The Queensland State Labor Government is the only government in the history of Queensland that has a permanent running gag motion, introduced every sitting of parliament that is used to shut down debate.
The parliament should respect all Queenslanders and the members they elected to speak and raise issues on their behalf without fear or favour. Unfortunately, the Labor members have no tolerance for alternative voices, and we know that there is a culture of fear and damage within the public sector when it comes to speaking out against the State Labor Government.
It is extremely important that the parliament has respect for the diversity of voices of those who are elected on behalf of the people. Even with the government’s proposed agenda, these gag motions are not being removed. We know that they will continue to do that because they do not allow adequate sitting times.
The LNP have also railed against the way this government has abused its numbers to cut debate in the House through these gag motions. I want to see us work here in this parliament, rather than to see this government shut down debate. They have shown contempt for the people who want us to have the opportunity to speak in this parliament.
The way the government have abused their power on the floor of the parliament and essentially removed this stage through the gag motion, which has perhaps flown under the radar in terms of public scrutiny, is indicative that we have a lot of lightweights in the ministry—not like some of their predecessors.
I may not have agreed with their philosophy back in the Goss days or even the Beattie days, but those governments had a lot more ministers who were capable of doing their job—fronting up in parliament, taking questions and certainly in consideration in detail, which was the detailed consideration of legislation, being able to answer questions. Quite frankly, the majority of current ministers have never done that in consideration in detail. They love the gag motion because it lets them off the hook in terms of scrutiny.
I want to see a restoration of proper sitting hours and a restoration of consideration in detail, with the ability to ask questions, as we used to be able to do when there was not a gag motion in place that sees things pushed through when the axe falls at a particular time.
