2014-10-29
Fuel Excise Increase – Impact on Cost of Living
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday your Liberal mates in Canberra imposed a fuel tax described by Andrew McKellar of the Australian Automobile Association as weak, sneaky and tricky. This fuel tax will hurt Territory families and businesses. Fuel price pain will hit us all every six months. You have failed to stand up for Territorians and fight this unfair tax hike. You have rolled over to your Canberra puppet masters. Why have you failed to protect Territorians from a tax grab that …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 112 prevents imputations and epithets being applied. Both of those comments by the Leader of the Opposition qualify as imputations.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order, Leader of Government Business. Please be seated. Opposition Leader.
Ms LAWRIE: Why have you failed to stand up for Territorians against this unfair fuel price tax hike that will raise the cost of living for every Territorian?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I assume the Opposition Leader took the same position when Labor increased the fuel tax excise on many occasions when they were running the federal government in Canberra.
It is really important to reflect on the performance on both sides of the Chamber. When you were in government in 2005 you conducted the Parry report into fuel prices …
Ms Lawrie: And implemented the recommendations.
Mr GILES: Hang on… and did not implement any reform; there was not any reduction in fuel prices in the Northern Territory. In 2011 there was a significant increase in fuel prices in the Northern Territory …
Ms Lawrie: Then it dropped.
Mr GILES: Hang on, you asked me a question, let me answer it.
Ms Fyles: Are you standing up to Canberra?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. I remind honourable members of what I said yesterday in regard to calling across the floor and interjecting. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr GILES: I am happy to produce the data and show the graphs. The largest increase in fuel prices was in 2011, to a point where there was no change in fuel prices between 2011 and 2014. The data was produced at the fuel price summit by the former deputy head of the Reserve Bank of Australia. I give him some credit. You were the worst Treasurer we had. You can argue against the Reserve Bank’s former deputy.
In 2011 prices went up. Nothing was done to that date. Since that point we have seen a range of interventions by the Northern Territory government which have led to substantial drops in petrol prices in the Northern Territory – drops of more than 20c per litre. We did not see that under your watch. We have put pressure on fuel retailers, wholesalers, shipping companies and the distribution points. We called on them to lower the price. We have called for market leaders. United has been a very good market leader. I thank David, who heads that up, for his work. We have developed a Fuel Price Disclosure Bill and released it to the public. We are putting in place a committee to examine fuel prices in the Northern Territory. We have asked the member for Nelson to chair that and set up the committee to look at this. We are seeing price leading in the Northern Territory.
Do I support the fuel tax excise increase? No, I do not.
Ms Fyles: What are you going to do about it? You are the Chief Minister.
Mr GILES: Member for Nightcliff, you need to grow up. The fuel price tax …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Offensive: withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nightcliff, do you find it offensive?
Ms FYLES: Continually offensive.
Mr GILES: I withdraw. Quite clearly the member for Nightcliff was not absent the day glass jaws were being handed out.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: that was another offensive remark.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, there is no point of order. Sit down.
Mr GILES: If you want to know the answer, I will give you the answer in full detail.
Ms Lawrie: Why have you rolled over? Why have you not fought it?
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader and member for Nightcliff, you have clearly forgotten what I said yesterday morning. You are on a warning, Opposition Leader.
Mr GILES: We do not support the increase in fuel tax excise that was announced yesterday. I will be very happy for you to ask me the second question. I will give you another three minutes on the implications of the fuel tax excise increase, what it means and why it is being done. We do not support it.
TIO – Sale
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to CHIEF MINISTER
The government has indicated it is receiving bids for the possible sale of TIO. Can you advise whether the board of TIO supports the government’s decision to consider the possible sale of the business?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. The TIO board acknowledges the merit and logic in the process the government has undertaken and has under way, that may result in the sale of the TIO business. In a media release issued today, the Chair of TIO, Mr Bruce Carter, acknowledges many of the potential benefits for TIO that a change of ownership would bring about. I table a copy of that release.
These are the same benefits I have presented to this Chamber many times, but I have been unable to have an intelligent and articulate debate for fear of being abused and screamed at across the Chamber. Mr Carter said in the media release that TIO has issues in spreading risk and the challenge for the business is to fully diversify its risks, like national insurers which can diversify them through global markets. Mr Carter said in the media release:
- TIO needs to gain access to global capital markets whilst retaining the local nature of the business and its values. The Northern Territory Government has acknowledged this and is considering a possible sale to facilitate this access.
The board acknowledges that government ownership is hampering TIO in an increasingly competitive and crowded marketplace.
The media release also says:
… there is considerable interest in TIO from major organisations that understand the value of the brand and its people.
- I am very pleased to see that the Chief Minister is talking about key criteria including protecting the brand, ensuring local product coverage and looking after the people. These are the key elements that make TIO great …
I want to reassure TIO customers and staff that these criteria are fundamental in the government’s mind. Members opposite and their 35 union mates at the front yesterday drummed up outside this building, wanting to run the same, predictable, scare campaign, but the board of the TIO and my government are determined to ensure any transaction meets the criteria around the brand, products and staff.
Finally, I urge Territorians to consider this statement from the CEO of TIO, Richard Harding:
- The bottom line is TIO is a very sound business and will continue to serve the needs of Territorians, irrespective of whether it is owned by the Northern Territory Government or an existing insurance company.
The message from the board of the TIO is clear; transferring ownership from being the last government-owned insurer to becoming the wider established insurance business will not affect TIO’s ability to service our needs. If the government moves ahead with the sale, it will be on the basis it is good for the TIO brand, good for the company and good for Territorians moving forward.
TIO –Insurance Premiums Increase
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday in this House you revealed that TIO was anticipating that premiums would rise by up to 30%, particularly in flood and storm surge areas of the Territory. The federal inquiry into northern Australia heard that a Queensland business saw its insurance premium rise by 2500% after Cyclone Yasi. The same inquiry recommends that TIO is a model of publicly-owned insurance that should be adopted across northern Australia to provide investment certainty.
In TIO we have a gold standard of insurance, right now. If you sell TIO to a private sector insurer, how will you prevent crippling premiums skyrocketing, as happened in Queensland, in the event of cyclones and floods? That would cripple Territory households and businesses.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, like we heard with the dog whistling around Power and Water, we will now hear it around TIO. You have started raising numbers like 2500%. It is ridiculous and irresponsible of you to raise that during a debate.
Yesterday I said in this Chamber that premiums for TIO will rise next year, and as the risk profile changes and becomes more about a locality-based risk profile, people in those certain locations will see significant increases in their premiums. It is a part of TIO’s challenges moving forward. As we continue to provide government backup for TIO, as opposed to any other insurance provider in the Northern Territory – of which there are 15 – we remain heavily exposed, particularly to things such as cyclones. TIO premiums are heavily centred in the northern suburbs. The difference between when you tried to sell it – which you did not – and what we are trying to do in helping TIO is this: when you tried, the board and executive did not support your fire sale.
This time the board has come to us asking for help, so we are trying to talk about the issues TIO has and trying to find long-term solutions. Yes, that is about selling it and releasing the strain on TIO to allow it to become more competitive. If TIO premiums go up substantially they move into a non-competitive environment, which means national and international companies have a better competitive advantage against it. In the end that hurts TIO, its staff and policy holders.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. How will you prevent skyrocketing premiums, as seen in Queensland, with the sale of TIO?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order, sit down, please. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr GILES: Part of preventing skyrocketing premiums is to put TIO on a level playing field and in a more competitive environment. Government will not subsidise …
Ms Lawrie: Rubbish. The expert advice has said not to do it.
Mr GILES: Can you be quiet, please?
Ms Lawrie: You are ignoring expert advice.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. I remind you, Opposition Leader, you are on a warning. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr GILES: The best way to keep prices low is to have a competitive environment. Government will not subsidise policies like we subsidise every Territorian’s power bill in the Northern Territory. We will not do that. We have to be able to remove the shackles from TIO; that is why the board is asking us to remove the shackles from TIO and that is why Territorians want us to put it into a competitive environment. That is why the board is asking us for help, and we will make the tough decision in the interest of protecting TIO into the future.
Repaying NT Debt – Update
Mr BARRETT to CHIEF MINISTER
Could you please provide a progress report on the government’s efforts to date to claw back Labor’s $5.5bn projected debt?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. This is one that will surely fire up the opposition, because, again, this is a good news story from the government.
We could talk about how we have driven crime down to its lowest levels since the 1990s, how we have driven the economy up to its highest levels since the 1990s or how we are driving down debt to its lowest levels since the 1990s. We could remind people about how when we came to government there was a $5.5bn debt legacy, which meant we were paying so much money in interest repayments each and every day that it did not allow us to invest in schools and hospitals around the Northern Territory.
Let me give you an update on the financial performance of the government to date. I am pleased to announce the TAFR shows that government is successfully nursing the Territory’s finances back to health.
The general government sector operating balance is now in surplus by $119m. This is a $349m improvement compared to original projections in the 2013-14 budget. The surplus position means a crucial element of the government’s fiscal strategy, which was targeted at 2016-17.
It has now been achieved a full three years ahead of schedule. We have an operating balance now in surplus three years ahead of schedule. There has also been a $1.1bn improvement in the non-financial public sector fiscal balance. These improved operating outcomes have flowed through to the net debt position in the Northern Territory of $3.1bn for 2013-14, which I am delighted to report is $1.3bn less than what was forecast, and much less than the $5.5bn Labor debt legacy we had when we came into government.
Importantly, the net debt to revenue ratio was at 98% under Labor, but we saw yesterday, with the tabling of TAFR, it is now down to 53%. Going from 98% to 53% is a clear indication that not only were your policies failing when you were the Treasurer under the last government, but since we have taken over and made tough decisions, driven down crime and debt and driven up the economy, the figures in the TAFR how well we are doing. This has to be an embarrassment to you. The highest debt position ever in the history of the Northern Territory was under your watch when you were the Treasurer under Labor. Debt and interest repayments were through the roof. We continue to fix your problems, and we will continue to fix them with TIO.
WorkSafe – Move to Department of Business
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday outside parliament workers rallied against your fire sale of public assets. Territorians know the CLP has no mandate for the sale and that with privatisation comes additional risks to workplace safety as employers move to trim workforces to the bare bones to increase returns on their investment. The workers who rallied outside asked me to deliver this improvement notice to you.
I seek leave to table that.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! You have banned the use of props in this House.
Madam SPEAKER: No, not necessarily, member for Port Darwin. I want to hear what the Opposition Leader has to say.
Ms LAWRIE: That is the improvement notice workers outside parliament asked me to deliver to the Chief Minister. I seek leave to table it so he can have it.
Leave not granted.
Madam SPEAKER: Leave is not granted. Please put it down, Opposition Leader.
Ms LAWRIE: Why have you tied the hands of your workplace safety regulator, WorkSafe, and moved it from the Department of Justice to the Department of Business?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, what on earth was that question? One minute it was about TIO, the next it was about your union mates protesting and then the next minute you talked about WorkSafe. You really are at sixes and sevens over there.
Let me tell people who may be listening or watching, in the Northern Territory …
Ms Lawrie: Are you going to answer a question for a change?
Mr GILES: Maybe my colleagues on this side and the people in the gallery might like to hear it.
In the Northern Territory, there are roughly 243 000 people. We will use the figure of 243 000. Yesterday 242 965 people chose not to protest at the front of Parliament House, but 35 union people did. There was the ETU, the MUA, the CFMEU – all your mates. It is very hard for you to try to rattle up four mates on that side – you had 35 at the front. They managed to make a poster, well done to the unions. Unions NT made a poster. You held it up in parliament – congratulations! You can run your silly little debate outside while we continue to have a proper debate about TIO …
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question asked why the Chief Minister has tied the hands of the safety regulator in the Northern Territory, moving it from the department of Justice to the Department of Business.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Barkly. Chief Minister, if you could get to the point.
Mr GILES: Anybody who doubts the inability of the member for Barkly to listen to a question and repeat it – you have just proved them wrong, member for Barkly. We all heard it before but you made sure we heard it twice. Congratulations!
Let me tell you about WorkSafe and reflect on October Business Month. We are in October Business Month, the most successful October Business Month in the last 20 years.
WorkSafe is running a little thing about mental health safety in the workplace in October Business Month. Maybe it is something the four of you in opposition might like to listen to. You can start to reflect on the challenges the eight of you face coming to work every day and designing these questions. When you come into parliament you see the knives coming out for each of you as you sit in the Chamber every day talking about how poorly the Leader of the Opposition is doing, and how poor your questions and performance in the Chamber are.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question went to workers who are worried about their safety in the workplace and why the Chief Minister has tied the hands of the work safety regulator.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, you have the call. Get to the point.
Mr GILES: The way you can tell how badly you are doing is that your question is about why we moved one section of a department to another department. That is the seriousness of the question you have just asked as question three of Question Time today. If we decide to make a structural movement in moving one part of an agency to another department I cannot comprehend why that would be the most important question you could ask as question three in parliament today. I cannot understand it, but I will pay a compliment to your 35 union mates who turned up yesterday and made a poster. Worksafe, October Business Month – it is all about mental health; perhaps the eight of you should chat with them.
ICT – Government Support to Build Local Industry
Mr HIGGINS to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you update the Assembly on recent government efforts to build the local information communications technology sector, and how this compares with Labor’s track record on ICT issues?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly, the parliamentary secretary for northern Australia, for his question. He is very keen on seeing the development of northern Australia and particularly keen to make sure there are jobs for kids and jobs for kids of kids into the future. The ICT industry is a small industry in the Northern Territory, but something we want to see grow well into the future.
When we came to government, one of the most important things to note about ICT in the Territory was some of the performances to date, most notably the asset management system performance. It was supposed to cost $7m to set up a new asset-based management system, an IT system that blew out to more than $70m and a project that we have had to put the pen through, get rid of and start a whole new project because it was untenable for it to grow.
One of the interesting things with the AMS project was how many fly-in fly-out consultants were coming from interstate to do the work, take Territorians’ money and spend it interstate and not get the project fixed. We wanted to see local content develop through the information communications technology industry; the best way we could do that was to set up a ministerial advisory committee. The new advisory council, the Information, Communications and Technology Council, will be announced today. It will give expert advice to the Northern Territory government on how we support the local industry, how we ensure the local industry gets work through ICT in the Northern Territory, how we ensure it develops as an industry sector itself and how we ensure jobs are grown in the Northern Territory.
We talk a lot about the gas and construction industries, and we are talking more about horticulture and agriculture – as it complements the pastoral industry – but there are many industries in the Northern Territory which have not had a heavy focus to date. If you look at the banking, insurance and finance industry nationwide it is about 10%, but in the Territory it is around 2.5%. If you look at the banking and real estate industries you see the correlation between how important they are compared to other jurisdictions or national levels. Quite clearly we need a greater diversification in industry development moving forward.
Banking, insurance and finance will be a growth sector in the Northern Territory into the future. ICT should be part of that mix, and setting up the advisory council today is a way we can focus on supporting growth in the industry, making sure we get contracts to local ICT operators so there are jobs, supporting the education system to develop new young Territorians coming through the system into ICT and making sure it is an industry as a whole. Many of our industries are regional and rural-based; we have to develop urban industries and ICT is one of the potential industries we should be working with.
I congratulate members who have accepted a position on the advisory council and look forward to working with them now and into the future.
Local Councils – Request for Funding
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for LOCAL GOVERNMENT and REGIONS
Can you confirm you have been approached by the Victoria Daly and West Daly shire councils for extra funds because since the de-amalgamation of the West Daly shire, both councils have run into financial difficulties?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I can confirm I have been approached by everyone involved in local government across the Northern Territory seeking more money. Most of the challenges requiring additional resources for local government come as a result of the establishment of the shire councils set up in the Northern Territory by the former Labor government.
We came in at a time when 73 community government councils had been converted into just a handful of super shires. When that carve up was done, not only did they take away local decision-making capacity, voices and assets, they also stripped graders, trucks, offices and all the assets they needed to operate, to the point today where those assets still have not been able to be fully replaced. They also stripped the money away that allowed jobs to operate.
Back in the days when the community government councils were working, sure there were some not working properly, we know that, we acknowledge that and we know there needed to be an intervention to be able to support local government authority at the local level. The removal of the funds and the removal of …
Ms ANDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order: 113: relevance. I asked specifically whether during the de-amalgamation of the Daly shire and West Daly shire you were asked for more money.
Mr GILES: All councils want extra money. All communities want extra money. Everybody wants extra money. Darwin City Council wants extra money. Everybody wants extra money, member for Namatjira. You would know that just as well as everyone over this side, and the other side, wants extra money.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question also pointed at financial difficulties.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: Let us get the old Deloitte report that looked into the performance of the opposition in rolling out the shire reform process. The Deloitte report showed all shires were in financial difficulty, member for Barkly, and this was the situation we found ourselves in when we came into government. The challenge of local government is being able to identify the right resources to deliver the services. They all want additional money. They do not have the rater base to be able to do that.
There are some shires or councils in the Northern Territory that only have a rater base of around 3% of income generating capacity as against the other 97% of funds required to run their councils. The councils in the Northern Territory are generally not able to identify those financial resources. In the split of West Daly …
Mr WOOD A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question was specific about the Vic Daly shire and the West Daly shire. We have not heard the answer to that question.
Mr GILES: You have heard it, member for Nelson. I said every council has asked for money. They asked for money before we came into government and they still ask for money now we are in government. They do not have the rater base, through the land tenure structure, to put rates on to get money to run their councils.
Land Release - Rural and Remote Regions
Mr KURRUPUWU to MINISTER for LANDS, PLANNING and the ENVIRONMENT
We have heard a lot about the government’s record land release strategy for our urban centres, but Labor’s crippling housing shortage also stretches to our rural and remote regions. What is the government doing to address this?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his question. He certainly knows how important it is to develop the regions, particularly if we put an education focus on this to give our kids something to aim for. One of the single biggest mistakes the former Labor government made was to stifle land release in the Northern Territory.
Under this government we have invested, out of this budget alone, $135m in land release. Whilst we can focus on …
Members interjecting.
Mr CHANDLER: The rabble on that side is unbelievable. Do you want to hear about some good news for the Northern Territory or not? No, you are not interested because as a government you failed Territorians. You failed to release land, you failed the regions and you turned most of our communities into welfare traps. This government is trying to unlock the potential of the regions.
Just as it is essential to release land in our urban centres across the Territory, so too is it important to release it in our regional areas. The tender process so far this year has included 23 lots in Peko Road in Tennant Creek. I believe the member for Barkly would think that was a fantastic idea, there are 20 lots in Kalkarindji, 38 lots in Borroloola …
Ms Lawrie: All done under Labor’s planning.
Mr CHANDLER: It was not all done under Labor – listen to the rhetoric. You are not in government and you have not been in government for two years. This did not happen under your watch.
At the moment on the release program, we have Pine Creek, Mataranka, Timber Creek and Ti Tree, just to name a few of the areas we are focusing on. To put my education hat on, we have to give our children something to aim for. The welfare trap the former government left our regions in gives children nothing to aim for.
We have to light the fire of economic development in our regions; how can we do that? We can release land. We can enter into Indigenous land use agreements with locals that puts money back into communities, allows access to the communities and, for the very first time, allows Indigenous people to own homes on their own land. That is something pretty special and will promote development, jobs in our regions and, for the very first time, give children in our schools something to aim for.
Foundation 51 – Links to CLP
Mr VOWLES to CHIEF MINISTER
You have repeatedly denied links between the CLP and Foundation 51, despite leaked e-mails that show there is direct relationship. After intense scrutiny Foundation 51 director Graeme Lewis, on legal advice, has lodged the donation return with the Electoral Commission and conceded that Foundation 51 is an associated entity under the Electoral Act.
Will you explain to Territorians why you have consistently denied this link? Will you explain to Territorians why you have covered up this scandal by scrapping a political donations inquiry? Will you explain why you continue to keep Graeme Lewis in taxpayer-funded positions as Chair of the Darwin Waterfront Corporation and a member of the Top End Hospital Network Governing Council at a cost of $127 000 to taxpayers?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have said before there is no link between government, Foundation 51 and the Country Liberals. It is not my business what happens with Foundation 51, a federally-registered company, and what happens with the party. We have nothing to do with the party, we are in government and you know the answer to that question. I have answered it a thousand times before.
Tiwi Islands - Remote Home Ownership Program
Mr KURRUPUWU to MINISTER for HOUSING
The Giles Country Liberals government is driving economic development in remote communities. Can you please update the House about the government’s newest remote home ownership program helping people on the Tiwi Islands realise the dream of owning their own home?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his question, which I am delighted to speak about. The member for Arafura will be well aware we held an information session on our remote home ownership scheme on the Tiwi Islands earlier this month. It was warmly received, I am pleased to say, by his constituents.
There was a community barbecue, expressions of interest in the program were officially opened and tenants were encouraged to apply. I am again delighted to announce we have had 20 expressions of interest already, which is fantastic news. The program only began a few months ago.
It is part of the Giles Country Liberals government’s plan to develop northern Australia and drive economic opportunities in remote communities across the Territory. It will see public housing become a pathway to home ownership, a means to an end, not the end itself. I am pleased to report there has been plenty of feedback from the member for Arafura regarding this scheme.
Funding of $4.5m has been set aside over the next three years for the program, and up to half of the Northern Territory remote housing stock has been made available for sale in communities with long-term leases. It is expected most homes will be available for purchase in the $50 000 to $150 000 range.
Successful applicants will be required to complete a home ownership training program through IBA. IBA will also provide the loan products and services under the program, including insurance for the first 12 months. Owner/occupiers will also be supported by the government with an incentive grant of up to $20 000 to help them upgrade or maintain their home.
It is expected the first homes will be approved for sale towards the end of the year – it is terrific feedback. It is a groundbreaking program which demonstrates the commitment, passion and initiative of the Giles Country Liberals government in improving the lives of people in the bush. As opposed to the Labor Party, which was happy to keep people on welfare, this government is providing more and more opportunities. With the biggest land release program in the history of the Northern Territory, 2000 affordable homes will be on the market by the end of 2016. Coupled with this Indigenous Home Ownership program and many other initiatives by the Giles Country Liberals government, we are providing more and more opportunities for Territorians to move out of the welfare trap, public housing and get into either the rental or home ownership market.
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Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of a Year 11 history class from Kormilda College accompanied by Ms Natalie Best. On behalf of honourable members, welcome to Parliament House. I hope you enjoy your time here.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Foundation 51 – Links to CLP and Removal of Terry Mills and Graeme Lewis from Positions
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
In a report in The Australian today, Graeme Lewis, Foundation 51 director and your former Chair of the Land Development Corporation, a crucial agency for developers, admitted:
- In retrospect … I would probably have to answer that there was a conflict of interest …
In the same article, Mr Lewis also admits Foundation 51 is an associated entity of the CLP.
You have repeatedly defended the indefensible in the parliament. Two directors of Foundation 51 going to the last election were Mr Lewis and Mr Mills. Will you now stand them down from their lucrative taxpayer-funded roles? Given that everybody else has admitted the conflict of interest, why are you the only one still in denial? What does this say about your judgment? Will you admit your judgment has been clouded by the fact you were relying on Graeme Lewis to raise the funds for your next election campaign?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have said it before and I will say again: Foundation 51 has nothing to do with the government. There is a separation of power between the government and the party. Obviously, we are all members of the Country Liberal Party on this side, but there is a separation of powers in how things are run. You know there is a separation between Foundation 51 and the Northern Territory government. We are not related entities. You keep asking …
Mr Gunner interjecting.
Mr GILES: There is no related association between the government and Foundation 51.
It is authorised under a federal statute. It is being investigated by the AEC and the Northern Territory Electoral Commission. Those two bodies should undertake their investigation and report back on what they find. If Foundation 51 has now put in a return and may consider itself an associated entity – I have not spoken to them, I am only hearing the reports – that is up to them. It is not a part of government. The NTEC is a part of government. It is holding an investigation, and I will wait to hear the findings of that report.
This is as opposed to the direct links between Labor, Harold Nelson Holdings, Unions NT, the former Lands and Planning minister, the Opposition Leader and the Stella Maris site.
Let us follow the bouncing ball. Foundation 51 is separate from government. Labor …
Ms Lawrie: Bounced into the Supreme Court on that one.
Mr GILES: … handed over …
Ms Lawrie interjecting.
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Suspension of Member
Member for Karama
Suspension of Member
Member for Karama
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. Opposition Leader, leave the Chamber for one hour, pursuant to Standing Order 240A. I made a statement I thought was quite clear yesterday morning in regard to behaviour and yelling across the Chamber by members of both sides.
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Mr GILES: There is a separation between government and Foundation 51, but let us look at the other one.
Ms Fyles: Have an inquiry.
Mr GILES: Member for Nightcliff, you just do not learn. When Labor was in government, the separation was not there. They took a government asset and gave it to their union mates to be facilitated through the Harold Nelson Holdings slush fund. The pathway of connection to you is there. Foundation 51 is an organisation which has not received a government asset from us, not like when you and your minister corruptly gave a government asset …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please withdraw that comment about corruption.
Mr GILES: It was in the Stella Maris inquiry report.
Madam SPEAKER: Quote the report then.
Ms Anderson: Rubbish. Grub.
Mr GILES: I beg your pardon, member for Namatjira? You do not say that publicly, do you?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Namatjira, withdraw.
Mr GILES: I withdraw, but I will find the corruption reference quote later.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Chief Minister.
Mr GILES: When you were the minister you handed a government asset to your slush fund. That is what happened when you were in government. Foundation 51 is separate from government. Look in your own back yard.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Foundation 51 – Inquiry
Foundation 51 – Inquiry
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
There is a conflict and there is an association. The former Chief Minister held a directorial role while Chief Minister and as member for Blain. Yesterday in this House you told us Foundation 51 would be amending and making a declaration, yet you would have us believe you know nothing. Will you now – every day we learn something new – hold an inquiry into donations in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have said before, maybe they have not heard; we have an inquiry going through the Department of the Chief Minister facilitated by the former Auditor-General of the Northern Territory. We have full faith in Frank McGuiness, and I will wait to see his findings.
Let us reflect on that last answer. You want to talk about a connection with Foundation 51; there is no connection to government. We did not give a government asset to our slush fund Harold Nelson Holdings like the Lands and Planning minister and the Opposition Leader did when in government. That is fact. We know it.
There was an inquiry with so many recommendations into Stella Maris. You gave a government asset to a Labor slush fund for your election. That is fact.
Foundation 51, associated entity or otherwise, put a return in. That is up to them under law. You provided government assets to a Labor slush fund ...
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question was: why not hold an independent inquiry? What does he have to hide?
Madam SPEAKER: No, it was not. Sit down.
Mr GILES: Let us do the correlation. We all know, on record, you gave a government asset to Labor’s slush fund ...
Mr McCarthy: Let us have an inquiry, Chief Minister. Come on down, spinner.
Mr GILES: Foundation 51 …
Members interjecting.
______________________________
Suspension of Member
Member for Barkly
Suspension of Member
Member for Barkly
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Barkly, leave the Chamber for one hour pursuant to Standing Order 240A.
______________________________
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr GILES: I will leave it there.
Alice Springs Hospital – New Imaging Machine
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to MINISTER for HEALTH
Can you please update the Assembly on the success of the new medical imaging machine at Alice Springs Hospital?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is truly good news, not just for the government but the opposition too. A new MRI machine at Alice Springs Hospital – a magnetic resonance imaging machine at Alice Springs Hospital ...
Ms Walker: How about a new ED for Gove?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The member for Nhulunbuy seems to take exception to this good news, which is quite astounding. Central Australia has been waiting for this for many years; it is already changing the lives of Centralians.
I visited this new facility and inspected the MRI machine approximately a month ago. At that stage it had been operating for two months and had already seen 250 patients. That number, apparently, is up to 309, so people are flocking to this machine. People from Central Australia previously had to go to Adelaide or Darwin to access an MRI machine. This has saved people a lot of inconvenience, discomfort, anxiety and fear. People from Central Australia, particularly people from the bush, experience fear and terror at the thought of having to go to Darwin or Adelaide for any form of treatment. Having this machine based at Alice Springs Hospital, a facility all Centralians are familiar with, is a social convenience as well as a great leap forward in medical investigation and diagnosis.
The introduction of the MRI service has been made possible through the Department of Health and Dr Jones & Partners. We have had a long association with Dr Jones & Partners in Central Australia, and it has been providing our radiology service for many years. It is exciting to see more of these high technology services coming online in Central Australia.
In addition to the MRI we have the roll out of Telehealth through the sponsorship of Telstra. Unlike Labor, the Country Liberals’ government is committed to providing more services of this kind in the bush. A Darwin-centric former Labor government never really looked beyond Darwin. It is with great pleasure that this government provides the first MRI machine to Central Australia, improving the quality of life for those living there.
Political Donations – Inquiry and Reinstatement of Member for Fong Lim to Cabinet
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
On the Julia Christensen show on the ABC on Thursday last week, and then repeated on ABC Lateline last Friday, your former Treasurer, the member for Fong Lim said:
- Your donation will open my door if you ever need to talk to me about something … when you become a minister, or the like, you find quickly that there is a line-up at the door that you will never get through, and somewhere or other you have to start prioritising.
When asked if this was paying for political favours the member for Fong Lim said:
You could put it that way, I suppose ….
Do you endorse this cash-for-access approach to government? What is the going rate to open the door to your office? Will you now rule out the return of the member for Fong Lim to Cabinet and hold an inquiry into political donations to ascertain whether any favours were provided?
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 112: there is a clear imputation in that question in relation to access to the Chief Minister, and it should be withdrawn.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, I hear what you are saying. Member for Fannie Bay, could you just reword parts of that sentence in regard to the Chief Minister?
Mr GUNNER: Do you endorse this cash-for-access approach to government? Will you now rule out the return of the member for Fong Lim to Cabinet and hold an inquiry into political donations to ascertain whether any favours were provided?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a repetitive question, so I will give a repetitive answer. The answer from last time when the member for Barkly …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The Chief Minister said it is repetitive, but it is not. It is a brand new question.
Madam SPEAKER: No, member for Fannie Bay, please be seated. The Chief Minister is only about 10 seconds into his answer.
Mr GILES: Three seconds, Madam Speaker. It is very hard to be relevant in three seconds. The opposition had eleven-and-a-half years and were not relevant. How do you expect it in three seconds? It is quite a challenge…
The member for Barkly likes to interject and talk about the direct relationship between government and Foundation 51, but there is none.
It is very important …
Mr Gunner: Graeme Lewis told us today that there is. He said there is an association.
Mr GILES: Between government and Foundation 51, Michael. Have a look here, 28 August NT News, the headline, ‘Labor is scum, filthy, corrupt’. That was reflecting on a relationship when Labor was in government, took a government asset and gave it to their union mates to make money for free. It was then going to put the money into Harold Nelson Holdings, Labor’s slush fund, before it was given to the Labor Party to run its election campaign. If you want to talk about links to corruption, impropriety and of government to slush funds, that is a direct example. It was reported in the Stella Maris inquiry which brought shame upon the Labor Party, the unions and Harold Nelson Holdings.
You ask a question about TIO and a ‘protest’ that happened at the front yesterday, with 35 union brother boys …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question was about the member for Fong Lim admitting that political favours were done for donors during this term of government. Will you hold an inquiry into the political favours done during this term of the CLP government?
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Fannie Bay. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr GILES: The clear link between governments and slush funds is the Stella Maris deal between a minister of the Crown, the former Labor Lands and Planning minister, under the direction of the former deputy, then Treasurer and now Leader of the Opposition, who circumvented a Cabinet process to do that dodgy deal to give the government asset to the Labor slush fund.
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. We know there is latitude in answering questions, but if you could ask the Chief Minister to come back to the focus of the question about political donations and comments from the former Deputy Chief Minister about how they can open doors under this government. Please answer the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr GILES: A serious question to the member for Nhulunbuy …
Ms Manison: It was a serious question to you, but you are avoiding answering it.
Mr GILES: Did any money from Harold Nelson Holdings find its way into your campaign? Did slush fund money from the Labor Party make it into the Nhulunbuy campaign?
Ms Walker: Let us have an inquiry.
Mr GILES: Did Stella Maris money make it towards the member for Nhulunbuy’s re-election campaign or the member for Fannie Bay’s? These are very important questions.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. Members for Wanguri, Nightcliff and Nhulunbuy, cease interjecting across the floor. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr GILES: I will leave it there.
Indigenous Wealth Creation – Department of Infrastructure
Mr KURRUPUWU to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE
Can the minister update the House on what the Department of Infrastructure is doing in Indigenous wealth creation?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his question. It is another good news story from this side of the House. I just listened to my colleague, the Minister for Health, tell a great story about what is happening in Alice Springs with MRIs; on this side of the House, we are about good news stories. We are about getting on with government as opposed to trying to creating some grubby deal with our own members and the unions.
I go to the good news story. The Northern Territory government wants to enhance the capability of Indigenous business in the Northern Territory, unlike those opposite, who do not want the Tiwi Islands to develop. They do not want the member for Arafura to be successful there in promoting what the government is doing with the roads, the wood chipping and all those fantastic things.
We are about creating economic opportunities for Aboriginal people. We are about creating jobs for Indigenous Territorians through the procurement of goods and services essential to building that capacity.
The Department of Infrastructure’s policy for Aboriginal participation on construction projects has been developed to provide employment opportunities and build the capacity of Aboriginal businesses. This policy will ultimately ensure the successful delivery of construction projects in the Northern Territory.
Under that policy Indigenous participation will be a mandatory requirement for all Tier 4 – that is all contracts worth $500 000, but less than $2m – and Tier 5 – contracts worth $2m or more -projects. That is mandatory. Employment and business opportunities for Aboriginal people will be maximised under the policy through increasing the number of tenders awarded to Indigenous businesses enterprises, increasing the number of Indigenous trainees and apprentices participating in department-issued contracts and equity weighed assessment criteria for Aboriginal participation.
An altered tender response schedule will require tenderers to address targeted questions regarding Indigenous employment and training under local development and value adding criteria. This will enable the tender assessment panel to assess and score tenders accordingly. The weighting for LDVA, as it is known, criteria will remain at 20% on projects, with Indigenous participation recognised as a sub-criteria.
There is so much good news on this topic that I could go on for an hour. I am planning on making a statement in relation to this because it is such a good news story. Since coming to government we have been told continually about the problems of contractual arrangements in employing Aboriginal people. We are now mandating it; we are about giving people a hand-up, not a handout.
Local Government Elections – Councillors’ Terms
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LOCAL GOVERNMENT and REGIONS
In a letter dated 17 October 2014 you referred to a report from the NT Electoral Commission which had a number of recommendations regarding local government elections. One of those recommendations was that the government extend local government elections to 2017, with the polling day to be the fourth Saturday in August. That would add one-and-a-half years on to the term of local government members, one-and-a-half years they were not elected for. Surely it would be illegal and grossly undemocratic to extend the term of a council longer than they were elected for. When people vote a council in, it is a contract for four years. Why not make the next term three years and leave the length of the present term as it is so that you do not override the will of the people?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I informed the member for Nelson we were considering that; we are looking at whether we can extend the term until 2017. The reason being is in 2016 – it is as a result of the former Labor government – the timing of local government elections and the Territory election have been put at …
Ms Fyles: A bit of a stretch.
Mr GILES: You set the Territory and local government elections for the same time. For your information, member for Nightcliff, when the federal election comes around there will be three elections at the same time. Without looking at ourselves …
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: Hang on, I will get to your question. Without saying, ‘Let us extend the term of our Assembly elections’, let us see what we can do to assist local government’ …
Ms Fyles: Do not do that to Territorians.
Mr GILES: Member for Nightcliff, please let me talk. At the LGANT conference, which is not very far away, I will be talking about the proposal to move the election to 2017. The date has not been determined, as was written in that letter, it is a consideration. We are looking at how we can assist local government in a better transition so they can have their voices heard in a democratic approach.
It also means Territorians do not have to vote three weekends in a row. It is a challenge trying to run three campaigns democratically at the same time. We are not planning on moving ours or moving the feds. How that works together will be determined, but there will be a consultation process through the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory, which represents local government authorities and councils in the Northern Territory. We think that is the best process. We are not hiding it; I have freely expressed that to you in correspondence. It is something we have not, as yet, considered as a Cabinet, but it is a consultative process to see where to go.
Red Tape – Burden on Local Business
Mr BARRETT to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you report to the Assembly on recent findings by Deloitte about the red tape burden imposed on local businesses by the former Labor government, and what progress the government has made in tackling this mountain of Labor red tape?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is all about numbers, isn’t it? As reported in Deloitte’s most recent report Building the Lucky Country, between 2006 and 2011 the Northern Territory Labor government produced the biggest amount of red tape of any jurisdiction in the nation, adding $4bn worth of red tape for business operators.
What have we done since coming to government? We have reduced red tape right across the board – red tape reduction squad. More than 200 pieces of red tape have been removed by this government, making it easier for business to do their job, to employ people and to invest ...
Ms Lee interjecting.
Mr GILES: I heard the member for Arnhem interjecting. I heard her interjecting during the last answer by the Minister for Infrastructure, having a bit of a niggle at him. Let us talk about numbers. One of the most important announcements heard in this Chamber was just made by the Minister for Infrastructure – changing the procurement process in many projects in the Territory so Indigenous Territorians get a leg up. You did not hear it as you were interjecting.
You want to talk about jobs. The changes just announced will mean up to an additional 1000 jobs for Indigenous Territorians through the government procurement process in the Northern Territory. You mob like to talk about it; we talk about it, but we take action – 1000 jobs for Indigenous Territorians. It has never been done before. It is one of the most important procurement reforms in the Northern Territory to support Indigenous Territorians – a fantastic outcome. All you did was interject, mumble, grumble, yell and scream across the Chamber. You should be ashamed of that.
But let us have another look at numbers, because now is the opportune time. Of eight members of the Labor Party, two have withdrawn because of direction by the Speaker. What is the time? It is time for the member for Fannie Bay to start working the room. Never before has he had this opportunity where the leader and deputy leader – opposite him with his four – have been removed from this Chamber. There are six sitting there in opposition, member for Fannie Bay …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, withdraw comments with regard to members being in or out of the Chamber.
Mr GILES: I withdraw. I thought it was permissible when they have been directed by you to leave.
There are six Labor members here. The member for Fannie Bay can now start working the room. Now is your time to shine, member for Fannie Bay ...
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The Chief Minister seems to be distracted from red tape and how he is cutting it in the Northern Territory and helping small business.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: We have just cut a bit now; there are only six in the way. That was your opportunity, member for Fannie Bay. You could have given an Orwellian speech; you could have been Barack Obama, but you chose a silly Standing Order 113 interjection. Why? You must be thinking, ‘That was my time. I could have done it’, but you did not. You missed your opportunity. Now we will have to rely on the member for Johnston as Leader of the Opposition. What will we do, member for Fannie Bay? You missed your time. You could have been the leader. That was the time for you, member for Fannie Bay.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016