Red Leather #68 - 25 September 2009

I write this at the end of a busy parliamentary week.

Tuesday was OneWebDay. The theme of OneWebDay was about what action can be taken to close the digital divide. Around 40 people gathered at parliament house to hear about the ABC Pool project and the Glebebytes project. The Upper House passed a motion and I made a speech about the need to close the digital divide.

This week the government:

• Issued an apology on behalf of NSW to the ‘Forgotten Australians' and provided $9mllion for support services
• introduced new laws to combat truancy that will support case management and referal to services rather than just fine parents who do not send their kids to school
• announced that the 2009 NSW Writer's Fellowship has been awarded to Anna Funder, author of the acclaimed non-fiction book, Stasiland.
• reached an agreement with the Commonwaelth that allows NSW farmers to sell their water entitlements to the Federal Government to return to the Murray-Darling Basin

We also passed a lot of legislation in the Upper House, including the:

• Crimes (Appeal and Review) Amendment (Double Jeopardy) Bill 2009
• Liquor Amendment (Temporary Licence Freeze) Bill 2009
• Local Government Amendment (Planning and Reporting) Bill 2009
• Road Transport (General) Amendment (Consecutive Disqualification Periods) Bill 2009
• Housing Amendment (Registrable Persons) Bill 2009

Website of the week: Information is Beautiful
Video of the week: Videos from NSW Public Sphere are online now!

Regards
Penny

P.S. Congratulations to Ken Davis and Graeme Browning (AKA Mitzi Macintosh) who were celebrated at ACON's annual Honour event last night.

Government in Action

Minister for Health Carmel Tebbutt announced $1 million in funding to support a new Dementia Policy Team which will develop ways to improve dementia services throughout NSW.

Minister for Ageing and Disability Services Paul Lynch said that the NSW and Commonwealth Governments are working together to build 16 dementia day care centres throughout the State and on World Alzheimers Day said that the NSW Government is working with Alzheimers Australia NSW to broaden the future management of dementia advisory services provided by the organisation.

Minister for Education and Training Verity Firth said that the NSW Government had established an audit squad to ensure value for money in the implementation of the education stimulus package; announced that parents could now access a new website to help them understand reports about their child and their school's performance in national literacy and numeracy tests (http://www.naplanforparentsnsw.com.au/#top); and congratulated 39 of NSW's best and brightest public school students at the 2009 Minister's Award for Excellence in Student Achievement.

And with Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, Minister Firth announced details of a $41 million program to improve literacy and numeracy in NSW public schools.

Minister for Community Services Linda Burney said that under the National Partnership Agreement on Early Childhood Education, NSW will receive an additional $278.6 million over five years to increase access to early education; and during Budget Estimates said that changes are underway to improve the assessment of new foster carers.

Minister for Primary Industry Ian Macdonald said that hundreds of prohibited size abalone have been seized on the NSW South Coast; warned that the hot, dry weather in August and early September has already cut the NSW wheat crop by an estimated one million tonnes; and announced that a raft of changes designed to improve animal welfare in NSW will come into effect this week.

The Minister also said that the NSW Government would be taking action to ensure that two energy drinks that claim to have up to ten times the allowed caffeine levels are removed from sale.

Fair Trading Minister Virginia Judge warned elderly consumers to be wary of dodgy traders masquerading as handymen; and announced $645,000 worth of grants to support small business owners in the motor vehicle, home building and property service industries.

Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts, Virginia Judge launched the latest round of the NSW Media Mentorship for Women, a program that fosters technical, creative and career skills for the next generation of screen professionals; and in her capacity as Minister for Citizenship, Virginia Judge sent her best wishes to the Islamic Community of New South Wales on the occasion of Eid El Fitr 2009.

Minister Assisting on Health (Cancer) Barbara Perry said that digital breast screening equipment has now been rolled out to 40 clinics across NSW.

Attorney General John Hatzistergos said the Rees Government had given Lismore City Council a $48,000 grant for a program to strengthen support and cultural pride for local young Aboriginal men.

Minister for Police Michael Daley and Minister for Transport David Campbell launched a major offensive against anti-social and criminal behaviour on the rail network.

Treasurer Eric Roozendaal told the Parliament that the population of NSW is expected to reach almost 10 million by 2049; and welcomed the latest OECD report which proves government stimulus packages have minimised job losses and protected the Australian economy.

Opposition watch

Country Labor Convenor Christine Robertson slammed the NSW Opposition for failing to address any rural and regional transport issues during a Budget Estimates hearing.

Penny in Parliament

We have been sitting all this week, I spoke on the:

• Births, Deaths And Marriages Registration Amendment (Change Of Name) Bill 2009 and the
• Local Government Amendment (Planning And Reporting) Bill 2009

I asked the Attorney General about the latest information on Government initiatives to reduce the impact of fine debt on people.

I also asked the Treasurer provide information about the Federal Government's projections of a national population of 35 million people by 2049 and its implications for NSW and the latest employment statistics in NSW.

And did an adjournment speech about NSW Public Sphere and engaging MPs online.

Committees wanting to hear from you

• Inquiry into Badgerys Creek land dealings and property decisions, closes 25 September.
• Inquiry into Substitute decision-making for people lacking capacity, closes 25 September.

Take action

Come to a free lecture on Drug Law Reform

In October, the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation will be hosting a series of free public lectures and talks by Dr Norm Stamper. Dr Stamper is coming to Australia in October as a representative of the USA organisation LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition).

Dr Stamper is a proponent of drug law reform and argues that the US "war on drugs" simply has not worked. He believes that the billions of dollars being wasted on the justice system could be better spent on improving health and social interventions to ameliorate drug problems.

Come along to hear what he has to say.

Tuesday 6 October, 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Lunchtime lecture at the NSW Parliament
Theatrette, Parliament of NSW, Macquarie Street. Sydney.
RSVP: http://normstamper.eventbrite.com/

Thursday 8 October at 12.00 pm
Free Lunchtime Lecture with Q&A!
University of New South Wales, Law Building Lecture Hall
(RSVP is not required, just turn up).

Electoral Reform Green Paper

The Federal Government has released the second Electoral Reform Green Paper - Strengthening Australia's Democracy.

Among the proposals for consideration are granting the right to vote to 16 and 17-year-olds and permanent residents, and giving voters more time to enrol after an election is called as well as the possibility of enrolment on election day. The government is also interested in whether forms of electronic vote counting should be used at federal elections.

The government is inviting submissions in response to some or all of the specific issues raised in the paper. The closing date for submissions is 27 November 2009. 

Quote

Some excerpts from Mick Veitch's contribution to the Budget Estimates debate:

... Coalition members' approach to this debate is all froth and no bubble...

.... I have listened carefully to and read the contributions of Opposition members. I have tried to piece together the picture that is the Coalition's alternative budget. I had hoped to get a hint of the vision of the Coalition's financial architects-those who formed its policy and budget doctrine. The picture is pretty ugly. There is not even a join-the-dots effort or a colour-by-numbers picture.

... The Hon. Trevor Khan's effort was simply amazing: high-stepping to the lectern in his loincloth, raising his spear, steam coming from his nostrils, firing venom across the Chamber.

.... The Hon. Marie Ficarra's attempt was truly mesmerising. Undoubtedly it was an address she has given previously to Liberal branch meetings, where the only numbers that count are not those contained in a budget.