Archive for Questions without Notice

Sydney Drive-By Shootings

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

Extract from NSW Legislative Council Hansard and Papers Tuesday, 31 March 2009

The Hon. CHARLIE LYNN: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Police, Minister for Lands, and Minister for Rural Affairs. Is he aware that Port Moresby is regarded as one of the most dangerous cities in our region? Is he also aware that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a longstanding travel alert on its website warning Australians of the dangers they face when travelling to Port Moresby? Is the Minister aware of recent media reports that there have been 80 drive-by shootings in Sydney this year? Is he also aware there have been no drive-by shootings in Port Moresby in that time? What action is the Minister taking or has taken to ensure that the Papua New Guinea National Government does not publish a travel alert for Sydney to warn Papua New Guinea citizens of the dangers they face in any planned visit to our once peaceful city?
The Hon. Greg Donnelly: Point of order: Mr President, members opposite would be well aware that on 12 March you gave a detailed ruling on the nature and formation of questions. The question is outside the purview of the Minister. It relates to matters under the control of the Commonwealth and therefore it should be ruled out of order. (more…)

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LEAFS GULLY POWER STATION PROPOSAL

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

The Hon. CHARLIE LYNN: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Energy. I refer to the proposal by AGL Energy to build a 300-megawatt gas-fired power station at Leafs Gully in the electorate of Wollondilly. Is the Minister aware that Campbelltown, Wollondilly and Camden councils are all opposed to the construction of a gas-fired power station at Leafs Gully? Is the Minister aware that Campbelltown already has one of the highest rates of asthma and air pollution in the country? Is the Minister aware also that the proposed power station has the capacity for the installation of four gas turbine generators? Will the Minister give an assurance that the proposed power station at Leafs Gully will not double or even quadruple in size if approved by his State Government? (more…)

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SYDNEY DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

The Hon. CHARLIE LYNN: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Police, Minister for Lands, and Minister for Rural Affairs. Is he aware that Port Moresby is regarded as one of the most dangerous cities in our region? Is he also aware that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a longstanding travel alert on its website warning Australians of the dangers they face when travelling to Port Moresby? Is the Minister aware of recent media reports that there have been 80 drive-by shootings in Sydney this year? Is he also aware there have been no drive-by shootings in Port Moresby in that time? What action is the Minister taking or has he taken to ensure that the Papua New Guinea National Government does not publish a travel alert for Sydney to warn Papua New Guinea citizens of the dangers they face in any planned visit to our once peaceful city?

The Hon. Greg Donnelly: Point of order: Mr President, members opposite would be well aware that on 12 March you gave a detailed ruling on the nature and formation of questions. The question is outside the purview of the Minister. It relates to matters under the control of the Commonwealth and therefore it should be ruled out of order.

The Hon. Duncan Gay: To the point of order: The Government almost on a daily basis, especially during Federal election campaigns, seems to wander across this area and blur the lines. It is up to the Minister how he answers the question.

The Hon. CHARLIE LYNN: Further to the point of order: Those of us in Australia who read the daily newspapers are aware of the dangers posed by drive-by shootings. That is why they have travel alerts to warn people—

The PRESIDENT: Order! Standing Order 64 (1) provides that questions may be put to Ministers relating to public affairs with which the Minister is officially connected. I fail to see how matters relating to a foreign government would come under the purview of a Minister in this House. The question is out of order.

SYDNEY DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS

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NEW SOUTH WALES CRIME COMMISSION STAFFING

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

The Hon. CHARLIE LYNN: My question is directed to the Minister for Police, Minister for Lands, and Minister for Rural Affairs. Why was a referral of outlaw motorcycle gangs to the New South Wales Crime Commission not made before his announcement yesterday, given the history of escalating violence and crime by these gangs? Is he aware that the New South Wales Crime Commission has only 27 staff projected for the current financial year? Given that, will he consider increasing staff levels at the New South Wales Crime Commission to manage increased workload following the attack last Sunday at Sydney Airport?

The Hon. TONY KELLY: I really do not intend to make public the internal discussions that I, as chair of the management committee, have with the New South Wales Crime Commission. I also do not intend to unnecessarily give any outsiders any knowledge of the commission’s operations.

NSW CRIME COMMISSION STAFFING

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M5 EAST TUNNEL

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

The Hon. CHARLIE LYNN: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Roads. In view of the chaos caused by the failure of the computer system in the M5 tunnel yesterday, will the Minister now admit that the construction of the M5 tunnel was based on a flawed plan by the Labor Government and will he now apologise to the working families of south-western Sydney for the daily disruption and frustration the Government causes to their working lives? Will the Minister also advise what money has been allocated in next year’s budget to ameliorate the daily logjam on the M5?

The Hon. ERIC ROOZENDAAL: I certainly understand the frustrations that motorists and the travelling public have experienced in relation to the delays in the M5 tunnel yesterday. I apologise to the motorists and members of the public who were caught up in those delays. The Government is taking action to audit what happened yesterday to prevent a recurrence. We will identify the reasons that the computer server crashed and take appropriate action to ensure that in future the systems operate the way they should.

The Hon. CHARLIE LYNN: I wish to ask a supplementary question: Will the Minister also advise what money has been allocated in next year’s budget to ameliorate the daily logjam on the M5. How much money is in the budget this year specifically for the M5?

The Hon. ERIC ROOZENDAAL: If the member wants details from the budget, I suggest he looks them up himself; I am not about to do his research for him. The Government is commissioning, with the Federal Government, a review of needs in that transport corridor and the potential to duplicate the M5 East. We have a record Roads budget of $4 billion. If we are going to talk about the challenge of the Sydney road network—and I think we should be talking about that—and about the challenge of congestion, we cannot go past the Opposition’s policy announced recently by the shadow Roads spokesperson, who said that the Opposition would support a congestion tax. The only other policy announced by the Opposition is the removal of cashback from the M4 and the M5. The Government remains committed to cashback, we remain committed to improving the road network, and we will never impose a congestion tax on the people of this State while we have high interest rates and high petrol prices.

The Hon. Charlie Lynn: Point of order: I asked a specific question about how much money has been allocated. I have looked in the budget papers and there is nothing in them about it. Will the Minister confirm that there is no money allocated for the M5 in this year’s budget?

The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no point of order.

The Hon. ERIC ROOZENDAAL: As I was saying, in a time of high petrol prices and high interest rates, the Opposition’s plan to introduce a congestion tax is not the way to go for Sydney, and this Government will never introduce such a tax.

M5 EAST TUNNEL

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