On Wednesday the Legislative Council dealt with a host of private members’ business, including agreeing to four orders for papers and debating general motions spanning everything from the use of shark nets in NSW to human rights in Iran. A committee referral also took centre stage during the day. Read on for more…
GENERAL MOTIONS
The following motions were debated in the House over the course of the day:
| Topic of motion (click link for details) | Moved by | Agreed to? |
| Shark nets | The Hon Emma Hurst (Animal Justice Party) | Agreed to, as amended |
| Cameron O’Reilly review regarding Eraring Power Station | The Hon Mark Latham (Independent) | Agreed to, as amended |
| TAFE funding shortfall | The Hon Emily Suvaal (Labor) | Agreed to, as amended, on division (Ayes: 25 / Noes: 14) |
| Natural Resources Access Regulator and water metering compliance | The Hon Jeremy Buckingham (Legalise Cannabis Party) | Agreed to on division (Ayes: 21 / Noes: 16) |
| Murray-Darling Basin Plan | Ms Cate Faehrmann (The Greens) | Agreed to, as amended, on division (Ayes: 19 / Noes: 17) |
| Tolling review | The Hon Mark Buttigieg (Labor) | Agreed to |
| AUKUS pact | The Hon Chris Rath (Liberal) | Agreed to on division (Ayes: 30 / Noes: 7) |
| Human rights in Iran | The Hon Cameron Murphy (Labor) | Agreed to |
In addition to the above motions debated in the chamber, the following motions were agreed to without debate, during the morning’s formal business:
- Youth on Track, moved by the Hon Aileen MacDonald (Liberal)
- FIFA Women’s World Cup viewership, moved by Dr Amanda Cohn (The Greens)
- Re-establishment of Parliamentary Friends of Israel, moved by the Hon Natalie Ward (Liberal)
- Orange Emus Rugby Club, moved by the Hon Wes Fang (Nationals) on behalf of the Hon Sam Farraway (Liberal)
- 50th anniversary of Vietnam Veterans Day, moved by the Hon Natasha Maclaren-Jones (Liberals)
- Indian Consul General’s celebration of Indian Independence Day, moved by the Hon Susan Carter (Liberal)
- Indian Australian Voice Inc’s India Day celebrations, also moved by Mrs Carter
- Portfolio committees – amendment to resolution, moved by the Leader of the Government in the Council, the Hon Penny Sharpe
NEW INQUIRY INTO APPOINTMENTS
Among the day’s general motions, the House agreed to establish a new Public Accountability and Works Committee inquiry into the appointments of the Secretary of Transport for NSW and the NSW Cross Border Assistant Commissioner.
This was a procedurally interesting affair, firstly due to the House’s extensive debate on the motion, which was moved by the Hon Natalie Ward (Liberal) and originally referenced only the appointment of the Transport for NSW Secretary. Amendments were moved to the motion – and amendments to amendments – that saw the inquiry’s potential terms of reference being expanded and also narrowed.
With a revised terms of reference ultimately agreed to following a series of divisions on the amendments, the other procedurally interesting point was that earlier in the week, the committee had actually received a self-referral into the very same appointments. Ultimately, the House’s referral superseded the committee’s self-referral, which lapsed.
You can find the full debate proceedings in Hansard here and also here, and learn more about the inquiry on the Parliament’s website.
ORDERS FOR PAPERS
| Request (click link for details) | Moved by | Agreed to? | Due date |
| Papers relating to the recruitment and appointment of the Secretary of Transport for NSW – further order | The Hon Natalie Ward (Liberal) | Agreed to, as amended | 9 September 2023 |
| Papers relating to public forest harvesting operations in NSW | Sue Higginson (The Greens) | Agreed to, as amended | 13 September 2023 |
| Papers relating to the aerial culling of brumbies | The Hon Bronnie Taylor (Liberal) | Agreed to | 6 September 2023 |
| Papers relating to disclosures made by Mr Tim Crakanthorp MP | The Hon Sarah Mitchell on behalf of the Hon Natalie Ward (both Liberal) | Agreed to | 6 September 2023 |
REPORTS TABLED AND REPORTED IN THE HOUSE
Among the documents tabled on Wednesday was Execution of search warrants by the Australian Federal Police No. 5 – an August 2023 report of the Council’s Privileges Committee – and the Surveillance Devices Amendment (ICAC) Regulation 2023, which was accompanied by a Ministerial Statement made by the Hon John Graham.