2014-11-26
Darwin Port – Alleged Sale
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Your contempt for Territorians clearly knows no bounds. Have you learnt nothing from your disgraceful crash through sale of TIO? I am advised that this morning Darwin Port Corporation staff were informed you are introducing legislation tomorrow to provide for the sale of our port. Will you arrogantly seek to pass it through all stages tomorrow while you sell our future prosperity?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Opposition Leader for her question. I learnt yesterday that only one team in this Chamber has the courage to make a decision for the future of the Northern Territory. In 2006 you did nothing, and in 2014 we made a decision that freed up TIO for a long-term future in the Northern Territory. Not only did we free up TIO, we partnered it with the biggest general insurer in the world so TIO can now act locally but reinsure globally. What an opportunity and fantastic partnership for TIO. What an opportunity the Territory government has provided for the long-term sustainability of insurance in the Northern Territory.
Flood mitigation is now permanently in every TIO home and contents policy. This was not the case before. TIO, the organisation, has provided an $18m return to government over 35 years. How much have we put in? We put $20m in to prop it up in 2002, let alone the $50m lost during the GFC.
We learnt yesterday we are prepared to make the tough decisions, and tomorrow you will find …
Ms MANISON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. We asked a question about the port, Chief Minister.
Mr GILES: Member for Wanguri, clearly your ears are dirty and you cannot hear because you asked what we learnt yesterday and I am telling you. What you will learn tomorrow, after I give notice at 2 pm today, is we will introduce two bills, one creating a regulatory environment for ports in the Northern Territory, something you did not do in government. We will also put the horse before the cart tomorrow when we talk about providing long-term options for the port. That legislation will be introduced tomorrow and will sit on the table until February, perhaps March or April, for public consultation. The port is not for sale. You will see the legislation tomorrow …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. Opposition members, one warning. Cease interjecting or you will be asked to leave the Chamber.
Mr GILES: Yesterday we saw the feigned indignity of the Leader of the Opposition and others opposite who complained they had not seen the legislation. I understand that. It went through in one day. Tomorrow you will have an opportunity to review legislation and have public consultation in regard to the long-term future of the port, how we can get more investment into the port and increase the hardstand area, reefer points and quay lines. There will be an opportunity for us to discuss it.
Tiwi Islands Fishing Access
Mr KURRUPUWU to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you please update the Assembly on the progress of negotiations to secure fishing access to water surrounding the Tiwi Islands?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his question. It is a concern asking a question about the Tiwi Islands because you never know when you will be abused by the Leader of the Opposition and the Labor Party. They are not happy to see development on the Tiwi Islands, but we are.
I note your comment to me earlier this morning when you referred to yesterday’s NT News front page which said, ‘Rest in Peace TIO’. You said the way Labor operated on the Tiwi Islands it should be, ‘Rest in Peace Labor on the Tiwi Islands’. That was good commentary.
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: I am happy to speak over the mumblings from the other side, the people who hate the Tiwi Islands, and announce we have secured fishing agreements on the Tiwi Islands.
Today we have reached an historic agreement between the Tiwi Land Council and the government to allow permit-free access to key fishing areas on Bathurst and Melville Islands as well as the Vernon Islands.
The deal supports the fishing business aspirations of Tiwi traditional owners while also benefiting recreational and commercial fishermen. It is a win/win and has been signed off this morning by the federal Indigenous Affairs minister Nigel Scullion, a senator from the Northern Territory, and all our good friends.
This reflects the outcome of the Blue Mud Bay High Court decision in 2008, and reflects the strong relationship between this government and the Tiwi Land Council – our friendship and our desire to create harmony and economic advancement. The agreement will grant recreational and commercial fishers, as well as fishing tour operators, permit-free access to intertidal waters around the southern and eastern regions of Melville and Bathurst Islands, as well as the Vernon Islands.
Tiwi Islands Adventures, a Tiwi-owned fishing tourism business – something we support – will have exclusive access to the north of Melville Island and the western side of Bathurst Island. This will create an opportunity for Tiwi people to grow their fishing businesses while also providing commercial and recreational fishers permit-free access to other parts of the island.
This is another example of the Territory government, the land council and traditional owners working together for the benefit of all Territorians. These are the relationships we want to form across the Territory with all land councils. This provides long-term sustainable development for the Tiwi people on their own country, and provides an opportunity for all Territorians to go fishing and have commercial fishing operators access the area. This enables tourism opportunities which pathway between the mainland and the Tiwi Islands to support the recreational fishing industry and other tourist activities such as Tiwi art and recreational centres.
It is a fantastic win/win opportunity negotiated by the Territory government in partnership with the Tiwi Land Council. I thank the member for Arafura for his leadership and all those in DCM and other agencies who helped negotiate the outcome.
TIO – Sale Impact
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
With your sale of TIO Territorians now have no guarantees and no insurance safety net. You have left them vulnerable.
Allianz has admitted that premiums for Territorians will rise, but cannot confirm how much and when. Territorians in Coconut Grove, Alice Springs, Beswick, Daly River, Cullen Bay, Ludmilla, Nightcliff, Djilkminggan, Fannie Bay, Bayview, Gunbalanya, Palumpa and Docker River have been ignored by your flood mitigation plans and are now left exposed. Will you stop treating Territorians with contempt and explain the impact on Territorians living in flood prone areas? What guarantees can you give them on their insurance coverage and premiums?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I think the member for Karama for her question. The hypocrisy of asking a question like that! We went to the committee stage on the bills last night and the Leader of the Opposition, the shadow Treasurer, did not ask one question ...
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113. The Leader of the Opposition is not the shadow Treasurer.
Madam SPEAKER: Sit down; it is not a point of order. There is more than 113 in the standing orders and this is misuse of standing orders. You are on a warning.
Mr GILES: If you are not the shadow Treasurer I do not know who is. You left it up to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to ask a question about indemnity. If you want to talk about guarantees …
Mr McCarthy: I will give you a briefing on who is who on this side.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Barkly!
Mr GILES: Who is shadow Treasurer and who had the briefing on TIO? Nobody!
Mr McCarthy: I had a briefing and I am shadow Treasurer.
Mr GILES: You are shadow Treasurer. The shadow Treasurer asked a question. He did not get a briefing on TIO, mind you.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Chief Minister is misleading parliament. I had a briefing.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. Withdraw it.
Mr GILES: I will correct that. After I announced the sales to Allianz and People’s Choice and said Labor had not had a briefing I received phone call asking for a briefing. I had forgotten that ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113. Territorians in Coconut Grove, Alice Springs, Beswick, Daly River, Cullen Bay, Ludmilla, Nightcliff, Djilkminggan, Fannie Bay, Bayview …
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Opposition Leader. The Chief Minister has three minutes to answer the question.
Mr GILES: The apparent shadow Treasurer asked a question last night during the committee stage about the government indemnifying Allianz under the legislation. He wanted us to provide a guarantee for Allianz, the world’s largest general insurer. He wanted us to indemnify the 27th largest company in the world. He wanted a $5.5bn government to indemnify a $100bn company. It is no wonder we never hear from the shadow Treasurer and no wonder we do not know who the shadow Treasurer is …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113. This is serious; this is affecting a lot of Territorians. Would you answer the question? Will you stop treating Territorians with contempt and explain the impact on each of these flood zone areas with no guarantee on coverage or insurance hikes?
Madam SPEAKER: If you could get to the answer, Chief Minister.
Mr GILES: It is fantastic to see TIO continuing today exactly the same way as it was last Friday, except that flood cover is now mandated across all policies. Everyone in the Territory will be able to get home and contents insurance through TIO.
I go back to the revelation that the member for Barkly is shadow Treasurer. I am surprised, as we all thought it was the Leader of the Opposition. To think he asked the government to indemnify Allianz, the 27th largest company in the world, a $100bn company, during the committee stage last night – he wanted us to insure them. Is that not outrageous? These people left us with a $5.5bn debt. We have not spoken about that for a while ...
Mr McCarthy: Go on then, spin it.
Mr GILES: Now they want us to have a $100bn debt.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Barkly, less than five or six minutes ago I asked you to cease interjecting. You know not to call across the Chamber. You are on a warning.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113. Territorians are being left exposed on indemnity. They have been left exposed in Coconut Grove, Alice Springs, Beswick, Daly River …
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, you have repeated yourself. Thank you.
Mr GILES: The exposure to risk is there because people live in a flood zone. It is up to us to make sure insurance products are provided to protect Territorians. Yesterday we created the environment for TIO …
Ms Lawrie: You are a disgrace.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, cease interjecting.
Mr GILES: … to grow and to provide insurance products well into the future. What is a disgrace is the fact the apparent shadow Treasurer did not get a briefing and does not understand the economic circumstances.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Sit! Honourable members, let me remind you of 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 has the effective of interrupting a Member speaking.
You are also aware only one member should be on their feet at a time. Chief Minister, have you finished?
Mr GILES: I am not sure if the clock is working.
Madam SPEAKER: It was working. Your time had finished.
Tiwi Islands Fishing Access
Mr HIGGINS to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
We have just heard the Chief Minister outline what has been achieved on the Tiwi Islands. Can you update the House on other negotiations?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question, because he has been intimately involved in the work to secure fishing access for some of the intertidal zones around the Northern Territory, particularly in his electorate.
On 30 July 2008 the High Court of Australia handed down its decision with regard to Blue Mud Bay. It found the Fisheries Act is valid in tidal waters over Aboriginal land but a permit is required to enter and remain in those waters. The government is committed to reaching agreements to provide a practical win/win solution for traditional owners, and recreational and commercial fishers, and to enable ongoing access to affected waters by recreational and commercial anglers. It will also provide greater opportunity for traditional owners to be involved in managing and benefiting from fishing activity, not just in the narrow band of affected tidal waters but across the sea country.
This government has allocated $2.7m from this year’s budget for Blue Mud Bay agreements. This formal allocation of funding will ensure delivery of a range of initiatives, including marine ranger program training and support and access payments to traditional owners for the term of those agreements already reached. I am proud to say agreements have already been reached for the following regions: the upper Daly River; the Daly River mouth to Cape Ford; McArthur River; Sir Edward Pellew Group of islands; Minimini and Murgenella; Nhulunbuy; and Wadeye. It is wonderful those agreements have now been ratified by the Commonwealth.
The agreement the Chief Minister mentioned for the Tiwi Islands is also now endorsed by the Commonwealth, so we are moving forward at a wonderful rate of knots.
New fishing brochures have been developed for the Daly River and Borroloola areas. These communities have worked in partnership with my department to develop the brochures and provide local art work for the designs. These programs are successfully delivering employment and workplace skills and development opportunities for remote Aboriginal communities.
This government is committed to giving traditional owners across the Territory’s coastline the opportunity to consider the government’s offer to enable ongoing permit-free fishing access to intertidal waters overlying Aboriginal land. While the six agreements reached to date encompass most key recreational fishing areas, formal negotiations have not progressed in some key commercial areas. However, informal discussions with traditional owners from coastal communities in Arnhem Land have shown they have a keen interest in holding negotiations with government over individual agreements for areas.
At this stage, the NLC has extended the interim arrangements until the end of November this year. Given the number of community meetings still required, it is clear further time is required to allow these discussions to progress. Government is prepared to continue to devote resources to further negotiations and hopes the Northern Land Council continues to extend its agreement.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
TIO – Workers Compensation
Ms FYLES to CHIEF MINISTER
Current Chief Minister, not only do Territorians lose guarantees on insurance, you now plan to cut workers compensation …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nightcliff, withdraw that reference to the Chief Minister.
Ms FYLES: Withdrawn … you now plan to cut workers compensation entitlements for some of our most vulnerable Territorians. Can you explain how the cuts to workers compensation benefits will help injured Territorians when you plan to cut their benefits after two years? Was it pure coincidence these changes were announced yesterday in a ministerial statement you were too lazy to deliver, the same day you handed over the Territory’s compensation scheme to Allianz? Actuaries valuing TIO for Allianz will no doubt have placed a value on the future liabilities of workers compensation as part of their due diligence. Was Allianz briefed prior to the sale of TIO on changes to workers compensation? What have you been hiding from Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, protocols operate in parliament. In presenting the statement we gave it to the opposition the night before so members could look at it. The general rule was you do not distribute it but can read it and prepare a response for the debate. It was the same when we were in opposition. However, there was a breach by the member for Nhulunbuy. We now have an agreement that we will not issue the statement until 8 am.
Yesterday we intended to present a statement on workers compensation and give everybody an update on what we were doing with presumptive legislation for firefighters ...
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113. Was Allianz briefed prior to the sale of TIO on changes to workers compensation? Territorians want to know the answer.
Madam SPEAKER: The Chief Minister has three minutes and is answering the question.
Mr GILES: We intended to present a statement and talk about presumptive legislation for firefighters, something the member for Fannie Bay has spoken about. We also intended to announce inclusion of auxiliaries and volunteer firefighters, which is a good thing. Last night the opposition was tired and I decided to hold it over until today.
However, during the day the opposition broke protocol. The member for Nightcliff referred to the statement, which is against the rules we generally apply in parliament, issued a media release and tried to tie potential workers compensation changes with Allianz …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Was Allianz briefed prior to the sale of TIO?
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, sit down. The Chief Minister is answering the question. He still has one or two minutes to do it.
Mr GILES: They are completely separate issues and respond to a concern you raised. We had Mark Crossin conduct a review into workers compensation legislation. We have taken the findings of that recommendation and are …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a direct question. With 30 seconds to go I urge the Chief Minister to answer the question.
Madam SPEAKER: He has time to answer the question. Chief Minister, will you get to the point.
Mr GILES: The only people briefed on the statement are Cabinet members. We are bringing it on for public debate but instead …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was quite specific and has not yet been answered with 30 seconds to go. Was Allianz briefed on changes?
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, sit down or you will be asked to leave the Chamber.
Mr GILES: The answer is no. The only people who have read it are people on this side who approved it.
Ms Lawrie: We are talking about the changes …
_____________________
SUSPENSION OF MEMBER
Member for Karama
SUSPENSION OF MEMBER
Member for Karama
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, I would like you to leave the Chamber for one hour, pursuant to Standing Order 240A.
Mr Elferink: Hear, hear!
A member: About time.
Madam SPEAKER: Government members, I heard that. If that was you, member for Port Darwin, you are on a warning, as are you, member for Fong Lim.
_____________________
Mr GILES: Nobody was briefed on any information in the statement. It was brought to the Chamber so we could talk about improving workers compensation. It was to come back on this afternoon, but you breached parliamentary protocol by talking about it before we had a chance to debate it ...
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. With 15 seconds to go, the question is was Allianz briefed prior to the sale.
Madam SPEAKER: No, member for Nhulunbuy, sit down. The Chief Minister, in my view, has answered that part of the question. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr GILES: I do not know who the shadow minister for workers compensation is, but if you would like a briefing on the review, get one. We can talk about everything in the review – potential reforms, potential legislative change, presumptive legislation for firefighters …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Alice Springs – Growth and Investment Opportunities
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to CHIEF MINISTER
Our government is governing for all Territorians and wants growth and investment in Alice Springs. As parliamentary secretary I have met with your new business council, which is eager to see growth and investment. Can you please outline for the Assembly some of the exciting opportunities in the pipeline for Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. She is a resident of Palmerston but has an avid interest in Alice Springs. No doubt she has picked up a copy of the Centralian Advocate and seen the good news on the front page regarding potential redevelopment of the old Melanka site. The old Melanka site is touted to be a $100m investment in Central Australia with three towers, residential opportunities, retail opportunities and an open bar on the roof. I believe seeing development of this site will change the psychological barrier for people in Alice Springs. People will say the town has turned around from Labor’s demise during those eleven-and-a-half years.
People know we are fixing crime in Alice Springs and stimulating the economy through development of things like Kilgariff, and they hear us talk about the potential pipeline from either Alice Springs or Tennant Creek. They know we are building a new Supreme Court building to house court services in Central Australia, with much thanks to the facilitation of the members for Araluen and Port Darwin in their ministerial roles. They know the $24m rail overpass is occurring south of town in the member for Araluen’s electorate, depending on exact boundaries.
They also want to see significant change in certain things in Central Australia and Melanka is the sticking point where nothing has changed for a long period of time. To see the Osborne brothers come up with a fantastic $100m development proposal, which I also saw on the front page of the Centralian Advocate – it will turn the town around.
Yes, Virgin is returning. Yes, we have the airport graveyard and the repair and maintenance facility. Yes, we have the Panorama Guth development – a new childcare centre being built. Things are happening and tourism is being reinvented. The most fantastic thing in town is crime is down to levels not seen since the last time the Country Liberals were in government.
The Melanka development will turn the psyche of the town around. I congratulate the Osbornes for having the vision and confidence to invest in the town. They are fantastic developers of both The Avenue and Hastings on Mindil.
To have something of that class in Central Australia will be really good. Hopefully in the next few years, member for Drysdale – next time you visit Alice Springs you will be able to stay at a wonderful new development and sit at the rooftop bar with a nice glass of champagne while looking over the MacDonnell Ranges.
You can hold me to that, member for Drysdale. I am sure the members for Araluen, Greatorex and Stuart will be happy to come along and showcase that new establishment.
Alice Springs has turned around since the change of government. Crime is down, the economy is up, debt is down and development is occurring. It is a great time to be representing Central Australia.
Teacher Pay Increases
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for EDUCATION
Would the Minister for Education confirm the recently negotiated teacher pay increases will be fully funded by Treasury in the 2015 global school budgets?
If this is the case, how did it occur when the EBA was only agreed to two weeks ago? Draft budgets were provided to schools in September 2014, with allocations for 2015 based on 2014 actual costs plus 1%, not 6%.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. What you have said is partly correct and partly not. We have been working on global budgeting for some time. We are putting real trust back into our schools where they make the decisions, not people in the Department of Education.
When it comes to the EBA negotiations and timing of payments, should teachers vote yes, and I hope they do, they will see a 6% pay rise before Christmas, another 3% in October next year, and 3% the following year. In under a two-year period they will see a 12% increase in their pay, making our teachers some of the highest paid in the country. They work hard and they deserve it.
A question back to the Labor opposition and the member for Nelson is: when has a government in this country not honoured an EBA negotiation or not paid teachers what has been agreed to ...
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113. I cannot answer the question; the question was for the minister. Will the pay increases be fully funded under the 2015 global budget? That is the crux of the question.
Mr CHANDLER: Technically this is over a two-year period and three budget cycles. When global budgeting was put together there was a 3% shortfall. That has been acknowledged but it is not due until October next year.
When we, as a Cabinet, talk about budgets for next year we will be talking about that 3%. Treasury and the Department of Education both acknowledge that so there will be a 3% top up.
If schools believe they have not received 100% of their budget for next year it is technically correct, because there is 3% shortfall. We acknowledge that, but when the global budgets were put together it was not known if teachers would sign, when that would occur and what percentage would be paid.
There will be an adjustment in accordance with the agreement, and teachers will get their pay rise. That is what they deserve and what we agreed to pay them. When we are working out global budgets some schools – based on student numbers increasing – will end up with more money.
Schools where student numbers have gone down will have less money because the resources follow students. Schools will be covered, teachers will get their pay increase and anyone who works for the Department of Education will get 100% of what they have been promised through any EBA negotiations with this government. They have nothing to be frightened of.
Sport in Central Australia
Mr TOLLNER to MINISTER for SPORT, RECREATION and RACING
A few days ago I was talking to a bunch of sports people from Central Australia. They were glowing in their references towards you and the Northern Territory government. Several suggested you and the Giles Country Liberals government have created history in Central Australia on several occasions by delivering bumper sporting events. Aside from these glowing references, can you update the House on what 2015 holds for sport in Central Australia following what I understand will be a great match involving the Parramatta Eels in February?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fong Lim. It was fantastically put and beautifully articulated. I take the compliment, thank you very much, because we are having a red hot crack at developing sport in the Northern Territory and bringing first-class sporting events here. Bringing unprecedented first-class sporting events to the Northern Territory was something left in a decade of denial and decay by the previous Labor government.
Before I get to the heart of the question, we should put our thoughts and prayers out to Phil Hughes. As Sports minister it is incumbent on me to say a couple of quick words regarding Phil. Our thoughts go out to his family after yesterday’s injury sustained during a shield match between South Australia and New South Wales. He is currently in a serious condition, as we know, in a hospital in New South Wales. Phil is a great mate of the Northern Territory, having been freely available during the triangular series in Darwin recently. He scored a double ton at Gardens Oval and put on a great show for people. He is a great friend of the Territory, so we wish him a speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.
We all know Alice Springs is a fantastic place to showcase sporting events, member for Fong Lim. Next year we will see the national rugby league, the NRL, head to Alice once again when the Parramatta – or Territory as they are affectionately known – Eels take on the Wests Tigers at Anzac Oval. The trial match will be held on 13 February 2015 and is part of the historic four-year agreement between the Northern Territory government and Parramatta Eels. The game in Alice Springs is a rematch from last year, where about 3500 people turned up at the redeveloped Anzac Oval. It is a fantastic facility, another great initiative of the Giles Country Liberals government. It is a world-class facility to host rugby league.
The Northern Territory is the Eels home away from home, and it is also thrilling the Territory Eels now have 1200 members signed up in the Northern Territory. To put that into perspective, that is the biggest jurisdiction outside New South Wales for Parramatta Eels membership. It is a great story, and I thank the Parramatta Eels for their commitment to the Territory.
The trial game kicks off what is set to be a huge few weeks of sport in the Centre; you could call it February/March madness. The government will deliver another two sporting fixtures when Alice Springs hosts two domestic cricket games in the Sheffield Shield between the Bushrangers and Tasmania, and the Bushrangers and the Queensland Bulls. For the first time ever Sheffield Shield matches will be played in the Northern Territory. We will have two in Central Australia, one in February and one in March. This is a prelude to another premiership game being played in May between the Melbourne Demons and Port Adelaide Power.
It is sport central in Central Australia. It is huge, and I thank the government for the support.
TIO – Injured Workers
Ms WALKER to CHIEF MINISTER
We are already seeing an impact on injured workers with the TIO sale. Everyone wants to see injured workers receive the medical and rehabilitation support they need to return to work. We have received correspondence from a doctor which states:
- We have grave concerns for the future care of our patients who are under TIO. We have become aware that TIO is attempting to close their cases, and we believe this may be due to a desire to get rid of the liability of long-term cases. This has all started to happen since the announcement of the TIO sale.
Will you explain to Territorians what you are doing to our injured workers?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, what the member for Nhulunbuy has just promoted is rubbish, garbage, scaremongering, dog whistling, through …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I find those remarks highly offensive. This is from a doctor we spoke to yesterday. The Chief Minister’s remarks are offensive.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you member for Nhulunbuy. Chief Minister, if you could withdraw the last set of words please.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, I withdraw.
The member for Nhulunbuy clearly has a glass jaw. She is quite happy to dish it out across the Chamber all day and in Question Time, but when you say she is scaremongering throughout this process she cannot handle it. It is outrageous that she is putting these thoughts into the heads of people who are suffering as a result of potential workers compensation claims.
TIO business goes on just like anything else; it is business as usual and nothing changes. If you want to understand workers compensation, whoever is spokesperson for workers compensation, come and have a chat. We will present you with the review, talk about the findings, give you access to the people who conducted the review, and talk about the consultation process and what we propose to do. I do not think you really understand the workers compensation aspect.
You have tried to tie this to TIO to run scuttlebutt and scaremongering campaigns. It will not work. TIO business continues as usual; nothing changes in that regard. If you want to talk about workers compensation entitlements, rights and the way the program works, I am happy to. If you want to talk about legislative reform in regard to workers compensation, let us have a chat about that. However, to tie this together and send your below-the-radar message to injured workers, trying to put fear into their mind, is outrageous. If that is the way you do business, it is not fair to people who are suffering.
Utopia Homelands Water Supply
Mr HIGGINS to MINISTER for COMMUNITY SERVICES
Can you please update the House on the water issues in the Utopia homelands and what this government has done to secure a long-term water supply there?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Daly knows how difficult it is at times to get proper water supply to these outstations and I thank him for the question.
I am excited to inform the House about the completion of two new bores in the Utopia homelands. Investigating possible options for the bore at the clinic outstation was a process that needed to be done correctly to ensure the community had a reliable water supply well into the future. I am proud to say we have delivered this.
In late June the bore at the clinic outstation in Utopia homelands collapsed during maintenance. This bore supplied the houses, clinic, school and ablution block at the outstation. The failed bore was 30 years old and collapsed because of corrosion and poor construction rather than water availability.
This government understands the importance of a secure ongoing water supply, and worked hard to make sure the new bore was built to a high standard to avoid another collapse. While water was being trucked in regularly by the Barkly Regional Council, it was not sustainable in the long term. The new bore was built using stainless steel casings and included recommendations by water experts to avoid another collapse. Development of the new bore, including location and design, was overseen by a consultant hydrologist.
A second bore was drilled nearby, pump-tested and subsequently capped to ensure water security into the future. This is great news for the people of Utopia homelands, who now have a sustainable water supply for years to come. Anyone who has lived in the desert region will appreciate the importance of consistent long-term access to water.
While the drill rig was in the region, a bore was also drilled at the Pungalindum outstation. Pungalindum had been without a secure water supply for almost 12 months, relying on water being trucked in. This worked in the short term; however, there needed to be a long-term fix which this government has delivered. This new bore will be equipped and operational within the next fortnight. This project has been a cooperative approach to water supply in the bush.
After years of Labor indifference to the bush, this government is getting on with the job of providing critical water infrastructure for people living in remote communities.
Infrastructure Recycling Scheme for
Sale of Public Assets
Sale of Public Assets
Mr McCARTHY to CHIEF MINISTER
You have used the federal government’s infrastructure recycling scheme as one of your justifications for betraying Territorians and selling their public assets. However, the scheme does not exist. Will it pass the Senate? Will you explain to Territorians how you will get a 15% payment for the sale of TIO from a scheme which does not exist? Do you have a business case prepared to deliver to the federal government if there is ever a 15% payment scheme for the sale of public assets with a retrospective clause?
Chief Minister, like the guarantee for affordable insurance, is the additional 15% payment a ‘just trust me’ approach of your leadership?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do not accept the premise of the question. We went to resolving the issues of TIO to protect TIO, protect Territorians, protect customers and protect the employees. The 15% was an added benefit should we choose to apply for it. At this stage we have not sought to apply for the 15%. Of course we will. I understand the legislation has not passed; I am well aware of that/ But the 15%, if legislated, will only apply to investments made from any asset proceeds that go towards economic infrastructure.
For example, the work we want to do in Katherine, Rapid Creek and Wells Creek Road in the rural area would not be classified as economic infrastructure. It is community infrastructure, albeit flood immunity and responding to storm surge cover and so forth, but that would not attract the 15%. We have not thought to ask for that. The work we may do with the ambulance centre in Katherine would not attract the 15%. The 15% would come for economic infrastructure, and we have not put our mind to exactly what that economic infrastructure would be.
If we work on a hypothetical basis, if we were to build a road to open up country to farming we would see that as an economic road and then engage with Joe Hockey, should the legislation pass, so we could attract that 15%. We are mindful of working that out in the near future to see if we can get that 15% if it is passed in the Senate.
Do you support the 15% now we have moved in the direction of $424m? If you do you should get your Labor colleagues in Canberra to support the legislation so we get the 15%. The thing standing in the way of us getting the 15% on economic infrastructure is Labor. Labor should be supporting the 15%. If it goes through the Senate we will receive an additional 15% on any investments we make in economic infrastructure.
That is the real challenge. Yesterday throughout the debate you alluded to this being about the 15%. Sometimes it was not about the 15%, now it is. It was never about the 15%, but there is an opportunity for 15% and the only thing standing in the way is Labor in Canberra. I urge you to get onto your mate Bill Shorten, federal Opposition Leader, and ask him to have the Senate support it so we can get a windfall of 15% for anything we reinvest in economic infrastructure.
Member for Johnston, do you now support our reinvestment in Rapid Creek and the direction we are heading in with TIO to provide protection for people in Rapid Creek, or are you still opposed to that? You have been silent on this issue; you remain silent. Are you supportive of what the government is doing for residents of Rapid Creek?
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Infrastructure Recycling Scheme
for Sale of Public Assets
Infrastructure Recycling Scheme
for Sale of Public Assets
Mr McCARTHY to CHIEF MINISTER
You clearly used the 15% argument to justify your sale of Territorians’ public asset, TIO. Are you now denying you used that as an inducement for the public? That was on radio and television, and it appeared in newspapers.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, there is no doubt the 15% is an opportunity, but it is not the primary motivating factor to support TIO. TIO was facing a cliff; someone had to do something. You knew about it when you were in government and did not act. We found out about it and have acted. The 15% is an opportunity.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Is the Chief Minister denying that was used as an inducement?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: The 15% is an opportunity but was not the motivating factor to help TIO. Yesterday we provided certainty for TIO now and into the future. Nothing changes. TIO continues as it always has but now it will be bigger, stronger and better, and will provide pressure to reduce costs for policyholders in low-risk areas. Also, for those in high-risk areas it puts downward price pressure on potential increases they might receive in the future.
Palmerston Regional Hospital – Progress
Mr BARRETT to MINISTER for HEALTH
May I dare talk about the future and the wonderful things this government is doing rather than talking down the Territory with the negativity coming from the other side of the Chamber?
I live in Palmerston, am the member for Blain and am incredibly excited about the wonderful news coming forward about the Palmerston Regional Hospital project. I thank the minister for the hard work she is doing, the department is doing, and her staff are doing to deliver on the promise we made.
You announced the next step so could you please update the House on where we are at?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. The member for Blain is very enthusiastic, unlike the opposition, about the new Palmerston Regional Hospital. Invitations seeking expressions of interest to design, build, operate and maintain the new $150m Palmerston Regional Hospital were issued last week.
This is a significant step in the evolution of the Top End’s new hospital that will secure the best project partners to steer the development during its construction and operational phases. The successful developer will work closely with the Northern Territory government to develop a modern and innovative hospital that provides patient-centred care.
This is the first new hospital the Territory has built for over 40 years. It is about the vision we have to grow northern Australia and the Darwin and Palmerston areas.
Clinical modelling indicates there will be a demand for 79-patient beds when the hospital opens in 2018, which will grow to 116 beds by 2027. Key time lines for the hospital development work are on track with work on topographic and geotechnical studies completed. It will be a level three hospital delivering a range of core services including general medicine, surgery, maternity and child health services, a 24/7 emergency department and outpatient services.
Ms Walker interjecting.
Mrs LAMBLEY: The member for Nhulunbuy does not want to hear any good news when it comes to health, even though she is the opposition spokesperson for Health. It is a sad state of affairs.
The Northern Territory government has authorised a DBOM, or design, build, operate, maintain, delivery model for the hospital. This is the way forward. When you talk to Health ministers across Australia you find that governments are getting out of the business of designing, building, operating and maintaining hospitals.
In fact, one of my interstate colleagues said, ‘Robyn, we ask the market. We tell them how many beds we want and the market provides it.’ This is how new hospitals will be delivered in the future. I stress that this will be a public hospital. It will be privately designed, built, operated and maintained, but it will be a public hospital.
The hospital site is 45 ha – plenty of room to grow into the future. It is just off the Stuart highway at the Temple Terrace intersection. My colleague, the Minister for Infrastructure, and I will be on site at lunch time to make some more announcements about Palmerston Regional Hospital.
TIO – Sale
Ms FYLES to CHIEF MINISTER
You have made a lot of extraordinary claims about the sale of TIO. You have claimed Territorians will be better off – fiction. You have claimed TIO will remain Territorian – wrong. You claimed at your media conference that Allianz told you it will not increase premiums, yet the Allianz representative admitted premiums would increase in three to six months. Yesterday it became weird with your claim to have put TIO ahead of the game and the cost of living pressures coming for TIO.
What exactly are the cost of living pressures for TIO? Are they your planned power and water price hikes or the looming hikes from your planned port sale? If you are referring to flood premium hikes, will you admit you got it wrong because that hits consumers?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have explained it before but will tell the member for Nightcliff again. In May next year the location-based pricing model to be applied by TIO would have seen premium increases of up to 200% in places such as Katherine. This includes about 24% of the community, many parts of Rapid Creek in the member for Johnston’s electorate, parts of the rural area and many other parts of the Northern Territory.
This is as a result of reinsurance companies around the world telling their insurance companies to go to location-based risk pricing models rather than community models ....
Ms Fyles: You are saying that.
Mr GILES: You might learn something, member for Nightcliff. Across the Territory TIO provides a community risk-rating model. It is now becoming uncompetitive because other …
Ms Fyles: Protect Territorians.
Mr GILES: Member for Nightcliff, if you want to learn I will teach you because you did not seek a briefing. Competitors in the market could cherry-pick low-risk places because they had location-based risk models, but high-risk places such as Rapid Creek and Katherine were remaining with TIO at subsidised premium rates. TIO was being left with high-risk customers and losing low-risk customers, which put its pricing structure out and it was losing competition. TIO was going to a location-based risk model and high-risk customers would have had significant increases.
Partnering TIO with Allianz means it can have a greater connection with global reinsurance. It is one of the largest reinsurance companies, meaning there will be downward price pressures. Of the premiums in the Northern Territory, about 30% of each one went to reinsurance. For Suncorp, AAMI or one of those other companies in the Territory, the reinsurance cost in a premium is about 6%, 8% or 10%. If you have TIO with 300% and Suncorp at, for example, 10%, you have a 300% increase in reinsurance of a premium.
The Allianz partnership presents an opportunity for downward pressure, particularly in low-risk areas, and in high-risk areas there can be downward pressure on what the price increases would have been – around 200%. I cannot go to each individual policy because each house will be rated on the risks it has. At the time changes are made to policies, some will go down and some will go up.
The ones that come down will be as a result of the change in risk rating. With the ones that go up, Allianz is working to make sure they will not go as high as they would have under TIO ...
Ms Fyles: Point made.
Mr GILES: That is the point and the benefit of partnering with the world’s largest general insurer.
Electronic Monitoring Roll-Out
Mr HIGGINS to MINISTER for CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
Can you please update the House on the roll-out of electronic monitoring and how it will be used to track offenders’ movements?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this government has been proud to drive down crime across the Northern Territory since coming to government. Our results in the area of property crime have been nothing shy of astonishing and exceeded the ambitious promises we made to the people of the Northern Territory before coming to government.
This year we have seen substantial downward pressure, particularly through the policies of temporary beat locations, alcohol mandatory treatment, Alcohol Protection Orders and a number of other policies we have put in place which have stopped people committing crimes. That is reflected in our prison population, which is currently tracking at numbers substantially below those projected by the former government in June 2010 which justified the $500m prison being built. However, we press on because there is still, sadly, crime in the community.
Whilst we have a Corrections system which, through Sentenced to a Job, seeks to make citizens out of criminals, some people cannot help themselves.
As a consequence we make certain people at liberty, either through parole who have to prove their citizenship or on bail for crimes they are yet to be convicted of or sentenced for – we find ways to monitor them. We use people to do that, and in more recent times we have been using technology. Simple technology attached to a telephone system can bind a person to a house.
GPS technology can track a person anywhere in the Northern Territory. This technology is currently working on outstations and is very effective. The device we will soon introduce will be a boon to what we are doing in the Northern Territory because the tracking device can also detect the presence of alcohol in a person’s sweat …
Mr Wood: We argued that case last year when you brought in the APOs.
Mr ELFERINK: Were you looking for one?
We are proud of this. I know the member for Nelson is highly critical of us doing this, but we are proud of putting restraint on people who harm the community in which we live. We will place those restraints on them wherever and whenever it is necessary to do so. I make this promise to people in our community who need to be restrained: I have a bracelet for you and it is coming to an ankle near you soon.
Darwin Port – Alleged Sale
Ms LEE to CHIEF MINISTER
Following debate on the TIO sale rushed through at breakneck speed – I am confident the whiplash will be failure for the CLP at the Territory election in 2016 – without hesitation you tabled the next item of business, which was to do with the port. Are you now selling another Territory asset, and if so, who has bought it?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, a point of clarification. We have not tabled anything in parliament. At 2 pm today I will give notice that I will table two bills tomorrow. I may have mentioned this earlier today. One will be about the regulatory environment for ports in the Northern Territory. It is not just Darwin port and the harbour, it will also be about other ports, potentially – when you read the bill you will understand what I mean by potentially – places like Port Melville, Nhulunbuy, Bing Bong and others. Currently they do not have a regulatory environment and that is part of presenting the bill, understanding how that works and what the regulatory environment could be.
They are being placed on the table tomorrow with a second reading. Normally a bill sits for 30 days. Parliament does not sit again until February, so there will be a three-month period where we can have some consultation. We will work closely with industry to discuss the regulatory environment.
The second bill is about the future of Darwin port. That will be discussed at length.
With TIO we had to act quickly and had the legislation at the back end, we are now putting legislation forward on what will occur with the port. It will follow a similar model to the pipeline proposal in the Northern Territory where we have gone for an expression of interest, then to RFP and an EOI process. This will be a highly consultative environment.
Government is not minded of what direction it will go, particularly with the port. The government wants more financial investment into the port and for it to expand, particularly the hardstand area, reefer points and the quay line. Government cannot do these things; they are expensive and challenging investments. If we want the port to grow rapidly and be a strategic asset we need to create those partnerships.
When the bills are presented tomorrow you will have an opportunity to see them. I am more than happy to provide a briefing. If people want to refer it to committee, I am happy for that to be done. There is a long process between now and around the middle of next year for what we are working towards, and there will be a high level of consultation.
I note the CEO of the Darwin Port Corporation, Mr Terry O’Connor, has provided some information to his staff saying government is heading in this direction. No proposals have been received and we have not sought proposals.
Throughout the year I have advised what we are doing, and Flagstaff Partners is providing advice on how to do some of these things – several consultants are looking at the best opportunities for the port. If anybody on that side of the Chamber would like a briefing – you have not had one to date – I am happy to provide it.
ABC Cuts
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you please update the Assembly on the recent disappointing decision relating to regional coverage by the ABC?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question from the member for Drysdale. This is the type of question the member for Arnhem might ask given the vast geographical distances in her electorate and the importance of the ABC to many people in regional and remote parts of the Northern Territory, including our urban locations.
The ABC is a critical link for many Territorians who do not have access to other communications. The changes the Managing Director, Mark Scott, announced recently are detrimental to the Northern Territory; 7.30 NT, which is being axed, provided scrutiny of government, opposition and a range of current affairs matters.
It is not always the most popular program in regard to scrutiny of government, but it is a vital source of information to people. It is unfortunate the decision has been made. I have written to Mark Scott asking him to reconsider his decision and look at making cuts in other ways. We all have to live within our budgets, and my message to Mark Scott is to not cut regional and remote Australia, including Darwin, because the ABC is a vital link as a public broadcaster.
I look at how the ABC, from its headquarters, funds its operation, the roll-out of its digital platform and where its priorities are, and I believe it has its priorities wrong. Its priorities should be about providing a platform of information to all Australians, particularly regional and remote Australians, and getting information out. We are not Sydney or Melbourne. We do not have access to a plethora of information services where we can get everything off script easily. It is a challenging environment and the decision is poor.
Obviously I consider the staff involved in the 7.30 NT program as well, but for the information provided to Territorians it is bad. He should reconsider. I will follow that up. I am not sure how definitive the decision is, but it needs to be reversed so we can get a greater level of communication throughout the Northern Territory.
I have not spoken about what is happening with the football broadcast across the Territory which will now disappear as well. Many Territorians will have no access to watching Territory football. That is a bad outcome and a poor choice ...
Ms Fyles: Ring Tony.
Mr GILES: It is not about ringing Tony; it is about the ABC making the wrong decisions and investing in the wrong priorities, which will have detrimental effects on the Northern Territory.
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