2002-05-15
Ministerial Responsibility – Department of Health and Community Services
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
The Deputy Secretary of your department has resigned, saying your policies are not being implemented and the General Manager of RDH is leaving today. The Northern Territory AMA state the department is in crisis and that you, minister, are not listening. The CEO of your department is rumoured to be leaving. You say, minister, that these are only departmental problems. Minister, what on earth is your job? What do you do?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am quite happy to answer this question from the Leader of the Opposition. This, coming from the previous government who had absolutely no interest whatsoever in health at all but left us with a $34m black hole in health. They left us significant issues in relation to outcomes for people in the Northern Territory and their health. They ignored things to do with indigenous health, they did not have the guts to move on things like drugs. Minuscule, they all said. Minuscule!
Mr REED: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was specifically about people in senior management positions leaving the department, nothing to do with history. What’s happening today and what is the minister going to do about it?
Madam SPEAKER: I think we have had this debate before. Ministers will please address the question.
Mrs AAGAARD: Madam Speaker, there are around 3800 members of staff in my department, very hard working, committed people in my department. They have been working throughout the Northern Territory for many years under very difficult conditions because of the previous government and, might I say, the pathetic performance of previous Health ministers.
Madam Speaker, we have a reform agenda. We aren’t going to be the government that says we won’t do things. In relation to the former Deputy Secretary of the department, as I mentioned yesterday, this is obviously, so obviously, an operational matter. It has nothing to do with me. That is what the CEO does.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the floor.
Mr Burke: Your policies aren’t getting implemented.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition.
Mrs AAGAARD: Madam Speaker, the only one who’s talking down the department is, in fact, the opposition.
Members interjecting.
Mrs AAGAARD: There is no suggestion my CEO is going anywhere.
Mr Reed: And the General Manager of the Royal Darwin Hospital, where’s he gone?
Mrs AAGAARD: The General Manager of the Royal Darwin Hospital. Yes, he’s a very, very good man.
Mr Reed: Was!
Mrs AAGAARD: He is still a very good man and, yes, he is leaving. He has another job to go to. Like many Territorians …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order1 Both sides are being disorderly. Give the minister a chance.
Mrs AAGAARD: Like many Territorians, unfortunately, he has a family who would prefer to live closer to his relatives. Is there something unusual about this? He has another job in Queensland. This is not a story. This is the opposition trying to talk down a very good department with excellent staff. This is the opposition who had no interest whatsoever in health for 27 years and have the absolutely audacity to bring up this kind of issue with me. It’s pathetic, Madam Speaker.
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Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Before we do go on, I would like to advise members of the presence in the gallery of the Australian State Politics students from the Northern Territory University accompanied by their lecturer, Dr Bill Wilson. I am sure they will be most interested in Question Time today and how it is debated. On behalf of all members, I extend a warm welcome to you.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Federal Budget – Timor Sea Gas
Dr BURNS to CHIEF MINISTER
What did the Commonwealth budget deliver in terms of promoting Timor Gas coming onshore?
Mr Reed interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Looks like we might know the answer already.
ANSWER
A very timely question from the member for Johnston, Madam Speaker. My government and the oil and gas industry have been very keen to see the clarification of the Commonwealth’s position with regard to accelerated depreciation on major infrastructure assets. We were certainly hoping for a very clear line when the budget came down last night.
I will explain a bit about accelerated depreciation. Following the Ralph Review of Business Taxation, it was recommended that rather than providing accelerated depreciation of major national assets in the tax regime, in future these assets would be taxed according to their effective life and this was to be in exchange for a lower corporate tax rate.
In the case of gas pipelines, rather than companies being able to depreciate the assets over 20 years, the Australian Taxation Office considered this effective life, the new definition, be extended to 50 years, making investment in these vital pieces of national infrastructure almost unviable at the stroke of a pen.
This government has, on many occasions, called on the Commonwealth government to resolve this issue, given the strategic importance of developing Australia’s gas reserves. When we went through last night’s budget papers, it was addressed - the Commonwealth said it would be capping the effective life of certain classes of assets, including specifically, gas transmission and distribution assets. However, there was no clear statement as to what this cap would be. So, really, you had a half a page but it was very ambiguous and no resolution.
I am very pleased to announce to the House and I am sure, because building pipelines is absolutely critical to the Territory’s future - whether they be building pipelines from the Timor Sea to Darwin or building pipelines from Darwin to the rest of Australia, Moomba or across to Queensland - a clarifying statement has been issued today by the federal Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources that, and we applaud this: ‘…that will cap the life of pipelines at 20 years’. We applaud this decision …
Members interjecting
Ms MARTIN: We have had a year at a critical time in the Territory’s history, a very critical year where pipeline builders didn’t know what the situation was. They had been put in more uncertainty by the Coalition government than any previous Labor government, because when it suddenly moves from 20 years as an effective life to 50 years, you had pipeline builders saying: ‘We can’t move’. So, it has been a year of uncertainty, and I don’t congratulate the Howard government for that, but let’s say that last night’s ambiguous statement has been clarified today.
We now know that the accelerated depreciation will be for a 20 year period, and it removes another uncertainty about the great project for the Territory of getting gas onshore to Darwin from the Timor Sea, and then getting that gas into the national grid, either through Moomba or up through Queensland.
Safety of Remote Area Nurses
Ms CARTER to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Is the minister aware of the disappointment and frustration being felt by remote area nurses over the inadequacy of your violence and aggression policy? In particular, there is a remote area nurse who has a history of having been stationed at Numbulwar for a few years, then to Gapuwiyak, now into Nhulunbuy, and now being transferred, forcibly, into Darwin because of violence and the issues that have occurred to her. She has been assaulted in two communities, she is feeling very distressed and unhappy with the situation. She believes that your policy is not working. What are you going to do about it?
ANSWER
Mr Burke: Are you aware of it?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the floor.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has the floor. Both sides, allow the minister to answer.
Mrs AAGAARD: Madam Speaker, naturally I have received what’s called news flashes, which the people on the other side may remember, regarding this particular person. I think it’s very poor, actually, to bring up individual cases in this House. In relation to the violence policy, the aggression policy of this government, which has been endorsed by the ANF and various other organisations which relate to nurses, they say that the policy is working. It does have a review process in place, at the end of six months it’s going to be reviewed. I am having a meeting this Friday with the ANF to discuss this issue as well.
Mr Burke: Why aren’t you meeting with her?
Mrs AAGAARD: Madam Speaker, once again …
Mr Burke: Why don’t you meet with her?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Cross Chamber chatting is not on, and it’s happening from both sides.
Mrs AAGAARD: It’s amazing. Now, suddenly, the opposition is interested in this kind of issue. When they were looking after this portfolio, did they do anything? They did nothing. Once again, another situation which we have been left with, we are working on, and we will solve.
I would like to make one other point, too. What needs to be said is that this should not be an anti-Aboriginal community statement, as well. People are working with the communities to make sure communities are part of the responsibility of their actions in relation to nurses. There are responsibilities for nurses, there are responsibilities for Aboriginal communities, we are making sure that there is a partnership, and these policies are working.
Federal Budget - Impact on Health and Community Services
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Would the minister describe the impact of the Commonwealth budget on your portfolio?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am wondering what the opposition is going to think about that, because there is certainly very, very little in the budget for the Territory - a very, very sad situation. There is virtually nothing in the budget for indigenous health. There is no increased funding whatsoever. A big disappointment for the people of the Northern Territory.
The two things which have been highlighted in the media so far have been the cuts to the Disability Support Pension, a very, very sad matter for the people of the Northern Territory. Also, the issue of the cutting of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Fund. When federal Labor left office, cardholders paid $2.70 for each prescription. In seven years, that has increased to $4.60, an increase of 70%. Also, when federal Labor left office, non-cardholders paid $16.80 for each prescription, with this budget they will pay $28.60, another increase of 70%. Even worse than this is that the safety net amount has gone up for pensioners and general patients. Previously for pensioners this was $187.20, and from 1 January it will go up to $239.20. For general patients, it will go up from $686.40 to $874.90. This is quite a huge impost on Territorians and a very, very sad day for sick people in the Northern Territory.
There has been some very false reporting of $100m which has been added to the budget in relation to disability services. What has actually happened is that the federal government, in its forward estimates, removed $100m from its forward estimates, and now has put it back in saying: ‘Yippee! We have new funding’. In fact, it is the same funding which they had in there before. There is no growth in the amount, it is exactly the same funding.
Further, the budget failed to provide sufficient indexation funding for Disability Support Services, and considering that independent research recently commissioned by the Commonwealth and state/territory governments indicates that indexation of at least 5.8% is required in 2002-03, this is a pathetic situation.
I am very sorry that the people on the other side, who belong to the same party as that in the Commonwealth …
Mr Burke: Wrong!
Members interjecting.
Mrs AAGAARD: Where is your Senator? Where is your local member, working on this for the Territory? This is a big disappointment for Territorians, and I am very sorry to have to report this to the House.
Proposed Dental Clinic at Casuarina
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
In parliament on 26 February this year, I asked about the tendering process and delays in the starting of construction of the clinic. Minister, you replied:
- I can say though that there is no reason why the development at Casuarina cannot proceed very quickly because we are through the process of identifying the developer and there are no further constraints on them beginning work.
Minister, is it true that the construction of the clinic has not yet started? Why has there been such a long delay? Are there other projects having the same delays. Shouldn’t the government be fast tracking these projects, especially when the economy is in a slump and it is a known fact that some of our long-term quality subbies are either leaving town, or are preparing to leave town, because there is no work?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It is very pertinent at the moment, because I can very happily announce that, two days ago, I signed off on the final lease agreement for the clinic. It is a 15-year lease agreement. Although I approved, on 19 February this year, the beginning of the negotiations with the developer, it has taken a little longer to work out the detail, particularly, of the fit-out costs and the overall leasing value for the time period.
We wanted to contain the cost of the leasing to a prearranged level that we felt was in keeping with the property values in that area of Darwin. We have now resolved that issue by extending the lease level, and bringing the leasing cost down to the level that my department felt was appropriate for that area of Darwin.
We are at a stage now where I have signed off the final approval and work can now begin. That will be a $1m fit-out, and that is good news for our subbies because there will be a lot of work for them on this project. It is good news for Darwin. We are going to have a high quality dental facility based in Casuarina to serve the people of Darwin into the future.
Safety of Remote Area Nurses
Ms CARTER to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Given your lack of concern for bashed nurses out bush …
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Health minister never said that.
Mr Stirling: It is a reflection on the minister.
Ms CARTER: Allow me to explain …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, I think you should rephrase that.
Ms CARTER: I am concerned that you have a lack of concern for nurses who have been assaulted out bush. One of the reasons I say that, is that the nurse that I have spoken to today on this matter expressed to me that her concern is that she lacks genuine support for the problems that have occurred to her. Interestingly, she is trained in occupational health and safety. She has critiqued your new policy and claims that it is inadequate. She says that, from her experience out bush - and she has been in Nhulunbuy until recently - there is no sign of any audits occurring in a practical sense on the communities.
Given my concerns here, I wonder if you can explain this advertisement that appeared in the Northern Territory News on Sunday in which you claim to thank all nurses for the skill, dedication and hard work they have delivered in our community, because I would consider this advertisement somewhat crass in the circumstances.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, first of all, I just wonder what is going on in the opposition? Do we have a new opposition spokesperson on health? This is an interesting point.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Members, the minister has the floor, and I think we should show her some respect and allow her to answer. Again, it is both sides.
Mrs AAGAARD: Madam Speaker, I will start with the advertisement which was in the paper on Sunday. It is interesting that it should have been bought up by the member for Port Darwin, who says she is a nurse, because Sunday was International Nurses Day, a very important day. I was recognising those nurses in the Northern Territory who put in a fantastic effort, and I am not going to stand down from that, that is a fantastic thing. Our nurses are very valuable people. We care about them on this side of the House.
We are putting in a hundred more nurses. We are making sure that nurses have better conditions than they have ever had before. The kind of slurs being thrown at us on this from the other side of the House are pathetic!
In terms of the aggression policy, I have already said that this is a policy which will be reviewed. I have meetings this Friday with the ANF. I know that they have concerns. I did not say that it was a policy which was set in concrete. This is something we are working with. I would have to say that in my trips around communities over the last few months, and I have been going to a lot of communities; I have talked with lots and lots of nurses. Nurses are feeling that there is more interest in them than ever before. I have talked to a considerable number of nurses, and I am happy that we are moving in the right direction in this area.
Federal Budget - Impact on Territory Vocational and Education Training
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
Can the minister tell the House what impact the new federal budget will have on the Vocational and Education Training system in the Northern Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his question, because they won’t ask questions on education from that side, so I have to get my own side to.
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: Three sittings without a question is a bit ordinary, Terry. I have to write the question and answer it myself and give it to my mates to ask it.
Madam Speaker, I know the opposition is a bit chuffed with the budget last night. I spoke briefly with the Leader of the Opposition this morning, and he was telling me about all this extra money that they are going to spend up here. But I can tell you that our member for Wanguri, the minister over here, has a very different picture on that $73m that you were sprouting on about this morning.
The question I am being asked of here is in relation to the funding for training. It came as a great shock through the National Training Network of Australia to find that the federal budget has cut $10.5m from the Australian National Training Authority - money which is used to fund the training advisory councils right throughout Australia. In the case of the Northern Territory, it is almost a million dollars - $965 000. We used to get that million dollars year in, year out. And not a word of consultation from the Australian National Training Authority. It was only last week that the financial negotiations and agreements were put in place for the next financial year. One has to suspect that the Australian National Training Authority itself was not aware that it was about to be slashed to the tune of $10.5m.
That funding cutback puts the whole network of training advisory councils throughout Australia in jeopardy. It is certainly a concern to us in the Northern Territory because we have six of these training advisory councils here. Probably their most important function is the provision of strategic advice to government on industry training needs and skill shortages across the Territory - information that government uses within the Department of Employment, Education and Training to learn what are the training needs and the shortages and the deficiencies in the system, and what the funding requirements will be in the outer years. They are, in that sense, the voice of industry. It’s the voice of industry that has been silenced by the federal government cutback here.
However, training advisory councils also provide a range of training services to business so that business can ask what sorts of training packages are available for a certain occupation. They can go into the training advisory councils if they believe that the training their trainee is receiving is not up to the mark or deficient in some respect. So that level of advice and consultation has been placed in jeopardy by the federal government’s decision last night in the budget and, as I said, completely out of the blue. There was absolutely no consultation, and right on top of the closure of negotiations for next year’s funding.
You would have thought, at the very least, they would have consulted with the Australian National Training Authority, which in turn could have consulted with the respective states and territories as to what this would mean. This unilateral withdrawal of funding has, as I said, put in jeopardy all of these training arrangements and will be seen as a great disappointment.
Fortunately, there is a Ministerial Council meeting next Friday in Sydney, which I will be attending. It is some comfort to know, of course, that its not the Northern Territory only in this situation that has this concern, every other State and Territory Training minister will be voicing the same concern and disapproval of this action by the federal government last night.
In relation to the Treasurer, commentators have it that if last night’s budget was a job application for the Prime Ministership, he didn’t make the short list. He didn’t make the short list on the basis of that budget last night. If we look at the Treasurer’s role in education, he has never made, in his entire parliamentary career, a speech about education. Nine references to education in the federal parliament in the last six years. Nine references only to education. Let’s analyse the nine references. Five of them were when he was announcing broader government policy on education in the budget; two were asides in speeches on the new tax package; one cursory mention in a censure debate; and one reference to investor education in a debate on the financial sector.
Is it any wonder that there is no money for education in the budget last night? Far from it. We are in fact facing cuts, and we will have to look very closely at how we handle the continuation of the training advisory council network in the Northern Territory, and how we get that valuable industry advice through to government.
Provision of General Practitioner Services at Ntaria
Mr ELFERINK to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Madam Speaker, I am heartened to hear that the minister is so concerned about indigenous health in her answers today. What concerns me, however, is that what she says and what she does are two different things. I would like the Minister for Health and Community Services to explain why she has taken a small amount of top-up funding away from the doctor at Ntaria and effectively removed 1000 Aboriginal people’s doctor from that community.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am afraid the honourable member doesn’t understand what this is actually about. In the area that he is talking about, there is about to be the roll-out of a primary health care zone. That means that money is transferred from the Northern Territory to the zone, which is then looked after by the board. The board then decides where the money is spent.
I have been advised, in fact, as late as yesterday, that the board will be in conversation with the particular doctor, who is being talked about in the House, by the end of the week, and we expect that the matter will be resolved. This is not a question of the Northern Territory government cutting any funds to any doctors. This is a question of a board deciding on the services that they want in their community. I understand that the situation will be resolved later this week or early next week.
Federal Budget – Defence Initiatives for the Northern Territory
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for DEFENCE SUPPORT
What defence initiatives for the Northern Territory are contained in the 2002-03 federal budget?
Mr Burke: Don’t tell me you are going to complain?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is interesting to pick up on the interjection from the member for Brennan who, as we all know, had a distinguished career in the ADF. As members would know, some 6100 members of the ADF and Department of Defence personnel are based in the Northern Territory. On behalf of the new Northern Territory Labor government, I would like to put on the record, for the first time in this House, that this was a significant initiative of the Hawke Labor government and Kim Beazley, as the Defence Minister at the time, to relocate such significant numbers of ADF personnel to the Northern Territory.
This was an issue that was never recognised by those opposite when they were in government and, in fact, the Leader of the Opposition, the former Chief Minister, would not even be here today if it had not been for the Hawke Labor government’s initiatives in the mid to early 1980s. So I would like to put that on the record for the first time that, without that significant initiative by Kim Beazley as Defence Minister in the Hawke government, we would not be having this good news story here today.
We also look to the fact that that single decision underpinned economic growth in Darwin for at least 10 years, the significant initiative of a federal Labor government. We all know that ADF makes a significant contribution to the Northern Territory economy, around $500m per annum in terms of ongoing spend. The 2002-03 defence budget handed down last night will bring significant benefits to the Northern Territory, with $78m worth of additional works committed for the 2002-03 financial year.
We put on the record that we have $78m of works committed for this year. I note that the still homeless member for Solomon, Dave Tollner, claimed in the NT News this morning, which managed to get the headline of about $550m, was generated by last night’s budget, and this figure is blatantly incorrect. Let’s break down the numbers. Obviously, Mr Tollner and Mr Costello have been in the member for Katherine’s school of budget management, and budget manipulation of the figures. This relates to $551m worth of projects, including this year’s allocation of $78m, and these recount projects already commenced and expended in past years, and expenditure in future years past 2002-03.
Only $25m of this relates to new announcements in this budget. The balance of $526m has previously either been announced or spent. $65m of the expenditure slated for 2002-03 relates to previously announced projects, with the balance of $13m - not $550m - $13m relates to new projects not previously announced. So, although the $78m is welcomed, the real story of last night’s budget was the Commonwealth committing to $13m worth of new capital projects for the Northern Territory not previously announced. That was not the headline in Robert Hill’s press release, that was not the headline in the NT News. The number, and I have the details here, is $13m worth of new projects.
Let’s compare that commitment to capital works in the Northern Territory to the new Labor government’s commitment since August last year, when we have put an additional $21m worth of new money into capital works to underpin the Northern Territory economy. The commitment from the Labor government in terms of new money previously unannounced for capital works in the Northern Territory is $21m in eight months. Last night we had $13m worth of new money previously unannounced, it is welcomed and $78m is going to produce a significant boost.
Now we look at how this money is being split up. The Bradshaw field training area infrastructure, $27m. This will provide the necessary infrastructure to allow the use of the Bradshaw property as a field training area for the First Brigade. A contract for the construction of a bridge over the Victoria River was awarded in November 2001, and construction is expected to be completed by June 2002. The project completion is currently planned for December 2003. There are still unresolved native title issues but I understand that they are progressing. Once those are resolved, we have the money ready to commit, but it has previously been committed.
The 1st Aviation Regiment facilities, Darwin, $10m. This will provide new facilities for the 1st Aviation Regiment at Robertson Barracks in Darwin, and includes permanent purpose-built working, training and domestic accommodation facilities as part of their relocation, and co-location in Darwin of all helicopters to be acquired under project Air ’87. Again, that was an announcement in last year’s budget, but we are advised that this project is going to commence in the 2002-03 financial year.
As Defence Support Minister, I am privileged and proud to work with our ADF personnel in the Northern Territory. They make a great contribution, not only to the physical infrastructure, but the social infrastructure of the Northern Territory - very much a part of our community and a magnificent initiative of the Hawke Labor government.
Members: Hear, hear!
Nursing Staff Numbers
Dr LIM to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
The minister told us yesterday that the nursing level at the Alice Springs Hospital is two above complement. What she didn’t tell us was that she was stretching the truth. Less than a month ago, she was 50 nurses down. How many of these nurses are on short-term employment, and how many will remain as permanent staff?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, Alice Springs Hospital now is above establishment in its numbers. I have the latest figures, as of today. The establishment is 289.7 nurses but there are, in fact, 294.9. As with the previous government - let me just say that again - as with the previous government, there is a mixture of people who are on short-term contracts, and there are people who are permanent. This is hardly unusual in a place where we are trying to attract nurses.
All around Australia, this is exactly the same situation. You have agency nurses, you have people on short-term contracts, and you have permanent staff. Obviously, what we are aiming for is to increase the number of permanent staff, and we are working very hard on that. The fact that the member over there wants to talk down the hospital in Alice Springs as a very, very sad state affairs.
When I have been to Alice Springs on the many occasions that I have since I have been in government …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! I am finding it difficult to hear the minister. There is too much chatter.
Mrs AAGAARD: The people at the Alice Springs Hospital are constantly telling me that the previous minister never ever listened to any of the complaints that were raised with him. The previous government had been told for at least seven years that there were issues that they had to deal with in that hospital, and they did nothing. On coming into government, we then found the hospital situation in Alice Springs to be at a crisis point. I am very happy to say that now, in relation to nurses, we are well above establishment.
V8 Supercar Event
Mr KIELY to CHIEF MINISTER
Could the Chief Minister please advise how preparations for this weekend’s V8 Supercars event at Hidden Valley is going, and what the economic spin-offs this event will …
Mr Baldwin: The one you didn’t want.
Ms Carney: Yes, we heard you tried to cancel it.
Mr KIELY: If I may finish my question, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order, member for Araluen! Could we have the question asked in silence?
Mr KIELY: Could the Chief Minister please advise how preparations for this weekend’s V8 Supercars event at Hidden Valley is going, and what are the economic spin-offs this event will bring to the Territory?
Mr Baldwin: And was it a CLP initiative?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for an excellent question and may I, before I talk about how preparations are going and the economic spin-offs which are undoubted for the Territory, pick up on the comment from the member for Araluen who is making some very ill-informed comment about this government cancelling it. Let me put very firmly on the record that we have committed to another seven years of the V8 Supercars. I certainly would hope that the opposition tourism spokesperson had a better understanding, and was not simply attempting to mislead this House, as she has done previously. So I remind the member …
Ms Carney: So, you haven’t heard it?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: I would remind the member that this is a place where you don’t make off-the-cuff and ill-informed comments that you know to be wrong.
Let me say at the outset, this is not an initiative of the Labor government. It is something the CLP put into place, and we certainly recognise that, so don’t get all precious. This is a Territory event and one that thousands of Territorians enjoy going to.
Preparations are, as you can imagine on the Wednesday before the start, at a greatly advanced stage. I predict that we are all in for a great weekend of racing. The V8 Supercars generate significant benefits for the local economy. Australia Research Associates did an economic impact study of the 1998 and 1999 V8 …
Mr Burke interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: I am sorry, aren’t you interested, Opposition Leader.
Mr Burke interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Burke interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, I have already spoken to you once today. Let the Chief Minister finish the answer.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: And the same applies to the government members.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, economic impact studies prepared by the Australia Research Associates in relation to the Supercars in 1998 and 1999 indicated the event attracted between $1.3m and $2.7m of additional cash to the Top End economy. In relation to this weekend’s event, all hotel and motel accommodation in Darwin for the three day weekend has been booked out now for two months. The corporate areas and boxes have been fully booked and there are long waiting lists. Qantas has put on four extra flights to Darwin specifically because of the Supercars and, based on the ticket sales to date, the attendance figures will be over 30 000 and, with some luck, could approach the record of 38 000 which was in the first year, 1998.
Channel 10 television coverage of the event is watched by 500 000 people throughout Australia, New Zealand and Asia. And due to revised formats from the network, the broadcast time has been increased by two hours compared with previous years. When we look at the impact on local businesses, 80 local businesses are involved and they are doing everything from the setup, the catering, the maintenance and the dismantling of the event. So the touring cars has a very significant impact on the Top End economy.
I have great confidence in the organisers and I am sure we will all enjoy a weekend of first class motor racing. Territory economy and Territory businesses will enjoy the economic flow-ons to our economy. Personally, I suppose one of the benefits of being Chief Minister is that you get to do a hot lap. I believe it is with Mark Skaife, who is a great driver, and I am looking forward to my hot lap. I have never been 250km per hour in a car before, but I am looking forward to that on Friday afternoon.
Katherine Dental Service – Withdrawal of Service
Mr REED to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Whilst the management of the Department of Health is crumbling around her, for which she will take no responsibility, I ask the minister if she is also aware of the withdrawal of services by the department from people right across the Northern Territory. By way of example, I use the Katherine Dental Service, which formerly was provided on a fulltime basis by the department, and has now been reduced to one day a week, I am advised, by a dentist visiting from Darwin. That, of course, has serious consequences in terms of people in the region, of which there are some 20 000, seeking dental services.
Will the minister advise if she will take responsibility for that? Will she take some action and ensure that the service is reinstituted on a fulltime basis rather than a one day a week basis, and reinstate full services to the people of the region?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is very interesting that the members opposite are interested in dentistry. They never had any interest in dentistry before. Where were they when the federal government cut funding for dentistry some years ago. Did they put extra money into the budget for dentistry?
I am having regular meetings with the Australian Dental Association. A group, I might add, that never had any regular meetings with the previous minister. They said he had no interest in dentistry. We have released the Loan report, which is an extensive document looking at a variety of things in relation to dentistry in the Northern Territory.
In relation to Katherine, I understand that there are issues in relation to attracting dentists to the area. It is not a question of cutting services. This is a significant issue. Once again, something that we have been left with, a pathetic situation where they have not been able to fill dentistry positions in the Northern Territory.
At the moment we are looking at how we can increase funding for public dentists so that we can attract more dentists to the Northern Territory. I would recommend to the member for Katherine that if he would like a personal briefing on this that he contact my office.
Parks and Wildlife Services – Contact Telephone Numbers
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for PARKS and WILDLIFE
Minister, as you would know, I have been concerned about the state of Parks and Wildlife, especially since the amalgamation of the departments. I was going to table this document, which is the latest phone book, but I imagine the minister has a copy so I do not think it is necessary.
Could the minister please tell the House why Parks and Wildlife do not have an entry, and that includes local parks like the Howard Springs Nature Reserve, Windows on the Wetlands and the Berry Springs Nature Park.
Could the minister also tell the House why the Bushfire Council’s phone numbers - so important at this time to rural land owners during the fire season - which used to be under the Parks and Wildlife entry, is now hidden under the Infrastructure, Planning and Environment heading?
Whilst it is probably too late to fix this matter, will the government publicise the changes, and will the government make sure the Department of Parks and Wildlife, all its parks and its affiliated bodies, are all under the one heading in next year’s phone book, not only for the public’s benefit, but also to recognise Parks and Wildlife as an important, unique and essential part of government operations?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I have to admit I was very worried when I tried to look for the Bushfire Council and find out suddenly it was under Minister Henderson. So we inquired with Telstra and a very embarrassed person at Telstra told us it was their mistake. Also, we had a look at Parks and Wildlife, and I was afraid it would probably be on the same page, with a map of Tiwi, which does not exist in this document you are going to table in parliament because Telstra did not bother to put it there.
We have a whole listing of parks in the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, all of them are listed. In the past, we had telephone numbers in several parks that were diverted to a central location because it was impossible to have somebody there all the time. What we did there, we published a central number that people can ring.
On the Bushfire Council, there is a mention in the telephone book that they can ring the Fire Brigade or the Police, or emergency services. We discussed the issues with Telstra, who are updating their electronic telephone book and Internet site, but certainly next year, in the next publication, I will make sure that everything is listed in the right directory.
Third Annual World Recreational Fishing Conference
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
Next week Darwin hosts the Third Annual World Recreational Fishing Conference. Can the minister provide the House with further details of this event and what it means to the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his question. Indeed, it is great to be able to host the Third Annual World Recreational Fishing Conference, and the organisers of the conference are to be congratulated for selecting such an appropriate venue to have such a prestigious conference. It does demonstrate how widely regarded the wonderful recreational fishing opportunities are in the Northern Territory to host such a significant conference. It is not every day that an international conference comes to Darwin, especially not one that will have such resonance with ordinary Territorians.
Two hundred delegates from 16 different countries will be attending. The conference itself presents a direct boost to the Northern Territory tourism industry to the tune of about $0.5m. Many of the delegates are staying on after the formal proceedings to experience all they have heard and to get out into the Territory and go fishing.
Again, it just goes to show the spin-off, the benefits in terms of conference facilities in the Northern Territory, and we are working hard on those. It is a pity - and to digress just slightly for a moment - to see that, in the federal budget last night, there were no new initiatives for regional based tourism, and that was a disappointment in last night’s budget. The flow-on effects of having the core of the world’s fishing community here cannot be understated and, again, we all know that people who come to the Northern Territory, who have a great experience of the Northern Territory, go back and tell friends, relatives, work and business acquaintances. The flow on effects down the track from having this conference here will really be quite substantial.
The theme of the conference is Regional Experiences for Global Solutions. The conference aims to identify common regional issues, and to use these as a framework for the future management of recreational fishing. The conference will include managers, researchers, policy makers, industry representatives and the recreational fishing public to discuss issues relevant to the sustainable management of recreational fishing from now through to the new millennium.
The conference has attracted several big names. Rex Hunt will be here, and so will Professor Tony Pitcher, who is the Director of Fisheries at the University of British Columbia. Professor Pitcher is widely regarded as the world’s pre-eminent fisheries academic. Sir Tipeen O’Reagan from New Zealand is an expert in indigenous fishing rights and issues. Indigenous fishing issues will be covered in the conference, and Norman Fry from the Northern Land Council will be giving a seminar. My department is sponsoring traditional owner representation at the conference, a very important part of the conference, and I know that that session will be very well attended.
Over $170 000 has been received in sponsorship, with Fisheries Research and Development Corporation the principal sponsors, followed by Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia.
The Chief Minister will be hosting a welcome reception on 20 May, and will officially open the conference on 21 May. The conference is being jointly hosted by my department of Business, Industry and Resource Development, and the Amateur Fishermen’s Association of the Northern Territory.
A lot of hard work has gone into organising this event over a large amount of time. I would particularly like to congratulate AFANT and their president, John Harrison, on the work they have done and, within my department, our new Fisheries Director, Richard Sellars, and especially Anne Coleman, who have done so much work to organise this event. I would urge all honourable members to participate where you can.
Mr DUNHAM (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, given the abysmal performance of the Health minister over the last two days of Question Time, I seek leave to move so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent me from moving the following motion:
1. This House censures the Minister for Health and Community Services for her abject failure to understand or administer this most important of portfolios as is constantly revealed by her inability to answer questions put to her in this Chamber by MLAs, and outside this Chamber by members of the media.
2. Her inability to ensure that the government’s policies …
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Drysdale. Leader of Government Business.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): The government accepts this as the most serious motion that the opposition can bring forth and accepts it as a censure motion on the minister for Health. I would ask for the cameras and transmission to cease.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016