2012-10-24
Deputy Chief Minister –
Appointment of
Appointment of
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
During the election campaign you promised the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the member for Goyder, would be your Deputy Chief Minister. Why did you lie?
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That inference cannot be made under the standing orders of this House. I ask the sniping from the Leader of the Opposition be reduced to a straight question.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw ‘lie’. Why did you break your promise to Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, out of courtesy I thank the Opposition Leader for the question. Opposition Leader, I am as you are, fortunate to be in a position where we lead an executive government made up of members of a very experienced team. In being asked that question, it was an acknowledgement of the capacity of a team to make a decision. At that point, a team had made a decision. When the election occurred there was guidance provided by my parliamentary colleagues. It is a decision of the parliamentary team and I cannot presume upon a decision made by a parliamentary team.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Deputy Chief Minister –
Nomination of Member for Goyder
Deputy Chief Minister –
Nomination of Member for Goyder
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
You are the leader of a Country Liberal Party and you promised the electorate the member for Goyder, your deputy, would be Deputy Chief Minister. Did you nominate the member for Goyder as your deputy Chief Minister?
ANSWER
The deputy leader in opposition was the deputy leader immediately after the election. However, those matters are settled by an internal party decision and are not matters for discussion in this Chamber.
Wadeye – Civil Unrest
Mr HIGGINS to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Can you tell the House what measures are in place at Wadeye following the disturbing civil unrest that has occurred in recent days?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for a very important question which goes to a level of great concern right across the Northern Territory. I understand it is of concern to you; you have been watching with some concern and following updates from your electorate. I have been in regular contact and fed those briefings back to my members. I have been in regular contact with the Police Commissioner.
For the information of honourable members, the situation which has arisen in Wadeye results from a murder committed some time ago. There is someone in custody and the matter needs to be dealt with. There is a meeting of senior members of government to coordinate the response to Wadeye, and I commend all agencies for their swift and cooperative work to affect a good response. One of those is to bring forward the funeral as quickly as possible so the underlying issues can, hopefully, be dealt with.
I immediately offered, in consultation with the Ministers for Health and Education, support and refuge to any health worker or teacher working at Wadeye. To their great credit, they decided to stay and continue to serve the community; however, the opportunity was provided that if they needed safety it would be immediately provided. The way this matter has unfolded in the community is of some concern. The sad circumstances have resulted in, of the 400 children enrolled at the school, only 40 to 80 are attending school at the moment because of the unrest. I feel for the teachers. They say they do not feel unsafe but are tired because of the civil unrest in the community. However, they are there and continuing to serve.
One of the concerns is a number have sought refuge in another community. That needs to be followed through very carefully because if the Wet Season comes it will be very hard to provide services there. I receive updates twice a day from the Police Commissioner, and others, if required.
Government Policies – Progress
Mrs PRICE to CHIEF MINISTER
Despite the emerging issues around the state of the Territory budget, can you update the House on the progress on your announced policies?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Stuart for her question. Let me be very clear up front: we will deliver on all our election commitments. We have made a commitment, we have promised to be open and accountable, and we will give full account of ourselves.
We went to the people of the Northern Territory in good faith with a very strong and clear five-point plan of action. We set out we would cut waste and reduce the debt inherited from a previous government, tackle crime at its roots, create a three-hub economy, plan for the future, and be accountable to Territorians.
From the very first day, this government got to work. We stopped or put on hold programs which were not working. We began the process of structural change of the public service and took an immediate search party into the budget books to find out what the real story was with the Territory budget because we suspected it was worse than we thought.
On that, early indications from the Renewal Management Board are very disturbing and should be of concern to members on the other side of the Chamber. There are questions which will require an answer from the former Treasurer.
Housing affordability is the biggest challenge we have. We know home ownership rates and the new home build rates have not improved, especially considering the money invested by the previous government. Those schemes added to the problem; they did not solve or reduce it. Consequently, minister Chandler has been working through a new focus on our housing effort and we will hear more about that shortly.
We also took to the people a clear timetable of our 100-day plan. We are getting to work and implementing that plan.
Government’s Five-Point Plan –
Costs
Costs
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
I am glad you raised your five-point plan because, yes, you campaigned on it during the election. Your first point is to cut waste and reduce debt, yet you have created 10 new departments, hired 10 new CEOs, paid out a significant number of CEOs you have sacked, and are relocating two departments to Alice Springs. How does this cut waste and reduce debt?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, out of courtesy once again to the former Treasurer, I thank her for her question. As a former Treasurer, if you really had an eye you would see the answer to the question quite plainly.
Let me be very clear: the new structure of the public service in the Northern Territory has been established to provide smaller, flatter, and more responsive departments - go figure! This is with one exception, which is due to portfolio requirements.
The purpose of this new structure is to ensure our chief executives have a clear line of sight and handle on the tasks need to be addressed. It is about service delivery and focus. Our challenge is no small one and we do not underestimate the size of the challenge we have been presented with. However, we will meet it ...
Ms Lawrie: How are you cutting waste? Ten new departments, 10 new …
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr MILLS: You have obviously missed the point. Our challenge is no small one and, obviously, the challenge is on the other side.
For example, Territorians need to know the member for Karama - and this is where the member for Karama has the audacity to come into the Chamber and ask questions with fake sincerity - allowed 90 workers in child protection to be employed and undertake important, critical work without giving the department any money at all ...
Ms Lawrie: Not true.
Mr MILLS: It needed to pay the staff.
We are committed to frontline service delivery. We need to focus the public service and ensure we can honour our commitment to provide frontline public service. We are streamlining, we are focusing, but we will not let down on the commitments made and the expectation raised in our community to provide those services. You have provided us with a terrible problem, but we will deal with that. You have given us 90 extra workers funded with not a cent.
Government’s Five-Point Plan –
Law and Order
Law and Order
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Chief Minister, in the five-point action plan you campaigned on, your second point was to strengthen law and order yet you have dismantled the Banned Drinker Register and let 2500 drunks back on the street ignoring the experts and the public calls flooding the airwaves to bring it back. We can see the drunks out there even though you bury your head in the sand about the issue. How does putting 2500 drunks back on the street strengthen law and order?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, based on the assumption they were not there before, now they are all magically there. This is from the Opposition Leader who was on ABC radio claiming she had never seen drunks out the front of Parliament House. Never seen them there before! ‘I’ve never seen them there before, Julia.’
Ms Lawrie: Not true.
Mr MILLS: True. I will give you the transcript.
Mr LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! He is misleading the House. I did not say I had never seen them.
Mr Mills: That is what you said.
Mr Henderson: No it is not.
Ms Lawrie: No, it is not.
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is fully aware she cannot accuse a member of misleading the House other than by way of substantive motion. She either withdraws that assertion or brings on a substantive motion.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Port Darwin.
Leader of the Opposition, if you feel you have been misrepresented you can make a personal statement later on.
Ms LAWRIE: He is making it up as he goes along. It is fine.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That was an unparliamentary comment and I ask you to ask the Leader of the Opposition to withdraw that.
Madam SPEAKER: Sit down, member for Fong Lim. Are there any other questions?
Mr MILLS: There was a point of order and I am still answering the question. I was asked to sit down while the honourable member raised a point of order.
Madam SPEAKER: Okay. Chief Minister.
Mr MILLS: The assertion is the Banned Drinker Register was working and now, magically, we have two thousand plus people wandering around who were not there before.
You obviously have not looked at the facts and figures. It did not work; it was a failure. There were no crime statistics to verify whether it was working or not; they removed those from view. Now you are running an argument where all of a sudden you can see people everywhere. Violent assaults are up 5%. They increased 44% under the Opposition Leader’s time as Deputy Chief Minister. Yes, of course, alcohol is a concern - in fact 59% of all assaults. However, the fact you would like to ignore is that alcohol-related assaults were up 2% under your scheme. It did not work. It cost ...
Ms Lawrie: They were down in Darwin, down in Palmerston and down in Alice Springs.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr MILLS: How can you say that - you removed the crime statistics ...
Ms Lawrie: No.
Mr MILLS: You believe in the crime statistics you have mysteriously now produced. You are now running some kind of argument and are seeing people everywhere. It did not work. We have immediately moved to strengthen the frontline service with 120 extra police. We have legislation coming into the Chamber to deal with the problem full on. Stick with us! It will take us a while to turn this ship around, but we will turn it in the right direction. Your scheme did not work.
Challenges Facing the Territory
Mr STYLES to CHIEF MINISTER
Chief Minister, you have often said the Territory’s best days are ahead but there is an enormous amount of work to do before we get there. What are the challenges facing the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, a very good question indeed. The challenges are plain for most to see and we will not shy away from them. What we said during the election campaign we live with every day, and we will work hard every day to deliver on the expectations raised by Territorians choosing to change the government. I thank the member for this question.
The greatest challenge we face is the state of the Territory budget and the cost of living. Recently released figures show the Territory has the most expensive rents in the country. The average cost of renting a house in Darwin is $560 per week and $540 per week for a unit, although recent newspaper articles quote $700 per week for a house in Darwin. The cost of buying a home is so high many people have, unfortunately, decided to pack up and move down south. That is a very serious problem and one we are dealing with.
Ms Lawrie: How?
Mr MILLS: I am glad you have come to the parliament. We are going to explain all that to you.
I talk to many young people who cannot even imagine, let alone dream - it is out of the question; they cannot afford to live here. Many are saying it is great we have big projects like INPEX, and it certainly is, but you have to plan properly. That is what we will be doing. They do not feel …
Ms Lawrie: When?
Mr MILLS: It has only been a couple of months; you had 10 years.
My government will not shy away from the challenge. We are taking action on housing and will be delivering on our promise, make no mistake, of increasing land release and of 2000 new affordable homes for key workers such as apprentices, teachers, nurses and young people. Stay tuned; just watch and you will see it. The biggest challenge of all is the state of the Territory’s finances. My government put in place a Renewable Management Board to get the real state of the Territory budget on the table and provide advice on a way out of the diabolical financial state we are in.
In May …
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Will the Chief Minister table the document he is reading from and we can then get on with Question Time?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, are you prepared to table the document or are they private papers?
Mr MILLS: I think you know the answer. It is a personal note.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Continue, Chief Minister.
Mr MILLS: These are important numbers. I do not want to make a mistake on these numbers. I do not want to fudge the figures. I do not want to conceal anything from view. I will tell you what you said and what the facts are.
In May, the projected deficit was $767m. Unfortunately, early indication from the Renewable Management Board shows we are looking …
Members interjecting.
Mr MILLS: Just listen! We are looking at a figure over $900m.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired. Please be seated.
Tourism NT –
Relocation to Alice Springs
Relocation to Alice Springs
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
I am looking forward to the debate on the state of the budget and you pointing out where you are getting your figures from.
Chief Minister, during the campaign the third point of your five-point action plan was to grow a three-hub economy. Critical to your three-hub economy was Tourism, yet you have moved Tourism, one of your hubs, to Alice Springs, 1500 km away from Asia where the future of the tourism market exists. You have taken key Tourism staff away from the small businesses they need to work with and moved the aviation unit away from our major international airport. How does this create a three-hub economy?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, once again I thank the Opposition Leader for her question. Unlike the former government, we recognise Central Australia as a nationally and globally identified - most people around the world know this - tourism icon. We are able to consider support for the regions and think for the whole Territory. We can operate marketing of the Northern Territory with headquarters in Alice Springs quite well.
The relocation of Tourism headquarters to Alice Springs will motivate a regional focus on the Territory. We have a plan and a vision to grow the Territory and strengthen, in this case, decision-making and marketing for the Territory from Alice Springs. To run that childish analysis and think it was all in Darwin and now it is all in Alice Springs belies your intelligence. That is not the case. Do you believe there was no presence in Alice Springs before the relocation? Do you believe there will be no presence in Darwin once this relocation occurs? Of course there will be.
We will be thinking for the whole Territory, marketing the whole Territory, and demonstrating we are governing for the Territory, strengthening regional economies, and developing a broader focus for the Northern Territory. We will grow the Territory economy.
Territory Finances – State of
Ms FINOCCHIARO to TREASURER
Treasurer, on 6 August 2008 the former Treasurer, now Leader of the Opposition, issued a media release which claimed the former Labor government would not return to the dark days of the CLP black holes and budget deficits. Can you detail for the House the state of the Territory finances and the challenges this brings.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale, an outstanding member in our new government, for her question this morning. I know the member has a very grave concern for the state of the Territory budget we inherited just eight weeks ago.
It is true the Treasurer, now Opposition Leader, made some big promises in 2008 in respect of the Territory budget. On 6 August 2008, she issued a statement to the media I am happy to table saying:
- We won’t return to the dark days of CLP black holes and budget deficits.
How things have changed! Those words were rather flimsy back in 2008 and continue to be extremely flimsy in October 2012.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Although the CLP believes the global financial crisis did not exist, it did hit and every government in the nation went into deficit as a result of it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Karama, please be seated. There is no point of order.
Mrs LAMBLEY: I take on board the very defensive comments of the Leader of the Opposition, and so she should be defensive. It must be extremely embarrassing for the Leader of the Opposition, and indeed the former Chief Minister, to be faced with the reality of every Territorian knowing exactly what the state of play is when it comes to the Territory budget.
The reason I highlight this statement is because coming into government, most Territorians, I expect, thought they were getting a true picture of the state of affairs. However, that is not the case. Even going back to May 2012, we were told the budget deficit was $767 million. Barely three months later, we found …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Treasurer is misleading the House. She is referring to the fiscal deficit in the financial sector. The budget deficit was always based on the government sector. Do not mislead the House.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mrs LAMBLEY: Madam Speaker, I feel it is the Leader …
Madam SPEAKER: Treasurer, please be seated. Member for Port Darwin.
Mr ELFERINK: Again, the Leader of the Opposition seeks to make a comment which she cannot make other than by way of substantive motion. I ask she withdraws that assertion.
Ms Lawrie: Madam Speaker, I have the 2012-13 budget and I will read the underlying cash outcome ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is not about the budget; this is about an unsubstantiated allegation made by the Leader of the Opposition. If she wants to make an allegation of misleading this House she can do so by way of substantive motion or withdraw the allegation.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Karama, do you wish to make a substantive motion?
Ms LAWRIE: I am not going to cut Question Time short for that; however, she is not telling the truth. I withdraw ‘misleading’. She is not telling the truth. The budget clearly identifies a deficit for 2012-13 at $449m.
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated, member for Karama.
Environmental Protection Authority
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LANDS, PLANNING and the ENVIRONMENT
Minister, you stated yesterday you would introduce legislation to enable development of a new, independent EPA. Could you advise where the existing EPA is not already independent? Could you explain what else is wrong with the present EPA? What will be the cost of setting up the new EPA agency considering you have concerns about fiscal discipline and have an expert team conducting a review of Territory finances?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for the question. The efficiencies come with more effective and open decision-making. Previously, the decision-making was excessively slow. This will be at arm’s length and will be conducted in full view of the Territory community.
One thing I want to restore in the Northern Territory is confidence in the systems designed for the community to be engaged in; to have trust decisions are being made in the interests of the Northern Territory not in the interests of a political party, as in the former government. You will see a significant change. Do not underestimate the improvements we will see in productivity and growth in the Northern Territory when addressing our core issues if we have improved decision-making.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Relevance. I asked if the Chief Minister could show where the existing EPA was not already independent.
Mr MILLS: I indicated it is independent. The commission is independent of the minister and provides, in full view, advice for us all to see. The powers the minister once had, which put the minister in the position of adjudicating and, perhaps, slowing down the process, are now completely rested with the commission. That authority now rests with the commission and not the minister, which provides for openness, transparency and clarity over the decision-making, and full accountability as every member will get to know exactly what those deliberations are before a minister has the opportunity to tick or flick on those final decisions.
Government’s Five-Point Plan –
Future Planning for the Northern Territory
Future Planning for the Northern Territory
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Almost incomprehensible!
During the campaign you had a five-point action plan. Your fourth point was to plan properly for the future of the Northern Territory, yet you have doubled red tape by setting up a planning commission, appointed your mate from interstate without an expression of interest as promised in your 100-day plan, put the My New Home scheme on hold, and your solution to let people buy their own home is to build 2000 homes for people to rent with no mention of where your next land release will be.
Where is the Greater Darwin Strategic Land Use Plan, why have you not gazetted it, and how does any of this plan properly for the future of the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, an interesting question from the Opposition Leader. I thank her once again for the question.
This is the first session of parliament. We have been in government for two months. We have already commenced structural change in the department to ensure we have swifter decision-making. We have legislation which will be introduced in this parliament to establish the planning commission. If you want to criticise the planning commission you had better attend the community forums with the stakeholders who are breathing a sigh of relief that there is now a government which takes long-term strategic planning seriously and will put a system in place to get the show on the road.
Regarding the My New Home scheme, it was viewed by anyone asked, who had a legitimate claim on questioning the capacity of the scheme to deal with the problem, as questionable financially.
We are here for the long haul and will govern properly. We will put schemes in which work. You will find it embarrassing that the approach you have taken has added to the problem because you have been feeding the demand for housing and not addressed supply.
With a properly working planning commission with long-term strategic plans in place, the Development Consent Authority can then do its work. I am not going to pre-empt this, but there will be a much more effective scheme.
Most telling, as the former Treasurer, is that your Treasury was not asked for advice on the capacity of your scheme to fix the problem. That is quite telling. It was a crafted, political response to what you saw as a political problem and has left us with a monumental mess, but we will fix it.
Budget – Government Challenges
Mr KURRUPUWU to TREASURER
The government has targeted balancing the budget by the end of its first term. Can you outline the challenges the government faces in delivering this promise? Are there any recent developments which may further impact on the difficulties of the challenge?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the new member for Arafura; it is an absolute delight to have him in our team. The member for Arafura also cares about the Northern Territory budget and how it impacts on Territory families and businesses.
Ahead of the last election we told Territorians about our five-point plan, which included cutting waste, reducing debt and returning the budget to surplus in our first term. As the Chief Minister has set out, we made the promise in good faith, and we definitely will deliver.
That said, the extent of the deficit we are left with is enormous, despite rejections from the other side of the House over our figures. We are astounded by these early indications. The fiscal imbalance, according to the August pre-election fiscal outlook, is a staggering $876m. Yes, it is based on the non-financial public sector which is inclusive of the general government sector. The Leader of the Opposition’s assertion that we are misleading parliament is totally incorrect. She has taken a very narrow view of interpreting her budget to advantage the former government ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Every jurisdiction in our nation uses the same deficit description as the Territory, with the exception of Victoria, which uses the operating balances, which is currently in surplus.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Please be seated.
Mrs LAMBLEY: Yes, you are quite right Leader of the Opposition. However, when the debt is sustained in the non-financial public sector like it is within the Northern Territory you cannot ignore it. That is what you have, effectively, done for the last four years. You have ignored the vast amount of debt which has accumulated in this sector over the last four years to the detriment of the whole of the Northern Territory.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Eight budget surpluses in a row, a reduction of debt of $582m ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Karama, please be seated. Treasurer.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask you to caution the Leader of the Opposition about frivolous points of order.
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated, member for Port Darwin.
Mrs LAMBLEY: I will allow the Leader of the Opposition to continue misleading Territorians because it is obviously in her favour to do so; however, the reality is there is an $867m debt.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask the Treasurer to withdraw the word ‘misleading’.
Madam SPEAKER: Treasurer, could you please withdraw ‘misleading’?
Mrs LAMBLEY: I withdraw the word ‘misleading’, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mrs LAMBLEY: To top it off, we have interest payments of $750 000 per day 365 days a year, compliments of the former government.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I normally do not talk about people who are not parliamentarians in this House, but I ask you to remind all staffers in boxes who are assisting ministers and opposition members that they are not allowed to interject or in any way involve themselves in the debate.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Port Darwin.
Government’s Five-Point Plan –
Accountability
Accountability
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Chief Minister, during the campaign the last point of your five-point action plan was to be accountable. However, you have appointed all your mates to jobs as CEs in the public service without advertising those positions, you have used taxpayers’ money to pay for your political ads, you have sacked the Coordinator-General, Olga Havnen, you have sacked the external monitoring committee overseeing the implementation of the board of inquiry into child protection, and you are still avoiding the media.
Given you have directly contradicted all five points in what I will table as your five-point action plan, given you have been hiding from the media, and given you have sacked anyone in a position to oversight the actions of government, how is this accountable?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. I was in the media about 45 minutes ago. I am in the media regularly and will not need to respond any further to that strange assertion.
I am glad you have noticed the five-point plan because Territorians have that action plan and the last point is accountability. I am asking Territorians to recognise they have made a decision and to judge us on performance.
You can question all you like the decisions made; we can account for every one of them. However, at the end of the day, the decisions made by this government - and a number of important decisions have been made in the best interests of the Territory - you judge on performance. You see what occurs as a result of this change of government. There have been decisions, as you have outlined, and you could spend the whole time in this parliament arguing every aspect of the decisions made. Judge us by the outcome.
Judge us by the result in four years’ time. We had a government in the Territory for well over 10 years and as much as you would like to pretend and conceal it from view, we have been left with a monumental mess on every front with a disorganised, ill-focused policy direction which provided no change, just a spin campaign to con Territorians. Well, the game is up. Judge us on performance. There will be results.
I have put many systems in place which will provide confidence to the community we are governing for the whole Northern Territory. We are not governing for the interests of a ruling party - the former Labor Party.
Former Under Treasurer’s Role
in Government
in Government
Mr VATSKALIS to MINISTER for HEALTH
Minister, can you please explain why you employed the sacked Under Treasurer, Jennifer Prince, and what role will she be performing for you now?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Casuarina for his question. It is a very good question and I am happy to answer it.
Jennifer Prince is employed to assist me in fighting for funds from Canberra from the federal Labor government. The previous government did an appalling job of getting Canberra to pay its fair share. I cannot think of a better person to be advising the minister on how to go about chasing funds from Canberra than the former Under Treasurer, Jennifer Prince who has a strong track record in that area.
Further, I am asking the former Under Treasurer to assist me with restructuring the Department of Health. I am currently doing those reviews with her and, hopefully, within the next few weeks or months I will have something more to deliver to this Chamber about future directions for the Department of Health.
Children and Families -
State of Services
State of Services
Ms LEE to MINISTER for EDUCATION and CHILDREN’S SERVICES
Can the minister update the House on the state of the Children and Families department and are there any funding challenges the minister can inform the House of?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the new member for Arnhem - a mother and a great new leader in her community. We are very excited to have her on board.
Yes, there are some major challenges facing the Office of Children and Families, compliments of the former government. It is troubling that, despite the effort and money invested in child protection in response to the recommendations of the board of inquiry report two years ago, the number of notifications of children being harmed or neglected in the Northern Territory continues to increase quite dramatically.
Last year the numbers of notifications received by Children and Families was 7970, an increase of nearly 22% from the previous year. Related to this is the subsequent increase in the number of children and young people entering out-of-home care because they are unable to live at home safely.
The 2011-12 budget for the Department of Children and Families was $173m. As of 30 June this year, as a stand-alone department 865 staff were employed, with 683 employed in the front line. These frontline workers are expected to work with families in providing child protection and domestic and family violence services, or in roles which directly support this type of work.
In its haste to make up the failures it had been burdened with over the last decade, Labor recruited many frontline workers but there was one major problem: it did not allocate any money.
We have found over the last eight weeks and three days we have been in government that the former Minister for Child Protection, the member for Casuarina, worked with an open cheque book saying, ‘Yes, you keep employing these people, go for it. We will worry about the money later’, which we now know typifies how the former government worked and how the Treasurer, now Leader of the Opposition, liked to do business. Spend, spend, spend and worry about how you will pay it back later, thus the incredible fiscal deficit we are faced with at the moment.
Labor's cavalier approach to budget accountability meant staff were employed by government but funding these positions was someone else’s responsibility, someone else’s problem. That problem has landed right in the laps of the new government of the Northern Territory.
I am committed to making real change for children and families despite the budget constraints, and to retaining staff, which is critical to improving services across the board.
I guarantee no frontline staff will lose their jobs through having these positions cut. The Country Liberals will find the money, as difficult as that will be - and I can assure you it will be very difficult, but it is the legacy of how the Labor government did business. Allowing child protection workers to be employed and undertake very important, critical work without giving the department ongoing money is a very bad legacy.
Former Under Treasurer –
Sacking of
Sacking of
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
The Minister for Health just glowingly endorsed the skills of the sacked Under Treasurer and has employed her to provide expert advice on health funding, saying she is the best at that job, and to provide him with expert advice on the structure of his department.
Chief Minister, can you explain why you sacked her?
ANSWER
Member for Karama, Leader of the Opposition, I completely agree with what the Health minister has said. Describing the former Under Treasurer in those terms is appropriate. It was my recommendation she be given this responsibility because of the wonderful service she has provided for such a long period of time to the Northern Territory. However, it was time for change and a new government had the capacity to make that decision.
I do not shy away from making the necessary and difficult decisions; but it is not a reflection on the person. It was a need for change and is demonstrated by recommending that the former Under Treasurer could provide continued and very valuable service to the Northern Territory, which she has done for many years.
New Prison - Costs
Mr STYLES to MINISTER for CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
Minister, can you please advise the House of the challenges the new prison will place on the budget?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question because the operations of the prison and law and order issues are at the front of his mind. He raises those issues with me on a very regular basis.
The first thing I did when becoming Minister for Correctional Services was to examine the contracts to see how tightly locked down they were. The former government did one thing right; it had the contracts locked down tight. They are tighter than a frog’s bottom, and that is watertight.
The former government promised the whole thing would only cost us $495m. Hogwash! The fact is, it will cost us …
Ms Lawrie: Construction costs.
Mr ELFERINK: I hear the interjection: ‘it is only the construction cost’. I am talking about the construction cost. It will cost more than $495m and the ongoing liabilities the Northern Territory government is exposed to in this area will mean we will have to pay between $600m and $700m for those liabilities we carry for the next 30 years. Moreover, let us examine what that means when you reach that 30 year point and look backwards. You will suddenly realise the government will have parted with somewhere around $1.8bn to $2bn to …
Ms Lawrie: The Auditor-General does not agree with you.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: They do not like this and I am not at all surprised they are embarrassed because that is how much Territory taxpayers will have to part with. What is worse, the day this prison opens, if things keep going the way they are, it will be filled to its gunnels. That means I, or whoever the Correctional Services minister is into the future, will be in the horrible position of having to say to Cabinet colleagues, ‘Look, I need some more money to keep Berrimah Prison open’.
That is the quality of mismanagement we have seen from the Labor Party in the Northern Territory. This is the quality of mismanagement we have to correct. The impact on this budget, the next budget, and budgets for the next 30 years will be felt and resonate all that way through. I am not at all surprised members opposite are now embarrassed into silence, because it is a shocking legacy they have left the people of the Northern Territory. I am grateful for an opportunity to try to help the Treasurer adjust this into the future.
Territory Debt –
Return of Balance to Zero
Return of Balance to Zero
Ms LAWRIE to TREASURER
In the NT News of 27 September this year you said you would wipe out the debt by 2016. Yes or no, will you?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. We have made no secret of the fact that is one of the intentions of this government. We are now in a position of assessing the damage. We have appointed a Renewal Management Board consisting of five highly-esteemed and capable people who are assessing the exact state of the finances in all the agencies within government, all the corporations, all the places this government could be hiding money ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was, ‘You said you would wipe out debt by 2016. Yes or no, will you?’
Mrs LAMBLEY: We are doing everything we can to come into surplus, Leader of the Opposition.
Ms LAWRIE: After the Chief Minister pointed out you do not know the difference between deficit and debt ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Karama, please be seated.
Mrs LAMBLEY: I am one minute into my response, Leader of the Opposition. You know, as well as I do that you get three minutes!
We intend to come into surplus ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Cease interjections! Treasurer, you have the call.
Mrs LAMBLEY: We will be returning the fiscal balance to zero by the end of our term.
Environmental Protection Authority - Expressions of Interest for Chair of
Mr WOOD to CHIEF MINISTER
You said you would call for expressions of interest in applications for the appointment of an independent chair of the EPA. Yesterday you made a promise of being open and transparent. Could you say for how long the expression of interest period ran, how many people sent in an expression of interest; and who assessed and recommended the final candidate for the job?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson. I am on the record and acknowledge there was a consideration of who could best fill that position. It was the view of many there was an appropriate candidate. I accept there was not the process you are referring to but, in this case ...
Mr Henderson: A CLP crony got the job.
Mr MILLS: ... these assertions from those who see everything through a political prism, thinking these are all politically-motivated decisions, at the end of the day the fifth point is accountability. If this does not work, if it does not produce results, we will be accountable. I have made a decision and I accept the responsibility for that decision. Judge us by the results.
Department of Infrastructure –
Staff Cuts
Staff Cuts
Mr McCARTHY to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE
Is it true the Department of Infrastructure has been instructed to lose 100 staff over the next three years? If not 100, how many, minister?
ANSWER
Thank you very much for your question, shadow minister. Madam Speaker, it is a great portfolio to take over and I am sure he enjoyed the portfolio of Infrastructure during his time.
It is a difficult challenge walking into these portfolios with trouble all over the place; to see what I have to inherit, particularly in areas such as the asset management system, which many members in this Chamber would understand. We are talking about debt today. The Treasurer has been talking about debt and the Leader of the Opposition has been talking about debt.
We look at a program such as the asset management system and the original proposal of how much was supposed to be spent on that project, how many tens of millions of dollars have been spent to date, and how much more money has to be spent today because of the poor decisions which were made by you and your Cabinet under the previous government ...
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was about how many staff the department will lose. If it is not 100, how many?
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, could you get to the point?
Mr GILES: As I was saying, coming into this portfolio I have had to take on many legacy issues from the failures left under your leadership as the minister for Infrastructure, and the failed leadership of your Cabinet ...
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! If the minister cannot answer the question he should sit down.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr GILES: Thank you very much. On reflection, Question Time when you were the minister was much more shambolic, my friend ...
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question is: how many staff will the department lose and, if it is not 100, how many, minister?
Mr GILES: Thank you very much for your question, once again, opposition spokesperson for Infrastructure. One of the disappointing parts of coming into this parliament was - yes, we got some fantastic new bush members; yes, there has been commentary about how well the campaign went, particularly in the bush, but we did not win the seat of Barkly. The people of Barkly really need a voice.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I will use the last 30 seconds to ask the question again because this minister cannot answer. We know there are people to be sacked ...
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! If there is going to be a point of order I would like to know what standing order it is so I can make direct reference to it.
Madam SPEAKER: Please continue, minister.
Mr GILES: These points of order are irrelevant and frivolous.
The biggest disappointment was we did not get proper leadership in the Barkly. Our Treasurer is working to present a mini-budget in early December and we will be formulating austerity measures to pay for the debts of your failed government.
Madam SPEAKER: Your time has expired minister, please be seated.
Health System –
Financial Sustainability
Financial Sustainability
Ms LEE to MINISTER for HEALTH
Minister, can you give the House some examples of how the former government’s fiscal incompetence and poorly negotiated funding arrangements with the Commonwealth have impacted on the financial sustainability of the health system in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for the question. I acknowledge your long-term commitment to health services in the Northern Territory. It is great to have someone from the health sector in the Chamber talking health issues. Well done! I am looking forward to working with you into the future. A very good question too.
I remember throwing barbs at the previous government about Julia Gillard’s puppets and the Chief Minister being nothing but a lapdog for the federal Labor government. A whole range of decisions seemed completely crazy to us. The former government’s support of the carbon tax, the former government’s support of the live cattle ban to Indonesia was so worrying. I always thought there must be some quid pro quo in place for giving that type of support where you see Territorians harmed - we would benefit somewhere along the line. Of course, Labor governments all around the country are known as the great champions of the health system.
I was stunned when I was given this portfolio - I thank the Chief Minister for that decision - to look at the health system and see the state it was in. There are no executive officers in flash offices. There is not the waste we find in other departments. In fact, much of the infrastructure is falling down around the ears of the people in the health system.
We are so fortunate in the Northern Territory to have fantastic people working in the health sector. I do not know how they have done it. They have done it in spite of the previous government not because of it.
We have the worst health outcomes and the highest health needs of all Australians and you would expect that to be reflected in Commonwealth funding coming into the Northern Territory health system. However, although there is a national average of 63% of health budgets being picked up by the Commonwealth, only 43% of the Northern Territory is being collected from the Commonwealth.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Under Abbott as Health minister Territory health funding was slashed. We used to average 60% plus; he slashed it to 40%. Come in spinner, it was Abbott!
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Please be seated.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, we have been ripped off by the Commonwealth ...
Madam SPEAKER: Your time has expired.
Mr TOLLNER: ... and by the former government.
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated. Minister, resume your seat.
Department of Transport –
Budget Cuts
Budget Cuts
Mr McCARTHY to MINISTER for TRANSPORT
Minister, is it true the Department of Transport has to cut $8m from next year’s budget? I understand this will result in cuts to free buses for events, possibly increased bus fares, cuts to road safety programs, cuts to the integrated transport strategy, the regions, as well as possible job losses. Can you confirm all these programs are safe and staff are safe?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the shadow minister for the question. You must be living in fairyland. He used to be a rodeo clown and someone who would dress up in the uniform of Hector the Road Safety Cat so I do not expect anything different. As I was saying in my previous answer …
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister has just alluded to possibly another cut - Hector the Road Safety Cat and the road safety program. Can he confirm to this parliament he has a serious grudge against Hector?
Madam SPEAKER: Please be seated, member for Barkly.
Mr GILES: Thank you for repeating the question. As I was saying, the best thing is to see the new bush members come into our team under the Mills government. It is fantastic. I put on the record that it is a huge disappointment for me that we did not win Barkly.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Will the minister answer the question?
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, can you get to the point please.
Mr GILES: The biggest disappointment was when I woke up on Sunday morning to find out the cat is back in Barkly. That damn cat is back - I remember a funny song.
A range of changes will be organised through the Department of Transport which include improving services through Motor Vehicle Registry, such as immediately opening trading on Saturdays at Parap Motor Vehicle Registry.
We are looking at how we can improve the commercial passenger vehicle industry. We are looking at how we can streamline and save costs in Motor Vehicle Registry by encouraging people to perform more transactions online. There is a whole reform strategy where we want to see improvements in the transport industry.
Later this week I will be introducing legislation for the national rail reform process. We are moving forward in the transport industry. It is an important, integral component to ensure the seamless transition of our three-hub economy.
It is important that we have our logistical supply chain at a better standard than it is. We know in infrastructure, around roads and so forth, all our big brands have been tarnished. We have a bad name for our port; a bad name for rail, and a bad name for roads. It is our job as a Country Liberals government to improve that image.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Relevance. The question was asked; it has not been answered with 25 seconds to go. Answer the question, please!
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, can you please get to the point.
Mr GILES: Thank you, member for Nelson. If you were listening, member for Nelson, I said at the start the shadow minister is living in fairyland ...
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I back that up. Will the minister answer the question?
Mr GILES: I have answered the question; you are living in fairyland. There has been no request for an $8m reduction.
Madam SPEAKER: Your time has expired minister.
Aboriginal Communities –
Improvements
Mrs PRICE to MINISTER for INDIGENOUS ADVANCEMENT
Minister, given the massive amounts of money the previous government and the federal government have spent in Aboriginal communities, could you please tell us what improvements you have seen over the last few years and what can be improved?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the new member for Stuart, a Warlpiri language speaking woman from the desert, born and bred on Warlpiri country, who identifies with the people, speaks the language, and really understands the huge problem she has in the electorate of Stuart. She does not only travel in her electorate of Stuart, she also comes over to Namatjira and goes into Barkly because that is where many of her family live.
I will update the House. The Chief Minister, the sub-committee and I went on a tour immediately after the election to thank the Aboriginal voters. We went to the Tiwi Islands, Wadeye, Lajamanu, and we also went to Ampilatwatja. Chief Minister, I thank you for being so humble and respectful to Aboriginal people, never standing up or talking down to people, but listening to people. That is something Aboriginal people are still talking about. People really want to start engaging with this government as they have told you and the sub-committee. This government will listen. This government will do things differently.
You are on the opposite side because black people put you over there. You stopped listening to Aboriginal people. You stopped listening, you stopped delivering the appropriate services and what a result to see the member for Karama sitting there as the Opposition Leader first denied by that man sitting over there then denied by Aboriginal people.
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! In accordance with standing orders, I ask that you direct the minister to direct her comments through the Chair not across the Chamber.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please direct your comments through the Chair.
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