2002-03-06
Safety on Territory Roads
Mr REED to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
My question pertains to the minister’s failure to provide adequate duty of care to people travelling on the Territory’s roads. It is a very important issue when you consider that duty of care has not been undertaken because the road verges have not been slashed. They are usually slashed to the tree line, or on corners to 20 m or 30 m back from the pavement, so that any encroaching feral or native wildlife or stock can be seen easily. The fact that they have not been slashed eliminates reaction time of users of Territory roads. It vastly increases the road safety issues in relation to people who use the highways.
I ask the minister, will he immediately release funds so that the road verges can be slashed on the major highways and arterial roads in the Northern Territory? I seek leave, Madam Speaker, to table photographs which depict the overgrowth on the Roper Highway which is illustrative of the problems that are being experienced right across the Northern Territory.
Leave granted.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine for this question. Yes, he is quite right. I found out the road has not been slashed to 4 m, it has been slashed to 2 m. What he failed to tell us is why this happened. It is not that we refused to release funds; the simple reason for that is he managed to leave us with a budgetary deficit of $120m. When we walked into Cabinet and had a look at the minor works, I found out, in November 2001, there was no money. There was no money at all to be released and we have to go back and try to find money ...
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: You know that very well, and you blame this government for six months that we have done nothing. The reality is, the fault is exclusively yours. You caused the problem. We are trying to sort it. We released $10m for minor works. We supported the tenders and the people working the roads, and we will do anything possible to find the money, with great difficulty, you actually managed to leave us …
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: Well, the ‘black hole’ is a very common phrase now in the Territory, I refuse to repeat it. The reality is it is a bottomless black hole.
Timor Sea - Developments in Onshore Gas
Dr BURNS to CHIEF MINISTER
Will the Chief Minister outline any recent development regarding the effort to get gas onshore in Darwin?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, an excellent question and a very timely question from the member for Johnston. As this House is very aware, since we came to government last August, we have been working, in stark contract to our predecessors, behind the scenes to get gas onshore.
Mr Burke: Grow up will you. Don’t be such a child.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms MARTIN: It is interesting, the mumbling comments, already, from the opposition. We inherited a situation with gas, particularly when it came to Bayu-Undan, that had come to a stalemate. Madam Speaker, do you know why it had come to a stalemate? Because of the actions of the previous Chief Minister and the previous government. Taking the arguments into public for political purposes brought the discussions on getting gas onshore to a stalemate.
Mr Burke: Garbage, you know that.
Ms MARTIN: That is the truth.
Mr Burke: Where were you when Methanex left, campaigning for Cheryl Kernot, were you?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, the Chief Minister has the floor.
Ms MARTIN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would have thought the Leader of the Opposition would be interested to hear my answer. We worked immediately with the two players in the Bayu-Undan gas field, that was the East Timorese administration and Phillips. I think that we have seen the results of that, with the announcement made in December last year about real progress having been made. The current progress is in the hands of the federal government.
I am very optimistic about the progress in Bayu-Undan, and this House should be very enthusiastic about the fact that I can stand here and say we all should be optimistic, because we should. The Bayu-Undan field will result in gas onshore in Darwin, a great achievement for the Territory. My Energy minister, Paul Henderson, has been talking to Canberra, again, talking to his counterpart on the federal scene. It was a shame, in that situation, that the opposition leader did not take the time to get briefed before he wasted the money to go down to Canberra. We ask that he get briefed the next time.
This government has also been talking with companies which have expressed interest in downstream gas business. From the pipeliners to the petrochemicals, we have been talking constantly with those who are potential users of gas onshore. We are also developing a very strong case for the development of the Timor Sea resource - a very important case that needs to be argued very strongly. We are meeting this evening with Territory business people - and I congratulate them for this - who commissioned the well-known economist, a man who has good contacts with the Territory, Professor Peter Brain, to develop a case for bringing gas onshore. Tonight this government meets with those Territory business people to look at the argument presented by Professor Peter Brain.
The strategy from this government is very much one about partnership. Anyone sitting in this House during the Economic Development Summit would have heard the very strong call from Territory businesses that, in developing the gas resource, in the moves that we need to make, it should be a partnership between government and business. That has been happening, and this meeting tonight is yet another testament that is happening. We will look at the report tonight and be exchanging views about what is the way forward, because that is the way this government works; it is about a partnership between government and business.
There is no doubt about the importance of getting gas onshore to the Territory. Gas onshore for the Territory means that we can actually see a real step change in the NT economy. A very important step that we need to make and one that will certainly see a whole industrial capacity and base turn around. We have had a whole range of projects mooted, currently in the dollar value of $12bn. It demonstrates the bottom line that gas is really the facilitator for so many things in terms of the Territory’s development. Not only is gas important in the Territory’s development, but also in Australia’s, because there is a very strong national interest case here. There is a supply gap that has been demonstrated in the south east market, and that is going to happen in the next 5-10 years. There are jobs that can be created by gas onshore, both in the Territory and interstate, and in terms of regional development right around the Territory and around Australia, gas is a key to that development.
After tonight’s meeting, this government will be in the position to make a very clear and immediate direction of where we next go on pursuing gas onshore to the Territory and Australia.
Safety on Territory Roads
Mr ELFERINK to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
My question pertains to two roads in my electorate, firstly the Lasseter Highway, which the minister has seen fit to speed limit to 110 km per hour as well as restrict multiple entries, in the name of safety, according to a letter that he recently sent me. If he is concerned about the safety of Territorians, then why is he not slashing the edges of those roads rather than simply penny pinching?
Secondly, I seek leave to table a photograph of an extension of the road to Docker River in which a man is standing in a pot hole up to his thighs. To protect road users from that hole there is a small red triangle. Minister, when are you going to live up to your responsibility to protect Territorians’ lives and apply decent funding for road maintenance rather than just erecting small red triangles?
Leave granted.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for his comments about the Lasseter Highway. Yes, I am concerned about the safety of Territorians and tourists. I have stated before that Lasseter Highway and other highways are used a lot by tourists who are not accustomed to driving under the Territory conditions, and I have no problem that I imposed a 110 km limit. As I said before, I do not want to see photos in the newspaper with mangled cars and people killed, and certainly I do not want to see that on the Lasseter Highway.
My department has undertaken a survey of the Lasseter Highway, and they identified 175 access roads, most of them informal, not gazetted. As for the slashing of the grass, as you probably should have known, that is the responsibility of the Commonwealth in major roads and not the Territory government. On the other hand, we continue to maintain the roads with injected funds in the program. If we did not have injected funds, an extra $6m, the program would have shut down in November 2001.
As for the pot hole, yes, we understand this happens, especially after heavy rainfall and we have injected more funds to address these problems that arise after heavy rainfall or flood. No, I do not have a problem of putting a 110 km per hour speed limit. I have a problem when people kill themselves driving on these roads.
As for the slashing you can always write to your colleagues down in Canberra and ask them to spend more money on the major roads in the Territory.
Northern Territory Tourist Commission Appointment of Maree Tetlow as Managing Director
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for TOURISM
Can the minister update the House on a new appointment made in relation to the Tourist Commission?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question. Again, the members opposite cannot believe or listen to a good news story, and give me time to announce a good news story when there is one for tourism. I am very pleased to announce that Ms Maree Tetlow will be the new Managing Director of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission. Ms Tetlow is an ideal choice for the position with 17 years experience in the tourism industry. Her distinguished career provides her with a tremendous depth of experience in international and national marketing, business tourism, media and research. Ms Tetlow has the skills essential to growing tourism in the Northern Territory.
Ms Tetlow began her tourism career in 1985 with the Australian Tourist Commission as a marketing officer. At the ATC she specialised in helping tourism operators market their businesses internationally. In 1987, she had an opportunity to return to her home state in Queensland, and accepted a position with the Queensland Tourist and Travel Commission. Over her nine years there, she achieved enormous success in developing tourism and worked her way up to position of Director of Marketing, where she managed 64 staff and a $26m budget.
Ms Tetlow personally describes the launch of the Matilda Highway from Cunnamulla to Karumba in the Gulf, as one of her biggest achievements. During the project, Ms Tetlow developed a close working relationship with many small communities that populate the remote Queensland outback.
In late 1996, Ms Tetlow was offered the position of Deputy CEO and Director of Marketing with the Melbourne Convention and Marketing Bureau. Whilst Ms Tetlow worked with the bureau, it was voted in a poll of convention clients as the best bureau in the Asia-Pacific region. Ms Tetlow’s experience with the convention centres will be invaluable with the marketing of the Alice Springs Convention Centre, and in assisting with the evaluation of proposals for a Darwin convention centre, as the Chief Minister announced yesterday.
Ms Tetlow’s work with the Australian Tourist Commission in other states has provided her with a big picture perspective. That perspective is more important than ever at a time when the tourism industry has been affected by global events and a downturn in aviation certainty. I look forward to working with Ms Tetlow when she commences her new position in April. I would like to thank the Acting CEO at the moment, John Fitzgerald, for the great efforts that he has put in place during this time. I would like all honourable members to welcome Maree Tetlow to the Northern Territory as the new CEO of our Tourist Commission.
Members: Hear, hear!
Operation of Apiarists in Northern Territory Parks
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for PARKS and WILDLIFE
Beekeeping is a small and important industry in the Territory, not only for the production of honey but also the pollination for horticultural crops, horticulture being one of our major industries. Could you tell the House whether apiarists are allowed to operate in Northern Territory parks and, if they are not allowed, could you please explain why? Would the government instigate a monitored scientific trial in Djukbinj National Park on the Adelaide River floodplain to see if there are any major detrimental effects caused by hives in the park - bearing in mind that there are probably many introduced bees already in the park - that apiarists have used the area for many years and that they would only use it for six to eight weeks per year?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. The national park reserves were established for the preservation of biodiversity in the Territory. Certainly, we want to maintain these parks for future generations. Honey bees are an introduced species. Unfortunately, a lot of them managed to escape and now they have become feral bees and have created several problems down south, and some here in the Territory. My department is undertaking some activities to control the feral bees within the national parks.
The other problem we have is when a feral bee hive establishes itself in an area, a lot of native species actually suffer, and are eliminated. I am not going to be the Minister for the Environment who is going to sign for the elimination of native species. However, I am prepared to have the department undertake a scientific survey to find out about the impact.
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: I may as well sit down because, obviously, the member for Katherine knows everything about it and he prefers to brief the member for Nelson.
I am prepared to instruct my department to undertake a scientific survey on this matter and, pending the outcome of this survey, I will come back and advise if apiarists are allowed, or not allowed, to put beehives in national parks.
Katherine - Completion of Sealing of Fox Road
Mr BALDWIN to MINISTER for BUSINESS, INDUSTRY and RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Minister, the landholders of Fox Road, Katherine, wrote to you on 20 February requesting you to secure the completion of the sealing of the remaining 4 km of Fox Road by June 2002. Fox Road is in a terrible state of disrepair, and I seek leave to table photos showing its condition.
Leave granted.
Mr BALDWIN: Given that Fox Road is the hub of Katherine’s horticultural production, it also generates an income in excess of $12m per year; it directly employs at least 100 people; it has completed successfully the capital works design process and was in the 2001-02 capital works budget. Given also that the funding is available because the tender documents are complete and ready to advertise as per the Financial Management Act …
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We appreciate some preamble in terms of expanding the question, but this is …
Madam SPEAKER: I think we are getting to the question.
Mr STIRLING: I have had trouble following. If I was the minister, by the time he got to the question, you would wonder what it was about.
Madam SPEAKER: I think we are at the question.
Mr BALDWIN: Madam Speaker, I am happy to repeat it if he cannot understand it.
Madam SPEAKER: No. Could you just give us the question. We know it is a bit long-winded.
Mr BALDWIN: Madam Speaker, can the minister inform the landholders, the horticulturists, along Fox Road, what action he has taken on their behalf to ensure that their requests are met and that the remaining 4 km of Fox Road will be sealed by June 2002?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an interesting point here. My advice from the department is that this is the smoke and mirrors sort of play that the previous government used to do business. They made the announcement that they were going to seal Fox Road this financial year. There was no money allocated to it. Again, it was an announcement, and really a very irresponsible announcement, whether it was by the member for Katherine or the member for Daly, in the lead-up to the election - let’s do a bit of pork barrelling without spending any money. In the lead-up to the election, in their electorates, making announcements that, ‘You’re going to vote for us, we’re going to do this for you’.
We come in, they never thought we were going to win and find the state of the books and see all of these columns in a spreadsheet with Fox Road and Lasseter Highway and Mereenie Loop Road, and on it went - with budget so many million, 400 000 allocation, next column - zero. Big column of zeroes. Now, they never thought that we would ever get to see this column of zeroes. And I am sure there would have been some sort of event, some cataclysmic event, and obviously the black hole would all have been unprecedented and we would have to fund it and we are very sorry we cannot do it this year, but we will announce it in the lead-up to the next election.
But what I can tell the member for Daly and the member for Katherine, is that we will allocate the funding and a cash allocation. Real money for Fox Road from the 2002-03 budget. Real money as opposed to the monopoly money those opposite were playing with.
Northern Territory Public Service - Termination Payments to Senior Public Servants
Dr BURNS to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
In the last few days, the Leader of the Opposition has espoused views about termination payments. Can the minister oblige the House whether the Leader of the Opposition adhered to the vigorously expressed rhetoric when he was in government?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, resume your chair. We are not going to have all this interjection. The question has been asked. We would like to hear the answer. The children in the gallery would like to hear the answer. A little bit less interjection from the opposition might help us all.
ANSWER
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I thank the member for Johnston for his question.
I was halfway through an answer to this question yesterday when interrupted by the ill-fated attempts by the opposition to censure the Chief Minister. I remind the opposition, when we sought a censure from the other side, we did so on the basis of four or five strong questions and when we were less than satisfied with the responses from the minister, we moved to suspend standing orders and censure whoever was in the frame, at least on the back of our question. We were not so rude and curmudgeonly as to interrupt a minister giving an answer to a question to jump and move suspension. You wonder why you did not get it up.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr STIRLING: Go back, have a look at Hansard and …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, could we get on with the answer?
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, in the last 48 hours the Leader of the Opposition has had some remarks in the public domain in relation to contractual arrangements. It is very interesting because the Leader of the Opposition has form. The Leader of the Opposition has form in this regard …
Mr Burke interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: … and we are very interested in the actions of the Leader of the Opposition rather than his words because we on this side believe that actions speak far louder than words.
That is the problem the Leader of the Opposition has here. It becomes a question of timing, and timing really is everything, and in the case that I am going to detail it is the question of timing that absolutely betrays the position of the Leader of the Opposition. The time in question that I refer to is the election campaign run by the former Chief Minister, the now Leader of the Opposition, and his senior political advisor, Mr Peter Murphy. While this campaign was in train last year, at the instructions of the then Chief Minister, a 12 month employment contract with his chief political strategist, was signed, sealed and delivered. And the contract for the 12 months was finalised just 11 days -11 days - before election day.
The action in signing that contract off resulted in a windfall payment to that chief political advisor, at the expense, need I say, of the Territory taxpayer. The formal instruction to renew this contract with his closest political advisor was issued by the Chief Minister on 26 July. The contract was signed, sealed and delivered on 7 August. What is remarkable is that it was on 31 July 2001 that the Chief Minister announced the election date for last year. So it was very clear that the then Chief Minister instructed that the 12 month contract be renewed after he had set in train the election date.
Of course, the sting in the tail for taxpayers is this: this little cosy arrangement between the former Chief Minister and his chief political advisor had a payout clause. The new contract signed during the election campaign entitled Mr Murphy to a payout of half a year’s pay.
Mr BURKE: A point of order Madam Speaker! I object to the language that is being used that suggests that there was a cosy arrangement between the Chief Minister and any officer, whether it be a public servant or a political employee during the time I was Chief Minister. I believe that is totally untoward. All of these contracts were organised through the public service, through the Department of the Chief Minister, and there was never any personal or negotiated arrangements on those contracts. I ask the Deputy Chief Minister to either couch his comments more carefully or withdraw them because they are scurrilous.
Madam SPEAKER: I really do not believe there is a point of order. I believe that he is addressing the question that has been asked of him.
Mr STIRLING: The truth hurts, Madam Speaker, that is all I can say.
The new contract signed during the election campaign entitled Mr Murphy to a payout of half a year’s salary, costing taxpayers $78 405. The real disgrace of this arrangement was that as a political advisor, Mr Murphy had no prospects of continuing employment if the CLP did not win the election.
Mr BURKE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I appreciate the privilege of this Chamber, but the Deputy Chief Minister is painting a picture and suggesting something untoward. Now, he can explain very carefully whether or not that contract and that particular individual was paid out according to their entitlements. If that is the case, what is he trying to say? What are he trying to suggest to this Chamber?
Madam SPEAKER: I do not think there is a point of order, Leader of the Opposition. Minister, would you get on with your answer.
Mr STIRLING: Madam Speaker, the former Chief Minister, the Leader of the Opposition knows that Mr Murphy had no prospect of continuing employment should the CLP not win the election. He wants to know what the questions are here. Well, let me ask him: Why did the former Chief Minister maximise the payout to his chief political advisor by entering into a 12 month contract 11 days before the election? Why didn’t he reduce the length of the contract so that Territory taxpayers would not have to foot a bill for $78 000 plus? If he had taken this course and the CLP had won the election, he could have renegotiated the contract for as long as he wanted.
What really happened and what has been exposed, and the hypocrisy of the now Leader of the Opposition, is that he signed a 12 month contract 11 days before the election to ensure that, under a worse case scenario, if the CLP lost the election, Mr Murphy was assured of a windfall pay. And that exposes the bluster of the Leader of the Opposition in relation to contractual payouts that he has been raising in the last couple of days.
I am pleased - and I am mindful of the time - that the new government has put in place arrangements so that that type of behaviour will not be perpetrated again. Under this government there is now a standard redundancy provision in contracts of ministerial staff, which will allow for two weeks pay for each year of service. That means there is no way the Chief Minister of the day can manufacture a payout arrangement of the kind that we have seen constructed by the now Leader of the Opposition in the dying days of his rule as Chief Minister.
Royal Darwin Hospital – Agency Nurses
Ms CARTER to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
I am advised that, on average, 60 shifts a day are being worked at Royal Darwin Hospital by agency nurses. I understand that many of these agency nurses are employed fulltime as public servants at Royal Darwin Hospital and, as such, many work double shifts when requested by management; one shift a day as a public servant, another 8 to 10 hours as an agency nurse. Can the minister advise what percentage of agency nurses are working double shifts, the concern being one of exhausted staff and the safety of patients?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin. This is indeed a very important question for this House. The retention and recruitment of nurses is something which this government is working on, and we have been working on consistently since we came to government.
In relation to the Royal Darwin Hospital, there have always been agency nurses at the Royal Darwin Hospital. This is nothing new. As was advised to the House the other day, the hospital is running at 104% bed occupancy. This does put extra strain on nurses, and I recognise that nurses are having difficult times at the moment. We are working very, very closely with the hospital and with nurses to alleviate the situation.
Northern Territory Tobacco Act – Discussion Paper
Mr KIELY to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Minister, at lunch time today you released a review of the Northern Territory Tobacco Act discussion paper. Can you advise the House of the purpose of the paper?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it was a real honour to be able to release this paper today, which is a review of the Northern Territory Tobacco Act. It is a discussion paper which we know that the whole of the Northern Territory will be interested in seeing. It looks at three key areas - smoke free environments; discouraging children from smoking; and regulating tobacco retailing. The Northern Territory has the highest rate of smoking in Australia. In non-indigenous people it is about 30%; in Aboriginal people it is about 50%; and in some communities we have been told its much higher than this. This is a real concern for us. Of particular concern, too, is the increasing rate of smoking amongst young people, particularly young girls, where I have been advised that it is as high as 33%. We want to turn this around.
In addition, smoking also results in one in five Territorians dying. One in five Territorians dying of a preventable disease - heart disease, strokes and cancer. I commend this review of the Tobacco Act and the discussion paper. I encourage people to put in a submission. Madam Speaker, I table the document.
Members: Hear, hear!
Safety of Nurses
Mr DUNHAM to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
We hear on the radio this morning that nurses are turning to the Work Health Authority to determine whether their employer - that’s you - is able to guarantee a safe work place. Minister, shouldn’t you see this as one of your prime tasks to ensure the safety of nurses in your department’s employment? Can you outline the government’s active procedures - not policy, not plans, not future initiatives - active procedures as at today?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for this question. It is a pretty amazing question. Did violence start happening in communities against nurses on 18 August last year? This is a long standing problem, and this is something which we are dealing with as a government.
I have already reported to this House on our revised aggression policy in relation to nurses in communities. When I spoke about that, I talked about how we were looking at security issues in relation to housing, to health clinics as well. There are policies in relation to training for aggression before nurses go to communities. We are working on this issue. I am very aware that nurses are working under difficult circumstances. We support the nurses. We also support the Aboriginal communities from whence these people come.
What we have to be doing is making sure that communities, and staff who go to communities, are working together to try to solve this problem. Just harassing Aboriginal people is not the answer. What we have to be doing is working constructively with communities to solve this problem, and that is what we are going to be doing.
Development of Larapinta Trail
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for the ENVIRONMENT
Can the minister provide an update on progress in developing the Larapinta Trail through the West Macdonnells?
ANSWER
I am very pleased to announce that one of the greatest walking trails of the world is going to be completed by the end of March 2002. The last 35 km section is completed using an Aboriginal workforce. The opening now is planned for 15 April, and I intend to travel to Alice Springs to open it. It is one of the most beautiful trails in Australia. It passes through some of the most pristine environments, not only in Australia but, I believe, in the world. At the moment, my department is collecting promotional material and photographs that are going to be used to promote the trail throughout the world. It is a tourist asset, an environmental asset that is going to bring people to Australia, and in the Territory to Central Australia.
It is a world-class tourist destination at 250 km total in length. I do not think I will be able to walk it all but I will make sure that I do part. I intend to walk part; for the rest of it, I will look at the photographs. I intend to go there in April but, also, I intend to go through Central Australia, travelling all the way by car from Darwin to Uluru, to visit my branch of the department. Certainly, I will stop at the Larapinta Trail and have a look myself.
Breast Screening – Resumption of Service
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
I understand that BreastScreen NT at Casuarina resumed screening the week before last, having ceased this important work in November last year. Does the minister agree that this is an unacceptably long time for this important women’s service to be unavailable? Would the minister advise the House why this has happened, and would she give us an assurance that it will not happen again?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, yes, I am aware that the breast screen service was closed. Apparently, it is normally closed over the Christmas period. In this situation though, what has happened was that the specialist mammographer resigned. There was a locum who was brought in but, in the meantime, that person had to go on leave as well. We were unable to get a suitable radiographer, so the decision was made by the department that the service would close until February.
This is a problem, but you know what? This is part of a whole problem in relation to recruitment and retention which the previous government never took any notice of. We have issues in relation to nurses, to all specialist services, including radiographers and dentists. Every type of specialist that we need for our hospitals and our other clinics, we have problems with. So, what we have put in place is a system. We are going to be doing a national advertising campaign which will look at lifestyle issues in relation to the Northern Territory, to attract specialists to come here, such as the one with BreastScreen NT. We will make sure that this happens.
I thank the member for her question. I also agree that breast screening is a very important service for women of the Northern Territory, and I will be doing whatever I can to ensure that this service is not closed again.
Masters Games
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for SPORT and RECREATION
Given the recent comments about the progress of the Masters Games and, in particular, attempts by some individuals to undermine confidence in the event, can the minister provide an update on arrangements for the games?
ANSWER
Mr AH KIT: Madam Speaker, that is a very good question and I welcome it from the member for Barkly.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! I would like to hear the answer.
Mr AH KIT: Madam Speaker, I certainly hope that the members opposite allow me to give a detailed response given that it has received some criticism in this Chamber over the last day or so. Whinging, whining, carping opposition, they are determined to talk everything down and what members in government want to know, along with the Central Australian community, is why don’t they want the Games to succeed? That is the question that needs to be answered.
This week they are at it again. They are peddling rubbish …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, could you answer the question, please.
Mr AH KIT: I am answering the question, and the question was asked in respect of the Masters Games in this House just yesterday. The Leader of the Opposition spoke about the Masters Games. He was putting it down; he inferred it was going to be a flop. The member for Araluen in this House last night had also taken up that same position.
I am attempting to give a detailed response to ensure …
Mr BURKE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! As Territorians are listening to this broadcast and did not hear what happened in the House it is imperative upon the minister to tell the truth. The question was asked: ‘What is the status of the Masters Games’ so please give us the status of the Masters Games. People want to know.
Madam SPEAKER: There actually is a point of order, minister. Could you get on with the answer to the question. Answers today have been very long. The question was fairly specific, so could you answer.
Mr AH KIT: Madam Speaker, I take on board what you are saying. I am informed that a former minister in the CLP government took some 20-odd minutes to respond to a question one day.
Mr REED: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister is now testing your ruling.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, minister, I have directed you to answer the question, not comment on my ruling. Please get on with the answer.
Mr AH KIT: I would like to set the opposition straight with a few facts about the Masters Games. As we know, the games will be held from 19 to 26 October this year. To date, more registrations than the same time two years ago have already been put in place.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition members, order! Let’s hear the answer.
Mr AH KIT: They drag the answer out when they keep interjecting like this. One hundred and forty applications as opposed to 126 two years ago. The Advisory Committee, which is established, has an appropriate level of staff support and is getting on with the job. Mr Bob Corby has been appointed manager of the Alice Springs Masters Games. The Masters Games hotline is functioning properly, and if the member for Araluen does not believe it, she should ring them. People have already informed me that they have called and the phone was answered within 10 seconds. Does she need the phone number? If she does, she should write this down, 1800 658 951 - don’t get it wrong.
New sponsorship direction has been developed for this year’s event and it has generated renewed enthusiasm and secured new sponsors. I have the list here so I will read them out: Alice Springs Town Council - $90 000 in kind; Peter Kittle Motor Company - $90 000 in kind; Lasseters Casino - $50 000 in kind; Compaq Computers - $50 000 in kind; Imparja Television - $50 000 in kind; Carlton United Breweries - $30 000 in kind and cash; Coca Cola - $30 000 in kind; Optus - $30 000 in kind; Coleman Printers - $10 000 in kind and cash; Net Web Site Maintenance - $20 000 in kind; and Tattersalls - $10 000 cash. This is what the Advisory Committee has worked up so far in terms of sponsorship. They should be congratulated because they should not be begrudged in terms of the work that they are doing.
The opposition also has had a shot at the committee in that they are saying that this year it is going to be a flop, and that is an insult. Let’s look at the calibre of the people on the Advisory Committee. It is an impressive list. We have Mr Peter Hoey, Chairperson, local businessman; Mr Phillip Leslie, Executive Director of the Office of Sport and Recreation; Mr Paul Fitzsimons, sporting commentator and media representative; Mrs Stephanie King, local sporting identity; Mrs Dione Thompson, Manager, Alice Plaza Shopping Centre Promotions; Mr Ian Wagner, a previous manager of the Masters Games; Mr Terry McCumiskey, Manager, Northern Territory ISO, Alice Springs; Mr Robin Bullock, Central Australian Tourism Industry Association representative; Mr Damien Ryan, NT Chamber of Commerce and Industry representative; and Mayor Fran Kilgariff of Alice Springs. Madam Speaker, that calibre of people is very important to the way in which the organising is happening for a successful Masters Games in 2002.
When we have a look at the promotion, we look at the list also, and what has been done. There was an accusation that there has been no promotion of the Masters Games. In terms of promotion the entry forms have been sent out to 13 000 names on the Alice Springs Masters Games database. There has been a fortnightly column run in the Centralian Advocate called Masters on Track. Stories have regularly run in the NT News, Palmerston and Beyond, Centralian Advocate and the Darwin Sun. Advertisements were taken out in most papers in the Territory in November - NT News, Centralian Advocate, Katherine Times, and Tennant Creek Times. Articles ran three consecutive times in Palmerston and Beyond, NT News during December. General press releases in November, December, February. Alice Springs Masters Games staff travelled to the Australian Masters in October to promote the games. From this, 83 people have already asked for more information and were sent entry forms.
Comments from the first-time netball team that is coming to the Alice Springs Masters Games include, and I quote:
- From talking to a number of other participants at Newcastle, not just netball but from various other sports, we were told the Alice Springs Masters Games were the best.
So, stop talking it down; stop talking it down! We also had staff travel to Port Pirie to the Masters Games there to promote our games. This is supported by our advertising in the Port Pirie Masters Souvenir Program.
Mr REED: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I think the point of order is quite obvious, the minister now is getting into some extraneous issues in relation to this. The information that has been provided has been very useful but it is getting to a useless stage.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, I do like short answers. This is getting very lengthy, so would you wind up?
Mr AH KIT: Madam Speaker, I won’t be long in wrapping up. The Alice Springs Masters Games are on track. The department, the Advisory Committee and the Sports Coordinators are confident that Alice Springs will host another highly successful games this year. In closing, I would like to point out that members opposite really need to ask themselves why they want to be seen to undermine confidence in the Masters Games.
Members interjecting.
Ms CARTER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We are hearing constantly these comments that we are undermining the Masters Games when in fact it has been this side that …
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, let the minister finish his answer.
Mr AH KIT: Almost there, Madam Speaker, if I do not get any more interjections or points of order. The Masters Games is a community event. It is sponsored and partly organised by government but it is a community event. Why you want to attack and undermine the Alice Springs community, I don’t know.
Madam Speaker, members opposite just do not seem to get it. They think being in opposition means tearing things down, being negative all the time, always whingeing and whining. The Martin Labor government is right behind the community of Alice Springs and the Masters Games. We want the people of Alice Springs to know that we back them, support them and the Masters Games 100%.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: That was far too lengthy, and you know it. Ministers, please keep your answers much shorter. Now, after all that, I hope all of you, except, of course, the Chair, will be putting their entry in for the Masters Games.
Members: Hear, hear!
Northern Territory Budget - Betting Tax
Mr WOOD to CHIEF MINISTER
I might preface this question, there were some bees buzzing before when I was talking about the bee keepers, about the dorothy dixers that I give the government. I would say to people listening that I see Question Time as an opportunity to get answers for constituents as well as questions on behalf of myself, and if I think that that would get a better answer by giving the question earlier, I do so. If I don’t think the …
Mr Reed: So it is a dorothy dix question?
Madam SPEAKER: Your question is?
Mr WOOD: No they are not. They are not all dorothy dixers. My question is to the Chief Minister.
Recently the betting tax was reduced in the NT to attract a betting company into the Territory - and this is on behalf of a constituent. I agree, the question is very good.
Is it unfair that we can support a betting company by reducing its tax, but not exempt pensioners from the budget development levy on registration?
ANSWER
Excuse the Deputy Chief Minister, because he has carriage of racing and gaming he thought it might have been to him.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker. My question was to the Treasurer because she introduced the budget improvement levy.
Ms MARTIN: No, no, that’s fine. I am happy to answer the question.
Madam SPEAKER: In silence and quickly.
Ms MARTIN: I don’t have to be silent ? Okay, thank you, Madam Speaker.
The decision to provide a competitive betting tax in the Territory is one that we made carefully, and one that I believe will assist job creation and enterprise in the Territory. It is one that we do not back off from at all, and certainly welcome a healthy racing and gaming industry in the Territory. I welcome sportingbet.com and the jobs the company will create in the Territory, which, I believe, is in the area of about 30 jobs at this stage, and also support for our Northern Territory University.
The second part of the question is a separate one. I would say to the member for Goyder, that we inherited a budget deficit that was not admitted to by the last government. On the budget papers it was a very small amount. When we looked at what in fact the deficit for this year was, it was something like nine times that amount. We have had to take measures that we did not want to take as a new government, and I certainly say to all Territorians, I am very sorry we had to take those measures, but they are directly attributable to the financial deceit of the previous administration. They are in place for three years.
Katherine Hospital – Award of Accreditation
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Members on both sides of the House would be aware of criticisms directed at our public hospital system. Often such criticism is unwarranted. Would you please advise the House of the situation regarding Katherine Hospital?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for her question. Hospitals are indeed a key priority for this government, and that is why I have put in place a hospital improvement project, and we are hoping that over the next two years every hospital in the Northern Territory will be accredited.
I am very pleased today to be able to announce that the Katherine Hospital has been awarded four years accreditation with the Australian Council on Health Care Standards. This is a wonderful thing, both for the staff and the people of Katherine. I am sure the member for Katherine will be very pleased as well. This is the first time this hospital has ever attempted to be accredited and, Madam Speaker, this is just the beginning of the improvements in hospitals in the Northern Territory under this government. We are going to be working very hard to make sure accreditation happens for all those other hospitals, and I will be reporting, as these happen, to the House.
Petitions Presented to Parliament
Mr MILLS to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
From time to time, members are approached by constituents to present petitions to the Chamber, they do not necessarily support the intent of the petition, and for this reason I ask this question. In a press release that the minister for Health issued on 27 February, and I am prepared to table the press release.
Leave granted.
Mr MILLS: These words were contained in the press release:
- Last night in the House, Mr Burke said “I don’t believe you need 24-hour GP services in Palmerston”, and today, he tabled a petition supporting the service. “He keeps contradicting himself on this …”
If this is the minister’s position, will the minister therefore confirm that she will not ever table a petition that failed to accord with the member’s personal views, or perhaps this is the view of the Labor government?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank very much the member for his question. Petitions will come to this House on all sorts of issues. What happens with petitions, as I understand it, is that they are not all organised by members individually. Certainly, there could be people in my electorate who approach me to put in a petition to this House. I would do that as my duty as the member for Nightcliff; this is the role of the local member.
In relation to this issue, I was just pointing out that I thought it was ironic that the member opposite had, on the one hand, tabled a petition when he was saying other things the day before. Madam Speaker, that is my answer.
Northern Territory Budget - Minor New Works Projects
Mr McADAM to CHIEF MINISTER
Last week the Chief Minister announced an allocation of $4.5m into the minor new works budget, and the Chief Minister outlined some projects that would be proceeding. Can the Chief Minister update the House on other projects that will be advertised in March, and the impact these projects will have?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is an excellent question from the member for Barkly. $4.5m in minor new works funding was announced last week by this government. In terms of the impact on the Territory economy in both business and for job creation, this is substantial. I just want to talk against the scepticism …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, members!
Ms MARTIN: We are hearing the mumbling from the other side of the House about what some of these projects are. They are right around the Territory; we have projects from the south to the north. I will give you an example. For the $4.5m in minor new works, some of those new projects that will be advertised this month are health clinic modifications and minor upgrades in Oenpelli, Ramingining, Daguragu and Canteen Creek - I know this is probably why the member for Barkly actually asked this question - a refurbishment to the Tennant Creek Watchhouse, which is long overdue; and I think that will be highly welcomed by the community of Tennant Creek.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Members of the opposition, order!
Ms MARTIN: Also in that minor new works funding, an advertisement for development of the Botanic Gardens Cycad Garden; the Litchfield Park camping facilities and vegetation protection fencing; security improvements at Safety House; a security fence for Alice Springs Hospital; at Gurig National Park - toilets; improvements to visitor facilities at the Limmen National Park; at Canteen Creek and Elliott - improvements to health residences. That is just a selection of those 26 projects that will be advertised this March from that additional allocation of $4.5m to our capital works budget for the minor new works.
I would like to make the point again …
Mr Baldwin: They have produced $12m worth of income for the economy. 100 jobs, $400 000 is only …
Ms MARTIN: If the member for Daly would just have a little courtesy in this House …
Mr Baldwin: Fox Road, put it on your list!
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Daly!
Mr Baldwin: Excuse me, Madam Speaker.
Ms MARTIN: Thank you.
Mr Baldwin: No, excuse me, Madam Speaker, not you.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, he should know better, just constant interjections.
I make the point that the it was the previous administration which left the capital works budget bereft of funds for minor new works and road repairs over this financial year. An appalling situation, an appalling mismanagement of our vital capital works budget. It is this government that has been putting appropriate funding to that important sector of our economy.
Let me just talk about the impacts of this. What we are looking at is $1.3m injected into the economy in March alone. If you look at the multiplier effects of that, it is five or six times that. The work is specifically targeting those skilled employees and trades people in the Territory, so we are looking at targeting carpenters, electricians, tilers and bricklayers - those workers in the Territory economy who are fundamental to its vitality, and ones who were ignored by this previous administration in the callous way that they did not allocate capital works funding, appropriately, for this year.
We know that there are more capital works dollars in our economy this year than last year in those major projects, yes, in the major projects, in the refurbishments of Alice Springs and Darwin hospitals and the port. The money is there and the total sum is greater, but in that important area of minor new works, the funds were not there. And it was those workers, those proud Territorians with a long tradition of working for the Territory, the carpenters, the electricians, the bricklayers and the tilers, who had been missing out because of the neglect and incompetence of the previous administration.
We do expect that just the first part of this $4.5m, that $1.3m will, in fact, generate hundreds of jobs, when you put that together with the $42m we announced also last week for the final major stage of the port.
Palmerston - 24 Hour GP Service
Mr DUNHAM to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
The minister’s staff provided me with a briefing on the closure of the 24 hours GP service at Palmerston. I was given to understand that the decision was based on extensive data and that the government subsidy would continue to support this clinic remaining open until 10pm and certain hours over the weekend.
Last week, when I questioned the minister about the number of patients seen and the number transferred to RDH during the hours of 5 pm to 10 pm, she replied that it was a private GP service, she did not have access to any sort of detail, and said that she was unable to answer the question. The minister, in media interviews and media releases done at the time that she announced the closure of the 24 hour service, gave figures for the period and also said, and I quote:
- We continue to subsidise the service between 6 pm and 10 pm.
Why is it that you now do not have the figures sought when you subsidise the service between 6pm and 10pm?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his question. In relation to the figures that were released to do with the 10 pm to 8 am service, those figures were provided as part of the review relating to the after hours service. No figures were provided to us in relation to the 6 pm to 10 pm service. We think that this is an important service which needs to be continued and so we are continuing to fund that service, and we have no intention of withdrawing the service.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
SUPPLEMENTARY ANSWER
Northern Territory Budget -
Betting Tax
Northern Territory Budget -
Betting Tax
Madam SPEAKER: The Chief Minister has some supplementary answers.
Ms MARTIN (Chief Minister): Yes, Madam Speaker, in relation to the question that was asked of me by the member for Goyder …
Mr Wood: The member for Nelson.
Ms MARTIN: Nelson. Sorry, member for Nelson. Dreadful thing to say.
I refer to sportingbet.com. It is actually not called that anymore, I just thought I would straighten that up. It is Sporting Bet Australia. I did refer to their support that was going to Northern Territory University. This has been a moving feast where this support has been going. It is $50 000. It is no longer going to the Northern Territory University, but in a good innovation, I think, it is going to assist training of entrants to the industry, and that will be through accredited training at the Centralian College.
So, an important contribution to the Territory economy and training our young people from Sporting Bet Australia.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016