2005-08-23
Alice Springs Correctional Centre – Prisoner Accommodation Policy
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Madam Speaker, it is lovely to see so many visitors in the gallery this week.
Attorney-General, as you are aware, today’s Northern Territory News carried a story about a 19-year-old man being raped by a serial rapist in the same cell as he was. The rapist, according to the report, raped his sister, a woman living in Parap, and a disabled woman. Do you think that it is good practice to house serial rapists in cells with other young inmates? How long have you known about this,? and wWhat did you do, and when, to ensure that it does not happen again?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that was a very unfortunate incident. It was an operational decision that went seriously wrong in Alice Springs Correctional Centre. The Commissioner for Corrections, Jens Tolstrup, has openly acknowledged that there was an error of judgement in putting those two prisoners together, although, on the face of it, the reasons they made that decision, you would say, would be to seek benefit for the prisoner. The two prisoners were from the same community and related to each other. However, the fact remains, that the outcome was a very terrible one for the 19-year-old.
We will ensure, first of all, that protocols are assessed in terms of decisions about where to house prisoners within our prisons, which we do on an ongoing basis. The commissioner has assured me that they will pay very close attention to those types of factors in making these decisions into the future.
However, it is an operational matter. The member’s question is: - how long have we been aware of it? - well, tThese are daily operational decisions that are made in both of our prisons and in Don Dale. I am not aware, day-to-day, where a prisoner is housed within one of our facilities. Quite properly, I do not intrude into those decisions. They are operational decisions for our prison staff under the overall jurisdiction of the Commissioner for Corrections, Jens Tolstrup.
However, I will certainly ensure that that prisoner is fully aware of their right to seek victims of crime compensation. I will ensure the protocols specifically preclude that type of matching up with prisoners in the future. We will certainly do that through the commissioner.
Royal Darwin Hospital – Emergency Department
Mr KNIGHT to MINISTER for HEALTH
Over theits first term, the Martin Labor government supported the Royal Darwin Hospital with increased spending, more staff and more beds. Can the minister please telladvise the Assembly of what the government is doing to increase that support to help take pressure off the Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, today I closed off a process off thatwhich started when I met with quite a large group of critical care nurses at Royal Darwin Hospital earlier this year. There was a lot ofmuch talk at the time about the problems with bed block within the Royal Darwin Hospital which, visually, you see as trolleys banking up in the Emergency Department simply because there are not beds to move patients on to elsewhere in the hospital.
There were a number of solutions canvassed at that meeting. We delivered on two of them today. One of the two solutions that have now been put in place, as a shorter term response to the problem, is an expansion of Hospital in the Home, which is a scheme under which patients can be discharged from the hospital but continue under care with experienced nurses and their attending doctor. That will free up up toaround 20 patients out offrom hospital beds, making those beds available for people being referred into the wards from the Emergency Department once they have had their initial assessment and treatment.
The other is a Transit Lounge, which is an area where up to eight patients at a time can be located, with a nurse in attendance, while they are waiting for the final stages of their discharge, such as obtaining their medicines, final medical reports and other information that might be sent away with them on discharge. Again, the hours that are spent in the Transit Lounge are hours that the beds they were in are freed up to be used for other patients coming out of the Emergency Department.
The other half of the solution is encompassed in our election commitment to put 24 more beds into that hospital, on top of the 52 we have already put in. However, the demand on that hospital increases year by year by approximately 4%, and we know that we need to continue to build up the bed numbers in the hospital, as well as making more efficient use of the existing beds in terms of patient flow through the care arrangements that they are put into.
It is a big step forward, and the nurses fully appreciated that we have not simply gone there and listened to them and gone away and done nothing. We have come back with some very tangible responses, not only to their concerns, but to the solutions they have put forward. Everyone was very reassured that we have this collaborative working arrangement, we are problem-solving together, we put a really good solution in place today and there is - more to come.
Customary Law Implications in Sentencing
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
When you introduced the Law Reform Bill in October 2003, you said: ‘The aim, in developing this package, has been to ensure equality of treatment under the law’. How can a one-month sentence given to an Aboriginal elder for rape, based on customary customarily law considerations, be equality under the law? As you know, I have called on your government repeatedly to prevent violent Aboriginal men hiding behind the veil of customary law when they appear in court. In light of this most recent and other cases, will you now act to remove the protection that customary law provides to violent Aboriginal men who rape and bash Aboriginal women and children?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the first thing I would say about that particular case is that – and the Leader forof the Opposition is well aware it has now gone to appeal - I am certainly not going to comment about the adequacy of the final outcome; - we do not have one yet.
Mrs Braham: Why not? If we do not speak up for these people, who will?
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Braitling!
Dr TOYNE: The second thing I would like to make very clear to members, particularly the member for Braitling, is that it is most improper for members of parliament to be setting up a kangaroo court with misleading information and only half the facts of the matter, and taking that out into public debate. We have a very …
Mrs Braham: The silence on your side has been deafening.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr TOYNE: We have a very strong responsibility …
Mrs Braham: You should be speaking up for women and children.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Braitling!
Dr TOYNE: … to work within our roles and responsibilities as members of parliament.
What can we do on this matter? The position that the Leader forof the Opposition has brought to me is the appropriate position, which is to say: ask w‘what law have we have put out there through this parliament; how is it panning out with the cases to which those new laws are being applied; and, to see if the intent or the will of parliament is being reflected in the court outcomes? That is our role as parliamentarians,. iIt is not to go around pandering to the opportunist politics by putting out half information and setting yourself up as a de facto judge.
There is a very important principle here,. tThis is the separation of powers between our justice system and the parliament. As parliamentarians, we can look consistently in review at the laws we have made in this House, we canto see if the outcomes are adequate. If you want to know what outcome I am looking for under those laws If you want to ask me what is the outcome I want to see out of those laws, we want to see those type of offenders dealt with very firmly and seriously. If that is not happening under the current provisions we will go back and look at it. That is our role here: - we make laws, review laws, and we see that the laws have the intended effect in our community -. wWe do not set up kangaroo courts.
Government Initiatives to Increase Skills Base in Territory
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
The Martin government has committed to commencing 10 000 new apprentices and trainees over the next four years. Can you please advise the House what the government is doing to increase the level of skills overall in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for his question. because, aAs a new member to parliament, he has a strong focus and interest in employment and training matters generally, for which I commend him, unlike the chortlers from the side opposite. For 11 years, when I was in opposition, in every estimatescommittee stage of the Appropriation Bill I asked for the jobs plan: ‘Where is your jobs plan? What are you doing about skilling Territorians?’ ‘Oh no, we do not have one of those. We do not know what you are talking about’. Eleven years!
Well, this government created one for the work force in the Northern Territory, and I am proud of it. It will see, as the member for Brennan says, 10 000 people in training over the next four years. Build Skills NT is a complementary part of the Jobs Plan,. because iIncreasing skills in the community overall is not just a matter of the number of apprentices and trainees you have out there,. iIt is about increasing the skills of the existing work force that is there at the moment. We have launched the Build Skills NT program with a $500 000 annual sum attached to it.
That will be spent targeting workers, initially, in the automotive, building, construction, hospitality and mining industries,. because wWe want to upgrade the existing skills and build on the skills that we already have in the work force to meet the needs that we know that we are going to have. Many existing workers already have, of course, substantial experience and job knowledge, but they do not have the qualifications behind it. So tThis is a program that can assist those workers to become qualified, or achieve recognition that may be required for particular licensed parts of occupations.
Importantly, this is a relationship with industry and business in this program because this funding is injected directly to industry. It gives industry the flexibility to move their existing workers through new skill levels. Submissions will only be accepted from the peak employer associations and Unions NT. Guidelines have been developed. and We have distributed those to those peak employer and union bodies, and we expect to begin taking submissions in the very near future.
Alice Springs Hospital – Nurse Shortage
Dr LIM to MINISTER for HEALTH
Your nurses in Alice Springs and the Australian Nursing Federation NT Branch are angry about your broken promises to fix up their overloaded working conditions, such as 150 nursing shifts unable to be filled in the last roster in just one ward. The nurses are so angry that they are now handing out these postcards. These postcards are being handed out by the thousands in Alice Springs …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr LIM: ‘I See Red’, … and on the back is the direct address of the Minister for Health. The nurses are so angry that they are now handing out these postcards by the thousands to all members of the Alice Springs community to sign and send to the minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, what is the question here? Can we get to the question, please, member for Greatorex?
Dr LIM: I just want to show you …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, order! Member for Greatorex, could we please come to the question?
Dr LIM: I want to read this quote and I will come to the question.
Madam SPEAKER: If you could be a bit fast about it.
Dr LIM: Well, I am getting all these interjections …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr LIM: This postcard says: Please …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam Speaker, Question Time is an opportunity for the opposition, Independents and other members to ask questions of ministers. The member for Greatorex is not asking a question. He is actually reading a statement, not on a postcard, but onfrom some pamphlet that is being distributed in Alice Springs. I would ask him to table the pamphlet and ask his question.
Madam SPEAKER: Are you willing to table the pamphlet?
Dr LIM: I willingly table this postcard …
Madam SPEAKER: Would you please ask the question, member for Greatorex?
Dr LIM: My question to the minister is: when will you fix up the woeful conditions and safety conditions at the Alice Springs Hospital?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a bit hard to take it seriously when you get these sort of antics. The first thing I can say is that, maybe the address is wrong because I didhave not received any. If they have handed out thousands they are obviously not mailing too many to me.
I find it pretty rich to think that the member for Greatorex presided over a hospital that had 39 less nurses in it. It had a building that had been overdone so that it looked nice and pretty, but now that we are looking and seeing what sort of functionalities are in that building, there is nothing to be proud at the hospital that this charlatan presided over when he was Minister for Central Australia. Thank God he was never the Health minister.
I have met with the nurses. The ANF had a meeting there. So, how angry were they? They did not pass a resolution to take any action out of that meeting. The union organiser said a few things in the media, but, hey, we are coming into a nursing EBA, . so wWhen unions are making comments in the media at the moment, you have to take it very carefully knowing that that process is coming up. We know that EBAs are a time where both sides get into a bit of argy bargy to try to make the point.
In terms of the general way in which the hospital is travelling, I will tell you, member for Greatorex, what we have achieved in the time that I have been Minister for Health. We now have a full set of clinical leaders in that hospital -– anaesthetists, intensivists, surgeons, emergency care, and clinicians. We have 39 more nurses. We have infinitely more capacity in units such as Intensive Care and Renal Care. The hospital is being .
The hospital itself is being rebuilt to a properly set up facility so that it can do the job it is meant to do for people in Alice Springs.
I am very proud of the progress we have made in Alice Springs. Unlike the member for Greatorex, I get around the nursing staff – not just a couple of them over a cup of coffee - I go around to every ward, I talk to the nurses and take their issues on board, as does hospital management.
We are working our way through this and, while you might want to play opportunist politics, I am going to continue to build the capacity of Alice Springs Hospital to serve the people of Alice Springs, and I will do it according to the facts, logic and evidence. That is the way we will have a much better hospital over time.
Destination Darwin Tourism Marketing Campaign
Ms SACILOTTO to CHIEF MINISTER for TOURISM
Yesterday, you launched the Destination Darwin marketing campaign. Could you inform the House about the campaign?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am delighted to, and I thank the member for Port Darwin for the question. I cannot think of a better way to spend $1.4m than giving Darwin a marketing and destination status it deserves.
It is interesting that, four years ago, when I was talking to some pretty serious marketing people ffrom interstate, they looked me in the eye and said: ‘Darwin is not ready to be marketed’. I was a bit dumbfounded that this wonderful city would be considered unready to be marketed as a tourist destination. This was a serious view from experts in tourism marketing. I was stunned. I thought: ‘Rubbish’, and, ‘Wwe have to do it’.
Through the whole-of-government process of marketing the Northern Territory, we have been marketing Darwin as a great place to live, work and invest, and a lotmuch of that work has happened over the last 18 months. I am absolutely delighted that, finally, in a tourism sense, we are marketing Darwin to match that. What a wonderful place to market! We have 230 000 brochures – little ones, they are bold, bright and quirky – which we will be marketing from August to October. This will include all the delights and sharing the story of Darwin and Darwin people. We have some great people here.
It is not hard to find people to share the story. We have people like Jimmy Shu, one of our finest chefs and a man who is so creative about food. In this brochure, he tells of the delights of dragon fruit, markets and what you can do with the food.
We also have choreographer, Gary Lang; comedienne, Rachel Sommer; Shellie Morris, who gives views on the music world and entertainment; Greg Miles, who worked for 30 years in Kakadu, he talksing about Darwin and the region; and an icon of Darwin, the Deckchair Cinema, with Di Koser and Mel KavenaghKavanagh.
This is selling the Darwin story, sharing our story, sharing the delights of our city, and I heartily commend the marketing team in Tourism for this. The pictures are so attractive, I cannot imagine that we will not be building on the success we have had so far with bringing more tourists to Darwin. The story has been good over the last two years. We can build on it, and strategic marketing campaigns like this will certainly add to it. There is an insert in today’s NT News about Destination Darwin, and thanks to everyone who supported that.
This is not just about Darwin, though. It is a Northern Territory campaign, of which this is the Darwin component. We had Alice Springs earlier this year, and destinations from Kakadu and Katherine to Tennant Creek and the Barkly, and Alice Springs, of course, and Uluru Kata-Tjuta. These destinations are focussed, they are attractive, and we will continue to build our tourism market because of it. This is great. If you do not feel proud living in a place like this, then I do not know what I can do for you. With Destination Darwin, we are out there, we are being counted, and it is $1.4m well spent. Go, Darwin!
Madam Speaker, could I have all these booklets distributed? I believe everyone deserves one.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, that is fine.
East Arm Wharf – Major Structural Problems
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE and TRANSPORT
For nearly two months, part of the new East Arm Wwharf has been closed because of major structural problems. When will you give this parliament a full and concise report, highlighting the present condition of the port, the exact cause of the structural problems of the port, how much it will cost to repair the port, who is to blame for the structural failing, and, who will pay for the repairs? Could you also say whether the use of the Fort Hill Wharf, because of problems with East Arm, will have a detrimental effect on the development of the waterfront and, if so, will there be a cost associated with that delay?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his very important question. To give some clarification, we are talking about Sstage 1 of East Arm Port, which is still new in a way. It was completed in December 1999, whereas Sstage 2 is, of course, a later edition,. sSo we are talking about Sstage 1, about 500 metres of wharf.
Basically, three tie rods on that wharf have been shown to have failed completely. Complex investigations involving ultrasound have been taking place over the last couple of months. The tie rods that are broken are being sent away for metallurgical examination. At this stage, I am not in a position to answer fully the important questions posed by the member for Nelson.
First of all, I am unable to say what exactly has caused these faults, or even the full extent of these faultsm.
However, what I can assure this House is that I am working very closely with both the Port Corporation and the Department of Planning and Infrastructure to find a way through this particular issue.
I am pleased to say that the consortium which built Sstage 1 of the wharf is also working closely with government in a cooperative way to try andto work through the issues.
I expect to have further information by the end of August from these investigations that are being carried out. I am more than willing to present to this House a forward plan abouton how these problems are going to be remediated.
One of the major questions I have been asking, and on which we are receiving expert advice, is: , what sort of load can we put on Sstage 1 in the interim? I am aware, as the member for Nelson said, that, basically, some operations from the East Arm Port have had to be moved over to this side, and I hope that it is an interim arrangement.
Another major question I have been asking is,: will it have an impact on the waterfront development? The answers to date have been, no, it will not have a major impact, member for Nelson.
These are important issues. The wharf is a very important part of Darwin being a gateway to Asia. As a minister, I have inherited these faults with the wharf. it is something that I have inherited, these faults in the wharf. However, I am working very closely with the agencies. We are working together to find a way through this particular issue so that inconvenience and the effect on port users will be minimised.
Public Hospitals – Staff Safety Concerns
Dr LIM to MINISTER for HEALTH
Nurses are assaulted verbally and physically on a daily basis at emergency departments in our public hospitals. Staff are sworn at, spat at, and punched, yet nothing seems to be done to prevent such actions against them. Violent and abusive patients are given all the rights and our loyal health staff none. When will you provide protection for our staff from the violence they face every day? What are you doing about staff safety? When will you be prepared to tell abusive patients that they will have to respect our staff or they will not be assisted in our hospitals?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I presume the member is extrapolating from the incident that occurred in the Alice Springs Hospital car park where a nurse was assaulted while she was going to her car. That was an incident we regret. We are following that up with that particular staff member to ensure she feels that her concerns are being dealt with.
For a long time now, in the Alice Springs Hospital, in terms of that particular incident, the staff have access to a security escort to go to their vehicle, or to allow them to get from the hospital grounds towards home if they have any concerns about their safety. That service for the staff has been there for a long time. It is still there and can be used by staff members.
Nevertheless, we have looked into the causes of that particular incident. We have increased the lighting in that part of the car park and, with any of these incidents, as they happen, we will look at what we can do to make them less likely to happen into the future.
Taking the other arm of the proposition that the member for Greatorex put forward – yes, there are certainly incidents in our hospitals with patients, and families of patients or acquaintances, particularly late at night where there is alcohol involved,. A and, where - as members would appreciate - , there is a lot of emotion around seriously ill or traumatised people who often come into our hospitals.
There is nothing we can do on that part to guarantee that those emotions will not be in the workplace in a hospital. It would simply not be possible to vet every person coming in seeking care, and to ensure that they are not emotionally charged with the situation they are in. That is why we appreciate the work of, particularly, our critical care nurses and the critical care staff in our hospitals. They deal with that high level of volatility in patients and other people coming into those workplaces on a daily basis. We understand that,; that is part of the work situation that they are in.
What we can do, and do, is to provide security support around our hospitals so that it is possible to call in assistance if there is aggressive behaviour is becoming apparent. We also provide training in anger management for the staff in anger management so that they do not escalate these incidents. To give any sort of guarantee - is the member for Greatorex suggesting that I stand at the door of ED and personally try to exclude anyone who looks a bit dodgy in his view?
Dr Lim: You can set the standards. You can raise the bar as the minister. You can raise the bar.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Greatorex!
Dr TOYNE: Hospitals have to care for the sick and the injured,. tThey have to care for them without fear or favour. Anything that comes in the front door has to be dealt with, particularly seriously injured or seriously ill people. That is the bottom line. We have to understand that and acknowledge the fantastic work the staff do in carrying that through. I am very proud of our staff. I will certainly take any personal action I can, as minister, to give them all the support they need.
Islamic Summit – Northern Territory Representation
Ms McCARTHY to MINISTER for MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
I note that the Commonwealth government has convened a summit with representatives of Australia’s Islamic community. There is no representation from the Northern Territory’s Islamic community. What is the government doing to ensure that the Islamic community is engaged in what is happening nationally and locally?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. Please allow me to start with a traditional Islamic greeting – Assalamu alaikum warahmat tullah hi wabaraikatul, may the peace and blessing of God be with you. That is the greeting Dr Hassan Bajhau gave to the audience when he delivered his presentation ‘Understanding Islam: A vView from Within’, on Thursday, 11 August, in front of many people from Darwin and distinguished guests such as the Commissioner of Police and the Mayor of Darwin.
The Islamic community in Darwin and the Northern Territory is an important part of our society. Like many of us, they came from somewhere else and made Australia, particularly the Northern Territory, their home. They are bringing up their families, working hard and contributing to the wealth and growth of the Northern Territory. Like all decent Australians, they are appalled by the threats and activities of terrorists, especially people who claim to be Muslims and commit atrocities around the world.
Recently, I had a meeting with members of the Islamic community. I met with Mr Nurul HuqNurel Alhuck, the Chairman of the Islamic Council of the Northern Territory; Dr Waqar Ahmead, nominated ChairmanPresident of the Islamic Society of the Northern Territory; and Dr Hassan Bajhau, who is from [inaudible]Executive Member of the Islamic Society. The three leaders of the community told me they were very concerned about the front-page article ofin the Sunday Territorian ofn 14 August that presented a totally different picture of the Northern Territory Muslim community
Apparently, they were very angry about the involvement of the west within Iraq. As Dr Bajhau told me that was not what he spoke about. He actuallyhad tried to explain and inform the community about what Islam is about and what people believe. He gave me a copy of his speech which I read. I have to admit, the journalist took a lot of liberties with this article. I believe the journalist should have another look at the speech and, if possible, apologise to the community because what he actually claims here is not a true representation of what the community believes.
The Islamic community is very concerned. Following this article, there was a meeting with the community. The leaders advised me that the women were afraid to go out wearing the hijab, the traditional scarf. Some of the young people are concerned. Some of the committee members said that they are afraid that this article is going to create friction between the different communities in Darwin.
Dr BajhauAhmad told me that, after many years working at the university, on Monday when he went there, thatit was the first time people gave him the cold shoulder. He could not believe the effect that article had on relations in our community. It is very unfortunate. I know the media sometimes does not get the whole story, but at least they should make an attempt to get the whole story. I was informed the journalist was there only for the second half of Dr Bajhau’s presentation so, obviously, did not get the whole story.
What is ourthe government doing? OurThe government affirmed a its commitment to multiculturalism, and ourits support of the Islamic community. We support thatem financially. We support (inaudible)multiculturalism in the community. I have to say, I must be the only Greek Orthodox person in Darwin, Northern Territory and Australia who very often attends functions at the mMosque. Some of my colleagues down south have expressed concern and surprise. We are not supposed to do that. We are not supposed to go to an Islamic mMosque, but in Darwin we tend to be different.
We believe we are different. We accept that we are different, and we accept that we are all friends in our community in the Northern Territory. I wish to continue to be that. We should be united with the Islamic community, and we should stand side by side. After all, as the Opposition Leader said today, when a bomb explodes it will kills Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Greeks and English. Let us stay united and make sure that, in the future, the media gets their story right.
Members: Hear, hear!
Auditor-General’s Report – Ministerial Travel
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
You are aware of the Auditor-General’s rReport regarding ministerial travel. Whilst there were some clerical errors made in relation to travel by government, and possibly the Leader of the Opposition’s office, some ministerial claims were not merely clerical errors, such as ‘travel allowance claimed and paid when the minister was on leave’; and, ‘a higher rate of travel allowance claimed and paid for a capital city’, even though the particular minister stayed in a regional city. Such things can hardly be described as clerical errors.
Will you instruct the Auditor-General to undertake a full investigation into all ministerial travel so that Territorians can see the full extent of false claims made by ministers and, if not, why not?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am happy to have this question because, as the House is aware, I was in Indonesia last week. I received reports from the House that there were claims of travel rorts from the ministry and opposition. I was very concerned, quite legitimately, that this government, including the then Opposition Leader, had been rorting the system. Evidently, according to reports I had, the Opposition Leader was quite hysterical …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: … claiming …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: No, absolutely! I know I was quite disturbed fromwhilst in Jakarta.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: There we had the Opposition Leader claiming major rorting of they system. I was absolutely shocked.
Ms Carney: Where did you learn to act?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: When I arrived back on the Friday morning I asked for a briefing.
Ms Carney: So you were beside yourself with shock, and you came back …
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: No, be quiet. You have had your performance! I am on my feet. You have asked the question.
Dr Lim: Oh, are you performing now? She is talking about performing!
Madam SPEAKER: Order, opposition members!
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, I arrived back last Friday morning and I asked for a full briefing. And wWhat do I find out? That, basically, it is about ministers being underpaid in terms of travel allowance - , and we are talking the sum of $1000. I am not dismissing $1000 but, essentially, it is underpaidying..
The Opposition Leader has been hysterical and claimed all kinds of corruption of the system. Yet, I read interviews the Auditor-General had given in the media. He said, ‘administrative errors’ and ‘we need to sort them out’. He did not say ministers were responsible. He said there had been administrative errors, travel entitlements being calculated against an outdated RTD.
Ms Carney: Why do you not do a full investigation?
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Ms MARTIN: There were a number of administrative errors, and my department has said: ‘Yes, we’ll fix them up’. Quite clearly, the Auditor-General is not doing what the Opposition Leader says, which is that we need a full investigation of the system. He has said very clearly a number of times in the media that we need to sort out the administration of this. We will do it. My department has done it.
Again, I must place on record my bewilderment about an hysterical Opposition Leader claiming this major rort of the system, declaring corruption across government. I come back and find out, personally, my involvement in this – I have to tell you, Madam Speaker, and put it on the record – I have been underpaid $60.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition!
Ms MARTIN: It is $1000 we are talking about. Most of that is underpay in administrative errors, yet we have an hysterical Opposition Leader. I respect the right to say, if there has been a rorting of the system, sing it loud! Take it out and declare that this government is botching the system and has rorted the system. However, it was not the case. We had a performance from the Opposition Leader that the report from the Auditor-General simply did not warrant. Once I had investigated what it was all about, the Opposition Leader’s credibility, I have to say, is seriously in doubt.
NPY Lands Residents – Access to Disability Services
Ms McCARTHY to MINISTER for FAMILY and COMMUNITY SERVICES
The Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara NPY Lands in Central Australia cover South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. What is the government doing to ensure that people with disabilities who live in the NPY Lands are receiving access to services that they deserve?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her important question. Indeed, it was my great honour to be in Alice Springs last month hosting a ministerial council of ministers with responsibility for disability services.
I took that opportunity to launch a tri-state disability agreement with the ministers from Western Australia and South Australia. That agreement covers what we call the NPY Lands, traditional land covering across three state borders. It is the first agreement of its nature in Australia. Federal and other ministers present who witnessed it believe it is a great initiative.
There are significant challenges in the delivery of disability services into the NPY LLands,: challenges such as distance, location, infrastructure limitations and the availability of suitably trained staff. These factors can be compounded by governments with differing priorities working in different ways. The framework recognises that state and territory borders should not impede access to disability services. It will provide the basis for consistent, streamlined practices and more integrated services and care.
These arrangements will benefit the estimated 200 people in the NPY region who desperately need better services, from basic support services to quite complex care arrangements involving the joint efforts of carers, family, the community and the service providers. I am proud to say that a lotmuch of this good work has been done by officers of my department, led by the former minister responsible for disability services, the member for Arafura. I thank all of those people for their hard work.
This government is about working together with individuals, families, communities and other governments to deliver the best quality of services we can for those most in need.
Public Housing - Alcohol-free Areas
Mrs BRAHAM to CHIEF MINISTER
Prior to the election, you said you would introduce a new dry area initiative, and that was to declare urban public spaces and living areas as alcohol-free. Many tenants in public housing try to control the drunken behaviour of visitors by putting up ‘no grog’ signs on their doors. When will you legislate to make these ‘no grog’ signs legal, and to give teeth to tenants who want to keep out the drunks?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this was an important issue in the election campaign - the management of some of the complex issues surrounding antisocial behaviour. During the election campaign, having reviewed our strategies under the Community Harmony scheme right across the Northern Territory, we changed the focus of some of those initiatives. Some worked well, some were not working well. One we have decided to change in Darwin, for example, is who runs community patrols. By November this year, ACPOs will be running community patrols. There will be a much closer connection with police and greater powers for those ACPOs as they run the very important community patrols in Darwin.
There were other aspects of changes. The member for Braitling mentioned a key one. Ffor individuals, shopping centres, and housing complexes,. to be able to say, iIf a group of individuals decide that they want a dry area declared, that they can go to the Liquor Commission, where there will be a process which we are developing to do that. There are also other important aspects, such as the prohibition orders for people who are picked up three times within six months, and the fact that there will be an insistence from the court that they goattend for alcohol rehabilitation and treatment. There is a whole range of things.
What we have in place currently, led by the Department of Justice, is that the relevant agencies are sitting down and working through the details of that package. As I said in the election campaign, legislation to support those different areas will be in this parliament by the end of the year. Hopefully, we will introduce the relevant legislation in October, and pass it in the November /or December sittings, the last sittings of the year. That is what we are aiming at.
EnvironmeNT Grants
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
Earlier this year, government sought applications for EnvironmeNT Grants. How are these grants helping Territorians protect our great environment?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. Government believes in putting the community first on environment. I have spoken a number of times about our government’s commitment to preserving and conserving what is the mosta unique environment in Australia. Part of ourthat commitment is why we the establishedment of the EnvironmeNT Grants which support the many Territorians who give up their time to help our environment.
We are spending more than $1m on environment and heritage projects. Our EnvironmeNT Grants’ projects which we initiated certainly provide an open and fair way for all groups to access funding. I must say, the response since we implemented this grants program the response has been one of the most overwhelming responses, particularly from schools and different community groups. I have recently signed off on and approved funding for the 2005-06 grants, which is the second grant round.
This year, $190 000 will be provided from the EnvironmeNT Grants to support the operations of Northern Territory environment groups including Keep Australia Beautiful, The Environment Centre, the Arid Lands Environment Centre and the Environment Defenders Office. These are groups that work very hard to raise community awareness of environmental issues and encourage community action to fix problems.
We are providing funding for 25 environmental projects this year. I will not go through all them, however, just a few will give a sense of the breadth of this great initiative that have come forward. The Local Government Association will receive $10 000 to conduct a gamba grass publicity campaign, which is a very important issue in the Top End - I know the member for Nelson raises it often. I am sure that the member for Barkly will be interested to know that the Mabunji Aboriginal Resource Centre, I am sure the member for Barkly will be interested, will receive more than $26 000 to eradicate feral goats on West Island; and the Motor Traders Association will receive $20 000 to assist in their Green Stamp Program, which will help mechanical workshops to put in place better environmental practices and recognise their achievements.
There have been many projects that have come from across the Northern Territory. There are some that will be delivered by indigenous ranger groups, land care groups and organisations as diverse as the Darwin Surf Life Saving Club and the Northern Territory AgriculturalAvicultural Society. Each of these groups deserves our support and government is very happy to provide it.
Children are our future so In terms of who will inherit our great environment, even at a young age, particularly if we look at our schools and our kids, that is the future. Ffor the protection of the environment well into the future, our government created a separate schools category under the EnvironmeNT Grants. Twelve schools have been successful in receiving project grants. For example, St Francis of Assisi Primary School at Humpty Doo will receive money to establish a calendar garden to demonstrate how the seasons change our environment; Irrkerlantye Learning Centre in Alice Springs will receive funding to establish an indigenous bush food garden and sustainable arid zone garden; and Bradshaw Primary School will receive a grant for their water conservation project.
All upIn total, $460 000 will be spent under the EnvironmeNT Grants. It is going to many diverse groups and I look forward to seeing some of these great projects up and running.
Auditor-General’s Report - Ministerial Travel
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
The nett result of the Auditor-General’s random audit shows that the nett loss amounts to $1000. However, massive overpayments and underpayments may have been made. The fact that the nett result is small is irrelevant. No-one knows the details, based on the Auditor-General’s report,. butHowever, you, Chief Minister, do and could. Can you tell parliament and the people of the Territory whether you will name the ministers who received overpayments; whether repeated overpayments were made and paid back; and advise what, if any, disciplinary action you have taken?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have taken some disciplinary action against myself for being underpaid $60. I just say …
Ms Carney: I am sorry you do not regard this seriously, you should.
Ms MARTIN: No. I say againrepeat what I said in response to the otherprevious question, that the Auditor-General did an assessment - June 2003 to June 2004. He discovered there were some administrative errors. If he had discovered - and I have a lot of trust in our Auditor-General,. hHe is a very fine Auditor-General …
Ms Carney: As do we.
Ms MARTIN: I note that we heard a lot of hot air from the opposition about the waterfront, but not a word about the …
Ms Carney: Why do you not change the subject? Stick with …
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: … while we are referring to the Auditor-General, - not a word to say: ‘We must have been wrong about the waterfront because the Auditor-General says ‘probity in order’. It is interesting that we hear silence on some issues.
I have a lot of confidence in the Auditor-General. If the Auditor-General had written in his report - which he has every entitlement to do - that there had been massive rorting of the system, massive overpayments or massive underpayments, he would have said so. What we have is the Opposition Leader, who had an hysterical attack last week …
Ms Carney: Oh, get over it!
Ms MARTIN: I say that because it was an hysterical attack, and I say it with some sense of care because, as I said, the noise she made could almost be heard in Jakarta.
I did investigate, I received a briefing on what had happened, and read what the Auditor-General had saidwrote. He said there have been some administrative errors.
Ms Carney: And then what did you do? Are you leading us through it?
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, cease interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: Can I say, the Opposition Leader was a practising lawyer for many years; this is not a court of law …
Ms Carney: I am a bit used to getting the truth, sorry.
Ms MARTIN: … and it is very offensive to have the …
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Ms MARTIN: … Opposition Leader as a witness through what I want to say. This is not a court of law. This is the parliament, and you should have some courtesy …
Ms Carney: Yes, I know, so there is no obligation for you to be honest …
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!
Ms MARTIN: … and listen to what I am saying.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, will you please cease interjecting?
Ms MARTIN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Auditor-General has raised an issue of administrative errors,. tThey are being corrected, and that is the end of the matter. If the Auditor-General had said there were massive overpayments and corruption of the system, yes, I would have acted and acted before now. However, he has not said that,. and yYou cannot put constructions into what the Auditor-General has put in his report to this parliament that are simply not there.
Biodiesel Facility at Darwin Business Park
Mr NATT to MINISTER for BUSINESS and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Can you please advise the House on the positive benefits to the Territory’s economy following the announcement of the construction of a bio-diesel facility at the Darwin Business Park?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for his question. because, oOn 6 July this year, there was a very exciting announcement by Natural Fuels Australia Limited that they were going to build a $77m biodiesel facility at the Darwin Business Park at East Arm. During the construction of that facility we will see more than 100 jobs created. It was a great announcement.
The deal was struck between Vopak, Natural Fuels Australia Limited and the Land Development Corporation. It was the result of two years of hard work by, not only those three parties but other parties, business interests and government support over the last two years. Central to the $77m facility going ahead was the decision by Vopak, whoich is are building the new Darwin industry fuel terminal at East Arm, to secure additional land beside their $55m facility. We are seeing massive investment at the port and this was a great announcement by Natural Fuels.
More than 100 jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase, as I said, and the project is due to get under way in October this year. The CEO of Natural Fuels is a gentleman by the name of Mr Dick Selwood, whom I have met on a number of occasions in the lead- up to this project. I would like to thank Mr Selwood for his confidence and commitment to the Northern Territory. This project is visionary. It is the first biodiesel plant in Australia, and he certainly could have put this plant anywhere in Australia. Any government would have been pleased to secure it for their particular state or territory. However, he has chosen the Northern Territory because of the railway and the proximity to Asia. He sees that this particular facility is going to grow and expand into the future.
It is due to be completed by September 2006.
The way this is going to work is that Natural Fuels are going to import palm oil from South-East Asia for conversion at its biodiesel plant into a green diesel, producing zero sulphur biodiesel and pharmaceutical-grade glycerine.
One of the exciting things that is happening in our economy at the moment, with the construction of the LNG plant, and all the other work out there at East Arm, is the increase in shipping that we are going to see across our harbour. At the moment, even with the Bayu-Undan project, we have seen many rig tenders travelling to and fro across the harbour, additional container shipping lines coming to the Port of Darwin such as Hai Win shipping. When we have the Bootu Creek manganese mine up and running - , and I know my colleague, the member for Barkly, is excited about this as well - , we will see 800 000 tonnes of manganese exported through the Port of Darwin each year. We are also getting pretty close to seeing Frances Creek iron ore exporting through the Port of Darwin. That is potentially one1 million tonnes’ volume of iron ore a year. We have palm oil imports coming in from South-East Asia, as well as seeing LNG tankers on our harbour. We said when the LNG plant was going to be constructed that Darwin Harbour is a working harbour. Well, it is about to get much, much busier.
This plant will be a world-scale facility, producing 130 000 tonnes of biodiesel a year,. and again I congratulate Mr Selwood on this. Importantly, Natural Fuels have also commissioned the expertise of Charles Darwin University for a three month trial to test the benefits of biodiesel in mining, on and off road transport, power generation, and other areas where heavy diesel is used.
This is a good green story, as well as a good industry story for the Northern Territory: $77m being invested in the Northern Territory, 100 jobs in construction, 15 full-time jobs in operation, a big increase in shipping,. It is good news for the Northern Territory, great investment and great confidence in our economy.
Auditor-General’s Report – Ministerial Travel
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
There is a fundamental difference between clerical errors and rorting the system. Claiming travel allowance when on leave, or claiming and receiving a higher rate than an entitlement provides, amounts to rorting. Why will you not name the ministers who have made false or suspect claims? Can you advise whether the money has been paid back and, finally, why shouldn’t those ministers lose their jobs based on political precedent in this country?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I refer the Opposition Leader to the Auditor-General’s report. I am not making things up here. I refer the Opposition Leader, who prides herself on her legal ability and her corporate procedures, to page 18 of the report where the Auditor-General refers to ‘errors’ is what the Auditor-General talks about. He says: ‘
- ∙ one instance where travel allowance was paid notwithstanding that the Claimant was on leave;
∙ payment of full travel allowance being made even though the Claimant did not use …’
What they are saying is that these are done automatically. They are not done …
Dr Lim: The minister has to sign off.
Ms Carney: The minister signs for them.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: They were clerical errors, and the Auditor-General says that. What I am saying is that there were inaccuracies. My department has taken full responsibility. That is included, because the department has commented. These are errors that happened. They will be sorted through and they will not happen again. Errors will happen,; we hope these will not happen again.
Madam Speaker, I say again, if there had been rorting of the system, I would have actioned it very quickly. I will not be part of a government where there areis rorting of athe system by ministers taking advantage of travel allowances. I am confident that ministers - , and the then Opposition Leader, the member for Blain was part of this too - , and that he wereas not rorting the system either.
There were some administrative errors. They will be cleared up. I say to the Opposition Leader: keep a perspective on this. Just because you have found a document that you are trying to misinterpret does not mean it is fact. The Opposition Leader does this often,: claims a fact, then blows it up and says the place is imploding, forgetting that you have to get your facts right. We saw that in the waterfront debate this morning, and we will probably see it again. Get your facts right.
Ms CARNEY: A supplementary question, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: No, there is no supplementary question.
Channel Point Reserve – Tender for Road Construction
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE and TRANSPORT
Your government either has, or is about to, issue a tender to build the road to Channel Point Reserve. Is it true that whoever wins the tender will be required to mulch any timber that is knocked down during construction? Isn’t this a bit of a silly idea considering the timber would rot down and would end up being a refuge for wildlife? Is it true that mulching will cost at least $80 000? Could this money be put to better use such as applying a seal to the truck parking bay at Coolalinga to solve that never-ending dust problem?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. It is true that a road is being constructed to provide access through Channel Point and La BelleLabelle Downs Station. Part of that, of course, is to provide access to a limited number of recreational anglers to the PerronPeron Islands and the wonderful fishing there, thus fulfilling an election commitment by this government in 2001.
Turning specifically to the member’s question, I am advised that the requirement in the contract was included because there were some concerns about trees felled as part of the process becoming fire hazards. There have been complaints there, not least of all from the lessee of the La Bbelle pastoral lease, about fire destroying plant and equipment, as well as hay and baling operations there. My advice is that that requirement was included in the contract to address those concerns.
In terms of how much extra it will cost the contractor, I am unsure about the figure that you have provided, however, I undertake to get back to you with a figure.
Alice Springs - Seniors Housing Complex
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for HOUSING
I understand the government is about to open another seniors housing project in Alice Springs. Can you tell the House what progress there has been?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an appropriate question from the member for Macdonnell and, if I may, I pay tribute to all our seniors in the House today,. and tThank you for your outstanding contribution to the Northern Territory and to your respective communities.
In 2004, two adjoining public housing residential allotments at Kenna Court in Alice Springs were identified as being suitable for the development of a small seniors unit complex. The project involved the demolition of unserviceable dwellings and construction of six new units into a smaller village complex.
Extensive community consultations were conducted during the development phase. All of these consultations proved to be very positive, particularly in regards to people who lived nearby. They acknowledged the fact that they would welcome into their communitiesy people who would make ongoing community contributions.
Construction commenced in early 2005, and it was completed on 11 August 2005. Design features of the units are aimed at making life safer and more comfortable for our seniors. Features included: spacious bathrooms; living areas; allowing easy access for residents or visitors with walking frames and wheelchairs; doors fitted with handles instead of knobs; and, of course, there are also backyards. The tenants will be able to access a garden grant if they wish to develop a small garden.
The design is similar to the seniors village at Flynn Drive in Alice Springs, and I understand that has been a very big success with existing tenants. It is important to note that the residents will mostly be current pPublic hHousing tenants over 55 years of age who are currently living in three-bedroom homes. This will free up those homes for families in the community. In conclusion, I am pleased to inform members of the House that the first tenants moved into Kenna Court today.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016