Mr HARDGRAVE (9:57 AM) —The member for Adelaide talked about the birthplace of democracy and local government. Let me tell you that the death of democracy is taking place in Queensland right now because of the arrogance of a state Labor government whose majority is so large that their concern for the views of everyday Queenslanders has long gone. It has evaporated. They have this belief that all power and all knowledge resides in the executive office boardroom in George Street. The decline of democracy has meant that Queenslanders are being thrust into an amalgamation of local government authorities. Whilst it does not directly affect people in my area, it is this style of government that is of enormous concern to electors in the southern suburbs of Brisbane.

They are greatly concerned about the Queensland government’s plans to grab the water from their water tanks, which are now being installed in record numbers around houses in my electorate. In many cases, people have received state government and Brisbane City Council rebates to install those water tanks. The Queensland government have the power now to seize control of that water, put a meter on that water and control that water. There is no legal impediment to stop them and the plan is writ large in the aspirations of the Queensland government. Water which comes off the roofs of peoples’ houses and drains into their tanks is to be stolen by a Queensland government that have failed to invest in the infrastructure to provide the water that south-east Queenslanders need and deserve.

South-east Queenslanders and people in the electorate of Moreton are greatly disserviced also by a Queensland government that show no care or concern about the fact that people in my electorate are the only Queenslanders who pay a toll to access the best road. I have spoken about it in this place many times before. I have been told by Labor Party state members and by Labor Party city councillors in my area that my ambition to have a traffic plan built around the postcode of 4109 to stop the trucks from using local roads like McCullough Street and Beenleigh Road is not possible. I have also been told by state members that it is impossible to take the toll off the southern Brisbane bypass.

Why is it that the residents of south-side Brisbane are the only Queenslanders who pay a tax to use a road? Because the Beattie government do not care. Their simple ambition is writ large and plain for everybody to see: get rid of local government, work tirelessly to try and stop federal Liberal and National Party members from being returned in their seats and deny them access to local schools to communicate freely with P&Cs, principals, teachers, students and constituents. They stand in the way of our access to schools. It is only with the permission of the Queensland education minister that I can visit high schools like my old school, MacGregor high school. People in Australia should be alarmed at the way in which an arrogant state Labor government are now riding roughshod. I can assure you that I stand very firmly in the corner of everyday Queenslanders against the Beattie Labor government. (Time expired)

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Hon. IR Causley)—Order! In accordance with standing order 193 the time for members’ statements has concluded.