2011-03-30
Angela Pamela Uranium Mine
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
In 2008, you welcomed the successful application by joint venture Cameco Paladin to explore proven uranium deposits in Central Australia. I table the media release of 2008 to which I refer. You continued:
- This is a huge stride towards potentially billions of dollars worth of economic opportunity and jobs for the Territory.
…
This is truly a significant day for the future of Alice Springs – the exploration phase alone will inject millions of dollars into the economy, creating jobs for Territorians and business opportunities for support and supply services to the project.
Two years later, you performed a backflip of breathtaking dimensions and, in the process, you seriously reduced the Territory’s attractiveness for investment and heightened our sovereign risk. If you are so opposed to the Angela Pamela uranium mine, why has your government not withdrawn Cameco’s exploration licence when you had the power to do so?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, talk about leading with your chin. We did remove the EL over the siting of the potential Angela Pamela uranium mine. I said in debate this morning that we have listened long and hard to the community in Alice Springs. A point and a reality check here for the Leader of the Opposition: the government issued an exploration licence - not a mining lease - an exploration licence. There is absolutely no guarantee when a government issues an exploration licence that automatically approval will be granted to mine anything in the Northern Territory.
After listening to the people of Alice Springs, who are very genuine in their concerns about this mine, we took a very tough decision and said that, in the event Cameco moved to apply for a mining lease, we would say to the Commonwealth government, which is the authorising and approving government for uranium mines in the Territory, that we would oppose that. We have been very loud and clear in listening to this community. I have met with Cameco and said we, as a government, would not support any application to the Commonwealth for a uranium mine 20 km from the doorsteps of people in Alice Springs.
Overwhelmingly, over many years in Alice Springs, not only the radical green fringe, but the middle and common ground in Alice Springs do not support that uranium mine.
Let us look at the conflicting and hypocritical positions from members opposite on this particular …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr Henderson: You just do not want to hear the truth, member for Port Darwin. You do not want to hear the truth.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: You still have not answered the question, which was why have you not withdrawn the exploration licence if you are serious about this?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat.
Mr HENDERSON: I have already answered that, Madam Speaker. An exploration lease is totally separate to a mining lease. It does not involve mining …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Let us look at the hypocrisy and the lack of leadership from the Liberal Party in the Northern Territory ...
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr Henderson: They are just trying to run the clock down, Madam Speaker, because they do not want to hear the outcome of the story.
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause. Order! Order!
Mr MILLS: The view of the Chief Minister is that he has answered the question. It has not been answered. Why has the exploration licence not been withdrawn by this government?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, come to the point please.
Mr HENDERSON: It is very simple. We have issued an exploration licence and, under the terms of that licence, the company is entitled to explore but it is not entitled to mine. We have said that if there was an application to mine, we would not support that. I will come back with a dorothy dixer about the opposition’s absolutely deceptive and deceitful position on this in Alice Springs, and the total lack of leadership from the Leader of the Opposition.
Alcohol-Related Crime
Ms WALKER to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you please update the House on the government’s commitment to tackle alcohol-related crime across the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy. Over 66% of all violent crime in Alice Springs is alcohol induced. If you are not cracking down on alcohol, you cannot crack down on crime. Later on today, in this sittings, we will be introducing the toughest crackdown on alcohol-related crime in this country’s history: Enough is Enough.
Contrast our position on alcohol and alcohol-related crime with the opposition. Our reforms will ban problem drinkers. People who are taken into protective custody night after night, who commit acts of domestic violence on their partners whilst intoxicated, who neglect their kids and do not send them to school as a result of alcohol, will be banned from purchasing takeaway alcohol in the Northern Territory. We will establish a banned drinkers register right across the Northern Territory. From Nhulunbuy to Alice Springs, if you are banned in one place you will be banned right across the Northern Territory.
Compare that to the opposition in Alice Springs. They oppose the banned drinkers register. They oppose banning problem drinkers from accessing takeaway alcohol. They will continue to allow people to drink themselves stupid and get taken into protective custody night after night. Not only will they not support the banned drinkers register across the Northern Territory, they also believe things will improve in Alice Springs if bottle shops are allowed to open for an extra four hours a day.
More grog means more crime. That is the position of the opposition, because they are in the pockets of vested interests which retail alcohol in this town. Those are the people they are hostage to because, if they were serious about crime in Alice Springs, they would support our reforms. They would say enough is enough, support banning problem drinkers from accessing takeaway alcohol, support a banned drinkers register to give the courts the ability to ban people from accessing alcohol, and support Family and Children’s Services workers to put people on the banned drinkers registers where kids are being neglected and not going to school because of alcohol abuse in the family.
The opposition supports more grog - four hours more trading of alcohol, four hours of trading in misery in Alice Springs, four hours of more crime and antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs - because they are in the pockets of a small number of licensees who have vested interests in peddling misery in this town.
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Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Centralian Middle School Year 7 students, together with their teachers Ms Hargreaves, Mr Parsey and Ms Tucker. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, Hear!
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Alice Springs – Federal Government Involvement
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
Just over a week ago, Tony Abbott, federal Opposition Leader, made the courageous call for a second wave of direct action to address the rising levels of social dysfunction in towns like Alice Springs and others across the Northern Territory. Rather than accept Tony Abbott’s call on face value as a very genuine and heartfelt concern for generations of Indigenous Territorians, you called it crass politics aimed at embarrassing the Territory government ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: ... ahead of these sittings. Get over yourselves!
Why are you so critical of calls for greater federal government involvement in addressing serious social problems in Alice Springs? Or are you concerned that such an intervention will expose, just like the Little Children are Sacred report, how little your government has done to address these problems?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, come in spinner, again. Tony Abbott very clearly said in his letter to the Prime Minister that unrestricted access to alcohol is the problem.
That is what Tony Abbott said to the Prime Minister: unrestricted access to alcohol. We have subsequently informed, comprehensively, not only the Prime Minister but the Minister for Indigenous Affairs about the legislation we are introducing today to tackle what Tony Abbott himself says is the problem. His party, which is represented in the Northern Territory, supports more access to alcohol. More access to alcohol is what the opposition supports, whereas Tony Abbott says unrestricted access to alcohol is the major problem.
What we do not support is another intervention in the Northern Territory, which is what Tony Abbott was suggesting is required. If anyone believes the intervention imposed on the Northern Territory has fixed all the problems - yes, it did a great deal of good. However, one of the things it did show was that Commonwealth governments in the future can never walk away from the disadvantage in the Territory and more funding needs to come from Canberra to deal with that disadvantage.
What the intervention showed was, if you do not involve, engage and have Aboriginal people at the table as part of the decision-making process so people own the decisions being made on their behalf, nothing will change - and nothing has changed on the conservative side of politics. They believe in imposing change with a top-down approach. There was nothing Tony Abbott took to the last federal election that committed anything to the Northern Territory – zero to the Northern Territory. Look at what the current Commonwealth government is committing to Alice Springs - $150m to transform Alice Springs and to turn those hellholes that were the town camps into suburbs in Alice Springs.
Tony Abbott has hit the nail on the head when he said unrestricted access to alcohol is a problem. The Leader of the Opposition wants to pour more grog on the problem. ...
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! To assist you in giving a more accurate response, I ask if you have read that letter.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, that is not a point of order. Leader of the Opposition, resume your seat.
Mr HENDERSON: Of course I have read Tony Abbott’s letter. Very clearly he says the major problem is unrestricted access to alcohol. We are going to close that unrestricted access. The challenge for the opposition, if they are serious, as opposed to being shock jocks whipping up adversity in this town, is to back our reforms, turn off the tap to problem drinkers, assist us in closing down ...
Madam SPEAKER: Put that down, member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: ... the animal bars, and not do the bidding of a small group of people with vested interests in selling alcohol in this town ...
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
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Distinguished Visitor
Mrs Loraine Braham
Distinguished Visitor
Mrs Loraine Braham
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of the former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and member for Braitling, Mrs Loraine Braham. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Enough is Enough Alcohol Reforms
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for ALCOHOL POLICY
The Enough is Enough alcohol reforms were announced in September last year to target problem drinkers to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour in our community. Can you please explain to the House how these reforms will tackle problem drinking, and the effect it has on Territorians, their families and our community?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for the question. Alcohol-fuelled violence across the Territory is at unacceptable levels. The Territory government is saying, with alcohol reforms legislation being introduced to parliament today, enough is enough. We announced the reforms in September last year. We went through extensive public consultation, including introducing exposure draft legislation in the October sittings so people of the Territory could see the detail …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, put that sign down, please. Member for Greatorex, the sign needs to go, thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: Cannot help but be a clown.
Sixty percent of all assaults in the Territory are alcohol fuelled; 67% of domestic violence in the Territory is alcohol fuelled. These facts are compelling. Economic analysis shows that alcohol-fuelled harm across our community costs Territory taxpayers about $642m per year. That is the extent of the problem that the scourge of grog is causing across the Territory. We are the first place in Australia where we are stepping up and saying enough is enough.
The legislation we introduce to parliament today turns the problem drinker off tap. Automatic bans, issued by police: people who are going in and out of police protective custody three times in three months will be automatically banned. An ID system will be rolled out across the Territory, Territory-wide, to create a banned drinker register. It does not matter where you are in the Territory, if you are turned off tap, you cannot purchase, you cannot possess, and you cannot consume alcohol. We will establish a new alcohol and drugs tribunal. That tribunal has the powers to ban problem drinkers, and also to mandate treatment. We will strengthen the powers of the alcohol court and drug credit program, bringing it together with improved and enhanced powers of bans mandated treatment.
We will also define clearly increased penalties in the Liquor Act, and define the rights and responsibilities of licensees in the Liquor Act. We will also ensure those people who want to profit from misery - sly grog runners - will cop a fine of $33 000 and face imprisonment. The current fine is sitting at about $1000, folks. We are going after the people who want to peddle misery. Many Territorians drink …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: … and drink responsibly. These do not harm the responsible drinkers in our community. Equally, we have licensees who are doing the right thing, and these reforms do not harm them either. They go after the problem …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Quipping from the member for Port Darwin. There is a minor inconvenience to turn the tap on the problem off; that is, you will swipe your ID. The people of Alice Springs know it takes less than seven seconds to swipe your ID, to turn around the lives of Territorians, to turn around our community …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Imparja Television Board –
Alleged Ministerial Interference
Alleged Ministerial Interference
Mr GILES to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday in this House you said:
- … I absolutely refute that I, or anyone in government, pressured anyone.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr GILES: Were you completely ignorant of your minister’s actions, or did you mislead parliament?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the member for Braitling is absolutely right in quoting me from yesterday - I also have the Hansard. I absolutely refute that I, or any of my colleagues, attempted to pressure Imparja Television at all, and that is the case. My colleague, the Minister for Central Australia, had a conversation. He certainly did not seek to pressure anyone at all, as would be quite appropriate.
For a number of weeks now, I have also been voicing my own displeasure about advertisements that were being run that portrayed Alice Springs in a very negative light, right across the border into Queensland and nationally. I was displeased because I was very concerned about good, hard-working, small business people in Alice Springs, in the tourism industry, in other areas of business, and the portraying of this town as an unsafe destination for tourists.
I have said all along, yes, we have problems. Police have to deal with those problems, so has government, so has the community, and much has been done. All these ads did was amplify the problems to the nation. We have spoken long and loud against those particular advertisements …
Mr GILES: A point or order, Madam Speaker! The question was: were you ignorant, or did you mislead parliament? That is all I want to know. Did you know about those conversations or not?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, resume your seat!
Mr HENDERSON: I was absolutely truthful in this parliament in saying that none of my colleagues have sought to pressure or influence anyone in Imparja. It is totally right and proper, as I was continually saying publicly, as was the minister, that these ads were a disgrace. They did nothing but trash the reputation of Alice Springs, and had the potential to destroy tourism in Central Australia. They had the potential to make it almost impossible for government to recruit doctors, nurses or teachers to this community, and it was recklessly irresponsible to run those ads.
I was very vocal about that. The Tourism minister, me as Chief Minister, the Business minister, and the Minister for Central Australia, all received numerous phone calls and e-mails from business people in Alice Springs very concerned about those ads. It was quite appropriate for the Minister for Central Australia to talk to people he knew to tell them what he and I were saying publicly, that these ads were trashing the reputation of Alice Springs, had the potential to destroy businesses in Alice Springs, and they should be taken off air.
Alice Springs - Territory Housing Repairs
and Maintenance Contractors
and Maintenance Contractors
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for PUBLIC and AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Some time ago, I asked the government how many panel contractors were available for the repairs and maintenance to Territory Housing in Alice Springs. The answer was one. Information was received saying this situation would be addressed so vacant housing could come back online quicker. I have recently been informed there is still only one panel contractor for Alice Springs.
How long does it take to get a Territory Housing house or unit back online for tenants in Alice Springs? Why has nothing been done to increase the number of panel contractors available to do repairs and maintenance?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. He is correct: for some time there has been one panel contractor. That is a situation I have wanted to change for some time, and it has taken some time to change it. I am able to inform the House today that two positions will be advertised for panel contractors in Alice Springs. There will be two panel contractors. The Housing department held an information session for local contractors on 22 March, which was attended by over 30 local businesses. There is interest in it.
I am very aware that we need to be quicker in returning our stock. I have an aim of three weeks. Unfortunately, at the end of 2010, there was an average of over 60 days. I want to bring that down and there are a number of ways I intend to do that. Having said that, there are around 800 or 850 houses in total in Alice Springs, and approximately 5% at any one time are out of commission because they are being repaired and returned to tenants. It is not a bad effort, but I want to get it lower. Having two panel contractors will assist with that.
There is also the whole issue of damage to public housing. I am very aware of damage being done in Alice Springs to public housing. I have been on the department’s back about more regular inspections and going into the yards and houses that are hot spots and taking action. I believe the department is doing that. There has been a cleanup effort by the department all around Alice Springs and I want that to continue.
I have also been working with local members, and am pleased to continue with that to achieve a good result for the people of Alice Springs.
Angela Pamela Uranium Mine –
Government Position
Government Position
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you please update the House on the government’s position on the proposed Angela Pamela uranium mine 20 km from Alice Springs? Are there any alternative policies that you are aware of?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is the second part the opposition did not want the people of Alice Springs to hear; and that is their absolute deceit, deception and lies to the people of Alice Springs …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, could you just reword that last part and withdraw.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, their total deceit and deception over this issue in Alice Springs …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: He reworded; it is fine.
Mr HENDERSON: We had an appalling contribution by the Leader of the Opposition who put his hand on his heart and said we have to allow due process to continue. As the Leader of the Opposition in the Araluen by-election, he ran an entire campaign focused on not supporting a uranium mine at Angela Pamela. That was in October last year.
In election advertisements placed in the Centralian Advocate on 5 October by the member for Araluen, the first commitment made to the people of Araluen was to oppose the Angela Pamela uranium mine. Not only that, the member for Araluen wrote to everyone in the electorate - 2500 homes - saying very clearly ...
Mr BOHLIN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It comes to relevance. His own member asked him a dorothy dixer. He is not even answering the question, so get back to the point of order.
Madam SPEAKER: The Chief Minister has the call.
Mr HENDERSON: The intellectual giant, the member for Drysdale, missed the part of the question which was: are there any opposing views? The opposing views were distributed to 2500 households in Araluen, saying: ‘Vote for me on Saturday and the Country Liberal Party will oppose the Angela Pamela uranium mine’.
We know the Leader of the Opposition had his position overturned by the party. It was not overturned by the parliamentary wing; it was overturned as a result of pressure by his loyal deputy, the member for Goyder, and the member for Fong Lim, who took this issue to Central Council, the faceless men and women who sit in Darwin, Litchfield and Alice Springs, and have forced him to backflip and say the Country Liberal Party believes this mine should go ahead.
We have also seen the amazing position of the member for Greatorex, who has campaigned against this, who has been caught out red-handed sending e-mails to Cameco about how they should muscle up on the community here in Alice Springs and spend a heap of money to convince them that the mine is in their own interests ...
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Mr HENDERSON: …the opposition’s position is an absolute disgrace.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, resume your seat.
Imparja Television Board –
Alleged Ministerial Interference
Alleged Ministerial Interference
Mr GILES to CHIEF MINISTER
Use of ministerial office to arbitrarily prejudice the rights of others - in this case a commercial contract between a television station owned and operated by Aboriginal Territorians and a group of Alice Springs business people - is inappropriate and unbecoming of a minister of the Crown. If such use of office had been perpetrated by a public servant, that person could find themselves facing a two-year custodial sentence. Do you support the actions of the Minister for Central Australia in personally pressuring Imparja and CAAMA board members to have those ads pulled? Will you sack the minister for abuse of office?
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause, Chief Minister. I am a bit concerned about the question which has a number of allegations and imputations. I will get some advice.
I will allow the question on this occasion, but I am concerned that the matter you are dealing with should be done by substantive motion. Chief Minister, I will allow you to answer the question.
ANSWER
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I thought I was to the point the last time this question was answered. I, and the Minister for Central Australia, have been very strong in the media for a number of weeks about the damage these television ads were doing to the reputation of Alice Springs, and calling publicly for those ads to cease. It is totally appropriate for the Minister for Central Australia, as he said yesterday, who has relatives who are board members of Imparja, to talk to them about those ads. I go to Imparja’s philosophy currently on their website, which states:
- As a major initiative Imparja will continually ensure that all of its activities positively promote Aboriginal culture and values.
We know, particularly those first round of ads that went to air, absolutely did the total opposite. It actually portrayed young Indigenous people in this town in a very poor light. It did not go to their core philosophy of ensuring that all of its activities positively promote Aboriginal culture and values.
That is not denying there are significant issues, and in January and February there were significant issues and we have responded. But to run television advertisements that went, due to their footprint, right across Australia, portraying Alice Springs as unsafe for tourists, I had very genuine concerns. As the Chief Minister of this Northern Territory, I am responsible for ensuring that small business flourishes and people are being employed. These ads had the potential to ruin small tourism businesses in Central Australia, had the potential to ruin the ability of small business to recruit people from interstate, and had the very real possibility of making it very difficult for government to attract doctors, nurses, teachers and other allied health professionals to Alice Springs where they are desperately needed.
So, regarding these advertisements, speaking to the board members was totally appropriate …
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was quite clear: do you support the actions of the minister in lobbying board members of a private company to have those ads pulled?
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I say again that I refute that anyone attempted to pressure anyone. It is totally appropriate to have conversations, and to point out that the philosophy of the television station is to ensure that all of its activities positively promote Aboriginal culture. I am totally comfortable that the minister did not seek to pressure anyone, but sought to have a conversation about what he was saying publicly, very clearly, that these ads were doing great damage to the reputation of Alice Springs …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Kilgariff - Planning Processes
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
Planning for the future of Alice Springs is important to ensure we help this great town continue to thrive. Can you please update the House on the consultative process for the planning of the Kilgariff area?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for her question. The Territory government is currently planning Kilgariff, the next suburban development in Alice Springs. It is important for Alice Springs to celebrate this new development, not as a subdivision, but as the creation of a new part of the community, and that relates to the new thinking around new urbanism.
This development in Alice Springs, for Alice Springs and with Alice Springs, presents a unique opportunity to plan living spaces for the future. When we talk about the future, it is developing new areas of the community, good urban design, public transport links, environmentally sustainable homes and buildings in community spaces that work for people. Logistically, this new suburb is approximately 9 km from the town centre and 4.5 km from the airport. We have already announced the first $4.3m contract for headworks. This is a significant step towards having titles out the door by late 2012.
Kilgariff has an area of 180 ha. This is developable land and, initially, we are planning on 150 dwellings. This has a capacity, though, for 3000 people, but we are talking decades of development. That is a great opportunity for the town of Alice Springs and the community to walk with this in the start of a process known as inquiry by design. This is the first step to plan and shape a community to meet the needs of Alice Springs people, of Territorians, and making the best use of resources.
This is a process we used for the development of Weddell. I alert Alice Springs that it was a very successful process, not only educationally, but also in making people aware of new urbanism and the principle of new urbanism, and it is also inspirational to be able to work with experts. The Kilgariff inquiry by design forum will bring together people with a range of skills, technical expertise and local knowledge, and the collaborative design planning process will seek to engage the broad section of the community, to develop options and establish design concepts for the new suburb, and achieve urban sustainability.
The process of planning for new suburbs is evolving, and I want Centralians to be a part of this. I encourage people to get involved. This is a great thing; it has inspired Top Enders and now we have brought it to the Centre. There is a website to check out, www.nt.gov.au/kilgariff.
It is also an honour to be able to use that word, Kilgariff, representing Bern Kilgariff, whom I had the pleasure of meeting on a number of occasions. I say to Alice Springs, this is a great move ...
Madam SPEAKER: Your time has expired, minister.
Alice Springs - Police Failure
to Attend Domestic Altercation
to Attend Domestic Altercation
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Yesterday evening at approximately 8.30 pm, residents at the Elliott Street flats in Alice Springs phoned 000 and reported a loud domestic altercation happening at a neighbouring unit. The residents could hear someone being hit and children screaming, yet the police could not attend until approximately one hour later. By that time, the fight had reached its end and the street was quiet.
Are the extra police who have recently been brought into Alice Springs leaving on Friday?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, in regard to what happened at those flats, I will take the issue on notice as to why it took police so long to respond. As I said yesterday, the Police Commissioner has assured me that the additional police who are deployed to Alice Springs will be here for as long as they are needed. That is the decision of the Police Commissioner, as I advised the House yesterday.
Imparja Television Board –
Alleged Ministerial Interference
Alleged Ministerial Interference
Mr GILES to MINISTER for CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
It would appear that you are some sort of law unto yourself. You have no qualms using your position as a minister to pressure a commercial company to cede to the will of the government, albeit a self-determining Indigenous business in Central Australia. Your pressure of Imparja and CAAMA board members is known. The chair of Imparja even resigned under pressure. Did you at any time question the tenure of the CEO of Imparja when meeting or in conversation with Imparja and CAAMA board members? Did you ever suggest or imply that the CEO had to be sacked or removed from office, or suggest that he had to go, perhaps even in an Indigenous leadership meeting?
Madam SPEAKER: I remind members that they might want to look at the standing orders in relation to what should and should not be in a question. That question is highly out of order. Minister, you can answer it as you may. Member for Braitling in particular, I ask you to look at Chapter 12 of the standing orders which relates to questions.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, when you stand on a snake it tries to bite you. I have been quite clear in my position in this whole fracas being built up by the member for Braitling. I know Imparja board members. I live in Alice Springs. I have family members and some very good friends on the board. I will be quite clear: I did not influence them; I did not pressure anyone on the board to take action against the CEO. It is not rocket science. It is up to the board to hire and fire who they wish, not me as the minister, not me as local member. That is quite clear …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HAMPTON: They obviously do not want to hear the answer. I know many people on the board. I live in Alice Springs; I am a local. I was genuinely concerned about the ads on Imparja Television and thought it would be wrong of me not to contact the board to see if they knew about them. The board members I spoke to did not even know the ads were going to air - they had not seen the ads. That was a great concern to me …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HAMPTON: I was concerned; it works against the philosophy and the vision of Imparja Television. Next year, it celebrates 25 years …
Mr Giles: You are a dirty grub.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Braitling, I would like you to withdraw that comment, thank you.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, I withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr HAMPTON: Madam Speaker, it does work against the philosophy and vision of Imparja Television which next year will celebrate 25 years of a proud history and reputation …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question is about him answering the question. Did he raise the issue of the CEO’s tenure at any stage with board members?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat. There is no point of order.
Mr HAMPTON: Madam Speaker, I was concerned with the ads because it works against the philosophy and vision of Imparja Television, an Aboriginal-controlled organisation with a proud reputation that the member for Braitling is trashing.
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This goes directly to the question …
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has finished his answer. There is no point of order! Sit down!
Mr GILES: Did you call for the CEO to be sacked? You are a dirty dog!
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat, member for Braitling! Member for Braitling, come back to the lectern and withdraw that comment, thank you.
Ms Scrymgour: You are a dirty grub.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Arafura, I ask you to withdraw as well, thank you.
Mr GILES: I withdraw.
A point of order, Madam Speaker! Relentlessly, I have been called names by the member for Arafura. I have withdrawn twice, so I ask the same procedure be followed for the member for Arafura.
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Arafura has withdrawn.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: It is clear he has a glass jaw, Madam Speaker, I withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! There will be a few members leaving the Chamber shortly.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Honourable members, to remind you, since I have not read this out in these sittings; perhaps I should have. Standing Order 51:
- No Member may converse aloud or make any noise or disturbance, which in the opinion of the Speaker is designed to interrupt or has the effect of interrupting a Member speaking.
There has certainly been a lot of that today.
Personal Explanations by Members –
Member for Katherine
Member for Katherine
Mr GUNNER to LEADER of GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
It was with great concern I read in the NT News today that a member of parliament has been accused of being deceitful. Can you please give further detail on standing orders relating to personal explanations that would enable the member to attempt to clear his name?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, everyone is aware of the challenge laid before the member for Katherine yesterday to give a personal explanation of these matters. Further information has come into my hands, and that is a receipt pertaining to this transaction. I hope when the member for Katherine comes forward with his personal explanation, which he will, he will explain this receipt - whether it is the real receipt or the allegedly dodgy receipt. I blacked out the member’s bank details on there; I did not believe it appropriate to table that in parliament. I will send him the copy I have. I implore the member for Katherine to put an end to this matter and make a personal explanation in this parliament.
You are the shadow Treasurer. These are very serious allegations, and for you to have credibility, member for Katherine, I believe you need to come forward and clear the air on this matter.
Madam SPEAKER: Are you tabling that, minister?
Dr BURNS: Yes, I am tabling it.
Personal Explanations by Members –
Leader of Government Business
Leader of Government Business
Mr ELFERINK to LEADER of GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Yesterday and today, you lectured this House on the importance of personal explanations to deal with conduct in relation to members of parliament. In 2003, you were investigated by police for interfering with a police investigation. That is 3207 days ago. The matter was raised publicly; you have never offered a personal explanation in relation to your conduct. Why do you not offer a personal explanation for your conduct? Can you explain your double standards to this House?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I explained myself publicly at that time. Given the challenge by the member for Port Darwin, I will give a personal explanation to this House before the close of business tomorrow. I am very happy to do so ...
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, cease interjecting!
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, you are on a warning!
Dr BURNS: Member for Port Darwin, as you are aware, the protocol is that a member approaches the Speaker; and the Speaker then allows the member to give their personal explanation when there is no question before the House. I am more than happy to give a personal explanation, and I will give a personal explanation.
Alice Springs – Street Names
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
Madam Speaker, my question is to the minister for place names.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, who are you directing the question to?
Mr WOOD: The Minister for Lands and Planning, and place names comes under that.
Madam SPEAKER: We will just stick with the official titles, thank you, member for Nelson.
Mr WOOD: I have previously asked you about reviewing the spelling of place, street and road names, especially in Central Australia. It is my understanding that you were going to look at that. Many people cannot read these names because they are written by linguists.
I have been to Sterling Heights off Larapinta Drive in Alice Springs, and there are two streets - I have to spell them - Mparntwe Drive and Irlpme Court. If residents and visitors cannot pronounce the street names, they may in danger in the case of an emergency because Emergency Services will not be able to find them. How do you pronounce these street names? As place names minister, are you going to require spelling type that can be read by tourists and Territorians, and also respect the language?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. We had a great debate about this at estimates last year. For everyone here, including honourable members, let us go to what the Place Names Committee is all about. The Place Names Committee is ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr McCARTHY: Names, names, but offensive names ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, member for Drysdale, cease interjecting! Minister, you have the call; direct your comments through the Chair, please.
Mr McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, the Place Names Committee is established under the Place Names Act to make recommendations to the minister regarding the naming or renaming ...
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has only just started his answer, member for Fong Lim. Resume your seat.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member did not ask for an explanation of how the Place Names Committee works ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat. He has only just started the answer to his question. Resume your seat. Minister, can you come to the point fairly quickly.
Mr McCARTHY: The point, Madam Speaker, is that I was hoping to enlighten the visitors about this incredible part of the job. It is a wonderful part of the job because you get to work with Territorians to leave a real legacy for the Territory.
Let me move on, since those opposite are interjecting; once again, they are being obstructionist and they do not want to hear. I apologise to everyone in the gallery for that.
Member for Nelson, we have had this debate. When we are talking about Aboriginal place names, the committee takes expert advice from linguists, and that is for the orthography, the spelling of the language. As the member for Nelson said, in many places there are Aboriginal names, including Alice Springs. It is important to note that sometimes this relates to Indigenous Land Use Agreements, and usually includes commitments to ensure that proposed place names require the approval of the Aboriginal representative body.
For those opposite, I will quote from Aretha Franklin: R E S P E C T. That means respect, Madam Speaker.
If the member for Nelson is prepared to give me those names at Sterling Heights, the best advice I can give to those opposite is I will ask some locals, because that is showing respect ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order, member for Fong Lim!
Mr McCARTHY: I am talking about empowering people and celebrating culture and identity. So, if I am here and I want to learn these names, I will go out and search them ...
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister did not listen to what I said. I have respect for Aboriginal culture and Aboriginal languages. That was not the question.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order, either.
Mr McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, in relation to the question, I believe the police department has the ability to make inquiries and …
Madam SPEAKER: Your time has expired, minister.
Mr McCARTHY: What a pity, Madam Speaker.
School Attendance and Participation
Mr GUNNER to MINISTER for EDUCATION and TRAINING
Can you please inform the House on the measures being undertaken to boost attendance and participation at school?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, there are quite a number of measures and, as members would be aware, there is legislation being introduced into this House tomorrow.
It was my privilege the other day to visit Ntaria and be part of a launch with Telstra of a Frequent Attenders Program. Kids who attend regularly get rewards in the form of music downloads from Telstra. Of course, that list is specified by Telstra, and also, the kids do not chew up their data complement on their phone using this, so the kids actually win. There was much enthusiasm amongst the students and teachers.
There are silver incentives for 80% to 90% attendance; gold rewards monthly for 90%-plus attendance; and platinum for those who attend 90%-plus for a whole term. I am hopeful that this important collaboration will bear fruit and the message will get out amongst kids that if you attend school there are other rewards.
We have other bonuses like the Clontarf Academy and the Sporting Chance for girls, and that is very important, but the measures I will be introducing tomorrow relate to some consequences for people who do not attend.
We also have a number of attendance and truancy officers who, in the last six weeks, have been very active across the Territory. They have made over 800 contacts. There have been 189 referrals from school; 107 children encountered on the beat; 30 new enrolments; 170 children returned to school; and 94 case managements of families.
This is a very important initiative. I hope the members opposite and the Independents will support the government’s progress in strengthening the Education Act to ensure more kids get to school every day.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS
Move Proposed Motion of Censure
Move Proposed Motion of Censure
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Chief Minister, in the last sittings of parliament, you advised the House that, between 2006 and 2009, there had been an 8% drop in wholesale alcohol in Alice Springs. What you failed to say was that in the 12 months to 2009 there was a 44% increase in consumption of cider in Alice Springs, a 12% increase in wine consumption, 16% increase in spirit consumption, a 4.5% increase in beer consumption, and a 9% increase in total wholesale alcohol consumption. Why do you make the practice of providing selective figures rather than admitting alcohol consumption in Alice Springs is on the increase?
As a result of this, I move that standing orders be set aside for the deceit that has been visited upon these important matters.
Madam Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent me from censuring the Chief Minister for his failure to provide leadership and act with integrity.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, government will accept the censure.
I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016