2015-02-19
Power and Water – Price Increases
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER referred to TREASURER
On 2 February this year you said the CLP ‘took the power price increase from 30% back to 20%’.
This is not quite true, is it? Territorians were hit with 20% in January 2013, another 5% in January 2014 and another 5% on 1 January this year, which you signed off on. That has seen you rip around $151m in additional tariff prices out of Territorians’ pockets. Social media has been inundated, with one post saying:
- $1100 for a family of two adults and two sons. Work out what you need to earn gross to pay that bill. Becomes even scarier. How can we afford to live in the NT? A good government would not make essential services a profit and put profits before people.
Why have you broken your promise to cut the cost of living?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, yes, it is true that power prices were reduced from a 30% increase to a 20% increase. It was outlined at that time that there would be a 5% increase the following 1 January, and a 5% the January after that to ease in the power increase prices. In regard to your insinuation of profit before people, the Power and Water Corporation is not making any profit without millions of dollars of Territory taxpayers’ money going in to subsidise it. I will call on the Treasurer to give a full explanation regarding the subsidy provided to Power and Water, and Indigenous Essential Services, which is to ensure these services run throughout the Territory on an everyday basis.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for handing this question to me. I am aware that in the last 24 hours or so the opposition has been running around with scuttlebutt, creating hysteria in the community about power prices.
When we came into government, the Power and Water Corporation was facing financial ruin. Australia was going through a reform process for 20 years and we were on track with those reforms; the former Labor government started those when they renamed the company from Power and Water Authority to Power and Water Corporation. That is when they lost the ticker to continue that reform process.
From 2003-04 to 2011-12 Power and Water’s debt went from $290m to $1.2bn. At the same time, the taxpayer subsidies increased from $95m per year to $136m per year. Over that nine-year period some $1.1bn was provided in subsidies from government. They have selectively quoted from the Auditor-General’s report this year, which says a profit is in fact a loss. I will make a statement later today about the true state of Power and Water and will expand on what I have just said.
Bombing of Darwin
Mr KURRUPUWU to CHIEF MINISTER
Today marks 73 years since the Bombing of Darwin. Can you reflect on the meaning of this day to Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for the question. It was good to see you at the service this morning at the USS Peary memorial, as well as at the Bombing of Darwin service this morning. I know what happened 73 years ago is very close to your heart as a Tiwi man, because the Tiwi people were the first to see the Japanese planes approaching and give advance warning of the air raids that were to occur throughout Darwin.
Today is the anniversary of a critical moment in Darwin’s history, but also of our nation’s. It was the day war came to Australia for the first time, when the Territory came under Japanese attack. The bombs rained down on the city and the harbour, killing hundreds on that day, 19 February 1942. Only in recent years has this devastation started to become more widely known in the Australian history books as people have their knowledge corrected – that the first military attacks were not in Sydney Harbour by Japanese submarines. They were, in fact, on 19 February 1942 with the raids on Darwin killing so many people.
It is interesting when you reflect on the cyclonic conditions facing many Territorians across the top of Arnhem Land, in your electorates, members for Arafura, Nhulunbuy and Arnhem. I recall how the Territory’s cultural landscape has developed through trial and tribulation, bombings, cyclones and devastation where Territorians came together, put their shoulders to the wheel and bonded together as a community. It did not matter if you were Aboriginal, a Tiwi Islander, black, white or Greek; people came together. That has been the making of the Northern Territory, from the past to today, where everyone is a Territorian.
I have been fortunate enough to live in New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT, have my home in Alice Springs and spend all my time in Darwin now. Wherever I have been, including travels in other parts of Australia and the world, this is the place where multiculturalism prevails, whether you have a Chinese or Indonesian background, or Aboriginal or Tiwi Islander, everyone here is a Territorian.
Those tough times have brought people together, as I said, with shoulders to the wheel. As we think of those in the cyclone area now, we all jump in and help each other out, which is what happened on 19 February 1942. Darwin and the Territory is a better place for it.
Fuel Price Reduction
Ms MOSS to CHIEF MINISTER
On 11 June 2014 you said Darwin has the lowest cost of living of any Australian capital city. During the Casuarina by-election, you said your Fuel Price Disclosure Bill would start to put a downward pressure on fuel prices in the Northern Territory. Only last week it was revealed that this bill would not have a direct impact on reducing fuel prices in the Territory.
A good government would not cynically parade relief from high fuel prices to entice favour or votes from suffering Territorians. Why did you cruelly suggest that you could influence fuel prices in the Territory during the Casuarina by-election, yet fail to deliver any real relief at the bowsers for Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the new member for Casuarina for her question. Most of the question is completely incorrect or misleading at best. There was a report …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask the Chief Minister to withdraw misleading.
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: No, you will not speak to the point of order. Sit down, member for Port Darwin. Chief Minister, can you please rephrase your answer a little please.
Mr GILES: What was said was completely incorrect. A report was written – I think it was a Mercer report – which indicated an international study of approximately 300 capital cities around the world which looked at the cost of relocating people from a business point of view …
Ms Fyles: Where you compared Rapid Creek to Toorak.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GILES: It had nothing to do with the Northern Territory government. It was issued on an international basis. You should go back to that point in time, member for Casuarina.
In regard to the fuel prices, much has changed since the start of the debate. The person running against you raised the debate and assisted to bring down the price of fuel. I have not seen you doing anything about the price of fuel. It is interesting that you mentioned the bill and the parliamentary committee looking at it, which contains members from both sides of the Chamber. You said you think the bill will not make a difference to fuel prices. I wonder how you know that, because at the last fuel price committee meeting the member for Johnston did not turn up.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The comment was made in a public hearing.
Madam SPEAKER: Sit down. It is not a point of order. You know what has to be done; you must have a standing order number.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that the Chief Minister withdraw that last assertion. Yesterday the House was advised the member for Johnston was sick that day.
Madam SPEAKER: You do not have a point of order either. Sit down.
Mr GILES: Hard-working people turn up even if they have a runny nose, but the member for Johnston did not turn up at the fuel committee hearing and the member for Nightcliff played on her phone the whole time ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 62: offensive.
Madam SPEAKER: No, it is not offensive.
Mr GILES: If you want to make statements which are completely incorrect, you will cop it back with accuracy. We are trying to fix fuel prices. We have gone to a committee. Everyone wants transparency and consultation. We are doing it with this bill. Labor plays populist politics. You do not even turn up to the committee hearings to debate it, or you play on your phone the whole time.
I do not know the price of fuel as at the Casuarina by-election, but I think it was around $1.73. If I went to the United Petroleum or BP service station down the road, the price of fuel is probably $1.23. I am sure that is a 50c per litre difference, which is making a difference to Territorians, their families and their hip pockets. This is how we are trying to drive down the cost of living.
We are taking the same approach with Housing. We are releasing land like never before, seeing housing and unit construction at a point where the prices are starting to create downward pressure and ease the squeeze in housing for families, reducing rent and home ownership problems.
This is a good thing and I encourage you, if you are interested in fuel prices, to get your colleagues to turn up at the committee and have a say.
Albert Borella – Retracing Steps
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to CHIEF MINISTER
Mr Vowles: You are a knob.
Mr Giles: I beg your pardon? Madam Speaker, offensive remarks. I ask the member for Johnston to withdraw that.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Johnston, if you made an offensive remark withdraw it please.
Mr Vowles: Withdraw what?
Madam SPEAKER: Withdraw whatever you said, otherwise you will be leaving the Chamber.
Mr Vowles: I withdraw whatever the Chief Minister thought I said.
Mrs FINOCCHIARO: Can you please outline to the Assembly the activities planned for Friday to retrace the footsteps of Albert Borella, the Territory’s only Victoria Cross recipient?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for the question, especially in her role as parliamentary secretary, and for her assistance around the Anzac Centenary. I am looking forward to heading off early tomorrow morning on an aeroplane to Tennant Creek, where the member for Drysdale will be joining me. It will be a great opportunity to start the Borella program.
I do not know if many people know about Albert Borella, but he worked on a pastoral property in Tennant Creek at the outset of World War I and wanted to enlist in the army. His journey, without going through every step, required him to get to Darwin. He walked, rode horses, rode bikes and swam across crocodile-infested rivers to Darwin, only to be told he had to jump on a ship and go to Townsville to enlist. When he got to Townsville on the boat, which was challenging in those days, he was then told that after enlisting he would have to go to Perth to sail on to the war.
It is a fantastic story of a person who, while not born in the Northern Territory, is a Territorian. We have his Victoria Cross displayed in the hall of parliament for a month. I encourage anybody who is listening or who reads the Hansard to duck out and look at the only Victoria Cross obtained by a Territorian. I can see it through the glass doors of parliament right now.
A range of things are going on in regard to the $4.5m Anzac Centenary program. I was happy today to sit with a young lady on the dispatches for the Bombing of Darwin, who did a lovely reading on the commemoration.
We are doing a range of other things in regard to the centenary program. Most important is the Chief Minister’s Anzac Spirit Study Tour, where a number of Territory students have been selected to visit Gallipoli to participate in Anzac commemorations.
Ms Lawrie: That was a good initiative from Hendo.
Mr GILES: I do not think you should be interjecting on this, when we are commemorating Anzacs.
It is quite exciting for those young Territorians to see what it is like at dawn in Gallipoli. Those are the learnings young Territorian kids of today can take back to their fellow Territorians and their schools, and can share the cold shivers down their spines. That is what must have gone through the minds and bodies of those Australians who fought in World War I. I hope the centenary program goes well; we are very happy to support it.
Terry Mills – Termination from Jakarta Post
Ms FYLES to CHIEF MINISTER
A good government would not terminate the contract of its representative in Indonesia and then cover up the real reasons for the sacking. A good Chief Minister would not spend $750 000 a year to get his rival out of the Territory. You cut down Terry Mills as Chief Minister whilst he was representing Territorians in Japan, and he has been knifed again when working for your government in Jakarta.
Terry Mills said:
- It was clear 24 hours later with him losing the portfolio that he’s now free to have me terminated … Of course he knew (about it). It beggars belief that he would not know.
Everyone knows your fingerprints are all over the second knifing of Terry Mills. Why will you not simply tell Territorians the truth about your role in this hatchet job?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is good to see the member for Nightcliff talking about something that matters a lot to Territorians.
If I was a diplomat on an overseas posting and I lost my job, the last thing I would do is lose my diplomacy skills.
It is important to follow up on the issues that affect Territorians.
Ms Fyles: You knifed him twice.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Withdraw that, member for Nightcliff.
Ms Fyles: I withdraw.
Mr GILES: In the last two days in parliament we have been saying, ‘We must stop talking about ourselves and talk about what matters to Territorians’. When we are talking about Indonesia …
Ms Lawrie: Just say you sacked him.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. Opposition Leader, you are on a warning. I have asked you throughout this week to cease interjecting.
Mr GILES: In regard to the office in Indonesia, that is part of the Northern Territory government’s push to build relations with Indonesia as we seek to get better terms of trade, increase social and cultural dynamics and support the development of Northern Australia.
There are 253m people who reside on the islands of Indonesia across a range of areas. I have had the opportunity to speak to the Indonesian Foreign Affairs minister over the years, as well as the Indonesian consul. I have spoken a lot about the development of East Indonesia and how we can work together to assist the growth of the Northern Territory, Northern Australia and East Indonesia, and what it might mean in regard to partnerships with Timor.
There was to be a trilateral working group meeting between the three jurisdictions, but that has been postponed. I am unsure of the rescheduled date, but it will be soon. It will focus on how we can develop a framework of working together …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The Chief Minister has not answered the question yet about why he dismissed Terry Mills.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fannie Bay, he has three minutes to answer the question. I am trying to listen to the answer. It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: The development of that trilateral agreement will be very important for greater relationships in Darwin, being the gateway to Asia, or the other way around – the gateway to Australia. The office in Jakarta is an opportunity for us to facilitate that.
In regard to the termination of Terry Mills’ contract, the department terminated that contract. If you have any questions in that regard I suggest you put them to the department.
Temporary Beat Locations
Mr CONLAN to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Can you please update the House on the success of the temporary beat locations throughout the Northern Territory, including the huge advances in addressing law and order issues, which we all know were left to spiral out of control under the previous Labor government?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for his question. TBLs have made a difference where they have been enacted. I went to Alice Springs after the TBLs were introduced and there was a dramatic difference in the town.
Some people have been asking, ‘Is it a good use of resources?’ Face it, people have different opinions, but I asked one police officer, ‘Do you think this is good use of your policing skills?’ He said, ‘Sir, I know what a difference standing here will make for my colleagues later this evening, tonight or tomorrow’. Speaking to ambulance officers, nurses, people on the street – if you are looking for a police officer, you do not have to go far. You only have to go to a bottle shop and you will find one outside it.
There will be different points of view, but in Alice Springs alcohol-fuelled violence has been reduced by 26%. Look at the difference it has made in the member for Barkly’s home town of Tennant Creek – an amazing difference with those TBLs, and Labor wants to scrap them. The member for Katherine will tell you the same things. This week I have had letters from the mayor, calls from businesses in Katherine and I received information from a nurse who told me they have never seen a Saturday night like it in Katherine, because the violence and situations where people turned up with trauma to the hospital there have dropped dramatically. TBLs are making a difference in those locations. It is why we made the decision to try them in the Darwin region.
It will be problematic. There are many more bottle shops and places selling alcohol in the greater Darwin area. It is more difficult to manage; however, when you see the success TBLs have had in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and in Katherine, it would be mad not to implement them in the Top End. It has made a remarkable difference on the streets in those towns.
Chief Minister – Leadership
Mr McCARTHY to CHIEF MINISTER
On behalf of Territorians living in the bush, the former Chief Minister, Terry Mills, won government for the CLP because people in the bush trusted him to deliver on his promises. His assessment is that the bush appears to have been abandoned by the Giles government. A good government would not take Territorians in the bush for granted and fail to deliver promises when representing signed contracts with communities.
CLP election promises to improve education opportunities and outcomes in the bush are all talk and no action, with the loss of local jobs. Your contracts with the bush have been ignored. You have failed to deliver on Labor-funded projects, putting them back by two-and-a-half years. Given your appalling failure, with nine CLP members voting you out, how can you justify your leadership?
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 112; that question is clearly out of order on several issues under sub-sections 1(b) and (c), I suspect.
Madam SPEAKER: No, it is not, sit down.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his question. I have just been given some additional information in regard to standing up for Territorians and fighting for their rights. I understand the member for Casuarina did not turn up at the fuel disclosure meeting either. Is that right?
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: No worries. Member for Barkly, in relation to the delivery of outcomes in the bush, you raised the issue of education. Anyone can see Indigenous remote education attendance is increasing, which is a positive sign. We can see increases in school enrolments and investments in schools in remote locations. We conducted a review of Indigenous remote education. We put aside tens of millions of dollars to invest in Indigenous remote education. We have set aside funding for boarding facilities in locations across the Northern Territory, including a significant investment in Nhulunbuy in partnership with the Commonwealth government.
We are seeing more and more Indigenous employees gaining positions within the Health sector in remote locations. We are seeing more contracts going towards Aboriginal community organisations and Aboriginal businesses in remote locations. We are seeing Indigenous employment in the private sector going up substantially on a regular basis. These are all signs of success.
We have more roads, bridges and telecommunications in remote locations across regions of the Northern Territory than ever before. That is a sure sign of success and delivery. It is also a sure sign that we are putting more infrastructure and investment into remote parts of the Northern Territory than you ever did in eleven-and-a-half years.
Despite the fact you sent the budget backwards to a $5.5bn debt and left us with a $1.1bn deficit, we have managed to rein in spending, manage the finances better and deliver outcomes in remote parts of the Territory. That is a big tick of approval.
Borella Ride – Transport to Tennant Creek
Mr McCARTHY to CHIEF MINISTER
Madam Speaker, will the Chief Minister take a Territorian from the bush to his home town in Tennant Creek tomorrow in a taxpayer-funded charter aircraft so he can share ...
Madam SPEAKER: That is not a supplementary question. It is out of order.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): There is a plane going to Tennant Creek tomorrow for the Borella ride, which is full, by the way. It will be paid from the budget of the Office of the Chief Minister. The Leader of the Opposition also has a budget, which she overspends every year. If she managed to spend that correctly, especially as the former Treasurer, maybe you could get to Tennant Creek.
Power and Water – Auditor-General Report
Mr BARRETT to TREASURER
Are you aware of the member for Wanguri’s adjournment speech last night on the Auditor-General’s report and Power and Water’s financial performance? Are you able to shed some light on this situation?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. Yes, I was aware of the member for Wanguri’s speech last night. It was echoed this morning in a question by the Opposition Leader to the Chief Minister.
The opposition continues to raise hysteria about the Power and Water Corporation and power prices in the Northern Territory. The member for Wanguri has clearly taken a leaf out of the Opposition Leader’s book who, 18 months or so ago, was doing exactly the same thing – running around telling everybody Power and Water was making obscene profits while Territorians were being ripped off for their power. At that time it became obvious the Opposition Leader was selectively quoting from Power and Water’s annual report, and the same seems to have happened this time around.
It is true that Power and Water recorded underlying net profit of $51.6m last financial year up until June 2014, which is in Power and Water’s audited report. That does not take into account the taxpayer subsidies provided to the Power and Water Corporation when the Opposition Leader raised it last year and the profit was $29.9m; government contributed $140m in taxpayer funded subsidies to the Power and Water Corporation. This year the taxpayer subsidies to the Power and Water Corporation were $167m. Far from ripping money out of the Power and Water Corporation or Territorians’ pockets, this government is subsidising the corporation more and more every time.
We do not shirk these subsidies. People in the bush, the member for Barkly will be glad to hear, are being subsidised for their power costs. Seniors are being subsidised for their costs, as are people in the northern suburbs, Alice Springs and Katherine.
It is good news that the underlying net profit is increasing because it shows new life is being breathed into the Power and Water Corporation. It is far from reaching a sustainable footing. The goal of this government is to make the organisation financially stable in the future. We are clearly heading in the right direction, but we do not want to see high power prices in the Northern Territory, which is why we are making these reforms. We fully understand Territorians do not like paying high power bills. That is a fact of life. We do not like it; nobody likes it. But tough decisions had to be made and the organisation is performing better now than it has been for a long time. It is good news for Territorians.
It will be financially sustainable sometime in the near future. All credit to the Giles government for making the tough decisions required to get Power and Water back on a sustainable footing.
Hydraulic Fracturing – Hawke Report
Mr WOOD to CHIEF MINISTER referred to MINISTER for MINES and ENERGY
I am often asked about my views on fracking. I tell people I have not read the fracking report yet, as I am not allowed to see it. Why is it you can release the taxpayer funded report on Stella Maris while the print is still wet, but you cannot release the taxpayer-funded report into fracking, and no one is allowed to see it when you do? Why has it not been released and when will it be released?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it has not been released because it has not gone through Cabinet yet. It should be going through Cabinet tomorrow. We will seek to release it soon after that. I am happy for the Mines and Energy minister to respond.
Mr TOLLNER (Mines and Energy): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister summed it up pretty well; it has not been released because it has not been to Cabinet. As the new Mines minister I have not sighted it yet, but I am keen to read it. A copy will be delivered to my office this afternoon. We have a Cabinet meeting tomorrow. I am keen to share it with the public, whatever the contents, but that will be a matter for Cabinet to decide tomorrow. My hope is we will publicly release it in the near future.
Police – Chief Minister’s Comments
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
A good government would not be led by a Chief Minister who undermines the criminal justice system and impugns police …
Mr Tollner: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I find that highly offensive.
Madam SPEAKER: Do not jump in and start speaking, please. What is your point of order?
Mr TOLLNER: That was very offensive.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, please be seated. Member for Fannie Bay, please be careful with your words.
Mr GUNNER: You alleged CLP members of parliament and a senior police officer conspired to damage you in your former role as Police minister. I seek leave to table a copy of the transcript.
Leave granted.
Mr GUNNER: You have failed to produce any evidence in support of your serious allegations. Police put their personal safety on the line every day to serve and protect the Territory, and there is widespread dismay in the force about the way you handle these issues. NT Police Association President, Vince Kelly, recently said the Chief Minister’s relationship with the police force – senior management in particular – which he insulted last week is at an all-time low. The police force needs strong, stable ministerial leadership. I urge the Chief Minister not to change the Police minister when these inquiries are finished.
Will you acknowledge the government’s relationship with police is at an all-time low? Will you apologise to police and accept responsibility for the current state of affairs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. I have made public comments about this a number a times and I stand by those. I overreached in many of the comments I made. The information I received should have been sent to a judicial inquiry as we announced, rather than airing the concerns I received. Those concerns will be sent to the inquiry when it is fully established.
The police are doing a fantastic job in the Northern Territory. You can point to a range of areas, but we had a question today about temporary beat locations in the Northern Territory – or permanent beat locations, as I was discussing with the Attorney-General.
Standing outside a bottle shop every day is a difficult job to undertake. The work they do is appreciated widely by everyone in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, except the member for Barkly, and Katherine. This is due to the reduction in alcohol consumption and crime, the improvements in social wellbeing across town, the protection of women who are no longer subject to domestic violence, and the children who are being fed properly at night. These are fantastic outcomes and are all delivered as a result of the hard work undertaken by police. We thank the police for that work.
I am sure those communities will be very sad to hear the Labor Party have a policy of removing them. I think it is amazing they want to do that; bring back crime, social decay and dysfunction. There is a very good relationship between government and police. Aside from Vince Kelly, we have had a very productive term of government, with our relationship and investment in police. That is all through new infrastructure, the new IT with the use of iPads, paperless arrests and the range of initiatives we are providing to ensure a productive relationship in the future. I look forward to that relationship continuing.
When the final components of the judicial inquiry are decided that will be announced and we will be able to get on with the job. We look forward to continuing our good relationship with police, as well as police delivering fantastic outcomes for Territorians across the landscape.
Parks Week
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to MINISTER for PARKS and WILDLIFE
Can you please update the House on the events for the upcoming Parks Week?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. Parks Week is an annual national event running from 8 to 14 March. I am proud to say it gets bigger every year. This year, there is something for everyone right across the Northern Territory. To celebrate, the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission will work with local community groups, to stage a range of special events to encourage Territorians to make the most of our wonderful parks.
Some of the highlights for Territory Parks Week celebrations include a crocodile in the Smith Street Mall, a guided hike at Nitmiluk National Park to look at the wonders of the Wet Season – the northern rock holes – and a spotlight walk to check out the nocturnal animals at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station.
It is no secret that I enjoy getting out as well. I often visit our beautiful parks in the Top End and in the southern region, because you do not get a feel of what we have here unless you enjoy the parks and the waterholes. Our Territory is a beautiful area to visit.
Visitor numbers for the Territory Wildlife Park, the Alice Springs Desert Park and the George Brown Darwin Botanical Gardens are all up over the past 12 months. We want our parks to be utilised to their best potential, showing off natural beauty while driving up visitor numbers and ensuring visitors have the best experience, so they can tell their friends about our amazing Territory.
Our parks need to keep up with the times and expectation of visitors. It is fantastic to see more of the great elements that Parks and Wildlife has to offer under the spotlight this week. I encourage all Territorian families to take their children, their families, dogs – where they are allowed to go – and make the most of it, to show their kids the beautiful places we have here in the Northern Territory, and to enjoy what we have to offer.
I spent a couple of weeks in New Zealand and was amazed at what we can learn from them which we can do here. It is true; we have a beautiful country.
School Budgets – Global
Ms MANISON to CHIEF MINISTER referred to MINISTER for EDUCATION
Last year the Minister for Education said:
- No school will be worse off in 2015 as a result of the introduction of global school budgets …
Many schools were worse off, some up to almost $1m in the red. Even with the $23m in funding which was announced to help smooth over the global school budgets fiasco over the next few years, it will not cover all the shortfalls. This comes on the back of 185 teachers and support staff being cut from Territory schools, and $125m in education funding cuts since the CLP was elected in 2012. A good government would invest in education to support teachers and students in achieving great outcomes, not stripping our schools of resources year after year. How can you lead the Territory when you have abandoned the needs of our students?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, a good government is investing in education in the Northern Territory. It is quite simple. I reject the assertions you made in the premise of the question.
We are investing money in education. We have put $23m into global school budgeting to ensure its roll-out. We are investing in independent public schools. We have had a review of the Education Act, which we are seeking to introduce and pass. We have conducted an Indigenous education review for remote areas and put $40m into remote boarding school services, including Nhulunbuy.
Millions of dollars are being invested in education. You are correct; a good government is investing in education. I ask the Minister for Education to provide an update on the investments to date.
Mr CHANDLER (Education): Madam Speaker, the subject of education is a passion of mine. I love looking back at every time the opposition has raised issues about education to see how many times they have been wrong. If you recall last year and the year before, schools were going to close. How many schools have closed since the Country Liberal Party has come to government? Zero. Every time an accusation is made, it is wrong.
Are we investing in schools? Damn right we are, because we know we have to invest in schools, especially in the area of special needs. The new Henbury School is about to be constructed, as well as a new Bellamack special needs school and a primary school in Zuccoli. These infrastructure projects are well planned for, in train and will be delivered over the next couple of years.
Investment in remote education was tragically left to rot under the former Labor government. If you look at some of the previous results, it will make you cry.
On coming into government, did we want to do something different? Damn right we did, because children in the bush deserve a better education than they ever got under the previous Labor government.
Labor’s answer to everything was to pour money into it – no structure, no planning, nothing. Schools full of resources were purchased because they had money, but they had no real focus. We are focusing on the classroom and improving education.
Sport Coaching – Assistance
Mr BARRETT to MINISTER for SPORT and RECREATION
We know coaches and volunteers in our sporting groups around the Northern Territory have a hard job. The amount of hours they spend with our kids doing all kinds of amazing things like gymnastics, volley ball, soccer and footy is fantastic. What is available for these invaluable members of the sporting community to make their lives easier?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. He has a very high regard, as do all members on this side of the House, for volunteers in any area across the broader community. This question specifically asked about the coaching volunteers who form a very important section of the sporting community. Coaches are integral to a team or an individual’s success and we appreciate their hard work, enthusiasm and expertise.
Over the past three years, the Northern Territory government, through the hard-working staff of the Department of Sport and Recreation, has provided free forums for coaches. These forums start tomorrow in Darwin and it is not too late to register. These Higher Faster Stronger sport education forums are designed to increase the knowledge of coaches, which will help them build the physical development and competencies of their junior athletes along their sporting pathways. Coaches are exposed to current best-practice coaching methods across a range of topics which are practical to implement in any coaching.
Last year, 145 coaches across the NT participated in the Higher Faster Stronger forums. I urge all sport coaches to take advantage of this excellent initiative.
The 2015 program will be headlined by Dr Lynn Kidman, PhD Sport Coaching and Leadership, from Auckland University of Technology. Lynn’s philosophy is to encourage coaches to move away from the dictatorial style and adopt a more humanistic approach. This enables athletes to have more input into the coaching process, maximising their enjoyment and ultimate success in their pursuits.
The Northern Territory government is serious about making life easier for Territorians, so I urge all of our valuable volunteer coaches to consider taking advantage of the knowledge available.
The dates for 2015 are: Darwin, tomorrow, 20 and 21 February; Nhulunbuy, 23 and 24 February; Alice Springs, 27 and 28 February; Tennant Creek, 2 and 3 March; and Katherine, 2 and 3 March.
Palmerston Regional Hospital
Mr VOWLES to CHIEF MINISTER
A good government would not ignore the crisis of bed block and double-bunking in Territory hospitals. In 2013 the CLP said the construction of the Palmerston Regional Hospital would start within a year. In the Blain by-election your candidate promised expressions of interest and that the construction would be called in July 2014; it was not. The short list of builders was due to be announced by the end of January this year; it has not.
You have spent more time in front of the cameras turning a sod than getting on with construction. A good government would deliver its core promises, but under the CLP we have waited more than two years to see any action on getting the Palmerston hospital built. When will the doors open at the 24-hour emergency department at the new Palmerston hospital? How can any Territorian trust you?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, a good government would deliver the Palmerston hospital. The previous government had eleven-and-a-half years. Member for Fannie Bay …
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: If you want to dish it out, taste some of your own medicine.
The member for Fannie Bay was an adviser to the then Chief Minister, Paul Henderson. The member for Wanguri was an adviser to the previous Health minister, Chris Burns. The member for Nightcliff was an adviser for Education. The member for Johnston was an adviser for Karl Hampton, previous member for Stuart ...
Ms MANISON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113:
- An answer shall be succinct, concise and directly relevant to the question.
We have asked a pretty straightforward question. When will the doors of the new accident and emergency department at the new Palmerston hospital be opened?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. The Chief Minister has three minutes to answer the question.
Mr GILES: The Leader of the Opposition and former Treasurer …
Ms Lawrie: Got the money.
Mr GILES: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was a former minister for Infrastructure. The member for Nhulunbuy was not good enough to make the ministry when in government. You are right; a good government would deliver the Palmerston hospital ...
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 62; I find the Chief Minister’s comments about the member for Nhulunbuy offensive.
Madam SPEAKER: No, they are not offensive.
Mr GILES: You are right; a good government would build the Palmerston hospital.
Between 2001 and 2012 you were in government. You did not build the Palmerston hospital. Does that mean you were not a good government? You were all part of the government then, either as advisers, union hatchet people, former members, former Deputy Chief Ministers or ministers. You did not build it, so clearly you were not a good government.
We have promised it. We have called for expressions of interest, we have a bigger site than before, and our tenders have come in. The new Health minister, the member for Port Darwin, is about to make an announcement on Palmerston Regional Hospital. We will be the good government that builds it.
It goes back to the point of your question, member for Johnston; a good government would build Palmerston hospital. You did not.
Mr Vowles: There is no more dirt to turn, so do something. Do the right thing by Territorians and stand down.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Johnston!
Mr GILES: You just produced your own report card on eleven-and-a-half years of government, when you did not deliver what you promised. Start looking at your questions before you ask them, member for Johnston.
Natural Resource Mapping in the NT
Mr KURRUPUWU to MINISTER for LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
How is the Country Liberals government making life easier regarding natural resource mapping in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his question. This is a very important question and it goes to the nub of what this government is doing, which is making a difference for all Territorians.
It gives me great pleasure to update the House on the fantastic work being done to improve natural resource mapping in the Northern Territory. As I am sure everyone in the House is aware, mapping is an important tool when it comes to developing the Northern Territory. That is why the Country Liberals government has worked hard to make access to this information as simple and easy as possible.
We have almost doubled the number of available maps for natural resources across the Territory from 260 to 500 spanning the vast Territory landscape. We have also significantly increased the available layers from 79 to 170, which now includes information from the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment, the Department of Mines and Energy, and the Bureau of Meteorology. This is a remarkable achievement.
Each layer contains information about soil, water and land use data, ensuring anyone interested in developing the land is as informed as possible. This information identifies any known occurrences of threatened species on the property. You can see there is a comprehensive set of layers and new maps now available.
NR maps also support northern development through natural resource information sourced from several government agencies. Users can find information on subjects including base data on land parcels, infrastructure, drainage, water resources, data and reports on bores, aquifers and ground water surveys, land resource information on soil and land use, vegetation data – such as weeds – and flora and fauna data on different species and park boundaries. This information is priceless to anyone looking to purchase or develop a parcel of land. Best of all, this information is free. Users can create their own maps with all relevant information. I thank the staff in the Department of Land Resource Management who have made this happen.
I encourage members of this House to go to the website – nrmaps.nt.gov.au – and witness firsthand the benefits of this wonderful asset. I am proud to be part of a government which is getting on with making life simpler and better for Territorians. These maps go a long way to assist people who wish to purchase a parcel of land in the Territory.
Housing – Crisis in Elliott
Ms LEE to MINISTER for HOUSING
No doubt you are aware of the Northern Land Council’s statement released on Monday 16 February 2015, calling on you – the Territory government – to work with the federal government on building new housing in Elliott, as overcrowding has reached a crisis with much of the housing run down and considered a hazard.
The Northern Territory Department of Community Services told a meeting in Elliott last week it would look for money for a scoping study so the housing needs of Elliott could be measured as a first step towards fixing the crisis. Currently hundreds of residents are forced to live in slum conditions as this town has been completely forgotten. Given the scoping study will only confirm the obvious, why waste more money and time on it? What action have you taken since this meeting? Will you now take responsibility and commit, especially to the people of Elliott, to working with the federal government?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for raising the issue of Elliott housing. As you are aware, I have been in the job as the Minister for Housing for two weeks and am yet to have a briefing on the Elliott housing situation. I believe Mike Chiodo and some of the Housing officers have been meeting with the community. They are yet to get back to me. I can organise a briefing for the member for Arnhem, if she has time. That is all I can say on Elliott.
Public Housing – Antisocial Behaviour
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to MINISTER for HOUSING
Can you please update the House on how the Country Liberals government is reducing antisocial behaviour in public housing and making Territory housing safer?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as you are all aware, I have been the Minister for Housing for two weeks. It will take time for me to get my head around it, but I thank the member for Drysdale for the question.
The Country Liberals government has a comprehensive public housing safety strategy. It is delivering some great results for our public housing tenants to make them feel safe and secure in their homes.
Unlike Labor, we are serious about reducing crime and antisocial behaviour in our community. In the past two years we have made changes to ensure this occurs. We have strengthened the role of the public housing safety officers, strengthened the three strikes policy and, in November last year, signed a new memorandum of understanding with the Northern Territory Police. This new MOU includes the new ability for Police to dispatch public housing safety officers immediately …
Mr VOWLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 255; will the minister table the documents she is reading from, please?
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, are they your private notes?
Mrs PRICE: They are my personal notes.
Police are to take custody of dangerous items seized by public housing safety officers, and allow Public Housing Safety Officers to use police radio channels to have a direct line of communication with police in order to investigate and prosecute offences against the Housing Act.
These new strategies are having an impact on our public housing tenants, acting as a strong deterrent for antisocial behaviour. For example, the past 12 months has seen the following: a 57% decline in the number of serious antisocial behaviour matters recorded; a 59% reduction in the number of moderate antisocial behaviour matters recorded; a 63% decline in total strikes issued; a 63% increase in the number of tenancies reaching the strike two threshold; and a 75% decrease, from 24 to just 6, in the number of tenancies reaching the strike three threshold.
The Country Liberals government has strengthened the three strikes policy to ensure action against a tenant is only used as a last resort after every effort is made to assist them, improve their circumstances, reduce antisocial behaviour, sustain their tenancy and increase community safety. This government is doing all of this for the people of the Northern Territory and we, as a government, are doing the best we can to ensure we look after the people of the Northern Territory and ensure they do the right thing.
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