists can be educated to attend the courses. The Minister's department is educating motorists now. Obviously the honourable member does not know what is going on.

On the Minister's third point—I cannot imderstand the delay in implementing the section that six years ago provided for the compulsory taking of blood samples from road accident victims by medical practitioners. I would implement it immediately. The AMA does not oppose it. On the contrary, in 1975 it agreed to it. I saw the letter that it wrote to the Govemment in 1975. I believe that the Government could meet its request that adequate legal protection be provided for medical practitioners who failed to do so on sound medical grounds.

I would go further. I beUeve that the introduction in Queensland of compulsory blood alcohol content testing of aU vehicle crash drivers would aUow the identification of drinking drivers.

Mr Lane: Terry O'Gorman is opposed to that.

Mr BURNS: I am not worried about Terry O'Gorman.

In most cases it should not be too difficult to estabUsh the circumstances of drink driving for positively tested accident victims so that future advertising, enforcement or legislative changes could be most effectively directed. "Circumstances" means where and when alcohol consumed; need for driver trip; availabiUty of other transport, etc.

There are many matters that I beUeve are urgent, such as roads, passing lanes, single-lane bridges, road shoulders, power poles, trees, motor-cyclists, cyclists, pedestrians, heavy vehicles, school crossings, car inpections, new-car standards and speed Umhs; but I want to apply myself to alcohol and drug-related matters alone.

Laws about drink driving need to be reframed and enforcement and administrative procedures changed, so that prevention of drink driving is the goal.

Drink driving is only one symptom of the problem caused by alcohol in our society The Government must face up to this general question of alcohol abuse.

1344 13 Odober 1982 Traffic Acts Amendment Bill

If socidy is to reduce drink driving and its dangers, it must look to hs liquor and town planning laws. This Parliament should set up ' and all-party committee to look not only at drink driving and road safety but also at alcohol and its effect on our community

We need a careful wide-ranging study of the results bf the large suburban hotels with compulsory provision for the parking of hundreds of cars. We need to give serious consideration to the question of smaUer bars (US style) in each subuipban shopping centre or pubs (English style).

We ought to be looking at bottle Shops and bottle sales in clubs and grocery stores For example, even though those bottle outlets operate in Victoria and New South Wales none of them were mientioned by the Victorian and New South Wales authorities when we questioned them on effective drinkihg control mdhods. We should be taking action to ensure that night-clubs do not continue to serve people if they are obvioilily no longer capable of driving within the prescribed blood alcohol content limits. We see people staggering out of night-clubs at 1 and 2 o'clock in the morning. We also see the number of deaths on our roads after midnight. One can hardly blame the pubs for an alcoholrrelated death five hours after the pubs are closed.

But; in addition, we should be looking to see if we should increase or reduce the number of outlets, increase or reduce the hours Uquor is sold, reduce the alcoholic content, or reduce the price of existing low alcohol beers through excise, or other, changes. A committee representing all parties with proper research facilities could continue to bring information before us that would be helpful in our future discussions.

In the short-term, concentrating on road safety alone, we should give serious consideration to the establishment of random breath-testing based on the Victorian system for a sufficient period to research its effect on the Queensland road accident rate. If it is successful, then it should become a part of an overaU anti-drink-drive package.

We should have special police squads set up to enforce our drink-driving legislation. It is apparent that poUce presence on the road is a valuable deterrent. It is also apparent that the local policeman, depending on local community support, finds it difficult to book his friends in a smaU local community.

A mobile group of policemen, as a part of a State highway service, that could move in and out of a town and enforce the current legislation must bring tremendous benefit.

We need to provide more poUcemen in the force. We cannot ask an overworked Police Force to enforce more and more legislation' with more and more cars on the road and more and more people drinking and travelUng.,

We should place a total ban on drinking for newly licensed drivers for the first 12 months after the issue of a new licence. Young people 17 years of age cannot drink in a pub, so why should they be allowed to drink and drive at 17 years of age?

We should proceed against drink drivers ty summons instead pf throwing them into the watch-house and wasting valuable police time. There should be no more Lyons* cases.

We need to concentrate on the problem drivers and, to this end, we should co-operate with other State and Commonwealth bodies in studying the most promising of the alcohol interlock devices, including the dmnk driver warning system which, whilst an interlock device, acts on a computerised test and causes the horn to blow and the lights to flash on and off if driven by a driver who fails the test.

We need to research rehabUitation schemes to see if we can reduce a compulsive drinker's urge to self-destruct. But more tljian anythmg else, if we are only to pass short-ter^m, ad hoc legislation, such as tfiis, then we must act to provide public transport.

After' the recent Rugby League football final, taxis were tuming up at my local club around midnight and refusing to take home people who were dmnk. I can understand the taxi drivers' feeUngs, but if there are a large number of taxi drivers who won't drive dmnks home, then we should license other taxis who wiU.

Surely on nights when it is known that heavy i drinking wiU occur, the taxi services could provide a roster of drivers who will accept people: who are under the weather. That football final occurs only once a year,, so we should be able to plan, for it.

What can a driver, who has been ,drmking, do when there are no public trains no private buses, no councU buses after the hotels close at 10 p.m. and a taxi won't take him home because he is drunk? CaU family or' friehds? If his family are with him or cannot drive or are out, he is back'to driving himself home.


The honourable member for Sherwood deUghted in his persoiial attack on me last night. I wiU not retaliate in kind. I must, however, delend those who drink quite legally and respectably at the Colmslie Hotel. It is quite unfair, quite:improper and unjust to suggest that they are not possessors of a social conscience or less concerned at the number of people slaughtered on the roads. ,•;.

To suggest that anyone Would be scared to talk to them or teU them, or those who work in that hotel, of this legislation is patently untme and unvyorthy of any further comment. ; -t. .n^br

Having said that, I wiU simply say that humanitarian issues—^any issue that is for the benefit of mankind as a whole—should be above party politics, and shoidd be above politics, whatever form they may take. If we are sincere (or, to be dinky-di Australian, if we are fair dinkum) on any issue, we do not need to stoop to personaUties to get a message across, or to succeed in our purpose.

It is a pity that, to attain some objective we believe wiU not necessarily be popular, there are those who do not stop at just glamourising the unpopular to make it more palatable; they ,try to cover upi their real motives by too often stooping to personalities and trying to discredit for the sake of political expediency.

Road safety—the saving of lives, to save people from suffering the loss of a loved one, from suffering tragic injury and, on most occasions, property damage— is so important that I shall not stoop to personalities.

No single recommendation wiU end the road toll, but I believe a package of proposals, properly researched and iinplemi,ented, and their effects, properly catalogued and researched again, would be accepted by the public as being in their interests, if they knew that we were not out to raise funds or to mcrease our conviction rate, but that we were honestly out to stop deaths on the road, '

Dr SCOTT-YOUNG (Townsville) (3.5 p.m.)': In addressing myself to this debate, I speak on a subjed with Which, unfortunately, I have been astociated too closely over many years. For ahnost 18 years I was the only surgeon superintendent at a base hospital. It was during that time that I became well acquainted with the terrible consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol, and I consider that if a person has had one glass, he is under the influence, irrespective of whether he is .05 or .08. It is amazing hoW the human mind and outlook alter under the influence of alcohol.

The day that the first Australian was killed in Vietnam "The TownsviUe Daily Bulletin" carried a banner headline "Australian KiUed in Vietnam". Virtually the whole of the front page was occupied with stories about the terrors and horrors of war; but the newspaper forgot to mention that four boys, two of whom were Aborigines, were brought to me that night from Ayr, killed on the roads. It gave me the impression that the road toll was not even worth mentioning. ,

However, things have altered. Obviously, people are now developing a conscience, not only in the newspapers but also in the House of Parliament. I have with me cuttings from "The Townsville Daily Bulletin" of 5 and 6 October, the headUnes in which are "Car Crash Ends whh Fine", "Police Release Area Accident Figures" and "Police Act on Road ToU" I am very pleased that Superintendent McLoughlin said that strong emphasis would be placed on drink driving and "serious life-ending offences"—in other words, people playmg around stupidly in cars at high speed.

One also notes that the Press has reported that 22 fatal accidents were recorded in the TownsviUe PoUce Distrid between 1 March and 31 August this year. At the same time 200 accident injuries occurred. I wUl discuss accident injuries later. The only city in Queensland that had a record worse than Townsville's was Rockhampton, which had 29 fatal accidents. "

This is not a small problem, and it is becommg a larger problem. It is heartening to see before the ParUament a Bill that will endeavour to make some inroads into the death rate that we, unfortunately, are experiencing on our roads.

For many years all accidents were reported. Now, however, that is not so. Irrespective of whether motor accidents result in fatalities, they are all accidents. The difference between them is only a matter of degree. The policy of not having to report some acddents is wrong. A minor accident, if it occurred a.t„ higher speed or with greater impdus, could kUl; so the underlying cause of accidents should be investigated.

1346 13 Odober 1982 Traffic Ads Amendment BiU

The mteresting pomt is that before July 1957 only accidents causmg death or persoMi injury were investigated. The prescribed level of damage for reported acddents Ta* «n from July 1957, $100 from May 1969, $300 from January 1976 and $1,000 from OctoSr 1978. AU acddents resulting in injury since 30 June 1957 have required a police renwrt However, I am of the opinion that all motor acddents should be reported, regardless dthe estimate of damage. In this matter there is no room for grey areas.

In 1980, 3 212 Australians died m road acddents. In 1981 there were 3 323 road-accident deaths. As the honourable member who preceded me in this debate said, that is more than the number of boys who died in Vidnam. No-one is doing anything about it

It is claimed that the road toll is impossible to solve. In my opinion, any adion taken is a step in the right direction, be it ever so sihall. I consider that today's move to reduce the blood alcohol level of .05 is a step ih the right direction.

Looking back at the figures, one finds that Queensland has a very, very bad record. In the yea r 1950-51, 218 people were killed in road accidents. In 1980, that figure climbed to 557, and in 1981 it was 594. The only two States in Australia to have an improvement are South Australia arid Western AustraUa. From 1974, road deaths in South Australia dropped from 382 to 222 in 1981. If two States of the nation can do h, surely to God Queensland can. Those States also have open roads, people who drink alcohol, and Vehicles of similar types.

What are the causes of car accidents? The Opposition made the very good suggestion that more investigation should be done into this problem. I agree With that. The most common causes are alcohol and speed; I am sure no^one wUl doubt that. Lowering of the blood alcohol level to .05 is a step in the right direction.

The effects of alcohol are extraordinary. First it is stunulating and then h becomes depressive. An interesting point is that the reflexes it depresses are those of mental acuity aind the ordinary manual reflexes. Such tasks as multiple manoeuvres—that is, tuming corners, braking, and watching a centre line —all confuse the operator, with the resuU that his reaction time is delayed and his accident rate is raised. Anylx>dy who has taken one glass of alcohol comes under the influence of it and has his reflexes diminished or affected in some way. 1 am of the opinion that anybody who has taken any alcohol and drives a motor vehicle should be charged, because he is a potential murderer. He is in control of a lethal weapon—a motor car or a motor bike.

Another factor causing road deaths is poorly designed and constructed roads with bad shoulders, bad corners, rough surfaces and loose gravel on the edges. All those things lead to sliding. One of the worst types of accidents is a side-on impact, because the seat belt does not help the occupant of the vehicle in any way.

Statistics show that 32 per cent of fatalities occur on straight roads. Autopsies on that 32 per cent show that 87 per cent of those mvolved have a blood alcohol level over .05 per cent. Uncontrolled intersections are another great cause of road fataUties. They account for 36 per cent of fataUties, and 80 per cent of those involved have taken alcohol.

Another cause of road accidents is faults in vehicle construction—such things as tyres, steering and body construction. A recent television program stated that the bodies of some well-known vehicles are not strong enough and that they crumple up and concertina when they roll over, so that the passengers suffer very severe head and spinal injuries, often resulting in death or chronic injury.

One thing that has never been assessed is the personality of the driver. My opinion is that all drivers who are seeking their first licence should be assessed medically and psychologically. Although that would be a rather expensive procedure, it would be a definUe life-saver.

Mr Davis: Many of the members on your side would be traveUing by public transport.

Dr SCOTT-YOUNG: Probably h would be a very good idea if many people travelled by public transport.

Another cause of accidents is the immaturity of drivers, not only their mentality and approach to other drivers or to society as a whole but also their physical make-up. One sees young people riding heavyweight motor bikes that they are completely unable to lift off the ground. How could they control it at high speed? I bdieve that there are moves afoot to have a graduation of motor bike Ucences, which I consider is an excellent idea because many young lads and girls who ride motor bikes cannot physically control them.


Mr Davis: You are only three months behmd. We passed that in a regulation three months ago.

Dr S(JOTT-YOUNG: I am explaining to the Chamber the basis of injuries in road accidents; I am not specifically talking about what has or has not been done.

The other aspect of driver immaturity is that people aged 17 to 29 years make up 17.41 per cent of aU fatalities and 51.6 per cent of road injuries. So it can be seen that the younger and more physicaUy and mentally immature persons have the highest accident rate.

Another factor in road accidents is the experience of drivers. It is interesting that a number of members are all for the teaching of sex in schools, but in any debate on education I have not heard anyone put forward the proposition that there should be compulsory driver and road safety training in schools. I believe it should be compulsory in Years 11 and 12. As well as being taught road safety in those years, children should also be taught defensive driving. If they passed such a course before leaving school they would not have to sit for it again when they were tested for their licence.

Nobody should be licensed to drive heavy vehicles, semi-trailers or road trains until he attains the age of 21 years. Anybody granted such a Ucence should have a minimum of three years' driving experience. He should also be specially tested for suitabiUty. As this is a specialised branch of driving and has received great publicity recently because of the number of fatalities associated with it, all such drivers should be subjected to psychological tests.

Speed is often overlooked as a factor in accidents and, unfortunately, is played down too much because, if I remember correctly, when I was studying physics I was taught that force was mass times velocity squared. It is also very important in the boxing game. Unfortunately, speed is never accepted as the cause of many accidents. I noted in a study by the Royal AustraUan College of Surgeons of a Unhed Kingdom survey of over 2 000 accidents that of the driver/human error contributing factors, lack of care was cited in 905 cases and speed in 450 cases out of a total of 3 750. It is obvious from those figures ithat speed is a major factor in many accidents, yet it is completely neglected. When a person buys a car the first thing he thinks of is not whether it is a nice, comfortable car to drive but how fast it can go—how fast can he go to his death! People forget that mass times velocity squared is the force with which they hit another object.

Another factor in road accidents that is often overlooked is fatigue. Drivers should be taught that they should not drive for 50 hours a day, because after 50 hours' driving the human frame and mentality starts to suffer from fatigue; the reflexes are less accurate and slower.

Mr Vaughan: How many hours a day?

Dr SCOTT-YOUNG: Fifty hours' continuous driving. People will drive 24 hours without a stop, have a blow and then come back and drive again. They hit themselves with pills.

What are the results of motor accidents? The easiest one to deal with is death. Then we have one of the greatest problems in our community today, the neurotrauina, which is costing this country miUions of dollars a year. It was estunated that in 1977 it cost New South Wales $948.5m. That is a colossal sum of money.

What measures can be taken to reduce the road toll? I suggest that seat-belts have theh lunitations. They have definitely reduced the death and injury rate, but they have not reduced the rate of mjury in side-swipe acddents. Peope sitting in the back seat of a car not wearing seat-belts can be just as lethal to the drwer as if he were not weanng a seat-beU. It is essential that back-seat passengers use seat-belts. When a vehicle is stopped suddeiily, back-seat passengers are projeded as if fired from a catapult. Blood alcohol random testing is another control measure. It can be done dther by the mobUe or static mdhod. As an earUer speaker said, I believe that random breath tests in Victoria have defimtely reduced the road toll. I believe that both mobile and static stations should be used. They are a very pradical mdhod of attempting to reduce the road carnage.

Penalties for drink driving should be mcreased, because they are rather weak. Penalties for second offences are too weak. Anyone who commhs a third drink drivmg offence should lose his Ucence completely and not be given another chance to gd one. He should be treated as a criminal. If a persoiv commits a third offence, after being given two chances, he should be imprisoned or treated m the same way as any serious criminal,

Mr Davis: Do you mean the BastUle?

1348 13 October 1982 Traffic Ads Amendmem BiU

Dr S penalties.

Dr SCOTT-YOUNG: I wUl give the honourable member some more details of the

In Queensland anyone driving with more than a .15 blood alcohol level is subject t disqualification of licence for a period ranging from one to nme months, plus a $400 maximum fine and/or three months' gaol. A third or any subsequent offence means sa month? disqualification plus a maximum fine of $800 or nirie months' gaol. For an offenw committed after a previous driving under the infiuenco charge, an offender is liable to one year's disquaUfication, plus a $1,000 fine and/or 18 months' maximum in gad. I believe that a minimum sentence ranging from three to five years in gaol should be imposed if a person drives after a third disquaUfication. We are being too lenient vrith drink drivers The penahies are akin to giving a gun to a man and sayirig to him, "Go into the street and fire h," We might as weU give a man a gun and teU him to do that because he is a damn sight more dangerous driving under the influence of alcohol than he is when heismsing a gun. He has less chance of hitting someone with a gun than he has when he is driving a car

The ^eduction of the speed on highways to 80 km/h, with a reduction lin speed in built-up areas, is another way of reducing the road toU. That matter has been debated. It should be subject to research and deliberation by the varipus groups associated whh road haulage, taxi-drivers and others who control vehicular traffic. Radar traps and speed guns are essential.

In many instances the medical set-up in the State has been overlooked. It was only recently that a neurosurgeon was appointed to Townsville. He is doing magnificent work on head injuries. Townsville has the highest rate of road acddents and fatalhie^ in the State, That man is doing an amazing job. The Health Department should comider esta^shing neuro and orthopaedic surgeons throughout the State so that road injuries can be; treated adequately and quickly. j

Our ambulance service is gOod and efficient'. It is weU equipped to cover any emergency, but we need more orthopaedic and neurosurigeons in more areas. Road safdy education and defensive driving is essential in our schools. It is preferable to teaching children sex education. They can get only trouble from one and safdy frOm the other.

Mr YEWDALE (Rockhampton North) (3.25 p.m.): The legislation is designed to reduce the allowable maximum blood alcohol level from .08 per cent to .05 per cent. I do not believe that the proposed reduction will have a significant effect, in reducing road deaths or injuries in Queensland. However, I believe that extra revenue wiU be retumed to the Government because more people will be convicted of drink-driving offences. I think that that would be obvious because of the increased number of people who would be appreihended and subjected to breathalyser tests.

During the early stages of its enforcement people will be more cautious because of possible apprehension. However, the passage of time wiU see a retum to the present gamble taken by motorists against being charged with drink driving. That seems to be the pattern when new regulations are introduced. Initially, people are conscious of them. However, people tend to become complacent and return to, their old habits. That seems to be the case with drink driving.

The Opposition members who were designated to inquire into this serious social problem! have been advised by representatives of a host of organisations-i-in particular, police officers in Queensland—that a level of .05 will riot significantly reduce the road toll. Those representatives deal with these matters from day to day. They are of the opinion that enforcement of the law by the PoUce Force needs to be looked at on a broader scale before the introduction of a level of .05 per cent. Not only is that the attitude of Opposition committee members, but also it is the general consensus of people to whom I have spoken over a period of many weeks.

The reason for that attitude is that the majority of motorists at the level of .05 per cent would generally be able to handle a vehicle fairly cajjably and consequently avoid traffic accidents. The average person who has been drivin'^ a vehicle for some years and has developed the practice of having a few drinks ehher on the way home from work or at some later time during the day, could consume four or five beers, be fainy responsible and be quhe capable of handling his vehicle. However, if he is '"™' f /" a collision or someone else runs into him and the bag is placed on him, he will be charged and convicted because of the level of alcohol'iri his blood. In the main, he is

Traffic Acts Amendment Bill 13 October 1^2 1349

a fairly responsible fellow and he foUows a fairly set pattem. From time to time he might break that pattem and take a risk. However, he does not usually get away from that pattern because he is a creature of habit. I can name people who do the same thing every pay-day or every Saturday moming. They have a set pattem with regard to social drinking. ObviOusly the police will apprehend some of those persons and they wiU be convicted. However, they are not a real danger on the road. The danger is caused by other elements to which I will refer later.

The majority of motorists at the level of .05 per cent or just over that level would fall into the category of persons I referred to as having a few drinks on the way home. That is their regular pattern. Statistics show that the majority of drivers killed or severely injured have a blood alcohol content of .08 per cent or more. Random tests show that those persons showing a positive reading when submitted to a breathalyser test do not register above .05. To a large extent the resources of random breath test operations are being wasted.

The member for Townsville South (Mr Wilson) and the member for Lytton (Mr Burns) have stated that in Victoria 60 or 80 people were pulled up for random breath tests. During the operations on one night only one person was charged with exceeding the limit of .05 per cent. The majority of the persons stopped were sent on their way very quickly. Two people were submitted to the breathalyser test and registered a reading below .05 per cent, liie operation was very effective and well done by the operators.

The point I made a moment ago was that one person was found with a blood alcohol level above .05. He was not visually dmnk. He was not staggering or abusive. He seemed to be quhe lucid and he was able to handle the interview with police officers. That operation would haVe cost a considerable amount of money, energy and time. AU it really did was show the flag and probably prod the conscience of some motorists who had taken one or two beers.

Road accidents are caused by many factors, including bad roads. As has been said, obviously divided roads are of great benefit to motorists. On a divided road a motorist does not run the risk of being side-swiped or of colliding with an oncoming vehicle.

As the honourable member for Lytton pointed out, on a stretch of road near Caboolture many road deaths occur. It has been claimed that the constmction of a divided highway in that location would probably avoid 16 to 18 deaths each year. That would be so. As money is being spent in an endeavour to reduce the road toll, perhaps it should be spent on bad roads.

Bad lighting, too, causes aiccidents. Even some major highways are badly Ut. Foggy or rainy conditions make driving on those highways very difficult even for a person with excellent eyesight.

The matter of unsafe vehicles has not been probed sufficiently. My inquiries reveal that the consensus is that not many road deaths or injuries are caused by unsafe vehicles. However, h would appear that vehicles are rendered unsafe by one of two major factors— unsafe tyres or unsafe steering.

Another factor is the poor design of some modern vehicles. An organisation in New South Wales is looking at this matter, because poor design results in death or injury not only to the driver but to the passenger as well.

Speed, of course, is the major factor. Speed and alcohol combined are the prime cause of road accidents; no-one would argue against that contention. Apparently, with more alcohol the speed goes higher.

Related to that question of speed and alcohol is incompetent driving. I suppose that all of us make mistakes when we are driving. However, many drivers are totally incompetent. They contribute to death or injury involving not only themselves but also other road users.

Living in a provincial city, I am of the opinion that the worst drivers in Queensland are those outside the metropoUtan area. City people are more accustomed to the Traffic Regulations. A motorist in Rockhampton who indicates by the use of his traffic mdicator that he wants to change lanes has no hope of doing so. Other motorists believe he has no right to change lanes. He has to wait until they let him in or go past. That is the only criticism that I would offer , of country people. They are more casual in their approach, and naturally they do not have to contend with the heavy traffic that city motorists have to contend with.

1350 13 October 1982 Traffic Acte Amendmem BiU

I have said that alcohol combined with speed is a major contributor to the road toU I referred, too, to incompetent drivers. In that category I place not only the private motorists but also the drivers of commercial vehicles and heavy tmcks. A number of drivers of heavy vehicles are most courteous. However, some are most discourteous. A discourteous or incompetent driver of a heavy tmck wUl not give a motorist in a private car a second chance. I believe that some tmckies have a lot to answer for.

There are some difficulties confronting the members of the Police Force who have to enforce the Traffic Ad. I say that in spite of the recent decision to recmh more poUce officers. The new recmits wUl merely take up the slack in the PoUce Force. The population is expanding, as are the criminal elements, and more poUce are requhed to meet the needs of that expansion. I do not know whether the new recruits will be assigned to any special area, such as road safety.

The showing of the policeman's uniform is a deterrent to people cm the highway. The showing of the uniform has made me take my foot off the accelerator. On one or two occasions my wife, who has been sitting beside me in the car, has given me an extra hard dig in the ribs and said, "There is a policeman up the road; you had better slow down." I am being honest about that. Anyone who is not affected when he sees a policeman's uniform is not thinking right. We cannot station police every couple of miles along the highway. However, I am in favour of showing the uniform in as many areas as possible.

The police are used as revenue coUedors. That cannot be denied by the Police Force. I know of instances m which police have been instmcted to set up a radar trap and to catch a certain number of victims. The poUce are sent out onto the highway nd particularly to try to deter people from speeding or drinking and driving but to coUect a certam amount (rf revenue. Can we really exped the Police Department to devote enough of its resources to combating the road toll and treating the problem as one of its extra responsibilities?

I am a strong believer in educating the community. Education is not an overnight or short-term answer, but it can provide a long-term answer. Education can be provided through television, radio, the Press and brochures. Young people, in particular, have been indoctrinated by the media, particularly TV. They leam from h. They also learn bad habits from it. It would seem to me that the media could be used to teach young people good habits. It is debatable how far down the scale we can go in educating children, but if we start educating them at a young age and continue to educate them, we can get the message across as they grow older and become more responsible.

According to medical opinion, our society generally is currently moving into a drinking spree. That is the pattem throughout the world. Research shows that the pattem has shown up previously, I make that statement as a result of discussions that my colleagues and I had with members of the AMA in Brisbane.

Mr Moore: Wars bring about those drinking sprees.

Mr YEWDALE: The question of wars did not come into the discussion, but I am prepared to accept the opinion of those doctors. The documentation indicated that there is a drinking spree throughout the world today, and Australia is part of it. The cycle goes up and down and, at the moment, we are moving further up and I do not know when there will be a downturn. The doctors are not able to assess that, neither are the people who are studying the problem.

Obviously our problems are not unique, neither are our attempts to reduce the road toll. Accordingly, I reherate that the .05 level will not significantly reduce the road toU,

Mr Prentice: Do you support it?

Mr YEWDALE: Yes. It affects people right across the board. I had the experience of losing a child in an accident on a road many, many years ago. It is something I have not forgotten.

The answers are not simple. We all have to try to put forward our arguments and our ideas. We ought to give consideration to who can and who cannot drive motor vehicles. Both sexes may drive vehicles and, if I may say so, between the ages of 17 and 107 years. A licence may be obtained at the age of 17 years and a person could StiU be driving at 100 years of age. People of aU ages and in all states of physical and mental health are on the roads.

Traffic Ads Amendment Bill 13 October 1982 1351

How do we get a licence? Either we teach ourselves or our father, mother or brother teaches us, A driving instructor might take us out to do a course. Those people recoup quite a large sum of money for their efforts and I sometimes wonder how well they reaUy teach people to drive, apart from giving them the basic requirements necessary to be issued whh a licence.

People are being issued with licences these days—and I know there is a grading of Ucences—for anything from Mini Minors to road-trams, A feUow who gets a licence might be driving a Mmi Minor one week and, in a few weeks' time, a road-train carrying tons and tons of Uvestock or goods. People who are Ucensed to ride a mmi bike are automatically licensed to ride the biggest motor bike avaUable. Their capabilities and knowledge to handle such deadly weapons should be given serious consideration, I know that there are certain requirements for the various categories and that motor bikes are receiving special attention.

Do we really make it hard to get a licence? Do we look at the physical and mental capabilities Of drivers On an ongoing basis? At the age of 45 or 50 years I might be relatively competent to drive a motor vehicle, whilst at 60 or 70 years of age I may be totally incompetent, T know that elderly people must undergo eye tests and medical checks from time to time, but I have seen some elderly people whom I respect for their age but whose driving abiUty I do not respect.

Mr Moore: You take that into account and you treat them accordingly.

Mr YEWDALE: Yes, I know. One has to do that. By the same token, they are the people who from time to time cause acddents and not only their own deaths but also the deaths of others.

Mr Frawley: How do you reckon the Premier drives at 71?

Mr YEWDALE: I am not here to discuss the Premier, That is another subject.

Records show that a host of disqualified drivers continue to drive for long periods whhout detection, DisquaUfied drivers very often become second, third, and fourth offenders, I do not know what we are doing about those people. Our records show that people who are disquaUfied regularly resume driving within a short space of time. If honourable members take a note of court disqualifications and penalties, they will see that more and more people are being disqualified for drink driving, but the information we have gleaned from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland is that across the board disquaUfied drivers are treating disqualification with contempt. They are taking a punt and are driving without a licence. They are getting away with it. I do not know the answer. It would be a large-scale exercise to pull up all drivers just to see whether they have a current licence,

Mr Burns: Random breath-testing.

Mr YEWDALE: That will help, I agree. When we spoke to people about that subject, we were told that the Traffic Act allows a police officer at any time to stop any vehicle and ask the driver to show his Ucence; so we aheady have provision for random breath-testing,

Mr Vaughan interjected.

Mr YEWDALE: As the member for Nudgee says, it has been practised throughout Queensland.

We should do something about the rehabilitation of those people who are appearing on their second, third and fourth offences. We should lay down some departmental requirement under which a person must prove that he has been able to handle alcohol and is sufficiently responsible to be issued with a new licence.

I referred earlier to the design and construction of motor vehicles. There is only one official testing station or experimental centre. It is the Accident Research Unit of New South Wales. I was amazed to discover that in a country the size of Australia, which has such a massive road toll, no other station is officially doing the sort of testing being done by the New South Wales station.

We were fortunate to visit that station, which is carrying out experiments with seat-belts, body design of vehicles, helmets and the construction of street light poles and traffic poles so that, rather than be soUd and rigid, they coUapse on impact.

1352 13 October 1982 Traffic Acts Amendment BUl

Mr Simpson: Also, the damaged part of the pole can be replaced without replacement of the entire pole,

Mr YEWDALE: Yes, and that is happening; in New South Wales, Mr Simpson: We have it here in Queensland.

Mr YEWDALE: I am not aware of that and I do not know where else h might be happening. It seems to me to be a very practical way of avoiding the risk of a pole entering a vehicle and killing the occupant. ' '

Mr Burns: One of the points made was that when a car hits a pole the occupants normaUy suffer head injuries,

Mr YEWDALE: Yes. The research unit is looking at parts of the car that cause head injuries particularly to drivers and also passengers. Statistics prove that people are being killed by head injuries inflicted during an accident. The area imder examination is as close as possible to where the head of an average-sized driver would be. Research has shown that an indentation construction is required with padding at that point. The research team believes that, if that could be done, numerous lives could be saved, but car manufacturers wUl not accept that because they do not want to alter the design of their vehicles.

Mr Vaughan: The pull-down sun visors are not collapsible; they are rigid. The ones in a Commodore could chop your head off.

Mr YEWDALE: That is being pursued. I am sure my c<^leagues wiU endorse the fact that the people in New South Wales

were very receptive. I recommend to anybody who travels to New South Wales tO notify the centre of his intended arrival arid I am sure that he wUl be made very welcome.

I wish to pursue this point a little further. I do not know what research the Minister's department has done but I believe that the department should Uaise and communicate Jvith the research centre. The Queensland Govemment should liaise with the New South Wales centre in an effort to learn from its work, instead of playing poUtics and criticising other States. Even if nothing is learnt, at least the Govemment wiU have tried to ascertain what that unit is doing. It is incumbent upon the Minister and Cabinet to examine that aspect.

Queensland could commence in a modest way to develop some sOrt of information and have some area set aside by the TranspKxrt Deipartment so that people could examine this aspect. Queensland could investigate' the problems of seat-belt design, Ught poles, etc., on a like basis with New South Wales. If Queensland did that, perhaps h might come up with something in addition to what has been discovered in New South Wales,

I was impressed with the random breath-testing system in Victoria, which I have already mentioned. New South Wales has a similar operation and I was very impressed with its apparatus. I do not know whether other members have mentioned this, but it is technologic-aUy very advanced in the sense that, when it is plugged in, it tests itself without human assistance. The police officer or the operator verbally feeds the machine with information about the person who has been apprehended.

The person is asked to blow iiito a plastic tube. The machine does not have to be cleared of alcohol; it does that automatically. It issues a ticket containing all the necessary information, such as the date, time, place, offender's name and address, licence number and blood alcohol content. The machmes are worth about $7,000, but they take the human element out of the transaction. An offender cannot say, "He blew into it before I did" or, "He misread the machine." The prototype was explained to us; it is a marvellous machine, particularly when compared with the Victorian system under which it takes about 20 minutes to half an hour to process an offender.

In Victoria the alcohol has to be cleared frOm the machine, the person has to be iadvised about the test and there is a wait for the alcohol to get out of the mouth of the person so that the reading is of the breath from the lungs. New South Wales seems to be on the brink of introdudng this machine.

In Victoria I observed the honourable member for Lytton speaking to people who were being tested at random. Without exception none objected to bemg pulled up and tested^i even on the basis of a breach of civil liberty. Each person was asked, "DO you n" "< ' J ^ puUed up?" Even those people who went inside the police van and were put on the blower did not object.


Mr Hevritt: What if they had objected?

Mr YEWDALE: If they had objected, they would stiU have been tested.

Mr Burns: I asked them. The poUcemen did not object.

Mr YEWDALE: The honourable member for Lytton, not the poUce, asked them. Once they had changed the colour of the crystals, even if they had objeded, they would stiU have been tested. The fad is that they did not object. Even one motor-cycUst who was over .05 and was concerned about his bike was told by the police, "We wUl look after your bike. We vriU put h safely away for you." The poUce will not let such a person drive away. An offender is not taken to the police station, charged and gaoled; he is issued with a summons and driven home by the police in his own vehicle. In terms of a PR exercise I could not fault the whole operation.

Mr Katter: Are you in favour of random breath tests?

Mr YEWDALE: Yes, personally.

Mr Katter: I am very surprised to hear that.

Mr YEWDALE: Is there any reason why I should not be? Why would the honourable member assess me as being against them? I am more concemed about people bdng badly injured or killed than I am about some infringement of dvil Uberties. I do not see any comparison. If, as a result of random testing, we can save just two lives in six months I am in favour of it.

We should concentrate on education to a far greater degree, particularly in our high schools, through ledures, sUdes, brochures and stickers. ChUdren have to be shown the bad features of drink driving, and this should be done on an ongoing basis. Education is a necessity. It is done in a lot of other areas, and I think we should use the same tactics for drmk driving. Everyone in the community is concemed about drink driving and its effects. We should co-operate with the other States, communicate where we can and try to keep people off the road when they have been drinking,

Mr PRENTICE (Toowong) (3,53 p,m,): I rise to support the legislation. Like members opposite, I have also traveUed throughout Australia and seen random breath testing in operation, particularly in Victoria, and I have spoken to Victorian poUce officers.

As a member of the Minister's transport committee I have found that road safety and the road toU are probably the most pressing problems that come before that committee time and time again. Ideally we in this Parliament should not need to look at extensive legislation in this area but, of course, the reality is much different. Human nature dictates that people wUl simply not co-operate to the extent that they wiU not break any laws; that they wUl not ensure that they do not drink and drive. Indeed, there will always be people who wUl simply ignore traffic signs, speed and drink and drive. They do it either because they do not know how much they can drmk or because they do not know how much they should drink before reaching the Umit. That applies to the .08 Umh; it wiU apply equally to the .05 IhnH.

The honourable member for Mt Gravatt and I, when talking to the Traffic Branch in Victoria, were told of the great unwillingness to allow advertisements saying, "You can have three beers before you reach a certain level." The Victorians were strongly of the view that that was quite misleading because it depended so much on the different metabolism or make-up of people. That should be borne in mind.

Apart from the drivers who do not know their capacity, or miscalculate it, a large number of drivers simply do not care. They make their own judgments on their level of sobriety and how safely they can drive a car, often with disastrous or fatal results. People who do not care and those who do not know must be educated.

On looking at what happened in Victoria with the .05 limit and roadside breath-testing, it was found that those two measures, when first introduced, did not cause any significant change in the road toll, in the number of road accidents or in the number of people driving under the influence of alcohol. The changes came about as a resuh of a massive public relations campaign that used both hems to spearhead the approach of the Victorian Government.

Mr Katter: Have you figures to prove that? 197S5-M

1354 13 October 1982 Traffic Acts Amendment Bill

Mr PRENTICE: I do not have them with me, but I wiU be quite happy to provide the honourable member with them at a later time.

Mr Katter: You do have the figures?

Mr PRENTICE: Yes.

I was very impressed with what I saw in Victoria in relation to roadside breath-testing. The operation worked effectively. It created the minimum inconvenience to road users pulled up at the breath-testing unit. However, I do question how effective that style of operation would be in Queensland. It works effectively in metropoUtan areas, but in other areas it is not so effective. The figures for Queensland disclose that the majority of road fatalities occur outside the south-east corner of the State. The Brisbane statistical division figures and those for Queensland in 1979-80 show that there were 181 deaths in the Brisbane division and 605 deaths in Queensland. In 1980-81 the Brisbane deaths totalled 138 while the Queensland deaths totalled 559.

A large number of fatalities occur outside the south-east corner in areas that are very difficult to police. In those areas, the incidence of alcohol-related accidents is very high.

In considering statistics, another point that should be borne in mind is that it is said that the road toll is increasing, which indicates things are getting worse. In a sense that is tme.

The more people who are injured, who are maimed or who die on the roads, the worse the situation is. However, in reality the different measures that have been taken are having an effect on the road toU. In terms of the number of vehicles on the road, the figure is dropping. In 1957-58, the fatalities were equal to one for every 1000 vehicles. In 1980-81, the ratio was .4 for every 1 000 vehicles. That shows a sigruficant improvement.

Obviously that is not enough and much more must be done. Equally, I do not say that this measure, which I support, will be the sole solution. A continuing fight will be necessary to change the attitude of drivers.

One,can look at the alternatives that have been covered today— the .05 limit, random breath-testing, greater enforcement, which is something that should always be examined— and say, "Will that solve the problem?" The reality is that the police in Victoria operating the roadside breath-testing units wUl say that what they are doing is providing prevention. Their operation is very much part of a public relations campaign. Those policemen, particularly the young policemen waving down the drivers and testing them, will say that they can go out and individually pick up three to five times as many drivers driving under the influence as those roadside breath-testing units pick up in one night who actually reach the prosecution stage. They know what they are looking for on the roads, and they can pick drivers who are driving under the influence.

Roadside breath-testing works in Victoria because, through public relations and advertising, a feeUng has been engendered in the community that tliere is always a risk that if a person drinks and drives he will be caught. Perhaps h can be proven that, even without roadside breath-testing, an equally good result can be achieved if people can be convinced of the possibiUty of detection, I do not think that we should look on roadside breath tests as a panacea. They are only part of the overall approach in Victoria, which I admit works well in that State.

It comes back to the campaign that the Road Safety Council launched recently with its stickers, "It's up to you." The whole problem comes down to people and individual drivers. It is a matter of members of this Parliament, whichever side they may be on, taking part in a campaign that convinces people of the dangers of driving on the road. If it is not possible to convince them of the dangers of being caught, at least they should be convinced of the dangers of being maimed or otherwise injured by driving under the influence of alcohol. That is the greatest challenge.

I would Uke the Government to look more towards public rdations and advertising campaigns to convince people of the danger to themselves both in a physical sense and in terms of the possibUity of detection. If we can convince people of that m a public relations sense, I suspect that that wUl have just as much effect as roadside breath-testing.



Mr PRENTICE: I would point out to the member for Brisbane Central that h is a very serious topic. It is not one into which a speaker can bring a lot of levity.

The previous speaker said that in Victoria people who exceed the Umit are charged on summons. That is a commonsense approach. Having seen how roadside breath-testing was handled in Victoria, I cannot see one logical reason why it carmot be introduced in Queensland. Our system at the moment, under which people are held in the watch-house ovemight, is barbaric, to say the least. It is even more barbaric when it appears that at least one person does not have to do that for various reasons. It should not exist in this State; it should be changed as soon as possible.

The member for Rockhampton North said that the poUce uniform should be shown on the roads. That is something that works. Earlier this year I asked for the establishment of a highway patrol. The Minister is aware that I have pursued that request for some time. From what has been reported in the newspapers, I understand that a Cabinet decision has been made on the matter. I hope that the decision is implemented as soon as possible. I would be interested to hear the Minister's comments on what is happening in that area. That type of operation shows people that there is a chance of their being caught.

I have seen the resuhs of some accidents at Princess Alexandra Hospital and have spoken to doctors and medical superintendents about the cost to the community. When I hear those things and hear them told to people who drive, with Uttle effect, I can only assume that the one way of convincing people not to drink and drive and not to drive dangerously is by ensuring that they know there is every possibUity that they will be caught. They must know it. It is only if they know it that a solution to the problem will be found.

I support the BiU, which is a step in the right direction. I hope that h is the forerunner of other legislative measures aimed at reducing the road toll.

Mr HOOPER (Archerfield) (4.6 p.m.): I support the introduction of this .05 legislation, with some reservations. Although I agree that it brings Queensland into Une with other States, I believe that this Bill is a completely piecemeal approach. In my humble opinion, k wiU not do a great deal to reduce the already horrific road toU.

What concerns me is that a person who has dmnk three beers will be in breach of the BiU. In fact, the consumption of one bottie of beer wUl put the average drinker above the limit. Some Government members would spUl more than that.

Mr Shaw: If a man and his wife share a bottle of wine over dinner, they wiU be above the limit.

Mr HOOPER: They will be in breach of the BiU if they arc apprehended when leaving a restaurant to go home.

Mr Davis: I don't drink wine.

Mr HOOPER: The honourable member for Brisbane Central said that he does not drink wine. At times he is partial to a White Lady.

The Bill is aimed basically at the social drinker; it is certainly not aimed at the hardened drinker.

Mr Gygar: You are a very sociable person.

Mr HOOPER: Most honourable members are very sociable.

The BiU, when it becomes law, wUl certamly change the social habhs of the people. However, if the Govemment was fair dinkum m trying to reduce the r o ^ toll, it would police some of the large suburban hotels. On a Friday night or a Saturday moming the car-park at any large suburban hotel is packed whh cars. However, if the police were to do their job and show the flag outside a hotel, the publican would write to his local member or to the Minister asking that police be removed from the vicinity of his hotel because their presence affects his trade. The Government should look at that problem. Police should show the flag outside hotels.

It must not be forgotten that we live in an alcohol-oriented society. Most honourable members would remember from their early days at school that at one stage mm was the official currency of this nation.

1356 13 October 1982 Traffic Ads Amendmem BiU

The fact that we do Uve in an alcohol-oriented society is emphasised by the expensive media campaigns conduded by breweries to extol the virtues of their product. I should like the Bill to provide for the banning of alcohol advertisements on television on radio and in newspapers. Just as the advertising of tobacco has been banned, so, too, could the advertising of alcohol be banned. That would achieve a great deal in reducing the road toll

I am concerned about the double standards adopted l^ the Govemment. On the one hand, it takes aU it can from the liquor mdustry by way of Ucenshig fees and other fonns of revenue; on the other, it intends to impose heavier penalties on those who drink and to make it more difficult for the social drinker to have one or two beers. He will run the risk of being apprehended on his way home. Licensed restaurants, of course, will get it very easy, because they do not have to provide parking fadUties.

The average woman who has a couple of glasses of wine whh her meal wUl be in breach of the Act. Of course, that wiU affect the blue-rinse set and the Liberal Party's chicken and champers luncheon set. They wUl certainly be in for a rude awakenmg. After attending a Liberal Party breakfast where the plonk flows like water they wUl certainly mn a risk in driving home. I think that a champagne breakfast was held recently in the LUley doctorate. It was attended by the Prime Minister, I do not know whether Liberals have any diplomatic immunity, but certainly one or two of them who attended that breakfast would have had to be drunk and disorderly when they left the function.

Mr Frawley: That is a lot of tripe.

Mr HOOPER: It is weU known that the honourable member for CabooUure has stood up in this Chamber on numerous occasions and attacked people who have a social drink. He has also been saying in this House that he will not contest the next election, I have it on good authority that he received a nomination form in the maU from the National Party headquarters, inviting him to nominate for the next election. I ask him to either confirm or deny that.

Mr Frawley: That is right. As a matter of fact, I did get one.

Mr HOOPER: One can reasonably assume that after this Parliament is prorogued, the member for Caboolture will be standing as a candidate for the National Party at the next election. Of course, he will not be rdumed; he will be defeated,

I also believe that if we are to police the Liquor Act effectively and reduce the horrific road toU, pubUcans should show some responsibiUty. Most publicans adopt the Pwitius Pilate attitude and just wash their hands of the whole sordid affair. I do not know of any publican in Brisbane, or in Queensland for that matter, who warns his patrons frequently during their stay in his hotel that after drinking three beers they are Uable to be subjected to a breath test. So there is some obUgation on pubUcans. Tliat pomt should be driven home quite fordbly to the brewery and hotel interests.

I wish to take this opportunity to repeat my caU for the establishment of small, English-type taverns and bottle shops. I think that I pioneered the caU for the estabUshment of English-type taverns in this State, That would certainly encourage people to leave their car at home, and it would go a long way towards reducing the horrific road toll.

Another anomaly in the Traffic Ad is that police proceed by way of arrest of motorists whose breathalyser reading is positive, and I think that the member for Rockhampton North briefly mentioned that. With him and other members of the ALP road safety committee, I attended a demonstration in Victoria,

I think most motorists who are apprehended on a UIL charge should receive the Sir Edward Lyons's treatment and be proceeded against by way of summons. If a noble might of the realm and prominent member of the National Party—one of the National Party bagmen—can be treated in that favourable manner, why can't other motorists in this State, I only hope that the Minister notes that point and does something about it.

Mr Frawley: You said that you did not want him treated lUce that,

Mr HOOPER: I certainly did not want Sir Edward Lyons treated like that at thetime of his apprehension because he was the only person in Queensland who received that son treatment. Did the honourable member for Caboolture recdve that sort of treatment wnen he was apprehended?

Mr Frawley: I was never apprehended.


Mr HOOPER: That is different from what some of his colleagues told me.

If motorists were proceeded against by way of summons, it would be a lot fairer and it would certainly save their having to spend time in gaol like common criminals, Irrespedive of what some of the wowsers in the community say, if a member of this House was apprehended after drinking three or four beers, he may have been indiscreet but he certainly would not be a criminal.

Mr Lane: I would not talk for much longer. Mr Gibbs is out there lobbying you at the moment.

Mr H(X)PER: Why would he be out there lobbying me?

Mr Lane: A challenge against Mr Clasey.

Mr HOOPER: There is no challenge against Mr Casey. However, I can recall quite vividly the time when Sir WUliam Knox attended his mother's funeral. The Minister for Transport was the leader of the coup that made a cowardly attack, stabbed Sir WiUiam Knox in the back and put Dr Edwards in as leader. The Minister for Transport should be the last one to talk. I remind him of the biblical quotation: "Ld him who is without sin cast the first stone."

Again I make it quite clear that I certainly do not support random breathalyser tests. Such a move would be a gross infringement of civU Uberties, There is no need for it at the moment. The police are already conducting random breath tests. Most honourable members would be aware that under the Act our poUce already have the authority to apprehend any motorist and ask him to produce his driving licence. I am not suggesting that the honourable member for Windsor drinks to any excess but, if after having a glass of wine with his lunch or dinner, he was apprehended whUst driving home and asked to produce his licence and the officer detected alcohol on his breath, he could ask him to submit to an alco test. There is certainly no doubt in my mind that it would prove negative because it is weU known that the honourable member for Windsor is a very moderate drinker indeed.

Stangely enough, I support the suggestion of the honourable member for Toowong— h is not often that we agree; possibly it wiU be the only time—that there is an urgent need for the introduction of highway patrols hi this State. They would allow the poUce to show the flag and they could be stationed between Brisbane and Warwick, Brisbane and Toowoomba, Brisbane and Nambour and Brisbane and the Gold Coast. That would go a long way towards reducing the road toU. When the average motorist saw the presence of a poUce highway patrol, he or she would drive with a lot more caution. When I am driving to ParUament House and there is a poUce car in front, it is instinctive for me to take my foot off the accelerator.

Mr Moore: You wouldn't want to pass it.

Mr HOOPER: I certainly would not want to pass it. However, I should perhaps relate to the House a rather amusing incident involving a rather officious poUce officer. I was on my way into Parliament House at about 10.30 one moming when I noticed a police car behind me with a lone policeman in it. Ipswich Road near Rocklea had been repaired. WhUe it was being repaired, the speed Umit was reduced from 80 km/h to 60 km/h. I was doing 70 km/h. Although the work had been completed, the speed signs had not been changed back. The poUceman pulled me up and came over to me with the typical macho image, slapping the book of tickets on his buttocks—and they were rather ample buttocks, too—and said, "- -, - -. What do you think you are

doing?" I wiU not repeat what he said, Mr Deputy Speaker, because his laiiguage was unparUamentary. He said, "You are a menace on the road. You were doing 70 in a 60 km zone. An old mug like you" (That hurt. I didn't mmd the "mug"; h was the "old" I objected to) "should have more sense." I said, "My name is Hooper. I am the member for Archerfield. I am on my way to sit in Parliament."

Mr Frawley: He wrote out a ticket straight away.

Mr HOOPER: No, he didn't. He said, "Have you got any identffication?" I produced my gold pass. He saluted and said, "I am very sorry, sir." and left. So it was a victory for me.

1358 13 October 1982 Traffic Acts Amendment BUI

I feel that the introduction of a highway patrol would go a lOng way towards reducing the road toU. However, h should be under the auspices of the PoUce Department and not the Department of Transport. It concerns me that the present Minister for Transport is going a spot of emphe building and wants to have the highway patrol attached to his department, when in fact it should be under the PoUce Department.

I repeat my opening remarks that, along with other members of the Opposition, 1 support the new legislation with some reservations.

Mr MOORE (Windsor) (4.16 p.m.): It is my view that if this Pariiament were at all fair dinkum about reducing the road toll it would introduce govemors on motor vehicles. I know that that move would not be popular and that the Minister is of that belief. If such a thing were introduced, he would wonder how I would get on whh my neighbour, I would get on with my neighbour just as weU as I will when the .05 per cent level is introduced. I made somewhat of a promise to the Parliament that I will nag just like the best old housewife until something is done to limit the excessive speed of motor vehicles,

Mr Frawley: You do not need a governor on that old Freeway of yours; h will not go that fast.

Mr MOORE: My old Freeway wUl do a fair turn of si>eed.

As I have said on many occasions, whether drivers are dmnk or not, accidents will not occur in Adelaide Street or Queen Street—although now that part of Queen Street has become a mall there is not much left of it. Speed and not mass traffic causes accidents.

On one occasion I was travelling from Brisbane to Clanberra. Just as the aircraft took off from Sydney and was flying low across suburbia I saw two very wide roads that intersected. On those two roads only two cars were travelling and they collided in the middle of that intersection. Both drivers were to blame. Not only were they speeding along but also they were guilty of inattention.

Mr Simpson: They might have been distracted by the aircraft.

Mr MOORE: They could well have been.

In this place it has been said that there is no one simple solution to the road toU. My suggestion to govem the top speed of vehicles would not be the sole solution, but it would be the most productive of any proposal that has been before the House thus far. When I entered Parliament 13 years ago, the popular topic on which to speak was the road toll. In the Address-in-Reply Debate every member addressed himself to the dreadful road toll. After about four or five years that subject died a natural death. Then it raised its ugly head again and members once again spoke of the road toll. In an effort to reduce the road toll, legislation was introduced to enforce the wearing of seat-beUs and the permissable alcohol level was reduced from .1 to .08 per cent. But the road toll has not reduced.

Mr Simpson: Yes, it has. It has been reduced by half.

Mr MOORE: The numbers have not reduced. Because far more vehicles are now on the road, the road toll, expressed as a percentage, probably has reduced.

Mr Simpson: There are stiU far too many killed.

Mr MOORE: There is no doubt that there are stiU far too many. When we debate the road toU we speak about the deaths. As weU as that, there is the

cost to the community and the suffering and hardship experienced by the families of those who are badly injured and left paralysed and so forth. They are worse than deaths. Deaths are one tragic happening and are then gone, but those who are left paralysed are a burden to themselves and to the community.

Mr Frawley: The .05 wUl not reduce it, ehher.

Mr MOORE: No.

Because the Parliament has previously taken steps to reduce the road toll, if la"" convinced that alcohol is a problem, I wiU not mind the reduction to .05 per cent. But figures can lie and liars can figure, and statistics can be produced from all over the world, I have produced statistics that show that the greatest menace on the road, as I said here once before, is Methodist parsons. They are just statistics. For whatever reason, somebody has divided one figure into another and has come up whh the answer of Methodist parsons.


In Belgium drink driving is not an offence until a blood alcohol level of .15 per cent is reached. Belgium has the lowest road toll of any country in Europe. There are no freeway hazards, apparently, and a bicycle can be ridden right across the country. There is probably a good reason for the low road toU. It is certainly not because the blood alcohol limh is .15 per cent.

Since Sir WiUiam Knox first introduced the breathalyser legislation we have made people machine dmnks. It has been well said by the honourable members for Sherwood and TownsvUle that people have different tolerances to alcohol, A youth aged 17 or 18 years, who has never had a drink and drinks one bottle of beer, would certainly feel the effects of alcohol because he does not have any alcohol tolerance. He should not be allowed to drive. But, in this Assembly, we are getting down to the absolute lowest denominator. What about ordinary old John Citizen?

We are saying that this is a good thing and that people will have to take their grog home. People are told, "If you drink, don't drive. If you drive, don't drink," We hear all that sort of tripe but what happens if a man does buy a couple of bottles to drink at home? He and mum have a couple of bottles of beer between them and then suddenly find that they have run out of bread and have to go to the shop. How do they travel to the shop? They go out and get in the car. So people virtually cannot drink anywhere.

We are talking about prohibition. Virtually everybody has a motor vehicle, so everybody who drinks wUl have to wait a certain number of hours until the alcohol has dissipated before he can drive. That is virtually prohibition, I am not convinced that the driving of a person who normally has a few beers and drinks one bottle of beer will be affected one iota. The former member for Bundaberg, Lou Jensen, would tell us how well he used to drive after a few beers.

1 oppose this legislation because we should be doing other things first, but it wUl be passed so I suggest that the penalties be changed. If a person is found to have a blood alcohol content of .05 per cent he should be given a warning. Warnings are very good for people. A person who is puUed up and warned will say, "I have made that mistake. I have been picked up. I have been taught a real lesson by being bitten by the bug of experience. Having been warned, I would be fooUsh to carry on." If the game we are interested in is a reduction in the road toll, harsh penalties are not the answer. The answer is to teach people to be responsible.

The other night after a reception for Her Majesty the Queen at the Cultural Centre, I was attempting to cross Grey Street. A motor bike policeman pulled up and, lo and behold, said the nicest thing I have ever heard a poUceman say. He said, "It is all right, sir, I am just here to help." Every so often he would hold up the traffic in Grey Street and allow cars to leave the Cultural Centre.

If a driver shows signs of drunkenness he is gone but, in the case of minor breaches by a driver who shows signs of having consumed alcohol, the policeman should just hop in the car and drive the fellow home. In most cases a fellow would rather run 20 mUes than have his wife see him being driven home by a poUceman.

Much is said about the road toU and blood tests for people involved in road accidents. The majority of them have blood alcohol levels of .1, .15, .2 or .3 per cent, not .05 per cent. If random breath tests are to be introduced, let them be introduced now to apprehend the heavy drinkers, rather than impose penalties on people who drink only one bottle of beer. I would not mind random breath tests being introduced if they picked up the drunks, but something is wrong if they pick up people with just a smell of alcohol on their breaths.

A lot has been said about youth being involved in accidents and about youth and alcohol, but Uttle has been said about the exuberance of youth. If the young people did not have motor vehicles they would use up their adrenaUn or excess energy running round in the bush chasing girls, or doing something else. Many of our youth, in their exuberance and with a great feeling of well-being, jump into their motor vehicles and get the idea that they are very important and strong. That is a normal mstinct. They depress the accelerator, throw the dirt up and like to hear their cars roaring away because h makes them feel important. When they get onto the open road they want to feel the air blowing past them, hear the engine roaring and experience a little danger by whizzing round corners in so-called four-wheel drifts. That is just the exuberance of youth.

Everybody drinks—

1360 13 October 1982 Traffic Ads Amendmem BUl

Mr Powell: Not everybody.

Mr MOORE: Most people drink. When they are involved m accidents, h is sometimes found that they have had a couple of drinks. However, they would have the accident drink or no drink, simply because they travel at excessive speed.

We could well consider improving the signs on our freeways and roads so that first-time drivers on freeways who do not know what to expect could more easily find their way to their destinations. A first^ime driver on a freeway does not have a clue where he is going and he has to contend with other cars travelling at the maximum speed. A better form of signposting would help him find just where he wants to go. An absolute stranger, who has never driven in Brisbane, should be asked to try to find his way somewhere on the freeway and his comments should be listened to. Much could be done to improve the signs on the freeways.

Nervous Nelly drivers wiU not try to enter a line of traffic on a freeway at 50 km/h. They stop and have difficulty in getting going again because the oncoming traffic wiU not make room for them. Signs should be erected indicating that traffic wiU move in tum. Many drivers are reluctant to ease back to allow 20 cars in, but most of them are happy to let one car in. A suitable sign is essential to let the traffic merge freely. When a sign is erected on a freeway or a highway 90 per cent of the drivers try to obey it. That does not necessarily mean that on the open road they wiU not drive a little bit fastra-, but they try to obey the directions.

The .05 per cent legislation may be of some minimal benefit. If the Minister, the Cabinet and the Parliament were to govern the maximum speed of vehicles to 100 km/hand I do it in my old Freeway on the freeway--—

Mr Frawley: I would have to see that to believe it.

Mr MOORE: Everybody passes me.

I have made my plea. We are nit-picking at the legislation and making people "machine dmnk" Finally, when everyone is bound hand and foot, the youth of this nation wiU rebel because they do not want to be treated like robots. They do not want to be pushed round.

One day the Government will be faced with the problem of reducing or governing the maximum speed of motor vehicles. It can be done quite simply. A mechanism can be fitted into a model areoplane so that it can perform various loops, ffip rolls, dives and turns with elevation, ailerons and what have you. When an aeroplane can be controUed in that manner, it would be quite easy to independently control the butterfly on the carburettor of a motor vehicle.

Mr VAUGHAN (Nudgee) (4.37 p.m.): As I understand h, the legislation being debated today has been introduced by the Government with a view to reducing the escalating road toll. The stated thrust of the legislation is to reduce the incidence of road accidents caused by drivers who have partaken of alcohol.

As the Minister said in his introductory speech, the legislation proposes to widen to .05 per cent or more but less than .15 per cent the lower range at which penalties apply. However, as the Minister also said, when a driver is convicted of driving at .08 per cent, it is not proposed to change the penalties currently applying. So, when the legislation is passed, drivers who until now were allowed to continue to drive without penalty if they were below .08 per cent wiU now face the same penalty that currently applies to a person with a blood alcohol level of .08 per cent who drives a motor vehicle.

In my opinion, the legislation wUl not resuh in a reduction in the State's road toU. It is only a cosmetic approach by the Govemment that will resuh in more motorists being convicted and, therefore, more revenue for the Government. I point out that, as the Minister said, "Severe penahies including loss of licence to drive have been provided for in legislation to deter those who persist in drink-driving." Nothvrithstanding those severe penalties, people continue to drink and drive when they have a blood alcohol level in excess of the legal Umit,

The Minister mentioned in his speech that two-thirds to three-quarters of the adult population of Queensland drink alcohol and that three-quarters of the adult population hold a driver's licence. It seems obvious to me, therefore, that one of the first things that must be done in tackling the problem is to change people's drinking habits.

Traffic Acts Amendment Bill 13 October 1982 1361

I am pleased that the honourable member for Sherwood is in the Chamber, because I wish to refer to some comments that he made yesterday. He suggested that Opposition members were rpluctaut to support the reduction from .08 to .05 because of the fear of reaction from the people who vote for them.

I assure the honourable member for Sherwood that that is far from the tmth. As I have just said, I do not think that the reduction from .08 to .05 wiU have any significant effed on the road toll. All it wUl do is increase the Govemment's revenue. Later in my speech I shall state what I beUeve should be done if the Govemment was sincere in tackling the problem.

I was going to make some remarks about intestinal fortitude. I had intended saying that the Liberals should be the last to speak of that. However, I shall leave it at that. I merely want to impress upon the honourable member for Sherwood that I am concemed about the possibility of my constituents being penalised so that the Govemment can obtain revenue by a means that will not bring about any significant reduction in the road toll.

Mr Innes: Would you go a step further?

Mr VAUGHAN: If the honourable member Ustens, he will find out what I would do.

In commenting further on the speech of the honourable member for Sherwood, I refer to the advertising of alcohol. It has been claimed that smoking is a health hazard and that aU cigarette advertising should be banned. The honourable member for Sherwood does not agree whh the banning of advertising of alcohol. I do.

Mr Davis: Don't forget that they contribute to the Liberal Party's coffers.

Mr VAUGHAN: That is right. No matter what the Govemment does cosmdically, the whole matter comes back to

the community's changing its drinking habits and to the Government's introdudng measures that wUl be unpalatable to the community.

The honourable member for Sherwood indicated that he favours the sale of bottled alcohol in stores. If that is so, what has been happening on the Govemment side along those lines? Nothing!

Mr Innes: I did not say that.

Mr VAUGHAN: The honourable member said that he was in favour of the sale of alcohol in stores. He also said that he had reservations about the constmdion of large hotels with large car-parks. I shall leave the honourable member's comments at that.

I wish to refer now to a statement that I released in my electorate on Wednesday, 12 May 1982, when it was announced in the Press that the Government was contemplating the introdudion of legislation to reduce the limit from .08 to .05.

The first point I made in that statement was that I doubted whdher a reduction in the blood alcohol limit from .08 to .05 would effectively reduce the number of road accidents. I said it would mean the convidion of more motorists and more revenue for the Government. I StiU believe that.

I pointed out also that the Government first considered a .05 limit in January 1980. If it is such a good thing, why has it taken the Government so long to introduce the .05 linait when it has been in operation in other States for a lengthy period?

I recall when I was the Opposition's PoUce spokesman and kept a file on drink driving. At that time, random breath tests were discussed whh the previous Minister for Police (Mr Camm). He and the present Minister for Transport were quoted as saying that they were vigorously opposed to random breath-testing. There was no discussion then about the .05 lunit.

In January 1980 the then Minister for Transport (Mr Tomkins) said that he was in favour of the .05 limit. So I wonder why, if Government members are so concemed about the road toll, the reduction in the limit has not been introduced before now.

In my statement I went on to say that every motorist who drank more than the limit knew that he faced a heavy penalty if caught but that that had not stopped him. I also said in that statement—

"If the Govemment sincerely wants to tackle the drink driving problem they ^ould be looking at prevention instead of cure."

1362 13 October 1982 Traffic Acts Amendmem Bill

All that the Government is doing now is trying to cure the proWem It is not doino anything to prevent it. The Government is saying, "You can drink, but if you are cauRht at .05 we will do something about it." I think that the member for Wmdsor hh the nSl on the head when he said that ultimately we will be looking down the gun barrel at prohibition. I can see that happenmg at some time in the future. L,have in my files a statement by a professor down South in whiqh he said that the correct limit is ,03 In the not too distant future, I can see the Government completely bannmg ifrom driving anyone who has a drink. *

It is no good looking at a cure; we should be lookmg at prevention. In my statement I also said—

" it was ridiculous for the Government to talk about tackling the drink driv-ing problem and at the same time allow the constmction of hotels and tavems with large car parks,"

Other members have referred to the large car-parks at hotels, I am amazed that the Government can come into this Chamber with legislation and say, "We are gdng to reduce the level from .08 to .05, but we wiU stiU aUow hotels and taverns to be built away from public transport, with huge car-parks," The Govemment wUl encourage people to drive to those hotels and it wiU then say, "You can go there, but if you drink more than four 7 oz or 200 ml glasses of beer in one hour you wiU be over the Umh and Uable to be apprehended,"

The Government is not prepared to tackle the problem at its source by doing something about the large hotels that are being buih in Queensland nowhere near public transport. If a person wants to drink at those hotels, he has to drive to them in his car. The Government even goes to the extent of providing in the law that the hoteb must provide large car-parks.

Of course, the reason why the Government does not want to tackle the problem at its source is that the breweries and hotels make payments to the Govemment parties. Even the dogs in the street are barking that. In my statement I also said—

" . i f the .05 limit was really policed most hotels and taverns away from public transport would go broke."

If the Govemment poUces this legislation when it becomes law—I shaU refer to that later—every tavem and hotel in this State wiU go broke because nobody wiU be game to go to them. Why would people drive to a hotel and run the risk of bemg booked at the .05 limit after drinking four glasses of beer in an hour?

Mr Moore: Three beers.

Mr VAUGHAN: Nobody wiU drive his car to a hotel whh the intentiori of having three beers in an hour. No drinker would do that.

Mr Hooper: Do you think that the membership of the Royal Order of Rechabites wiU increase?

Mr VAUGHAN: Some drastic things will happen. The Government wiU introduce this legislation but, because of pressure from the breweries and hotels, it wUl not be policed. It will be a paper tiger.

Mr Powell: Rubbish!

Mr VAUGHAN: It is not rubbish. Otherwise, large hotels wiU go broke. I also said in my statement—

"As there is so much uncertainty as to the amount of alcohol that h takes to reach the .05 limit and as there are so many other factors which can affect the reading it wiU really be not worth the trouble to drive to a hotel for a beer."

In his speech, the Minister said that a person could drink four 200 ml glasses of beer m an hour. He then said that the blood alcohol level depended MI the size of the person, his constitution and the amount of food that he has eaten, Nobody wUl know exactly how much he can consume. ReaUy, the safe thing to do is not to go near a hotel. That is what we should be urging if we are really fair dinkum about doing somdhmg to reduce the road carnage and if we really believe that alcohol is the cause to the extent referred to in the Minister's speech,

Mr Davis: What about bottled beer from bowling,clubs?


Mr VAUGHAN: I wiU get to that. The member should not jump the gun.

It wiU not be worth the trouble to drive to a hotel to have three or four beers in an hour, I also said that most people will be opting to have a quiet beer at home. Certainly they wUl if they have any sense. However, as I said earUer, heavy penalties have been in existence for a long time but they do not seem to have had a great effect. The Minister referred to the incidence of people being apprehended. The number seems to be rising. However, the heavy penalties that he also referred to do not seem to have had much effect.

If the problem of drink driving was to be sincerely tackled, people would have to change their drinking habits. That is a mammoth task in a State such as this. The AustraUan custom of the "shout" would have to go. Let's face it: if three of us go into a hotel, the Australian custom of the "shout" requires that there be a round of beers. Naturally, there is a second round of beers. Hardly ever would three people in a group go to a hotel without having two rounds. The Australian custom of the "shout" is finished with this legislation. One only has to cross the border to see what happens. The trade in inner-city hotels has died off in New South Wales. The same thing wUl happen up here.

I wUl put forward my suggestions. The Minister can do what he likes with them. I know that he will have a hard job digesting the amount of material that the member for Lytton and his committee have given him today, without having to digest my material. However, I made an input into that committee's work. I know what the Mmister will do. I know how he regards any constructive comment. That is the nature of the beast.

First, we have to regulate for the elimination or stricter control of drink advertising. If we are to seriously tackle the problem, we must stop encouraging people to drink.

Mr Frawley: Advertise Qaytons more often.

Mr VAUGHAN: Yes, Claytons or any other non-alcoholic drink.

The second step is the cessation of the construction of large hotels with huge car-parks in areas away from public transport. I know that the Government will not do that because it will offend its friends—the people who pay mto its coffers.

Mr Moore: We get no money from the breweries.

Mr VAUGHAN: The Liberals might not. They certainly will not from now on. I know that other people do.

My third point—and the member for Archerfield touched on this—is the provision of small bars in shopping centres close to pubUc transport, so that if a person wants a drink when he is down shopping he can walk into the small bar and then catch a train or bus home. I cannot see what is wrong with that; but of course it wiU not be too palatable to those who have substantial investments in large hotels. They will argue that h would put them out of business. So it wUl—and so it should, if we want to do something about the road toll.

The next point is the sale of bottled or canned liquor at Ucensed stores to encourage people to have their drinks at home. The Minister pointed out that New South Wales and Victoria have had .05 for a long time. They have also provided for the sale of bottled or canned beer and other alcohol at licensed grocery stores. I want to see how fair dinkum the Minister is when he says that the Government is introducing the .05 level on the basis of what applies in New South Wales and Victoria. Will the Queensland Government introduce the same laws as those States which aUow the sale of packaged alcohol in Ucensed stores? We have only to drive across the border to see that. We can buy Fourex beer in Woolworths at Tweed Heads cheaper than we can buy it in Brisbane. If the Government is fair dinkum, it wiU allow that.

Another point is the removal of the Government excise on low alcohol beer. On a flight from Sydney I was speaking to one of the principals of the Castlemaine brewery. I asked him why the company would not introduce a low alcohol beer. He said that unofficially the company had tried it on the community and it had not been very well accepted. But, subsequently a low alcohol beer was released and it is very acceptable in the community, but it would be more acceptable if it was cheaper than regular beer. The father of the member for Flinders is a member of the Federal Parliament, and he has made many comments about the drink-driving problem. Why doesn't he do something about this

1364 13 October 1982 Traffic Ads Amendment BUl

matter so that people could be encouraged to drink low alcohol beer? If h is cheaper people will buy it. Of course, if people are not told they are drinking low alcohol beer' they will drink it and not know the difference. '

Another matter that I have canvassed in this place for a long time-nl hope that this year we will see the legislation introduced—is the sale of bottled and canned beer from bowls clubs and golf clubs. Ever since I entered Parliament I have pressed that matter Reference has been made to young people driving vehicles under the influence of liquor. The fact of the matter is that under the present legislation in this State a teenager who is a member of a footbaU club can take away any amount of bottled or canned beer from that club but his father, who is a member of a bowls club or a golf club, cannot take beer away from his club. Is the Government fair dinkum when it speaks of doing something about drink driving?

I have already indicated in no uncertain manner that I do not beUeve that this reduction will result in anjrthing other than more convictions and more revenue for the Government. When I speak of more revenue, that means more poUcing. In conjunction with this legislation—I say this to the Minister for Police and the Govemment—something must be done to clean up the State's Police Force, I do not have to spell that out to the Minister for Transport, who knows what I mean and what goes on in this State. I have received complaints about police officers who have apprehended motorists for drink driving who themselves would certainly not have passed the .05 test.

Mr R. J. Gibbs: Look at the Mt Coot-tha case.

Mr VAUGHAN: Yes. It goes on and on and on.

I say this in all sincerity. The Minister can nod his head as much as he likes but, as a former poUceman, he knows as well as I do what goes on in the Police Force. If the Government wishes to proceed with this legislation, and is sincere about the problem, it should clean up the State's Police Force.

Reference has been made to random breath-testing. When I was the Opposition poUce spokesman the Minister, who was then a back-bencher, was opposed to its introduction. The Minister for Police was also opposed to it.' But the fact of the matter is that Queensland has random breath-testing. A friend of mine reported to me that on one occasion he went into the Ferny Grove Tavern for a carton of beer, drove up the hiU and was apprehended by a police officer who said, "Sir, have you been to the Ferny Grove Tavern?" That is the typical approach and anybody here would know that. The police officer then said, "Sir, have you been partaking of alcohol?" My friend said, "No." The police officer then said, "Sir, you appeared to weave or divert as you came up the road." That is the excuse! How often have honourable members heard that people have been pulled up and been asked by a police officer, "Sir, do you know that your tail-light is out?", or, "Do you know that your headUght is a bit dim?" The police use any pretext and the fact of the matter is that Queensland already has random breath-testing. Of course, that occurs when police ofiicers need to increase their daily tally. I ask the Minister not to shake his head because, with his record and the knowledge that he gained in the PoUce Force, particularly when he was in the railway squad, he knows as well as I do that every word I am saying is true.

Mr Davis: The same can be said for Murphy's marauders.

Mr VAUGHAN: A few places on the southside have kept Murphy's marauders out.

I now wish to speak about road safety, and I ask members to consider the bad around the State. In the last 20-odd years I have driven over just about every road in the State. When mention is made of our bad roads the standard reply is that we do not have the funds to fix them. I have heard the Minister for Local Government, Main Roads and Police say that we were better off under the Whitlam Government than we are under the Fraser Government as far as road funding is concerned. But the fad is that we have too many roads, particularly in country areas.

Every property owner wants a road to his place. When he gets the road he then wants it bitumened and then widened to two lanes so that it is safer. We have a criss-cross network of roads in this State, and their maintenance is breaking us. The position has to be rationalised. Up in the coalfields area one can choose about 10 different routes to drive from Moranbah to CapeUa.


There has been a lot of talk about drink driving, but what about the tired driver? We all know that he develops the same symptoms as a person under the influence of alcohol. He starts to get sleepy. So what is to be done about the tired driver? That has not been mentioned.

Narrow bridges are also a problem. In June I drove from TownsvUle to Caims and back. I have mentioned previously that in 1965 I drove over that road for the first time. On my most recent trip I counted as many single lane bridges as there were in 1965, There were 23 of them! I took an odometer reading for every one of them because I thought it might come in handy for the future. But what has the Government done? That problem has existed since 1965,

A couple of weeks back we heard about an accident involving a 17-year-old semi-traUer driver round about Inkerman, south of Home HiU, How does a 17-year-old lad get a semi-traUer licence? I have previously raised the point of how easy it is to obtain a semi-trailer Ucence and have been criticised for it by a number of people, but the fact is that it is simple to obtain one, I think that the Minister subsequently agreed with me. Three people were kiUed in that accident south of Home HiU to which I referred.

There has been a lot of talk about the number of tmcks on the road, but our roads are not built to take the type of tmcks that use them. Once one gets off the Bmce Highway one finds that none of the iiUand highways are wide enough for the tmcks that use them. The survey produced by the Minister for Main Roads in conjunction with the Federal Minister indicated that the Bmce Highway should be seven metres from kerb to kerb. The same could be said of westem roads which are travelled by huge trucks, sometimes in tandem. Very Uttle is being done about that.

The other day the Minister spoke about amber lights, and I took him to task for using the wrong figures about the number of accidents at amber lights. But nothing has been done. All he can say is that people should regard an amber light in the same way as they regard a red Ught. But he does not know how many of the accidents to which he referred were caused by somebody mnning into the rear of a driver who stopped at an amber Ught. As I recall, the Minister said recently in an answer that he did not have the figures. The figures must be collated so that something can be done about the problem.

There has been a lot of discussion about the enforcement of the .05 level in the city, but what about its application in country areas? I recently had occasion to talk to a poUce officer from a country town. I mentioned the possibUity of this legislation being introduced. He said, "Well, we adopt a pretty responsible attitude to it in our town. We know that the fellows from the stations aU come into town on a Saturday night and have a few beers, but we just say to them, 'Go straight home and drive nice and slow.'" Yet that is in an area where a significant proportion of road accidents occur. I pose this question to the Minister: Is the .05 level going to be policed in country areas to the same extent as it wiU be in the city? It wiU not bring in the same amount of revenue in country areas, nor wUl it be as palatable

Mr Lane: Do you intend to vote for the proposal or not?

Mr VAUGHAN: The Minister should hold his horses. He was very vocal this morning when answering questions, but I will keep him in suspense now.

During the Budget debate reference was made to motor bikes. More police should be on the road. They should be seen rather than be hiding behind biUboards. The number of motor cycle police on the road has fallen from 175 in 1972 to 111 in 1980.

(Time expired.)

Hon, D, F, LANE (Merthyr—Minister for Transport) (5.6 p.m.), in reply: I thank honourable members for their contribution to the debate,

Mr FRAWLEY: I rise to a point of order. My name is on the Ust of speakers and I would like my tum,

Mr Wright: My name, too, is on the list,

Mr SPEAKER: I have given the call to the Minister.

Mr Wright: Mr Speaker, a list of speakers was prepared.


Mr FRAWLEY: Steady on, my name was on the list, and I wish to speak.

Mr Wright: Because of the importance of the debate, Mr Speaker, I think you should allow'us to speak.

Mr Katter: Mr Speaker, I feel very strongly the same way,

Mr FRAWLEY: I insist on my turn, Mr Speaker,

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the Minister.

Mr FRAWLEY: I insist on my turn; it is not right.

Mr WRIGHT: I rise to a pomt of order.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I ask aU honourable members to resume their seats.

Mr WRIGHT: I rise to a point of order.

Mr SPEAKER: I will hear the honourable member's pomt of order.

Mr WRIGHT: Mr Speaker, Standing Orders say that you wiU allow the debate if you believe it is relevant and also if you believe that the debate has not been fully canvassed. A number of honourable members want to make poinjls on this issue. I believe that the Mmister should give way to those who wish to speak.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! This debate has ranged for approximately four hours, one hour last night and three hours today, L have sat here for the past half hour whhout hearing any new material being introduced in the Chamber. The Minister was the fhst to rise.

Mr FRAWLEY: No, he was not.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member wiU resume his seat or he will leave the Chamber.

Mr FRAWLEY: I was the first to rise.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I gave the Minister for Transport the caU.

Mr FRAWLEY: Mr Speaker, that is wrong. I was definitely the first to rise. You will hear some new material if I am given an opportunity to speak.

Mr LANE: Mr Speaker, as I have already indicated-

Mi: KATTER: I rise to a point of order.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! What is the honourable member's point of order?

Mr FRAWLEY: My point of order is that I was defimtely on my feet before the Minister. '

Mr KATTER: I rise to a point of order.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the Minister for Transport.

Mr DAVIS: I rise to a point of order. >

Mr KATTER: I rise to a point of order.

Mr SPEAKER: Order!

Mr DAVIS: I must raise this point of order. If we are to have lists setting out the order of speaking, that is fair enough. I made arrangements with the honourable member for Balonne that the order of speaking was to be Mr Frawley foUowed by Mr Wright. Those were the arrangements. If the Mmister is to jump the gun, after the order of speeches has been arranged on that basis, surely we cannot have co-operation. That is how the arrangements were made last night. The Opposition has kept out speakers who wanted to take part. I think the Minister should bow to the agreement between the Whips. I made the agreement as Whip for the Opposition with Mr Neal, the Govemment Whip.


Mr SPEAKER: Order! A great deal of senshivity is assodated with this matter. I will place the issue m the hands of the House but h is my firm conviction that I should stick to my original decision to caU the Minister for Transport. However, under the circumstances, sedng that there are so many protests I wUl ask the House to make the dedsion on the issue. I suggest that those who wish the debate to close should indicate in the normal manner.

Question-That the Mmister for Transport be heard—put; and the House divided—

Ahern Austin Bertoni Bu-d Booth Borbidge EUiott Gibbs, I. J. Glasson Goleby Greenwood Harper

Akers Blake Burns D'Arcy Davis Eaton Frawley Gibbs, R. J. Gygar

Ayes, 31 Jeimings Knox Lane Lockwood McKechnie Menzel MiUer Muntz Randell Row Simpson Stephan

Noes, 24

Hooper Innes Kruger Mackenroth Moore Prentice Scassola Scott Shaw

Pairs:

Bjelke-Petersen Edward,s Sullivan Doumany Gunn White Hinze

Casey Fouras Jones Prest Smith Wilson McLean

Tenni Tomkins Turner Warner Wharton

Tellers:

Neal Powell

Underwood Warburton Wright Yewdale

Tellers:

Hansen Vaughan

Resolved in the affirmative.

Mr LANE: As I have indicated already, the main purpose of the BUI is to reduce from .08 to .05 the prescribed blood alcohol concentration in relation to drink driving offences. I am very pleased to see that there are now more members in the House, because it has been virtually empty all afternoon.

The BiU will give a court the power, in addition to any penalty that it may impose on conviction of an offender for dangerous driving or careless driving, to order a person to attend within the period of disqualification a defensive driving course to be conducted by the Queensland Road Safety CouncU,

Initiatives taken in recent years have been successful in lowering Queensland's road toU from 635 kiUed in 1975 to 595 killed in 1981. However, the involvement of alcohol in road accidents had not lessened and, as I have previously indicated to the House, in the year to June 1981, 59 per cent of drivers kiUed and from whom blood alcohol tests were taken had partaken of alcohol. These figures show that drink driving is the major road safdy problem, and this Bill is a positive measure to combat that problem and the road toll generaUy.


The reduction in the prescribed blood alcohol concentration level frpm .08 to 05 i in Une whh action taken aheady in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. This reduced level means that a driver is guilty of an offence of drmk driving if that person drives a motor vehicle while he has a blood alcohol concentration equal to or exceeding 05

Statistics show that for the year to 30 June 1981. 7 per cent of drivers involved in road accidents and from whom blood alcohol or breathalyser tests were taken had a blood alcohol concentration of between .05 and .08.

As weU as being guilty of an offence of drink drivmg. if the offender is the holder of a provisional drivers licence or learner's permit, such licence or permh is automaticaUy cancelled upon issue of the appropriate certificate. Holders of open drivers licences wUI sustain a 24-hour suspension at the ,05 level. These conditions presently apply at the ,08 level.

The Traffic Act prraently provides for penalties based on the level of blood alcohol concentration and, as I have already indicated, it is proposed not to change these penalties but to widen the existing lower range of .08 or more but less than .15 to .05 or more but less than .15. A reading of .15 or more is conclusive evidence that the driver is adversely affeded by alcohol.

Honourable members will recall that I stated previously that the second purpose of the BUl, namely, to empower a court to order a careless and dangerous driving offender to attend, within the period of licence disqualification, a defensive driving course conducted by the C^eensland Road Safety Ctouncil, is an extension of the concept of education and training being alUed to enforcement where a court considers that this could be in the interest of the offender or the pubUc generally.

I am convinced^—and overseas and AustraUan assessment studies bear out the fact— that educating careless and dangerous driving offenders is an effective way of combating the road toll.

Honourable members are well aware of the long involvement of the Queensland Road Safety Council, through its defensive driving courses, in driver education and training.

The Queensland Road Safety Council has a proven track record in helping to our roads safe. Written testimonials have been received from a number of business companies that have used the defensive driving course as an integral part of their educational safety program. If, as experience has shown, these companies can see the benefits of defensive driving courses, which are fewer accidents, less injury to personnel, and less insurance premiums, surely offenders who are ordered under this amendment to attend a defensive driving course conducted by the Queensland Road Safety Council must benefit from this experience.

Queensland roads must be safer if people who have committed careless or dangerous driving offences are re-educated with positive driving attitudes. In fact, the amendment would permit Road Safety Council education to reach people who perhaps would not normally avail themselves of this program on a voluntary basis.

The Queensland Road Safety Council is pushing the theme "Road Safety—Finally it's up to You" Honourable members have an opportunity to support this theme by supporting the Bill so that courts are empowered to order careless and dangerous drivers to attend defensive driving courses which wiU improve their driving standards and thereby contribute significantly to a greater level of safety on our roads.

Shortly we will discuss the clauses of the BiU. That wUl give honourable members an opportunity to make a contribution to the debate and to speak on the important social issues covered by this Bill.

This afternoon Opposition members left us in some confusion about where they actually stand on this matter. Member after member on the Opposition side spoke out against the Government's initiative and some of the provisions in the BUl and then impUed that he would vote for it. Opposition members will have an opportunity to speak on the specific clauses. They wiU be required to state exactly where they stand rather than continue with the tedious repethion which resulted in the caUing for a dirision, I am sure that all honourable members will have an opportunity to speak before the debate is concluded,

Mr Vaughan: Some of your back-bench friends are not too happy.


Mr LANE: If they want to be conned by the honourable member for Rockhampton, that is a matter for their poUtical judgment.

Every possible endeavour must be made to reduce the appalling traffic accident statistics of 1981-1982—16435 accidents, 9 951 persons injured and 559 persons kUled. This Bill is a very positive move in the right direction.

I commend the motion to the House.

Motion (Mr Lane) agreed to.

Committee

The Chairman of Commhtees (Mr Miller, Ithaca) in the chair; Hon. D. F. Lane (Merthyr—^Minister for Transport) in charge of the Bill.

Clause 1, as read, agreed to.

Clause 2—Commencement—

Mr WRIGHT (5.24 p.m.): This amendment should not become law until the wishes of the majority of members are acceded to. Many members have spoken about the need for an in-depth and thorough study into all aspects of this question. My comments refer specifically to the need for that type of study.

I refer members to a report that resulted from investigations carried out by the New South Wales Traffic Accident Research Unit in 1976. That report substantiates my claim that we should not ad in this way by shnply lowering the allowable blood alcohol content. We ought to consider many other ramifications.

I refer members to that report, which considered first and foremost the mechanical faults recorded in reported accidents during 1976. For instance, brake faUure was noted In 581 acddents reported; in 193 there was steering failure; 1 102 had tyre failure; and another 104 had wheel, axle or suspension faUure. In fad, some 2 263 out of 110 315 reported acddents resulted from mechanical failure. That is only 2.1 per cent.

Might I refer to the 22 March 1979 report released by the New South Wales Prices Conunission into motor vehicle replacement parts. Page 61 of that report refers not only to the report of New South Wales Traffic Accident Research Unit but also to a report of the House of Representatives Standing Cknnmittee on Road Safdy entitled, "Passenger Motor Vehicle Safety" It suggests that mechanical faUure is a much larger causative factor in road accidents than the figure of 2.1 per cent indicates. I wish to quote spedfically from that report—

"Various estimates have been made of the vehicle as causative fador in road accidents, some bdng made as high as 25 per cent. From all the estimates submitted to the Committee, there was sufficient consensus and authority to suggest that vehicle defeds are a causative fador in at least 6 per cent of all accidents. In many acddents, however, the actual cause may never be known and it is common pradice to blame the driver. The fad that a vehicle did not stop in time to avoid a collision can, in some cases, be attributed to less than satisfactory braking effidency rather than to human error. The Committee regards 6 per cent as the minimum figure of vehicle causation in the road acddent equation."

Further on, the report says— " . . even the most inattentive, the most cardess and the most drunken driver

has a better chance of survival if the vehicle under his control answers corredly to his belated reflexes."

The CHAIRMAN: Order! There is too much audible conversation on my right.

Mr WRIGHT: My pomt is that, although there is a consensus that we need to effect uniformity on the allowable blood alcohol level, we ought to ensure that we are covering all the factors. There is a need for a thorough study, not only because of that report but also because of the other problems that exist. It all comes back to vehide safety. I do not believe that the amendment ought to be passed until those factors have been fully considered.

1370 13 October 1982 Traffic Ads Amendmem BUI

I refer to another section of the same report about unsafe imported jiarts. A study was carried out into a fan belt by the Ford Motor Company. A comparison was made between an imported fan belt and one of Ford's own products. The report reads—

"The testing procedure used by Ford involved the belts bdng mn on a test rig which rotates the belt at 6,0(X) feet per minute under a driving load d 13 hp-the belts are then rated for strength and breakdown. The genume Ford beU U was claimed, broke down at 190.7 hours and the imported belt broke down at 1.1'hours"

That imported fan belt is legal in this nation, regardless of its safety characteristics. That is an example of the problem with unsafe parts.

I need only refer to the number of cases that are constantly brought to our attention on the roadworthiness of vehicles to appreciate that the problem is not related solely to alcohol. The standard of vehicles is also involved. In a question the member for Bulimba (Mr McLean) raised a matter referred to him by a Mr Denis Roder. I would like to take it a little further, because it substantiates a claim that I am continually making out that too many accidents are caused by unsafe vehicles.

That vehicle was purchased in October 1981 and was supplied with a certificate of roadworthiness by a person caUed Paul Bonsey. The vehicle was sold by a Peter Poulsen of Peter's Discount Auto or Collide Repossession. It was sold as a roadworthy vehicle; yet when it was taken to the machinery inspector, the first major point of the report was that the new owner—the law requires the new owner to carry out the repairs—had to rebuUd the vehicle to the manufacturer's specifications. That is unbelievable! There were so many faults and problems with that car that it was totally unsafe; h was unroadworthy. In spite of that, it was aUowed to be sold and was even registered. Admittedly, Peter Poulsen falsified the documents of registration and put Roder down as a pensioner so that the cost of registration would be lower. He also falsified the capacity of the vehicle and stated that it had four cylinders instead of six. However, the fact is that the vehicle was unroadworthy.

I have another case that stresses again that the Committee ought not to continue with this BUl until the points made by the Opposition have been considered in a full study. This is the case of a Mr Weeding, who bought a vehicle in the Central Queensland area and was given a roadworthiness certificate. Within 24 hours that certificate was found to be invalid because it had already been used in a sale. As members know, that is not allowed. The vendor was asked to supply another roadworthiness certificate, and that was subsequently given. Because of oil leaks, the man was not satisfied and asked to have the vehicle checked by a machinery inspector; who found numerous complaints —in fact, a whole Ust of them. He said that the car was a bomb. The purchaser returned and asked for another roadworthiness certificate, which was given. He then went to a very reputable firm caUed Lawrence Motors; which found 28 major defects in that car. The car was unsafe; in fact, one could only describe it as a killer car. It should never have been allowed on the roads.

It is no wonder that the House of Representatives expressed the belief that up to 25 per cent of accidents are caused not by alcohol and not by the stresses and tensions that have been raised here by other honourable members but because of faults that exist in the vehicles themselves—the unsatisfactory and unroadworthy vehicles that are on the roads today.

Something has to be done about the situation. First, the law must be changed so that people who issue incorrect certificates can be prosecuted. As I have announced publicly, it is my intention to pursue a number of cases by way of civH action against the examiners. This can be done, not so much by a new complaint but as a complamt that has not been used greatly in Queensland—^negligent mis-statement. That allows an action to be taken against an examiner.

Yesterday I spoke to Mr Goodridge, who told me that in both instances in the Roder case prosecutions will be set down. I am very pleased that something has been done in that instance. But thousands of vehicles on the roads today are unsafe, and 1 am sure that no one in this Chamber wants to see that situation continue.

Although there ought to be uniformity, I do not completely agree whh the lowering of the blood alcohol limit because I do not believe that it will necessarily solve the problem. In order to encompass aU of the points that have been made by honourable members in this debate, a select committee ought to be appomted. At least let us do something about the unsafe cars that are on Queensland roads.


Mr FRAWLEY: I always intended to support the BUl, but I want to say a few words about it, I wUl take a different tack from that taken by the member for Rockhampton and say that its provisions should be implemented as soon as possible. Perhajw that might reduce the road camage.

I do not believe that reducing the blood alcohol level from .08 to .05 will achieve very much. It will not worry me one bit, I could be apprehended and I would not register even ,001, Although I do not think the measure will do a great deal of good, I am prepared to support it in an endeavour to get something done. Only a small number of people will be apprehended with a level between .05 and .08. All the drunks and the blokes who drink themselves into stupidity night after night will not give a hoot whether the limit is .05, .15 or .25; they will stiU continue to drink. It will not make a bit of difference to them.

Only a couple of weeks ago my daughter-in-law was drivmg her Kingswood down Bancroft Terrace, Deception Bay, towards her home. She was slowing down preparatory to turning into her house, and the next thing a car coming in the opposite direction swerved across the road and hit her on the driver's side mudguard. Even though she moved off the road, the car stUl hit her car, which was written off. The car then careered on its way and came to rest in a paddock. While the car was stUl in the paddock, the driver, who was fuU as a fiddler's bitch, or whatever one calls it, and could not stand up, swapped seats with a girl. When the police arrived, the girl swore that she had been driving the car. My daughter-in-law said to the policeman, "He was driving the car." The poUceman said, "What chance have you got? There are five in the car and they all swear the girl was driving. You have just got to cop it sweet." He was sympathetic, and he acted correctly. He said, "All the evidence is there that the girl was driving the car."

The sooner we introduce blood alcohol tests for everybody involved in an accident, the better. I would be in it myself even if I was an innocent party. Everybody in both cars should be tested just to see how many people in the vehicles are under the influence of liquor.

Tills legislation should be implemented as soon as possible. At the same time we should try to get the Licensing Commission to change the law so that no more hotds with great big car-parks can be buUt. The worst thing in the world is for people to drink alcohol and then drive. They would be far better off walking a couple of miles to give the alcohol a chance to dissipate. I know what I am talking about. The greatest thing to get rid of alcohol is exercise, not vomiting, drinking hot coffee or any of that rubbish. That is all a waste of time. The best thing to do is build hotels with small car-parks so that people have to walk as far as possible to their cars.

Penalties for drink-driving should be increased. Anyone convicted of driving over the .05 limit should have his licence taken straight away for at least six months; for the second offence, two years, and for the third offence it should be life. Of course, there should be a right of appeal, I advise the Minister to get the Governor to assent to this Bill as soon as possible and then proclaim it immediately,

Mr KATTER: I just want to make the observation that whilst we are lowering the blood alcohol limh to ,05, there are only three States in the Unhed States of America that have a blood alcohol Umit of less than ,1, That information comes from an article in "Newsweek" which I commend to all members. So obviously we in this small State of AustraUa know a lot more than the combined intelligence of the United States. The Americans have at their disposal very extensive computer records of acddents, so one would think that they could make a more accurate assessment of what causes accidents than we can. To be fair, I should point out that the magazine did a test on one of its own reporters and found that a level of .07 makes a significant, albeit very small difference in driving abiUty.

A previous speaker referred to prohibition, and I point out to the Minister that that is effectively what is happening in Queensland. It is not possible to move from point A to point B whhout a vehicle in this day and age—society is structured that way—so what we are effectively doing here is preventing people from drinking. A couple of weeks ago I was driving vrith a young feUow who told me that he does not go out during the week at all. I said, "Why?" He said, "I can't afford a taxi." When I asked him way he had to get a taxi, he said, " I live at Rowes Bay in Townsville and the only places to go out to are in the city. Even though it is only 3 miles it is very expensive at night in a taxi and so I simply don't go out during the week." In country areas the one form of relaxation from what can

1372 13 October 1982 Traffic Acts Amendment BUl

only be described as a very miserable quality of life is to go to the local hotel where one can see a few people, I have a friend who drives 140 miles once a month to talk to another human bemg because he is alone on a station out in the middle of nowhere. Three beers in two hours or one gin and tonic wUl put a person over the ,05 Umit, About 45 minutes later his blood alcohol level wUl still be .07.

Effectively, we are saying that people cannot drink at all. The Govemment should analyse what wiU happen if people are prevented from drinking alcohol. Unfortunately young people are terribly inhibited and self-conscious. Unfortunately, if they cannot drink they turn to other vices. If drink is withheld the intake of dmgs wiU increase greatly. Drugs are far more objectionable than alcohol.

Instead of deaUng in generaUties, I studied all the recent accidents in my electorate in great detail to find the cause, A young man who had attended the races was involved in a head-on collision on a narrow part of a highway that was so badly deteriorated it was no longer wide enough for two cars. A heavy drink input was involved. People were killed in that accident in which, without doubt, drink was an element. In a second accident, a young fellow was driving very recklessly at extremely high speed. Drink, again, was an element, and people were kiUed. In another case, obviously a kangaroo jumped onto the highway. In a further case the shoulders of the road had deteriorated so badly that I expect the young, inexperienced driver overcorrected, left the correct side of the road and drove straight into the headlights of the oncoming vehicle. I could find no other explanation for that accident. The other two accidents I investigated occurred on detours. They were attributable to the condition of the detours.

The CnAIRMAN: Orderi I remind the honourable member for Flinders that the honourable member for Rockhampton gave reasons why this legislation should not be passed, but the honourable member for FUnders is speaking generally. I should like him to teU the Committee why the legislation should not be enacted.

Mr KATTER: I wiU do that. In two of the cases drink was certainly an element. My point is that this legislation should not proceed further. It is not desirable legislation because there are other ways of approaching the problem. In the two cases in which drink was involved, if the road conditions had been in any way reasonable and governors had been fitted to the cars, neither of those accidents would have happened.

I should Uke the Minister to seriously consider the likely results of this legislation. One result will be de facto prohibition in Queensland, particularly if random breathalyser tests are introduced at a later stage. Another result wiU be a significant increase in the use of dmgs.

In a recent case, a young fellow who lived at Greenvale was picked up on a drink-driving charge. The nearest unmarried girl lives in Cliarters Towers or TownsriUe, 140 miles distant. Are we to say that he cannot mix with the opposite sex and can have no social Ufe? This young man was fairly decent. He was fixing his motor bike when he had only one week to go to get his Ucence back, and he took it for a run. WhUe doing that, he was apprehended by the poUce and lost his licence for Ufe. Later, at a party one night, he and another man drove off on the motor bike. When he brought it back into town he was apprehended and was later sent to gaol. The cost in this instance was horrific. His father had a heart attack on the day of his trial and, in fact, died within four months of the offence.

I should Uke the Miiiister to consider a very important point. On the one hand we will prevent some injuries and save some lives but, on the other hand, what we are doing will create drastic social problems. In my opinion, the death of that man was attributable directly to the changed circumstances surrounding his son.

I can cite a second case in which a person lost his licence and his job. As a result of the stresses that were created, he then lost his wife. That person is a social casualty, if I could use that expression. I would not be surprised at anything that happened in that situation. There is a very heavy social cost involved. Many members in this House would willingly lose an ahn or a leg instead of serving a gaol sentence. Many people would willingly be maimed rather than serve a gaol sentence.

The member for Windsor said that we could stop car accidents if we could stop peojHe speeding. He said that if we took the wheels off cars and put them on blocks, we would stop all car accidents. In Saudi Arabia there is not much adultery or thieving, because if a


person commits adultery he is beheaded, and his hand is cut off if he commits a thdt. It is a very effective method of preventing people from committing social sins. I ask that the Minister consider the social cost that wiU be imposed on society by moving in that direction.

It is important to consider some of the alternatives avaUable to us rather than proceeding with this legislation. It is a lamentable fact in the State of (Queensland that the reason for motor vehicle accidents is not avaUable on computer. How much would it cost to run off figures on a computer? Of course, there is a technicality involved. Legislation is needed to proted people who put that information on the computer, or the information could be used in court claims that follow road acddents.

The dividing of highways is relevant in the cities. I cannot see the highways in country areas bdng divided. However, that is one of the alternatives to proceedmg with this legislation. In aU hotels in one European country a breathalyser, a taxi number and a telephone are available. That is another altemative which could be utUised in preference to the current legislation.

I strongly recommend to the Minister that he read the excellent article in "Newsweek" magazine. It stresses the point that even when people are apprehended, they are not removed from the road. Even though they are punished, they continue to drive on the road. In most cases, if they are alcoholics they wUl contuiue to drink. I venture to suggest that the whole object of the exercise should be to apprehend people who drink and drive and people who drive dangerously on the highway. I ask the Minister to consider establishing a hot line so that if a person sees someone who is obviously drunk and driving on the road, he can ring that hot line number and the police can go out and apprehend the offender. That has worked very well in the State of Oregon in the United States.

Finally, I reiterate my reference to governors on cars. Seat-belts can be manufactured in such a way that they must be worn. The seat-belt for a particular car manufadured in England is located on the door. People do not have to be fined or punished for not wearing a seat-belt. The car can be constructed in such a way that they must be worn. The hot line, seat-belts, breathalysers, divided highways and, in my area, the widening of the existing pavement, are alternatives to the present legislation. I cited examples of the accidents that have occurred in my area. At least three of those seven accidents were attributable directly or indirectly to the fact that the pavement had given way and forced people into a very dangerous single-lane situation.


Clauses 3 to 6, as read, agreed to.

Clause 7— New s. 16C; Offenders may be ordered to attend training programmes or driving courses—

Mr FRAWLEY (5.49 p.m.): It is an excellent idea that offenders may be ordered to attend training programs. I am afraid that the brewery lobby is so strong that if some offenders are ordered to attend training courses, they will go and squeal to somebody.

As I said, the breweries are a powerful lobby. They contribute a lot of money to various projects. They contributed $400,000 to the (Commonwealth Games and they have given another $50,000 to the swimmers. I am afraid that people supported by the lobby will be exempted from attending the defensive driving courses.

The restriction on bowls clubs is another example of the power wielded by the Uquor lobby. If a free vote were given to honourable members on the issue of sales of bottled liquor by bowls clubs and golf clubs to their members, the question would be carried by 54 votes to 28. It is ridiculous that a member who plays golf or bowls aU afternoon has to go down to the local hotel to buy a couple of botties of beer to take home.

I can recaU that years ago in the joint parties room it was overwhelmingly carried that we allow golf clubs and bowls clubs to seU bottled beer to their members. A couple of weeks later a few of the weaklings were got at and they changed thdr vote. I thank you for your indulgence, Mr Miller, and for giving me such latitude. I attended a defensive driving course in RedcUffe.

Mr Davis: The way you drive, no wonder.

Mr FRAWLEY: The honourable niember for Brisbane Central should attend the courses.

1374 14 October 1982 x,-.. . , „ Mmisterial Statement

A defensive driving course does not necessarily improve the driving of the ne undertakes it. It does, however, give him the abiUty to recognise driving faults ilTnfi,''''" These days a driver has to be on the defensive. Many drivers take the right of wav J»k giving a hoot for other users of the road. I have seen drivers go through "Ston" • ' and red lights and have seen drivers take right of way when they are not entitled t^^ The man or woman who does a defensive driving course has the abiUty to avoid an accide t

The most important aspect of the BUl is that it must be enforced. The Goverameni must not let the liquor lobby buy off anyone, particularly the law enforcement officers Wh?n I was on the RedcUffe City Council the local constables came to see me in an attemm to get rid of the drunken senior sergeant at the RedcUffe PoUce Station.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! Qause 7 deals with training programs,

Mr FRAWLEY: The sergeant should have undergone a training program.

In condusion, I support the Bill, and I say this: I should have been given an opportunity to have my say during the second-reading debate.


Clauses 8 and 9, as read, agreed to. Bill reported, without amendment.

Third Reading

Bill, on motion of Mr Lane, by leave, read a third time.

The House adjoumed at 5.54 p.m.

legislative assembly wednesday october · 1298 13 october 1982 questions upon notice wednesday, 13...

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