2007-06-19
Little Children are Sacred Report –
Government Record on Child Sexual Abuse
Government Record on Child Sexual Abuse
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
In a report published last year by the National Research Centre for the Prevention of Child Abuse, the authors wrote:
- … we do not feel comfortable with the priority given to child welfare and protection in recent years in the NT ...
In light of the findings of the Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse, are you comfortable with your record in relation to child sexual abuse?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the report commissioned by this government on the inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse was released last Friday by Rex Wild QC and Pat Anderson. In that, a very comprehensive and detailed report, they wrote about the very serious problem of child sexual abuse in our Aboriginal communities. I do not believe there is one person in this House who feels comfortable with what is being done, and that is the word of the Opposition Leader, about child sexual abuse in the Northern Territory. While the report recognised that this government was heading in the right direction, the authors said very clearly: we have to do a lot more to tackle this insidious problem right across the Northern Territory.
The report is comprehensive. It indicates the complexity of the problem we have before us. It indicates that more action needs to be taken now, not just stepping forward on this issue, but taking what I have described as big strides forward on this issue. It recognises that in the past, there was neglect, and that in some sense, it has been turned around over the last few years, but we, as government and as a community, have to do a lot more.
You do not read this report feeling comfortable. This is a challenging report for everyone in the Northern Territory, and particularly, this is a challenging report for Aboriginal Territorians. What we need to turn this problem around is for Aboriginal people to join government in taking that big stride forward. As you read through the report, you see the difficulties in identifying what has been covered by a veil of silence. We have not as a community discussed child sexual abuse. Aboriginal people, as the report says, have not been forthcoming in talking about child sexual abuse.
We have a lot of work to do, and part of that work is with Aboriginal Territorians, getting them to talk about this, to be able to identify perpetrators, to be able to come to court as witnesses so that those who are abusing our children will suffer the punishment of the law.
In this report, there are many challenges. From a government point of view, I was pleased to see that the inquiry recognised the directions that we are taking and many of the initiatives we have been putting in place, whether they are in relation to managing alcohol, getting kids to school, legislation that they are recommending we change, and we are moving on that, the significance of better housing in tackling this problem. They have been identified very clearly in the report. There is a lot of work to do, and we will be talking to the federal government, the non-government sector, and, very importantly, to Aboriginal Territorians about how, in partnership, we can make the necessary changes.
This is a very important report. I congratulate Rex Wild, Pat Anderson and the team for many months of commitment and hard work. I know that the challenges in here are for we as a community to tackle and overcome. It is going to take resources. It is going to take more resources than we have put into these problems so far. The report very carefully says we need to go the federal government and start talking. We are talking. We need to talk to the non-government sector and we need to talk to Aboriginal Territorians. There is a lot of work to be done, but this report heads us in the right direction.
Economic and Business Activity
Ms SACILOTTO to TREASURER
Can you provide the House with an update on recent economic and business activity in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for her question. It was only a few weeks ago that I delivered the Martin government’s sixth budget, so I will not go into detail here, given that the bill itself is still under debate in this House. However, it is clear that, over this period of time, we have carefully established a set of priorities that are, indeed, the right priorities for the future of the Northern Territory.
We continue to invest in that set of priorities in the key economic drivers for the Northern Territory. This quite careful, but very sound, financial management approach that we have brought to the Territory continues to pay off for the many small, medium and large businesses operating within our economy. All of the main indicators of a strongly performing economy are continuing to show a strong growth.
We are also beginning, importantly though, to see some stabilisation which, of course, is a healthy and robust sign of a maturing and expanding Territory economy. Retail turnover, population growth, jobs growth and construction growth have all undergone unprecedented growth in recent years.
For example, if we just take seasonally adjusted retail turnover, it is up 10.2% in the Territory to April 2007 against a 6.2% growth figure nationally. We are broadening our shoulders in an economic sense. The traditional mid-year Dry Season, a very busy time of year, is being expanded out longer in the year. We can see that any time we drive down Mitchell Street early or late in the when the place used to be a ghost town, that is simply not the case these days. Businesses no longer need to fear those very extreme seasonal peaks of very high and very low demand; they are a thing of the past. That is a sign of becoming a much more mature, stable and solid business and economic centre.
It is an essential role of government to play a key interventionist role in between those peaks and troughs that the Territory experienced for many years under our predecessors, to smooth them out and to ensure that we reach economic growth levels that are sustainable over the long haul, not have a great 1999-2000 and then a recession in 2001-2002 as we saw in the past.
Madam Speaker, I look forward to an even stronger economic outlook for all Territorians as we move into financial year 2007-08 and beyond.
Little Children are Sacred Report -
Government Response
Government Response
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
In 2004 in the now infamous Mutitjulu memo, you referred to endemic child sexual abuse and neglect and of girls trading sex for petrol. Yet, it was not until the Lateline interviews in May and June last year that you, under great national pressure, announced an inquiry. You have now had the report and sat on it, and you will keep sitting on it until August, which will be nearly three years since the Mutitjulu memo. Is it not true that you have procrastinated and tried to dodge responsibility for child sexual abuse? Are you incapable and unwilling to act in a decisive manner when dealing with child sexual abuse?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the issues raised in the media last year were in part the triggers for this inquiry. I recognise that. Child sexual abuse in our communities is not something that has happened over the last couple of years. It is endemic in terms of how long it has been there. Certainly, the report released on Friday indicates that. It is an issue of great concern to all Territorians.
I called the inquiry, if you go back to the time that I did and the words I used, because of the increased resources we have put into policing and child protection. We have quadrupled the dollars going in since the time the CLP was in government, yet we were not getting the information we needed: the identification to be able to prosecute those who were perpetrators of child sexual abuse. There was a veil of silence that covered this whole issue, which was identified again in the report. It was important to see how we broke through that, how we could fundamentally tackle this issue that had been with us for many years.
Simply increasing the resources was not getting the answers. For example, the case identified in Mutitjulu was thoroughly investigated by police; 170 people were interviewed in the community of Mutitjulu. That has to be at least half the community. Police were not able to establish, after that very significant investigation, whether any criminal offences had taken place. That is frustrating for police, it is frustrating for the community and it is frustrating for child protection. That is why we needed to do something about it and that was the intention of this report.
The issue was raised and what we needed to do was find out ways that we could more effectively tackle issues of child sexual abuse. We have increased the funds. There are 97 recommendations in this report. Many of those are under way. The legislative changes have been worked on, in some cases such as the Care and Protection of Children and Young People Bill, for a number of months. The others that are recommended are under way. The recommendation of having Family and Children Services work more closely with police has been under way for some time now as the Child Abuse Task Force. That was a pilot. The report says to make it permanent. Yes, of course we will. There are many things in the recommendations that are currently under way within government. When we give a full response to the House in August, it will be accompanied by legislation.
While the Opposition Leader can say: ‘You are doing nothing, you are trying to avoid’, in fact it is the opposite. We are tackling this insidious and serious issue for the Territory. Much work is happening. Responses are being examined and costed now. While we need to act urgently, we also need to be well considered in our response, and I believe we are.
APEC Energy Ministers Conference
and SEAOCC Conference
and SEAOCC Conference
Mr WARREN to CHIEF MINISTER
In May, Darwin hosted two important conferences to the Territory, namely the APEC Energy Ministers Conference and the SEAOCC Conference. Can the Chief Minister please advise the House of the outcomes for the Northern Territory from these conferences?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Goyder for his question. Both those conferences, the APEC Energy Ministers and SEAOCC, were great successes. There were over 500 visitors in Darwin for the Energy Ministers meeting and, for SEAOCC, there was a record number of 350. APEC had 17 ministers from 21 APEC economies, and, while they were here for their meeting, they signed what they called the Darwin Declaration. That declaration proposes a number of strategies for member economies to achieve energy security and sustainable development.
The associated APEC Business Forum, which complemented the Energy Ministers Meeting, was attended by more than 150 business leaders and delegates, so it was very successful. Key petroleum industry decision-makers from companies like BHP, Rio Tinto, Shell, Chevron and BP were able to see first hand the situation in Darwin, a capital city that can support development.
I had an opportunity during that time to meet one-on-one with key industry leaders, such as the President of Dow Chemicals in the Asia Pacific, Jim McIlvenny. It was really good to catch up with Jim. We met earlier this year in Japan. We discussed a range of issues, including Dow’s studies for a potential petrochemical investment in the Northern Territory. I also met with Indonesia’s Minister for Energy, Dr Purnomo; Japan’s Vice Minister of Energy, Mr Watanabe, and of course Australia’s Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, Ian Macfarlane.
We intentionally scheduled this year’s SEAOCC to immediately follow the Energy Ministers meeting, and it was a very successful strategy. A number of APEC ministers and delegates stayed on for SEAAOC. They included Ian Macfarlane, Minister Chen from ChineseTaipei, Minister Lotilla from the Philippines, andDeputy Minister Mansor from Malaysia.
This year’s theme for SEAAOC was ‘Meeting Asia Pacific’s growing demand for a clean and secure energy source’. In my sixth keynote address to SEAOCC, I was able to give delegates, including those important delegates from Asia, an overview of our petroleum developments, and the potential for downstreaming in Darwin. There was a lot of enthusiasm. I was delighted about the enthusiasm and optimism about Darwin as a place for investment. We have the energy, we have the enthusiasm and we are recognising the Territory’s capacity to be able to deliver on those major projects. Both conferences, the Energy Ministers for APEC and SEAOCC, were great successes for the Territory.
Little Children are Sacred Report –
Legislative Response
Legislative Response
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
Your government’s draft Child Protection Bill has been circulating since 2004 - not in recent months, as you said in your last answer - the same year as your memo about Mutitjulu. Your former minister said that it would be introduced during the last parliamentary term and it was not. Your current minister has stated that the legislation would come before parliament by the end of 2006. It did not. She said this after the inquiry had been established and made no reference to waiting for the inquiry’s report. Yet last night, during what can only be described as your excruciating interview on Lateline, you said that the reason there is no legislation before the parliament is that you were waiting for the report into sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities. This is a new excuse. I again ask the question: are you unable or unwilling to deal with child sexual abuse in a decisive manner?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the changes to the Community Welfare Act meaning redrafting of the new legislation, the Care and Protection of Children and Young People Bill, is important. Quite sensibly, while there was an inquiry to look at the complexity of the child sexual abuse issue, we waited for the recommendations before we finalised the drafting of the bill. That is what we are doing. The bill will be introduced in the House in August. That work is almost completed. The recommendations from the inquiry released on Friday will be incorporated in the bill and it will be here. This is decisiveness. We will have that bill, properly informed by this important inquiry, in this House in August.
Little Children are Sacred Report –
Response by Department of Justice
Response by Department of Justice
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
The Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse revealed more needs to be done by all of us. Can you inform the House what has been done by Justice, what it is doing right now, and what it will do into the future to protect children?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. As the Chief Minister has already said, this government has worked hard to protect all children from crimes of violence, particularly sexual abuse. That is particularly evident in the Justice portfolio, where my predecessor introduced landmark children’s evidence laws, increased penalties for sexual offences against children, gave victims a say in sentencing and at Parole Board hearings, and introduced a new victims of crime scheme.
Earlier this year, I sought to build on the reforms of my predecessor by directing the Department of Justice to develop a comprehensive anti-violence law reform agenda for roll-out through 2007-08, and it includes, in part, prioritising the review and reform of the Domestic Violence Act; developing legislation to amend the current presumption of bail for serious sexual offenders, which was close to coming in to this parliament. Members from Alice Springs would be interested in that, Madam Speaker, but we held it back, given the report, which may have further recommendations. We are, importantly and worryingly, developing strategies to reduce access to and the highly inappropriate use of pornography in many remote communities.
We have been tackling this problem, but there is much more to do. This report on the sexual abuse of children tells us very clearly that is much more to do. It has received very widespread coverage throughout the Northern Territory and, indeed, Australia, as it should, because the more that this behaviour is exposed, that in itself is a great defence against crimes of this sort.
In all of that media coverage, the piece that stuck out for me was a report in the Northern Territory News this morning and the comment from the member for Araluen, and I quote:
Revisiting history does not help anything.
It is an interesting phrase in itself and it got my mind ticking over. Why would she not want us to revisit history on this issue? I thought if we take quite a short stroll back through history, we might find that the member for Araluen has a few things on the record herself that she may not want anyone to remember.
The government took important action to tackle child sexual abuse in 2004, as I mentioned. That was called the Evidence Reform (Children and Sexual Offences) Bill and, among many things, it proposed to prevent young victims having to re-live the ordeal that they have already been through again and again during the trial process, allowing children and other vulnerable witnesses to give evidence by pre-recorded statements in committal proceedings. Now, you would have thought that was worthwhile, important and a responsible response to what is a very serious issue in the community. What did the member for Araluen do when we introduced that legislation? She opposed it outright. It is interesting to read the member for Araluen’s media release of last Friday following the release of the report:
- We need longer gaol terms for child sex offenders.
I wondered, as you would, if it was the same member for Araluen who opposed longer gaol sentences for child sex offenders in 2004.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: For the benefit of the member for Araluen, Madam Speaker, I will allow her own words to speak for themselves, from a news transcript, in fact, of ABC radio, 25 August 2004:
- The Northern Territory shadow Attorney-General says longer sentences for child sex offenders could further harm victims who are forced to testify in a public trial.
The Territory government passed legislation late last year increasing the maximum sentence for aggravated child sex offences to 20 years.
Jodeen Carney says offenders who might have entered a guilty plea may push for a public trial thinking they have got nothing to lose
She says her concern is to protect victims.
‘If you increase the sentences, as (the) government has, might it not inadvertently result in creating more damage for the children along the way?’
It certainly does if you oppose the previous legislation I was just talking about:
- I feel certain that many child psychologists and other experts in the area would share my views in that regard.
Again, this was another important initiative to increase the sentences for child sex offenders, and what does the member for Araluen do? She opposes it outright. So no wonder she urges us not to revisit history on this particular score.
The member for Blain has a little form on this as well. He is on the record saying he would consider repealing the ban on indigenous men from consummating marriages with child brides. The member for Greatorex, of course - I would not want to leave him out - was a minister in a government that provided just $8m a year for child protection. $8m a year. That figure, today under this government, stands at $35m and continues to increase, so it is no surprise to me that the Leader of the Opposition does not want us to revisit history.
Liquor Advertising and Promotion
Mrs BRAHAM to MINISTER for RACING, GAMING and LICENSING
In the Alcohol Framework report in 2004, one of the recommendations that your government said that you agreed with was that the Licensing Commission should, in partnership with the Office of Alcohol Policy, develop a code of practice for advertising and promotion of takeaway products. Among other things, the code should restrict most forms of promotion that offer a cheaper price if a greater quantity of alcohol is purchased.
This morning, I raised my concern to you about the national campaign by one of our leading supermarkets which is offering 20 per litre off fuel if you purchase $60 worth of alcohol or more. Minister, this flies in the face of all that government has said about restrictions and sensible alcohol consumption, particularly in Alice Springs, where we have a great deal of antisocial behaviour. Will you take steps to stop this promotion so that people cannot buy $60 worth of alcohol or more for cheaper fuel?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Braitling because it is an important issue. As she highlighted, Alice Springs has unacceptably high levels of per capita alcohol consumption and, in fact, it is over two times the Australian average. As we have seen in other places, particularly Groote Eylandt recently, if you can reduce harmful alcohol consumption, you can certainly reduce antisocial behaviour. The child abuse inquiry points very squarely at alcohol as being a major contributing factor.
In terms of my statutory role as minister, I do not have the power to prohibit Woolies from offering such a promotion.
Mrs Braham: Will you approach them and ask them to stop it?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: I am getting to that, Madam Speaker. One would expect responsible retailers, particularly in a place like Alice Springs where alcohol consumption is extraordinarily high, not to resort to this sort of promotion of alcohol. In fact, I would have thought there is no reason at all to further promote alcohol consumption in Alice Springs.
To that end, I know the Chief Minister is in the process of writing to Woolies on this issue. I believe as a community and as Territorians, we can bring a lot of pressure to bear on Woolies to desist from this sort of promotion in Alice Springs. It is good that it has been raised here today. It has certainly been in the media, and I am sure that Woolies are taking good note of this. I would urge them to stop this promotion as soon as possible.
Commissioner for Children - Appointment
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
Your government has been promising to establish a commissioner for children for three years, yet one remains unestablished. This is like your other promises in this area: unfulfilled. Again, I ask the question: are you incapable or unwilling to act in a decisive manner when dealing with child sexual abuse?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, again, the issue of the children’s commissioner is part of the changes to the legislation that we are dealing with. Quite properly, if you have an inquiry into an area as we have just seen, and acknowledge the importance of dealing properly with the protection of Aboriginal children, then we are waiting until those recommendations come through before we finally bring that legislation into the parliament.
It is interesting, Madam Speaker, that the Opposition Leader …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Leader of the Opposition!
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, I suspect the Opposition Leader has not read the inquiry’s report because her questions are not informed by what is in this very long and very complex report.
The report says that the initiatives that have been put in place by this government, the focus that has been given by this government, are in the right direction. Any implication that we are not acting to tackle this insidious issue in our community is wrong. It is wrong. On issues to do with, say, alcohol in Alice Springs, for which so much work has been done over the last 18 months, if you are looking at tackling alcohol right across the Territory, we have a substantial track record.
If you look at the other key issue of the inquiry, it is education. We have started to see some results in education in the Territory, particularly in our bush schools. It is a significant problem, and the inquiry says education is at the heart of protecting Aboriginal children from sexual abuse. It is at the heart. Much work has been done in education and we will continue to do it. We will lift our effort. We have lifted it over the last six years, and we will continue to lift it, as we are doing with alcohol.
We appreciate the insidiousness of alcohol, its trigger in so many areas that is causing problems for Aboriginal Territorians, and we will continue to act on that. The proposals for change to legislation are under way. They will be in the parliament in August. Much work has been done. That does not mean that we have done everything we should have. No, we have not, but we have done a hell of a lot more than the CLP ever dreamed of. We have done so much more in tackling, identifying and being honest about a problem. I have no shame in saying we will continue to tackle it, that we have not done enough, but we will do more.
One of the things that the inquiry said is that they hope that their recommendations will have bipartisan support and that we can work together as a parliament, we can work with the federal government and with other players cooperatively to see change. I appeal to the opposition: work with us on this. It is too important for your petty politics.
Operation City Safe – Alice Springs
Mr HAMPTON to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Can you update the House on the progress of operation City Safe in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Stuart for his question. As members will be aware, Operation City Safe was mounted by police in response to valid concerns by Alice Springs residents in relation to antisocial behaviour and other crime in and around the CBD.
It is appropriate that I report to the House today about progress related to Operation City Safe now that it has been running for two months. It targets hot spots for antisocial behaviour, property damage and assaults during high volume periods, particularly Friday and Saturday nights. It consists of general duties officers, police cars, unmarked police cars, the mobile police station, each of which maintain a very visible police presence in and around the CBD. Members of the Traffic Branch have also been involved in terms of random breath testing stations in the CBD as well as targeting drunk and disorderly driving.
In the first eight weeks, Operation City Safe has achieved the following: 161 people have been taken into protective custody; 153 litres of alcohol have been tipped out; eight arrests have been made; six summonses have been issued; six summary infringement notices have been issued; 11 cautions have been issued; 23 loitering notices have been issued; and no fewer than 1081 people have been moved on.
For many years now, our police have had to deal with antisocial behaviour and other crime issues in Alice Springs, but we are a government that is giving police the tools to tackle this problem through both a legislative base and the fact that we have increased police numbers by 200 in accord with the O’Sullivan review. These are all very important elements. I congratulate the Northern Territory Police, particularly Mark Coffey and Sean Parnell and all the officers in Alice Springs for the fantastic job that they are doing.
As I undertook to do in the Alice Springs sittings, I will be going to Alice Springs in the near future and meeting with Advance Alice and others and reporting back to them on Operation City Safe as well.
Alleged Child Sexual Abuse - Mutitjulu
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
After Greg Andrews first appeared on Lateline in 2006, you feigned shock and called an inquiry. When your Mutitjulu memo was subsequently obtained, you were caught out. On 11 October 2006, in parliament you said:
- I say again, much of the information passed to me by someone I trusted, that is the project manager of Working Together, Greg Andrews …
Yet last night, you told Tony Jones:
- The first reporting I get from him …
that is, Greg Andrews:
- … is anonymously through your program.
Chief Minister, which statement is true? See if you can really test yourself and tell the truth on this one. Which one is true? Was your 2004 Mutitjulu memo based on information passed on by Greg Andrews or was his 2006 Lateline appearance the first reporting you received from him?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the issue of the project manager for Mutitjulu has become one that, obviously for a program like Lateline, is key to the story they put together. Quite properly, I said to Tony Jones, that I was pretty taken aback when his Mutitjulu story last year had this character sitting in the dark saying he was a youth worker who was under threat in the community. You could not see his face and you had to listen very carefully to what he said. It was very shortly after that he was identified as Greg Andrews. He was not a youth worker at Mutitjulu. He was not a third party commentator on what was happening at Mutitjulu. It was the first time I had actually seen him in the flesh.
I took the point up with Lateline, as did other media in newspaper and electronic, that it was an inappropriate use of someone like Greg Andrews in that report. One paper, the National Indigenous Times, was enormously critical of the deception – and it was deception - of someone like that appearing in the story.
I previously had received reports, unsourced; I was not told they were specific to Greg Andrews. The memo I sent to the Police minister did not identify Greg Andrews. I found that out subsequently. Quite properly, that memo indicated that, as Chief Minister, I was taking action. I was asking my Police minister to take action on allegations that had been made about Mutitjulu - quite properly, Madam Speaker.
You say: ‘You have been outed with a memo’. I was outed taking action on an issue that had been presented to me by my department. That is a very different thing from Lateline saying that they ran a story …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: Lateline runs a story about Mutitjulu, that has an employee of the Northern Territory masquerading as a youth worker and pretending he is not at the heart of trying to tackle the issues at Mutitjulu. I was not the only one surprised by that. Media outlets across the country were surprised, and I do not back off the fact that I took it up with the ABC and asked them to explain why that had happened.
Australian Rules Football –
Western Bulldogs and Tiwi Bombers
Western Bulldogs and Tiwi Bombers
Mr KIELY to MINISTER for SPORT and RECREATION
Territorians enjoy a great sporting lifestyle. AFL is one of our most popular sporting codes. Can you please update the House on last weekend’s Western Bulldogs home game, and the recent exploits of the Tiwi Bombers at the MCG?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his question. I agree with you. Cricket is also a great sport, soccer and many others, and the Territory is now becoming the sporting capital of Australia.
We have had the Arafura Games, we have had the Emerging Nations cricket competition, we have the New Zealand cricket team coming for training in Darwin, and we the competition between the women’s teams, Australia and New Zealand, not to mention the V8s. It is going to be a very interesting and very busy Dry Season.
Of course, the weekend’s AFL match was no exception. What a thriller! There was a tremendous home crowd; 14 000 people at Marrara Stadium, and many more around Australia because Foxtel broadcast the game live. My father-in-law rang and said he saw the game in Perth, freezing, and he wished he was in Darwin wearing short sleeves or nearly nothing running across the oval. The game was great. The Western Bulldogs played an excellent game against the Dockers and won a great victory that will take them into the top eight on the AFL ladder.
The Darwin Doggies are our home team, and many people claim that, as an ex-Western Australian, I would be supporting the Dockers. That reality is that I joined the Western Bulldogs club. I support them, and I believe I am the third minister for Sport – Jack Ah Kit was the first, the member for Karama was the second and I am the third. We are supporting the Doggies. Of course we support them; they bring so many people and so much money to the Territory. We will support anyone who does that. I believe every Territorian should experience a live AFL game.
While I am on AFL, I would like to speak about a local team, the Tiwi Bombers. I was very proud, together with my colleague, the member for Arafura, to provide some financial support for the Tiwi Bombers to travel to Melbourne to play at the G. The match was on 26 May against Rumbalara, a local indigenous team in Victoria. The game was the curtain raiser event to the Dreamtime at the G main game between the Richmond Tigers and Essendon Bombers. It was a great game. The Tiwi Bombers bombed the opposition 188 points to 52. The crowd was very, very impressed with their skills.
It was a great game, which recognised the significant contribution of indigenous athletes to AFL. Many people were impressed. As the AFL website says: the Tiwi Islanders are born to play this game. That is a significant quote for our local people. It is important not only that we have a local team going to Melbourne, but we have local kids from Tiwi who have become role models for the young people in Tiwi, which is very important.
We talk about alcohol and drugs, and the bad influence of television and other things on young people, and here we have a very good example of a group of homegrown young people becoming role models for the young people of the Tiwi Islands. I am very pleased and proud to have supported them. I will continue to support them.
Environment Protection Agency
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
In November 2005, you said you would establish an Environment Protection Agency Board, which would oversee the development of the final model of the EPA, bringing the Territory in line with the rest of Australia. In November 2006, the board released its report. In the report, it states that an Environmental Protection Commission should be established, which would have a high level role of advising on policy and standard setting, and in developing legislative and administrative frameworks. It would not have a role in assessment decisions.
Do you believe that model is the one that will bring us in line with the rest of Australia? Does your government support the recommendations of the report? If you do support the recommendations, will you not be giving the Territory another Clayton’s environmental protection agency? Is the government really fair dinkum about establishing a truly independent EPA and when will that happen?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Clayton’s greenie across the road, because I know that the member for Nelson is very interested in, if at times confused, about the EPA. I urge the member for Nelson to be a bit more patient. The EPA that we will establish will be in line with the commitment we made at the last election, and I will be very proud to make that announcement in the coming days. In terms of timing, you are just going to have to wait, member for Nelson. I give a commitment that it will be as per our election commitment.
Alice Springs – Social Order Summit
Ms ANDERSON to CHIEF MINISTER
The government is working with the police, non-government organisations and the community to overcome crime and antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs. Can you inform the House about the upcoming Social Order Summit in Alice Springs and how it will contribute to the safety and security of everyone living in or visiting Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question because I know the future of Alice Springs, the safety and security of those living there, is of high concern for her and her commitment is very strong to that. At the Alice Springs sitting, I said that we would hold a Social Order Summit so the Alice Springs community could be heard and they could find out about all the initiatives government is putting into place to tackle antisocial behaviour to make Alice Springs a safer place.
I know that many people in Alice Springs want to have their say and they have really good ideas and want to help create a safer Alice Springs. We do not want to just have another talkfest. That is why there is a series of meetings before this summit is held to gather ideas from specific people and groups. It certainly gives more people in Alice Springs a chance to participate in the work up to the summit. Between today and 27 June, we will be holding separate meetings for the business community, Aboriginal organisations, government agencies, youth and youth service providers, concerned individuals and organisations and, importantly, for representatives from remote communities across Central Australia. There will be a number of different meetings leading up to the summit.
There will be delegates from each meeting who will be invited to the summit in Alice, which will be held later in July. Remembering that the new public dry areas legislation comes into place on 1 August - one of this government’s really well targeted initiatives to tackle the problems we have with antisocial behaviour - we need to get this information across and these ideas collected before that significant time for Alice Springs.
I am confident that local input will ensure the outcomes of the summit are targeted, practical and achievable. Together, government working with the Alice Springs community can build on the significant work that is already under way and make a real difference to Alice Springs and its future. Invitations have been sent out, and I look forward to meeting as many people as possible at that summit, and developing plans for the future of Alice Springs. It is a critical issue.
With some of the initiatives in place that have been worked on over the last 18 months, we are already starting to see that alcohol consumption is down in Alice Springs. If you compare the March quarter in Alice Springs with the quarter from the previous year, we have seen a 10% reduction in the amount of pure alcohol being drunk in Alice Springs. That is the equivalent of 13 000 litres of pure alcohol. With changes to takeaway hours and what products can be bought at what hours, and with the complementary measures, we are starting to see a small step. It is 10% reduction and there is a long way to go. There is some significant change in alcohol consumption. We have not seen the latest hospital admission figures, and I am looking forward to seeing those.
However, much work is taking place in Alice Springs to turn around the problems of antisocial behaviour and make Alice Springs a safer place to be. It is a lot of work. We are very committed to this. The summit at the end of July will be a very important line in the sand for Alice Springs. Behaviour in Alice Springs is changing, safety is of paramount concern. We will get the damage from alcohol consumption right down for the community of Alice Springs and Central Australia.
Lateline – Chief Minister’s Interview
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
Was not your statement to Tony Jones on Lateline last night about when you first heard the allegations raised by Greg Andrews just another example of a pattern of behaviour - that is to resort to spontaneous and clumsy lies - whenever you are confronted with damaging revelations?
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of the Opposition well knows that she cannot accuse any other member of this House of lying unless she does so by of substantive motion, and I ask you that you urge her to withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, I would ask you to withdraw those comments.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, I withdraw.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS
Move Motion of Censure – Chief Minister
Move Motion of Censure – Chief Minister
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent this House from censuring the Chief Minister and Minister for Indigenous Policy for repeatedly lying to Territorians …
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, please pause.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, we will, of course, accept the censure motion that is about to be put by the Leader of the Opposition as the most important issue that we will deal with today. I urge you to rule that cameras cease filming.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, if the cameras will cease filming. Leader of the Opposition, if you would like to continue with the motion and have it circulated.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016