2009-11-24
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I take this opportunity to welcome residents of Alice Springs and other guests to the regional sittings and the first Question Time.
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS - Mayor Damien Ryan
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of the Mayor of Alice Springs, Mr Damien Ryan and his wife, Mrs Joanne Ryan. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I also draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of students from Alice Springs High School, Year 9, with Ms Laura Tubbenhauer and Ms Lisa Bowers; and also students from Years 5/6 at Gillen Primary School, with Mrs Paula Wood and Ms Erin Reilly. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Alice Springs – Increase in Violent Crime
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
Your government has absolutely failed when it comes to addressing crime, so much so that, in the last year, violent crime increased by over 25% in Alice Springs. Despite this, earlier this year, you told parliament, to suggest violent crime has increased is: ‘… patently false - absolutely false …’. Will you explain to the people of Alice Springs, who live with violence every day, why you believe violent crime is not increasing?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the question from the Leader of the Opposition. This is an important question. One violent assault is one violent assault too many.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr HENDERSON: I think the opposition, having asked the question, would want the gallery in Alice Springs to hear the answer, and give me the courtesy of answering the question without interruption.
The tragedy of violence throughout the Northern Territory, not just here in Alice Springs, is that so much violence is alcohol fuelled. Alcohol-fuelled violence is at the heart and soul, the root cause of violence right across the Northern Territory. In Alice Springs, over 80% of all work our hard-working police force does is alcohol-related. The tragedy of that alcohol-related violence is seen throughout the Northern Territory.
In recognising that violence is an issue in the Northern Territory, the first thing is to crackdown on alcohol abuse. That is what we have been doing in Alice Springs. My colleague, the Health Minister, has some very interesting information regarding the impact of the alcohol measures we have taken.
What we will not be doing is opening up the rivers of grog in Alice Springs by permitting the sale of alcohol for an extra four hours every day, as proposed by the opposition.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Absolutely recklessly irresponsible …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … it shows how disingenuous the Leader of the Opposition is in asking this question. The opposition’s policy response to this issue is to have alcohol available for four extra hours a day in Alice Springs to pour fuel on the flame of the violence occurring in Alice Springs. That is their irresponsible policy response. Tragically, so much of the violence is domestic violence. That is the tragedy of the tale of the violence and the assaults committed across the Northern Territory.
The latest statistics I have, for the year 2008-09, July to September, show 1440 assault offences were recorded across the Northern Territory. Of those assault offences, 54% were domestic violence assaults. That is an increase of around 6% over the same period of last year.
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: I pick up on the interjection from the learned member for Port Darwin. These figures are police figures. They will be in …
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Port Darwin!
Mr HENDERSON: … the annual report, and for the member for Port Darwin to say these are a nonsense belies the briefing given by the Police Commissioner to the Leader of the Opposition regarding these issues; over 45% of the increase in assault offences can be attributed to domestic violence incidences fuelled by alcohol.
That is the tragedy that lies at the heart of these issues. It is not just a policing issue. It is a cracking down on the abuse of grog, and providing better and more appropriate alcohol treatment facilities across the Northern Territory. The only way those figures would go is up - as a result the opposition policy, which is to pour fuel on the fire and open up access to alcohol for an extra four hours a day in Alice Springs.
Alice Springs and Central Australia - Government Initiatives
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
This is the fourth time sittings have been held by the Territory parliament in Alice Springs. Can you please detail to the House some of what our government is doing for the people of Alice Springs and Central Australia?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. Bringing parliament to Alice Springs was an initiative of the Labor government. It had never been done during 27 years of the CLP government. They were quite happy to sit up there in Darwin and never bring parliament to Alice Springs. This is the fourth time this government has brought parliament to Alice Springs. It is great to see the gallery is full, because in Darwin we do not get to see too many people come to parliament. It is great to see everyone here today.
It is my belief that the infrastructure and service needs of Central Australia had been neglected for decades under previous CLP governments. Look at the billions of dollars in infrastructure and services which have been placed in Central Australia to improve standards.
We are talking about police; there are more police in Alice Springs than ever before, including ACPOs and police auxiliaries – 175 – more than in any other comparable town in Australia. We have a Police Beat …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: ... in the mall which, from all the feedback I have had, has been very well supported by residents and retailers. The opposition’s policy is to close the Police Beats; that is its policy …
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause, Chief Minister. If you wish to make a point of order, please come to the Dispatch Box.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, my point of order relates to honesty. What the Chief Minister just said was a lie.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, I ask you to withdraw that comment. It is not a point of order, so withdraw.
Ms CARNEY: I withdraw that it was a lie, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. There is no point of order. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr HENDERSON: I am prepared to produce the newspaper article where the Leader of the Opposition clearly said he would close the Police Beats. It quotes him. It says he would close the Police Beats and he does not support them.
We are working with the federal government, with a $136m plan, to transform and fix the town camps, and establish extensive family support and rehabilitation services in the town. We are a government, together with the Australian government, that has moved on compulsory acquisition of the town camps to improve conditions.
We are spending 71% more on Alice Springs Hospital than the previous government, and we have had a 50% increase in the number of nursing staff. That is significant - a 50% increase in nursing staff in Alice Springs, and a 47% increase in the number of doctors - a massive increase in the number of doctors and nursing staff since we came to government. We have also put in place extensive renal dialysis services in Central Australia reversing an absolutely abhorrent CLP policy of only having renal dialysis services in Darwin and Alice Springs. We now have regionally-based renal dialysis services.
We are working with the Australian government: $22m to upgrade and provide a new emergency department at the hospital. We have introduced, and I pay tribute to my colleague, the Minister for Central Australia, a $15.6m Alice Springs Youth Action Plan, which is under way under the carriage of the minister. We all know the tragedy of alcohol, but we have a plan which has reduced alcohol consumption and its impact on the hospital.
We also have a plan to improve education in Alice Springs. A new middle school will be birthed out of the old Alice Springs and ANZAC Hill High Schools for the beginning of the school year in 2010 - nearly $6m to be spent across both campuses. With the Minister for Central Australia, I was at the Gillen campus for the new middle school; just over $3m has been committed and work is under way to provide new vocational training areas, new laboratory areas, and a new canteen. These are great new facilities for the school.
In regard to sporting facilities, Traeger Park looks an absolute beauty. I do not know what was on there last night, but I was walking along with one of my colleagues - it was the cricket - and we thought it looked like the MCG. It was fantastically lit up. We have top class sport in town, including AFL and cricket.
I am proud of our government’s commitment to Alice Springs, and we will keep delivering for Alice Springs and the Central Australian region.
Mr Elferink: Not the same standard, I hope.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, cease interjecting.
Alice Springs - Violent Crime Increase and Police Numbers
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
No matter how you look at the statistics, you have failed to address violent crime. Is it not the case, since the parliament was here last that, year-on-year, violent crime has increased by 20% and property crime by 10%? Will you now finally admit that your policies to address crime have failed? Will you apologise to the people of Alice Springs for your failure? Will you advise the House why there are fewer police on the beat in Alice Springs than there were in 2001 when you came to office?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the inaccurate question from the Leader of the Opposition. It was this government which inherited, in 2001, an under-funded, under-staffed, demoralised police force, where there had been no recruitment - not one new police officer recruited - in four years in the 1990s under the CLP.
Since we came to office, we have an additional 300 police officers, auxiliaries and ACPOs in our police squad, and significant additional police in Alice Springs - 175 …
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, cease interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: … at the moment. There is absolutely no doubt, when you look at the funding increases, the staffing increases, the additional powers and investments the police have, that police are much better equipped, much better staffed, and much better supported today than they were in the years of the CLP government.
Regarding the allegations of increases in violent crime, it was not until about four years ago that police started accurately recording incidents explicitly of domestic violence. Attitudes were changing within the police force whereby previously it was a societal attitude that what happened between husband and wife and partners was their business. It was not recorded, it was not reported, and it was left for individuals to deal with. Senior police officers have publicly attested that that was society’s attitude.
As a result of the police introducing a specific domestic violence action procedure, a set of policies within police, and established dedicated Domestic Violence Prevention Units in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Darwin, which are permanently staffed for dealing with domestic violence issues, women have become more confident in reporting. More reports are coming in. We now have mandatory declaration of domestic violence enshrined in law. For the first time, we are providing dedicated police support, dedicated support through other government agencies, $15m committed to support domestic violence initiatives, and we are seeing more reports.
We also gave police the powers to initiate and serve their own domestic violence orders without having to go through court processes in the first instance. For the 2009-10 year, 737 domestic violence orders were initiated by police. Previously, they could not do this. Those figures were never captured previously because the police did not have the power to do it. There was a 40% increase from the same period in 2008-09. For the 2009-10 financial year, 513 domestic violence orders contraventions were reported, a 34% increase. Police are now targeting repeat offenders; as women have more confidence, they report; and police are being more active. So those numbers are going up.
Tragically, so much of that violence is alcohol fuelled, and the only policy the CLP has is to pour more fuel on the fire by increasing the sale of alcohol for another four hours ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: We can debate this up hill and down dale. In regard to the increase in violence and those statistics going up, the vast majority of that is domestic violence which is fuelled by alcohol.
Climate Change Agenda
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for CLIMATE CHANGE
Members interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: We know all the sceptics on this side …
Members interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: … and you are going to love this, I know it is hard for you to understand.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Arafura, ask the question, please.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! My point of order is quite simple - the questioner has already indicated she knows the answer to the question, so why is she bothering to ask it?
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat, member for Port Darwin.
Member for Arafura, please just ask the question.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Minister, can you advise of any major developments affecting the climate change agenda in Australia today?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for her question. It is actually a very important question being dealt with in the federal parliament today. The climate sceptics on the other side of the table are outed. We had a number of people stand up in the last sittings of parliament, putting their hands on their hearts, saying, ‘We believe in climate change’, others were very, very quiet about it and said nothing.
As we meet today, the federal opposition, and I know they find this subject funny, I find it very serious …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … I know they were laughing before about the issues of global warming and climate change, but this is a very significant concern and it is not the joke that the CLP take it to be.
As we meet today, the federal opposition …
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, cease interjecting. Member for Port Darwin, did you hear me?
Mr Elferink: Yes, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: You should rise when you are speaking to me, thank you. Thank you very much.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As we meet today, the federal opposition is trying to determine its position on the compromise agreement between the minister for the Climate Change, Penny Wong, and the shadow minister, I believe, for the environment, Ian Macfarlane, on the CPRS legislation. Members may not be aware today, but the Australian government has released a proposed agreement with the Liberal/National Party Coalition on proposed changes. It is substantive, it is substantial, and certainly, it is in the national interest and in the Territory interest. It is both environmentally credible and economically responsible.
As I was leaving to come into Question Time, Ian Macfarlane, the previous Resources minister who I had a fair bit to do with as Resources minister, a very capable and passionate supporter of the resources sector, well acknowledged and well recognised – he may be on the other side of the political fence, but he is someone who was well regarded. In a media conference regarding this agreement he has brokered with Penny Wong and the Australian government, Ian Macfarlane, has described it as exceptional. Those were the words from Ian Macfarlane. This position will determine whether we as a nation have a position that will help begin to reverse the effects of climate change caused by humans on this planet.
I know the member for Fong Lim, in particular, believes that climate change is occurring on Titan and Neptune. He has not quite come to the realisation that it is actually occurring here on planet Earth.
As a nation, we face many important decisions each day. The decision to act on climate change is a critical one for this country and it does provide opportunities for the Northern Territory.
A compromise has been hammered out. It provides an important opportunity for Australia to take its place in the world’s attempts to counter this critical issue, and it is absolutely critical that the opposition supports this compromise and this legislation gets up. It is absolutely critical the federal opposition supports this compromise that Ian Macfarlane himself has called exceptional.
I urge the Country Liberals Senator, Nigel Scullion, to support this legislation. This is critical for Australia’s national interests, absolutely important for the Territory’s national interests, and I am calling on the Leader of the Opposition to show leadership. In the last sittings of parliament, the Leader of the Opposition, said the position of the Country Liberals is quite clear. The position is that they acknowledge climate change is a global issue which requires a national response, a policy response. He said he believes in climate change. There were half a dozen others who stood up, put their hands on their heart, and said they believe in climate change. The Leader of the Opposition is very clearly on the public record saying the Country Liberals’ policy position on this is to acknowledge that climate change exists, and to have policy measures in place to deal with it.
Given that is his position, I urge him to show some leadership, to contact Nigel Scullion and say: abide by party policy on this, abide by the Country Liberals’ platform, support this compromise agreement, and vote for it in the Senate. Ian Macfarlane describes it as exceptional.
This compromise provides certainty. It gives certainty in starting to deal with the issues of climate change, it provides certainty for industry, it provides additional certainty for our LNG industry, which is critical to the future of the Northern Territory. I advise the Leader of the Opposition to show some leadership like Malcolm Turnbull is trying to do. The Leader of the Opposition needs to haul Senator Scullion into line, make him comply with Country Liberals’ policy and support the compromise agreement which is being hammered out in the parliament today.
Alice Springs – Increased Levels of Crime
Mr CONLAN to CHIEF MINISTER
Labor has had eight long years to address the shocking rate of increase in crime in Alice Springs; eight years to address land release shortages in Alice Springs; traffic hazards; Aboriginal disadvantage; poor services in health; and some of the worst education standards in the country. They found money for a wave pool in Darwin, a $500 000 booze-up for the opening of the Convention Centre, $500 000 of taxpayers’ money squandered, and also for football matches and the like.
Could you please tell us why it is so hard for you to provide the services that are so desperately needed for the people of Alice Springs, such as more police on the beat, land for residential housing, and sufficient alcohol rehabilitation facilities? Why must the people of Alice Springs continue to put up with the increase in violent crime because of the haphazard approach by this government?
Madam SPEAKER: That is a very long question with an extremely long preamble.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the question from the former shock jock from 8HA. He thought he was back on the radio station again. He probably was not listening, because he is used to talking, to the comprehensive answers I had given previously regarding additional government investments.
The core of this question keeps coming back to violent crime. I again point out that you need a sophisticated whole-of-government approach to deal with antisocial behaviour issues and violent crime issues. There is substantial progress being made in these areas. The only policy response the CLP has is more grog. More grog is their policy response; more grog is going to fix the problem. That is the policy position of the opposition. It is populist and it is not evidence-based in any sense of the imagination at all.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Araluen! Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: It is irresponsible and in absolute contravention of all the evidence base from the Menzies School of Health Research. I back the Menzies School of Health Research in doing evidence-based research …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have listened carefully to the Chief Minister and he is quoting evidence which he is withholding. When do we get to see the Police Annual Report?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, there is no point of order. Resume your seat.
Mr HENDERSON: What I can say to that point of order is: come in, spinner. It is quite obvious that the Country Liberals’ party room is adopting a Country Liberals’ policy position to open up the rivers of grog in Alice Springs. Not one of them has read the Menzies School of Health Research evaluation …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … on the alcohol restrictions in Alice Springs and the impact of those restrictions. If they have read it, they certainly have not understood it, because …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: If they have read it, they have not understood it.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister, please pause. Honourable members, I remind you of Standing Order 51: ‘No member may converse aloud or make any noise or disturbance which …’
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, I am speaking. I will start again:
- 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. If they have read it, they have not understood it. Nowhere in that report does it say that you will make further progress in reducing alcohol-related harm in Alice Springs by opening up the sale of alcohol for an extra four hours a day and increasing the amount of alcohol consumed in Alice Springs. Nowhere in that report is that observation made, nor can the observation be derived in any way whatsoever.
In regard to the health issues, as I have said, a 50% increase in nursing staff, and a 47% increase in doctors.
He talked about the wave pool; we have invested in new aquatic facilities in Alice Springs for the benefit of people in Central Australia; new sporting facilities at Traeger Park and, in regard to land release, we have a policy of negotiating native title claims with the traditional owners - not compulsory acquisition, tying it up in the courts for years. Yes, land release does need to be accelerated significantly; we acknowledge that. We had good meetings with Lhere Artepe yesterday regarding Mt Johns Valley, and the Planning minister has further advice of the next step in releasing land at AZRI.
One thing is absolutely certain: if you go back to the bad old ways of litigation, compulsory acquisition, it will tie you up in the courts forever.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I draw your attention to page 553 of the House of Representatives Practice. The question was about violent crime in the Northern Territory. Why is the Chief Minister referring to native title deals in his answer?
Dr Burns interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of Government Business, cease interjecting. Member for Port Darwin, there is no point of order. I will remind you, it was an extremely long question with many aspects to it. It was not just about crime.
Mr HENDERSON: It is quite obvious, so tedious was the question asked by the member for Greatorex, the member for Port Darwin could not even be bothered to listen to it.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The very long question from the member for Greatorex certainly did go to issues of land release, did go to issues of funding for health services, sporting facilities and a whole range of issues. Obviously, the member for Port Darwin had turned off and ceased listening to his colleague’s question.
Going back to the core of violence, that is abhorrent. As I have said in the parliament in Darwin, one of the most traumatic moments of my time as Police minister was sitting with members of the Domestic Violence Prevention Unit in Alice Springs going through a photograph portfolio of women in Alice Springs who had their faces smashed to a pulp - there was page after page of photographs - and talking to those Domestic Violence Officers and police who have to deal with this each and every day. All those photographs, which were so horrifying, left an indelible mark on me. They were fuelled by alcohol-related rage and the only policy response from the opposition is to pour more grog on to the problem.
Little Children are Sacred Report Recommendations – Implementation
Ms ANDERSON to CHIEF MINISTER
‘Rivers of grog’ was mentioned in the Little Children are Sacred report. The Northern Territory Children’s Commissioner released an annual report two weeks ago. The report said there are significant recommendations from the Little Children are Sacred report which still have not been implemented. I am appalled that, several years after the release of that report, and billions of dollars in intervention money later, key recommendations of the report are yet to be introduced. Why have you failed to fully implement the report’s recommendations and when will those outstanding recommendations be implemented?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. That report also acknowledged that the vast majority of those recommendations have been implemented, and other recommendations are under way.
We are working cooperatively, for the first time, with an Australian government, absolutely determined to close the gap on indigenous disadvantage. We are working with the Australian government in terms of hundreds of millions of dollars pouring into the Northern Territory in improved housing, improved primary health care, improved FACS officer numbers, and additional police officers right across the Northern Territory. We implemented a joint working team between police and FACS officers who work in Alice Springs, and in the Top End, dealing with reports of abuse of children. I acknowledge the hard work of our police and FACS workers. Just last Friday, a significant police operation concluded in a remote Indigenous community in the Northern Territory and five adults were charged with various offences.
I do acknowledge the report. The vast majority of those recommendations have been implemented. The others which have not been fully implemented are under way.
Alice Springs Police Communications System – Transfer to Darwin
Mr CONLAN to CHIEF MINISTER
Madam Speaker, I let it be known that the rise in violent crime and assaults in Alice Springs, the Chief Minister ….
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex …
Mr CONLAN: … considers to be tedious.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex …
Mr CONLAN: I want everyone in the gallery from Alice to know that ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, do you have a question?
Mr CONLAN: I certainly do. Madam Speaker, no one can forget the spectacle of the member for Johnston, who was Police minister, then was Health Minister. Now, he has lost his Health Minister portfolio due to the inept ability to do it.
Dr Burns: You are a …
Mr CONLAN: Nevertheless, the then Police minister - come on, Bungles, I know it brings back bad memories …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Mr CONLAN: It is all right. It is okay ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex! Either ask a question or resume your seat.
Mr CONLAN: I am getting to my question, Madam Speaker, as I develop my argument for this question …
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That is quite an insolent response to your request for him to ask the question …
Mr CONLAN: Madam Speaker, a point of order has to be done at the Dispatch Box too, by the way.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, please go to the Dispatch Box so we can hear your point of order.
Mr Conlan: Go on, Bungles.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, cease interjecting while the Leader of Government Business has the call!
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, this is Question Time. The member for Greatorex is here to ask a question, not to grandstand. You directed him to ask a question, and he quite insolently ignored what you had to say to him. Madam Speaker, I call on him to keep on asking questions instead of grandstanding.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Leader of Government Business.
Member for Greatorex, I ask you to ask the question, and remind you there are general courtesies towards the Chair which are expected. If you do not ask the question very quickly, I will ask you to resume your seat.
Mr CONLAN: Madam Speaker, I apologise if I was being insolent towards the Chair.
No one is going to forget the spectacle here with the member for Johnston when he was Police minister assuring the people of Alice Springs the police communications system was working well, when those of us in Alice Springs knew that it was not. We all knew very well that it was not. This was a couple of years ago in the last parliament. Since then, the problems have continued ...
A member interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: Okay, the question is coming.
At Estimates on 17 June - there is a bit of a preamble here, Chief Minister, to develop an argument ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Mr CONLAN: All right, Madam Speaker.
On 17 June 2008, the Police Commissioner indicated the communications system would not be transferred to Darwin because: ‘I do not want to take jobs away from Alice Springs’. Why, then, is the telephone system being transferred to Darwin? Don’t people of Alice Springs deserve to be in contact with their very own police officers locally instead of being transferred to Darwin? Could you please answer the question?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, that is an extremely long question. I will not be allowing questions that long in future.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the question from the member for Greatorex. Regarding the changes to standing orders about short questions and short answers which the member for Port Darwin was so passionate about, and which we are going to be debating later this afternoon, obviously they are having their last attempt today at long questions.
In regard to this issue, yes, absolutely - it was very much the intent of the Police Commissioner to maintain taking calls from Alice Springs here in Alice Springs. The reality was that, police, try as hard as they might with advertising and recruitment campaigns, found it virtually impossible to recruit police auxiliaries in Alice Springs, to the point that the staffing of the call centre at Alice Springs Police Station was becoming extremely problematic. This was not because there was a lack of commitment by the Police Commissioner to employ staff in Alice Springs. The reality, as with any other employer I talk to, is that he found it nearly impossible to recruit police auxiliaries to carry out that particular duty in Alice Springs.
In order to provide the best possible service, the Acting Commissioner has determined that there were real problems in terms of punctuality of responding to calls here because of the lack of police auxiliaries and the capacity to recruit them, and that the calls would be answered in Darwin in a timelier manner. This is purely a recruitment issue. I can say that the Police Commissioner did everything he could to recruit staff to the positions in Alice Springs.
Child Protection System – Public Inquiry
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for CHILDREN and FAMILIES
On 11 November, you announced a public inquiry into the Northern Territory’s child protection system. Can you outline the circumstances leading you to request this inquiry?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. I acknowledge the traditional owners of Alice Springs; it is wonderful to be here in Central Australia.
The children of the Northern Territory are precious. It is important that this parliament recognises and remains vigilant regarding the care and protection of our children across the Northern Territory. In her questions on the last day of sittings, the member for Araluen identified issues which I had an opportunity to look into.
On 27 October, when the AMA expressed serious concerns about notifications, I was alarmed, and wanted the Children’s Commissioner to look immediately into those issues of intake within the Families and Children division. On 28 October, I asked the Children’s Commissioner to review and to look immediately into that particular issue, along with one or two other things.
At the same time, I received the Children’s Commissioner’s first Annual Report. It is very important reading and one that all members of this House must read. It is also a report which identified issues that I wanted to act on immediately as Minister for Children and Families. In further discussion with other members of parliament, including the member for Nelson, and also medical groups and organisations across the Northern Territory, including my own Families and Children’s Advisory Council, and the Indigenous Affairs Advisory Council, I was able to call the inquiry, with the support of the Chief Minister, who is officially the lead person in calling a major inquiry into the Northern Territory.
What was also important in calling an inquiry for the Northern Territory was that we had the right people on this inquiry. I have to commend Dr Howard Bath in his take on this and being involved with the inquiry but, most importantly, as Alice Springs residents would be aware, Dr Rob Roseby, the former paediatrician at Alice Springs Hospital. I spent some time speaking with Dr Rob Roseby to get him on board knowing - and really, the only difficulty there was he had just moved from Alice Springs and has only been in the Melbourne hospital for a short time. The complication about whether he could take some time was one he had to take into consideration. However, I am pleased to inform the Assembly, there was no hesitation in Dr Roseby wanting to take on the position on the inquiry.
The third person, who I am absolutely delighted has also agreed, is Professor Muriel Bamblett. Many people may be aware of her role as the former chair of the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care across Australia, and also, her position as CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, VACCA, in Melbourne, which I visited late last year. I am absolutely impressed with what they are doing there and I am pleased Muriel Bamblett has been able to accept the position as the third person.
I also inform the Assembly that while we have three eminent experts on this inquiry, it is the first ever whole inquiry into the department. That is a very important position this House must take into consideration. It is not an inquiry which looks solely at issues across the Territory. This is about the division of Families and Children, and how the inter-agency communication is working, and also concerns Families and Children has had over the years so that, when we look into the future, how we can link the recommendations from that into the A Working Future policy, amongst other things our government is progressing in the Northern Territory. .
Care and Protection of Children
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for CHILDREN and FAMILIES
On 22 October, I raised a number of serious concerns about the care and protection of a baby known to your department; a baby who now has permanent brain damage and is recovering from fractured arms and fractured legs. You refused to answer my questions in parliament, but repeatedly said in parliament that you would provide me with the details and some answers. A briefing was sought and you failed to attend. Staff present did not answer my questions, and to make it even worse, I was abused by ministerial staff on my way.
Your conduct in and out of parliament in relation to child protection matters in the last month has been utterly appalling. Why should Territorians have confidence in you as the Territory’s Minister for Child Protection?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Araluen. The reason why the people of the Northern Territory should have confidence in our government, and in my role as the Minister for Children and Families, is because we have done what the opposition failed to do in almost three decades of their role in the Northern Territory.
Let us …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, I was asked why the Northern Territory people should have confidence in me.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Fong Lim!
Ms McCARTHY: When we came into government in 2001, $8m was as much as the opposition would care to spend on the children of the Northern Territory. We have lifted the budget of Northern Territory Children and Families to over $100m. We have also looked at and implemented the new Care and Protection of Children Act. We have introduced the Children’s Commissioner who is there to advocate for the children of the Northern Territory.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister should know what her own Children’s Commissioner does. The Children’s Commissioner does not advocate for children of the Northern Territory, only protected children.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, there is no point of order. Resume your seat. Minister, you have the call.
Ms McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, Dr Howard Bath is there to represent and advocate for the children of the Northern Territory and, yes, the children who are protected in the system.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Relevance: the member asked a question as to why she had not received proper briefings, and why the minister continues to cover up this case. I ask you to ask the minister to answer the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat.
Mr TOLLNER: She is not answering the question …
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat. Member for Fong Lim, there is no point of order. The question was reasonably long and had a number of imputations which the minister is responding to. Minister, you have the call, but keep to the question as closely as possible, please.
Ms McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the member for Araluen and her passionate commitment towards the care and protection of children across the Northern Territory. I acknowledge that a question was asked in relation to a particular client. The member for Araluen knows that in my role as the minister responsible to the Crown I cannot talk on specific cases. It is a decision I ask this House to respect …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms McCARTHY: One of the things the opposition fails to understand is that, as ministers, we receive a range of information, and not all of it can be expressed, especially when it is details of clients and families. I will forever uphold the confidentiality of clients, in terms …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, order!
Ms McCARTHY: … of my role as the Minister for Families and Children …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms McCARTHY: … and the member for Araluen well knows those roles and responsibilities.
Senior Territorians – Intra-Territory Airfares
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for SENIOR TERRITORIANS
The Northern Territory government provides senior Territorians with an airfare to a capital city every two years. For senior Territorians who live in Central Australia, would the government consider classifying Darwin as one of the eligible capital cities so Central Australian seniors may visit family in Darwin?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question and his interest in our seniors in the Northern Territory. The Henderson government is committed to making the Territory an attractive place for seniors to live, work and play.
The objectives of the Northern Territory Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme are to assist pensioners, carers and certain categories of low-income earners with meeting the cost of essential services, and to provide an incentive for senior Territorians to remain in the Territory. These subsidies and rebates to eligible members relate to urban bus travel, motor vehicle registration, driver’s licences, council rates, water, sewerage, power, garbage charges, and spectacles.
It also provides interstate and overseas travel concessions for seniors and other eligible persons by way of a 50% concession to standard airfares every two years …
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Whilst all this is quite interesting, he is making a mockery of the parliament. He was asked a simple question: whether seniors in Alice will be able to travel to Darwin. It is great they can get spectacles and all the other things, but could he simply answer the question?
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat, member for Fong Lim. Minister, if you can come to the point quickly.
Mr McCARTHY: In my time in the portfolio, I have had the opportunity to meet with many senior stakeholders, seniors groups and individuals. Member for Nelson, this has been raised, and I have taken the issue of intrastate travel to the department. The Office of Senior Territorians is looking at it.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is the minister’s decision, not the department, as to whether this is extended to Territorians.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, there is no point of order. Resume your seat. Minister, please continue.
Mr McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, as we can see, their talk is cheap. As I said, I have taken this very important issue back to the department, and I am negotiating my way through this. As we understand, the work will be done and presented to my Cabinet colleagues. I hope to have a direct answer for senior Territorians on this specific issue in the new year, member for Nelson.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Fong Lim!
Alice Springs – Reduction in Juvenile Crime
Mr GUNNER to MINISTER for CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
Can you please explain how the government is reducing juvenile crime and supporting children and families in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. We all know he has very close ties to Alice Springs.
The Alice Springs Youth Action Plan is all about making our community safer, while supporting families and children in Alice Springs. The Alice Springs Youth Action Plan is probably the most comprehensive plan throughout the Northern Territory, and is one we can say we have over Darwin. This government has invested over $15m in the Alice Springs Youth Action Plan, which includes the youth hub at ANZAC Hill campus, as well as the Alice Springs middle school that we are seeing come to fruition.
As the Chief Minister alluded to earlier this afternoon, I was pleased to be with him today at the ASHS campus to see the work undertaken - $3.36m in fixing up some of the blocks there. That will see the new technical studies room upgraded and fixed, as well as the new canteen, and other classrooms being upgraded. The Chief Minister and I had the pleasure of meeting some of the students in their new uniforms.
If you look at the Youth Action Plan and the middle school, you can see by the excitement on the kids faces - we launched the new logo some months ago - they are very pleased to be part of history. A new middle school in Alice Springs does not come along very often. The kids are very excited about their future next year.
I congratulate Asbuild (NT), the successful tenderer; they have started work at the ASHS campus and work at the ANZAC campus is expected to start soon.
Some time ago, we appointed the youth services coordinator, Superintendent Michael White. As we know, the police do a fantastic job in working with our youth. Michael is doing an exceptional job as well. He is currently working with recreation and youth service providers in Alice Springs to work on a calendar of events over the school holidays. One fantastic example - and we were pleased to support it with $60 000 - is the ice rink right here in the Convention Centre. With about six weeks to go, I know the manager of the Convention Centre is very excited about that. This creativity comes along every now and then and we have to support it. The ice skating rink is one of those and it will be an important activity for youth in Alice Springs over the hot summer.
Superintendent White is overseeing the planning of a new youth hub at the ANZAC campus. There is much interest from non-government organisations also. The Richmond Football Club is very keen to get on board, as well as organisations like Mission Australia. We know the big issue in some of our schools is bullying and, talking to Richmond Football Club a couple of months ago, they are very keen to work with the students at the new middle school on that particular issue.
As the Chief Minister also alluded to earlier today, we have the Police Beat in the mall. It is fantastic and is doing great stuff. There have been great responses from the local businesses.
We have launched the No School, No Service policy, where we have over 100 local businesses signed on board. We have provided an additional $75 000 to the Gap Youth Centre. I know the member for Nelson has been there this week. They are doing some great programs with Frank Curtis from the police.
Work is continuing on providing additional safe accommodation and emergency beds for young people, and planning is under way for a residential facility for kids who cannot live at home.
Madam Speaker, we will continue to roll out our comprehensive plan. We have a plan for action, and that plan is specifically targeting families and children.
Child Protection System – Public Inquiry
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for CHILDREN and FAMILIES
Weeks before you were dragged kicking and screaming to establish an inquiry into parts of the child protection system, I called for a full independent inquiry to get to the bottom of systemic failures plaguing the care and protection of Territory kids. In terms of the Board of Inquiry that you announced, will you confirm that the inquiry will examine the following: caseloads of case workers; resources provided to the department and their allocation; the structure of the department; a case file audit; and, policies underpinning the child protection system? If not, why not?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen for her question. It is really important, first, that we in this House recognise that children are important. In terms of the opposition wanting to argy barge over the inquiry and who is calling what, I certainly do not think we need to go there, member for Araluen. I have said, publicly, that I welcome your input, and I highly regard the input that you have placed on the record. Without a doubt, your passion and commitment to the children of the Northern Territory is commendable.
Those issues that you have raised are part of the Board of Inquiry’s terms of reference in looking at the inter-agency communication, and looking at the systemic concerns within the division. As I said in my previous answer, this Board of Inquiry is to look at the internal progress, issues, and concerns within Families and Children.
At the same time, I put on notice to this House, and I remind members of this House, that we have incredibly hard-working staff within Families and Children, right across the Northern Territory, who work in extraordinary circumstances with families in incredible trauma and turmoil. I hold that very closely when I look at the information that comes across my table with regard to children and families across the Northern Territory.
I have no doubt that the three people who have accepted positions as members on the Board of Inquiry, and who will then also have an expert group of people across the Northern Territory to whom they can refer - I know that this inquiry is about moving forward, assisting child protection staff across the Northern Territory, and also the families in the Territory.
I spent last week here with around 30 staff in Alice Springs, working with them on our other major policy, which is A Working Future. If there is one thing that I said to the Chief Minister when I was asked to take on Indigenous affairs, it was this: if we look at A Working Future, we must focus it on our families and children. It will not matter how much money goes into these communities, or what bricks and mortar are built, if we are not building the firm foundations of our families and children across the Northern Territory to take responsibility, to have a vision and choice for the future.
Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan – Independent Review
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for ALCOHOL POLICY
Today’s Centralian Advocate reported on the outcomes of the recent Menzies School of Health Research review of local supply measures. Can you provide any further detail on the independent review of the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her very important question. This morning, we heard the Mayor of Alice Springs referring to the Todd River, a dry river. There are many more rivers running in Alice Springs; they are the rivers of grog.
Since 1975, many reports have highlighted the problems in Alice Springs. In 1975, Wauchope published a report titled 40 Gallons a Head, which was referring to 40.9 gallons of beer consumed per person in Alice Springs. In 1990, Pamela Lyons produced another report highlighting that the consumption of pure alcohol in Alice Springs was 27.1 litres of pure alcohol per person, per year. In 1999, another report found that 23.8 litres of pure alcohol was consumed per year, per person over 15 years old in Alice Springs.
These are the rivers of grog and we have to do something about it. We have to stem their flow.
Our government is the first government to put measures in place to stem the flow of the rivers of grog. This is the only place in Australia, and wisely so, that there is a restriction on the purchase of cask and fortified wines; you cannot buy them until after 6 pm. Opening time is 2 pm for takeaway alcohol from Monday to Friday; 10 am to 9 pm on Saturdays; and 12 noon to 9 pm on Sundays.
In the six months to 30 June this year, the ID system we put in place detected more than 3800 attempts to buy restricted alcohol in Alice Springs. That translates to a reduction of 22 casks of wine sold in Alice Springs. The overall results are impressive. We have seen an overall reduction in pure alcohol by 18%. If you want to put that into perspective, it is 5.2 million cans of full strength beer. That is a significant reduction, or even better, 50 000 fewer cans of full strength beer sold in Alice Springs. We have seen an 85% reduction in wine cask sales. Sales of four litre casks in Alice Springs have reduced by 330 per day, which is a significant number. We are the first government ever to take the tough decisions to restrict the sale of alcohol in Alice Springs.
We know very well that alcohol brings misery, and brings misery not only to the people who consume it, but to the community, their partners, and their children.
Our government is prepared to act tough.
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I do think it is worth reminding the Minister for Alcohol Policy of the Living with Alcohol policy introduced by the Country Liberal government.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat.
Mr Conlan: You are certainly not the first government to ever do it.
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat! Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: As I said, we are the first government to introduce tough restrictions on sales in Alice Springs. We will continue to do so. Our actions have been justified. They have been justified by the Menzies School of Health Research report which said yes, restriction of supply reduces alcohol and alcohol problems in Alice Springs.
We are the first government to build a dam to stem flow of the rivers of grog in Alice Springs. The opposition now wants to open the flood gates by bring back opening hours to 10 am.
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