2003-11-25
Gender Equality Legislation
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
Today, you intend to make it legal for adult men to have sex with 16-year-old boys despite your Attorney-General confirming yesterday that he did not consult Territory families about these laws. Do you have a mandate from Territory families to lower the age of consent to 16 for boys to engage in homosexual acts?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is very disappointing that the first question from the new Opposition Leader is simply wrong and provocative. He knows very well that the intent of this bill is not as he described. This bill is not about the ignorance reflected in the Opposition Leader’s question. You would expect a man who comes from a long teaching background, and who puts his credibility on the line, and would have put it on the line many times as a teacher and as a principal, not to come into this place and tell lies, because that is what is implicit in this question.
Dr LIM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Chief Minister should withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, you know you cannot accuse people of lying in this parliament. Withdraw and rephrase your words.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, I withdraw. The question is inaccurate and provocative. It is interesting. There have been many issues raised about this legislation that we are going to deal with today that have been misrepresented by members of the CLP. I believe that we have seen significant changes of position from members of the CLP along the way. We have been accused of lack of consultation and of not talking to the community. However, this bill has been in the community since June this year. The issues have been there longer.
While I am dealing with this issue, I would like to say what this bill is about. I quote from one member in this place, in a letter that was written in July of this year:
- … I am strongly of the view that all persons are not only created equally but should be treated equally before the law.
That is the view of the then shadow Attorney-General, the member for Goyder, writing as the member for Goyder to the Darwin Community Legal Service. He indicates that he is the shadow Attorney-General and that he strongly supports equality before the law on a personal level. Although his party is not sure where they stand, he is very committed. So back in July the member for Goyder was partaking in discussion and interaction about this bill, yet we have the garbage that is being pushed by the Leader of the Opposition asking: ‘What mandate?’
This bill has been discussed in the community. The former shadow Attorney-General said, ‘I think this bill is terrific’. Yet, we are hearing so many different positions and so much distortion from the opposition that you wonder how on earth we deal in a reasonable way with any piece of legislation. I table the letter the member for Goyder wrote in July.
It will be interesting this afternoon. Let me say, ‘I am strongly of the view that all persons are not only created equally but should be treated equally before the law’, and ‘I look forward to doing all that I can to ensure that the gay and lesbian community in the Northern Territory are treated equally before the law’, and ‘supports major elements of the discussion paper’ - exactly the elements that are before this House this afternoon. We will test the member for Goyder when it comes to the debate this afternoon to see whether he is being hypocritical and not accurate. He is describing what has been put out in the public arena as progressive and reasonable.
I look forward to the debate this afternoon. I head a party which believes, and I believe all Territorians share that belief, that we all should have a fair go. We should all have a fair go before the law. Certainly the member for Goyder supports that ideal in this letter written in July. That is what the debate and legislation this afternoon is all about: that all Territorians should be treated equally before the law and given the protections and the rights that we all expect.
Northern Territory Jobs Plan
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
Yesterday, you launched the Territory’s first ever Jobs Plan.
Mr Dunham interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: Could you please advise the House …
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale, you know the procedures, you are to allow the person to ask the question without interruption. Member for Karama.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Could you please advise the House of the significant efforts this government will undertake to sustain and develop jobs in the Territory over the next three years?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Karama for her question. You get a bit tired of the churlishness on the other side. They had some 26 years to develop a jobs plan. We called for a jobs plan. I was in parliament between 1990 and 2001 and, at every election, from the opposition benches, we asked: ‘Where is your jobs plan?’ They were too lazy to develop one. They did not have a department for employment - they had an employment and training authority that dealt with matters at a training level - but no focus on job creation or strategy, on how you bring about creation of jobs, and no focus on employment at all.
We have worked diligently to bring forward what is being regarded, and widely hailed, as a positive move by business, by way of the jobs strategy. I would not expect the member for Drysdale to have the energy to work through the documentation, however, I have asked for the Jobs Plan to be put on each member’s desk. If they go through it, they will find it is in three component parts: the employment and training strategy in the first part; Building a Better Workforce, a workforce report; and Jobs NT, which will highlight the direct effort between government and our effort in creating and sustaining jobs. The Jobs Plan outlines the expenditure which is in excess of $160m over the next three years. I have heard the shadow minister asking, ‘ Where is the new money?’ The fact is, business and industry now know that they have a commitment with this government of a bare minimum, of $160m rolled out over the next three years. If we are as successful as I expect us to be in some of these categories of subsidies and incentives, there may well be more money in this package.
What this means is they know their training dollars are locked up. They do not have to go through the budget Cabinet cycle next year or the year after. It is in there, predicated three years ahead, on the bottom line, in the forward estimates, and they know that, as a bare minimum, that is what they are going to get. Inside that package we will be lifting to 7000 the number of apprenticeships and traineeships available over the next three years, and we will be spending $7m on new initiatives designed to assist employers in a range of categories to put on a trainee or an apprentice.
Some of the incentives inside that $7m include:
$1.2m additional money for 120 apprentices in traditional trades. If we took a snapshot of the Northern Territory labour market over any point in the last 20 years , you would find five or six vacancies that are always difficult to fill. In general, the metal trades - boilermakers, fitters and turners, motor mechanics, diesel fitters, electricians - all of those traditional trades areas have always been difficult to fill. That is why we have a focus on boosting the traditional trades areas;
$2.1m for 950 more apprentices and trainees in the small business sector;
$900 000 for 200 more apprentices in local councils, particularly across regional and remote Northern Territory; and
$2.5m for 200 additional public sector trainees.
The package also includes new coordination of the public sector with a real focus for the first time on jobs development. A taskforce, which I will chair, will be established in the public service which will coordinate the Jobs Plan. Each Cabinet submission will be required to have a detailed jobs analysis report attached to it so we can see at a glance what is involved by way of employment, jobs and training inside that submission.
The first ever Territory workforce analysis is under way. Until now, there has been no real analysis or in-depth look at what makes up our workforce and what skills we need into the future. That is going to change. The first comprehensive analysis will be released on an annual basis. That analysis will inform us, in a very direct and strategic sense, about where we should be putting most of our training dollar. The plan contains a Jobs NT report which will highlight the government’s effort to create, sustain and develop jobs. We now know, as a result of the early work that has been done, every $110 000 we have put out there, for example, in capital works, sustains a job for one year. If we look at the capital works over the last two years from this government, we have sustained 3800 full-time jobs from our capital works alone.
We also have an employment and training strategy, also a first for the Territory, meaning that those training dollars will be spent in a highly focussed way. It is our aim with this Jobs Plan to ensure the next time a major development looms on our horizon we will be job ready in the Northern Territory. It is also my aim to make sure that every young person who wants a trade or a traineeship can get one. It is also our aim to ensure that every business has enough support to make it viable for them to put on more trainees and apprentices so that we can get on with the very important work of building a skilled workforce in the Territory with our own young product - young Territorians.
Small Business and the Economy
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
Small business is the lifeblood of the Territory economy. Since you came to office, a lot of that lifeblood no longer flows. Keith Kemp’s, Rosetto’s, Christo’s, Caf Capri, Independent Building Supplies, Vesuvio, Shady Lady, OneSteel, Hoi King Restaurant, Coyotes, Darwin Barber Shop, Rave Hair Salon, Adnet Digital - every shop in the Darwin Plaza Arcade is empty. Nine shops are vacant in the Vic Arcade; four are vacant in the Star Village; and seven are vacant in Frontier House.
You are into your third year of government. Will you now admit that your policies have failed Territory businesses.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an important question. As we all know, Territory small business is the lifeblood of the Territory and our economic performance is only as good as the health of our small businesses. That is something that this government very much recognises. I regret that all of those businesses, many of which I have known well for many years, have closed. However, I am also aware that many other businesses have opened. In the first instance, we have to be very aware that businesses do come and go. Whilst I have real sadness about some of those businesses - I have bought a hat a number of times from Shady Lady, for example – I am sure the Leader of the Opposition may not have bought a hat at Shady Lady – and restaurants I have eaten in - it is sad to see businesses move on.
Whilst some businesses have moved on, we have the Mitchell Centre filling up with new businesses and businesses which have relocated from the mall. I opened a new business last week in Parap, and the Leader of the Opposition was there. So we have some new businesses opening and we have other businesses closing. Whilst there is a sadness, it is also a fact of life that that does happen.
Let me very clearly make the point again that, after two and a quarter years in government, we inherited an economy in trouble, and it took a few years to get there before we came in, in August 2001. Let me remind the House of the year 1999-2000, when the growth figures for the Territory were zero. The then Treasurer argued the case and got it to 0.01%. That was the growth for the year. We have seen a decline in the Territory’s economic performance since 1997. Once you have a decline happening in your economy – and I know the new Leader of the Opposition is just learning about Treasury and economic analysis - it takes time to turn it around and see it move forward.
I would have loved to have been able to come in as the leader of a new government in 2001 and say, ‘We’ve got rid of that mob. We are just going to fix the economy’. It is not that easy when we have deficits running out of control. The economic performance of many key areas in the Territory was very low, but it is building. Forecasters like Access Economics are saying about 4% each year for the next five years, and BIS Shrapnel are being even more optimistic - 4.5% for the next five years. We have some major projects that are kick-starters for our economy now happening.
Twelve months ago, we could not say definitively we would have the LNG plant being built on Wickham Point with first gas coming onshore. It is a key indicator for the Territory about where we are going in the future, and a real boost to the Territory’s business confidence. We have the railway complete, and opportunities for business to take advantage of the new trade route, to put in place at the port and the business park, a range of freight-forwarding, light industrial opportunities, such as pre-retailing, consolidation, warehousing, distribution - the whole range is there.
The key elements are in place for our economy growing. The indicators are there. They are recognised by the forecasters. However, that does not mean that I am going to stand in here and say that every business in the Territory is doing well. No, that is not the case. This whole House would rejoice if it was the case.
We have seen the economy pick up, and we have seen that start to flow to some sectors. Government will be working very closely with our business community to make sure that those benefits are being shared, that the work coming from the big projects, in the first instance, is going as widely as it can to Territory businesses, that the population will grow, and that we will see more Territorians being able support the businesses we currently have.
There are many elements of growing the economy. I am heartened, after two and a quarter years in government, to see some of those key elements in place and our economy growing. It is sad to see businesses that we have known and loved for a long time move on. While that does happen, we welcome a lot of new businesses and business opportunities to the Territory.
Northern Territory Jobs Plan
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
People in the Millner electorate believe that there should be more opportunity for their kids to join a trade or take up a traineeship. Can the minister please advise the House how much the Jobs Plan will lift the numbers of trainees and apprenticeships in the Territory, and what money the Territory government will be providing to business to make sure this growth happens?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. I can assure him it is not just the parents in Millner who have these views about quality training opportunities, traineeships and apprenticeships as a great way for their youngsters to get into the workforce with structured training around them to ensure that they go on in quality employment. Many parents across the Territory aspire to that, and that is exactly what this Jobs Plan is about: allowing and helping those parents, and their children, to aspire to exactly that.
Recently, we launched the new ‘Get VET’ campaign, advertising training as a pathway for people into employment, in print media, TV, radio, and that has been well received across the board. That campaign has been receiving a very positive response from business, which believes that it exactly hits the mark in selling the message of VET.
Specifically, in the Jobs Plan, we aim for 7000 apprenticeships and traineeships to be created in the Territory over the next three years. That means lifting the effort of job creation by almost 1000 positions across that three years. To achieve that, we are going to work in partnership with business and industry by providing quite significant financial bonuses to business and industry so that they can assist us in getting to that target.
To attract young people into those traditional areas, those difficult to fill vacancies that I talkedabout before, and to hold those youngsters in those positions, we will be offering business a $7700 subsidy under a specific traditional trades training program. That $7700, paid to the employer will be paid in two tranches and, if combined with the federal government subsidies available, it means a subsidy to the employer in a traditional metal trades area of about $12 100 assistance over the life of that apprenticeship - not a bad start, I would have thought.
In relation to the number of apprentices in those traditional trades areas, we are looking at an increase of 120 over the next three years. If we are successful in breaking beyond that, and we need to get more young people into these apprenticeships than we anticipate, we will be looking to restructure the program and secure more funds.
In another Territory first, we will also support the training effort by local government which, in many cases, does a fine job of providing structured training. We will provide support to the extent of $4400 for each trainee or apprentice taken up under local government. That will lift the effort significantly and, combined with the federal subsidies, will mean that local government across the Territory, particularly in regional and remote areas, will be able to access quite significant amounts of dollars to assist their costs in training people through apprenticeships and traineeships. We aim to increase the local government effort by about 200 trainees.
In addition, 200 Northern Territory public sector traineeships and apprenticeships will be created over the next three years. We will offer an employer bonus to small business to $2200 per apprentice to support 950 trainees and apprentices over the next three years.
In each of those areas, this package is all about assistance and partnership. What it does mean is more jobs and a more skilled workforce as we work through the implementation of this Jobs Plan.
Business Confidence
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
You are spending more than $1m touring Australia telling interstate businesses, ‘We want your money and your business to head north’. Are you telling them everything? Since you became Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, the confidence of small and medium size businesses in this administration has been minus 21%. It improved to minus 4%, then fell to minus 20%, minus 12%, minus 8% - it was improving, and it has plummeted to an all time low of minus 22%. How can you expect interstate business to come to the Territory when they know that business confidence in your government is the worst in the nation?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Sensis Business Index came out yesterday and I was very disappointed. I am not going to stand here and tell you that I was delighted. We were very pleased as government …
Mr Mills: It is absolutely shocking.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition asks a question and continues to talk.
I was very disappointed, and certainly the Business minister and other members of government were very disappointed. We saw a considerable rise in the confidence of business in government in the previous quarter, and we are disappointed that that has happened. But it does not say that all the factors involved in that business index are not showing that we are moving in the right direction. Let us just look at all the elements.
Mr Mills interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: In response to the Opposition Leader’s question, I said, yes, I am disappointed. What do you want? I am disappointed. We will work harder with business. Okay?
However, let us look at all the aspects of the business index, because the Opposition Leader is only being selective. It shows that business conditions are continuing to gradually improve, and I say, gradually improve. There are six indicators, and what it shows is that five of those six indicators are now higher than when this government came into office two years ago. Let us look at those. The size of the workforce, and prices and capital expenditure have improved over the last quarter, and the other three - sales value, wage bills and profitability - have decreased.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: I am not spinning a tale here. That is what the Sensis Business Index said.
What we are saying is that we are gradually seeing an improvement happen. I am disappointed that confidence it has fallen again, but we will work hard to see growth happen and that increase in confidence made. We are putting in place a number of initiatives for business, and I hope that you listen to what the Minister for Employment, Education and Training is saying about the jobs plan - really direct assistance to business to grow those businesses.
While I am on my feet, let me refer to the opening part of the Opposition Leader’s question, which was about me touring the country, talking about the Territory, what a great lifestyle we have, why people should come and live here, why they should work here, and why businesses - particularly in areas like the Darwin Business Park – should be looking at investing there. We know that population is a problem. What better to do for our businesses in the Territory than grow our population, to go and get people from the rest of Australia to think about coming to the Territory, living in the Territory, supporting and working in small businesses, and growing the Territory? That is what this is all about.
There are no easy and quick answers to this. We inherited …
Mr Mills: HIH levy, get rid of that.
Ms MARTIN: … despite the yelling and rudeness of the Opposition Leader, we inherited an economy in trouble. We have seen major projects come into place, we have made a lot of initiatives in terms of business, …
Mr Mills: It was positive 44% confidence.
Ms MARTIN: … just one, reducing payroll tax. That is something the previous government would not have done, and we have done it. We are confident we will see Territory businesses grow. The only ones who do not want to see that happen and want to talk down this economy, where are they, Madam Speaker? That side of this House.
Madam SPEAKER: We have had rather lengthy answers to questions today. I would appreciate shorter answers.
Young Territorians – Skilling and Training Strategy
Mr KIELY to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of going to the Stage II award ceremony at Sanderson High School. It is a great school in my community, and it turns out many good kids for the future of the Territory. I would recommend that school to any Darwin parents.
The students were pretty chuffed about graduating, but they were also concerned about their future. Can the minister please advise the House as to whether the government intends to lead the way in skilling and training young Territorians, and what action will it be taking to demonstrate this leadership?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member Sanderson for his question. Again, it hits the nail on the head in relation to this jobs plan and what government is doing.
I also enjoyed the Sanderson graduation; they were a fine bunch of young people. On the evening, I was particularly struck by the guest speaker, our man from the ABC, Charlie King. He made a tremendously inspirational and motivational speech to these young people who have to make the decision for the next stage of their life beyond formal secondary schooling as to what they are going to do. I was very taken with that. I commended him on the night and I do so again.
We see government as a major employer in the Northern Territory in terms of numbers across the public service. We do not believe government has carried its weight in comparison to other jurisdictions, nor the weight that it should carry in setting an example as a model employer with regards to its responsibility to training. We do not see that it has carried its weight over the last 10 years or so and we are going to be addressing that.
We will be employing 200 more trainees and apprentices within the Northern Territory Public Service over the next three years. Ever since the CLP got stuck into the public service back in the ERC, back in 1991 …
Mr Dunham: Oh, so it is our fault!
Mr STIRLING: This goose would not remember, he was not in parliament then, but I certainly do. They were elected in October 1990, and there was not a word about the state of the economy at the time of the election in 1990. By about March 1991, Chief Minister Marshall Perron, Mr Coulter and a couple of others, got around what they called the ERC, and they ripped the guts out of the public service. They left it with very little ability to take on that training effort that it should have been able to undertake. Later on, of course, we saw Planning for Growth, which had about the same effect as the ERC.
Today, we see more trainees and apprentices being employed by local government - the third tier of government - across the Northern Territory than we, at the Northern Territory government and Territory level, can manage. That is simply not good enough and we are going to reverse that trend. We believe we can be a model employer, as I said, for the Northern Territory and we can provide Territorians with the leg-up into the employment world and the labour market with structured training. We also believe we can act as a skills incubator by getting people a start with some skills and training from which the private sector can then draw.
In that, as well, we believe that the public sector is best placed to address that cohort in our community that is less advantaged than others and suffers different forms of disadvantage. Therefore, we are going to use our position as a major employer to ensure that traineeships and apprenticeships go to those areas, such as women who have been away and become deskilled over their time out re-entering the work force, mature-aged Territorians, indigenous Territorians and people with disabilities. We are going to refocus our efforts on that cohort inside this 200 trainees and apprentices that we will take on over the next three years. That, in itself, will provide a major boost to developing jobs in the Territory.
Public Use of Electorate Offices
Mr WOOD to CHIEF MINISTER
On 10 November this year, a meeting was held at the Nelson electorate office to discuss the tropical fruit market review. The meeting was organised by DBIRD. About 30 growers attended, plus a representative from the Queensland Department of Primary Industry and the Rambutan and Tropical Exotic Growers Association North Queensland. I have heard from a number of reliable sources that DBIRD officers received a dressing down for using the Nelson community room. Could you please say if any of the members of your ministerial staff or department gave a dressing down to DBIRD staff for using the Independent’s community room. If this is the case, is it fair to say that this is inappropriate and improper political interference in the public service?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for the question. Let me just say that I do not know anything about that meeting, I am sorry. However, my view is that we should be using all members’ conference rooms if they have them – and I hope all members do – because they are very important for our community.
The member for Port Darwin and I share a problem regarding where one of our resident’s groups meet. I have suggested that we alternate; one month in office of the member for Port Darwin and one month in mine. From my point of view, we should be using all electorate offices. If there was any comment like that made, I am sorry, because it should not happen.
Employment Opportunities for Women
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
As Chief Minister, you have presided over the closure of the Women’s Advisory Council. Granted, you have run seminars on what women want in business. Under your leadership, the number of Territory women in the workforce has fallen by more than 9%. In fact, 4100 Territory women no longer have jobs. Can you tell Territorians why this has happened under your leadership, as the Territory’s Chief Minister and minister responsible for Territory women?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the first point, the Leader of the Opposition should actually get his questions right. It is a good indicator of asking a reasonable question to get the elements of the question right. Saying that I closed down the Women’s Advisory Council is wrong. We have expanded the Women’s Advisory Council. To come in here and mislead Territorians, particularly Territory women, about what is happening in terms of government communicating with Territory women is wrong. It is wrong, wrong, wrong.
The Women’s Advisory Council has been in place for 20 years, we reviewed it and we now have an expanded structure. What that means is that when community Cabinet moves through the Territory, as we do very often, there will be a women’s advisory meeting, with me as Chief Minister, with women in that community. There has never been the opportunity for that to happen before and I think it is very important. To engage more Territory women in talking to government - I do not know who would actually criticise that except the Leader of the Opposition. Let us just put paid to that, which is wrong.
I say to the Leader of the Opposition, one of the biggest employers of many Territory women is the tourism industry. There is no doubt about what happened over the last 2 years. When you take your blinkers off you would also admit to it as well. It has been tough for our tourism industry. It has been one of the key reasons that we have lost numbers out of our workforce. Fifteen per cent of our workforce works in tourism, and tourism has been hit by a sequence of events that we had no control over. We are seeing it build again. We have increased the budget funding by a third for our Tourist Commission so that we can pick up the marketing effort and grow tourism as the world economy recovers.
One of the facts of life, and maybe the Leader of the Opposition does not know this, is that, on average, 25% of visitors to other states are international. In the Territory, it is 50%. So, when those factors hit internationally, and whether it was ranging from 11 September, or the Bali Bombing, or SARS, or the Iraq War, our international visitors were hit.
I really admire our tourism industry. It has worked hard and stuck to its task, it has done that with grit and determination. I believe the worst of those times are over. We will see that jobs market grow again. It will be one of the factors that will see more of those jobs in tourism available, and I am very hopeful of more of those jobs lost to women available again as well.
Tourism Funding Boost and Indigenous Tourism
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for TOURISM
Last month, you announced a $27.5m boost to tourism funding over the next three years. Given the importance of …
Mr Dunham interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Why do you not just listen?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Drysdale, we have already mentioned that the question should be allowed to be asked in silence. That is twice I have had to speak to you. Member for Arafura.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Given the importance, on this side of the House anyway, and the recognition of the importance of indigenous tourism and the role that sector plays in the Northern Territory economy, what progress has been made on developing a strategic implementation plan for the package of initiatives that this extra funding will support?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member. Certainly, the investment of $27.5m of extra funding into the Northern Territory Tourist Commission is very significant. Over the next three years, that is going to mean record budgets for the Northern Territory Tourist Commission.
Before I turn to the strategic plan that is being developed to spend this money, I would like to pay tribute to the Board of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission and the CEO, Maree Tetlow. When I came to this job about a year ago, I asked two things of the Chair and the CEO: firstly, to have a really good look at the structure and function of the different units within the Northern Territory Tourist Commission to see whether it was an effective use of resources; and secondly, once that was done, to come up with a comprehensive plan that was industry based, with an industry focus, through the Board of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission, to address the very substantial issues that the tourism industry faces. As the Chief Minister pointed out, tourism is the largest employer in the Northern Territory and contributes significantly to GSP. A downturn in tourism means a downturn in the economy and some of the unfortunate effects that have been mentioned previously.
I am pleased to report that the CEO, working with the Chair of the Board, Mr Richard Ryan, was able to find $1.5m out of existing funding over the last year to put into marketing. I was assured by the CEO and the Chair of the Board that our Tourist Commission, with some changes in its organisational structure, was now well placed to receive a substantial investment of funds.
Without putting too fine a point on it, I feel the Tourist Commission under the CLP had been let go to seed. Until there was a substantial extra investment this year – I am not talking about the $27.5m yet; I am talking about the extra $1m that was invested into marketing - there had been no new material produced beyond the Daryl Somers campaign - that is over 10 years.
We have new material and substantial extra funding. I have asked the Chair of the Board and the CEO to look at how they can effectively spend that money, and to come up with a plan of how to invest that money and how to roll it out. A plan has been developed. It will be put before the Board of the Tourist Commission at their meeting this Saturday, I believe. Basically, the best news is that there is going to be $1.5m up front. It is already being invested into airing new commercials. That will have a significant effect on attracting more Australians to come and have a holiday in the Northern Territory.
There is a whole range of things - I will not foreshadow exactly what the board will be considering at its meeting:
destination marketing, $1.3m;
engaging with the Regional Tourist Associations, particularly Katherine, looking at possibly a joint production with Great Southern Rail to encourage tourists off the train at Katherine. This will be a great boost to Katherine. I was there last week and the place is abuzz with it. What we have to do is ensure that we entice people off the train to go to see the great sights of Katherine. It is going to be great;
the self-drive market - promoting to that market in strategic magazines;
fishing - working though fishing magazines and fishing operators and supporting Northern Territory fishing tour operators to market themselves. Fishing is such a great attraction for people to come to the Northern Territory; and
cooperative marketing with airlines, particularly overseas airlines – $650 000. That is very important and puts money in our hands to go to people like Qantas, Malaysian, Silk Air and Australian. There is a whole range of airlines that we can do business with now that we have this extra money in our hand.
To answer the question from the member for Arafura about indigenous culture and nature-based development, many people come to the Territory to learn more about Aboriginal culture. There is $1m for grants and subsidies, in terms of business support, getting business planning for Aboriginal organisations and those that might be collaborating with them to market themselves and come up with new product. This is fantastic news for the Territory. Tourism Top End says: ‘Tourism the big winner in dollar funding boost’. Here is another one. This is a lovely insert that is going to be put in over 2.5 million households in southern Australia. It has a calendar and a great map of all the things you can see and do in the Northern Territory. This is another new approach.
I am proud to be Minister for Tourism, and I believe we are going to see a recovery in the tourism industry in the Northern Territory. It is going to be significant. I thank my Cabinet colleagues for the faith they have placed in me. It is going to be a significant investment. Particularly, I would like to pay tribute to Mr Richard Ryan, Chair of the Board of the Tourist Commission, Ms Maree Tetlow, the CEO, and the board because, being industry-based people, they came up with an industry-based plan to address the issues, very wise.
NT Economy - Access Economics Forecast
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
Chief Minister, this is not a game, this is very serious. In July 2002, Access Economics predicted a growth forecast for the Territory of 4.6%. In October 2002, they revised that forecast downward to 4.3%. In April 2003, it went down again to 4.2%, and then in July to 3.9%. Now it has been revised downward to 3.7%; it is dropping. The most alarming aspect is that these downward forecasts have come despite the multi-billion dollar railway and gas projects. Will you tell Territorians why the Territory’s growth forecasts have been revised downwards every month since July 2002?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the latest from Access Economics is 4% for the next five years, and that was work that was done two weeks ago and accompanied my trip to Melbourne and Adelaide.
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I would ask that the documentation that is being quoted from be tabled.
Ms MARTIN: I am not quoting from any documentation.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, let us just hear the answer.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, to support the work I was doing encouraging other Australians to think about living and working in the Territory, and particularly businesses to make investments to grow the Territory’s economic opportunities, we had work done through Access Economics, giving a profile that we handed out to businesses in the rest of the country, saying what the future prospects were for the Territory. Access put that at 4% over the next five years. They talked about the strengths and the weaknesses in the economy, and were very strong about the growing strengths in our economy.
While the Opposition Leader can say, ‘ It has been declining, those forecasts have been moving down point by point’, they are still among the strongest in the country. I am very proud of the fact – and everyone in here should be - that our forecast growth is amongst the strongest in the country. When will the opposition realise that? The Opposition Leader is trying to talk down our economy. You are trying to take figures and say, because there was a prediction that put it at 4.5%, which would have led the country, it has been a little modified. It is still amongst the strongest growth in the country. We are up there in the top two.
So let us celebrate that. Let us build business confidence, and confidence in Territorians in our future. That is very important. It is a key factor of growing the Territory. When you have doom and gloom, and ignorance, coming from the new Treasury spokesman for the opposition, it does not serve you well to be ignorant about these things. Get a context of what you are talking about. I am proud to travel Australia and say, ‘Our economic growth future looks bright, these are the opportunities. Why don’t you consider living, working, visiting, investing in our Territory?’ We are Australia’s new frontier and we are Australia’s gateway to Asia.
House of Representatives – Representation of the Northern Territory
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
My constituents have been used to the somewhat inadequate member for Solomon, and we have had debate in this House about the jeopardy that the seat of Solomon …
Mr DUNHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It offends standing orders to reflect on a member of another parliament.
Madam SPEAKER: It does. Quite correct.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw.
Members of my constituency have been concerned about the possible loss of one of our two Northern Territory seats in the House of Representatives, in particular, the seat of Solomon. Could you please report to the House about any progress on this issue.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as the member for Karama said, all Territorians were very delighted when we got two seats in the federal parliament. It had been a long time coming, but we earned those two seats. We saw that at the last federal election.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: A little quiet, thank you, Madam Speaker. It took a lot of effort to get those two seats. It was a united effort. It was not a party political effort, it was a real bipartisan effort, and a tribute to all those who were involved.
It was a shock to everyone in this place that the ABS, in their assessment of our population figures, said that by a sum of about 250 in the population, we would lose one of those federal seats. Despite the fact of projects under way that would build the Territory population, the decision was made, initially, to have one of those seats disappear and go back to one Territory federal seat.
We have seen what has happened in the interim. We need federal legislation to assure us of that second seat for the future. I pay tribute to the member for Solomon for bringing that legislation into the federal parliament. However, what we have to make sure is, that that is going to happen. We do not know when the next federal election is. We know that the Territory election will not be until 2005, but we do not know when the next federal election will be. It could possibly be early next year - possibly early 2004. My and this House’s concern should be that unless that second seat is legislated pretty soon, if we have an early federal election we will miss out.
Today, I have written to both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition urging them on this matter of our second seat, that that recommendation for legislation be made very soon. I am very optimistic that the federal parliamentary committee will agree that the Territory should have those two seats. We, as a parliament - and I hope I am joined by the opposition - want that to come into place very quickly.
Employment Numbers - Decrease
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
Since you came to office in the Northern Territory, the work force has shrunk to 99 300. Why, in this year alone, have 5700 Territorians left the work force and 4200 full-time jobs gone? That equates to 16 jobs that have been lost every day of this year. Things are not well - 16 pay cheques every day.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am pleased that the focus of this Question Time has predominantly been on our economy, because it is a very important issue. Creating jobs and creating a climate for jobs growth is very important for the Territory. I have demonstrated through my answers that there have been some factors, including the neglect by the previous government of our economy and the decline …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: You hear them whinge and moan about me saying that. It is a fact of life. When you have spent a few years letting the economy run down, it takes time to build it again. We have the Leader of the Opposition denying the fact that we had a year - 1999-2000, not that long ago - when the previous government, the party of which you are now the Leader of the Opposition, had a year of no growth at all. What does that say about the economy? What does that say about the employment prospects, about jobs growth? Very negative.
The factors are in place to grow our economy, something the Opposition Leader does not want to hear. I believe that we will see tourism, which employs 15% of our work force, grow again. Those opportunities will be there in our tourism market. We have seen major projects, for example, the LNG project at Wickham Point. At the height of its construction, there will be 1000 jobs there - currently 300 new jobs. There are other projects around the Territory where we will see numbers like that. I am very confident that we will see our work force grow. There have been tough times in the last 2 years. We inherited those tough times, and there were tough times that happened, particularly with such an important sector of our economy like tourism.
Access Economics, taking a very close and independent look at our economy, is predicting jobs growth. The Opposition Leader can shake his head all he likes, but I am confident about our future. That is the key difference between the Chief Minister and the Opposition Leader: I am confident; he wants to talk it down.
Finke Desert Race – Establishment of Permanent Start/Finish Line
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
The Finke Desert Race is a very important event for people in Central Australia and, indeed, throughout the Northern Territory. Can the minister advise on progress towards the establishment of a permanent start/finish line for that event?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to get on to my favourite topic. The Finke Desert Race, I can delightedly report, is well on track to make the new arrangements ready for the race next year. The quarantine reserve status of the land has been formally revoked and it is now fully available to the motor sports to set up as the new home of the Finke Desert Race.
The traditional owners of Alice Springs have lifted their appeal on the native title status of the reserve. Following the clearance of those land matters, it did not take long to get the Finke Desert Race Committee into action. They have now moved everything, except for the announcer’s tower, across from the old start/finish line to the new area. They have also identified and laid out, not only the prologue track – which is 8.3 km in length – but also the run-off area and the final straight where most of the crowd will collect on the day, and allocated an area for a future drag racing strip. I can say that the Drag Racing Association is fully involved in this and are very excited about the new home that they will be looking for as well.
Staff from the office of my colleague, the Minister for Planning and Environment, are working closely with the committee to establish permanent power, water and communication facilities at the race site. That will be a huge change for the organising committee. They do not have to get generators, water trucks, or portable toilets out there for future events. We are going to have a venue that is directly accessible off the bitumen, the same distance from Alice Springs town.
The $300 000 will be going into the headworks I have already mentioned - the power, water and communications installation and connecting to a sewerage system. I recently had a chance to go right down the track with Antony Yoffa, who is the chair of the FDR committee, and Geoff Christensen from DIPE. We have now identified the changes that will need to be made over a number of years to unravel the public road and the racetrack so that we have a safe co-existence between public access and the actual racetrack itself.
We believe that that work can be done sequentially using the railway corridor from the old Ghan track. Things are moving forward. I am very excited with the amount of progress we have made so far. I cannot wait for next year and, ‘Go the motorbikes!’
Strauss Airstrip – Heritage Listing
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
A few months ago when we were in parliament, there was a wonderful debate about Strauss Airstrip and how we were going to save it from the duplication of the Stuart Highway. Both sides spoke about the importance of saving the World War II history. The cricket pitch, the railway sidings and encampment were also mentioned.
In the last sittings, you announced that the Strauss Airstrip would be heritage listed. When it was formally listed in the paper, only the actual strip and the area where the planes parked were listed; everything else was left out. Why was not the whole section of land declared heritage? What now will protect those other important other airstrip sites which have missed out on heritage listing, especially from the designs and plans of other government departments?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I listed for heritage that which was put before me: the Strauss Airstrip, the taxiways, the revetments and some buildings. The other areas that you mentioned were never part of the nomination. However, I would encourage the member for Nelson, as a member of the public, as a member of the Legislative Assembly, as someone who has been involved in local government for many years: if you want to see that listed, pick up the application forms from the department and apply for it. It is as simple as that. I act on advice.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016