GordonMoyes.com

This week Dr Jim Nixon Pendlebury, the honorary treasurer of Wesley Mission Sydney for 40 years, decided to retire and not seek re-election. His has been an extraordinary term of service, not only in its length of time but also in its growing complexity and detail. In his years of service he has overseen the accounting and raising of more than a billion dollars in New South Wales alone, which has been used to serve the needy in our State.

Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes: I thank all honourable members who have spoken to the Security Industry Amendment (Patron Protection) Bill 2007. I note the concerns of the Government and the concerns of those responsible for the details of licensing et cetera. The bill has outlasted several Ministers for Police. The facts of our research, and the persistency of our efforts, as outlined by many speakers, have already resulted in much good and I thank the Government for those changes and achievements over the last several years.

Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Police. Is the Minister aware of recent recorded crime statistics that 380 cases of abduction and kidnapping have occurred in New South Wales in the past 12 months ending 30 June 2008? In particular, is the Minister aware of 15 abduction attempts of children aged between 8 to 16 since August this year?

Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes: My question is directed to the Attorney General. Is the Attorney General aware of recent findings by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing that indigenous Australians are incarcerated more than 13 times more frequently than non-indigenous prisoners?

I will make a brief contribution to the debate on the State Arms, Symbols and Emblems Amendment (Black Opal) Bill 2008. The object of this bill is to recognise the black opal as the gemstone emblem of New South Wales. While schedule 3 of the State Arms, Symbols and Emblems Act 2004 lists the State’s emblems, there is no gemstone emblem for the State.

The object of this bill is to amend the Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act 2000 so as to enable specified government agencies to collect and use personal information about a registrable person, within the meaning of that Act, and to exchange such information with other specified government agencies.

I rise to support Sylvia Hale’s notice of motion to recognise Currawong Beach and the historic buildings contained within its boundaries to be a heritage site and should immediately be placed on the State Heritage register and the National List in its entirety.

Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes: My question is directed to the Minister for Police, representing the Minister for Health. Is the Minister aware of the sharp rise in the number of boys and young men starving themselves, bingeing and purging?

Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes: My question is directed to the Minister for Police, whom I congratulate on his appointment. Is he aware that one of the most common forms of violence against women is that perpetuated by a husband or an intimate male partner?

Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes: My question is directed to the Attorney General, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Training. Is the Minister aware that one in five New South Wales students is being educated in a Roman Catholic school, that most schools charge very low fees and continue to experience long waiting lists in student enrolments, and that two-thirds of Roman Catholic schools established since 1996 are concentrated in low socioeconomic areas?