Email intuition

Mr T.G. STEPHENS: Leaving aside the 3 000-odd e-mails I have received - I could not find in the e-mail river any from people within my electorate. I have been scanning through them as best I can. By and large, I believe they are not people from my electorate who are involved in this electronic campaign.

Mr M.W. Trenorden: What average of those people would e-mail you and me?

Mr T.G. STEPHENS: I do not mind people doing it.

Mr M.W. Trenorden: It collapses my whole office.

Mr T.G. STEPHENS: I do not mind.

Mr M.W. Trenorden: I’ve got one electorate to look after.

The ACTING SPEAKER: Order, members!

Mr T.G. STEPHENS: It is a historic thing; it is unprecedented campaigning in my experience of this place. In 25 years in Parliament I have never seen us experiencing this type of electronic campaign which -

Mr G. Woodhams: Intimidation.

Mr T.G. STEPHENS: No, no, it is not intimidation.

Mr G. Woodhams: Soft-headed modernism!

Mr T.G. STEPHENS: Welcome to the modern world, member! Expect more of it and in big numbers. If anything, those people who are organising our Internet system will need to devise methods for us to conduct electronic business while simultaneously having the opportunity, off to the side, to receive this type of lobbying. I expect we will get more of it.

Mr M.W. Trenorden: Just dump it. Hit the dump button.

Mr T.G. STEPHENS: That is 3 000 hit buttons to get that dump button. There is another way of doing it and most members have worked out how to do it. One puts it across into a discrete area of one’s e-mail. One can see it there growing and every now and then when one wants to have a look, one can do so.

Mr M.J. Birney: You can also do something crazy like read them! How do you know if they are from your electorate if you do not read them?

Several members interjected.

The ACTING SPEAKER: Order, members!

Mr T.G. STEPHENS: I think I have been digressed!

Subject: Daylight Saving Bill (no. 2) 2006 [Legislative Assembly - Standing Orders -- Suspension]

Date: 31 October 2006

Hansard reference: pp. 7886b - 7952a [online (pdf)]

Tags: parliament, state government, perth, wa, dst, daylight savings

In need of a lift

Mr M.W. TRENORDEN: [...] There is no plan to expand health services in the country, or to meet the health needs of the hundreds of thousands of Western Australians who live, work and invest in regional Western Australia.

Dr J.M. Woollard interjected.

Mr R.C. Kucera: Member for Avon, your voice has changed.

Mr M.W. TRENORDEN: I fell down the stairs.

Subject: Appropriation (Consolidated Fund) Bill (no. 1) 2003 / Appropriation (Consolidated Fund) Bill (no. 2) 2003 [Legislative Assembly - Second Reading - Cognate Debate]

Date: 14 May 2003

Hansard reference: pp. 7706c - 7749a [online (pdf)]

Tags: wa, state government, perth, parliament

Applied economics

Mr M.W. TRENORDEN: [...] Employing security staff is an extra cost for show organisers. I have to disagree with my good mate the member for Wagin; there is too much security at the Dowerin Field Day. In that situation, we do not need that level of security. However, if the organisers are expecting 200 people to turn up at the bar, there has to be X number of security. That is an enormous cost. In addition, where will we find that level of security staff? It is a good thing I have run out of voice.

Mr G. Snook: We will have to get the Irish barmaid to check you out.

Mr M.W. TRENORDEN: I wish you would. I am still single, so I am allowed to be checked out.

Mr G. Snook: There is a big problem.

Mr M.W. TRENORDEN: It has something to do with supply and demand!

Mr G. Snook: You are getting your ambitions mixed up with your capabilities.

Mr M.W. TRENORDEN: Exactly. We will not go down that road and waste 30 seconds of the poor barmaid’s time!

Subject: Liquor and Gaming Legislation Amendment Bill 2006 [Legislative Assembly - Second Reading]

Date: 17 October 2006

Hansard reference: pp. 7050b - 7094a [online (pdf)]

Tags: wa, state government, perth, parliament

Not the best of weeks

Mr M.W. TRENORDEN: [...] We must go through a raft of minor provisions in the bill. I wanted to speak only on public funding. I understand why some members of the public are opposed to it and I can understand why some members in the house will vote against it. I agree that it will be abused and that the ALP will be the biggest benefactor out of this process.

Mr R.F. Johnson: Then join us, brother.

Mr M.W. TRENORDEN: On the other hand, I want to maintain a strong and healthy democracy in Western Australia. The traditional funding that has flowed to political parties in the past has been drying up. There is no guarantee that union funds will continue to flow to the ALP as they have done in the past. They might also dry up in the future. There has been a change in the public’s attitude about the funding of the political process. There has been a significant drop in the standing of parliamentarians among the community. These types of bills and debates contribute to the perception of members of Parliament. I am in favour of public funding as matter of principle. If members will nail me down -

Ms S.E. Walker: I am not going to marry you.

Mr M.W. TRENORDEN: I am very disappointed! Is our engagement officially off? It is a bad week when the Dockers and Eagles lose and my engagement is called off!

Mr R.F. Johnson: Which is the biggest disappointment?

Mr M.W. TRENORDEN: Definitely the engagement! I was looking forward to losing my pension!

Mr B.S. Wyatt: Can I have some of yours?

Subject: Electoral Legislation Amendment Bill 2006

Date: 13 September 2006

Hansard reference: pp. 5881c - 5893a [online (pdf)]

Tags: wa, state government, perth, parliament, pension, public funding