Page 2731 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 23 June 2009
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is in no position to talk about ineptitude. Indeed, I received a letter under his hand as the chair of that committee asking me how much money I had spent on overseas trips et cetera in my role as Speaker.
I have been a Temporary Deputy Speaker, actually. I have been here for 11 years but I have not been the Speaker. I am never going to be the Speaker. All he had to do is look up the Assembly directory. And guess what? You know what he could have done? He could have asked Peter Litchfield for my title. He could have asked Dick or Ray Blundell over here. But no, he decided to go out, stride onwards and upwards and make a complete fool of himself. Needless to say, I have nothing to report.
Furthermore, talking about ineptitude, he then goes on to ask me the questions relating to a position that does not exist. A check of the AAAs might have revealed that. That is ineptitude—absolute, screaming ineptitude. I also remember listening, as I am wont to do as I weave my way through the traffic, to the dulcet tones of Ross Solly—
Mr Hanson: That was a great pun, weaving your way through the traffic, John. It was good.
MR HARGREAVES: It was good, yes. But the point is that I was listening to Mr Seselja as Leader of the Opposition going for it. Ross Solly is saying, “Okay then, what are those lists of savings, Mr Seselja? Can you tell us what they are?” He says, “There are out there, they are out there, they are out there,” and he could not tell us any. He has been asked repeatedly what they are and he could not tell us any. Indeed, then he said, “Well, it is not in front of me at the moment.” I am not surprised about that, Madam Deputy Speaker, because where was he? He was at home fronting a bowl of cornflakes. That is what he was doing. Instead of being here and doing his job, he was enjoying the school holidays. That is what he was doing.
Mr Hanson: Is that right?
MR HARGREAVES: Yes, it was, because he said so. The thing is that if you cannot say what your savings are going to be and you are the Leader of the Opposition, you are in no position at all to attack the government and accuse it of these sorts of ineptitudes. This guy is the absolute champion of ineptitude. Anyway, I think I have made my point.
On the issue of the industrial relations component of the Chief Minister’s Department—how many minutes does that say I have—another 15? Good. The 2009-10 year will be a busy year for the Industrial Relations Portfolio and, of course, for the Office of Industrial Relations. The major achievement by the commonwealth, states and territories in establishing Safe Work Australia and on agreeing on a model for the new national harmonised OH&S laws will keep the OIR very busy, in fact.
Safe Work Australia is the replacement body for the Australian Safety and Compensation Council. It is responsible for driving national policy development on OH&S and workers compensation matters in cooperation with the states and territories. The ACT has a representative on the Safe Work Australia Council. The government is continuing its commitment to national OH&S reform, with an
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