BrisbaneTimes.com.au
A trial of daylight saving should be held to give Queenslanders a clear idea of what they would be voting for in 2012, the political party promoting the issue believes.
Daylight Saving for South East Queensland encouraged Independent MP Peter Wellington to raise the idea as a private members' bill in April.
DS4SEQ spokesman Jason Furze said yesterday's "pro-referendum" rally on questions to a Queensland Government website made it imperative a trial was held this summer, before any referendum in 2012.
"The Premier [Anna Bligh] has been clear in saying that if there is to be a referendum that she would prefer to have a trial beforehand so people have that experience and we wholeheartedly agree with that," Mr Furze said.
Mr Furze said a trial was the only way to get an informed vote at a referendum.
"I think the first day [of a trial] should be October 3," he said.
"That is what I would suggest if it is going to be this summer. October 3 is when daylight saving clicks over in the other states.
"If we are going to have trial, that would be the best day to start."
More than 2000 people an hour logged on to the state government website, www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au, causing delays yesterday.
Last night the site was bolstered to cater for the extra demand triggered by media coverage of the issue.
Ms Bligh is expected this morning to announce the results of the website survey and, depending on the vote, may indicate whether daylight saving will go to a trial.
However, the issue was likely to go back to cabinet first.
brisbanetimes.com.au understands Ms Bligh still supports a trial of daylight saving if the public asks for it.
A call for a trial of daylight saving is one of the questions on the website.
Last night Sunshine Coast Independent MP Peter Wellington maintained he was receiving emails backing daylight saving at a ratio of 10 to one, a complete switch from previous negativity to the issue.
"I have made a decision, as a result of this avalanche of calls that the bill will remain on the notice paper," Mr Wellington said.
"I hope that the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition will allow their members, their backbenchers, to have a conscience vote so we can test this on the floor of Parliament.
"And if we can get 45 members of Parliament to support my call for a referendum on daylight saving, it will then proceed to be put as as a referendum question when the next state election is held."
State Parliament's next sitting begins on June 8 for the state budget sessions.
Mr Furze said the next step was to form an all-party committee to make recommendations on the boundary for a split time zone, if that option was supported by the public.
Mr Wellington suggested daylight saving trials be held in Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine coasts, Ipswich, Logan, Scenic Rim, Redlands and Moreton Bay councils.
The opposition has consistently ruled the debate over daylight saving as "a distraction" from the state's economic issues.
No comments:
Post a Comment