Daylight Saving for South East Queensland Referendum Act 2010

The Daylight Saving for South East Queensland Referendum Bill 2010 was tabled in Queensland Parliament on 14 April 2010, by Queensland, Independent Member Peter Wellington.^[1] Wellington has called for a referendum to be held at the next State election on introduction of daylight saving time for South East Queensland. The Bill proposes a split-time zone for the state of Queensland and has suggested that the local government areas of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Scenic Rim, Redland and Moreton Bay be included in the daylight saving time zone, while the rest of the state remains on standard time.

Drafting

In early 2010, the Daylight Saving for South East Queensland (DS4SEQ) political party approached Wellington to introduce a private member's Bill.^[2] As Wellington agreed with the principles of the DS4SEQ proposal, specifically the dual time zone arrangement, he drafted the Daylight Saving for South East Queensland Referendum Bill 2010.

Response

In response to this Bill, Leader of the Opposition (Queensland), John-Paul Langbroek, immediately announced that he would not support the bill, saying "We will not be supporting a referendum on daylight saving"^[3] and "I don't want to make an interstate problem an intrastate problem".^[4]

The Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, announced a community consultation process, which resulted in over 74,000 respondents participating, 64 percent of whom voted in favour of a trial of daylight saving and 63% were also in favour of holding a referendum.^[5] On 7 June 2010, and after reviewing the favourable consultation results, Bligh announced that her Government would not support the Bill, because regional Queenslanders were overwhelmingly opposed to daylight saving.^[6] DS4SEQ called for Bligh and her government to reconsider their position.^[7]

The Bill was defeated in Queensland Parliament on 15 June 2011.^[8]

Previous Daylight Saving Referendum

Queensland has had one previous referendum on daylight saving, which was held on 22 February 1992, with the question: “Are you in favour of daylight saving?" ^[9] and was defeated with a 54.5% 'no' vote.^[10] The vote on this referendum was after Queensland had trialled daylight saving over a three-year period, from 1989/90 to 1991/92. The referendum result displayed a distinct trend - that public opinion on daylight saving in Queensland is geographically divided, with the ‘no’ vote strongest in the north and west regional districts, while the ‘yes’ vote was strongest in the state’s metropolitan south-east.^[9]

See also

• Peter Wellington
• Daylight Saving for South East Queensland Party
• Daylight saving time
• Time in Australia
• Queensland daylight savings referendum, 1992
• Daylight saving time around the world

References

1. ^ "Daylight Saving for South East Queensland Referendum Bill 2010". 14 April 2010. http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/Bills/53PDF/2010/DaySavSEQRB10_P.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-19. 
2. ^ "The Political Mouse that Roared". 16 April 2010. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/the-political-mouse-that-roared-20100414-sdzv.html. Retrieved 2010-06-19. 
3. ^ "Daylight saving dawns on Anna Bligh". Gold Coast Bulletin. 2010-04-15. http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2010/04/15/208095_gold-coast-news.html. Retrieved 2010-10-31. 
4. ^ "Anna Bligh gauges support for Queensland daylight saving on Twitter". The Australian. 2010-04-14. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/anna-bligh-gauges-support-for-queensland-daylight-saving-on-twitter/story-e6frgczf-1225853706425. Retrieved 2010-09-13. 
5. ^ "Queensland Government Daylight Saving for South East Queensland survey". http://www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au/your-say/daylight-saving-results.html. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 
6. ^ "Queensland Government Daylight Saving for South East Queensland decision". http://www.cabinet.qld.gov.au/mms/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=70063. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 
7. ^ "Has the sun set on daylight saving". 3 June 2010. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/has-the-sun-set-on-daylight-saving-20100603-x1ka.html. Retrieved 2011-02-06. 
8. ^ "Daylight saving silence 'deafening'". 16 June 2011. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/daylight-saving-silence-deafening-20110616-1g4k6.html. Retrieved 2011-06-19. 
9. ^ ^{a b} Queensland Parliamentary Library; Research Brief No 2010/22 - Mary Westcott (July 2010). "1992 Daylight Saving in Queensland" (PDF). pp. 15, 19. http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/publications/documents/research/ResearchBriefs/2010/RBR201022.pdf. Retrieved 2011-01-29. 
10. ^ ECQ. "1992 Queensland Daylight Saving Referendum" (PDF). http://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=74. Retrieved 2011-01-29. 

External links

• Daylight Saving for South East Queensland Referendum Bill 2010
• Daylight Saving for South East Queensland Party official website