2006-10-17
Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse – Policy Officer
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
The policy officer employed to assist your inquiry into the sexual abuse of children in Aboriginal communities said, in an article published in the National Indigenous Times in June, that the current debate into sexual violence against children …
- … ignores the fact that Indigenous men are suffering more than any other group in this country.
… and that the actions of the offender in the Yarralin case who bashed a girl with a boomerang before raping her were:
- … the actions of a man struggling with change.
… and that he was not someone from whom the community needs to be protected. Given this policy officer’s remarkable views on the causes of and solutions to sexual violence, do you agree that it is inappropriate for him to continue to serve the board of inquiry?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, this is a difficult issue for me personally and for government. We have set up a very important inquiry into child sex abuse and, very properly, I appointed the co-chairs, Rex Wild and Pat Anderson, both people with great reputations in this area. I believe they will do a fine job. Importantly, that inquiry is an independent inquiry. It is an independent inquiry so that it can, without fear or favour, inform government and Territorians about how we can take those important next steps in protecting Aboriginal children.
That inquiry acts independently. Stewart O’Connell is appointed by the inquiry. The views that he has expressed are ones that no one on this side of the House would support at all. If someone in an article, as Stewart O’Connell has, has made a suggestion of maybe an amnesty for paedophiles, I would not agree, and this government will never agree. I do not think anyone in this House would agree. We would never accept any recommendations, and Rex Wild said in the media this morning he would not accept any recommendations, or put them through to government, that would have such a suggestion in them.
I am not responsible for who the inquiry employs. You can say this is difficult. It is difficult, but the fact is, if you have an independent inquiry, you cannot then tell the independent inquiry who they are going to employ.
While I would not support those views as articulated by Stewart O’Connell - and no one on this side of the House would - co-chair, Rex Wild, has said the views that are unacceptable will not be put forward in any …
Ms Carney: No, he just said immunity from prosecution.
Ms MARTIN: He has said they will not be put forward in any recommendations to government, and this government will not accept them anyway.
Mrs Braham: So how can this man give independent advice?
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: Mr Acting Speaker, I make the point that if you set up an independent inquiry, arm’s length from government, government can then not instruct the inquiry regarding who they employ.
Administrator – Extension of Appointment
Mr BONSON to CHIEF MINISTER
Can the Chief Minister confirm to the House the good news that the Administrator, Mr Ted Egan, has had his appointment extended?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I am delighted to advise Territorians that our Administrator, Ted Egan, has been given an extension of a further year as our Administrator. His tenure is now extended to 30 October 2007. I wrote to the Prime Minister in March, just recently have I been informed that they have agreed to this extension.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms MARTIN: Ted Egan is an extremely popular Administrator. He does his job very effectively and is very hard-working. It is hard to go to an event or an occasion where you do not find Ted and Nerys, whether it was the footy last weekend, with Ted taking the bipartisan approach wearing a red jersey and a yellow and green scarf, so he that he could support both Tiwi and St Mary’s, or at a formal function. I believe they have been great ambassadors for the Territory and warmly received by Territorians.
Of course, Ted would admit that his secret weapon is his partner, Nerys Evans, and she has been a delight in the job as well. Ted is a natural entertainer. In October 2003, when he took up the position and faced the media, he was asked about his singing, and he said it would probably be very low key when he was doing his job as an Administrator. I am delighted to say it is not. I have been to many events where Ted has delighted an audience with tales of the Territory, singing appropriate songs. It really has been a joy to be at those events with him. I am sure the House joins me warmly in welcoming his reappointment.
Mr Acting Speaker, while I am talking about singing, Jessica Mauboy is down to the final six. She is getting better and better. The support from Territorians has been awesome. I thank Southern Cross Television, Channel 7. There was a special Australian Idol event tonight in which the contestants would sing their own songs. It is being shown around the country but not here in the Territory. We contacted Channel 7 and asked, why not? They said they have a commitment to Dancing with the Stars, which is also a voting program, but have told Territorians that Friday night at 7.30 we will see that special Australian Idol with the contestants singing songs that they have written, and in there will be our Jessica. I wish her all the best of luck. She is a wonderful ambassador for the Territory and we hope she makes it through to the final two. Maybe she will become the winner.
Members: Hear, hear!
____________________
Visitors
Visitors
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of traditional owners from Borroloola and the Gulf region. I warmly welcome you to the Assembly.
Members: Hear, hear!
____________________
Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse – Policy Officer
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
The policy officer who works for your inquiry into sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities published a number of views in the article he wrote for the National Indigenous Times. Putting aside his offensive views in relation to immunity for the prosecution of those who abuse children, on any reading, the rest of his comments condone and sanction violence against children, which is why they are so offensive. Why will you not take steps to remove him from your inquiry?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, again, I make the critical point: this is an independent inquiry. I believe the Opposition Leader would be first on her feet if it was not an independent inquiry. The inquiry into the protection from sexual abuse of Aboriginal children has to be able to give advice to government without fear, without favour, and it is independent. I state again, government does not support those views. Government would not accept any recommendations that had those views encompassed within them, and Rex Wild has made that statement this morning on radio. It is an independent inquiry and, from government’s point of view, we have to accept that the inquiry will appoint those people they feel most appropriate.
Ms Carney: And you will do nothing. You are a coward.
Ms MARTIN: That is the nature, Mr Acting Speaker, of independence.
McArthur River Mining – Community Benefits Package
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for BUSINESS and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The MRM Mining Management Plan has been approved by your colleague, the Minister for Mines and Energy. Could you please inform the House how the local community will benefit from MRM’s $32m voluntary community benefits package?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for her very important question. Last week, the government and McArthur River Mining reached agreement on a heads of agreement which will establish a community benefits package for the region. Under that agreement, MRM has agreed to commit at least $32m to the package over the life of the mine, which is believed to be about 25 years. Importantly, that agreement provides for the establishment of a trust to hold this money and, in turn, distribute those funds to projects which contribute to the sustainable development of the region. Funding will be directed in three areas: community infrastructure, jobs, and enterprise development projects. The trust also provides the mechanism to accept funding from other sources such as the Territory and Commonwealth governments, to deliver even greater benefits for the region.
In its public environmental report, the company has already identified a number of projects and commitments which are the basis of the first round of thinking on delivering real programs in the community. This includes new business opportunities, the supply of sand and gravel, along with employment targets for indigenous participation, and new community facilities. The heads of agreement locks in the key elements of an agreement with the company.
What follows now is a process of consultation with the region to work through the structure and operation of the trust, as well as what should form the first tranche of funding projects. When that process is complete, the government and MRM will enter into a formal agreement for the life of the mine.
What this guarantees is that the people of the Gulf region will have access to a flow of funds to develop their economy over the long term. It is a great result because here is a mining company which agreed to contribute funds for the life of the mine. It is a great example of government and mining companies getting together for the benefit of the people. It is a great result because we are now going to see real economic development in the region, economic development that will not rely solely on the mine. It is a great result because it will form the basis for future negotiations with mining companies in the Territory.
There will be $32m over 25 years. Money will go into the trust from other sources. The Australian government will contribute, and our government will look favourably to contributing more funds because we believe that we are responsible for the economic development of all regions and, certainly, for the economic development of the Gulf region.
Wadeye – Alleged Breaches in Administration of Monies
Dr LIM to MINISTER for LOCAL GOVERNMENT
On 12 September 2006, The Age reported that Wadeye was being investigated in respect to administration of federal and Territory monies. Your department is responsible for this investigation. I understand that that investigation has concluded. I further understand that there have been breaches. How many breaches were found? What is being done about these breaches? When will the report be made public? Or do you intend to sweep this matter aside as your government did for 18 months in regard to matters in Mutitjulu?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, there is no intention on the part of this government to sweep any report aside. At the appropriate time I will absolutely make certain that this report will be made available. Unlike you on the other side, we intend to be very open and transparent …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr McADAM: We hear some cheeky little laughs there from the Leader of the Opposition, who really does not care what happens out bush …
Ms Carney: Really? Ask the people over there; it is not what they are saying.
Mr McADAM: Member for Greatorex, as I said to you, there is no intention to sweep any report under the carpet. At the appropriate time, we will give you access to it as we will to anyone else who wants it.
The point I make in regard to Wadeye is that Wadeye has been subject to a COAG trial over a very long period of time which involves the Commonwealth and ourselves. Certainly, there have been some issues that have arisen regarding Wadeye over the last …
Dr Lim: A lot of them.
Mr McADAM: Do you want to keep answering me, or would you like to listen to my response?
The point I am trying to make is this: there have been some issues brought to the attention of the Department of Local Government about compliance issues. I was awaiting a report as of last Friday at 11 am. I still do not have that report. There is also consideration by the Commonwealth of conducting a separate forensic audit into some of the matters. The matters which have been brought to the attention of the compliance officers in my department regarding the Wadeye situation, I will receive that report and I will then take the appropriate action. Further to that, in the next two to three weeks, there will be the appointment of a new CEO which we hope will provide more focus and direction for the council.
To answer your question in short, no, there will be no sweeping under the carpet of any report. We will take the appropriate action should there be any irregularities that arise.
Cox Peninsula Road – Sealing
Mr WARREN to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE and TRANSPORT
Recently, I was pleased to open the final sealed section of the Cox Peninsula Road near Mandorah. This was especially pleasing for me because, some 20 years ago as a young geological engineer, I worked on the redesign of many sections of this road. Most importantly, the Cox Peninsula Road is the only road link to the communities of Belyuen and Wagait Beach on the other side of Darwin Harbour. Can the minister update the House on the government’s record of upgrading this important road link?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Goyder for his question. As he said, 20 years ago he was involved with the geotechnical surveys for that road. It was a great moment when the member for Goyder was there officially opening the final sealing of Cox Peninsula Road.
Our roads budget this year was $130m. That is a 62% increase since Labor came to government, an additional $50m a year. We are committed to improving our roads, as better roads mean better driving conditions, and aids road safety.
The Cox Peninsula Road is now fully sealed. The final 8 km section was opened recently, and a local Territory firm, Alan King & Sons, was contracted to complete the seal. As part of the contract, a number of local Belyuen residents were employed on the works. One hundred and thirty vehicles travel that road daily from Darwin to Mandorah and back. Sealing the road has made a huge improvement to their driving conditions and safety, and for Wet Season access.
The final sealing project has been completed. The Cox Peninsula Road is now an 82 km sealed stretch of road. We have spent $4.2m over the past five years to upgrade this road, a great asset to the community, and we have delivered on a Martin Labor election commitment.
McArthur River Mine – Timing of Announcement
Mrs BRAHAM to CHIEF MINISTER
You were aware that a large number of traditional owners and people from the McArthur River area were travelling to Darwin this week to meet with members and groups to hear their views on the mine expansion. Can you explain to these people in the gallery why the government rushed the approval announcement last week, only three weeks after the company submitted the Mining Management Plan; why the approval was announced before the Commonwealth Environment minister has made the decision; and why you have not given the people the respect and opportunity to talk to you and your ministers?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I welcome the people from Borroloola to the House today. It is good to have you here. During lunchtime today, there have been meetings with the Mines minister and their local member about the decision on McArthur River. I make the point very clearly that this was not a rushed process; it was a statutory process, and the Mines minister, quite properly, was following through those time lines.
It is interesting - if you balance what you are saying, member for Braitling, against the arguments coming from the opposition, which is that we have taken too long to make this decision, that we have dragged our heels and taken too long. There was a statutory process, which was followed, and I make no apology for that.
In terms of talking to the people from the McArthur River region, the traditional owners, there have been a number of meetings with the traditional owners, talking through the issues. Members of government have gone to Borroloola and have talked through those issues.
Mrs Braham: Did you let them see the Mining Management Plan?
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: As I said last Friday, I recognise that this has been a very complex and, in many ways, difficult decision for government.
Mrs Braham: Why did you wait until they arrived?
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Member for Braitling, please desist.
Ms MARTIN: Mr Acting Speaker, it has been a very complex and difficult issue. There have been many competing interests for the Environment minister and the Mines minister to properly, in their statutory roles, weigh up. I congratulate them and their agencies on the way they have done their work as it has been thorough.
I believe we have found the right balance in the end. We have found the balance of jobs for the people of the Borroloola region, we are protecting the environment, very importantly, and those environmental issues were very carefully considered. There is no doubt that they were difficult issues, but they were carefully considered and carefully dealt with in that Mining Management Plan, on the recommendations from the Environment minister. We have business opportunities for the people of the region.
When you look to the future, I believe we have made the right decision. We will continue to talk to the people of Borroloola. Members of government will continue to talk. The briefing was held today and we will continue that work. In terms of benefits to Borroloola, the community benefits package over the life of the mine, to which the Minister for Regional Development just referred, is $32m into the community of Borroloola. That means great opportunities for the future.
Again, I welcome traditional owners from the Borroloola region. I know this is a difficult time for you, but I believe that government, very carefully, has made the right decision for your future.
Skills Training for Prisoners
Mr WARREN to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
You were recently in my electorate of Goyder announcing an important government initiative. Would you advise the House about these new innovative programs introduced into Correctional Services, services that are designed to provide skills for prisoners prior to them returning to the community?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for his question. There is a new and very innovative program in our Correctional Services, with prisoners in the Territory being taught crocodile handling techniques. I was very pleased to see the tail end of that first group of prisoners going through just a few weeks ago.
It is an Australian first, and probably a world first, judging by some of the media attention from as far away as France, and Hungary - or Turkey might have got in on the act. That is an indication that this type of work has not been done before.
Prisoners are not only learning how to handle crocodiles but they receive a range of general skills that will assist them in employability once released: fencing, building stock enclosures, welding, painting, and even writing reports. These are skills which lend themselves right across the pastoral industry, aquaculture industries, horticulture, and a range of other industries.
We are grateful to Mick Byrnes, the proprietor and owner of that crocodile farm, and his staff, who have been enormously supportive in their work with the prisoners, their support for the program and the training that involves, because that does put an added workload on the people who work within that farm. They recognise that, the government recognises that, but they also recognise the importance of providing these people with an opportunity, once beyond the wire, to reintegrate into the community and pick up employability skills.
In fact, one of the prisoners, shortly due for release, has already approached the management of that crocodile farm seeking employment on his release. The farm was very keen to have that person work with them and, hopefully, this is one way of reducing that very high recidivism rate in the Northern Territory.
We know prisoner numbers are large but, in large part, that is driven by a 45% or 50% recidivism factor. If we can break that, even in half, and not only return those people to a more useful and productive life employed in their communities, working for their communities, that will also take a lot of pressure off the justice system. That is the serious side of what we are trying to do here: to stop the high number of people being released, without any skills, without any change to their behaviour, going back to the same environment that had the circumstances that led them into strife in the first place. That is the whole aim: to break that cycle. That is why we are keen to strengthen community corrections. There is quite a bit of work to do in that area, and the training and education aspects of gaol time.
It is also an important measure in crime prevention because if we can turn these people’s lives around, if we can get them skills to get into the workforce, that will be one less person creating crime back out there. So my thanks to the farm, Mick Byrnes and all the staff there. My thanks also to the Correctional Services officers involved, and to all those involved in and around this program. I look forward to seeing these prisoners employed in that wide range of industry rather than returning to prison.
Public Servants - Wages Policy
Mr MILLS to TREASURER
Your wages policy says that one of the considerations you will take into account when negotiating wage deals with the public service is the government’s fiscal position. Your government has decided to apply a wages freeze for the next six years to Territory public servants. What is so wrong with the government’s fiscal position that means that you have to make a radical wage freeze announcement which will be in place for six years?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. He sees the headline on Channel 9, ‘Wages Freeze’ and believes it. That is it. Wages freeze, you have created a wages freeze. I guess, if you had a difficulty, in a fiscal sense going forward, there are a couple of things that you might do. One might be a wage freeze, but it is fairly alarmist in itself and something that you would not undertake lightly. Another one might be a recruitment freeze, but then that has the potential to be pretty indiscriminate and even go to affecting critical service delivery for a government and, again, would send quite alarmist messages.
There is no wages freeze here, despite what the Channel 9 banner and headline may have said. There is a wages policy, announced by my colleague, the minister responsible for Public Employment, a wages policy that clearly sets out the parameters under which enterprise bargaining agreements will be negotiated over the foreseeable future, for the next three years of the term of this government.
So, no wages freeze, no one in government ever suggested there was a wages freeze. Channel 9 and Channel 9 only believes it, and the only other person who believes it is the member for Blain.
In relation to what sort of signals it sends around fiscal measures, it is the member for Blain and others who say that public service numbers are too high, who say that wage rises are too high, who are saying that all of the GST growth is going on recurrent costs in the public service, both with increased numbers of public servants and increased numbers of executive officers, and increased wage rates, and when we come forward with a wages policy, a very clearly enunciated policy, so we can put some parameters around this, so we can give some guidance to those people who are going to be involved in these negotiations in the future, we are banged up.
You cannot have it both ways, member for Blain. Make up your mind. Is the public service too big and overpaid, which you have been saying consistently or, is it malnourished, needs higher wage rises and needs more public servants?
Make up your mind. No wage freeze - believed only by whoever put the news together on that particular night at Channel 9 and the member for Blain.
Palmerston Magpies – Home Ground
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for SPORT and RECREATION
The government made a $2m election commitment for a new home ground for the Palmerston Magpies. Can you update the House on the Martin Labor government delivering on this promise for Palmerston?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, what a great week it was for the AFL. I have to say that, if six weeks ago you had asked me what I knew about the AFL, I would have told you that it is all Greek to me. It did not take long to learn – just an exposure to the grand final and the fantastic performance of the Tiwi Bombers changed my mind. Somebody also gave me a book to read about the rules of Australia football, which was very informative. Actually the book states: ‘If you like chaos, you will like Australian Rules Football’.
Apart from a fantastic week with the Tiwi Bombers’ debut we have other great news. This Sunday, I will attend the official opening of the Palmerston Magpies’ new home ground at CDU in Palmerston. This government put $2m worth of development into the Magpies’ home ground, a 2001 election commitment - something the opposition could not do or did not want to do. We delivered.
Mr Mills: Get out of it!
Mr VATSKALIS: We delivered.
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: Strong protestations from them, Mr Acting Speaker, but we have not seen anything all these years in Palmerston, but we have seen it in five years with a Labor government.
In partnership with CDU - we are using their facilities - work has been undertaken to include the construction of the oval to AFL standards, clubrooms incorporating toilets, changing rooms and a kiosk, fencing, scoreboard, access road, goal posts, and maintenance work on the second oval shared with Durack Primary School that the Magpies will use for playing. In another spin-off, the Palmerston Golf Club will mow and maintain the oval.
As I said, it was an election commitment and I am very proud to deliver it. I am looking forward to the opening. I will be there and I believe quite a few of my colleagues will also be there. I look forward to watching the Magpies take on Southern Districts.
We are delivering on grassroots sports, we are delivering on our development of the AFLNT, and our partnerships grow stronger and stronger.
Northern Territory Public Service – Forced Redundancies
Mr MILLS to MINISTER for PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
The Northern Territory Public Service wages policy states that it ‘anticipates making savings through structural organisational change’, or forced redundancies by another name. Which areas of the public service will see these forced redundancies?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the shadow minister for his question. It is an opportunity to dispel some of the mistruths that are being spread by the honourable member.
There is nowhere in the wages policy that I released in the Chamber last week that makes any reference to forced redundancies. If the member opposite had any integrity at all and could back his claims, he should stand up here and show where it says that. What we are saying, very clearly …
Mr Mills: Structural organisational change. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink! I wonder what that means?
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: If we want to go back in history regarding the way the previous government funded wage increases in the Northern Territory …
Mr Mills: Get over it. You are in the seat now, buddy.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … history is a great lesson. If you go back to 1987 and the massive job cuts that were unleashed across the public sector, the demonstrations outside the then Assembly, the conditions of service that were slashed, we had pruning for growth that occurred eight years ago, where the government of the day attempted to save money by cutting public service positions and, in fact, saw a wages bill explode.
What this government has said, very clearly, is that there is funding in the forward estimates for wage increases - not a wages freeze. If a wages freeze applies, there is no wage increase. That is what a wages freeze is - no wage increase. What we have in the forward estimates is funding for wage increases. However, what we are saying very clearly is that any increases over and above what is funded have to come from efficiencies. That is totally logical and very fair.
This is a government that is going to approach enterprise agreements with fairness. We are saying there is a wage increase funded in the forward estimates - not a freeze - but anything above that wage increase will have to be returned by way of efficiencies.
Schools – Priorities in Education
Mr KIELY to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
Can you outline the priorities you have for the schools in the Northern Territory, and is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson.
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: You would think members opposite would be interested in matters relating to education, because to the young people here in the gallery, from government’s point of view, there is nothing more important in the Northern Territory than improving education outcomes for each and every child in the Northern Territory. It is at the core of this government’s beliefs, and there is …
Mr Mills: You can say that.
Mr HENDERSON: Mr Acting Speaker, for a man who used to be the principal of a school, you would have thought manners would be something that he would have engendered …
Mr Mills: Yes, and integrity, buster. You can say all you like. You have to back it up with substance. Just parroting platitudes.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, member for Blain!
Mr HENDERSON: … within his school community instead of continuous interrupting and back chatting. You know, if he was a teacher in a school and had this level of back chatting he would probably send the kids to the principal’s office, but not in here.
There is no backing away from the fact that we must do better. Until we have education outcomes in the Northern Territory which shows all of our kids above the national average we must continue to strive to do better. As the new Minister for Employment, Education and Training, I am very pleased to take on the role after five years of my colleague in this role. I can say to this House that I am not going to get sidetracked on trendy issues. The key priority for me as minister is getting our kids into school, every single day that the school is open, and when they are at school, seeing improved literacy and numeracy outcomes across the Northern Territory. I will not be sidetracked, and teaching kids to read and write at the highest standards is something that we in this Assembly should not back away from until we are above the national average in every level.
I have not heard the opposition speak in this House for many, many months now, and certainly since I have been minister, about how important it is to get kids into school and improve those literacy and numeracy outcomes. What we have had is the shadow minister, with one trip, squeaking his new policy, and that is the traffic lights approach to food: red, orange and green stickers on food in the school canteens. According to the shadow minister for Education, the highest priority is red, orange and green stickers on food in the canteen. If we do not implement that we are going to legislate. We have the policy here, Healthy Active Kids, and the policy states, ‘In implementing this policy we would legislate should it be necessary’. So this is the highest priority for the shadow minister.
Whilst there has been no interest shown in literacy or numeracy, the shadow minister has attacked me as the new minister for not thinking for myself. I read from his press release, dated 16 October 2006, that states:
- Unfortunately, the Martin government is a follower not a leader in policy matters. Rather than thinking for itself, the Martin government habitually waits until the southern states implement a policy before it is even considered here.
So I took this to heart and thought: ‘Well, why have I not been thinking for myself? What else have we done in terms of policy that has been driven from the southern states, has not been our own thinking?’ We looked quickly across all the policies we have introduced – the middle years plan, Building Better Schools, improving indigenous literacy and numeracy outcomes, and when you put a Google search into the search engine, what did we find? We did not find that we had plagiarised any of those policies; they were all our own work.
What we did find was the traffic light approach to food. In fact, the CLP policy was a rip-off from an American website. He is attacking me, six weeks into the job, for being ‘unable to think for myself’ and being ‘a follower not a leader’. We have made significant advances in education policy, and the only policy the opposition can come up with has been ripped off an American website and here it is: ‘A Kids Guide to Eating Right’; the traffic light approach; red, orange and green stickers.
As a minister, I will continue to think for myself. We will continue to think in the best interests of the people of the Northern Territory. We will not be copying, or cheating, or plagiarising policy from interstate or overseas. The most important thing this government can do is to give all students in the Northern Territory the best opportunity they can have, the best start in life, and that is getting those education outcomes consistently improving across the Territory.
Gamba Grass – Use by Pastoral Industry
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
If you drive past Knuckey Lagoon on the Stuart Highway, you may have noticed gamba grass being baled. Are there any restrictions on the sale of gamba grass as hay? Are there any restrictions on the transport of bailed gamba grass? When is the government going to declare gamba a weed, except where it is approved, with conditions, for use by the pastoral industry?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. Currently, gamba is not a declared weed or a potential weed under the Northern Territory Weeds Management Act 2001. You raised the issue about pastoralists and using it as hay. There are no legal restrictions which can be placed on anyone who chooses to grow, transport, sell, import, export or bale gamba grass in the Northern Territory. The potential declaration of gamba under the Weeds Management Act is being assessed through the Weeds Risk Assessment process, which involves a community and industry-based steering community. It is expected recommendations that will come out of that assessment process will be made around June 2007.
In the meantime, a draft plan of management has been developed for gamba grass, which I launched some time ago, inviting community comment. As you would know, talking to many landowners, the pastoral industry and the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries people are divided about this issue. The draft plan of management specifically identifies and recommends suggested areas in the Northern Territory where gamba grass is only to be grown under strict guidelines. When I receive the report on public comment, I will be looking at whether we adopt the plan of management under the current act.
For your noting, member for Nelson, the Weeds Branch has developed a guide for gamba grass that describes how to manage the plant in order to minimise any potential negative impacts, that is, the weed seed spread, alterations to fire regimes, etcetera. If you would like that information, you can obtain it from the department. We have distributed those guidelines. There has been much consultation with many of the stakeholders in relation to this issue.
Childcare Centres – Playground Equipment Funding
Ms SACILOTTO to MINISTER for FAMILY and COMMUNITY SERVICES
In the 2005 election, the government released a families package which included a $500 000 commitment to provide playground equipment for childcare centres. Could you update the House on this initiative?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for her question. I know she is committed to ensuring we have affordable childcare in the Territory. Childcare centre playground funding is a new initiative of a $500 000 two grants program over the space of a year. We saw today the announcement of $187 000 towards playground grants to 28 community-based, non-profit childcare centres across the Territory. From Jabiru to Jingili, from Alice Springs to Alyangula, we have seen 28 community-based childcare centres benefit from this important grants program.
They chose to apply for grants to the program. The applications were for shade structures, swing sets, playground equipment, bike tracks and sandpits. In the Territory, we have a strong focus on ensuring our childcare centres are places where kids can play. We have twice the national requirement for outside play areas and play space.
These grants go to the not-for-profit centres. Parents run these centres through management committees that make the decisions on fees and services. They know that there is a lot more to childcare than simply running a business. This new grants program is in addition to the fact that the Northern Territory government is the only state or territory jurisdiction which currently subsidises childcare fees. We spend approximately $1m a year subsiding childcare for Territory families.
The next round of funding for this important grants program will open up in November. I urge all local members in the Assembly to make their community based, not-for-profit childcare centres aware of this important grants program. If centres cannot apply for grants to upgrade equipment, they ultimately need to raise that money themselves, either through fundraising efforts or, in most cases, increasing fees. So the grants program goes towards keeping childcare affordable in the Territory.
McArthur River Mine Decision
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
The difference between the Labor Party and the CLP is that we tell the truth. Like it or not, people in the gallery will know that the CLP supported the decision to divert the river at McArthur Mine, and we said so. You, however, Chief Minister, did not say so. You tried to tell the locals that you support them. You got their votes and now you have betrayed them. How do you explain yourself to the people in the gallery, and how on earth do you sleep at night?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, sadly, that question does not have one element of truth in it. You have the opposition saying the difference between the parties is one of truth and the fact is that there was nothing of truth in that question. That is very sad.
The McArthur River Mine is very important for the community of Borroloola. I believe that it will bring great benefits. It is important that government work with the mine and the local community to bring those benefits to the community. It is about jobs, it is about business opportunities and it is about a sustainable community into the future.
As I said in my last answer, I know it has been difficult for the community and I know there has been much anxiety over the diversion of the river, and about other aspects of the expansion of the mine to open cut. I appreciate that, and every member here appreciates that. However, the important thing is that we have worked through those issues, and we have never backed away from working through those issues. There was a lot of protest when the first environmental application from McArthur River Mine was rejected because we did not believe it was good enough. It was not good enough, and the minister said: ‘This environmental management plan is not good enough’, and they started again.
The Mines minister has very carefully gone through every detail of that, and we believe that the open cut mine is environmentally sustainable. We will ensure that happens because for the first time we will have independent environmental monitoring of the mine at McArthur River, and local people will be involved to ensure that there is no damage to the environment. We have not had that in place before, and that is being paid for by the McArthur River Mine. That is of great benefit.
There was uncertainty about whether the mine was actually damaging the mouth of the river, or upstream. After discussion we can now be assured that we will have the information to ensure it does not happen and, if it did, we will have it rectified.
Mr Acting Speaker, I understand that for many people in Borroloola this has been a difficult and emotion-charged issue, however, I believe the decision we have made is one for the benefit of the community in the future, and that we have worked hard to get that balance right between jobs for their future, between business opportunities and also the development of the community.
Central Australia – Arts Festival
Mr HAMPTON to MINISTER for ARTS and MUSEUMS
What on earth does plastic cutlery have to do with the arts in Central Australia?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Stuart for his important question, because often there are no questions of the Arts portfolio. I will get to the point of the plastic cutlery.
The Alice Desert Festival, like the Darwin Festival, is one of the greatest festivals on the Territory art calendar. I was privileged to attend the final weekend of the last festival. This included a Desert Mob MarketPlace, the Desert Mob Exhibition, a wonderful performance by the Darwin Symphony Orchestra with an Aboriginal choral performers and, together with the member for Macdonnell, I particularly enjoyed the Aboriginal choir from Ntaria in her electorate.
As all members, and the members for Macdonnell and Stuart would know, Centralians always want to get in with a final parting shot. So a few weeks after the main event, the festival celebrated the 5th Annual Wearable Art Acquisition Award, and this is where the disposable plastic cutlery comes in.
Jess Rayner, a young Alice Springs student whom I am sure the member for Braitling would know, ,took out the Afghan Traders Encouragement Award with a fabulous white shimmering outfit created entirely of plastic spoons, knives and forks. It was a fantastic piece. I have seen the photographs of it and I am sure the member for Braitling, who was there, would agree with me.
The show had completely sold out three weeks before the actual event. It was a great community event with wonderful creations greeted by a very enthusiastic crowd with calls of ‘Good on you, mum’. It is good to know people were actively involved.
There were approximately 40 entrants on the night. Rather than go through all the winners, I seek leave to incorporate their names in the Parliamentary Record.
Leave granted.
The Gallery Gondwana Natural Fibre Award: Beached by Carmel Ryan.
The Springs Plaza Accessorise Award: Spring has Sprung by Danielle Eisenblatter and Michelle McGuirk.
The Artback NT Arts Touring Recycled or Found Object Award: Abba is Back by Jo Nixon, Liz Scott, Steph Gaynor and Karen Jones.
The Alice Springs Airport Noisy! Art Award: I See Red by Jan Chapman.
The Brian Tucker Accounting Desert Fantasia Award: Amazing Grace by Suzi Lyon.
The Jen Standish-White Student Award: Odette by Siobhan Niland and Trish O’Loughlin
The Afghan Traders Encouragement Award: Last Night’s Cutlery by Jess Rayner; and
The Territory Chinese Medicine People’s Choice Award: Take a Walk in the Wildflowers by Jo Nixon, Liz Scott, Steph Gaynor and Karen Jones.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: The Wearable Arts is getting bigger and better and, for the Alice Springs community, it is a night for creative work to be shown. In addition, the models on the catwalk were all superb, as was the work of the many people behind the scenes who made it such a memorable night. I know the member for Braitling added her support and some sponsorship.
Good on Alice Springs; the Wearable Arts is certainly worthy of a lot of support. I am looking forward to next year’s awards.
Executive Staffing Numbers - Blowout
Mr MILLS to TREASURER
You said that government was going to contain wages growth through attrition and, so successful has your program of attrition been, that public service numbers - as you can see in this graph - have grown by 11% across the board, and at the same time, 37% for executive positions. For members of the backbench, I have prepared another graph which blocks it up into very simple blocks so that you can see the massive change in the senior executive positions. Since attrition is not working, what will you do to reduce this blowout in executive staffing numbers?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. It is interesting that he wants to play both sides of the fence here. On the one hand, he is in here as the advocate for the unions - wage freeze. A couple of weeks ago, as the economic rationalist, the public sector is too big and you have to get rid of them. Now, of course, we are again in here today.
Let me say what we will not do. In 1987, during the public sector dispute, Chief Minister Hatton took on the conditions of service of workers right across the Northern Territory - 3000, 4000 people at stop-work meetings for weeks and months at a time. No, we will not go there. That was foolish in the extreme and did not get the result they wanted anyway in terms of efficiencies.
Let me go to example No 2 that we will not do. In 1994, following the successful election of the Marshall Perron government, the kitchen cabinet was Marshall Perron, Col Fuller, and guess was who the third member? Frank Alcorta. Newer members might not remember Frank Alcorta. That was the kitchen cabinet of the government of 1994. What did they sit around and hatch up? The infamous ERC, the Estimates Review Committee. They had the public sector trembling in fear for months at a time, while they silently weaved their way through the corridors of the public sector, cutting them, and lopping off heads here and there. Again, not somewhere we would go and not something we intend doing.
I will give you the third example that I have seen in my time in and around politics in the Northern Territory: in 1997, Planning for Growth. Treasurer, Mike Reed, public sector in strife, government in strife financially: ‘Let us have a look at how we might save money’. Planning for Growth - target $15m. What did it cost? $41m later no wonder we recommended to Treasurer Reed: ‘Keep your hands in your pockets, son. Do not try to save this money, you are too expensive, your expense we cannot afford’ - $26m after the event.
Mr Mills: What are you going to do?
Mr STIRLING: What we will do - and I talked about this with the media at lunchtime. There has been unparalleled growth in the public sector in the latter part of 2003-04, and through 2004-05 - growth that we are not seeing now. I, for one, am pleased to see the growth has been restrained and we will begin to see decline in numbers over time.
The member for Blain asks how attrition would do this. He might not be aware that something like 3700 to 4000 people churn through the public sector on an annual basis. Now, what would it take for government to say, instead of replacing that 3800 people for financial year 2005-06, we are going to replace 3700 and there are 100 jobs. Has anybody lost a job? No. Right across the public sector, 16 and something thousand public servants, 100 jobs is not going to be missed in terms of replacing that recruitment, that lost effort. And you do the same thing again the next year if the numbers are not coming down by themselves. That is a much better tool than the blunt tools that I just described as used by Messrs Hatton, Perron Fuller and, of course, Reed.
In relation to the numbers overall, they will not return to the historic levels enjoyed prior to this government. Why not? Because we will have 200 extra police; we have an extra 100 teachers on the books, unless the CLP plans doing away with the 200 coppers, the 100 extra teachers and 200 nurses. There are 500 jobs that this government duly authorised and said: ‘Get them on. We want those positions in place. We want to strengthen service delivery amongst the three key agencies of this government, and that is Health, Education and Police’. You just cannot put on those sorts of numbers in these agencies without expecting some concurrent changes through the agencies, that is, added supervisional effort; added layers of management in some cases; and, like it or not, increased numbers of executive officers.
Now, does that get you to the 1500 increase? No, it does not, but it gets you somewhere there. The argument that I am putting is that we cannot, and do not, expect to see those extra 1500 jobs disappear from the system because we deliberately planned that level of growth, and that level of growth brings with it additional growth that cannot be gotten away from.
What is the figure in between? That is a job for us to continue to work on, but do not tell me it cannot be done by attrition, when we are out there recruiting 4000 public servants a year, and instead all you have to do is go out there and recruit 3800. It is not a bad effort in times of a labour shortage that this government and this public sector is such an attractive place to work that we can attract those numbers, year in year out. My view is, and I will be putting it clearly at Cabinet at every opportunity I get, that instead of recruiting 3857 of the people that we lost and throw another 100 into the mix, we actually recruit just a few less.
McArthur River Diversion – Threat to Sacred Sites
Mrs BRAHAM to CHIEF MINISTER
Mr Acting Speaker, I seek leave to ask a question of the member for Arnhem.
Members: No.
Mrs BRAHAM: It was worth a try. People in the gallery might understand why I did that.
As you know, the Traditional Owners from the McArthur River area argue that there are dreaming tracks and song lines that cross the river. They also realise that to divert the river means there may be damage to many sacred sites. Can you give them an assurance that there will not be any damage to their ceremony, their songs and their sacred sites when this diversion occurs?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, this is an important question. The environmental and cultural aspects of managing a diversion of a river for 5 km, which is a fair diversion, has been very carefully tracked. The minister responsible for sacred sites - the local member, the member for Barkly and the minister for the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority - assures me that the sacred sites are being cared for and will not be damaged by the diversion of the river.
We rejected the whole process of diverting that river the first time. We said it was not good enough – well, the Environment minister did. We said get better advice and come back to us with a better proposal. The top man in Australia, Professor Wayne Erskine, who is recognised as an expert on this type of river diversion, has given the seal of approval to the proposal coming to government. That has had a lot of rigour and expert eyes attached to it and, even though diverting the river is a significant environmental action, we are advised that it can be done properly, and that revegetation can be carried out properly.
We will be watching very closely. If it is not, we have a $55.5m bond from the mine. That is a security which is there to show that we are taking this very seriously and that the very best environmental management will take place. The environment is the key, and we have to ensure, as the government, as the mine, as the local community, that it happens to the highest level possible.
This has been a difficult issue. Government has carefully followed due process. We were beaten up by the CLP, saying: ‘Why didn’t you accept the first proposal? Get this mine going’. That is what they loudly said to the community and to the people of Borroloola: ‘You should accept any proposal to get this mine going’. Well, we did not. We said no, and we were roundly criticised by many people, including the opposition, who forget to say that. We said to the mine: ‘You start this again’, and we were very careful about it.
To the community of Borroloola, we will be working very closely with you. We will be looking closely at how we can effectively, with you and the mine, spend that $32m of community benefit, to look at the economic opportunities that can bring, the stimulus to start businesses, the services and facilities you might need that can be built over time with that $32m from the community benefit package we have negotiated. I pay tribute to the minister responsible for ensuring that happened.
The environment is of the greatest concern to this government, but that always has to be balanced against jobs and opportunity for the future. We believe that, with this decision, we have found the right balance.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Mr Acting Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016