2004-04-01
Child Protection Staffing Levels
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday, you had no answer for the young autistic lad who had suffered violent gang attacks and is seeking urgent relocation from his Territory Housing unit. Surely, today, the disturbing photographs and the report on the front page of the NT News prompted you to seek a briefing. This case, as we have all seen, very sadly represents the face of child abuse in our community. How many extra staff have been employed by Family and Community Services to respond to reports of children in immediate harm since your government admitted three months ago that it had a crisis in child protection?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I will give an overall response to that question because, again, as I said yesterday, the Opposition Leader has asked a specific question about Family and Community Services. I have a Minister for Family and Community Services. If you are asking a specific question, then ask it of the minister, which is quite appropriate.
The story on the front page of the Northern Territory News this morning is a very disturbing one. Every member in this House would be very disturbed. Quite appropriately, the department is investigating, and has been investigating. The story is disturbing. No one in here would like to see a story like that proven. It is a shocking thing.
In terms of the additional resources for Family and Community Services, I was talking about that just this morning: over the next five years, nearly $54m additional into that area of the Health department. Quite properly, for the details of that answer, I will refer the question to the minister responsible, the Minister for Family and Community Services.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Family and Community Services): Madam Speaker, I will reaffirm what the Chief Minister said, that the story in the NT News is disturbing. Unfortunately, this is now a media story, but my number one priority is the protection and wellbeing of these kids: protection from drugs and alcohol, protection from abuse and neglect, and protection from exploitation. We are talking about a five year old here. These kids were exploited when these pictures were taken and exploited again when they were published.
I am not going to discuss individual cases or family circumstances in this forum or in the media. To do so would be inappropriate and definitely not in the best interests of these kids. However, I am able to reassure you that, in relation to this issue, appropriate action has been taken immediately.
Mr Elferink: How many more workers, was the question.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Are you going to listen to the answer? You keep mumbling on over there. Why don’t you just stop and listen?
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms SCRYMGOUR: This is a crucial issue. Why don’t you just listen?
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Macdonnell, allow the minister to answer the question.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: To do so would be inappropriate and definitely not in the best interests of these kids. However, I am able to reassure you that, in relation to this issue, appropriate action had been taken immediately by qualified and experienced expert staff in my department.
I urge all members of our community who become aware of instances such as this to discreetly contact Family and Community Services, and treat the welfare of these children involved as the most important priority, and this includes the media.
I know there is bipartisan support in this House for mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. This mandatory reporting applies to all members of the community. In fact, the Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction where there are mandatory expectations for all community members to report child abuse and neglect. In the Northern Territory, child protection is everyone’s responsibility. It is not only the responsibility of Family and Community Services, but everybody has a responsibility. I again encourage community members with concerns about the safety of any child to call the toll free Child Protection Hotline.
Child abuse is tragic, and that is why the Martin Labor government committed an additional $53.8m over the next five years to building a better child protection system.
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! My question was in specific reference to - the Martin Labor government made a very clear response to a declared crisis in child protection three months ago. I want to know how many additional staff have resulted from that response, since that time.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, there is no point of order, you know full well …
Mr MILLS: There was no answer to that question.
Madam SPEAKER: You know the rules about ministers answering questions. It has been a convention in this House for many decades.
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Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I acknowledge the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of the Auditor-General, Mr Mike Blake.. I thank you very much for the hearings you conducted today. Everyone in this House certainly wishes you well in your future career, even though we think it is Tasmania’s gain and our loss, and good luck!
Members: Hear, hear!
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Sino-Australian Free Trade Agreement
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for TERRITORY DEVELOPMENT
The potential of a Sino-Australian Free Trade Agreement highlights opportunities that China’s economic success presents for business. What is the government doing to help Territory businesses take advantage of these opportunities?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Karama for her question. Next month, I, together with senior people from the Office of Territory Development and members of the business community will be heading off on a major investment trade and tourism mission to China. My government, and there is no secret about this, is committed to increasing international trade via the AustralAsia trade route. As part of that effort, next month, an investment trade mission will travel to Hong Kong and China, to Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Beijing over the period 12 to 21 April. This mission will build on the very successful mission undertaken in March last year.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: It is interesting that members opposite are not interested.
This mission will build on last year’s Asian mission to Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia and is a critical part of marketing the Territory and its investment opportunities. China is emerging as the new international economic powerhouse. This business mission is to make sure that Territory businesses reap the benefits of these opportunities. The mission will target key importers and exporters, freight logistics and tourism organisations. That will be undertaken in partnership with local Territory businesses. I will be accompanied by the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Bruce Fadelli; John Parkes, who is the General Manager International Marketing for FreightLink, and general manager of the Tourism Commission, Maree Tetlow, along with a 16-strong delegation coordinated by the International Business Council, which includes a range of local business and industry leaders.
At this stage, the participants are: from the IBC, Kevin Peters and Greg Bicknell; from Colton Park Trading, Herminia and Jacinto Lay; Les Gikas from Bracket Engineering Service; Hercules Roussos from Darwin City Refrigeration; Twister ATV, Gary and Steven Chin; Darwin Glass, Thomas Chin; John White from Delta Electrics; Dan Halloran from the NT Agricultural Association; from the International College of Advanced Education, Sean Mahoney and Bryan Chapman; from the Hong Kong Australia Business Association, Cathy Lin and Kivi Lay; and Quentin Kilian from the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development. I am delighted that the NT News and Channel Nine are coming along as well, so, thank you to both of those organisations.
From the Territory’s perspective, the mission has a range of objectives: the joint promotion of the AustralAsia trade route and Darwin as the gateway to Asia and the gateway to Australia; the pursuit of new shipping links, importantly, that direct link from Darwin through to North Asia; new tourism and aviation links critical to our tourism future; the promotion of investment opportunities in the Territory to investment houses, financial institutions and leading international companies in China and Hong Kong; and to lend support, importantly, to the NT International Business Council’s initiative, which will have that 16-strong business delegation participate in the China Export Commodities Fair in Guangzhou. These objectives of the trip will be met by one-on-one meetings with key industry and business leaders, and appointments with governmental counterparts. I will be hosting a number of dedicated functions for selected participants and, as well, doing a lot of media.
The investment trade mission is being coordinated by my Office of Territory Development. I look forward to briefing this House on my return about what has been achieved by this trip, as I did when I returned last March from the trip to Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
NT Fire Service Bubble Machine
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
About a month ago, I was informed that many children in our community would not now be able to enjoy the use of the NT Fire Service bubble machine. I presume this was because of a decision made by some sad person in government. Considering that the machine only uses dishwashing liquid, has minimal risk, is enjoyed by lots of kids, and helps promote the NT Fire Service, would you, as the minister for fun, intervene or at least discuss the issue with the fire service to reverse the decision? If you say that the machine has been banned because of health risks, could you then provide to this House the number of serious health problems caused by the use of this machine since it came into use?
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, we want a fun answer.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as the newly-proclaimed minister for fun, yes, I would love to see our kids playing in the foam this Dry Season at the many school fetes and community events that the fire service traditionally has provided the foam for the kids to play in.
This issue did come to my attention about a month ago as well. I am speaking to the fire service about that. The issue was raised by firefighters at the Palmerston station, regarding concerns they had about safety issues. Those issues are being carefully looked at. There were concerns raised of possible skin infections. The foam has been analysed and has proven to be totally safe. However, there are some issues in regard to the fan that blows the bubbles out for the kids to play in, and the fire service is looking at a new guard around the fan to keep little fingers at bay. I am very hopeful of a positive outcome that will see the fun and the foam flow once more this Dry Season for our kids to play in.
Kakadu National Park – Return to Territory Management
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
Territorians have successfully developed and managed our vast parks estate, providing access for all Territorians since self-government. In 2003, the federal government made an offer to your government to work towards returning Kakadu to NT management; an offer you refused because it was against federal Labor Party policy. By toeing your Canberra boss’s line, and now giving away ownership and management of Territory parks, you are letting Territorians down. Chief Minister, when will you start standing up for Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Opposition Leader should not come in here leading with his chin and getting facts wrong. He has priors on this, again and again. If he could just understand what was being said, we could move the debate on a bit.
Let us talk about Kakadu. Very clearly, there is no federal Labor policy about who owns Kakadu or who manages Kakadu. Let me make that very clear. The decisions we make in this Territory are Territory Labor decisions and we stand proudly by them. …
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: … unlike the CLP who, when John Howard say ‘Jump’, they say: ‘How high, Prime Minister?’
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: Let us talk about Kakadu. I have been trying to think, in my 20 years here, whether I ever heard the CLP in government say one constructive or positive thing about Kakadu. I could not recall in my time here ever hearing the CLP government talk in a positive or a constructive way about Kakadu. What is the tag that the CLP left with Kakadu? Kadadon’t! The biggest prize you thought you had - Kakadon’t. Don’t go to Kakadu because of this reason, that reason. Put down Kakadu consistently, year after year, because it was not a Territory managed park, and thought you were actually making a constructive contribution to tourism, and the damage has been enormous. The damage of Kakadon’t from a smart and stupid CLP government has been very destructive for the future and the present of Kakadu.
What did the CLP do for Kakadu? They said ‘Kakadon’t’. They had a former federal member go down with a sledge hammer saying, he was going to knock down the entry gate - very constructive. Did the CLP ever put one marketing dollar into Kakadu? Never, ever. We checked it through, never one dollar into marketing Kakadu - somebody else’s park, we will just put in down, we will never work constructively. Did the CLP ever take up this Territory government’s right to put a member on either the board of Kakadu or Uluru-Kata Tjuta?
In the last few years, never. For years and years there was no Northern Territory government representation on the Kakadu Board of Management. . The relationship between the Kakadu management and the Territory government in the past has been appalling. When we came to government, we knew we had a vast deficit to make up. I have met with the board and I understand that deficit, and it was created by a stupid and short-sighted CLP government. And do you know what the greatest sadness is? When Bill Neidji died, I went to his funeral in Kakadu. I was the first minister of a Territory government ever to officially go to Kakadu.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: …said to me: ‘This is fantastic’. The first time ever to go officially.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: This is what was said to me. It indicates that any pretending that you have Kakadu and its future at heart is absolute rubbish.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: You bagged it and damaged it for so long. We are working on those relationships. We have a lot of deficit to make up. We have put $500 000 down for marketing. We have started spending some of that money and we are working closely with Parks Australia North and the federal minister involved to develop a strategic marketing plan, and we see a very positive future.
However, we have to get rid of this stupidity of the past that has so damaged Kakadu. And what is extraordinary is that mob sitting there saying, ‘We don’t know about Kakadon’t.’ Who do you think created the word? Who do you think? Time and time again, the media in Darwin and the Territory, and around Australia were saying, ‘Don’t go to Kakadu, Kakadon’t’. It was the CLP, and one after another smart CLP minister. It is a disgrace.
Let us say these are changed times. We are going to see a much brighter future for Kakadu. Madam Speaker, there is some good news on Kakadu. The latest Kakadu visitor figures show the highest visitation for January, February and March for the last three years. There has been a significant lift this last year, an increase of nearly 3000 visitors in the first three months of this year on last year. We are going places.
Payment of Government Accounts
Mrs AAGAARD to TREASURER
You would be aware that prompt payment of accounts has been an issue of concern for small businesses for many years. Can you advise this House what action has been taken to ensure the government pays its bills on time and how successful that action has been?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nightcliff for her question. Timely payment of accounts is of concern to all business, particularly, the smaller the business the more important it is in terms of cash flow. In July last year, this government announced our intention, and minister Henderson, as Minister for Business and Industry, announced the intention to ensure that all government accounts would be paid within 30 days of receipt of the invoice where there was no dispute about the work done and the details of the invoice itself.
Government’s performance in that regard had never been tracked, so it was necessary to put processes in place, having made that very firm commitment to change the situation to ensure timely payments. We developed a reporting process. The initial report for the month of July 2003 showed that 86% of all non-disputed invoices were paid within 30 days. That is not too bad, when it had not been tested and there was not a process to show just what the percentage was. I am delighted to report that the February 2004 report shows that that figure now stands at 91% of all invoices are paid within 30 days where there is no dispute.
That is a solid improvement and shows that when you start to measure things and you put the spotlight on it, efficiencies and improvements can be made. We are setting a target of 100% of undisputed invoices to be paid on time from July this year. Terms and conditions for government purchasing are being amended to provide for interest entitlements on late payments, but those payments will not be automatic because to make them automatic would present business with the problem then of having to reconcile receipts with invoices when compiling their GST/BAS statements. So, any interest penalties will be paid on demand, with the parties agreeing on the penalty amount and the business issuing an invoice for the agreed amount.
Our focus in doing this is not just about government efficiency. It is ensuring that business does get paid on time so that the cash flow, particularly for smaller businesses, is not affected. If we can put in place, over a period of months, 86% to 91%, I am confident that we can push that 91% to 100% where there is no dispute around the invoice. I am sure all business would be very pleased with that outcome.
Territory Parks – Access for Swimming
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
Your parks minister has refused to guarantee that bans on access and swimming will not occur in Territory parks like they have in Kakadu. Why will your government not give this guarantee?
Dr Burns interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Could we have silence while the Chief Minister speaks? Chief Minister, not too long, please.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I will say quickly that I have great confidence in our parks service. Our Parks and Wildlife officers are experts, and they manage our parks very well, sometimes in joint management arrangements as in Nitmiluk, a model put in place by the CLP in government, and one we congratulate you on. It has been terrific. It is a model we are working on.
When it comes to managing parks, and making sure our tourists are safe, I leave that in the hands of the Parks and Wildlife Service. To come in here and ask: ‘Do you refuse to say that swimming will never be banned in certain parts of the park?’ At times, Berry Springs Reserve is closed because there are crocodiles! There are fears about that. What are you talking about in terms of banning? Let us talk about proper management, let us talk about safety in our parks and let us talk about tourists having a great time. That is what we are talking about, not some kind of puerile and simplistic: ‘Can you say you will never ban this?’ We are managing parks; we are making them safe for tourists.
Government Contracts Awarded – Central Australia
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
Can you provide details of government contracts that have been awarded to businesses in Central Australia in the last month?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am sure you will be interested in the answer to this one, because I can report that over $1.5m has gone out to local businesses in Alice Springs in the last month. I am very pleased to provide the details of these. There is a wide range of works, from upgrading airstrips to developing knowledge centres, to building new infrastructure. Eleven new contracts have gone out to Central Australian businesses in the last month, worth $1 587 038. That is all work for local businesses in Central Australia and that is fantastic. It will be providing jobs, training opportunities and more money into the local economy. It is about this government putting money where their mouth is, and in making a commitment to Central Australia, providing opportunities for local businesses.
Members sitting opposite would have us believe that Central Australia is in decline, with local members talking doom and gloom. As these contracts show, they do not know their own town and region. People in Central Australia are sick of hearing them talk the place down, including me, I might add. They should be applauding the success of local businesses, companies like Charmban, which has just been awarded a contract worth more than $600 000 for site works at the new start/finishing line of the Finke Desert Race – and that is going to be a fantastic race this year. Companies like MBY Carpentry have been awarded a $330 000 contract at the Arid Zone Research Institute; Fleetwood Portables have a $326 000 contract to provide classrooms for remote area schools; Kings Creek Station has a contract for upgrading works to their airstrip; and Gap Youth Centre will be conducting a review of community readiness from knowledge centres. I congratulate all those local businesses and others that have put in successful tenders.
This work comes on top of significant works that have already started on major projects, such as Desert Knowledge, the water reuse scheme out through the Gap, and headworks for the Larapinta subdivision. Talking of the Larapinta land release, I hope to hear members opposite congratulating native title holders of Lhere Artepe in the formal signing ceremony this month.
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Macdonnell, I would like to hear the answer.
Dr TOYNE: Earlier this week, my colleague, the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, described Alice Springs as buzzing. It goes to show Central Australia is getting on with the job and seizing the opportunities that are available. For the local members in Alice Springs, I will table the tenders, because they probably do not even know what is going on down there.
Budget - Current Situation
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCURE
It is interesting that the information that I am seeking is readily available, based on the Minister for Central Australia’s previous answer.
The 2003-04 budget was described by your predecessor as ‘a massive infrastructure spending budget, with $434m in cash to be pumped into the economy this financial year’. Minister, as we are now about to enter the last quarter of the budget period, what is the current situation? Will you please provide a detailed breakdown of actual cash expended to date under the headings of: capital works; minor new works; repairs and maintenance; program delivery; capital grants and PowerWater? I understand that you will not have that information or that detail in front of you, but it is clear that it is closely monitored and should be easily available. I ask that you give an undertaking that you will provide the information to the House by close of business today.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question. I welcome the fact that the member for Brennan is the shadow minister for infrastructure. However, as he well knows, the detail that he has asked here is really a question on notice rather than a question without notice. I can assure this House that since assuming this portfolio area, I have concentrated very hard on what is being spent on capital works, and I suppose the department and PowerWater might think that I am pushing them a bit. With regard to capital works spending overall, particularly within my portfolio responsibility of DIPE, I am assured that on a project by project basis, rather than a pro rata basis, we are probably within $1m of our spend. I will not give you an undertaking, I do not promise anything I cannot deliver, member for Brennan. I do not know whether I can get you these figures by the end of the day, but I undertake to inform you.
Madam SPEAKER: And minister, of course, you will remember my little project upon Larapinta Drive you promised to give me the answer to.
Dr BURNS: Yes, you will never let me forget, Madam Speaker.
Influenza Vaccinations
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for HEALTH
I ask this question on behalf of the member for Braitling. In the past, people over 65 and others with chronic illnesses were given free flu vaccine. Some of the member for Braitling’s constituents have now been given conflicting advice about flu vaccinations from the Flynn Centre in Alice Springs. At first, they were told that the free vaccination was no longer available for people with a chronic illness. Later, they were told people with a chronic illness could get the free vaccination. Information from the Territory Senators indicate there has been no change in the policy. Can the minister please clarify who is entitled to a free flu vaccination?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am delighted to be able to clear this matter up so that Territorians do have a very clear picture of what their entitlements are. The question is whether or not people who are recommended to have influenza vaccine can access this for free from the community care centres. The areas are as follows regarding the policies: all non-indigenous people aged 65 and over; indigenous people aged 50 years and over, and indigenous people aged 15 to 49 years with medical risk factors for severe influenza are recommended to receive influenza vaccination annually. Vaccine for these groups is funded by the Australian government programs.
Non-indigenous people aged less than 65 years who have medical risk factors for severe influenza are also recommended to receive annual influenza vaccination. However, the Australian government does not directly fund vaccine for this group of people. The Australian government does subsidise the cost of vaccine for this group via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme; that is, people with a Health Care Card can purchase influenza vaccine for $3.20. Without a Health Care Card, the person pays about the same as the cost of the vaccine.
NT community care centres will provide influenza vaccine free of cost to those non-indigenous people under 65 years of age with medical risk factors. This vaccine is paid for by the NT government. However, nurses at CCCs need to have some confirmation that the client does, in fact, have a medical risk factor for influenza, therefore the following applies: for clients for whom CCCs are providing free influenza vaccine in previous years, vaccine will be provided and they will be asked to bring in a letter of confirmation from their GP at some time during the year. A Diabetes Association card would also be sufficient evidence. For clients who are new to the CCC, they will be asked for confirmation of their condition - for example, a GPs letter - before vaccine is given.
Doctors will be encouraged to write prescriptions for their patients so that the best advantage can be taken of the Commonwealth subsidies through the PBS. However, GPs will be told that patients who cannot afford or will not pay for their own vaccine, can access NT government funded influenza vaccine at the CCCs.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, minister, and if I could have a copy of that it would be useful to send back to my people who are making inquiries.
Land Tax Proposed by CLP
Mr KIELY to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
On 25 November last year, the Opposition Leader said the CLP had a plan to review all land taxes. On 10 February, the Opposition Leader restated the CLP’s plan to review the land tax. On Tuesday, the Leader of the Opposition stated in a radio interview that he had a policy to immediately abolish payroll tax …
Members interjecting.
Mr BURKE: A point of order, Madam Speaker. The member cannot stand in this House and say lies about the Leader of the Opposition in the form of a question.
Madam SPEAKER: The member has to remember that you cannot ask questions that infer offensive information against a member. Perhaps you could rephrase it in such a way that it does not offend.
Mr KIELY: I could table the media release of 25 November. I could table the release of 10 February 2004 and a transcript …
Madam SPEAKER: All right. If you are quoting from a media release then I will accept that question.
Mr Burke: Well, he has to give the quote, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes.
Mr KIELY: This is from the Leader of the Opposition dated 25 November 2003:
- Mr Mills repeated his commitment to Territorians that a CLP government will:
…
And land taxes.
Members interjecting.
Mr KIELY: And land taxes. Do you want me to do the rest?
Ms Carney: What is the source?
Mr KIELY: It is all here. I will move one …
Members interjecting.
Mr KIELY: Can the minister …
Madam SPEAKER: Would you table those …
Mr KIELY: Certainly, Madam Speaker. I seek leave to table these documents.
Leave granted.
Mr KIELY: ‘Terry Mills, Leader of the Opposition’. There it is. There it is, everyone. There you go, happy to ...
Madam SPEAKER: Can we get in to the question please?
Mr KIELY: Can the minister advise the Assembly of the effects a new CLP land tax would have on small business and investment confidence, and employment in the Territory?
Mr DUNHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker. Questions can only be put to a minister on any matter for which he is responsible. He is not responsible for CLP policy.
Madam SPEAKER: I believe the question was in regard to what effect it would have. Yes, Minister for Lands and Planning.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that the Leader of the Opposition did make some comments on radio recently, and I think they have been read before. This was on Trevor Scott, 8TOPFM, Tuesday, 13 March, and I will quote from there. The Leader of the Opposition is talking about Peter Costello:
- But really behind the scenes is Peter Costello getting on to state Treasurers and say, for goodness sake, make your move on state taxes like payroll tax, stamp duty and BAD tax. You’ve got to do it otherwise the Treasurer is going to start having to act. They are in receipt of $400m additional, over and above of what the CLP would have had at this time of their time in office.
Reporter: So the CLP is saying they would drop these taxes ….
Mills: Absolutely. That’s exactly …
So, it is on the record - the Leader of the Opposition has said that he would drop those taxes. Now, it comes down to semantics from here. The Leader of the Opposition is saying, ‘By saying drop, I meant reduce. By dropping those taxes, I meant reduce ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, minister could you just get to your answer.
Dr BURNS: Yes, I am, Madam Speaker, but a lot of it comes down to the meaning of ‘drop’. I thought to myself, what does the CLP mean by drop? Then I realised. when you dropped Shane Stone, did you reduce him? No. When you dropped Denis Burke, did you reduce him? No, you dropped him. So, on that assumption, in their own language, that would mean a $200m impost on the Territory budget. A very substantial impost. I suppose I have been in Cabinet for 18 months, and I will admit, I am still learning. I am still coming to grips with things. But the one thing I have learnt is the pretty simple equation that if you take something off the revenue side of things, you need to find it elsewhere, so where else but a land tax. The Territory is the only state or territory in Australia that does not have a land tax.
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker. The speaker clearly knows that it is this government that has introduced a land rich tax.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, I will pick up on that point of order that the Leader of the Opposition raised. By definition, a land tax is something that is raised annually. The impost he is talking about is a tax when property is transferred and there are complicated issues regarding holdings within a company that owns a property and attempts to evade stamp duty - entirely different. I am talking about a land tax, and the Territory is the only place that does not have a land tax.
So what happens elsewhere with land tax? In New South Wales, small businesses pay $12 500 per annum.
A member interjecting.
Dr BURNS: Well, I do not know how far it goes back. We do not have a land tax and we do not have any plans to introduce it. The question is one of credibility for the Leader of the Opposition. Where is he going to get the money, this $200m? Or, alternatively, he could talk about the quantum by which he is going to reduce these taxes. He has done neither, and for his credibility’s sake, he needs to do so.
Madam SPEAKER: That was a lot about nothing.
A member interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: There was a lot of noise. Can we all please settle down and have some questions and answers with a bit of sense.
Secondary Education Review
Dr LIM to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
You spent almost $1m on a secondary education review, which was completed almost six months ago. You sat on the report because you are too afraid to implement it. You now plan to give …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker. The honourable member should not be making a statement; he should be asking a question. He is deliberately making a statement.
Dr Lim interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, you cannot assume the minister is going to do that. Just rephrase your question.
Dr LIM: You now plan to give a briefing on the report to school principals this week. Why do you continue to refuse to brief parliament on the key recommendations of the report? What do you have to hide?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, if I thought the shadow minister for education could add value in this regard, I would probably have him up for a briefing and give him a copy of the report straight away. The fact is, when he talks about us being frightened or lacking the wherewithal to take on the recommendations in this review, some of which will be quite challenging to education across the Northern Territory, I will give this undertaking: we will go a long way further to implementing recommendations from this review than were implemented by our predecessors, either in respect of Collins’ Learning Lessons where there was zip, zip, and the earlier review into secondary education of the early 1990s, of which implementation led to zip again.
The secondary report will be released publicly in the second week of April, and there will be a number of briefings given to key stakeholders so that they have a clear understanding of what is in the report before it is released.
The Chief Minister said, at the time of announcing the review, in September 2002, that implementation would begin in 2004. We are still on track to achieve that. Some of the recommendations within the report can be implemented quite readily. However, we do want to go through a comprehensive public testing of the review and consultation with all sectors of the community, because it is critical that we do engage the community in and around all of the recommendations of this review.
The department is currently putting together a strong team of professionals that will stand by once decisions are ticked off and once the community has been consulted, and those recommendations that are supported, the team stands ready to roll out the implementation. There will be further consultation with schools, teachers, parents, education experts and the wider community before these recommendations are implemented because we want to ensure that we are making absolute best decisions for our young people.
It is rich for the opposition spokesperson to criticise it in any way or criticise what we are doing. Our record already stands in stark contrast to theirs in enhancing education. It will be publicly released, it will be acted on. It is about the future of young Territorians and we want to make sure that we make the best possible decisions.
Dr LIM: A supplementary question, Madam Speaker?
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, member for Greatorex. I will allow it.
Dr LIM: The secondary education review recommends massive changes to the structure of Territory school systems and the implementation of changes will mean the closure of primary schools. Minister, how many and which primary schools in the northern suburbs will be closed …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is the same question.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, that is not a supplementary question. That is not the intent of a supplementary.
Dr Lim: I am just asking him to tell us what is going on.
Madam SPEAKER: You should have asked that in the first place.
Statehood for the Northern Territory
Mr McADAM to CHIEF MINISTER
You will be aware of comments made within the last 24 hours by the federal member for Solomon in relation to statehood for the Northern Territory. Further to our discussions, can you outline our government’s approach in respect to achieving statehood in the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this a very important question for the Territory, because you could have knocked socks off on this side of the House when we heard the member for Solomon articulating the CLP’s wishes on statehood and saying: ‘With the stroke of a pen, let the Commonwealth impose statehood on the Territory’. That is what he said in Canberra yesterday. ‘With the stroke of a pen, let the Commonwealth impose statehood on the Territory’.
This is the CLP’s attitude. There are two words for this: it is both arrogant and ignorant. Let me first look at the arrogance. The member for Solomon is suggesting we have to go running off to Canberra to get statehood, and this is the CLP’s attitude. He has obviously learnt nothing from what happened in 1997-98, which culminated on 3 October 1998, when Territorians told the then CLP government, and the then CLP Chief Minister, Shane Stone, very, very clearly that they would not accept statehood on the CLP’s terms. They were not going to have statehood imposed on them by a government, but they wanted statehood that they owned, whereby they owned the process, understood the process and had a proper opportunity to be part of a constitutional convention and understand the myriad issues involved in becoming a state.
Territorians strongly support statehood, but not the way the CLP put it in place. And here, with the arrogance of the CLP continuing, their federal member says, ‘Let Canberra put it on with the stroke of a pen’. Ignorance and arrogance. Territorians have not changed in their attitude. They still strongly support statehood, but not the way the CLP did it, and you are still at it, with your federal member in Canberra. The way Dave Tollner is representing your views, as the member for Solomon in Canberra, means we are heading, if we follow that road, to another disaster on statehood, and you lot have not learnt. That is the arrogance.
The ignorance to say that you can do it with the stroke of a pen is also gigantic. Making the first state since 1901 is no small matter. The member for Solomon is making a lot of ignorant statements in Canberra, but this one takes the cake. There are two options for statehood: one is that you have a national referendum requiring a ‘yes’ vote’ from a majority of Australians and a majority of states. Given the history of referenda in Australia, that is not a great option. The second one, to establish the state of the Northern Territory, is by an act of federal parliament. That is no small matter; that is not a stroke of the pen. It has to pass through both Houses of parliament, it will probably have to go through the Senate’s Legal and Constitutional Committee, there will be public hearings. It is extremely complex. Again, what is the CLP thinking by saying this should be done, by Canberra, imposed on the Territory by the stroke of a pen?
Last May, we committed to starting that statehood process again. It is in the hands of the Legal and Constitutional Committee. That work is continuing with terms of reference and how we make a joint parliamentary community process. It is a slow process, quite reasonably, to make sure that we get it right this time. We do not have statehood imposed by politicians, by Shane Stone telling us how to vote, and by Denis Burke writing constitutions over the weekend and running into the Constitutional Convention in this parliament and saying, ‘Have I got a constitution for you guys!’
Territorians, quite rightly, want to know how statehood will affect them on a range of issues, from Commonwealth funding, to our federal representation, to land rights, to the advantages of being a state, the disadvantages, all those things, and we will deal with them properly. Yet, your federal member is doing exactly what you did in 1998, trying again, ignorance and arrogance. If this House thinks that the only ignorant and arrogant member of the CLP is the member for Solomon, think again. Last night in this House, the member for Drysdale, if you want to see ignorance and arrogance, let me share a quote. He is talking about the candidates in place for the next election of the CLP, and he says, and I quote it because it really is a stunning example of both ignorance and arrogance: ‘We’, talking about the CLP, ‘will go back to our rightful inheritance of being the party that runs this place; being a Territory born and bred party’.
Madam Speaker, do not think that the only arrogance being demonstrated by the CLP is by the member for Solomon ...
Mr Dunham interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Drysdale!
Ms MARTIN: ... it is here articulated only last night by the ‘born to rule’ attitude and arrogance of the CLP.
Katherine Youth Croc Fest
Mrs MILLER to CHIEF MINISTER
More than 2000 disadvantaged students from 62 regional remote schools have committed to attend the nationally recognized Youth Croc Fest planned for Katherine later this year, which is the only one in the Territory for 2004. Chief Minister, as Minister for Young Territorians, do you still intend to ignore the pleas of the children who want the Croc Fest to go ahead, and will you recognise the value of all young people in National Youth Week by reversing your decision and agree to provide the 25% remaining funding needed for the Croc Fest to go ahead in Katherine?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. To come into this House and say the only thing that this government is doing for the youth of Katherine is to support a Croc Fest is ignorant. There is a lot more happening from this government with the Katherine community and the youth of Katherine than simply a Croc Fest.
There are some very specific reasons why we are not supporting the Croc Fest, and why we do support other festivals - not only in Katherine and the Katherine region. This year the Barunga Festival is being supported to the tune of $50 000. However, there are very good reasons. One of them at the heart of it is, we are supporting home-grown festivals, not the product imported from Sydney by a very administration-heavy organisation - one that has been assessed, quite properly, through the Department of Employment, Education and Training. I will get the minister to respond to this. However, not one that does not have the outcomes for Territorians and is not even a local festival.
It is all very well for the member for Katherine to come in here and say: ‘I demand you do this’. We are doing many other things for the youth of Katherine and of the region, and for the community of Katherine. This Croc Festival is not local, is administration-heavy and does not have the outcomes that, quite properly, education should demand from a festival that is asked to be supported by the Education Department. I refer some specifics of to this answer to the minister.
Mr STIRLING (Employment, Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I guess, all things being equal, you would like to fund this type of arrangement, but I will go through, quite specifically, why we would not fund this. It has to do with both the cost operation of this particular festival, but also the outcomes of the ones held in both in Nhulunbuy and Tennant Creek. Both departments that were responsible for funding - I think it was $65 000 in the first year, a combination of funding between the Department of Employment, Education and Training and the Department of Health and Community Services - are driven in outcomes of how they spend taxpayers’ dollars through their agencies. Both agencies reported that they did not believe there were sustainable outcomes. A reasonable time was had by the kids, but there was no evidence of sustainable outcomes over time.
Let me tell you what the priority for DEET is. It is about literacy and numeracy, because of the appalling record in our remote and rural schools and indigenous education that they have had over 30 years. That is our priority: turning that around and making a difference.
This particular year, the Croc Fest delivered what I would say was an ultimatum: ‘Give us $100 000 or we will run a campaign against you; we will run a media blitz’. And that is exactly what they did. In the two years prior to that, there was negotiation. As I said, the first year I think it was $65 000, the second year $45 000. This year, it was $100 000 or ‘Look out, we are coming for you’. Well, let them come for us, because I have the figures here which show that more than $200 000 of the budget of $440 000 was to be spent on professional fees and wages for interstate employees. Just $15 000 of that $440 000 was going to be spent on locally sourced professionals and equipment.
Here is another one: $15 000 of that budget was going to be spent to support a head office in Sydney. Let me go through – well, before I do that I will go back to what the Chief Minister was saying regarding local festivals. They are home-grown, they will get commitment at the grassroots level, they will driven by locals such as the member for Barkly is achieving in his own electorate. I am looking forward to that, because he has given a great lead to the rest of us as to how to run these locally-based festivals, rather than meeting the needs of the well paid executives and the interstate company. We want to boost the capacity at the local level to have our own festivals and, as recently as the weekend, the Chief Minister announced an increase of some $350 000 for festivals right across the Northern Territory.
However, have a look at these figures. The professional fees, wages and expenses for interstate employees for the Croc Fest, the Katherine budget, executive producer – this is for a three-day festival …
Mrs Miller: That is right.
Mr STIRLING: Three day festival: executive producer, $22 000 plus expenses; producer one, $13 750 plus expenses; associate producer one, $9600 plus expenses; associate producer two, $13 760 plus expenses; associate producer three – there is no shortage of associate producers, Madam Speaker - $13 700; production coordinator, $6500; event manager one, $10 275; event manager two, $9500; assistant to the executive producer, $6500; production assistant one, $6850 - you would think they were putting on the Sound of Music in Katherine - production assistant two, $6850; production assistant three, lowly paid at $5200; PR media manager, $7700; the bookkeeper, $6600; the computer web site consultant, very important, $2400; the admin assistant, $3000; site manager one, $3640; site manager two - why would you need two site managers? - $3185; assistant site manager, $11 900; loaders, $1500; and video cameraman, $3000. Interstate personnel, $167 500 plus $23 000 in expenses; locally sourced professionals - $15 000 would have found it way to the local Katherine people.
If we are going to put a local festival together with the support that the Chief Minister has outlined over the past few days, last weekend, all of that money will be expended locally, beefing up the capacity of our local regional organisers and developing the capacity to do exactly what this would have done in-house.
I am reminded that, at the time of the Barkly festival in Tennant Creek, a stage was brought to Tennant Creek for the purposes of that at a cost of $30 000. Well, quite frankly, both DEET and Health and Community Services have much more important outcomes to achieve than that raft of executives to the extent of $167 500, plus $23 000 expenses.
So I say, go and run your Croc Fest. We went into this in Nhulunbuy two years ago at the urging of federal minister Nelson and I supported him. He said, ‘I think this is a good thing. We are putting money in. You should too.’ We did. We were less than satisfied with the outcomes. We did it again. We were still less than satisfied with the outcomes. We are not propping up a Sydney office at $15 000 out of our taxpayer’s money on this sort of expenditure.
Cotton Growing in the Northern Territory
Mr WOOD to CHIEF MINISTER
Some weeks ago you had a meeting with representatives of the cotton industry. I believe they requested a meeting with you following your statement that no cotton was to be grown in the Northern Territory. Could you please tell the House the outcome of that meeting and whether cotton, or at least cotton trials, will be allowed to continue in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the statements I made mid-last year on the Daly and cotton were ones that I conveyed quite clearly to our community, and conveyed quite clearly to members of the cotton industry. I welcomed their visit and the fact that they were from around Australia and had taken the issue of cotton growing in the Territory very seriously. I explained to them the considerable community concern about growing cotton in the Northern Territory, particularly when it related to the Daly region, and that the Daly region was a very important region for the Territory, and that we needed to plan for its future and we could not plan for its future while we were still talking about growing cotton in the Daly. That decision has been widely supported across the Territory, and certainly acclaimed by many groups. The Environment Centre is one; AFANT, very importantly, is another group which has acclaimed that.
We did say, when that announcement was made, that the CRC cotton trials in Katherine would continue to their finish in two years’ time. One of the reasons that we felt it should continue was that the research being done in Katherine is applicable across that area of Australia. It is also applicable to the Kununurra region. We have scientists who are working in Katherine applying that knowledge in Kununurra. Very different circumstances.
I stand by the decision to say that cotton will not be grown in the Territory, will not be grown in the Daly River region. I applaud all those involved in the Daly River Reference Group, lead by Rick Farley, in actually doing the hard work to plot and create a sustainable future for one of the most important regions in the Territory, the Daly River.
Child Protection Service
Ms CARTER to MINISTER for FAMILY and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Today in court, a 48-year-old man has been refused bail after being accused of sexual intercourse and other sexual acts with a 10-year-old Darwin girl while she was in the care of your child protection service. How could your child protection service fail this child in such an extreme way, and what are you doing to address this matter?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. I reiterate that it is inappropriate to comment on individual cases, and this case is before the court. It is disturbing. It is a concern and it is something that we are working on.
Ranger Uranium Mine – Contamination of Water
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for MINES and ENERGY
On Tuesday you provided a report to the House on the water incident at the Ranger mine, which is operated by ERA. Can you provide an update to the House on the current situation at the Ranger mine?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. It is a very important question because the incident at Ranger mine was very disturbing. That occurred eight days ago. Apparently there was an erroneous hose connection between the process water and the fresh water supply. Unfortunately, something went wrong and a number of workers were contaminated with water with a low pH and traces of uranium. In addition to that, when the company attempted to flush the system, contaminated water entered a holding tank at Jabiru East, at the airport, and 150 000 litres of contaminated water overflowed and contaminated the environment. Fortunately, tests by the Office of the Supervising Scientist have indicated no contamination of the water supply or any of the adjoining creeks occurred.
The mining company closed the mine of its own volition. We agreed with the Supervising Scientist and ERA that the mine would not reopen until all parties agreed to the reopening of the mine. At 7 am on Tuesday, 30 March, the Office of the Supervising Scientist, my department and ERA agreed for a maintenance crew to return to work because the Supervising Scientist was satisfied that the company had done everything possible to flush and clean the water system. In addition, the Office of the Supervising Scientist provided a list of conditions to ERA, and only when they are satisfied with those conditions will the mine go to full production. My department sought clarification from the Office of the Supervising Scientist, especially because mining can commence, but the milling cannot because milling uses processed water. The Office of the Supervising Scientist agreed to mining operations commencing - that is only the excavation of rock.
Yesterday, at 5.45 pm, the mining operation started. I repeat: there are no milling operations. Milling will not recommence until my department is satisfied that all conditions as put in place by the Office of the Supervising Scientist have been complied with. My department advised the Office of the Supervising Scientist, the Northern Land Council and the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources that there was an agreement to start mining rock again.
Madam Speaker, throughout this event at Ranger, the government has taken a consistent and measured approach to the rectification of the incident, to manage the consequences and the orderly resumption of mining activities at Ranger. I am still concerned, however, about the question of the safety of the workers who have been exposed. As I said in my previous report, the department is carrying out a full investigation. We have had four mining inspectors on-site, and there is a mining inspector on-site again. I am awaiting the report of the inspections before any decision is made as to what action we are going to take as a result of this incident.
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