2015-12-01
CLP Leadership – Territorians’ Confidence
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
You are on the record praising the member for Fong Lim for his work as Treasurer. On Saturday, in a humiliating blow to your authority, he was dumped from your team for the next election. Is this not a vote of no confidence in your leadership, by your own party, and does this not confirm what the Treasurer has previously told Territorians, that the CLP is a nest of vipers?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, we have just witnessed the parliament of the Northern Territory signal it does not have confidence in Labor or the Leader of the Opposition.
How dare you ask that question? How many jurisdictions in this nation are currently in surplus? There is only one, if I am correct, which is us. How many jurisdictions have been paying back enormous amounts of Labor debt, more than halving it in a three-year period? We have.
The Treasurer has our full confidence. The only person who should be worried about …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. The Treasurer of the CLP has been sacked by the CLP. Is this a vote of no confidence in you as Chief Minister?
Mr GILES: The only person who should be questioning their authority in this Chamber is the Leader of the Opposition, for the pathetic stunt he pulled in parliament this morning.
Crime – Government Measures
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you outline how the Country Liberal government is cracking down on crime to keep Territorians safe, and whether there are any alternatives?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, yes there are alternatives, but I will get to that in a moment.
Over the last three-and-a-half years we have worked tirelessly to drive down crime in the Northern Territory. We were elected for a number of reasons. We were elected to reduce the cost of living, and we have achieved that through the price of fuel, housing and electricity.
We were elected to assist families, and we have through sports vouchers, Back to School vouchers and childcare subsidies. We were also elected to drive down crime. No matter where you look in the Northern Territory, crime levels are going down - Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Darwin and Palmerston. Each person on this side of the Chamber is proud of those achievements.
We heard this morning that another key element of the Country Liberal Party’s platform will be removed. We already know the opposition will get rid of temporary beat locations, paperless arrests and mandatory alcohol rehabilitation. They will get rid of everything that works as part of their policy manifesto. We know Labor is soft on crime. Get down to Katherine, Tennant Creek or Alice Springs and tell them you are taking the police off the bottle shops. Then watch the grog go through people, domestic violence go through the roof and women not being protected as well as they are now. That is atrocious.
The member for Drysdale asked a question about whether there are any alternatives. Yes, there are, but they are like the Leader of the Opposition’s leadership; they are weak. They will drive crime up in the Northern Territory.
The biggest fear in Alice Springs is that Labor gets back into government. They are fearful of crime reverting back to what it was five years ago. You offer no solutions for Alice Springs and what you have announced today, getting rid of Alcohol Protection Orders, temporary beat locations, mandatory alcohol rehabilitation and paperless arrests, will strike fear into the residents of Central Australia. You will strike fear into Tennant Creek, Katherine and across the Northern Territory. More women in the Northern Territory will be assaulted under your policies and that is a shame.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That last comment from the Chief Minister was offensive.
Madam SPEAKER: No, it is not offensive.
Mr GILES: That is factual.
Mr Gunner: It is also a lie.
Madam SPEAKER: Withdraw that, member for Fannie Bay.
Mr GUNNER: I withdraw, but that is utter rubbish.
Mr GILES: The fact is crime is down under the CLP, just like cost-of-living pressures.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
CLP Members’ Futures – Territorians’ Trust
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
The dumping of your Treasurer by the CLP comes hot on the heels of the announcement by the Attorney-General that he will not be contesting the next election. This comes after your former Tourism minister, the member for Greatorex, also said he is not contesting the next election. The members for Namatjira, Araluen, Goyder and Arnhem have all deserted the CLP since the knifing of Mr Mills in Japan. Nine of your colleagues voted to have you removed as Chief Minister. How can Territorians have any confidence in your ability to deliver stable and competent government when it is clear your own colleagues in your party, past and present, clearly do not?
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 109(3)(a); this requests nothing more than an expression of opinion from the Chief Minister and should be ruled out of order accordingly.
Madam SPEAKER: No, he is asking for some factual information. It is in order.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am trying to reflect on what the question was. I do not think the Leader of the Opposition has learnt anything from today; he has not learnt anything from the past 12 months.
People are sick and tired of us talking about ourselves. If Dave is not running for the next election then he is not running. If John or the member for Greatorex, whose electorate will no longer be there, want to move onto something else, that is good. Good for them; they get an opportunity of having another part of their lives. You are so focused on what we are doing over here and you have lost focus on your side of the Chamber. That is part of the issue.
This morning you rolled out some deplorable policies which will hurt people, and you come in here and talk about us at Question Time. Think about something else.
Mr Gunner: Your Treasurer has just been sacked.
Mr GILES: Who cares if Dave is running again or not? You should be thanking Dave for bringing the budget back into surplus and paying back your debt. Offer something other than talking about politicians. Can you please come in here with some good debate?
I have had this conversation in the Chamber before. I had a chat with the Speaker some time ago, saying I want to work to improve the level of debate in the Chamber. We have to stop talking about ourselves. The general community does not like it and you are missing the point again and again. You came in here talking about yourself today, demanding to be the Chief Minister. You talk about softening your position on law and order, and now you come in here and talk about the member for Fong Lim.
Ms Fyles: And you cannot answer the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Gunner: The CLP has found the actions of your Treasurer wanting.
Mr GILES: Can you just be quiet? We all have renewal processes in our lives. We all have succession plans in team or work environments. If people are changing, that is well and good.
Your question was about trust. They have seen by our performance they can trust us to get fuel, housing and electricity prices down. They can trust us to bring crime levels down, bring out sports vouchers and Back to School vouchers, lead the economy, have the biggest health and education budgets the Territory has ever seen, and be the best party in this parliament. They can trust you to be the worst Opposition Leader we have ever seen.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Crime Levels in the Northern Territory
Mr BARRETT to ATTORNEY-GENERAL and JUSTICE
The Chief Minister has outlined the gains this government has made in bringing Labor’s crime legacy under control. Can you tell us why the Country Liberal government might be succeeding in this difficult area, which is of particular concern to constituents in my electorate?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, yes, I can. The answer is quite simple. Unlike Labor, we are not soft on crime. We will not follow the Labor Party standard nailed to their mast today where they will repeal mandatory alcohol treatment, paperless arrests, Alcohol Protection Orders and all the things we have done to make sure Territorians are safer than they have been in a long time.
An 11% fall in the crime rate since August 2012 is something this government is proud of. We have proudly chased down the ice scourge in the community, which members opposite are happy to resist. What did they offer in amendments to the legislation that they blocked earlier this year? They offered nothing. Labor will take action to address the ice epidemic, according to them. How will they do it? By sitting around and saying, ‘That legislation should not pass on urgency’.
Not only have we passed that legislation, and not only will we bring more legislation to this House to protect Territorians, but we have already passed good legislation to protect Territorians. A 9% fall in domestic violence means hundreds of women in our communities, over the last 12 months, have not had their faces bashed in or their bones broken, a result of this government’s actions. We have been strident in our pursuit of domestic violence and the results are coming home.
We have introduced sentencing legislation which makes the workplace a safer place to be. If you get belted up in the workplace, there is a mandatory sentence waiting for the perpetrator who used physical violence against you. Who resisted it and said they would not support it? Labor did. So what will Labor members do? They will get rid of paperless arrests, mandatory alcohol treatment, TBLs and Alcohol Protection Orders. They will get rid of all of that and replace it with the BDR. They will protect Territorians with small computers.
Why was crime so out of control when they were in government? Because they were soft on crime and they thought a piece of licence-scanning equipment could solve all the problems in the world. Well, it did not. They tie up coppers under reams of paperwork when they should be on the street protecting Territorians. They can do so under the legislation which this government has passed and the High Court has said is completely lawful.
CLP Election Candidate – Ted Dunstan
MR GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER On 6 March this year, Ted Dunstan, your candidate for Nightcliff, was quoted in the NT News as saying:
- The best I can come up with is that Adam Giles should offer his head. But I fear it is even too late for his resignation.
On 26 September this year in the NT News, Ted Dunstan said:
- I really have to assert that Adam himself is the problem. Replace him. Forget frequent changes. If leaders fail, they must go …
On the weekend Ted Dunstan was named by the CLP as the candidate for Nightcliff.
Can you please confirm whether the wrong name was accidentally read out on the weekend, if this is a poor attempt at humour by the CLP - with you as the butt of the joke – or if there is so little respect for your leadership within the CLP that your fiercest critics receive the most support?
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 109(2)(e); clearly this question is designed to insult and nothing more. Therefore, it should be ruled out of order accordingly.
Madam SPEAKER: No, it is not insulting. He is stating facts and reading things from the newspaper.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, he missed a date. On 29 November Ted Dunstan said to me after pre-selection, ‘Let’s get rid of Michael Gunner. He has nothing.’
Chan Building Upgrade
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for ARTS and MUSEUMS
Can you tell us how much money has been spent so far on the Chan Building? What is happening to the communications sections? How much will it cost to shift the communications? Where will it go? Why is it being moved? Is the cost of the move included in the $18.3m project?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. As everyone knows, the project to repurpose the Chan Building has not changed since the budget was announced, and it is $18.3m. The Department of Infrastructure has provided me an updated expenditure report. So far money has been allocated to risk management and the removal of asbestos from the building, as well as the design tender process. As people may know, that was announced last night by the Chief Minister and me.
I encourage all members to go to my Facebook page, or the Chief Minister’s, to look at the designs. It is a wonderful project and the chair, Mr Allan Myers AO QC, is reported as saying it is an inspired initiative.
To answer the member’s question, the total value of expenditure so far is $93 000, which is less than 0.05% of the total budget. It is right on budget. The repurposing of the Chan project design brief was to redevelop the project into a dedicated, world-class exhibition space for the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, with public amenities such as a cafe and retail space. The new gallery will provide a full program of exhibitions, including the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, national touring exhibitions and MAGNT’s extensive collection of contemporary Indigenous and Southeast Asian art and cultural materials. In the repurposing of the Chan project there are no plans to relocate the communications and NTG data facility from where it is now, in the basement of the Chan Building.
The Department of Corporate and Information Services has been consulted since the inception of this project. It will remain responsible for the basement and parts of the ground floor of the Chan Building which house the NTG data centre operations. There is, however, a separate data facility planned at the Northern Territory Archives Service, which will be the northern repository and emergency data recovery centre; in other words, it will be a backup. This facility at the NT Archives has a separate approved budget. It is a separate project and will not take the place of the current NTG communications facilities in the Chan Building.
Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services Budget
Mr CONLAN to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
It is very unsportsmanlike of the Chief Minister to challenge the Leader of the Opposition to a debate on policy. It would be grossly one-sided, particularly when it comes to law and order issues. I think many crime stats have demonstrated the Country Liberal government is the only one that can address law and order issues across the Northern Territory. That has been proven over and over again.
Can you please demonstrate to the House how the Country Liberal government has bolstered the capabilities of NTPFES with the record budget this year?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for his question. He is concerned about drugs in his community.
The issue of illicit drugs in our community is of significant concern to all Territorians. It is evident that crystal methamphetamine is presenting one of the biggest threats to our way of life in the Territory. To date, the Northern Territory Police Force has seized over 5600 g of methamphetamines and amphetamine-type substances, or ATS. That is over 5.6 kg this year.
Unlike Labor, the Country Liberal government is serious about abolishing the illicit drug trade - manufacture, distribution and trafficking - and associated violent offending. Unlike Labor, the Country Liberal government is committed to passing laws that will help our frontline officers get drugs off the streets. Unlike Labor, the Country Liberal government will empower our protectors to drive down crime and give them the tools to adequately tackle violent offending associated with the drug trade.
With firearm offences on the rise, and the practice of engaging in violence to enforce drug debts or protect drug markets, the CLP government is strengthening laws and adequately kitting out our police to ensure their safety and the safety of our children.
Unlike Labor, the CLP government is not soft on crime. Since Labor blocked ice laws in September, the Northern Territory Police have successfully effected a further 110 seizures of methamphetamines. That equates to an additional 1854 g, or 1.85 kg, of amphetamine-type substances being intercepted by police since Labor blocked the process in this House to see the legislation pass. That is shameful.
Imagine how much more could have been stopped if soft-on-crime Labor had not blocked our drug laws. We all know the figure would be much higher. It is clear from an operational perspective that a policy suite of amendments to several pieces of legislation was required to assist in targeting organised or sophisticated criminal offending. This is what the Country Liberal government has done. We have listened to the police, other frontline workers and the community.
The majority of methamphetamines and ATS seized by police in the NT are brought in from interstate. Methods of concealment are quite disturbing. Police have located drugs in some rather unique places. Until the passage of our declared drug route legislation, limitations existed in relation to the successful search and seizure of illicit substances destined for Indigenous communities and urban areas.
Amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act now enable portions of Territory roads to be declared drug routes for the purpose of detecting and disrupting the trafficking of dangerous drugs into the Northern Territory.
These declared drug routes will protect Territory borders from those who bring drugs into the Northern Territory. Unlike Labor, the Country Liberal government is not soft on crime.
Member for Arnhem – CLP Support
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
On 15 May 2014 the member for Arnhem made serious accusations in this Chamber that she was offered inducements of financial support and an appointment to the ministry to remain a member of the CLP. She also felt threatened and intimidated in her role as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. Can you confirm whether these accusations have been investigated or are being investigated by the Northern Territory Police? If not, why not?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I think that is a question for the member for Arnhem. I am not told everything the police are investigating across the Northern Territory. If I was the minister for Police under a Labor government, I am sure there would be much more than what is happening at the moment, because we are tough on crime.
It is a question for the member for Arnhem. I know her support in recent times for the Giles government is based on the fact this government is doing things in the bush. We are doing things in the regions that were left untapped and unhelped for so many years under a Labor government.
We have an Independent member who supports this government. The reason is not because of any inducements, or because of any allegations. She supports this government to do what it was elected to do, which is represent Territorians no matter where they live or what electorate they come from.
We are doing things in the Barkly, Karama and in your electorate, member for Nhulunbuy; do not worry about that. There are things happening across the Northern Territory. They are not restricted to the electorate of Brennan or Braitling; they are across the Northern Territory. If you look at the record you will see this government is probably spending more money in our regions than any government has ever done. There is more being spent on roads, bridges, schools and police stations across the Northern Territory.
Ms Fyles: Not the one in Nightcliff.
Mr CHANDLER: We could have put a police station on the island there, but that obviously did not happen.
The member for Arnhem supports this government for no other reason than the fact we support the regions, including her electorate. That is important. I hope the member for Fannie Bay will thank us for doing things in his electorate because we do not limit, from a government perspective, where we spend the money. It will not all go into the electorates held by this ministry or this government. It is not going to the electorates of Independents; it is going right across the board. If you were to break things down in electorates, you would find more money is being spent on electorates held by the opposition and Independents than this side of government. That is a fact.
Look at some of the work being done on roads and other vital infrastructure like communications; there is your reason.
The member for Arnhem is supporting government because we are doing our job and helping her to serve her electorate.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Crime Levels in Katherine
Mr KURRUPUWU to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
Can the minister update the House on major reductions in Katherine crime rates under the Country Liberal government?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his very important question. It gives me a great deal of pleasure to update the House with some statistics that speak for themselves in the Katherine region. The latest figures indicate that crime across the Territory is down. It is no surprise as we have talked about it today, but under a Labor government we know it would not be happening. Under a Labor government crime rates would climb to pre-2012 levels. The results speak for themselves.
From August 2012 to August 2015 …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. You are talking about crime, but your portfolio is Primary Industry.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: I am getting to the nut of it. From August 2012 to August 2015 the number of assaults in Katherine went down.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 109: rules about questions. The question was directed to the Deputy Chief Minister; I thought questions had to go to a portfolio specifically.
Madam SPEAKER: There is a bit of latitude and the minister has indicated he will be talking about primary industries in the Katherine and Douglas Daly regions.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: This is the cracker; the opposition will not like to hear this. Assaults in Katherine over three years, from August 2012 to August 2015, are down by a staggering 32.3%. House break-ins have fallen by 16.6%, total offences have reduced by 13.7%, theft excluding motor vehicles reduced by 7.6% and property damage is down by 6.2%.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I am seeking the standing order number for digression, because there seems to be a fair amount of digression from primary industries.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: I am getting to it.
Madam SPEAKER: If you could get to the point of primary industry it would be appreciated.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Katherine is a diverse and growing economy. Crime rates in Katherine and across the Territory are critically important to the people who would live in the Northern Territory and inhabit our local towns.
Katherine is the centre of primary industry for the Northern Territory and the centre of the cattle industry. We want to encourage more people to live in Katherine. That is why these crime statistics are critically important for the Northern Territory.
Members interjecting.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: We have heard the opposition crowing over the last few days about the fact net migration from the Northern Territory has increased. We are trying to get more people to come to the Northern Territory. In Katherine they will be focused on a lifestyle around the rural area and being engaged in the primary industry sector. These police statistics are critical for them to decide to move to a safe place.
I can assure people considering moving to Katherine that under a Country Liberal government crime rates are down. It is much safer for them to live in Katherine and in the Northern Territory.
We know what will happen under Labor. They will get rid of all the Country Liberals’ policies and replace them with their own, and crime rates will go up.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired. I also draw members’ attention to new Standing Order 106(3). It is not to be abused.
Hydraulic Fracturing – Consultation
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
The Northern Territory government has declared the McArthur Basin region as the new shale gas province and is approving fracking without consultation with landholders. Gulf region landholders have written to the NT government to call for the company to provide evidence it consulted with landholders before undertaking its exploration program, including clearing roads, accessing water and exploring for gas, or have the permits revoked. Will you commit to revoking licences where landholders can demonstrate they have not been consulted or given consent for mining access in granted exploration areas, such as those in the gulf region?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I take it the member for Karama is talking about permits and applications that were undertaken under her government.
When we came to government, 95% of the Northern Territory was either granted or under application for gas and petroleum developments. Not many people know that and you are very keen to say it is all us.
We are reducing the number of permits in the Northern Territory. We have a fundamental reform. The first Hawke report investigated whether gas drilling was safe in the Northern Territory and contained six recommendations. The report said it is safe and we do not need a moratorium, but we need to work out how we can improve our regulatory environment.
The second Hawke report, which we released about two weeks ago, provided a range of recommendations specifically about how to move forward. One was to do nothing, which is already a robust regulatory regime. The second was to move to an independent model, where each agency does the approval process and provides a regulatory environment. The EPA, which we set up independently, provides oversight. The third component in option two was that the EPA has a right-of-veto model.
We have said we are moving to option three over a 12-month process. Consultation virtually starts now, but formally starts in February. It will go until September next year, which goes beyond the election cycle because it is more than politics. We want the first stage to start on 1 January 2017.
As part of that, we are now working with companies and saying, ‘We do not believe you have prospectivity. We want you to hand your applications back.’ We are asking for those granted under Labor to be handed back. We are saying we now have new rules. The Water Act will now apply for any mining or petroleum aspect. That did not happen under Labor; we are doing that.
Ms Fyles: The water you gave away.
Mr GILES: Can you please be quiet, member for Nightcliff?
We will introduce that legislation. We have also ruled out …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! With less than 50 seconds to go, will you answer the question under Standing Order 110? Will you commit to revoking licences where landholders can demonstrate they have not been consulted or given consent for mining access in granted exploration areas, such as those in the gulf region? It is very specific.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, if you can get to the point, please.
Mr GILES: We said there will be no gas in residential areas, high-value tourism areas, culturally significant areas or high agricultural development areas. We said that and we are rolling back …
Mr Tollner: Land access agreements are part of every permit.
Mr GILES: We announced new land access agreements yesterday.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110; it is a very specific question. Will you commit to revoking licences where landholders can demonstrate they have not been consulted or given consent for mining access?
Mr GILES: Yesterday we announced new land access agreements, which have to be arranged between miners, petroleum companies and landholders, including Indigenous landholders. In regard to your specific question, did you, in the Labor government, consult when it was granted in the first place?
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr GILES: I have finished.
Police Resources
Mr BARRETT to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Can you please update the House on how Labor has allowed drug dealers and distributers to continue profiting at the peril of Territorians by blocking drug legislation?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. I will answer this slightly differently because much of what I said in my last answer relates to this question. It is more important to understand that we, as government, have a plan, unlike the other side. I wonder how the member for Barkly would react if TBLs were removed from Tennant Creek. How would the 51% reduction in crime in Tennant Creek be affected if we reintroduced scanning machines there? People in Tennant Creek would be very disappointed in the member for Barkly if he supported something that would bring crime levels up.
This government has a plan. Not only does it have a plan, it is spending a record amount of money. Some $401.8m has been allocated on Police, Fire and Emergency Services this year. That is more than any former Labor government spent in that area. We have seen, as has been said before, an 11% drop in crime rates across the Northern Territory. Initiatives and programs put in place by government have effected that 11% drop. Some of the spending includes $1.69m for new protective equipment for frontline police officers, which was highlighted in Budget 2015-16.
With heightened levels of threat across our nation and the world, the Country Liberal government is equipping our Territory Response Group accordingly and has supplied 35 Remington R5 rifles and eight Sig Sauer 718 semi-automatic rifles to ensure our tactical units are well-equipped and versatile. There are 835 personal issue load bearing vests being rolled out to frontline officers. This will provide enhanced ballistic protection as well as ergonomic support for the equipment carried. This investment will contribute to ensuring the safety of not only our officers, but the community.
New facial recognition software is enabling police to more efficiently search through CCTV footage and photos to quickly identify or eliminate suspects. We are serious about building our crime fighting arsenal, and we have welcomed mobile CCTV units equipping our police for hotspot policing. These systems complement the existing CCTV network and are rapidly deployed at major public events or emerging crime spots as part of crime prevention.
It is part of the Country Liberals’ plan to crack down on crime and ensure the Northern Territory is a safe place to live, work and play. Since taking government we have 117 additional police officers on the beat, and we will meet our commitment of 120 additional police by August 2016. More importantly, that is 117 more police on the beat than were around when Labor was in government. With things like paperless arrests, police are on the beat more often than under the Labor government. Do not risk it. Labor is soft on crime.
Member for Arnhem – Electorate Office Support
Mr VOWLES to CHIEF MINISTER
Under questioning in this House you have repeatedly refused to rule out that discussions have taken place between you, your office or representatives and the member for Arnhem, or her family, regarding additional electorate office support and/or future contracts or consultancies. Do you refuse to answer because if you had, it may figure as an admission of bribing a member under section 59 of the Criminal Code?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Johnston, please withdraw that or, if you want, rephrase your question some other way regarding the reference to bribery.
Mr VOWLES: I withdraw; I will rephrase the question. Have any discussions or deals taken place between you, your office or other representatives and the member for Arnhem, or her family, regarding additional electorate office support or future contracts or consultancies?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that was a perfect display of a disgraceful level of unprofessionalism in this Chamber. I hope you are hobbled or spoken to by the Leader of the Opposition, if he has any leadership qualities.
That is the sort of thing people are sick and tired of, coming in here and accusing people of bribery. What a disgraceful thing to do. I think your constituents in Johnston will be horrified to see your performance in this Chamber. It is pathetic.
We had an answer by the Police minister today, who reflected on the views of the member for Arnhem and why she votes the way she does. I will not go into that for the twentieth time.
Start talking about your electorate. Yesterday I was in the member for Nightcliff’s electorate, looking around Nightcliff. The member for Nightcliff has never approached me about antisocial behaviour in Nightcliff.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That is rubbish. He needs to withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: No, that is not a point of order. Sit down.
Mr GILES: She has never spoken about renewal of public housing complexes in her electorate. She has never asked me about the police traffic centre in the police station.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. Territorians want to know the details of the deal they are paying for between the member for Braitling and the member for Arnhem.
Mr GILES: You are digging yourself a deeper hole, member for Fannie Bay. For the last three weeks you have paraded around this motion of no confidence. You have eroded business confidence, talked the territory down again and lost the motion. You are hobbled by the alternative leader of the Labor Party, the member for Karama.
You have come in today asking questions about politicians, not about people. You are not talking about your constituents and you are showing very poor leadership in your position. I encourage other people on that side of the Chamber…
Mr VOWLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. If he can rule out whether any discussions were had or deals were done with the member for Arnhem.
Mr GILES: This is the part of the answer where you sit back and shut up. You do not stand up and call a point of order and make yourself look stupid again, member for Johnston.
Ms Walker: He hit a raw nerve there.
Mr GILES: No raw nerve. It all washes over, member for Nhulunbuy. It is not an issue. When we stand up for democracy we want good debate, not pathetic questions, immaturity and unprofessionalism.
Territorians expect better. I call on you, Leader of the Opposition, to stand up, grow a spine and start leading in this Chamber.
Ice – Government Action
Mr CONLAN to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Ice is scheduled in the highest category of prohibited drugs in every Australian jurisdiction. The majority of methamphetamine and amphetamine-type substances, otherwise known as ATS, are brought into the Northern Territory from interstate. However, NT Police have had some success dismantling clandestine drug labs in the NT. Can you please update the House on the prevalence of clandestine drug labs in the Northern Territory and what that means for Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for his question. The Northern Territory Drug and Organised Crime Squad is the primary unit involved in investigating the manufacture and supply of methamphetamine and amphetamine-type substances, or ATS.
Through hard work and dedication, NT Police continue to successfully cause disruption to the illicit drug trade supply. Unlike Labor, the CLP government is not soft on crime. We have listened to police and we are providing the legislative framework required for our hard-working officers to continue to put the heat on ice.
We know the majority of ATS is brought into the Territory from interstate. We have provided for tighter laws to strengthen our borders. Unlike Labor, the CLP has a plan for this. We are reviewing local, interstate and international legislative platforms and policy initiatives in respect to drugs and organised crime. It is always good to look outside the square because there might be a better way than how we are doing it. I have not found it yet because what they are doing in the Northern Territory blows my mind. It is amazing, the work these guys do and what they are coming across, but it is dangerous work.
With the borders strengthened, recent clandestine lab detections across the Territory served to identify changing trends. The increase in attempts to manufacture the substance, rather than directly importing from interstate, is alarming. The Northern Territory Police Force remains committed to abolishing local manufacture of ATS, and has successfully disrupted productions at six sites in recent months. Intensive targeting of drug manufacturers remains a high priority. Sites or setups of clandestine amphetamine labs have included the following: a room in a Darwin city hotel; suburban residential addresses, including Darwin and Alice Springs; a setup inside a tradesman’s trailer; a suitcase containing controlled glassware; and precursor chemicals and apparatus located on a property in Marrakai. Disturbingly, some of the labs dismantled in the Territory were classified as Class A active labs, where the process is under way and at its most volatile stage.
Manufacturers, or drug cooks, vary in their professionalism and capability, and the methods used by these back yard chemists are known to have substantial risks of fire, explosion or producing harmful and potentially fatal fumes. Through policy development and evaluation the Country Liberal government will continue to ensure relevant legislation is contemporary and reflective of the level of harm these substances bring into our communities.
Unlike Labor, the Country Liberal government is serious about abolishing the illicit trade of drug manufacture, distribution and trafficking. It takes a committed government and police force with the right resources, and with a plan. We need all these things to come together if we are to make a real difference to drug trade in the Northern Territory. It is looking at this seriously and putting that plan into action, not simply talking about it or going soft on crime. Those guys are soft on crime.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Mick Palmer – Alleged Consultancy
Ms FYLES to TREASURER
On 19 November 2015, in this House, you confirmed former CLP minister, Mick Palmer, had undertaken consultancy work for the government. But you could not provide details around the scope of work and the cost of the consultancy, or processes that led to the awarding of the contract. You undertook to provide this detail. Why is the information yet to be provided to the Assembly? Will you undertake to provide it now?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nightcliff for her question. I intended to give you an answer straight after Question Time, but you have pre-empted that.
Last sittings I was wrong. The government had not contracted Mick Palmer, a former member of this place, to do any work. The Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment contracted Sar Investments Pty Ltd for the provision of some consultancy services, a company unrelated to Mick Palmer.
Sar Investments was awarded the contract in accordance with the NT government procurement processes, but I understand Sar Investments also engaged Mr Palmer to undertake some work.
Sar Investments produced the report, but the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment has not yet received a final copy of this report. This contract was not related in any way to Richardson Park.
Treasurer’s Annual Financial Report – Auditor-General’s Disclaimer
Mrs LAMBLEY to TREASURER
Today in the Public Accounts Committee meeting, the Auditor-General told us she had to disclaim aspects of your Treasurer’s Annual Financial Report pertaining to the newly-separated Power and Water entities. This is only the second time in the history of Australian politics an Auditor-General has disclaimed a Treasurer’s report. Will you relieve us of your belligerent incompetence and go to the backbench?
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is in breach of Standing Order 109(3)(a).
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, can you please reword your question somewhat to not be so direct and personal.
Mrs LAMBLEY: Do you want me to ask the question again?
Madam SPEAKER: Yes.
Mrs LAMBLEY: Today in the Public Accounts Committee meeting, the Auditor-General told us she had to disclaim aspects of your Treasurer’s Annual Financial Report pertaining to the newly-separated Power and Water entities. It has only happened twice in the history of Australian politics that an Auditor-General has had to disclaim the Treasurer’s report. This effectively discredits the whole TAFR. You are in serious trouble; you have effectively been discredited by the Auditor-General. Is it not time to step down as Treasurer?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen for the question. What a question! You will get it right yet. That question was completely without fact. It demonstrates why the member for Araluen was dumped as Treasurer, because her understanding of a TAFR is very limited.
It is interesting to see the way the member for Araluen has tried to skew the Auditor-General’s opinion. If the member for Araluen took the time to read the TAFR and listened to my tabling statement, which was made in this place during our last sittings two weeks ago, she would know I spoke about that issue and put it publicly on the record. Lo and behold, the member for Araluen suddenly discovered it today or last night.
Many other people in the Chamber were aware the Auditor-General never had any issue with the TAFR. The Auditor-General did not pass judgment on the financials of the Power and Water Corporation, which is a very small part of the Treasurer’s Annual Financial Report.
If the member for Araluen had bothered listening last sittings, when I tabled the TAFR, she would understand the structural separation has caused some issues with the financial counting of the Power and Water Corporation. The Auditor-General is maintaining a close look at the Power and Water Corporation to ensure those financials are produced.
The member for Araluen will be aware that when we did the structural separation of the Power and Water Corporation, it revealed problems we never knew existed. One of the reasons for structurally separating the Power and Water Corporation was to make it more accountable and transparent, and to be responsible for the money it receives from taxpayers and tariff payers.
The member for Araluen has clearly demonstrated why she was not up to the job as Treasurer.
Paperless Arrest Laws
Mr BARRETT to ATTORNEY-GENERAL and JUSTICE
Can you please tell us about the victory of the paperless arrest laws in the High Court, and how this result will assist the Country Liberal government in being tough on law and order?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have seen some crass hypocrisy in this House over the years, but the hypocrisy I have seen demonstrated by the Labor Party in recent times in relation to the paperless arrest laws brooks no comparison.
The Labor members came into this place and said they would not oppose it. They did not necessarily support it, but they were not going to oppose it. They stayed silent on the matter and it passed on the voices. All of a sudden, they saw a political opportunity because some lawyers had decided the paperless arrest law, which had been passed by this House for the true welfare and safety of the people of the Northern Territory, needed to be challenged in the High Court, of all places. The irresponsible position the Labor Party has taken now resonates through their language, where they say they will repeal the paperless arrest laws of the Northern Territory.
Those laws are there to protect Territorians. Mitchell Street has - and I hope it stays this way - featured so minimally in the newspaper in recent times because police officers, who say to people, ‘Move on’ or ‘Stop swearing, otherwise you will get locked up’, absolutely mean it. They now have the capacity to do so, knowing they will not be tied up at the police station for the next two-and-a-half hours doing paperwork. They will be exactly where Territorians expect them to be, which is on the beat, locking up bad guys who are trying their hardest to make fools of themselves in the street.
One thing any experienced police officer will tell you is that if you are able to remove a moron at 10 pm because he is being mouthy, abusive and obnoxious, or acting in a disorderly way, chances are that person will not, at 2 am, commit some form of indictable offence like aggravated or sexual assault. Why? Because rather than the fool being on the street, he or she is moved on by police or held in the way the Summary Offences Act expected them to be held.
Paperless arrests do not create any new powers or new laws, or change any systems. They make sure police have less paperwork to do when they arrest somebody so they can be back out on the street, protecting Territorians as Territorians expect to be protected.
Under the soft-on-crime Labor members, who think NT Police is some villainous organisation which picks on the innocent, that legislation will be repealed. They will make sure police are deprived of the powers they need to make the community safe for you, me and our families.
CLP Election Candidate – Carolyn Reynolds
Mr McCARTHY to CHIEF MINISTER
On the weekend the CLP endorsed Carolyn Richards as your candidate for Goyder. Carolyn Richards is well known to this side of the House as a vigorous opponent of the gas industry; she was opposed to the INPEX site and gas pipelines in particular.
I seek leave to table a 69-page submission, which is clearly against the INPEX project in Darwin and gas pipelines, written by Ms Reynolds.
Leave granted.
Mr McCARTHY: How do you explain the CLP pre-selecting a candidate who is diametrically opposed to your government’s policy of supporting the gas industry?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am sorry, I do not know anyone called Carolyn Richards.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! He clarified it and say Ms Reynolds.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, he did clarify it, Chief Minister.
Mr GILES: He needs to get his question right.
It was probably irrelevant as it came from the member for Barkly. He is the kind of bloke who says he supports the gas pipeline, but does not want to put anything through it. He says in this Chamber he supports it then goes out amongst his constituents and bags it out, speaking with a forked tongue, which is unlike Labor.
It is interesting to see him here speaking with a forked tongue as he reflects on …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, I ask you to withdraw that comment because it references being a liar.
Mr GILES: I withdraw. I reflect on debates from earlier today in the motion of no confidence, and I have been thinking about people who are and are not in your team. As I said earlier in debate today, the Leader of the Opposition should not only show leadership in the Chamber and raise the standards of parliament, but he should apologise to Territorians for wasting $32 000 of taxpayers’ money today by his poorly-crafted stunt in this Chamber.
He should also justify, when he seeks to be a leader and gain self-confidence, how he can take the member for Karama’s vote.
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. How do you explain a candidate opposed to the gas industry being preselected by the CLP?
Mr GILES: We are a broad church; we come from different backgrounds with different opinions, but we all work together. We do not have the unions telling us what to do, pointing at us and making us talk like puppets.
You would hope there was not a union member backing the Leader of the Opposition’s motion today. It was a clear failure and a reflection on your leadership.
But I go back to the question. Poor outcomes have been shown as part of the Stella Maris debate; confidence in the member for Karama has been eroded in public - taking Territorians’ assets and giving them away to union mates. This is the most recently disgruntled member of a political party to leave their party, creating disunity. How can you take her vote, Leader of the Opposition? That is a question you need to answer, because she is discredited in this Chamber, just like the member for Barkly.
How can you take their votes when you want the confidence of this Chamber? That is a serious question that you must answer, Leader of the Opposition. You have done a dirty deal with the member for Karama.
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