2013-10-17
Jawoyn Funds – Alleged Misappropriation
Mr McCARTHY to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
A formal complaint from Mr Ray Whear on 17 January 2013 to Northern Territory police alleged that serious crimes had been committed by former CEO, Preston Lee. Mr Whear followed up with correspondence on 30 August and 16 October 2013. In his letter dated 30 August 2013 to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Whear stated:
- The ORIC Chief Investigator specifically told me that they simply do not have the powers of the NT police to gather the required evidence from banks, local businesses and individual witnesses.
Leave granted.
Mr McCARTHY: Minister, will you advise the Assembly whether NT Police conducted an active investigation into the matters raised in Mr Whear’s initial complaint? Will you also advise the House whether police interviewed witnesses and obtained evidence beyond the scope of the ORIC investigation and did the things ORIC does not have the power to do?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I think answered this question yesterday when I said police received some complaints, as mentioned by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. They looked at some of those complaints and referred the matters, as detailed in a statement put out by the police around 5.30 pm yesterday, to ORIC, the regulator at the national level – the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations. ORIC conducted an investigation and determined no criminal matters needed to be investigated.
The powers, the opportunity and the authority ORIC has is to have a detailed analysis of what occurs within many different Aboriginal organisations around Australia. Quite often they become involved in looking at different corporations and governance structures, and the operations that occur there.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a very direct question. Did the Northern Territory Police undertake an active investigation?
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker! It is a very direct answer the House is receiving.
Madam SPEAKER: The Chief Minister has three minutes to answer the question as he sees fit.
Mr GILES: Thank you, Madam Speaker. ORIC conducts a number of investigations and looks at a number of different Indigenous corporations around Australia on a range of issues. It is commonly known that there is a number of governance issues in Indigenous corporations around Australia. ORIC ...
Ms Lawrie: It is a fraud allegation.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms Fyles: A serious allegation.
Mr GILES: You have identified, through the interjection there is somewhat of a fraud allegation. Police looked at it and deemed it was appropriate to send those referrals to ORIC, the regulator at the federal level. ORIC always has –-where they have the authority – been the regulator. If you look at the issues around any governance arrangements, or otherwise, with Indigenous corporations that come within the purview of the necessary act ...
Ms Fyles: An active investigation.
Mr GILES: When ORIC undertook that investigation the regulator determined there was no requirement to look at criminal prosecution.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. We are in the last minute of the question and he has not advised whether NT Police conducted an active investigation.
Madam SPEAKER: Please stop the clock. Member for Nightcliff, he may not have answered the question to your satisfaction, but he still has one minute to answer the question. He is answering the question. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, police undertook an initial analysis, as I understand, and referred that matter to ORIC. That is its role in this case. There are many times when referrals are made to police and police have to refer them on to a number of different places.
This is a matter you should be pursuing at the federal level if you have concerns about ORIC. At the time ORIC conducted the investigation, Jenny Macklin was the Labor Minister for Indigenous Affairs. The investigation was undertaken during Labor times in Canberra.
You keep digging this up. If you have a concern, I suggest you write to the federal Indigenous Affairs minister and ask him for any other detail that may have come about through the investigation which was undertaken. As I said, the findings were there were no criminal charges to be laid.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I neglected to mention earlier that any questions that were to go to the Health minister should be directed to the Deputy Chief Minister.
INPEX Project – Benefits to Territory Workers
Ms FINOCCHIARO to CHIEF MINISTER
Could you please outline the benefits flowing to Territory workers and businesses from the INPEX project?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. She is very excited that constituents in her electorate are working on the INPEX project, whether it is through INPEX, JKC or one of the other subsidiary contractors. It is a very good investment in the Northern Territory.
I reflect on times when Denis Burke was around and got the LNG industry flowing in the Northern Territory. Denis Burke and his previous Cabinet were the brains behind getting LNG to the Top End with Darwin LNG and the role ConocoPhillips continues to play. It is a fantastic outcome which has continued to roll on through projects such as ENI and their gas development, and INPEX.
A recent Deloitte survey found almost a fifth of Territory businesses expect to grow by over 30% within the next 12 months. When releasing this report, Deloitte noted that businesses across a range of industries in the Northern Territory are telling them they are optimistic about the opportunity to leverage off major developments in the Territory.
I am sure everyone in the Chamber is aware the work is well under way on the $34bn LNG project at Blaydin Point for the Ichthys gas development. We expect almost $5.1bn from the project will be spent locally on Territory-based businesses, which is a sure-fire opportunity for jobs to go to Territorians.
Direct employment through JKC subcontracts on the project has now reached over 3400 workers, 2300 of whom are Territorians. That means 70% of the workforce is local. To date, more than 170 subcontract or supplier purchase orders have been awarded to 137 Territory-based companies by JKC and its top tier contractors. This is pumping money and jobs through the local economy. This would not have been possible without the intervention of this side of the Chamber getting in and fighting hard for Territory businesses and Territory jobs.
In addition, there are also many other Territory businesses that have secured lower tier subcontract packages of work on the project.
Later today I will have the pleasure of heading out to one of the local companies that secured some of this work. I look forward to hearing from them how this project is benefitting their businesses.
The Ichthys project gas development is set to break records in size, complexity, financing and scale. I am thrilled to see so many local businesses reaping the benefits of this world-scale project.
I do not deny that Clare Martin and Paul Henderson had a great deal to do in this role, but I have to say we have done work, in the meantime, to put pressure on these companies, working hand-in-hand, to say we need more local business and local jobs for Territorians. It is something we are firmly committed to and will keep pushing.
I look forward to working with INPEX over the next week to ensure there are more contracts coming to Territorians and more jobs for our future.
Teacher Protest Rally –
Education Minister’s Presence
Education Minister’s Presence
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for EDUCATION
Today I will received a petition with some 2300 signatures which calls on you and the CLP government to stop sacking teachers and cutting resources to our schools. Territory students are facing much less individual attention, larger classes and the loss of subjects under your new funding formula for schools. Last time parents, teachers and students rallied outside parliament to protest your government’s teacher cuts, you stayed in your office. This afternoon, will you join me and other members of parliament at the rally to face the teachers and parents so you can understand why they do not want to see teachers sacked from our schools? Do you have the courage of your convictions to front up to the rally?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question. Unlike former Labor ministers, who rarely, if ever. fronted public rallies, I will be there. I look forward to being there because I have respect for the people who will be there and the passion they share with me for education in the Northern Territory. It is my role to do my job better, to listen to people who turn up to the rally today. So I will be there.
I cannot recall when a Labor minister ever turned up to a rally in front of this House. With the previous Chief Minister, Terry Mills, there was a major rally out the front and there were unions and hundreds of people involved, yet what happened? The Chief Minister walked out there with a number of his Cabinet members, along with a number of backbenchers who mingled with the crowds and listened to their concerns. We have the courage, unlike you guys, who are riding the back of education at the moment, instead of driving education.
Leader of the Opposition, I am happy to listen to the concerns because I have absolute respect for the teachers in the Northern Territory and we want to support education. We do not want to do what you are doing, just riding education, riding sentiment, driving untruths in the community, even in this House just yesterday. Yesterday, the member for Nightcliff said that Nightcliff Middle School is expecting a growth spurt but will lose eight teachers in 2014. Your words.
Nightcliff Middle School is projected to lose 12 student enrolments in 2014 and will lose 2.56 teachers - fact. The member for Nhulunbuy said, ‘All of my schools will lose teachers’. Wrong. Nhulunbuy Primary School will gain 2.3 teacher positions.
The member for Johnston said, ‘You are slashing 12 teachers from Casuarina Senior College’. Member for Johnston, you are wrong again. Casuarina Senior College will have a reduction of five teacher positions. The member for Karama said the government is cutting 12 teacher positions from Sanderson Middle School by the 2014 school year. Wrong. Sanderson Middle School will have a reduction of five teacher positions for 2014 as their enrolments have decreased by 105 students. I look forward to the rally this afternoon. Thank you.
Business Growth - Deloitte Survey Results
Ms FINOCCHIARO to TREASURER
A recent Deloitte survey found almost a fifth of businesses in the Northern Territory expect growth over 30% within the next 12 months. Minister, I understand a new report from Deloitte has since been issued. Can the minister inform members of the contents of that report, and how it relates to the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. I know she has a real interest in the economic growth occurring in the Northern Territory. Her electorate soaks up a lot of the new workers who arrive in the Northern Territory, and she likes to keep abreast of what is going on in relation to how the government is continuing to grow the economy. She is absolutely right, the Deloitte survey found almost a fifth of businesses in the Northern Territory expect growth of over 30% within the next 12 months.
It is great news, and it flies in the face of the comments we constantly receive from the opposition that the Northern Territory is going to hell in a hand basket. The Northern Territory economy continues to power on and there is a great synergy between this report and the policies of this government.
I have an excerpt of the report which I would like to table. It is titled The Top End to Remain a Chart Topper. Deloitte reports:
- NT can continue its endless summer if it acts to catch coming growth waves.
Looking at what it talks about as coming growth waves, Deloitte says:
- Rather than feeding an enormous demand for industrial resources, Australia’s future opportunities will gradually shift towards satisfying the demands of the middle class – good food, education, travel opportunities, clean energy and wealth management.
These are the same opportunities the Adam Giles Country Liberals government has identified for the Northern Territory. It is like it is straight out of the Country Liberals government’s economic growth handbook. It says:
- The NT’s announced 3-Hub strategy focusing on mining and energy, tourism and education, and food exports shows that the economy is already preparing for the coming shift.
For Australia as a whole, the future is looking bright as we position ourselves to prosper from Asia’s emerging middle class. For the NT, the rewards are already being felt as the Territory surfs the waves of opportunity.
Teacher Numbers – Arafura Electorate
Mr GUNNER to MINISTER for EDUCATION
It was your CLP Chief Minister, Terry Mills, who said recently, ‘We gave the bush hope and they gave us trust,’ but that transaction is incomplete and appears to have been abandoned. You have cut 14 teachers from schools in the Arafura electorate. Please explain to the CLP member for Arafura and his constituents how cutting 14 teachers in his electorate is repaying the trust Terry Mills spoke about?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. Rather than continue to add fuel to the fire that has been started by the Labor government, I will table for you the actual numbers. This is a document that contains all the schools in the Northern Territory, and it shows both the numbers of teachers, the differences each year from 2010-11 to 2013-14. Had the Labor Party wanted to show some real concern about education, they could have got this information off of the Department of Education website. The reality is they did not.
Mr CHANDLER: They make up numbers. They use things like …
Ms Walker: You are cutting teachers
Mr CHANDLER: I need to put this into context, because the member for Nightcliff raised this issue in an interjection in the last question and she raised contract teachers. There will always be a number of contract teachers in the education system. There is a reason for that and one might be that a young lady may have a partner, she may get pregnant and go on maternity leave. If that maternity leave is for 12 months, the Education department puts a contracted teacher on to replace that teacher while she is on maternity leave. At the end of that contract, when that teacher, the one that holds the substantive position, comes back into the school, there may not be a position for the person who holds that contract. They were contracted from this period to this period, the very nature of what contracts are.
The point being …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. This does not explain why 14 teachers have been cut from the electorate of Arafura.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, if you could get to the point.
Mr CHANDLER: Madam Speaker, I am not listening to the facts being put up by the opposition, because rarely do the facts they put up have any relevance to the truth. The reality is – I will get back to contracts for a moment - we came into government and found that 30% of our teachers were on contracts. Today, that is 14%. Nothing surer has provided security for teachers than taking them from contracts and giving them permanent positions.
They might talk all they want about providing surety for teachers and confidence and building education in the Territory, but they had 30% of their teachers on contracts. That today has been reduced to 14%. That is an amazing turnaround, but like we saw here in the Chamber yesterday, we have an opposition that just wants to continually fuel the fire, riding education and not driving it. This is something they never had the courage to do.
We want to improve education in the Territory and I will not give up. Thank you.
Infrastructure Delivery –
Benefits to Local Business
Benefits to Local Business
Mr HIGGINS to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE
Infrastructure investment is vital to the development of many large investment opportunities in the Territory. Can you advise the House of the plans government has to improve and increase the delivery of infrastructure and ensure local businesses benefit?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. The Country Liberal government has declared that the Northern Territory is open for business, and I do not think that is a secret. At the Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory AGM yesterday, the comments were they were grateful we are getting rid of red tape.
I would like to put some of the issues in context. The previous Australian Labor Party government was good at infrastructure; they built pyramids, and not the sort in Egypt. They are debt pyramids, and this is a graph showing a pyramid when Labor was in government federally. We go up the side of the pyramid and then the Liberals and Coalition get in and down it goes, then they get in and it goes up again. They put an antenna on the top of this – a huge tower. It goes straight through the roof.
Here is the Northern Territory graph, and the Leader of the Opposition, when Treasurer, was in charge of this. The Territory was not doing too badly, then the current Leader of the Opposition gets in and where do we go? We are building another pyramid. Fortunately they did not get to put the antenna on it. They are great at building infrastructure. Madam Speaker, I digress. I wanted to set it up.
We are getting rid of red tape and people in business are grateful for it. These are the facts about business confidence. Small to medium businesses consider the Northern Territory government to be the most supportive government in the nation.
That is according to the latest Sensis Business Index. Fantastic results! There are pages of positive outcomes here, which demonstrates we are open for business. I am grateful I am on this side of the parliament, not that side, because all you do is build pyramids of debt.
We need to take advantage of our close proximity to Asia and capitalise on infrastructure investment. Ensuring planning processes are rigorous and ensuring value for money for Territory taxpayers is essential, but they have to be flexible enough to encourage investment.
Local businesses are looked after by the CLP government by changes to local development that value-add criteria with more specific questions: questions on how tenderers will add benefit to the Northern Territory by providing training to existing employees, suppliers and subcontractors, where possible.
At 30 April 2013, 95.6% of civil tenders were won by locals, equating to 94.3% of the value of the work let. For the same time, building works – 94.5% of contracts were awarded to locals, representing 97.5% of the value of the work let. From 1 July 2012 to 30 June, tenders were out to the value of $341 512.21. Madam Speaker, we stand on our record.
Teacher Numbers - Arnhem Electorate
Mr GUNNER to MINISTER for EDUCATION
Your colleague, the member for Arnhem, has had her hands full dodging allegations of misconduct in relation to her fuel card and campaign funding. While the Country Liberals member has been busy not talking to the media, you have cut 17 teachers from schools in her electorate. Minister, the local member may be more interested in her own job than those of her teachers, but how do you, as Education minister, justify ripping the heart out of schools in the Arnhem electorate?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, while I appreciate the question because we all want better educational outcomes in the Northern Territory, I do not accept the numbers quoted by the member for Fannie Bay. We know what they have done with the numbers in recent days in this Chamber – in fact, over the last two sittings – and in teachers’ letterboxes, and not just teachers, but everyone’s letterboxes.
Ms Walker: You have had three Education ministers. You have no idea what the numbers are.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr CHANDLER: One that sat in opposition. The truth is in the last five years - I have said this time and time again - under the former Labor government, when they had their hands loosely on the wheel, they employed 790 people in the Department of Education. Student numbers only went up by 173. Again, if there were great improvements in education, I would be your biggest advocate.
Madam Speaker, the graph I was talking about yesterday clearly shows - I will table this so everyone can see it clearly …
Ms Fyles: You will table it today.
Mr CHANDLER: No problem, member for Nightcliff, I have nothing to hide. At least we are being up front with people and telling the truth. That is the difference.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Let the media speak to principals at schools directly to find out exactly how many teachers are going.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, that is not a standing order. You are on a warning.
Mr CHANDLER: The graph being tabled today, which has been available on the Education website, clearly indicates what the differences will be in schools across the Territory. Again, what the Labor opposition failed to tell people about is the strengthening of early education and how valuable that is to education and building a solid platform for children in education.
We understand any changes in Education – small changes, large charges – are hard to take sometimes. Nobody likes change, but the reality is, if we continue to do things the way the former Labor government did, the way they ran things before, this is clearly unsustainable, particularly when we were not seeing the results in education.
That is why we need to look at how we deliver education in the bush. It is why we need to investigate and review the way middle schools are operated today. It is why we should be focusing on improving teacher quality and supporting teachers.
Supporting teachers is what we need to do. Teacher quality is paramount if we are to have decent education into our schools. We have to be supporting our teachers, providing them with the resources to be able to do their job better. That is the reality. We will focus on size, and what reviews and the experts tell us works and does not work in our schools.
Poppy Production at Tipperary Station
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
On the ABC Country Hour last Friday, it was reported that a Tasmanian poppy company, TPI, was seeking permission to grow poppies at Tipperary Station after the company completed a successful trial in Katherine. Could you say what permissions would be needed to grow the crop on a pastoral lease? Are there any security issues or other matters that need to be considered? Would the company develop the pharmaceuticals extracted from the plants in the Territory? The ABC Country Hour also reported the peak poppy grower group in Tasmania is not very happy about the TPI moving to the Territory. Obviously, this is not sour grapes, but would you agree it definitely looks like a bad case of the tall poppy syndrome?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for that question, which I cannot describe as a triple bunger because there were so many questions in there. Goodness me!
The Country Liberals are very keen to see continued agricultural development across the Northern Territory, and we embrace the possibility we could have new crops here to increase our economy. We have been very supportive of the trial that has occurred over the last few months with poppies in Katherine and the Douglas Daly.
This is an opportunity, perhaps, member for Nelson, for a new industry in the Northern Territory. There is a legitimate trade and need for pharmaceuticals across the globe. There is a legitimate industry that exists in Tasmania supporting that right now. In my view, there is no reason in the world why the Northern Territory cannot have a slice of that action. It is a wonderful idea.
There are, of course, concerns around security, considering it is a pharmaceutical crop that is contained within the auspices of the Misuse of Drugs Act and permitting is required. An exhaustive process was undertaken to permit the poppy trials under section 33 of the Misuse of Drugs Act. This allows for dangerous drugs and their precursors to be possessed, cultivated, and/or manufactured.
So far, I can report that the trials have gone extremely well. The poppy plants have grown well, and the alkaloid content which has been harvested from those small trials is as good as or better than that which is produced in Tasmania. It is wonderful news for the Northern Territory.
There is an opportunity for TPI, if they proceed further, to introduce manufacturing. However, I have had discussions with the company and it is a commercial decision they will have to make. If large-scale commercial operations for poppy growing occur in the Northern Territory, there is a chance that, sometime in the future, there will be manufacturing or processing of that plant material.
The process for issuing this permit under the Misuse of Drugs Act has been a robust one. It has involved the police in terms of security and I can tell you, having visited one of those trials, there were a couple of layers of fencing around it, including chainmesh and barbed wire. Security cameras were also installed on those trials. We did not leave one stone unturned when it came to security around this trial and I am certainly looking forward to its success in the future.
Pastoral Land Act Amendments
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
Subsequent to your amendments to the Pastoral Land Act, what will pastoralists now be able to do with pastoral leases?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Namatjira for her question. Her electorate contains a number of pastoral properties, all of which will benefit from proposed amendments to the Pastoral Land Act. These will hopefully be passed by parliament this afternoon. I should point out that the act has been around since 1992 and has contained within it an opportunity for pastoralists to diversify. They can be given a permit for non-pastoral use, but only for a period of five years.
Anyone who has worked in the business sector would understand that it is very difficult to commercialise any activity like that in a five-year time frame. It is difficult to get finance and difficult to build forward projections into a business model, so five years was considered a short time. Given the live cattle debacle we have suffered in the Northern Territory, imposed by the Labor government federally in 2011, we, as a government, decided we needed to look at other ways to help our pastoralists. We realised the pastoral industry and the live cattle trade will take a while to recover.
That is why we are moving down this path by changing the act to 30 years for pastoral land permits with a further extension time of 30 years available to pastoralists so they can do a number of things. They can certainly diversify what they do on their pastoral land under a permit issued by the Pastoral Land Board, but it will provide opportunities for regional growth for them. It will mean they can do more on their properties. It means they will be able to employ local Indigenous people from the member for Namatjira’s electorate. It will open up an opportunity for them to increase their revenue. It will offer up an opportunity to claw back some of the value that has been lost from our pastoral estate since the 2011 live cattle ban.
There are projections to suggest the simple passing of this legislation may increase the value of our pastoral estate in the Northern Territory by around 30%, which is absolutely massive. A boost in the value of pastoral properties to that degree brings a huge amount of comfort to our pastoral industry. For the past two years, they have had the banks breathing down their necks considering the loan to value ratios that have changed. There could be enormous benefits for the Territory arising out of this. I heard previously, through a media release, that the opposition will be supporting this legislation, and I certainly hope they do this afternoon. This is a watershed moment for the pastoral industry in the Northern Territory, and something that was introduced by the Country Liberals government.
Peter Maley – Appointment as Magistrate
Mr VATSKALIS to ATTORNEY-GENERAL
When Cabinet approved the appointment, were Cabinet members aware that Mr Maley had donated $5000 to your personal election campaign? Secondly, in the course of considering the approval of Mr Maley as a magistrate, did you at any stage discover that he had been the subject of adverse criticism concerning his suitability by a senior judicial officer? If so, can you confirm you have investigated the criticism and satisfied yourself that it has no foundation? Finally, can you please advise why the vacancy was filled without being advertised?
ANSWER
A point of order, Madam Speaker! If the member asked this question outside this House, he would have committed a criminal offence, an indictable offence. I seek your guidance in relation that matter.
Madam SPEAKER: I remind honourable members that freedom of speech is a closely guarded privilege, enforced since 1689. This great privilege ensures that members of the Assembly can undertake their role without fear of action being taken against them for matters raised in the Assembly. Such a privilege must always be exercised in a reasonable manner.
I do not comment on the right of the member to speak freely. That is not in question.
Leader of Government Business, the member for Casuarina did not state any specific court or legislation, so I deem that the question is in order at this point in time.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I do not doubt that the question is in order; however, section 121 of the Family Law Act is quite succinct in this area.
The first question …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The opposition made no reference to any court or any Commonwealth act.
Madam SPEAKER: I have just said that, Opposition Leader. Please be seated. Continue, minister.
Mr ELFERINK: The answer to the first question is, yes, I declared everything.
Ms Lawrie: To Cabinet?
Mr ELFERINK: Yes. Are you now going to say I have breached Cabinet confidentiality? Of course I declared it to Cabinet.
The answer to the second question is that I will not engage in what I am being invited to engage in here with the members opposite. But I will say this; if a person, under that legislation, had been investigated or referred to by a court, then a professional body would have looked into it. The professional body in the Northern Territory is the Law Society of the Northern Territory, which was consulted in the process of this appointment.
The answer to the third question is that when the advertising was done in December last year, it was for a two-year period, which was made clear in the advertisement. Therefore, it was still well within the 2-year period when that selection was made.
But this seems to be typical of members opposite …
Ms Lawrie: Did you raise any of these matters with Cabinet?
Mr ELFERINK: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
Carbon Tax – Scrapping
Ms FINOCCHIARO to CHIEF MINISTER
Could you please tell the assembly about the positive news coming out of Canberra about scrapping Labor’s carbon tax and what impact this might have on the cost of living in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. What a great question, the carbon tax question. This is something Labor does not want to hear anything about. I know the member for Drysdale is very excited about seeing this new legislation being put forward as a first piece of legislation by Tony Abbott. This is because the legislation is about repealing Labor’s dirty carbon tax - the carbon tax that is set to drive up the CPI by 0.7% in the Northern Territory alone, and increase the cost of living in the Northern Territory.
We are already feeling it at the moment. We are feeling it in the electorate of Drysdale, we are feeling it in Fong Lim, we are feeling it in Fannie Bay and in Nhulunbuy. I can tell you where we are feeling it; we are feeling it in Arafura. The member for Arafura brought a debate into this House just a couple of weeks ago and spoke about the negative effects of the carbon tax in Maningrida, Oenpelli, Jabiru and the Tiwi Islands. We just had the new Tiwi ferry service launched and what is one of the increasing contributing factors of the price of the ferry, the fuel? The carbon tax.
If you take the carbon tax away, you start to make businesses more successful; you start reducing the cost of living in the Northern Territory.
The only thing that stands in the way of repealing the carbon tax in Canberra is Labor. There is an opportunity here in the Territory. Most Territorians want to get rid of the carbon tax; Labor does not. What the Leader of the Opposition, Delia Lawrie, should be doing is lobbying her federal counterpart, Bill Shorten, the federal Opposition Leader, and saying, ‘Support the Territory, get rid of the carbon tax’. It will drive down our cost of living. Anyone in the Northern Territory, in this Chamber, who receives goods and services by transport – by plane, by ship – has a higher cost of living because of the carbon tax.
Goods and services and building materials for building a house are higher because of the carbon tax. It is no wonder that Labor and the Leader of the Opposition will not support getting rid of the carbon tax. I was interested to see this graph from the Infrastructure minister talking about building pyramids. There was one thing he did not mention though. This part is when Syd Stirling was starting to retire debt as the Treasurer. Something happened on 30 November 2007 – right here for anyone who cannot see. This is when the Leader of the Opposition became Treasurer of the Northern Territory. Is she a pyramid builder or what? She can lay the foundations to build pyramids of debt - 0.7% of CPI can come down if you support getting rid of the carbon tax.
No more pyramids, Leader of the Opposition …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Bus Drivers – Wage Negotiations
Mr McCARTHY to MINISTER for TRANSPORT referred to MINISTER for PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
Darwin Bus Service drivers are undertaking industrial action as this mean-spirited CLP government has refused to make a reasonable offer for fair wages and conditions that recognises the skyrocketing cost of living in Darwin. Further, our hard-working bus drivers face an environment in their daily workplace where their own safety and that of their passengers can be at risk. Will you commit to return to the negotiating table and make a fair and decent offer to the drivers so they can get back to work?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his question, but he has directed that to the wrong minister. That is a question for the Minister for Public Employment.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, the Fair Work Act of the Commonwealth establishes a protected industrial action. The unions have to make an application to the Fair Work Commission to take protected industrial action. I understand all those steps have been taken by the unions, so they are engaged in what is called a protected industrial action: that is, protected by the legislation.
It is my understanding the union advised, on 11 October, of industrial action on 17 October, which conforms with Fair Work Australia requirements. In relation to that, they are acting in a lawful fashion. Nevertheless, I remind them, and other public servants, the longer they hold out the longer the average public servant is losing $80 a fortnight from their pay, and they continue …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Whilst I appreciate the minister has three minutes to answer the question, I ask you to urge him to come to the point of the question, which was: will he commit to return to the negotiating table and make a fair and decent offer to the drivers so they can get back to work?
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has three minutes to answer the question. Continue, minister.
Mr ELFERINK: The offer on the table is both fair and decent. The inflation rate, particularly after the Labor Party’s carbon tax is removed, will fall well below the projected rate that it currently is, and the current projected rate is still below 3% over the four-year period. As far as we are concerned, this is a good offer, a sound offer. We will go through the process of the protected industrial action, wait for the rest of the public servants to make their vote, and then we will determine the next course of action.
However, we are making a good offer to the public service. It is above CPI, will be well above CPI once the carbon tax is removed over a four-year period. The Labor Party can be as shrill as it likes. What we need in industrial actions are level heads, not the shrieking, hysterical people we have in this Chamber on the benches opposite.
Port Keats Road – Condition
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE
I recently spoke to a constituent who is a truck driver and drives regularly to Port Keats. I also met some Peppimenarti people at the Coolalinga shopping centre recently. They all had the same story. The road from Daly River to Port Keats is a shocker and in a dreadful state.
Could the minister explain what has happened since the Victoria Daly Shire withdrew from maintaining the road? How many times has the road been graded this year? Has any work been done on the road, such as resheeting? When will the government start on its fully-funded and fully-costed contract it announced pre-election to work with the dirt road gang to make this a road which will provide all-year-round access?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. The Port Keats Road is approximately 180 km long from Daly River Crossing to Wadeye. It is maintained by the Northern Territory government, but the majority of the road is subject to permits under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act.
The Victoria Daly Shire was contracted to perform routine maintenance on this road by the Northern Territory government. However, on 8 July this year, the Victoria Daly formally advised the Department of Infrastructure they could no longer service the contract. As a result of that, the Department of Infrastructure will put out a tender early in 2014 for a new period contract to cover all routine maintenance along the Port Keats Road.
In the interim, the Department of Infrastructure was directed to contact local Aboriginal groups to try to assess which of them had the capacity to undertake immediate remediation of the road, which was broken up into three sections. Work on section one, being the Daly River to Emu Point turnoff, was offered to the Nauiyu Nambiyu Aboriginal Corporation, but they failed to provide quotations. As a result, a Darwin region period contractor was tasked to perform grading works. Grading began on 9 October and is expected to be completed early next week.
Work for section two, being Emu Point turnoff to Palumpa turnoff, was offered to Palumpa Station and a quote was received which was deemed suitable, and a contract subsequently awarded. Grading commenced on that section on 7 October and has been completed with follow-up drain grading expected to be completed early next week. I am advised by the Department of Infrastructure that of the workforce of eight people, four are local Aboriginal people.
Work on section three, being Palumpa to Wadeye, was offered to the Thamarrurr Development Corporation, which submitted a number of quotes. Unfortunately, these quotes were deemed too high and, after discussions, no agreement could be reached. So, Palumpa was awarded this section as well. Grading began on 11 October and is expected to be finished tomorrow, with drain grading completed next week.
The Commonwealth allocated money in the Regional Roads Productivity Package to improve flood immunity and make other improvements. This is a significant project. With the Regional Roads Productivity Package funding, Port Keats Road has improved flood immunity at the Moore River floodplain, including road alignment. The Northern Territory government has allocated $20m – $18m Australian government funding, and $2m Northern Territory funding – but is still awaiting formal approval of the Australian government. The project is under design and tender documentation should be available for commencement of work next financial year.
Madam Speaker, we would love to be able to seal that road but, as you can see by the mountainous debt we have, that will be delayed somewhat.
Mining Development – Katherine Region
Ms LEE to MINISTER for MINES and ENERGY
Can the minister please update the House on the mining development taking place in the greater Katherine region?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for her question, because much of the mining work happening in the Katherine region affects her constituents who are being provided jobs by the mining and mining growth in the Katherine region.
I am honoured to be the Minister for Mines and Energy. I am proud to be part of a government that is so supportive of the mining industry in the Territory. The feedback I am getting from the mining industry is that they have breathed a collective sigh of relief now they have a government which cares about mining. They tell me it is wonderful.
I am also excited because at the moment Katherine seems to be the centre of the mining universe in the Northern Territory. I had an opportunity a while ago to take a road trip. I visited all the mines in the Katherine region. It was terrific to get to McArthur River mine to look at how its Phase 3 expansion is going, and to Bing Bong Port to see what is happening there with the work being done. Work is being done on Bing Bong Port so Western Desert Resources can put their iron ore out through the same port. The 170 km haul road being built into the mine at Western Desert is fantastic. It will be fantastic infrastructure. I ended up going into Sherwin Iron and looking at their operations, Australian Ilmenite and looking at their operations, and on to ERA to look at what they are doing.
The most important thing is what is going on in jobs growth in that area. The additional jobs being created by mining activity in the Katherine region is something to behold. I do not like to single out one business in particular, but I will mention that Crowhurst Engineering in Katherine has just had an enormous expansion on the back of the mining activity happening in the Katherine region. It has increased its workforce, spent several million dollars on a new shed and equipment. It now holds equipment in its Katherine workshop that does not exist anywhere else in the Northern Territory. It is specialised stuff, so they can work on the growing need for equipment in the mining sector around Katherine.
This government is committed to ensuring we are open for business. We have just changed regulation to allow for four-year mine management plans, rather than the old 12-month system, which will cut down on red tape and green tape for mining activity. This is so they can get on and do what miners do so well, and that is extract our resources from the ground, and create an economy and jobs for Territorians around that.
It is a very exciting time. It is wonderful to be part of government that is so supportive of the mining sector.
Public Service Biannual Survey
Ms MANISON to MINISTER for PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
Since 2009, the Commissioner for Public Employment has conducted a biannual survey of Territory public servants to gain valuable feedback on their views about the workplace. You are clearly not interested in the view of Territory public servants as you have abandoned the survey that was due this year. Staff morale is at an all-time low thanks to endless reshuffles, savage job cuts, industrial disputes, jobs for the boys and general chaos and dysfunction. You do not need to be Nostradamus to predict what the results of the survey would have been this year. Why have you ditched the survey this year and why do you not want to know the views of our hard-working public servants?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I will start with the first observation, and I am going to check that assertion because I am not sure it is true. If it is indeed true, then I will certainly look into it.
We so regularly hear public servants named in this place from these people’s lips as the champions of public servants asserting the good servants of the Northern Territory. One example of which is the Water Controller of the Northern Territory, named in this place and then asserted to be corrupt and complicit in corrupt activity hardly makes the members opposite …
Ms MANISON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question was: Why have you ditched the survey this year and why do you not want to know the views of the public servants now?
Mr ELFERINK: I am checking if what you are saying is true. The problem is we have already seen several examples over the last few days of assertions by members of the Labor Party in this House …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question was very specific as to why they ditched the survey. If you find it is true, will you reinstate it?
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, please be seated, it is not a point of order. The minister has three minutes. He has said he will be checking it. Minister, you have the call.
Mr ELFERINK: The other day we had the edifying example of the member for Nightcliff walking into this place alleging that some funding had been cut, only to discover the person who made the allegation had signed the contract. Talk about being deceptive in this House.
That is why we do not trust you. We see the Leader of the Opposition shoving figures about teaching numbers into letterboxes all over Darwin which are just untrue. We heard utterances in this House yesterday about teacher numbers which are just nonsense. They are not true. You do not tell the truth. All of a sudden, the member for Wanguri walks into this place and is draped in a satin robe of whiteness and purity.
I do not believe the Labor Party. There is a reason we do not believe the Labor Party; they do not tell the truth. They have a problem with the truth. The truth is something they struggle with every day. They come in here and make an assertion - I will find out whether they are telling the truth.
Having said that, what I do know is that we are currently engaged in an EBA negotiation with public servants. We have a fair and reasonable offer on the table. I am anxious to make sure we are able to deal with that EBA negotiation in an effective way.
The last biannual was in 2011, the next biannual is in 2014; it has not been scrapped.
You do not tell the truth.
Members interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: You come in here and you just make stuff up.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, Standing Order 51:
- No Member may converse aloud or make any noise or disturbance, which in the opinion of the Speaker is designed to interrupt or as the effect of interrupting a Member when speaking.
Sport Facilities – Investment
Mr KURRUPUWU to MINISTER for SPORT, RECREATION and RACING
This government is determined to encourage Northern Territorians, young and old, to lead active and healthy lifestyles. Can you please explain how investing in our sporting facilities will help achieve this goal?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura, who is very committed to sport and recreation right across the Northern Territory and particularly in his community of Arafura.
The Northern Territory government has committed about $1.2m to sporting facilities grants. It is a wonderful initiative and has been rolled out over many years. Previous governments have done this, and this government is proud to continue it.
Recently I announced 32 sporting and recreational organisations across the Territory that will benefit from the 2013 facility and capital equipment investment programs. I have a list of some of the electorates and some of you might like to hear that your electorates have been recipients of the grants.
We can start in Fannie Bay, where there has been $25 000 for the Darwin Sailing Club and $25 000 to upgrade the disabled toilet block. There was the Darwin Sub Aqua Association which received assistance with the relocation from Sports House to the tune of about $18 000.
Then we can go to Nhulunbuy. Nhulunbuy is a recipient of some of the grants …
Ms Walker: So it should be.
Mr CONLAN: I totally agree with you - to the tune of about $50 000 for greens and fairway and of a mower replacement for the Gove Country Club, so that is great.
Ms Walker: What they would really like is $300 000, like the Alice Springs Golf Club received.
Mr CONLAN: I thought you would be pretty happy to hear this, member for Nhulunbuy. You have been miserable for the last fortnight, and we have some pretty good news for you. I thought this might make you feel a bit good.
We gave $25 000 to the Gove Peninsula Surf Lifesaving Club to install a security fence. I thought that was pretty good. Of course the, Gove Sports Club …
Member interjecting
Mr CONLAN: There is no pleasing these people.
Madam SPEAKER: Cease interjecting. Sorry, minister, continue.
Mr CONLAN: Thanks very much. We know they do not like tourists; we know they do not like marines; we know they do not like homelands; we know they do not like gardening competitions; they do not like the award winning government departments and now they do not like sports grants in their own electorates.
Ms Walker: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. If the minister was really serious about these announcements he would make a visit for the first time ever to my electorate to announce this. He could also tap into the tourist industry and he can bring the Mines minister and the Chief Minister as well.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, you are on a warning. Minister, you have the call.
Mr CONLAN: Thank you very much. She is clearly not happy. I thought this might cheer her up after two weeks of misery from the member for Nhulunbuy. I thought a couple of sports grants going to her electorate might make her feel pretty good, but clearly not.
Ms Walker: It is not just me. It is the whole of Nhulunbuy.
__________________________
Suspension of Member
Member for Nhulunbuy
Suspension of Member
Member for Nhulunbuy
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, I would like you to leave the Chamber for a frivolous point of order. Leave the Chamber for one hour, pursuant to Standing Order 240A.
__________________________
Mr CONLAN: I am sure that if the member for Nhulunbuy does not want to hear the good news, the people of Nhulunbuy would like to hear it. I hope that the rest of us can pass that information on.
Member for Nightcliff, the Surf Lifesaving Club of the Northern Territory – new sports surf training facility at Lake Alexander, received a grant to the tune of $50 000. This is a great story for you to tell your constituents, that this Northern Territory government is assisting to the tune of $50 000.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Lake Alexander is not in the electorate of Nightcliff.
__________________________
Suspension of Member
Member for Nightcliff
Suspension of Member
Member for Nightcliff
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nightcliff, I would like you to leave the Chamber for one hour for a frivolous point of order, pursuant to Standing Order 240A.
__________________________
Mr McCarthy: What about Tennant Creek? You have 10 seconds.
Mr CONLAN: There is plenty in here. I am afraid to say that with all the interjections, all the argy bargy and all the misery coming from you, I will not be able to get through them all, Gerry. However, there are plenty out there to the tune of $1.2m and this government is proud to continue our sporting contribution.
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