Gold Coast, Law and Order

25 May 2017 8:17 AMMichael Hart

 

 

DATE: 24/05/2017

FILE: 24052017_000176_LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY_GREEN CHAMBER.DOCX

SUBJECT: Gold Coast, Law and Order

MEMBER: Mr HART

Gold Coast, Law and Order

Mr HART (Burleigh—LNP) (10.46 pm): The LNP moved a motion tonight condemning the Labor Party for their weak stance on law and order. Unfortunately, each side is only allowed to have three speakers on these motions. I missed out on speaking about this tonight so I want to take the opportunity now to talk about law and order on the Gold Coast. While I am at it, I have to say that the Labor Party rolled out their big guns tonight, but they missed the mark when they rolled out the member for Stretton. The member for Stretton had the opportunity tonight—

Government members interjected.

Mr SPEAKER: Pause the clock. I think we have one more speaker after this. I have the option of inviting the member for Burleigh to start his speech again if you continue.

Government members interjected.

Mr SPEAKER: Members, I urge you to show some tolerance. It is getting late.

Mr HART: Rather than talking about what could have been the tough stance that the Labor Party takes on crime, the member for Stretton went all over the place. He attacked the member for Currumbin on her stance in her speech. He attacked the member for Everton over vague things. Not once in the five-minute speech that the member for Stretton rolled out did he ever mention crime. He did not talk about crime rates. He did not talk about the effects that crime is having on places like Townsville, as our member did. Instead of that, he danced all around the place and made personal attacks on members.

The member for Stretton has been described as a heavyweight of the Labor movement in Queensland. If he is a heavyweight of the Labor movement in Queensland, I would like to see who the lightweights are. I guess we only have to look over there because we just heard a speech from one of the lightweights, the member for Bundaberg. She could be classed as a lightweight. Who else over there is a lightweight? The member for Pumicestone is an absolute lightweight.

Government members interjected.

Mr SPEAKER: Pause the clock. Member for Burleigh, I know you are provoking the government members.

Mr Pegg: You have no-one supporting you.

Government members interjected.

Mr SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Logan. I can hear you loud and clear.

Mr HART: For the member for Stretton’s benefit, I do not need that much support from my side. I can handle myself quite well.

Government members interjected.

Mr SPEAKER: I thank the government backbench. It is almost over. The member for Burleigh has 29 seconds left. Give him the 29 seconds—now it is 28 seconds.

Mr HART: At a quarter to 11 at night, we have finally woken up the Labor Party. The backbench is awake. Crime is a very important issue to the electors in my area. The Gold Coast will remain LNP while ever these people on the other side of the chamber are weak on law and order. The people on the Gold Coast know that we will be tough on law and order. We drove the bikies out of the Gold Coast. They are not coming back.