2003-05-01
Alleged Intimidation at Rally
Mr MILLS to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Minister, during the law and order rally yesterday, attended by many ordinary Alice Springs residents, I and a number of others heard you taunt a speaker by reminding her that she was a public servant. Intimidation from a minister of the Crown to a public servant who is a citizen, exercising her rights to express her concerns about rising crime in the community, is a very serious matter. Is this how your government intends to treat all public servants who express a different view than that of a Labor government?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an interesting question from the member for Blain, because I certainly do not recall the comment.
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: The only comment I recall at the politically motivated rally that was emanating from the member for Greatorex’s office - it was such a cowardly promotion, he would not even put his or the CLP’s name to it. The only comment I recall making was when the member for Macdonnell was baiting a public servant who works in the Office of Central Australia, who stood up and talked passionately about the town that he lived in and has lived in for many years. The member for Macdonnell was baiting him and calling on him to identify who he worked for. I am sure the public servant mentioned that he worked in the Office of Central Australia, and I said: ‘Yes, he is a public servant’.
In terms of any comments that I might have made at that rally yesterday afternoon, the only comment that I can recall, was in defence of a public servant who was under attack from the member for Macdonnell for daring to speak his point of view, as a resident of this town and a citizen of the Northern Territory, regarding crime in Alice Springs. My comments were that he is a public servant. That is the only time that I can recall making a comment.
In regard to the politically motivated rally that was organised from the member for Greatorex’s office, we have had a lot of debate in this House over the last few days regarding crime and law and order in Central Australia, and the crime wave that is supposed to be in Alice Springs. We have seen a lot of statistics being produced, and I am not going to revisit the statistical debate.
Yes, there is crime in Alice Springs, and any crime is too much crime in any community. As we have said, we have to resource the police to give them the resources to deal with crime. We also have to attack the causes of crime. However, we have a responsibility as members of parliament to tell the truth about what is happening in our community, instead of whipping up politically motivated and opportunistic fear in the community.
Let me talk about comments made by Commander Gary Manison to Mandy Taylor on ABC radio on 30 April, just yesterday morning. If there is anybody who knows about crime in Alice Springs and what is happening in Alice Springs, it is the Regional Commander for Central Australia, who has charge over 200 wonderful police officers in the Northern Territory.
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member well knows that the question that I asked is quite specific. The member is wandering far from the point.
Madam SPEAKER: The minister is answering the question. There is no point of order and I ask for a few less interjections, thank you.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, yes, members opposite are sensitive in regards to this, because this really highlights how irresponsible they are in talking up fear in this town and talking down the community in which they live, instead of getting behind the police and the community to resolve some of these issues.
Let us hear what Commander Gary Manison said on radio yesterday. He was asked by Mandy Taylor:
- … and so basically this program is targeting young people who are hanging around at night?
Gary Manison: Yes, fundamentally it is. We have identified certainly, there is certainly a problem in Alice Springs with young people, we all agree.
Mandy Taylor: What sort of problems are the police seeing?
Gary Manison: Well, just the normal everyday problems, if I could call it that, of people hanging around, disturbances and the like.
Mandy Taylor: And so are they committing crimes?
Gary Manison: Not – there is not a lot of crime. There is the odd, if I could call it ‘criminal damage’ and the like that occurs, young people who might smash windows and the like, and certainly these are serious matters. But you cannot say that it is a particularly common thing that happens all the time and it really does not happen all the time.
So, yes, let us have a debate about crime in our community. Any crime is too much, and for those victims of crime yesterday, they certainly are to be helped and assisted. We certainly need to drive crime out of this community, but we have a responsibility to tell the truth about crime, rather than talking down what is happening in Alice Springs and inspiring politically motivated rallies that do the reputation of this town no good at all.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen!
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Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I acknowledge the presence in the gallery of some of our students from Areyonga, Yuelamu, and Yipirinya. On behalf or all members, I extend to you a warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Madam SPEAKER: And it would be nice if we did not have that screaming, member for Araluen.
Members interjecting.
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr Kiely interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, thank you, member for Sanderson!
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, the member for Greatorex, I believe, made a highly objectionable statement about yourself. He called you partisan, a partisan Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Would you withdraw that remark, member for Greatorex, if you did say that.
Dr LIM: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Let me just say, if I hear any more of those sort of comments in this House, you will hear me in reply. I may not be able to reply now, but you be very careful what you say. Perhaps the Leader of the Opposition could discipline some of his members and their comments.
Mr BURKE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The opposition and I have the utmost respect for you in this Chamber but, in this instance you did not even hear the comment. I can understand that the government will use whatever ploy they can to shut down Question Time and to embarrass the opposition but, in this case, you did not hear the comment, so how could you be offended?
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Greatorex did not deny saying them. He withdrew them. Leader of the Opposition, just take note. My patience is being tried today with some of the negative comments across the Chamber from both sides and, although we have a full audience this afternoon, let me put you all on warning that I am getting a little tired of it.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Did you hear me, minister? That applies to you as much as anyone in the Chamber.
Desert Knowledge Precinct - Development
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Chief Minister, I know you have a passion for increasing the knowledge of the Northern Territory, and just this morning, you introduced a bill into parliament to establish the Desert Knowledge Corporation. Can you please advise what support your government is providing to support the development of a Desert Knowledge Precinct?
ANSWER
Of all the issues we are discussing in this parliament today, I believe this is the most important. The introduction this morning of the Desert Knowledge Australia Bill to establish a statutory corporation is a really significant step forward when this House - and I believe there will be strong support from this House for passing the bill – really moves forward what is a most visionary, community-driven and exciting project for Central Australia.
The Desert Knowledge project sprang from this community and, with a lot of work from community and government, we have seen this project move forward. In terms of the benefits it can bring in a new economy sense to Central Australia, I believe the possibilities are boundless. So to introduce the Desert Knowledge Australia Bill into the House means that what we have set up is the framework for Desert Knowledge moving ahead.
Out there, on the way to the airport at the Arid Zone Farm area, you will see the start, fairly shortly, of earthworks to start building the Desert Peoples Precinct. In that precinct, a number of entities will be setting up. The first one will be the Desert Peoples Centre, made up of the Centre for Appropriate Technology and the Batchelor Institute. They will be relocating there. They will form the Desert Peoples Centre, and that is all about training and skills transfer. The work that they do now can only be expanded when they move to the Desert Peoples Centre.
Also at that precinct, we hope will be the headquarters of Desert Knowledge Australia, the organisation that will run the precinct. It will be both the landlord and an innovator; it will oversee the development of all the elements of Desert Knowledge. Hopefully, we will set up the headquarters of the Cooperative Research Centre for Desert Knowledge there also. The CRC received funding from the Commonwealth, in what is a very competitive process, last December. From the Commonwealth, the CRC received, over seven years, $20m. All together it is a program of $94m over seven years, another exciting component of the Desert Peoples Precinct. In time, a cultural centre and an innovation centre - and who knows what else - will go towards building the capacity of Desert Knowledge in Central Australia.
In the submission that went to the Commonwealth, talking about what Desert Knowledge is, it was described as ‘the skills of living in extreme conditions’. There is a lot of scientific knowledge in the centre about how we do that, but also a lot of home-grown knowledge; those tacit knowledge skills. They are the combination that come together with Desert Knowledge. It is in things like service delivery, the built environment, land management, technology and communications. The skills that have grown in desert Australia, centred around Central Australia, are certainly the ones that will be developed and marketed, and I believe there is strong commercial potential for many of those. So it was a very exciting moment in the parliament this morning, and I was thrilled that many of the stakeholders were present to hear that second reading speech.
The announcement today, though, that makes this move ahead in a way that will see tangible results, is of $2.2m into the headworks at the site. That means power, water reticulation and road works. That work will start in a few months time. What it means is jobs for Alice Springs in construction, and jobs in the long term. But this is, I say to the people of Central Australia, a most exciting project. The Central Australian economy has been built on tourism, mining and pastoralism. This is the new economy, the knowledge industries, and I believe that Central Australia has much to offer both Australia and the world. So it was a very exciting announcement this morning, Madam Speaker.
Special Purpose Grant – Conditions of Use
Mr MALEY to CHIEF MINISTER
Chief Minister, if a community group is a recipient of a special purpose grant from your government to upgrade its facilities, can it, without prior permission, use that grant instead for another purpose - an example being to pay off debt?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, there are terms and conditions that go with every grant that this government issues to community groups, or whatever groups. That is in stark contrast with the way that the previous government did it, which was really very much the whiteboard approach.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: If you look at how the Community Benefit Fund was run, it was: ‘Well, who needs a grant?’, and if the wind - well, it should have been the minister responsible but he flicked it to the Treasurer at the time. The member for Katherine had a unique way of awarding these grants. It seemed to be on an electorate basis, we felt.
In terms of the very important grants that this government makes to community groups, organisations or individuals, there are very strong terms and conditions on those. If circumstances changed, then we would sit and negotiate the terms of that.
Air North – Proposed Cuts to Services
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Air travel is very important for the people of Central Australia. Minister, you would have read of the proposed cuts and services by Air North in this morning’s NT News. Clearly, these services will impact on Tennant Creek. Can you please advise the House what action you propose to take in respect of this matter?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I do not believe anything I read in the newspapers. The first thing I did was to ring the Manager of Air North, Mr Michael Bridge, and discuss the issue him, and he assured me he has no intention to cut services to Tennant Creek or Alice Springs. However, he also told me that the newspaper rang him and asked him for his comments without telling him what it was all about.
However, this government and Air North had discussions before about delivering their services to different regions in the Northern Territory. I had a close cooperation with Mr Bridge, and also a member of their board, whose name is Mr Barry Coulter, and I am pretty sure the other side knows very well who I am referring to. I will continue to help the industry. I am having a meeting this afternoon with the managers of the Alice Springs and Tennant Creek Airports, because one of the issues that Mr Bridge brought to my attention was the high landing fees for aircraft at Tennant Creek Airport.
As I said before, the government will help Air North in any way. We have several issues with the way public servants travel, especially if they have to travel to Katherine. They can fly there and fly out in one day, rather than driving down, staying overnight and coming back. I assure the member from Tennant Creek that this government will continue to improve the delivery of air services to the Centre of Australia. For example, in this morning’s newspaper, if you care to look at page 39 in particular, there are a whole stack of tenders to be called by June 2003, referring to aerodromes and airfields in Central Australia.
I will mention that in the Alice Springs region, Areyonga aerodrome is to be upgraded to CASA standards; the Docker River aerodrome is to be upgraded to CASA standards; the Mt Liebig and Papunya aerodromes are to be upgraded; Nyirripi is to be upgraded; and Wulungurru aerodrome is to be upgraded as well. Total cost is approximately $3m to improve the services to Central Australia.
We have a commitment to Central Australia, and we mean business in Central Australia. We brought parliament here in Central Australia. I remember the previous government refused many times to bring parliament to Central Australia. Their argument was: ‘There is no point, the sitting member is winning with 76%. Why would we want to go down to Alice Springs?’
NT Parks and Reserves - Status
Mr WOOD to CHIEF MINISTER
Chief Minister, on 27 November last year, you gave a ministerial statement regarding the status of Northern Territory parks and reserves that had arisen from the Ward High Court decision. In that statement, you said that the government would negotiate a framework that effectively settles all outstanding issues. Could the minister say how far these negotiations have proceeded, what has been so far agreed on, and what outstanding issues still exist?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an important question. I thank the member for Nelson for asking it. The decision in the Ward case by the High Court called into question the status of many of the Territory’s parks and reserves. We were aware of that decision when it was made last August. Its implications regarding native title meant that 39 of the Territory’s parks and reserves were invalidly declared and, subsequently, we have made valid those declarations. There are 11 parks remaining out of the 50 that were affected. Those 11 are now subject to claim under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act.
Government was faced with two stark choices at the time: either that we could continue the pattern established by the previous government and go to court, cost the Territory taxpayers millions of dollars - tens of millions of dollars that we have seen over the years - or we could negotiate. Very clearly, we have decided to negotiate.
Considerable work has gone in since that time to carry out those negotiations and to set the framework. Much of those conditions upon which we are negotiating have been made public: the continued access to all parks; the no fees approach; the recognition of existing interest in parks, tourist ventures, mining, and we have had substantial negotiations with the key stakeholders. Not surprisingly, those negotiations, at this stage, are not public. However, as soon as we do have public statements to make they will be made.
I can assure Territorians that this is a most appropriate way to deal with what was not a situation of our making, but I believe we can have a very positive outcome from. We have a magnificent environment. We have national parks that are icons in the world. I believe, through the negotiations that we are now having, that we can create more of those wonderful parks, make them more accessible, bring in indigenous jobs, a level of indigenous management where appropriate, joint management; and that we will really see an expansion of the Territory’s parks estate to a much more creative way of dealing with native title and land rights issues than the old litigation way. So, rest assured, member for Nelson, when we have the first stage of those negotiations complete, I will be proudly reporting to this House and to Territorians.
Special Purpose Grant – Alleged Misappropriation
Mr MALEY to CHIEF MINISTER
Chief Minister, your Attorney-General has confirmed that he, and the Tanami Network, of which he was the former head, are currently under and part of an Australian Federal Police investigation into the misuse of $1.3m of a special purpose grant. I have trawled carefully through what the Attorney-General has said. He has publicly admitted that, first of all, he signed the Tanami Network’s submission …
Mr Kiely: What is the question?
Mr MALEY: Madam Speaker, this is an important question for Centralians and for Territorians.
Madam SPEAKER: Well, make it as brief as you can. You know the rules.
Mr MALEY: Chief Minister, your Attorney-General has publicly admitted that he signed the submission. Second, he admitted that the special purpose funds were to be spent specifically to upgrade the Tanami Network system and, instead, it was used to pay off debt. Third, he admits his role was to set up the options for the board and that retiring debt was one of the recommendations he put without negotiating ...
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is self-explanatory. The length of the question is just absurd. This is Question Time. The opposition complains bitterly that they do not get enough questions, and we are to sit here and listen to this dribble of a question for five minutes.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order but, member for Goyder, you know questions should be short. Unfortunately, we do not have a time limit on the length of questions, for people in the gallery, but you can understand a lot of time is wasted in Question Time if we do not get the questions done quickly, so please wrap up the question.
Mr MALEY: Madam Speaker, this is an important question and a question of substance.
Madam SPEAKER: Wrap it up.
Mr MALEY: Fourth, he concedes that it was a breach - he says a technical breach. Given those admissions, the convention that he must stand aside, the concessions that he unilaterally spent taxpayers’ money without authorisation and he is subject to an investigation by the Australian Federal Police, what are you going to do about it?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it would be better if the member for Goyder, when asking questions, got his facts right. To stand indignantly at the podium, making incorrect statements - your first one, member for Goyder, was wrong, in claiming that the member for Stuart was head of the organisation. If you had been following what had happened, you would know he was a voluntary consultant. That makes a significant …
Mr Maley interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: Well, you start off here by strutting your stuff and saying: ‘What are you going to do, Chief Minister? This man was the head of an organisation’, when he was a voluntary consultant. So, just get your facts right.
It worries us. We have had you on record here before, and you have had to make a formal apology to the Minister for Community Development for simply getting your facts wrong. So, if you are going to come in here and make serious statements about the credibility of the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, and implying something about my credibility, then get your facts right. Let us look at this issue …
Mr Maley interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister, please direct your remarks to me, not to the member for Goyder. Member for Goyder, do not interrupt so that we can hear the answer.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, the member for Stuart is not being investigated by the Federal Police. The issue of a grant is being investigated by the Federal Police. The member for Stuart, the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, was spoken to as somebody who was associated at that time. He informed me at the time, we talked about it and I said: ‘You talk to the Federal Police. You will cooperate fully with the investigation’, and that he has.
There is no accusation against the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General. He is not under investigation by the police, which starkly contrasts with a member of the opposition, and there is no question of misappropriation of funds. So, in saying to me: ‘Where is your sense of justice?’, I say to a man who came to this parliament as a lawyer: ‘Where is your sense of natural justice?’ Someone is spoken to in an investigation, and you say that is implicit to guilt and he should stand down. It makes no sense. I have dealt with this appropriately, the minister has behaved totally appropriately, and I believe you are trying to beat up an issue for political purposes.
Archives - Relocation to Alice Springs
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
Minister, the people of Alice Springs have been waiting a very, very long time for their own archive. Can you please inform the House of the actions that have been taken to correct this shameful situation?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a great day for Alice Springs. After 25 years of lobbying the Northern Territory government - and you can tell mostly who the government was that they were lobbying - we are finally going to bring back the history of Alice Springs and of Central Australia to Alice Springs. We are going to have 1.5 km of documentation archives brought back to the Centre where it belongs. This is the heart of our community, the history of our pioneer families, the remote communities, and of Alice Springs itself. That has all been sitting up in Darwin, which is 1500 km away from the heart that should be beating here.
I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Bernie and Aileen Kilgariff, Dick Kimber, Barry Allwright, Domenico Pecorari, Marilyn and Punch Hall, Judy Robertson, Pauline Cockerill, Eleanor Mangle and Trudy Hayes. We have had a great day. We have gone out there and just started to look at some of the materials that are going to come in to this archive now that we are establishing it here. Every household of any long standing in Alice Springs has probably got in the cupboards some photos, maybe some documents, that tell us about our history. People who have that material, wait until we get started, it will not be long, and we would love to see it coming forward. Let us build on this archive now; let us make it 3 km or 4 km long .
Members: Hear, hear!
Northern Territory Debt Level
Mr REED to TREASURER
The Auditor-General has found it necessary to qualify, in his report on the Treasurer’s Annual Financial Statement, that, under Labor, debt has increased by $280m in just 21 months, $170m of cash reserves have been spent, Territorians are paying an extra $15.7m per annum, or $1.3m per month for interest payments on debt and, of most concern, that the Treasurer has understated and concealed the true level of debt by excluding $17.7m …
A member: Where does it say that?
Mr REED: … by excluding $17.7m of debt …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr REED: Well, I can read it to honourable members in the foyer if they like?
Madam SPEAKER: No, just get on with it. Order, thank you. Thank you, just get on with the question.
Mr REED: Well I have been asked to read it, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: No, I do not want you to read it. Keep going, you are doing well.
Mr REED: It appears, Madam Speaker, on page 4 for the benefit of them, and others. $17.7m of debt, in direct contravention of Australian accounting standards, has been understated.
Treasurer, with this damning report from the Auditor-General, how can you, given his independent status, assure Territorians that they can have any confidence in your or your government’s financial management?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, I am just waiting for the interjections to stop.
Ms Lawrie interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Karama, enough!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I love a guy who leads with his chin. I loved the Auditor-General’s report. If I could draw your attention, Madam Speaker, it has an artist’s depiction of Parliament House in Darwin. I want to share this with the gallery, because it is terrific how Territorians down here have come out to see parliament in Alice Springs. You will note on the drawing, one lone person in the gallery watching the proceedings, from the artist’s depiction when we have parliament in Darwin. That stands in stark contrast to the interest shown by Centralians. It backs up and vindicates both the Chief Minister and the Speaker’s judgment in bringing parliament down here, because that is it; that is what you get in Darwin: two or three people coming in to see parliament.
However, it is not just the front cover that I commend the Auditor-General, because it is a great report. I tell you one of the things in this report that the former Treasurer would not want to draw attention to. That is, on four occasions he draws attention to this government’s deficit reduction strategy and how critical that is to the future of the Northern Territory - how critical that is.
This morning, the former Treasurer put out a press release. First and foremost in that press release, he referred to the debt figure for the Northern Territory at $1.7bn - $1.7bn. That is the legacy that this compulsive lying party - that is what CLP stands for: compulsive lying party - left Territorians.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: They have left a legacy of debt that will be carried by generations to come.
Mr REED: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I refer, of course, to the unparliamentary terms which the Treasurer has used.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes. Treasurer, withdraw that, thank you.
Mr STIRLING: I withdraw the remark about lying unreservedly, Madam Speaker, but you have to wonder.
Madam SPEAKER: Get on with your answer.
Mr STIRLING: You have to wonder, when he comes out and talks about debt, a deficit for the 2000-01 financial year of $275m on the bottom line, where this $1.7bn came from. It has come out of 26 years of successive Country Liberal Party governments. In the 2001-02 budget, when the former Treasurer handed that in to parliament, he told Territorians, prior to the 2001 election, that the Territory would be faced with a $12m deficit. Two weeks in - two weeks after the election - we were confronted with the then Under Treasurer, Mr Ken Clarke, who said: ‘Fellas, the budget is in an unsustainable position’. I said: ‘How can that be? We are headed for a $12m deficit’. He said: ‘You had better think again’. It was not until we got Professor Percy Allan up here to go through the books and work closely with Treasury, that we handed down our November mini-budget and drew the line. We found a bottom line at around $126m deficit, on the back of the $275m deficit, and he had claimed that it was going to be $12m.
You talk about debt! It is their debt that we are carrying and that Territorians will carry for many, many generations to come. The Auditor-General does draw attention to the fact that it was a much improved bottom line out of 2001-02: $126m deficit. You might want to look at - I think it is page 15. If you want to look at it, he says, at page 14: ‘$126m budget -actual $83m, variance $43m’. That is $43m less on the bottom line that Territorians have to find in the future, due to the management of this government.
If I pick up on this question of the $18m that the former Treasurer was alluding to, the financial accounts for 2001-02 budget were all cash, were in a cash reporting format. As such, that $18m not being a cash item, is not in there, and it would be in accrual accounting. In 2002-03, where we move to a cash and accrual form of reporting, it is there, and it will be there in the future.
When he draws attention to this, he forgets that it was back in 1999 that this AAS31 was adopted. His budget reports in that time were equally out of kilter, and the Auditor-General issued a qualified audit opinion of TAFR. Why is it an issue now, the last cash reporting budget ever in the Northern Territory, 2001-02? It was not an issue in 1999, it was not an issue in 2000. We were simply complying with the parliamentary legislation of the day. It was not until we moved to put the Fiscal Integrity and Transparency Act in, that we will now have, in the future, reporting on an Australian Accounting Standard.
If you want to talk about debt, I could stand here and talk about debt all day - a legacy of 26 years over-expenditure of the CLP.
Diamond Exploration Licences
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for BUSINESS, INDUSTRY and RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
The minister will be aware that the mining industry provides important jobs in the Barkly. Would you please advise the House regarding diamond exploration in the Northern Territory and what programs the government is undertaking to stimulate further diamond exploration?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Barkly, for his question. The member for Barkly is passionate about economic development in his electorate and is constantly contacting my office in regard to developments in the Barkly, particularly in relation to the mining industry, and there really is some good news here.
The Territory has been receiving very strong exploration interest over the last 18 months from major diamond explorers. In fact, companies exploring for diamonds in the Northern Territory at the moment account for approximately half the total amount of land that has been granted for exploration - about 390 000 km2 of land across the Northern Territory.
The three global giants of the diamond sector, De Beers, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton are leading the charge. These are companies that could explore anywhere in the world, but they are exploring right here because of the potential of the Northern Territory. As well as the majors, we also have smaller companies like Elkedra Diamonds, Flinders Diamonds, Gravity Capital and Ausquest. Much of this exploration is focussed on the central and southern parts of the Northern Territory.
In respect of Elkedra Diamonds, the company’s quarterly report to shareholders, as reported to the Stock Exchange in March 2003, contains some very encouraging highlights which included three micro-diamonds recovered to date from stream sediment sampling, in addition to 378 chromites; extensive ore-grade manganese occurrences identified; and regional geochemistry review shows highly encouraging anomalous results for potential substantial base metal deposits.
I am no geologist, but I am led to believe that that is very, very encouraging initial exploration data. I can recall meeting the geologist from Elkedra Diamonds just after we granted one of the 500 exploration licences that this government has granted in 21 months of office, compared to less than 100 over the four years of the previous CLP government. The potential geology for diamonds in the area is very exciting.
Geoscientists from my Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development have commenced the task of defining the occurrence of large numbers of diamond indicator minerals across the Northern Territory. The first stage of this program is the compilation of a diamond indicator mineral database. This database is going to hold over 80 000 samples, representing the most comprehensive resource of its kind in Australia. On completion of that mineral database, an additional two work programs will further enhance the effectiveness of diamond exploration in the Northern Territory.
It is important to recognise that new mines are not found by accident, people do not trip over diamonds in the Northern Territory or anywhere around the world. It is very highly intensive exploration. People have to get out onto the ground to explore and commit vast sums of money to exploration. We are a government that is passionate about development in the Northern Territory. I, as the minister, am passionate about the mining industry, having worked in the mining industry in my past life. Members on this side of the House are constantly contacting my office - particularly the rural members, the member for Barkly - wanting to know what is happening in this industry. I have phone calls, letters, e-mails wanting to know what is happening.
If we contrast that to the interest of members opposite in terms of what is happening with economic and regional development in the Northern Territory, it is quite stark. We have new people in the House today at the historic sittings of the Territory parliament in Alice Springs, but in the 21 months that we have been in office, we have only received 312 questions. There is more than that now, but prior to these sittings, of 312 questions, only six questions were in relation to Alice Springs and Central Australia from the member for Araluen, only six questions from the member for Greatorex. The member for Macdonnell is a bit more harder working; he asked 10 questions.
When we contrast that to direct communication to my office to discover what is happening across the Northern Territory, it really is quite astounding how the members opposite are representing their electorates. Also, as importantly, getting to grips with their shadow portfolio responsibilities and understanding exactly what is happening in the Northern Territory, instead of getting out and about and talking down the Northern Territory, the economy and our wonderful Territory. Let us have a look at that. In the 21 months in office, letters to myself - and I hold significant …
Mr REED: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is a very long answer, and the matters that the honourable member is now referring to have no relevance to the question at all.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, you know you should keep your answers shorter than they are and keep them to the point.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, this is about elected members representing their constituents in terms of what is happening in the Territory. However, very quickly, the shadow minister for resource development - I have had not one piece of correspondence …
Mr REED: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister is now in direct conflict with your direction that he apply himself to the latter in relation to the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, you did have a question from the member for Barkly. You should address that question, and when you have finished resume your seat.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, in relation to the question from the member for Barkly, and the interest that he shows in this industry, there has not been one piece of correspondence from the shadow member. If we look to the elected members in Alice Springs, in the last 21 months, there were three letters from the member for Araluen, one letter from the member for Macdonnell, and nothing from the member for Greatorex.
Mr REED: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Even though the minister has finally adhered to your request and your directions, I do ask of you to ensure that ministers do apply themselves and, in fact, even attempt to answer the questions that are asked.
Madam SPEAKER: I thank you for that advice, member for Katherine. I will remember that, and I hope people asking questions do the same thing. I do hope people who ask questions also remember our rules.
Alice Springs Land Prices
Mr ELFERINK to MINISTER for COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Minister, as you are aware, the average price for a block of land in Alice Springs is $103 000. Why then, are you offering a paltry $40 000 to a local family after offering to buy back a block of land from them because of your own self acknowledged sacred sites stuff-up.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Macdonnell, and, yes, I did admit that there was a bureaucratic bungle in my office of the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority. However, I said in parliament in Darwin that I would come down and meet with the block owners. I have done that, I have had a chat with them. They worked their way through with the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority, and most of those blocks, as far as I am aware, have authority certificates, which will hold up in a court of law. It is a document saying that they can build what they like on those particular blocks.
However, we do have a Ms Geraghty who has concerns, and it was raised here last night by the member for Macdonnell. I am not sure whether she is a constituent or not, but both she and her partner have legitimate concerns. My response last night was, yes, I will look at it. What the member for Macdonnell does not understand is the correspondence and the cooperation that I, as the Minister for Community Development, need to enter in with the Minister for DIPE. When we talk about land, we talk about land valuations and we begin the process for negotiation because, as I understand it, Ms Geraghty …
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Mr AH KIT: Look, you asked the question, listen to the answer. You might learn something, for goodness sake! You may want to be a minister one day. Look at the member for Greatorex, he was only there for nine months, but he was there.
We are working our way through. There is nothing finalised at this stage. I want to reach a mutual agreement with them. We had a problem - if you understand and listen, you might learn. We had a problem with the developers, Rubinos, who did not make it clear to the people who purchased those blocks that what you have with you is not good enough at this stage. If you want to build, you need to go back to the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority and apply for an Authority certificate. Okay?
So that is what did not happen. When my office of the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority here said that we believe this is clear, it is clear. What we have to understand in this, is that your government - this happened eight or nine years ago, but I am not going to blame you in this particular situation …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was very straightforward. I want to know why the minister is offering a mere $40 000 for a block that is worth a lot more.
Mr Baldwin interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The minister is answering the question. Minister, continue and perhaps address the question.
Mr AH KIT: I will pick up the interjection from the former Lands, Planning and Environment minister who said: ‘Give us a commitment, come on.’ What you have to understand is that this government does not operate like you people operated. We are sick and tired of cleaning up the mess that you left us! But we are putting up, and we will do that.
Mr Reed interjecting.
Mr AH KIT: You can say: ‘Come on’. We have seen what you got up to, member for Katherine. You go back to your little bird watching business in Katherine.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, get on with the answer.
Mr AH KIT: Madam Speaker, being a good minister in the Martin Labor government allows me to think laterally, and continue to work out, with DPIE, with my ministerial colleague, Mr Vatskalis, and with Ms Geraghty and her partner, an outcome that is going to be satisfactory to both parties. That is what I am aiming for. It is not good enough for you to come in here and politically muckrake and try and score points because, really, you have made fools of yourselves this week.
London to Sydney Car Rally
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for TOURISM
Minister, I know you have worked hard for the people of Central Australia. Can you tell us of plans for the Australian leg of the London to Sydney Marathon car rally to come to Alice Springs and what this will mean? What benefits will the car rally bring to Central Australia?
ANSWER
I thank the honourable member for his question. It is a great thing that the London to Sydney car rally is coming to Central Australia. It will be spending just 24 hours in Alice Springs and then moving on to Uluru, but in that period there will be significant benefits to the Central Australian economy.
There will be two giant Russian Antonov freight carriers landing at Alice Springs Airport with approximately 100 classic cars - I am sure they will be of great interest to all the car buffs in Alice Springs. A separate 747 jet will be bringing 200 competitors and officials. It will only be a short visit, but if you start to tally it up, it will be two nights accommodation in Alice Springs for the 200 competitors and officials, so that makes about 400 bed nights in total; spin-offs in the hospitality industry; and all the fuel for these massive aircraft, as well as 100 motor vehicles.
As a guesstimate, it would have to be worth somewhere between $250 000 to $500 000 to the Alice Springs economy just in that very short time. This will also bring a lot of international exposure to Alice Springs and Central Australia, and I do not think we should underestimate that. The competitors are going to come from all parts of the globe. They will be going back to their home and telling people what a great place Central Australia is. This event was first run in 1968. It visited Darwin in the year 2000, and it is great that it is coming to Central Australia.
Aboriginal Nomenclature – Pronunciation Thereof
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
Minister, when I last visited Alice Springs I visited the wonderful Alice Springs Desert Park, and one thing I noticed is that plants and animals were given their scientific names, followed by their Aboriginal name and then a pronunciation. For instance, the thorny devil is called the Moloch horridus. The Arrernte name is spelt Unyerre and pronounced oonyirra, and you can get this fact sheet from the park.
The Arrernte name does not look anything like the pronunciation. To bring a Darwin perspective to this, there is a suburb in Darwin that is spelt M-A-L-A-K and it is pronounced by Darwin people as Malak, which …
A member interjecting.
Mr WOOD: That is right! It is meant to be Maluk or Muluk, after the Maluk Maluk people. Minister, as a former teacher and, I believe, a student of Aboriginal language, do you believe that Aboriginal languages, which were not written languages, should be written in plain English instead of phonetic English, so that the vast majority of people, especially our visitors, including me, can read these names without requiring a degree in linguistics?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I will try and give a short and interesting answer. I immediately thought, while you were asking the question, about the Yipirinya Festival in Alice Springs. It was the first time that the town of Alice Springs en masse realised the traditional landscape on which this town is based. Most people who saw that were really inspired by this new dimension in where you lived and where you travelled around each day.
All over the world, you can see examples of bilingual or multilingual systems, allowing people to find their way around or get information about the country or the city they are in. There is nothing wrong with that at all.
On the topic of linguists, though, I must confess I share the member for Nelson’s bemusement about the way linguists do spell words. I always thought ‘a’ was an a and ‘e’ was an e and ‘double r’s’ had a rrrr to them, but somehow the linguists take that basic information and re-code it into whatever they write. They assure me that it is all about where your tongue travels round your mouth and what your teeth are doing and all sorts of things.
Honestly, it would be to everyone’s advantage if we kept it within the scope of what average people can cope with. I would not mind seeing it simplified but, look, I will make you an offer, though: I will give you two days free linguistic time with one of my friends there and you will come out even more confused.
Australian Health Care Agreement
Ms CARTER to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Minister, I understand the Commonwealth has offered the NT an extra $112m in funding for our public hospitals. Given the current crisis in funding being experienced by Territory hospitals, can you advise if you will be agreeing to accept this extra funding, for which you have to improve your financial reporting and match the Commonwealth’s funding effort, or will you not accept it? If you will not be accepting it, could you explain to Territorians why?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is the very first comment that the member for Port Darwin has actually made about the Australian Health Care Agreements. May I say, I am a bit surprised that she starts with this particular line. In fact, we have analysed what appears to be the offer to the Northern Territory, and it looks like - and I say ‘looks like’ because we have not been given an explanation at this stage, which is why I am going to the Health Minister’s Conference tomorrow in Canberra. At this stage, in fact, the Northern Territory government is being offered a deal - if you can call it a deal - which is worse than we had for the previous five years. This government has no problem with accountability; accountability is something which we expect as a government anyway. We have no problem with that whatsoever.
However, at the moment in Australia, there is not a hospital that is not looking for extra funds. The Commonwealth has completely abrogated its responsibilities in relation to hospital funding. We have been looking, as health ministers - and we have been working with a group of clinicians throughout Australia for the past year, in good faith - at how we could reform the whole hospital system.
The Commonwealth was part of these arrangements, part of the discussions, went along with them, and then refused to come to the meeting to even the discuss the negotiations. How can you actually negotiate with people who do not turn up at meetings? We spent a whole year, we had volunteers of a very senior nature working for us, working for the whole of Australia, to try and reform Australia’s health system. The Commonwealth has just said: ‘These people have wasted their time. We do not want to listen to you any more. This is what we are going to do’.
Well, it appears - and, once again, I say ‘it appears’ - that in fact what the Commonwealth is saying is, that they are going to put in a 17% increase. Yes, this sounds great, if you say it like that. But, in fact, what they are actually saying is, they have accumulated that over five years. So that is maybe 4% a year. Yet we know, absolutely and certainly in the Northern Territory, that health costs have increased between 7.5% and 8.5% everywhere in Australia every year. This does not even come anywhere near the kind of funding that we need in our hospital system. It is very, very disappointing.
Australians deserve better, Territorians deserve better and I can tell you, this government will not be signing any arrangement unless we have a better deal for the Northern Territory. I am very disappointed that the member for Port Darwin seems to think that we would be so foolish as to sign an agreement which was not in the best interests of the Northern Territory.
May Day Long Weekend Initiatives to Support Working People
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
I am certainly proud of my long history with the unions. Can the minister please advise the Assembly of the significance of this coming long weekend, and update the House on the initiatives taken to support working people across the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for her question. Labour Day, or May Day, is important to Labor governments wherever they are, particularly in the Northern Territory, because we do not believe Labour Day or May Day has been celebrated with the significance in the past that it deserves. It is working people and union membership that have played an integral role in the shaping of the Territory’s social and economic fabric. If you go back to the famous equal pay case for Aboriginal stockmen in Alice Springs in the 1960s, to the land rights claim at Wave Hill in the 1970s, to the successful campaign, just back in 1999 to save our public hospitals from the threat of …
A member interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: … the threat of privatisation. ‘Rubbish’, he says, Madam Speaker. He was pretty closely involved, he and his Leader of the Opposition.
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: We were proud, as the opposition, to stand with unions and defend the public nature of our hospitals from that attack from the then Country Liberal Party government. It is the working people and the union movement who have always striven to give the most disadvantaged workers in our community a fair crack, and a fair and just reward for what they do. They are things that should be recognised and valued by government, and in the Territory we do have the May Day public holiday to celebrate those achievements.
I will mention a few things we have done,. The six weeks annual leave for public servants, an award condition for the first time - we made a promise in opposition - we delivered within about six weeks. We have moved the Work Health Authority into the new Department of Employment, Education and Training, away from Industry and Business, to help refocus the priorities of Work Health on to the workers themselves, where it should be.
Last year’s national wage case was a first. The Northern Territory government, together with all other state and territory Labor governments, supported the $18 minimum wage increase for private sector workers. It was an absolute first for a Northern Territory government to stand with the workers - an absolute first. Coming out of the current public sector EBA, we are the first jurisdiction in Australia to introduce the international standard of 14 weeks paid maternity leave for public sector workers, and we will continue to lobby the federal government and Prime Minister Howard to ensure that that same provision applies to women in the private sector. We will bring the Northern Territory Long Service Leave Act up to speed. We are looking at ways to fix some deficiencies with apprenticeship employment and working conditions in the Territory.
There is much to be done in the areas of skill development, employment programs and improved working conditions. Job opportunities are now emerging in new and different sectors: the gas industry, agriculture and horticulture industries, and information and biotechnology sectors. As a government, we recognise we must help develop those job opportunities, and we want to help develop the people of the Territory to get those jobs. We are going to work with the unions and the employer associations to make those things happen. Madam Speaker, I wish everyone an enjoyable long weekend.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016