2009-02-11
Government Performance
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
It would be fair to say that your government’s main claim to fame is how much money you spend on health, education and law and order. For example, on 30 January, your government issued a stream of media releases that bore the titles: ‘Territory Leads the Country in Police Numbers’; ‘Territory Leads the Nation in Health Spending’; and, ‘The Territory Leads The Country in Education Investment’.
Given that you boast so much about how much money you spend, why is it that, under Territory Labor, the rates of violent assault have gone through the roof, health care is in crisis, and education results are abysmal and going backwards? Why can you not deliver value for money?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this government is delivering jobs for Territorians, and standing up for jobs for Territorians at what is a very difficult time for the national economy and also for the Territory economy. The reason we have been able to deliver jobs for Territorians is because of the good financial management of this government.
Let us go through the issues raised by the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition loves nothing better than talking the Territory down. We have 311 more police officers in our police force than when we came to government in 2001. We spent over double on policing services than the rest of the nation, and since we came to government, we have halved property crime across the Northern Territory. When we came to government, so few police did we have and the demoralised nature of the Northern Territory Police Force meant we had crime and property crime that was out of control across the Northern Territory. We have halved property crime levels throughout the Northern Territory.
We have debated these violence statistics up hill and down dale in this Chamber over many years now. The reason, very clearly - and the Police Commissioner has put out press releases on this issue as well - for the increase in violent assault statistics is because of a significant increase in the reporting of domestic violence. That is because this police force now has dedicated domestic violence units across the Northern Territory that never existed under the CLP – in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Darwin, dedicated DV units working with and encouraging women to report to police in the Northern Territory. This is a tragedy and we know it is a tragedy. It is a tragedy that we are determined to address. So that is the reason behind those increases.
He talked about health. This government has significantly delivered on increasing health capacity and health delivery across the Northern Territory. Let us look at the facts as opposed to the rhetoric of the Leader of the Opposition, who loves to talk the Territory down. That is his stock in trade. Since we came to government, we have delivered more than 100 additional hospital beds; a birth centre at Royal Darwin Hospital; a hospice; the rapid admission unit; and an oncology unit, which is under construction. All these facilities did not exist when the CLP was in office.
We have 162 additional doctors in our health system, and an additional 433 nurses across the Northern Territory. Additional RDH specialist services – let us go through them: we now have a haematologist to work with the oncologist; we have cancer care nurses; a gastroenterologist; physiotherapists; occupational therapists; and pharmacists – all increased. Extra paediatricians, an extra eye specialist; a Rapid Admission Planning Unit surgeon; an intensive care specialist; a wound care nurse; and a microbiologist – all at Royal Darwin Hospital. That is an investment in health care and improvements in health outcomes.
In Alice Springs, additional intensive care specialist - 0.5 FTE; an intensive care senior registrar; emergency consultant; an additional nine emergency department registered nurses; an additional six junior medical officers, one emergency senior registrar; an additional surgeon …
Members interjecting
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The Leader of the Opposition wants to talk down our health system. That is his stock in trade. This is the additional capacity, these are the additional services. They are real results that benefit Territorians, real results so that Territorians can have these treatments in the Northern Territory. They do not have to get on a plane and go interstate. Real results for Territorians - and we will continue to do that.
This is what this government is about: it is delivering for Territorians, delivering jobs and services, delivering infrastructure, and what does the Leader of the Opposition do, Madam Speaker? He would turn around, play Malcolm Turnbull’s silly political games in Canberra, and say no to the stimulus package. Well, I stand here for Territory jobs and improved Territory services. That is what this government will proceed to deliver.
Victorian Bushfires –
Northern Territory Response
Northern Territory Response
Ms WALKER to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you please provide the House with an update of what fire fighting capability we have offered to help fight the bushfires occurring across country Victoria?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. The tragedy of the Victorian bushfires continues to unfold. It was very sad last night watching the news reports, and reading the national papers from around Australia today. I do not normally watch morning television, but watching some of the television stations this morning, and reading the front pages of newspapers across Australia, including the NT News today, of victims, of survivors, and putting faces and images to the horrific figures that are coming out is very chilling.
As I have said, the Northern Territory will be standing by to do whatever we can to assist. As I reported yesterday, I have made a call to the Victorian Premier and assured him we will do whatever we can. Following an official request for assistance on Monday, four Northern Territory Police forensics experts are on their way to Victoria today to assist the Victorian authorities. Our Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service and NTES are engaging in regular, and that means daily, national telephone conferences with fire and emergency services authorities in Victoria to clarify resource requirements.
As you would expect, there are sophisticated policies, procedures and protocols in place to enable the Department of Sustainability and Environment or the Victorian Country Fire Authority to make requests for assistance from the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service and Bushfires NT and, of course, all such other fire fighting authorities around Australia. This is not an issue of Territory resources just jumping on a plane to Victoria; we are waiting and working in a coordinated way for requests for help, and when we receive those requests we will help.
I can advise that the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service and Bushfires NT have not received an official request for assistance as of this moment. However, our fire service remains in daily contact with the Country Fire Authority, which has advised, at this time, they are securing resources from larger organisations closer to Victoria and specialist firefighting crews from elsewhere, such as New Zealand. A phone hook-up with the Department of Sustainability and Environment and the Country Fire Authority is scheduled for later this afternoon to further discuss possible Northern Territory deployment. This deployment, if required, will probably consist of a small contingent of six or seven personnel, who will not be performing firefighting operations, but will be assigned to incident management teams at various locations. This team will be made up of members from the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service, Bushfires NT, and NT Emergency Services and, if called upon, will probably be deployed for two weeks.
As I advised yesterday, Royal Darwin Hospital has offered its services in the areas of critical care; nursing; medical and allied health; general surgeon and burns nurse; pharmacy; pathology; and, public health, and there are a number of other specialist areas where the NT could offer support in the longer term recovery effort. These areas include environmental and public health specialists, and welfare support teams from the Department of Health and Families. As I reported yesterday, there will be a demand for trauma and crisis counsellors and this support has already been offered.
We do stand by - this is a coordinated response across government with the Victorian authorities. As this tragedy unfolds over the days and weeks ahead, and months and even years in regard to the recovery effort, I am sure we will continue to support Victorians at this terrible time. I know the condolences, sympathy and support of every member of this House on behalf of all the people of the Northern Territory go to our cousins in Victoria.
Territory Hospitals – Tabling
of Annual Reports
of Annual Reports
Mr CONLAN to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday, your government finally tabled annual reports for the Alice Springs and Royal Darwin Hospitals, one of which was 12 months overdue. It is interesting to note there are no reports for the Tennant Creek, Katherine or Gove Hospitals as yet. Given these reports contain appalling results, is not the extended delay in tabling these reports just further evidence of the culture of cover-up throughout the Northern Territory Health department?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the question from the member for Greatorex. Our health services provide great health care for the people of the Northern Territory. We have thousands of people who work in the Health department, in our hospitals, our health clinics, our allied health centres, across the Northern Territory every day providing a first rate service to the people of the Northern Territory. These continual attacks by the member for Greatorex, the shock jock from Alice Springs who has found himself in parliament, his continuing negativity, his continual talking-down our health system does him no credit at all.
Our health system is expanding across the Northern Territory. The level of specialist services that are available to Territorians now were not even a twinkle in the eye of the previous government in regard to their failure to fund health services across the Northern Territory. We have rebuilt health services. We have more doctors, nurses, and specialist clinicians in our health system than ever before. We have increased funding to our health system by nearly 90%. The budget is likely to top around $1bn this year. As in any health system, there are going to be problems on occasion. Those are dealt with. If there are systemic changes required, they are implemented and they are made.
In regard to the report tabled last night by the RDH Board, and the waiting times at the Emergency Department at Royal Darwin Hospital, first, I commend our new Health Minister. When I appointed minister Vatskalis last week, the first thing the minister did that evening was visit the Emergency Department and all of the specialist nurses at RDH - the very first thing that he did. What did he see? A government that had made a significant investment in what is a world-class emergency department at Royal Darwin Hospital, with world-class physicians and nurses working at that Emergency Department. That is what I heard. I pay tribute to those clinicians and nurses and people who work in the Emergency Department ...
Mr Conlan: 27% of patients being seen on time is not world-class.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The shock jock continues to talk because he does not want to listen to …
Mr Conlan: It is not world-class.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex, cease interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: … the answer, because he does not like to acknowledge the good work being done by our specialists at Royal Darwin Hospital and other hospitals across the Northern Territory.
Royal Darwin Hospital is one of the busiest emergency departments in the country. Since we have established the new after-hours clinic at Palmerston - I accept it is anecdotal - given the level of presentations to that clinic that were previously going to the Emergency Department, the pressure is coming off. We will continue to make further investments in Palmerston with the support of the Commonwealth government in building those services.
I very proudly say thank you to all of the wonderful clinicians, nurses and doctors who work in our health system. We will always continue to strive to do better. What we will not do is talk the system down. That is what the member for Greatorex does ...
Mr Conlan: It is a known fact. There it is. There it is right there.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr HENDERSON: He absolutely delights in doing it. This government will continue the investments it has made, and we will continue to build improving health services across the Territory.
Economic Stimulus Package –
Benefits to Northern Territory
Benefits to Northern Territory
Ms WALKER to CHIEF MINISTER
On 3 February, the Prime Minister announced a $42bn stimulus package - Nation Building and Jobs Plan. Can you advise the House on the elements of this package, particularly those elements likely to provide benefits to Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. I can tell the member - and we have had this conversation in regard to her electorate - that the vast majority of Territorians support this package. They support jobs for the Northern Territory. The only people who do not support the package in the Northern Territory are the CLP. Why? Because the CLP is taking orders from their Liberal mates in Canberra. That is why they do not support this package. They support the political interests of the Leader of the Opposition in Canberra over and above the interests of Territorians.
The speech made by CLP Senator Nigel Scullion in the Senate last night was an absolute disgrace. He said he would not vote for this package and, therefore, he was not voting for jobs in the Northern Territory. He was actually going to vote for high unemployment in the Northern Territory …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have read that speech, and it is within the standing orders of this House that we cannot denigrate a member of another place by inferences which are plainly untrue.
Madam SPEAKER: I will seek some advice, but I do not think there is a point of order. I have sought advice: there is no point of order.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I should not pick up the interjections from the member for Port Darwin, but I will. Again, I quote from the disgraceful speech made by Senator Scullion in the Senate last night: ‘I do not support, and the coalition do not support, the passage of this package of bills’.
Madam Speaker, …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Chief Minister has said that Senator Scullion said he did not support jobs in the Territory. I would ask the Chief Minister to quote that line out of that speech or shut up.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, I will ask him to rephrase and withdraw the comment.
Mr ELFERINK: I would ask the Chief Minister to accurately quote that assertion out of the speech or otherwise mind his counsel.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, if you can be fairly specific.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I fail to see how, in opposing, at least in terms of infrastructure development that will come to the Northern Territory, at least $250m …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Chief Minister made a very direct assertion about something that Senator Scullion has said, which Senator Scullion did not. I would like the Chief Minister to either withdraw it or quote the section of the speech.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, speaking to the point of order, you have already ruled that there is no point of order. The member for Port Darwin is extremely sensitive on this subject.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, cease interjecting. Chief Minister, I believe you are quoting from Senator Scullion, is that correct?
Mr HENDERSON: Absolutely.
Madam SPEAKER: Just continue to quote, thank you very much.
Mr HENDERSON: As I have said, Senator Scullion, said: ‘I do not support, and the coalition do not support, the passage of this package of bills’, therefore they are voting for …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr HENDERSON: They do not support spending of money on Territory schools: ‘No, we do not support spending money on schools’. This mob over here does not support giving payments to Territorians: ‘No, we do not support that, take the money away’. They do not support giving small business a tax break: ‘No, we do not support that’, and what else don’t they support? They do not support additional housing – 20 000 additional houses. It is staggering that they do not support this package, and it worse than that, it is economic vandalism.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister, please pause, resume your seat.
Opposition members, the level of interjections is such that I cannot hear what the Chief Minister is saying. What I can hear is an extraordinary number of interruptions. I remind you of Standing Order 51, No Interruption:
- No Member may converse aloud or make any noise or disturbance which in the opinion of the Speaker is designed to interrupt or has the effect of interrupting a Member speaking.
Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. This package is designed to lift confidence in the economy, to stimulate the economy with extra spending, both on the infrastructure side and on the consumption side. It is about confidence in the economy, confidence for people to keep spending, keeping Australians and Territorians in jobs, and directly keeping people in jobs through significant infrastructure spending. That is what this package is about, and it should not be treated as a political football by members opposite.
The Western Australian Liberal Premier showed leadership and he signed up to the package. His signature is next to my signature on the COAG documents. He showed leadership, he has not played politics with this. I challenged the Leader of the Opposition in debate earlier today that, heaven help if the Leader of the Opposition had been the Chief Minister in Canberra on Thursday last week. Does he really want us to believe that he would not have signed up to this package?
Mr Mills: I would not have.
Mr HENDERSON: That he would have said to Colin Barnett, the Western Australia Premier: ‘Well, it is okay, you sign it but I am not going to sign it. I do not think this is good for the Northern Territory. I am going to turn my back on it and I refuse to sign this’. He would not have signed it.
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: He would not have signed the package, Madam Speaker. Today he will stand in here and say, as Senator Scullion does, that they do not support the package, purely for their own, whatever political strategy it is. I cannot understand it.
The Prime Minister’s package includes $14.7bn for schools, $6.6bn in social and Defence housing, an additional 185 houses for the Northern Territory, our share of 20 000 new homes. Territorians will also benefit from $890m to be spent on Black Spot roads funding, boom gates, repairing regional roads across the Territory, and community infrastructure. Small business will benefit from the tax investment allowance - 12 795 small businesses in the Territory potentially benefit from this, but no, the CLP opposes it, and the list goes on.
This package is good for the Territory; it is good for Territorians; it is good for jobs in the Territory, with one challenge for the Leader of the Opposition - show leadership. Get Nigel Scullion in the Senate tomorrow to support this package of bills – it could be the power of one – and stand up for the Northern Territory. Do not just roll over to the Liberal leader there, or the National Party or whoever he sits with these days. Get him to support the Territory. That is the challenge for the Leader of the Opposition.
This is about jobs, and there is nothing more important, as my colleague, the new Health Minister, said in a very good interview with Nigel Adlam in the NT News the other week: ‘You ask a man if he wants a principle or a job, he will pick a job every time.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Could we have some shorter answers? At this rate we will have maybe five questions in an hour.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, member for Nelson. Are there any further questions?
Royal Darwin Hospital - Annual Report
Mr CONLAN to CHIEF MINISTER referred to MINISTER for HEALTH
He talks about glowing results in Health. Meanwhile, we have a report that indicates 73% of urgent cases were not seen to in time in 2007-08, and 78% of semi-urgent cases not seen to in time in the Annual Report 2007-08 tabled yesterday. Is it not the case that you dumped Chris Burns as Health Minister to avoid having him answer questions about these appalling results tabled in yesterday’s annual report?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I answered before in regard to how busy Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department is, and the enormous investment that we have made there, not only in resources and infrastructure, but also additional specialist clinicians. I have every confidence in our health system. If I was to have a serious accident or an illness, I would not rather be treated in any other health system in Australia than in the Northern Territory. We provide excellent care in our hospitals, which is the equivalent of anywhere else in Australia. I personally have every confidence in our health system.
In regard to the detail of the figures that were tabled, I will, quite appropriately, hand over to the Health Minister for an answer.
Mr VATSKALIS (Health): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister. We know very well that all health systems all over the world are under pressure. We do not deny that. That is why we invested the money we have in our health system. It is very easy to wave figures around.
Let me tell you what I did today when I read the figures in the Health report. I tried to find out why we have these kinds of figures. I will tell you why we have these kinds of figures. We have had approximately a 48% increase in emergency and urgent cases presenting at Accident and Emergency since 2005-06.
In Emergency only, since 2005-06, there has been a 27% increase in the number of people presenting themselves to Accident and Emergency. Despite this increase, Accident and Emergency improved the number of people they have seen within the prescribed time. Yes, there is a decrease in the number of people who have been seen within a prescribed period of time – a big decrease - but you have to remember, every person who presents to Accident and Emergency is assessed by a nurse or a doctor, and whoever is an emergency, whoever is extremely urgent, whoever is in need of resuscitation, is seen immediately.
I have asked for these figures immediately. Yes, it looks great, it sounds great if you want publicity, but let us get real answers. And because we have seen these real answers, we are now planning to do more for Accident and Emergency. We plan to use a fast-track unit. We plan to introduce a paediatric unit so, if someone turns up with a child, they will be seen immediately.
We have the Palmerston clinic, where, from 1400 people presenting themselves in the last few months, only 8% went to Royal Darwin Hospital. Previously, all 1400 probably went to Accident and Emergency. So we are doing things to reduce the pressure. We invest more money, and we are making inroads to alleviate the pressure on Accident and Emergency.
I agree with you that 27% looks bad. How are we going to fix it? This is the challenge. How are we going to ensure that people are seen within the prescribed period of time despite the increase in the number of people who present to Accident and Emergency? This is where we are working; this is where we are introducing a number of measures to make sure this happens.
Economic Stimulus Package –
Response by Other Groups
Response by Other Groups
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
We know that the CLP does not support the stimulus package. Will you please inform the House how major groups across Australia have responded to this stimulus package?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. He represents many small business constituents in his electorate who certainly support this package. The CLP is isolated in its opposition to this package.
Let us run through some of the significant commentators around the country, and locally, and what they say of this package. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive, Peter Anderson, said in a media release on 3 February that the Australian Chamber is ‘supportive of the fiscal stimulus package announced by the government’. He told the Australian Financial Review on 5 February that: ‘The package ticks the boxes businesses has advocated as a response to the economic downturn’.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants -- they are a pretty conservative sort of group – have called on the package to be passed as soon as possible. Also quoted in the Australian Financial Review: ‘It is important that everyone gives it full support because it is a measure aimed at getting a stimulus to business in the immediate term.’ Heather Ridout from the Australian Industry Group, not normally a friend of Labor governments, said: ‘Aggressively targeting consumer spending is absolutely critical’ - absolutely critical – ‘to our near term economic prospects’. That was on 5 February.
Frank Lowy supports the package; the Business Council of Australia supports the package. Katie Lahey, the Chief Executive, said in a release dated 3 February: ‘The Rudd government has acted quickly and responsibly to limit the impact of the global recession on Australia.’ She went on to say:
- Global events and the need for the government to respond to support demand and growth have made a large budget deficit inevitable. But the government’s responsible approach in keeping stimulus measures timely, well targeted at those who will spend it, and temporary, will ensure the spending will not be a dead weight on our ability to achieve future growth and surpluses.
Chris Richardson at Access Economics said:
- There has never been a bigger stomp on the accelerator in peace time Australia. We are in this now, boots and all, and history may well look back on today as the day we started to get ahead.
He went on to say:
- You can’t do the perfect package but a lot of what they are doing makes sense. And it‘s very big and I know the budget is already deeply in deficit, but it still makes sense to throw the kitchen sink at this downturn because it is a big one.
I have heaps more quotes here. Alan Oster, NAB Chief Economist – I think he knows a little bit more than Senator Nigel Scullion does - said he had:
- … expected a slightly bigger package, but it is good the government is investing in infrastructure and has avoided tax cuts. I think it is a pretty responsible package, whilst each component of the government’s package was new, the overall macro impact was fairly much as expected and is both necessary and welcome.
As I said earlier, the Business Minister, the Treasurer and I have rung around the Northern Territory business community over the last few days and everyone we have spoken to supports it. I talked with the member for Katherine today. I am sure he has seen the front page of the Katherine Times where Chamber of Commerce Chairperson, Kevin Grey - and I caught up with Kevin when I was there last week – said that the cash injection in December by the federal government had worked, with local retailers benefiting. He said the newly announced stimulus package from the Rudd government seemed to be well balanced - and I will quote from Kevin: ‘The stimulus and education infrastructure is promising. There seems to be something there for everyone and sensible spending’.
The members opposite are pretty isolated on this. I wonder what political game they are playing in their opposition to this package. I call on the Leader of the Opposition to show leadership and get Nigel Scullion to support this package in the Senate because it will benefit every Territorian, and to support Territory jobs.
Health System Failures
Mr CONLAN to CHIEF MINISTER
Your government has received a whopping $1.2bn in unexpected Commonwealth revenue. Can you explain how your government has presided over some of the worst health outcomes in the country, despite an additional $1.2bn in revenue received? What do you say to the grieving families who have lost loved ones as a result of this under-resourcing in Territory health and in Territory hospitals? Goodness knows what is happening in Tennant Creek, Gove and Katherine Hospitals, because there are still six outstanding reports from those hospitals to be tabled. Do you intend to take responsibility for these failings?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I acknowledge, but I certainly do not welcome the question and the offensive nature of the question. As I have said, I have every confidence in our health system. Our health system, by and large, does an amazing job in providing hospital services, primary health care services, and ancillary services across the Northern Territory.
Can we do better? Of course. There is not a health system in the world that could not do better. However, we continue to invest in our health services and expand, increase and improve health services across the Northern Territory. The language that the shock jock from Alice Springs uses in his questions I find offensive to the absolutely dedicated, hard-working professional people …
Mr Conlan: Tell that to Margaret Winter. Tell that to the families who have lost loved ones.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … the dedicated, hard-working, extraordinarily committed people who work in our health system. There are more of them than ever before. There are more specialist services available in the Northern Territory than ever before. In the preamble to his question, he might have mentioned funding for health. There has been a massive 89% increase in health funding since the CLP was in government. I am not …
Mr Conlan: We have some of the worst outcomes in the country.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex, you have asked the Chief Minister a question. Please allow him to answer it.
Mr HENDERSON: It would be very easy for me to go back to similar statistics in 1997, 1998, and 1999 to look at what was happening at Royal Darwin Hospital. I could certainly go back to an independent report that said, essentially, under the CLP’s time in government, the Emergency Department at Royal Darwin Hospital was third world. I could go back to all of that, but it does not serve any purpose.
What we need to do is focus on supporting our clinicians, our medical staff, and being confident in health service delivery in the Northern Territory. I can quite genuinely say, on behalf of myself and my family, I have every confidence if I have to present at Royal Darwin Hospital or any of our hospitals across the Territory, because I know that we have fantastic, absolutely first-rate people committed and working hard in the Northern Territory. It serves no purpose to talk the system down as the member for Greatorex does. We will continue to strive to improve services on behalf of all Territorians.
Economic Stimulus Package –
Reduction on Impact of Downturn
Reduction on Impact of Downturn
Mr GUNNER to TREASURER
The global economic crisis continues to worsen. Can you please advise the House how the Prime Minister’s stimulus package will help reduce the impact of this downturn on the Territory’s economy?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. This is a real issue for business people and families in the Territory. As we know, the Prime Minister’s 3 February announcement of a $42bn Nation Building and Jobs Plan is about supporting Australian jobs and, critically, as much as the nation can, insulating our nation from the global downturn.
The global economic situation is deteriorating. It is a paradigm shift that we are experiencing across the economies of the world, and we are one of the few in the OECD that is not plummeting into recession. That being said, the International Monetary Fund is calling on governments to spend, to stimulate the economy. I quote from the International Monetary Fund:
- Do too much rather than too little. Delays in financial packages have cost a lot already. Further rounds of debate will stoke uncertainty and make things worse.
However, the CLP want to cut the stimulus package. Their agent, their man in Canberra, Senator Scullion, is voting against it. They do not want the stimulus package in direct contrast to the International Monetary Fund’s advice to governments. They are down there, the CLP, fighting the economic stimulus package that is going to assist our nation, Territorians included, to ward off the worst of this paradigm shift in the global economic downturn. They are against the spending. They would be happy to see jobs slashed.
I do not think they understand how that impacts on families, when people are in the unemployment queues and the jobs simply have dried up. It is a paradigm shift. We are facing the worst crisis since World War II, and the CLP’s answer is to stop a critically important economic stimulus package.
We have said that whilst the Territory is well placed to ride through this economic downturn, we are not immune. We will not be immune from the global financial crisis. However the fundamentals of our economy are strong. Our own source revenue is holding. Our growth rate is forecast at 4.5% this year, Access Economics is forecasting 4.7%. We are seeing GST revenue plummeting and that is impacting on our bottom line.
While the Territory is doing better than our southern counterparts, we support this package because we know it will deliver jobs in the Territory for Territorians. It will stimulate the spending to support our own economy in terms of jobs and the capital works area, but also, importantly, that payment to families will stimulate the retail sector, that important consumer sector. We know it will help the hospitality industry in a time when we know there will be impacts on tourism. Very real, important tax breaks will be delivered to small and medium businesses. Around 12 000 small and medium businesses in the Territory will be able to take advantage of the tax breaks.
Madam Speaker, we estimate the package will deliver around $200m in infrastructure investment in our own Territory - in schools, housing, roads, and boom gates. We are calculating that this massive injection into our construction industry and our economy will support around an additional 600 direct new jobs and 300 indirect jobs. This is what the package means delivered in the Territory, and the rubber is ready to hit the road. The Territory government is ready to spend its package. The CLP and its agent in Canberra, following their little mate Malcolm Turnbull, is arguing against it.
As the Chief Minister has said, over the last week we have met with a number of our key industry representatives. I have met with the Territory Construction Association, the Housing Industry Association, the Chamber of Commerce, the Civil Contractors Federation, the Resources Council, the Cattlemen’s Association, and the bank managers across Darwin’s key lending institutions, and they all support this economic stimulus package. They all understand the importance of this package to our construction pipeline and to the businesses that it will support, to the jobs it will generate, and to the long-term economic growth of the Territory. Yet the CLP stands in its silo against this critical economic stimulus package.
Royal Darwin Hospital – Waiting Times in Accident and Emergency Department
Mr CONLAN to MINISTER for HEALTH
This morning you told ABC radio that Royal Darwin Hospital provides a very good service. Your brazen disregard for the facts is an insult to the family of Mrs Margaret Winter, who died as a result of poor care at RDH; to the hundreds of dedicated medical professionals who labour without adequate government support; and also to the thousands of Territory families who wait endless hours in emergency just to see a doctor as highlighted by the latest 2007-08 Annual Report from RDH.
Can I suggest that you pull your head out of the sand, have a look at the facts and take an honest look at what is happening at Royal Darwin Hospital and provide better services for Territorians.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his comments. I suggest that he start believing that he is in parliament, not behind the microphone in a radio station. I have absolute regard for my staff. I also sympathise very much with the families for their suffering and loss. Certainly, I am the person who is going to implement the recommendations that will come out of any coronial inquiry because what I want is provision of quality services in the urban environment and in the bush, the same quality services as provided in other states in Australia.
Let us go back in history. I have been here since 1993 and I worked in the Health Department. One of the things that I really care about is primary health care provision: provision of services to make sure that people do not get sick, to stop people coming to the hospital. The hospital should be the last resort. When I first came here I visited Aboriginal communities outside Darwin, Katherine, and Alice Springs, and it was third world country conditions. Money was not spent; money was cut. There was no provision of clean water, no provision of sewerage, roads were not sealed, and houses were non-existent. That is where most of the problems come from.
Let me give you some information about the cost and the expenditure. The Chief Minister has increased expenditure by 89% to $915m since 2001. Since 2001, we have put on 162 extra doctors and 433 extra nurses. If you go back to the Territory Health Services Report 1998-99, on page 11, it will say that the CLP, from 1996 to 1999, cut 200 nurses. Since you like figures, I will give you some figures. The Territory employs more hospital doctors than the Australian average – 1.6 full-time equivalents per 1000 Territorians compared to 1.2 FTE in the rest of Australia. We employ more nurses, 5.7 full-time equivalent per 1000 people, when the national average is five nurses. Also, we spend more than any other jurisdiction. We spend $1700 per person in the Territory in real hospital funding compared with $1260 per person. Also, we have the tyranny of distance.
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: One of our greatest problems is the lack of GPs in the community. You asked a question; obviously you do not want to hear to the answer. It you do not want to listen to the answer …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex, cease interjecting!
Mr VATSKALIS: One of the problems we have, and the reason why the Emergency Department is under enormous pressure, is the lack of GPs in the Territory. In the Territory, we have 52 GPs per 100 000 people compared to 87 per 100 000 nationally. We have 26 GPs fewer than the Australian average. That means not only do we not get the service, but we do not get the Medicare subsidy. The Territory government has put money …
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: You wanted outcomes, I will give you some outcomes, In five months, elective surgery lists in 2007, we have had a significant reduction in the waiting list. We actually reduced the number of people waiting by 16%, and the number of patients due for surgery decreased by 31%. So the money we put in is starting to show some outcomes.
As I said before, my focus is not only the hospitals; it is provision of primary health care services in the bush where they are not the expensive and complicated ones which we have. When you have an emergency department that sees one person every 10 minutes, and last year 56 000 people went through it - one in four Territorians walked through that emergency department - that is enormous pressure on our system. I pay tribute to all the nurses, doctors and the administration staff who managed to do something which is unimaginable in other states in Australia. I explained to you before that there was a significant increase in the number of real emergency cases presenting themselves - 27% - which impacted on the provision of services. So, if you like figures, I have a lot more figures to give you; just ask the questions and you will get the answers.
Economic Stimulus Package –
Benefits to Education
Benefits to Education
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for EDUCATION and TRAINING
The $42bn stimulus package provides a major boost to education in the Territory. Can you advise the House the benefits that teachers, students and parents are likely to receive from this package?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. The stimulus package is very good news for the Northern Territory: for Northern Territory schools; Northern Territory teachers; Northern Territory students; Northern Territory school councils; and parents of students across the Northern Territory. Every single school will benefit in some way or another as a result of this package, and we are working through this as we speak.
The response that this package has received from the Principals Association, from the education unions, from people who have contacted my office as Education minister, has been absolutely overwhelming. $14.7bn for schools across Australia. Primary schools for the 21st century; we will see around $140m to $150m amongst all of our primary schools, combined and special schools, to build or refurbish school buildings. And it is not just government schools, it is non-government schools as well - every single school is set to benefit.
I was at Moulden Primary School last week talking to the principal, Gary Fry, and the teachers and children. It is a school that is on the turn, a school that is picking up, and a school that has had its challenges over the years. The prospect of a $3m capital injection has everybody very excited at Moulden Primary School.
Today at Parap Primary, with the local member, they have a project ready to go: a new assembly area. It is one of the oldest schools in Darwin, over 40 years old. I know the member for Fong Lim may find this funny and he probably does not want the funding for Nemarluk School, he may not want the funding for Ludmilla – we will make sure they know that the member for Fong Lim laughs at this, does not want the money, does not think it is important, but the member for Fannie Bay does. Mick Myers, the principal at Parap Primary School, has the plans ready to go. If this package gets through, it will probably be one of the first projects out of the door, because the plans are ready to go.
As well as primary schools, our middle schools and senior schools, 25 of them, will be able to apply for their share of $1bn to build up to 500 science or language centres across Australia, and I know that any number of those schools could do with new science or language laboratories. The Renewing Australia’s Schools initiative will mean up to $200 000, based on population, for every single Territory school in repairs and maintenance. All of us go to school council meetings. We all understand the BAMS process every year for maintenance and upgrades required in our schools. We all know, no matter which government is in power, there is always a greater demand than funding available. So every school, up to $200 000 to get those little jobs, those important jobs, done around the school very quickly is a great initiative.
The Trade Training Centres initiative means $110m from the Trade Training Centres in Schools program will be brought forward and spent a year earlier. There are 13 schools in the Northern Territory which have their hands up for this funding to improve trade training facilities in our secondary schools. This benefits students, teachers, and small business, including contractors and suppliers across the Territory.
The Primary School Infrastructure Plan monies will be issued for buildings to be under way in June and spent by December 2010. The second round of funding will be issued by July 2009 and spent by January 2011, and the third round issued by December 2009 and spent by March 2011. That is significant and it will complement our record commitment of $246m over four years. We are going to try to match this to roll this out. If you did not hear that, it is a three-year program, starting off in June this year in primary and senior schools. My understanding is that the repairs and maintenance money will be available from April. This is very significant.
I urge the Leader of the Opposition to show some leadership. Nigel Scullion is going to have an important vote in the Senate if the Liberal Party and National Party continue to oppose this. He could stand up for the Northern Territory; it is not that difficult. I do not know who would criticise him. Certainly, no one in the Northern Territory would criticise him. No one would say: ‘Nigel, you have done the wrong thing. Do not vote for this package’. No one in the Territory …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Maybe he has some aspirations for an elevation into the shadow Cabinet or something. Maybe his loyalty to Malcolm Turnbull and his leadership is more important than his loyalty to the people who elected him to the Senate.
To stand in the way of this package is reprehensible, and the Leader of the Opposition could show leadership and demand that Senator Scullion actually votes on behalf of Territorians to secure this funding for the Northern Territory. If Colin Barnett, the Western Australian Premier, can do it, surely the CLP opposition in the Northern Territory can.
This is a good package for the Territory. It is good for jobs, schools, and small business. The only people opposing it in the Northern Territory are those opposite.
Barramundi Licence Buy-back
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY, FISHERIES and RESOURCES
Recently, the NT News quoted the NT Seafood Council as saying that most barramundi sold in the Territory is from overseas. In light of that fact and the fact that your government intends to buy back three commercial barramundi licences, could you say whether this means it will now be even harder for Territorians, especially those who do not fish, to eat local wild catch barramundi at their local fish and chip shop? Was the decision to reduce the number of licences based on science, which I know your party is keen on, that is, barramundi stocks are at risk, or was this just a political decision to gain favour with the amateur fishing lobby?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It is a very important question because, as he knows, I am a very strong supporter of the consumer actually getting what he is paying for. I have observed people going to a restaurant or somewhere to buy fish, and being sold fish without knowing what they are buying. Recently, I advised all restaurants that legislation would change and, when they serve a meal with barramundi or fish, they have to declare if it is imported or if it is local fish.
The barramundi wild fisheries usually produce around 500 000 tonnes a year, and an extra 1200 tonnes comes from farming barramundi. There is no danger to the barramundi stock; it is healthy and very good. The only reason we are buying back licences is because we want to provide a better opportunity for recreational anglers and to close some rivers and Bynoe Harbour. Closing the rivers without removing licences would be unfair to the fishermen, because you are increasing effort in a much smaller area. Removing the licences and closing areas at least gives the opportunity to a smaller number of fishermen to fish in a smaller area.
There is no deep danger with our barramundi stock. It is very healthy. We have to remember that it is not Territory anglers, the local ones, who actually benefit, but many other people who come from down south and other parts of Australia to fish here. Barramundi fishermen from other states provide a lot of money to the tourism industry: restaurants, hotels, tour operators, and car hire. You only have to ask some of the people in companies that sell material for fishermen how enthusiastic they are when the people from down south, the grey nomads with their 4WDs and caravans arrive and spend a lot of money in places like Katherine and Timber Creek.
There is no problem with the barramundi. It is healthy, alive and well. We are providing the opportunity for all Territorians to enjoy fish they have caught from the catchments, or if they buy them from the local distributor they will know if it is local fish or imported.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016