Parliamentary Performance
A Sunday paper declared the poorest performers in the NSW Upper House are One Nation’s David Oldfield and Shooters Party MP John Tingle. It claimed the most active members were the Green MPs.
It said Ian Cohen moved 140 amendments to legislation, 136 of them to the Native Vegetation Bill. It commented favourably on Fred Nile and myself as we gave 49 major speeches, placed a question on notice, asked 24 questions without notice and moved two amendments and presented three petitions.
I believe that all parliamentarians should give at least an Annual report on their performance. Some have asked me my record. I am happy to give such a report, and believe that the record in Hansard reveals that I have sat in Parliament, voted more consistently and spoken more than almost all other Parliamentarians except for Ministers who have a lot of machinery speeches to give.
For example, in the last three months of the House sitting, I made 11 major speeches, asked 12 Questions Without Notice of ministers, gave 4 Adjournment speeches and made 5 other speeches. I voted 16 times with the Government and 12 times with the Opposition. We met weekly with both Government and opposition leaders who sought our support on legislation.
I chaired a Budget Estimates Committee that examined Ministers and their budget expenditure for cost effectiveness involving many long night sittings.
With the scandal of clinical malpractice that resulted in 19 deaths and 114 complaints in two public hospitals, I was appointed Chair of a public inquiry which has wide powers and will recommend major legislative and procedural changes.
The Sunday paper praised Ian Cohen’s 136 amendments to the Native Vegetation Bill. This was an attempt to re-write the legislation and attract media attention. He wasted the time of the House, held Parliament until 1.30am and forced the House to an extra day, all costing tax payers the cost of running Parliament, attendants, catering, flight cancellations and so on.
He read his speeches prepared for him as if bored, and virtually all of them were defeated on the voices with only his voice being in favour. Nether of his two Green party members bothered to even join him in the House throughout the speech.
Rev Fred Nile and I listened to all of it. The journalist made a judgement on best performance by asking “How many amendments to legislation?” A more intelligent question would have been “How effective were any amendments?”
Rev Fred Nile and I work with the Government and many Government amendments to legislation start with our suggestions. We do not care who gets the credit (a totally different philosophy to the Greens) so long as the community benefits.
That is what happened these past three months in Parliament as you can read in Hansard. I will give you a report of my activities on a regular basis. Parliamentarians must be accountable.
THIS IS GORDON MOYES.
