2015-11-17
Gas Interconnector –
Successful Bid by Jemena
Successful Bid by Jemena
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
Today the government announced the successful bidder for the North East Gas Interconnector. I congratulate Jemena on its successful bid. Labor supports the pipeline project and welcomes the announcement. We believe this is above politics and is a sound investment in the growth of the Northern Territory.
Can you please advise the House of the details of this successful bid, what you expect will be the impact on the Barkly region and what the next steps are?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member very much for the question. One of the big things that came out of the press conference was the hesitation by industry in regard to Labor policy on gas drilling in the Northern Territory.
I can tell you about the gas pipeline, but three minutes is probably not sufficient. An exhaustive process started in 2013. The first forum was held on 30 October 2014 in Alice Springs with some 70-plus people, who heard my vision about the gas pipeline. We have engaged a company called Port Jackson Partners, which has run an intensive program. It came down to about four proponents through a probity process: a company called DUET Group; another organisation called PCPA promoting Alice to Moomba; and two companies promoting Tennant Creek to Mount Isa, APA Group and Jemena.
Jemena was identified as the successful bidder based on the cost of tariff, its design of a 14-inch pipeline and its willingness to look at building an 18-inch pipeline, in the event increased levels of gas become present. At the point of an 18-inch pipeline being built, the tariff will be even lower, which will assist business. It will also see the lowest gas processing costs of any bid that came through. I cannot disclose those numbers for commercial-in-confidence reasons, but they were by far the highest bidder.
There are about 900 jobs for the construction of the pipeline, 600 of which will be on the ground between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa. There is a ceiling of 162 jobs set aside for Aboriginal Territorians or Indigenous Queenslanders to participate in that. There is $112m set aside through about 100 contracts to work with local people to create business and jobs. We have contracted for local participation plans for Tennant Creek and Mount Isa to be included so local people have an opportunity of getting work. The pipeline needs to be built by 31 December 2018 for the first gas to flow from 1 January 2019.
For Tennant Creek this presents a significant shot in the arm, on the back of the Minister for Transport’s announcement of starting the milk run with Airnorth flights from Darwin to Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and return. The investigation of a rail line between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa, and our gas pipeline connecting the two, will bring about enormous gains for Tennant Creek and the broader region through Barkly, and into Queensland through northern Australia.
Three minutes is not enough, so I am happy to talk more about this at a later point.
Gas Interconnector – Benefits
Mr KURRUPUWU to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you outline what benefit the North East Gas Interconnector will deliver for the Territory and Australia?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this gas pipeline will be historic. I cannot cast my mind back to a time in the history of Australia, or my short time on this country, when another piece of infrastructure was built across borders in Australia. I cannot think of a road, bridge or pipeline that was built inter-jurisdictionally. It is very hard to do.
The history of our nation talks about different gauges of rail line as it passes around Australia and how much of a challenge that is. This will present a challenge for us in modelling the rail line between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa. To build a piece of infrastructure across borders is a challenge. We have worked very closely with the Queensland, South Australian and federal governments in working through this process to ensure we get our regulatory processes right, that we work on land access and work to support business and so forth.
One of the benefits for Mount Isa, where we look beyond jurisdictions, is that Incitec Pivot will be the first receiver of gas through the pipeline. It will now be able to work in partnership to develop the fertiliser Incitec Pivot makes. If it was not for this gas, Incitec Pivot could potentially close down. It is in the middle of building an $800m facility in Louisiana because it could not find gas in Australia, so there are jobs being exported overseas. This keeps jobs in Australia.
My desire - and this is part of the overall architecture in what we want to do - is to get processing facilities in Tennant Creek, which will mean more jobs there. We would export from the Northern Territory what we could generally classify as NT spec gas. It does not need Australia spec gas. It has to run through a processing plant to get to Australia spec gas. That was one of the benefits of the Jemena bid, without going into further detail. There is an opportunity to turn it into Australia spec gas at Tennant Creek. That will mean a plant, which will mean more jobs.
When you make it spec gas, you strip certain elements out of the gas. Without going into the details, if we have an opportunity of stripping out ethane, methane and other wets, we can use those products to make jobs in the Northern Territory, and make plastics like this folder here. That is where many of the jobs are in the petrochemical industry and where the downstream jobs are. There are jobs in building the pipeline, but not many in running the pipeline. It is the product you get out of the gas to go downstream to create the jobs. It is all about jobs for Territorians and jobs for Tennant Creek, particularly in the construction.
I am working on jobs for Tennant Creek in the processing and downstream opportunities. There will also be opportunities for jobs in Darwin, where we do processing and further refining in the plastics industry. It is great for the Northern Territory and it will underpin us going forward in a diversified industry for many years to come.
Prisoner Escape – Concerns
Ms FYLES to MINISTER for CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
Last week’s escape by a convicted axe murderer and rapist was the 36th escape since 1 July last year. Your incompetence as minister has put the safety of Territorians at risk. Are Territorians right to have no confidence in your ability to keep them safe from violent offenders?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I was also very concerned about prisoner Horrell’s escape from custody at the …
Ms Walker: You said you were a bit annoyed.
Mr ELFERINK: I was very concerned. It was contrary to government policy to have Mr Horrell going into the Sentenced to a Job program. I said for years, hundreds of times, to Corrections that there were to be no sex offenders in the Sentenced to a Job program. I said that in this House and publicly.
I also acknowledge that the former Corrections minister, but a few weeks ago in this House, was trying to own every policy of the Northern Territory government, essentially saying, ‘It was all ours; it was all the Labor Party’s policy and the CLP came along and stole it.’ He said, ‘I congratulate you for now using those recidivism numbers to start the drop below national average’.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. I do not care to have Hansard read to me. Territorians do not have confidence in you and your ability to keep them safe.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you; it is not a point of order. Sit down, please.
Mr ELFERINK: ‘I have always congratulated the minister and give credit where credit is due.’ True to his word, the former minister also released Mr Horrell into the public domain. I table a photograph from February 2012, where Mr Horrell is in Larrimah doing work in the community and moving about the public. That was not something I countenanced; it was something the former Labor government countenanced, and I am tabling that photograph for the edification of members. Mr Horrell had been in circulation since Labor was in power.
I can well understand the politics of what Labor is trying to do. By saying there should be no sex offenders in the Sentenced to a Job program, I was trying to avoid the headlines we saw the other day. I was concerned, particularly with the Sentenced to a Job program, that if a woman was to go into a shop employing a Sentenced to a Job prisoner she might be served by her rapist. I could never countenance such a thing. It is very sad these circumstances occur. What was going on was a direct contravention of government policy, which had not been stated occasionally, but had been stated constantly.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It was a very direct question. Are Territorians right to have no confidence in your ability to keep them safe?
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Please be seated.
Mr ELFERINK: I was concerned about what occurred and there is no doubt it should not have happened. Unfortunately, it has led to the demise of a commissioner, for whom I still have a great respect. Nevertheless, government policy is government policy - no rapists or rock spiders in the Sentenced to a Job program.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Port of Darwin Lease – Benefits to Territorians
Mr BARRETT to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you please outline how the lease of the Port of Darwin will benefit Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. I also thank him for his auspicious leadership in the Port of Darwin committee that looked into the long-term lease of the port. I also thank the members of that committee, who travelled to many parts of the Northern Territory looking at different ports and the best model of implementation.
There was a range of recommendations from that report and almost all of them were followed in regard to the transaction. The transaction means a private operator can come in, put in place its practice models, seek ways to expand the capacity of the port - as I have mentioned in this Chamber on a regular basis - invest heavily and grow jobs in the port. It is an integral piece of the supply chain and logistics in the Northern Territory. Having a bigger port means we can grow jobs in the Northern Territory. It also means we can recycle the proceeds of this ongoing long-lease port into other areas of economic activity in the Northern Territory.
I have said $506m will go towards one of the seven areas of the Northern Territory Economic Development Strategy …
Ms Fyles: You sold it for a quick money grab.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GILES: … to ensure we continue to grow jobs. One of the biggest concerns we have is making sure post-INPEX that we have a range of diversified economies that can support jobs in the future.
Ms Walker: Cashed up for the next election.
Mr GILES: It is very difficult talking in this Chamber while the members for Nightcliff and Nhulunbuy continue to yell across the floor. If you are serious about wanting to know exactly what is happening, I will continue.
There was a vote taken in parliament to pursue a long-lease opportunity. That is a mandate.
Ms Fyles: You did not take it to Territorians at the last election. You are the unelected Chief Minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nightcliff!
Mr GILES: These guys over here are nothing but xenophobes. One thing I found interesting at the end of the port lease transaction, and my colleagues might like to hear this, is the Leader of the Opposition spoke to the new company and said, ‘Do not worry. We will support this port deal. This is just what we have to say in public because we are the Labor Party.’ This is at the same time as the member for Nightcliff …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 62; he should withdraw. That is clearly not true and it is not what I said. It is clearly verballing.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fannie Bay, are you saying those comments were offensive to you?
Mr GUNNER: Yes.
Madam SPEAKER: Please withdraw, Chief Minister.
Mr GILES: I withdraw.
The fact is the Leader of the Opposition told the company he would support and honour it, but he has to say things differently because he is in Labor. At the same time the member for Nightcliff is saying she will buy it back and spend $500m. An old Chinese man once told me, ‘Confucius says Labor speak with forked tongue’. There is nothing different in regard to the Port of Darwin.
Sentenced to a Job Scheme – Sex Offenders
Ms FYLES to MINISTER for CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
When did you direct that sex offenders and other high-risk prisoners should not participate in the Sentenced to a Job scheme and other work programs? How was this communicated to the Correctional Services Commissioner?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as I answered a moment ago, that direction was made constantly and repeated again and again to the Commissioner for Corrections. It was the first article of business, if memory serves me, in relation to the Sentenced to a Job program. I made it abundantly clear to the Commissioner for Corrections that there were to be no rapists and, to use the colloquialism, no rock spiders in the Sentenced to a Job program. I do not know how often I said it. I even said it in a ministerial statement addressed to this House but a few months ago. I have said it publicly in meetings; I have said it repeatedly, and that is what made me so disappointed in the occurrences of last week. However, I believe the program and the policy settings of this government are sound. The policy has not changed. The new Commissioner will tighten up procedures, but the policies will not change because they are sound policies. We have to make certain those policies are invoked in the way the government expects.
I understand the member is raising questions in the House, but I am not aware of her ever taking the time to travel to any youth detention facility since being the shadow minister for Corrections. I am only aware of one trip by the shadow minister to one prison in the Northern Territory.
It seems her concern about Corrections has only become manifest in recent days when she sniffs a political opportunity rather than something that concurs and accords with the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory. One thing the member opposite will discover with the passage of time is she may one day sit on the government benches, and will remember when she had this easy, flippant job of being a shadow minister who was only engaged when there was a political opportunity. I wonder what she will bring to the job in regard to substance in policy and caring about the people in custody, as well as caring for the safety of our community. It is not an easy job and I know the member for Barkly appreciates that.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Sentenced to a Job Scheme – Sex Offenders
Sentenced to a Job Scheme – Sex Offenders
Ms FYLES to MINISTER for CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
When did you become aware that your clear directive had been completely ignored? When did you order the removal of those prisoners from the Sentenced to a Job and other work programs, and how many have been removed?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is an interesting supplementary question. It is like a separate question because it is not the question she asked in the first instance.
I became aware of it a week or two ago. When I became aware of it I gave a clear instruction that Mr Horrell was to be removed from the Sentenced to a Job program. I then asked for a review to be done, where several other people were discovered.
I was not happy about it and, as far as I am concerned, the rule remains in place. The policy settings are sound.
Member for Arnhem – Aboriginal Affairs and Government
Mr WOOD to CHIEF MINISTER
There was a great deal of unusual body language when a vote was taken in the House this morning. The member for Arnhem voted with the government, something I cannot recall the member for Arnhem doing since she left the CLP.
Have you, or any other government representative, negotiated any type of agreement, whether formal or informal, with the member for Arnhem? If so can you please give full details of what was in that agreement so the public and the parliament know what is going on?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the answer to the question is no. I will say it a thousand times. No, no, no.
Let me tell you what has occurred, because this horrific scene has been created by the opposition and the very sour Independents as a collective. I made an announcement that we were investing money into Aboriginal communities for telecommunications. The member for Arnhem contacted me and said, ‘This is fantastic, is Umbakumba on the list?’ I said that Umbakumba is on the list, as well as Bulman and Weemol, in the member for Arnhem’s electorate. She said, ‘Thanks very much, what else are you doing in Aboriginal Affairs?’ I went through everything we are doing and she was impressed with that. She has been supportive in conversations since then.
Mr Wood: Why did she not tell me that?
Mr GILES: Member for Nelson, do not have sour grapes. You asked a question; I will answer it and give full and frank disclosure.
She wanted to know what we are doing in Aboriginal Affairs. I told her about the $5m investment in the health centre at Ngukurr, which is a partnership between Yugul Mangi and Probuild NT. It is seeing more local people, led by Bill Blackley, getting involved in a job. I talked about the bridges over the Roper and the Wilton Rivers, which will see a high level of Indigenous employment and will help those at Ngukurr and Numbulwar get more jobs.
I spoke about how we will get gravel pits from the local area to form part of the concrete, so people get jobs in the gravel pits, building the bridges and project managing. I spoke about those good things we are doing.
I spoke about the provisional sum contracts that DoI is now doing, led by the Minister for Infrastructure. I spoke about the changes in Indigenous employment in the public service. I spoke about a desire to see Territory health centres transition to community controlled health centres. I spoke about our desire for more independent public schools to be in the bush. The member for Arnhem supported that. She supports what we are doing because she knows it is more than she could do as an Independent. She knows it is more than Labor has ever done in her term in parliament, and more than it did in its eleven-and-a-half years in government.
Member for Nelson, please do not have sour grapes. I am trying to work with you in the rural area on planning issues and do the right thing. I am trying to work with the member for Arnhem on matters of Indigenous affairs. I am working in the Barkly on creating jobs with pipelines and air access. This is about driving reform. If she wants to vote with us, it is her call.
Government – Economic Achievements
Mr BARRETT to CHIEF MINISTER
While we are on the subject of the fantastic things happening in the Northern Territory economy, can the Chief Minister please continue more specifically on the subject of the ship lift facility that was announced, and what it could mean for Darwin and the Territory’s economy?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for the question. I was in Alice Springs on Saturday night at a function and a bloke said to me, ‘How well have you turned around with government in the Northern Territory?’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘You came to government and it was bankrupt’. I said I had never thought about it like that. He said it was bankrupt, with $5.5bn debt and more than $1bn of deficit.
We now have the port working efficiently. We have the biggest road budget ever in the Territory. Today we announced the gas pipeline. We have more Aboriginal Territorians in work and in business than ever before. We have supply chains being created in remote communities all over the Territory. We have a $40m facelift going on at RDH. We are building a brand-new hospital in Palmerston. We have Tiger Brennan Drive …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GILES: The birds are squawking on the other side; they do not like good news. From bankruptcy to the best performing economy in Australia, infrastructure being built everywhere, job growth is up, Labor debt is down – times are good in the Territory. We hear the member for Karama, the Labor Independent over there, tucked away by the member for Fannie Bay, giving him the wink and the nod because she knows a lot of the debt was her debt. She knows we are cleaning up her mess. The thing that really grinds on Labor and the Independents is that we have turned it around.
Yes, we have had some sour Independents walk out, but we have still managed to fix our bankruptcy problem. We have still managed to build infrastructure and create jobs in the Northern Territory. We have managed to get fuel prices and housing prices down. Next week we will be getting power prices down as well. Wow! It all comes around. The birds are quiet on the other side now.
Back to the question about the ship lift facility. Up to $100m in a ship lift facility, from port money, has been recycled into a brand-new asset that will see the creation of up to 4500 new jobs in the Top End. That is a great outcome, recycling Territory assets into new assets to create new jobs for Territorians. I am proud of the achievements this team has made in its three years, from bankruptcy to the best in the nation.
Prisoner Escape – Access to Community
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
Can you confirm that Edward Horrell, the convicted rapist and axe murderer who escaped from the Nhulunbuy Datjala Work Camp last week, had access to a government work car and mobile phone and had unsupervised access to the community, including contact with women?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, a truly unpleasant question - I will return to the answer I gave at the outset. The former minister for Corrections organised precisely that in Nhulunbuy because in August 2012, long before I ever received the ministry of Corrections, he had authorised Horrell to be in …
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Ms MANISON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. This is a question about the minister’s actions and responsibilities as the Corrections minister now.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Minister, before you continue - member for Fong Lim, cease interjecting and yelling comments across the floor.
Mr ELFERINK: The former Corrections minister had authorised Horrell to be at the work camp at the Garma site in Nhulunbuy.
Ms Fyles: Supervised.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: That is something the members opposite do not want to hear. How did he slip through the net? That is how he slipped through the net.
I find this a very curious situation because it raises one other important issue. If sex offenders in the community are such an obnoxious odium in the opinion of the members opposite, why do they not support Daniel’s Law?
Public Housing – Antisocial Behaviour
Mrs LAMBLEY to MINISTER for HOUSING
Problems of antisocial behaviour in NT public housing remain at the top of the list of complaints I receive from Araluen residents. Good people in the electorate of Araluen are commonly subjected to screaming, shouting, violence, threats and scenes of drunken and disorderly behaviour from their public housing neighbours. You are not doing enough to stop antisocial behaviour in public housing. Have you any plans to take more radical action against public housing residents who disrespect the rights of others to live peacefully and safely in their own homes?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen for her question about the antisocial behaviour in public housing complexes. It is unacceptable that antisocial behaviour persists in public housing. The Country Liberal government takes public housing safety seriously. I encourage everyone affected by antisocial behaviour to call the Public Housing Safety Hotline on 1800 685 743, Monday to Friday during business hours or, for urgent assistance, the police on 131 444.
Our comprehensive safety strategy has three main components: Public Housing Safety Officers; the Three Strikes policy; and partnerships with other agencies. We have had some great results. We have had a 19% reduction in the occurrence of antisocial behaviour, with 1440 fewer instances recorded. There were 167 fewer instances of serious antisocial behaviour, which is a 44% reduction. There were 683 fewer instances of moderate antisocial behaviour, which is a 59% reduction. There were 590 fewer instances of minor antisocial behaviour, which is a 10% reduction. This has contributed to a 50% reduction in the number of strikes issued.
When I became the Minister for Housing I wanted public housing tenants to know messing up homes was not an option, and that we would be tough. We now take into account behaviour over a longer period of time. This allows us to better identify problem tenants and provide them with the support they need to sustain their tenancy. I do not want to evict people. I want everybody in public housing to be successful; that is why I have provided $17.2m in grants to a range of support services. By providing tenants with support and case officers, we are able to correct antisocial behaviour. Furthermore, all previous strikes recorded against a tenant can now be used when determining how antisocial behaviour is managed to demonstrate poor conduct by the tenant or, in extreme cases, the termination of a tenancy. This means badly-behaved tenants will no longer have their records wiped clean after only six months. This is designed to prevent and reduce antisocial behaviour.
The other aspect of our Public Housing Safety Strategy is our Public Housing Safety Officers. They do a great job when responding …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Northern Australia Investment Forum
Mr CONLAN to CHIEF MINISTER
There is so much great news flying around today after listening to the Chief Minister and other ministers spruiking their achievements. We have heard about the port; the tremendous announcement about the pipeline; record infrastructure; job creation; and tourism that is going through the roof, which will culminate this weekend with the Brolga Awards being held in Alice Springs.
Can you provide an overview of the Northern Australia Investment Forum and how you think that will benefit the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for his question. The Northern Australia Investment Forum was put on by Andrew Robb to support the White Paper on Developing Northern Australia. Minister Josh Frydenberg; the federal Tourism minister, Richard Colbeck; Terry Redman from Western Australia; and Stirling Hinchliffe, junior minister from Queensland, were there talking about north Australia investment opportunities. It was a true partnership between the federal government and the Territory government, and they led the way at the forum by talking about where we can seek investment to help the Territory mature as a jurisdiction in infrastructure, working in a cross-border relationship and job creation in all areas of the Northern Territory.
The forum was attended by about 250 participants, including 80 investors and 20 proponents of projects. It was a way for people to talk about opportunities and have an exchange. We had one room where people had projects and were seeking investment, and there was another room where the investors were. I met several of those investors looking at opportunities in the Territory. We presented many of the investment opportunities the government is working on, including a six-star luxury hotel; an international school; horticultural opportunities on the Tiwi Islands; the railway development between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa; ship lift infrastructure facilities; the marine infrastructure park redevelopment; the Frances Bay redevelopment, also known as the Duck Pond and the Gobi Desert; agribusiness opportunities such as cattle stations, tropical fruit, aquaculture forestry; and even things such as Ord Stage 3, which the Deputy Chief Minister was a part of.
Each one of those projects will be delivered upon; I have no doubt about that. Several of those are major projects within the confines of administration of the Department of the Chief Minister, and some of them are probably more advanced than others.
Very soon I will be recommending that the ship lift facility and infrastructure requirement becomes a major project for the auspices of governance to drive that forward. With the six-star luxury hotel, there were 10 proponents looking to build it at the time of the forum.
We have received presentations about the construction of a rail line between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa. I think that is early. We are still doing the initial project feasibility to work up the economic modelling to see what is required. The marine infrastructure park - a range of things will be built.
It will be about the future of northern Australia. The most important aspect is that this is about job creation for Territorians.
Sentenced to a Job Scheme – Risks
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
According to your version of events, you gave a clear directive to your department about eligibility for the Sentenced to a Job scheme. You say you were completely oblivious to the fact your department ignored your directive. Does this level of incompetence not prove that you are not fit to be a minister?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, on 22 November 2011 Mr Murray McLaughlin and Mr Chips Mackinolty wrote to minister Gerry McCarthy requesting that a prison work party be made available to clear the Birdum to Larrimah rail track. Who was in that work party? Mr Horrell, the person members opposite are now screeching about.
I do my job with as much passion as I can muster. I love what I do. I love this rare and precious opportunity I have been given. I have a fairly large portfolio suite; I throw myself into all those portfolios with as much passion as I can muster, and I take risks. We take risks as a government, and those risks are coming home in all the achievements this government has made, which have been substantial.
Those opposite, who but a few weeks ago were championing the cause of this government’s Corrections policy, now seek to attack it for a simple political opportunity. That is all they can offer the people of the Northern Territory.
Ms Walker: Four sex offenders in Datjala Work Camp and you knew they were there.
Mr ELFERINK: I pick up on the interjection. If you find sex offenders in the community so offensive, support Daniel’s Law.
Mr Gunner: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: I think the minister has finished.
Trade and Investment Ministers’ Meeting
Mr KURRUPUWU to MINISTER for ASIAN ENGAGEMENT and TRADE
On 6 November, ministers and officials from across the country met in Parliament House for the national Trade and Investment Ministers’ Meeting. Can the minister please tell the members of this House about the benefits to the Northern Territory that will come from this meeting?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is more good news from the government.
In May this year I was in Hobart at the national Trade and Investment Ministers’ Meeting. It was a bit cold down there at that stage, but we found a warm spot and talked about all sorts of interesting things in trade and investment.
Some things that came up, and I contributed to this debate, were the Silk Road, the gateway to Asia and the gateway to Australia. All my colleagues agreed that Australia has a gateway to Asia, which is Darwin, Northern Territory.
We discussed the ability of the Chinese people to say to minister Robb in April that Darwin will be a hub.
This is not us telling the people of Australia. This is the Chinese, who are developing into one of the world’s major economic bases. They see three hubs in this part of the world: Hong Kong, Singapore and Darwin. The interesting thing is we discussed Darwin because, at that stage, we had inquiries read by the member for Blain into the ports, and what would be the best way to benefit the Northern Territory in relation to economic development.
It was not that hard for me to say to all those people, ‘At our next meeting to be held in November, how about we all go to Darwin, the can-do capital of northern Australia, and have our meeting there, so you can see firsthand some of the fantastic things happening in the Territory?’ Since that May meeting, and the things we discussed in November about the development of the Northern Territory, we have had the release of the White Paper on Developing Northern Australia. What a fantastic opportunity not only for Territorians, but for Queenslanders, Western Australians and investors around the world.
I was at a meeting last night where we heard from a former Labor Treasurer about economic development and social development of commercial and economic infrastructure. We had Trade ministers talking about what we will do and how we will improve not only the Northern Territory, but Australia, because this is about team Australia. It is about developing the northern part of Australia for the benefit of all Territorians, because we have all the skin in the game.
Sure, Queensland has the top of Australia and Western Australia has its part, but we are the only capital city here. We will lead the way in economic infrastructure that needs to be built, which is why one of the major things we have done, apart from gas lines, is lease the port so we can develop this place into what it should be.
Attorney-General’s Responsibilities
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
On 18 February 2009, as a member of the opposition at that time, in this place you said:
- When does the government become responsible for government in the Northern Territory? Surely, if the CEO was actually and actively engaged in misleading the minister or withholding information from the minister, he would have been fired; but he was not. He remains in place now. What does that tell you? It tells you that the CEO of the department, in every likelihood, did nothing wrong but, nevertheless, there was the option: hold up the CEO of the department to be a human shield.
Have you not made Ken Middlebrook your human shield? Will you now admit that you have failed and lied to the people of the Northern Territory, amongst your many failures as the minister for Corrections?
Madam Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I would like an opportunity to answer the question.
Madam SPEAKER: No, sit down. The member is continuing.
SUSPENTION OF STANDING ORDERS
Move Proposed Motion of Censure
Move Proposed Motion of Censure
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Madam Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent this House censuring the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, and minister for Corrections, for his gross incompetence in handling the corrections and justice system of the Northern Territory.
This incompetence has led to the Territory public being placed at risk from escaping prisoners, and created a sense of loss of personal confidence by Territorians in their safety and security. Further, his incompetence has resulted in ongoing disruption and disorder in the juvenile justice system. This House calls on the minister to resign his portfolios.
Madam Speaker, we have the motion signed and ready to circulate.
Madam SPEAKER: Does the government accept the motion?
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Yes, Madam Speaker. I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016