2002-06-19
Deputy of the Administrator – Appointment
Ms SCRYMGOUR to CHIEF MINISTER
Is any action being taken in respect of the appointment of a Deputy of the Administrator based in Central Australia?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for her question. I am delighted to give the answer. As I said yesterday, I will answer today the question that you asked. To all here, I am delighted to announce that his Honour the Administrator has appointed Alice Springs resident Mrs Pat Miller as Deputy of the Administrator. In this role, Mrs Miller will carry out a range of ceremonial duties on behalf of the Administrator. She brings to the role of the Deputy of the Administrator a tremendous knowledge of Central Australia and, I believe, a great affinity with the people, not only of Central Australia, but of the Territory.
Pat Miller was born in Alice Springs and has lived in Central Australia all her life. She is a member of the well-known Liddle family, which has both traditional and pioneering ties in Central Australia. Her late mother, Polly Liddle, was a member of the Alyuwarra tribe of Kurrundi in Central Australia. Her late father, Milton Liddle, was an Arrernte man and part owner of Angas Down Station. Pat Miller spent her early years on Angas Down Station, south-west of Alice Springs. She moved into Alice Springs when she was 11 years old but often returned in the subsequent years to the station.
Pat Miller spent a number of years working in wholesale distribution companies in Alice Springs until 20 years ago, when she joined CAALAS, the Central Australia Aboriginal Legal Aid Service. This is a real story of moving through an organisation. Pat started with CAALAS as a filing clerk and, over those 20 years, progressed through various positions in the organisation and is currently holding the position of Director.
Pat Miller has a keen interest in basketball and hockey. She has represented Alice Springs in basketball and was a Territory representative in hockey. She has, over the many years in Central Australia, been involved in many local organisations and has served on a range of committees. Some of those committees include the Sadadeen Secondary College Council, Red Cross Alice Springs Committee, the Women’s Community House, Gillen Preschool Council, Alice Springs Hockey Association, Alice Springs Basketball Association, the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association, the Institute of Aboriginal Development Board and the Arrernte Council. In addition to her current position as Director of CAALAS, Pat Miller is Chair of the Imparja Television Board. She is married to husband, David, and they have two sons, Allan and Steve, and two grandchildren of whom she is enormously proud.
As Deputy of the Administrator, Mrs Miller will represent His Honour at various events, functions and appointments within the community whenever he is unable to attend personally.
I know this House really welcomes this appointment. I am delighted to be able to make the announcement of the appointment made by His Honour. Pat Miller is well known and highly respected in Central Australia. Her life-long commitment and involvement with community organisations, and the position that she holds now in Alice Springs, make her a worthy person to be the Deputy of the Administrator. As well, she is a highly respected senior indigenous woman in the Centre, and in that capacity a very worthy person to be Deputy of the Administrator.
I am confident she will be an outstanding representative of the Administrator in carrying out a wide range of community and ceremonial duties on his behalf. I am sure this House very strongly welcomes the appointment.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Chief Minister. I am very pleased to hear the answer.
Power and Water Authority – Budget Transfer
Mr REED to MINISTER for ESSENTIAL SERVICES
The minister would be aware that yesterday there was a paper tabled very quietly in this House that shows a total of $45m being transferred from some agencies to others at this very late time of the financial year. Included in that is $12.459m transferred from the Power and Water Authority. Can the minister explain why that money is being stripped from the Power and Water Authority, bearing in mind it is about to be corporatised and in the private sector this would be considered to be asset stripping? When the people of the northern suburbs and elsewhere in the Territory are experiencing almost daily blackouts, can he explain how he can see his agency do without $12.459m? Can he give Territorians a full and detailed explanation?
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I think the member for Katherine gave notice of budget variations going to some $45m for tomorrow. If he has already put it on the notice paper, I wonder why he is getting up asking the question now when it is clearly going to be business before the House?
Madam SPEAKER: I believe the question was quite legitimate to be asked because it is about the business the minister is involved in.
Mr STIRLING: Okay, we have a precedent. We will follow that.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have no problem answering the question. $12.5m was transferred from Power and Water Authority to Aboriginal Essential Services because we are actually now trying to provide these services where they are needed in the bush. My colleague, Jack Ah Kit, is going to take control of those assets and the operations, and he is going to provide essential services to Aboriginal communities and other communities in the bush.
As for the daily interruptions, I will give you a very good explanation for that one. One of the gensets tripped off during operations. We had a problem. The other two gensets are actually in service at the moment. In addition to that, the cable at Casuarina was dug up, and that affected Wulagi. This happens. It happened before; it will happen in the future. We live in very difficult climatic situations. I heard the member for Goyder complaining a few months ago about interruptions in his area. I had an interruption in my area, in my house. But it is something we have to live with.
We try to address these problems as soon as possible. As a result, we have improved response time. We have improved restoration of power by 43% from 334 minutes in your time to 291 minutes now; and also in Katherine from 590 minutes to 287 minutes. In Alice Springs, it is only 120 minutes response time for restoration of power. We are not sitting doing nothing. Myself and my colleagues at Power and Water work really hard to make sure that power is provided without interruption to all houses in the Territory.
As I said before, it is a different climate; it is different topography. It is very difficult; these things happen - machines break down, cables are dug up. These things happen and I ask all residents for understanding. It was not long ago that we had interruptions for hours in Darwin. Again, we live with it, because the staff find it difficult sometimes to work. We take every measure to rectify the situation. We speak to the council and to land owners. We cut the trees down in order to avoid these trip-offs and the interruption of power.
School Children and Drugs
Dr BURNS to CHIEF MINISTER
Can the Chief Minister please advise what action has been urged on school children by those opposing our government’s new drug laws? Can you update the House on any additional measures you intend to take to further reduce drug-related crime?
ANSWER
I thank the member for Johnston for this question because it is a critical one. Madam Speaker, the actions of the Network Against Prohibition over the last week in putting posters up around schools in Darwin, encouraging high school students to come to what they are calling a ‘Trespass Party’ that was held - luckily very unsuccessfully - outside parliament today, I find extremely offensive. Anyone in this House who has children, who is properly representing Territorians, would find the actions of the Network Against Prohibition extremely irresponsible, stupid and offensive.
I am the parent of two high school students. That we have an organisation that is encouraging young Territorians to be attracted to drug use and is trying, in their posters, to somehow link youth rights with the ability to smoke drugs, is so irresponsible it takes my breath away. Everyone in this House would find that offensive and would not support an organisation like Network Against Prohibition. I want to congratulate our school authorities for taking those posters down as soon they saw that they were up around schools.
I question the member for Blain, though, for making public noises about this before the event, because what you did was give …
Mr Mills: I was warning parents, and I think that’s what should have occurred.
Ms MARTIN: What the member for Blain also did was to give added publicity to an organisation like this. I would encourage the member for Blain to think very carefully about doing that in the future …
Mr Dunham: You want to gag free speech, do you? Why shouldn’t he say that? Why shouldn’t he alert parents?
Ms MARTIN: I am not saying the member for Blain is gagged, but that he should think very carefully about giving any publicity to an organisation that is saying to our children at high school: ‘Come and join a “Trespass Party”; come and celebrate drug use; come and celebrate that link with youth rights’.
The actions by schools and school principals is a very important one to have been taken. The result of this has been that we saw a very small performance outside the parliament today, thankfully. We should condemn very roundly and forcefully the actions of the Network Against Prohibition because they are an offensive organisation. At a time when this government is focussed on reducing the use of drugs among our young people, we have an organisation which is doing the work of the drug traffickers and is out there trying to get our young people to use more drugs.
Going to the member for Johnston’s second part of the question, which was additional measures that we intend to take to further reduce drug-related crime. An initiative of that is being funded in this year’s budget: new drug courts which will be in place in the Territory by the beginning of next year. This will be complementing the drug laws that are currently in front of this parliament, some of which we have seen passed yesterday and more tomorrow, hopefully. We must start particularly looking at reducing the demand side of drugs in the Territory.
Drug courts will be able to deal with compulsory treatment for addicts - a very important initiative that has come in place around the rest of Australia, and working well. We will be looking at the best models, and at the ones that really fit the Territory’s circumstances. Funding will mean that those drug courts will be able to come into place early next year.
Therefore, instead of our courts seeing the same offenders come back repeatedly in front of them, we will actually be able to do something. Magistrates will be able to order treatment, and this will be taken into account in the sentencing. This is not a soft option. It has not been adopted by the rest of Australia because it is a soft option; this is the tough option. This is certainly going to the heart of those who are using and are addicted to drugs in the Territory, because we will be able to take effective action through our court system. I believe that this will make an important impact on the drug usage in the Territory - that drug usage so closely identified with property crime.
As the Minister for Justice outlined yesterday regarding just one offender, there is a link with the amount of goods stolen over a period of time because of that offender’s drug usage. To combat that link between property crime and drug offences - put in place drug courts, and we are starting again to find a very effective mechanism of dealing with drug addiction and its relationship to property crime in the Territory.
Madam SPEAKER: For members’ information, the nine people who did invade the Chamber have all had trespass notices served upon them and all will be charged, including under section 61 of the Criminal Code Act.
Power and Water Authority – Budget Transfer
Mr REED to MINISTER for COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
We have just heard from the minister responsible for the Power and Water Authority in relation to the amounts to be transferred between agencies, as secretly tabled yesterday in the hope that no one would notice and the media would not have it drawn to their attention …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: The minister responsible for the Power and Water Authority has advised that $12.459m to be transferred from his agency is to go to the Minister for Community Development with the transfer of Aboriginal Essential Services. Could the Minister for Community Development explain then, why, in the same document, his department loses $234 000, receives no additional funding, and how the story just given to us by the minister responsible for the Power and Water Authority fits with his essential services argument that we have just heard about?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is fine for the member for Katherine to ask me that question, and I welcome it because what we see is the former Treasurer trying to play funny buggers. We have reviewed the situation in respect of services to remote communities. The Aboriginal Essential Services has been run down, might I add, under your 27 years of government. You should be ashamed of yourself.
What we have is a situation where we need to do an audit out there on what the real community needs are. We have a situation where we have the restructure; we have similar synergies. My department now has the responsibility for Aboriginal Essential Services, and I want to make sure that we provide a better service.
It is not a situation that we can continue to allow to develop, where there is a lack of coordination in respect of the housing and infrastructure programs that are taking place. I said in March that this government is about developing partnerships with the community - developing partnerships in a way that is bottom up in terms of our consultation …
Mr REED: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was nothing to do with partnerships. The question is: where is the $12m that one minister said he gave to another minister? We want to know whether the other minister thinks he has it or not.
Madam SPEAKER: I think we have had this debate before.
Members interjecting.
Mr Dunham: Twelve is more than eight, Dr Burns, 12 is much more than eight. They would know about punching figures.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, thank you. Member for Drysdale, order! I think we all know the ministers have discretion to answer the question as they will. Minister, continue.
Mr AH KIT: We are working through the process of the transfer. It will happen as at 1 July. If the member for Katherine is so caught up about $200 000, it was admitted this morning by his Leader of the Opposition that there was acknowledgement that there was a black hole. That acknowledgement was great because, for the first time, whilst your deputy sat quiet, you finally owned up and acknowledged that you left us with a budgetary problem. You were caught out by Territorians; they could not trust you anymore. You became too arrogant; you did not know what your real job was in terms of governing for the good of the Territory.
We are going to fix all that. We are putting in place partnership agreements with communities that are going to make the Territory a better place. Aboriginal Essential Services will be fixed up as far as we can fix them up. You have left us in a mess and you should be condemned.
New Police Facility - Safety Issues
Mr KIELY to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Will the minister identify any safety issues which have come to light in relation to the police facility at the Mitchell Street centre?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his question. Some may recall that, quite close to the election, the member for Katherine, then Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, actually donned a hard hat at a media event in Mitchell Street, and announced the construction of a police station to take place at the Mitchell centre just down the road. It was something we were quite pleased about. The timing of the event, from the Country Liberal Party’s point of view, was probably excellent in the lead-up to an election: construction industry, jobs and cranes on the skyline.
They said that the facilities would be a real boost to the community - hard to disagree with. However, it is a sorry state of affairs that I have to announce to the Assembly today that the station designed under the CLP stewardship was so inferior as to be unsafe for police officers and the public alike. It is requiring …
Mr Reed: Oh, so I did this on the whiteboard too? I even designed the police station.
Mr STIRLING: ... like most things we inherited from these clowns opposite, significant correction. Significant correction on building sites and construction jobs comes at a cost, as we all know - and a big cost …
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: … because you clowns, all you had was an eye on the election! Your wonderful new police station with lock-up facilities, and you could not even get that right.
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: You could not even get that right! I have been advised the design for this building included one elevator. This meant that under the former CLP minister’s plan, one lift in this building - it is a lock-up so it is going to require prisoners to be transported – well, how are they going to be transported? In the same lift as the general public. Wasn’t that going to be a great state of affairs? You could imagine what it would entail. Prisoners, possibly in a highly distressed or in a dangerous state, requiring to be transported up through the floors of the building in the same lift as the public. That is totally unacceptable. It could have been children - mum and the kids going to the police station - who would have to share a lift with prisoners going to their cells. A solution, of course, had to be found and we have worked through it. We have found it means building another lift so that members of the public will not have to share a confined space, such as a lift, with prisoners.
The airconditioning system for the prisoner lock-up was routine standard. This gave rise to serious safety issues as well, because the lock-up situation needs full air reticulation. Lock-ups and lock-downs often have quite unpleasant and extreme odours and it is unhealthy for police officers to have air from the lock-up circulating through their work place day after day. Again, this government has had to find a solution and the solution lies in a further appropriate airconditioning system being installed.
Another failure, and this is pretty glaring; if the last two are not, this one is. It was the absence of any back-up generation for power. You would have thought that for a secure facility accommodating a Police Commissioner and other critical personnel, it would be recognised that there would be required to be a backup in the case of power failure, or in the middle of an emergency. However, under the CLP design, nothing was provided.
The design inherited by us on this side, was substandard and dangerous. There were a number of other flaws in the design, including inadequate security lighting, and control systems. We will continue to work to find solutions to this. However, as I said, every time you find a deficiency you have to come up with a solution. The poor old builder does not say: ‘No worries, we will build that in’. He puts a cost to it as he is entitled to, and has to. We say at the outset that it should have been recognised that there would be a need for two lifts. It should have been recognised that there would be a need for appropriate airconditioning to provide clean air for police and members of the public. It should have been recognised that it would require appropriate power backup.
The lowest estimate on those three serious deficiencies in the design of this building mean an extra $1.86m on the bottom line. We know that does not mean anything to the members opposite because we heard the Leader of the Opposition saying this morning that the government is rolling in dough and we really should not be worrying about having to spend a bit extra. But everything they have touched, everything we have inherited, has come at a cost, including your comments about the information technology and the outsourcing facilities.
It is a further example of this government having inherited, in the first place, one unholy financial mess; having to fix up every single thing that they had in train. We will find that extra $1.86m because we want this building to work. We are simply not going to put our police officers and public at risk in an unsafe building …
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: … it is not on for the police or the general community, and we will continue to work to get solutions to all of these deficiencies.
Madam SPEAKER: I think we have had enough cross-Chamber chatter.
Mr Paul Bartholomew – Departure as CEO of Department of Health and Community Services
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES:
Minister, yesterday you said: ‘After considerable discussion, Mr Bartholomew and I have agreed upon a mutual separation’. Given that Mr Bartholomew told ABC’s Fred McCue that he was going nowhere and was here for the long haul, will you tell members of this House, who initiated these considerable discussions you say you had? Was it you, or was it Mr Bartholomew? Did you ask him to leave and he agreed; or did he want to leave and you agreed?
Members interjecting.
Ms Martin: Oh, goodness gracious! What kind of question is that? Tell us how you did Ian Fletcher …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, the minister is on her feet and we are waiting for her answer.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I would be happy to repeat what I said yesterday, which is that Mr Bartholomew and I had lengthy discussions over a long period of time and that we have agreed upon a separation. The separation will be the same kind that falls in line with all executive contracts, which will be dealt with through the Commissioner for Public Employment. There is nothing more to add except that, as I tabled yesterday, Mr Bartholomew also agrees that it is an amicable separation.
East Arm Port
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for the ENVIRONMENT
Minister, you recently announced moves to protect Darwin Harbour, and I am pleased to see the government is moving to protect mangroves in the catchment of the harbour. One of the main areas of concern that seems to have been left out of Darwin Harbour discussions is the East Arm Port area. I refer to the industrial area between the boundaries of the Palmerston City Council, the Litchfield Shire Council and the Darwin City Council. I am also including the Trade Development Zone.
Would the minister show he is genuinely concerned about the catchment of the harbour by bringing this area under a local government so that it can be included in a development consent authority; or by bringing it under a development consent authority similar to that used in municipalities in the Northern Territory - that is, not under the minister alone - so that the public will have a better chance of assessing development in this area, and judging its possible effects on the harbour. Would you bring out a ministerial statement about the harbour, so that we can have a full discussion about some of the issues you raised in your press release?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. The East Arm Wharf we should call it, not the East Arm Port; the decision was to be called Darwin Port East Arm Wharf. As you know it was initiated by the previous government and I think the credit belongs to that government. The previous government also established its very own development plan, and for every development in the East Arm Wharf an application has to be submitted. That application is assessed by the consent authority which, by law, is the minister.
As I stated on Monday when I announced a number of initiatives regarding especially the Northern Territory Coastal and Marine Management Policy, there will be a number of regional plans developed under this policy and one of them will be the Darwin Harbour Management Plan. That was an election commitment, and we stick by it and are going to deliver.
I have already extended the boundaries of the harbour from Charles Point to Gunn Point and south to include all the boundaries and the catchment areas in Howard River down to Coomalie Community Council. I announced that the mangroves will be declared a conservation zone. I also said we would not accept the removal of even one mangrove unless the developers show us why he or she has to do it. To do that, they have to put an application in to the consent authority. The harbour will be protected; the mangroves will be protected.
By law, the minister is the consent authority and the minister has to act within the letter of the law. I intend to do exactly that. I intend to protect the harbour; I intend to protect the mangroves. Bear in mind that there have been previous commitments for removal of up to 6% of mangroves for development of the gas industry, the East Arm Wharf and other intended developments. On some, we cannot go back. But after that, after this 6%, nothing will happen unless proper environmental assessment takes place, proper application is made with the consent authority. I have every intention to protect the harbour and the mangroves in the harbour.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was: will the area - not just the port - that is not included in any development consent authority be possibly included in a consent authority, and would the minister bring out a ministerial statement on the harbour. It was not a question about the mangroves. The question is specific about that land surrounded by Darwin, Palmerston and Litchfield.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, you are quite aware that the nature of the reply from the minister is at his discretion.
Mr WOOD: One can only try, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: One can but try. True.
Mr Paul Bartholomew – Departure as CEO of Department of Health and Community Services
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Minister, there are three ways your head of the department, Mr Bartholomew, could have left the public service. Firstly, his contract had expired, and we can rule that one out. He was sacked, in which case he would be eligible for termination payments as described by the Auditor-General in his report to parliament in February. Thirdly, he chose to resign in which case he would only be due his leave entitlements.
Minister, we know Mr Bartholomew was paid well over $100 000 to go, so I ask you again: was his contract terminated or was he sacked?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am happy to say that Mr Bartholomew is, in fact, still in his office, probably over there in Health House at the moment listening to this broadcast. Hello, Mr Bartholomew. Perhaps the Leader of the Opposition would like to recall some words from a previous minister in this House, Mr Lugg, when he was asked regarding …
Mr Burke: Just answer the question.
Mrs AAGAARD: … Mr Dennis Hatcher and his leaving:
- What is going on with a person’s individual contract is their private business. It is not up to me to parade it in the media. No matter what you think, I am not going to do it. I would not do the same with you. I did …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of Government Business, I cannot hear the minister. I am quite sure people listening to this broadcast cannot hear her either. Fewer interjections, please.
Mrs AAGAARD: Madam Speaker, I would like to say that on this occasion - I cannot say that it would happen very often - I am happy to agree with Mr Lugg, that this is a person’s individual contract.
Members interjecting.
Mrs AAGAARD: The contract is organised through the Commissioner for Public Employment.
Mr BURKE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is an important issue on the use or misuse of large sums of taxpayers’ money. I asked the minister a very simple question. Was this senior public servant sacked or did he leave willingly? It affects the amount of money that should be legitimately paid to him.
Madam SPEAKER: I reiterate, there is no point of order. I cannot direct how the minister answers. Answers to questions are purely at the discretion of ministers. I would say to members, please let the minister - who has a fairly soft voice - have the floor and her answer given to us in silence, without interjections from others.
Mrs AAGAARD: Mr Bartholomew was actually appointed by the previous government and has a contract which was organised by the previous government. Anything that is happening with Mr Bartholomew is in line with the contract which they agreed to. That is it: it is a mutual separation.
Gulf Region – Future Planning
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Can the minister describe the steps that have been taken to plan for the future of the Gulf region since the decision to close the McArthur River to commercial fishing?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for his question. I too have a soft voice, so if somebody does not rattle the bucket on the other side …
Members interjecting.
Mr AH KIT: The decision to close McArthur River to commercial fishing was not an easy one for this government. It was only after a lengthy period of consultation, considering the views of all stakeholders, that the decision was made. The decision was driven by a desire to do what is best for the long-term interests of the community and the environment.
The McArthur River is just one of a range of natural and human advantages of the Gulf region. With diamonds, zinc, a beautiful coastline, world class fishing and the culturally and historically rich town of Borroloola, the region definitely has a bright future.
However, to ensure the Gulf takes its proper place in the economic and social development of the Territory, I have invited local stakeholders to participate in a planning exercise for the region. Letters of invitation have gone out and the department has already started to receive responses. The general feeling is very positive so far, and a number of organisations have expressed strong enthusiasm in the project, and an interest in taking a place on the steering committee. I have already committed $50 000 to get the project up and running so that we can do more than talk. The people of the region have made it quite clear that they do not want another talkfest; they definitely want action. That is why I have asked that this project be carried out differently to other regional development plans.
There will be an independent consultant who will work with key community stakeholders to establish short, medium and long-term goals that are consistent with a whole-of-government, whole-of-community approach. There will also be a senior officer appointed, who will spend 50% of their time paying special attention to the development of the Gulf regional plan. This officer will work for the consultant and stakeholders in the region to identify projects that can commence immediately before the full plan is developed.
I thank the people of Borroloola and the wider Gulf region for their interest and participation so far, and look forward to seeing the benefits of this process being delivered back to the people.
Mr Paul Bartholomew – Departure as CEO of Department of Health and Community Services
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
I put it to you, Minister, that you have misled this House and continue to mislead this House on this issue. The conversation between Mr Bartholomew and Fred McCue occurred one month ago, on 16 May. In that interview, Mr Bartholomew said he was here for the long term. You have said in this House, and again today, that you had long and considerable discussions with him over a long period of time.
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I think the Leader of the Opposition has been here long enough to know that he addresses his question through you.
Mr Reed: Don’t like the detail do you?
Ms MARTIN: No, I do not like to see him pointing across the House.
Dr Lim: Like you do.
Ms MARTIN: No, it is the way we behave in this House.
Madam SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition has the floor; it is his question.
Mr BURKE: This is an extremely important, serious issue, because this minister is either totally incompetent or deliberately misleading this House and Territorians.
She said in this Chamber today that she and Mr Bartholomew had considerable discussions over a long period of time. Mr Bartholomew himself said, only one month ago, he was here for the long haul. Mr Bartholomew has been paid an enormous amount of taxpayers’ money to leave his employment. The facts are this: a person who leaves their employment when they are terminated are entitled to some termination payments; a person who leaves willingly is only entitled to their leave entitlements. This man has received over $100 000 of taxpayers’ money, and, Minister, you have a responsibility to explain to Territorians what you are doing with their money and what were the circumstances of him leaving?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, like all ministers, I meet with my CEO on a very regular basis, and I have regular conversations with him. Those conversations are private conversations. In relation to issues to do with the department, I have been having conversations with him since I became the minister on 27 August last year.
In relation to this matter, I have been having lengthy conversations with him over a long period of time. Those conversations are not conversations for this House. Everyone in this House understands the Westminster tradition that ministers do not reveal conversations between either Cabinet members or those with their CEO.
I have already said in this House, both today and yesterday, that Mr Bartholomew and I have had long conversations regarding various matters in the department, and we have agreed that there is an amicable and agreed separation. The situation relating to his contract will be dealt with through the Commissioner for Public Employment.
Royal Darwin Hospital Redevelopment
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
Could the minister inform the House of the progress on the redevelopment of Royal Darwin Hospital?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, a very good question; it is nice to actually get something on the portfolio. I am very pleased to tell the House today that the upgrade of the Royal Darwin Hospital is progressing well and the work is on target for completion in October of this year. I am looking forward to being able to ask the Chief Minister to open those on completion in October.
The $40m redevelopment by the Territory is a world-class facility equal to any in Australia. The extensions will include a new emergency department, increasing bed capacity from 11 to 33. At this point, I would like to thank the people in that emergency department. They have been working under very difficult conditions for quite a long period of time. It is a credit to them that they were actually accredited in that area late last year. I would like to congratulate them, particularly Dr Didier Palmer, who is in charge of that area.
There will also be a new decontamination suite and new Coronary Care Unit. We also have 10-bed capacity for Higher Dependency Unit, which the Royal Darwin Hospital does not currently have. On top of this, we will have a new Intensive Care Unit and new operating theatres. All these critical care units will be in the same vicinity, vastly improving the operation of the hospital through time saved in moving patients from one area to another.
We will also have a new Paediatric Unit, and it will be very good having that new unit. In the last couple of weeks there has been an epidemic of rotavirus in the Northern Territory and it has certainly put quite a pressure on the hospital in that area. I would say to those families who have children with rotavirus that I am hoping that the children are doing well. I know that the hospital has been handling this very well. The nurses, who I met with last week, have been handling this very difficult situation where there have been approximately 50 children from remote areas coming into the hospital.
The hospital upgrade will also provide a new retail area for shops such as a newsagent, chemist, coffee shop, gift shop and kiosk. This is all very good news for the Territory. It is also very good news for patients, and particularly our highly valued and dedicated staff who, at times, have worked under very trying conditions.
The construction of concrete slabs, beams and columns is almost finished, and the erection of structural steel is well advanced. Installation of roof insulation, vapour barriers and roof sheeting is on track, as is the installation of windows and a new lift.
The clinical user groups have been busy ensuring that equipment and all other items supplied and installed by the managing contractor are coordinated. The teams have also started checking furniture and equipment identified to transfer to the new facility, and will fit the designated locations. Tenders have been accepted for the imaging department and for all the monitoring equipment required for the hospital’s new facilities.
Behind the scenes, teams are working through the commissioning plans, fire evacuation plans and equipment requirements. Staff from the clinical areas are working through procedural changes for their areas, and new protocols are being developed.
Discussions have begun with the Darwin Private Hospital on co-location. These will result in joint agreements between the two hospitals. Talks have also commenced with the contractors building the new medical suite and car parking facility on Darwin Private Hospital land.
At the end of April, the total value of packages approved was $32m with 93% in value awarded to Northern Territory firms. As well as providing the Territory with a first class hospital facility, the redevelopment represents a significant boost to the local building trades. This is Territorians building assets for Territorians.
I express my appreciation to all those who have been involved in the redevelopment. Patients, visitors and staff have all exercised patience and cooperation throughout the construction. So, like all Territorians, I am eagerly looking forward to the opening in October.
Mr Paul Bartholomew – Departure as CEO of Department of Health and Community Services
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for HEALTH and COMMUNITY SERVICES
I ask the minister once again to explain to Territorians how the payments to Mr Bartholomew were calculated? I am not interested in your private conversations which you seem so important to hold so close. An example of the degree of importance you show to confidential discussions or documents is the fact that, when Mr Bartholomew wrote you a confidential memo, you happily brought that memo into this parliament and read it for everyone to hear …
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of the Opposition is just embarking on a speech; it is not a question.
Members interjecting.
Mr BURKE: Madam Speaker, I am talking about well over $100 000 of taxpayers’ money …
Madam SPEAKER: Could we have the question?
Mr BURKE: Madam Speaker, I ask the …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: I ask the minister how many nurses would the termination payment have employed? How many dialysis machines would the termination payments have provided in the Northern Territory? Minister, was Mr Bartholomew sacked or did he leave willingly? How were his payments calculated?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, do not start your answer until everyone is quiet. There are a few people on both sides who are being very disruptive.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, do I need to give you a warning? I just spoke to everyone about interruption and you immediately started again.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, you are on a warning. You are on a warning. Next time, you know what happens.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, Mr Bartholomew has a contract which was drawn up by the previous government. We are following through on the contract which they provided to him. The conditions of those contracts are dealt with through the Commissioner for Public Employment. The details of those are worked out by the Commissioner for Public Employment, not by me. They are in the contract which he has - which all executives have - and which the previous government put in place. We will follow through with what it says in the contract.
Juvenile Crime Strategies for Alice Springs
Mr BONSON to MINISTER for CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
Juvenile crime in Alice Springs is unacceptably high and the cost of these activities is unsustainable, both socially and economically. Could the minister please provide information on what strategies are being developed to address this antisocial behaviour?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It is a very important issue, both for this House and for me, personally. A week or so ago I put out an open letter addressed to the people of Alice Springs, calling attention to three areas of antisocial behaviour in the town and pledging my best efforts to make some inroads in those particular problems.
One of the issues that I identified and, in fact, had identified to me by the police and other groups working in the town, is the existence of two groups of street kids - you could call them - kids who are homeless. They are from dysfunctional families. They have been roaming Alice Springs now for a protracted period of time; certainly well before the change of government. That is certainly not an artefact of our government.
These kids are responsible for a significant amount of the vandalism and theft around Alice Springs. Typically, they roam around after dark. They vandalise businesses and homes. Often the things that they take out of homes are of much lesser value than the actual cost of the damage they do going into the building. You can see businesses or residences that have suffered thousands of dollars worth of damage for the sake of obtaining relatively small amounts of food or clothing or the necessities of their life. These kids are tough survivors; they are street kids. We have to find a more concerted way of dealing with that problem in Alice Springs.
I want to make it clear that in attempting some new initiatives, we are not denigrating the work of the many fine programs that we have in the town. There have been some excellent programs run through both non-government organisations and through our own agencies over the years. So why haven’t we actually reigned in this problem in the town and why do we continue to suffer the blight of the activities these kids are indulging in?
We believe that we can make a contribution to the solution to this problem through our Office of Crime Prevention. The Office of Crime Prevention has the specific task of going into a crime prevention context, as in Alice Springs, and coordinating, facilitating people working together in more powerful arrangements, to make an impact on a targeted problem. It is very clear who these kids are. It is very clear what they are doing, it is very clear what the resources are currently around the town. What we will offer now is a process run by the Office of Crime Prevention to bring everyone together, including the families - the extended families of these kids - to see if we can get a combination of enforcement and activities capable of reconnecting them to the community that they belong to. We will persist with that until we get some influence on the way these kids are behaving around the township.
I invite my fellow members of the Legislative Assembly from Alice Springs to play a role in this. I am not trying to do anything but serve the people of Alice Springs and Central Australia. I believe it is tragic that this problem has gone on as long as it has, given the duress it is putting the townspeople under, including our business community.
We have started working on this. There will be meetings towards the end of this month to formulate a plan. We will make that plan public to all concerned, and we welcome input from anyone who has an interest in it.
Madam SPEAKER: I make the comment, Minister, that it is an issue that is important to all members of Central Australia within this House and we would appreciate being kept up to date with the activities you are talking about.
Cullen Bay Beach – Responsibility for Maintenance and Care
Ms CARTER to MINISTER for the ENVIRONMENT
Minister, as you know we are having problems at Cullen Bay Beach. All the sand between the high water mark, the footpath and the rock area is virtually covered now by a creeper. Superficial trimming is not really having any decent effect on it. What we need, as I think you are aware, is for the transfer of jurisdiction from your department to Darwin City Council. Can you give some advice as to when you would expect that transfer to occur?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin. We had a very interesting discussion through the newspaper columns recently about somebody arguing about the weed conquering the sand at Cullen Bay. A letter today gave a very clear indication that the so-called weed is a native species - actually two native species - that invade empty spaces and work positively to maintain the sand dune.
My department has been maintaining the sand dune and there is no intention to cut this weed completely because that will increase the erosion of the sand dunes. We are working very closely with the Darwin City Council. However, they would like the department to eliminate the weed completely and provide some grassed areas. That is something that is currently being negotiated between my Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment and the Darwin City Council. Very soon, I hope that we will have some positive outcomes.
Ms Carter: When do you think though, roughly?
Mr VATSKALIS: Well, my department would like to do it as soon as possible and Darwin City Council has its own agenda. Let us get together and sort it out. I cannot give a time frame, but we are working towards transferring the land to the Darwin City Council.
Staffing of Humpty Doo Fire Station
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Minister, today has been declared a day of high fire danger. On days such as this, under a published director’s order, two fire officers are required to man the Humpty Doo Fire Station. Recently, on days of high fire danger, this has not always occurred. I have been informed by the Deputy Fire Chief that there are now new rules for such high or extreme fire days, but these have not yet been printed and, I think, only verbally disseminated. Could you please say what the new orders are for the Humpty Doo Fire Station and will they be published so that fire fighters, volunteers and the community know what that policy is?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. He knows, as do all members, of our commitment and awareness of the situation in the rural area, with the increasing population and the development and growth of infrastructure in that part of the world. So committed were we to this problem, even in opposition, we recognised it and we did commit to the construction of a new Police, Fire and Emergency Services station in that area. The member knows that.
The situation between now and when that new station comes on line remains where the Northern Territory Fire Service continue to provide two officers at Humpty Doo during weekdays. They do so on weekdays, acknowledging that it is not always going to be so easy to obtain volunteers on a Monday to Friday situation, where volunteers are generally going to be at work themselves. On those very high to extreme fire danger days, where sufficient staffing levels are available, they put two full-time officers there.
My understanding is that a risk management approach to this situation is taken on a daily basis. The operations commander gives consideration to the staffing requirements, taking into account the fire weather rating index of that day; the time of day; the availability of staff on hand, including volunteers; as to if and when the permanent staff will be placed there for that day. All of those issues are taken into account in terms of the risk management decision that has to be made, based upon the likelihood and the consequences of a fire on a given day. Should that likelihood, and the fire index rating be extremely high, then that decision is taken to deploy two full-time firefighters on standby.
The fire service will continue to closely monitor the need on a daily basis right through the dry season, and provide and deploy the appropriate resources as necessary. I am aware, from discussions with various firies, that there have been occasions - I cannot nominate dates - when it would have appeared that the fire danger was there and the officers were not deployed. I am now advised that that will not occur again.
In relation to you talking of printed orders, promulgation or some publication, I am not aware of a real change to this. I am aware that it is very much at the forefront in terms of discussion between management and officers. The officers have a view - and it is a view I would share - that during an outbreak, the closer you have manpower and equipment, obviously the better position you are to control it in the initial stages, rather than having a large and out-of-control situation which would force even more equipment, resources and people to get there.
It is interesting that it is Humpty Doo that continues to get the spotlight. I am certainly not suggesting it is only the member for Nelson who raises this; other people do as well. Koolpinyah, Virginia, Bees Creek are not all that different in terms of the fire management risk that they present. People live in those areas as well, and yet they do not seem to get the same level of attention.
However, that is my understanding. If there was a change, or there is to be some sort of promulgation or publication, I will endeavour to find that out. I will advise the member for Nelson as soon as I know the situation.
Termination Payments to Senior Public Servants – Investigation by PAC
Mr BURKE to CHIEF MINISTER
Chief Minister, the Independent member for Nelson, Gerry Wood, has called for the Public Accounts Committee to investigate a number of matters. One of those matters is that he wants the PAC to investigate the early termination payments to CEOs and executive contract officers. The Auditor-General found there was insufficient documentation to support the decisions to provide these payments. Will the Chief Minister support the call of the Independent member for the PAC to investigate these matters?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, an interesting question from the Leader of the Opposition. First of all, I make mention of the Auditor-General’s investigation of contracts and how separations and terminations are being dealt with. We have taken on board the fact that he made mention that there was not sufficient documentation. There was a very quick response from the appropriate area that any perceived deficiencies by the Auditor-General would be addressed. So, a very quick reaction from government.
The ironic point that we have heard raised in here repeatedly today, was idle and very ill-informed speculation from the opposition - particularly the Leader of the Opposition - about separations with executives, sums involved and how it was done.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: The processes that have been put in place, and that have been followed with any of those separations with contracts for executive management, are the ones that were put in place by the previous administration. They were the contracts that were put in place, and signed with conditions that were agreed to by the previous administration. We are honouring those because we are an honourable government. We are not following how the previous government did it; but we are certainly honouring those contracts. For the Leader of the Opposition to stand here and pretend that he does not like the process is really hypocrisy of the first order.
Mr BURKE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I cannot stand to listen to this garbage. We are asking for you to tell us what the process was. We are asking the Chief Minister to stop idle speculation and simply tell the truth.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker! There is no point of order, he is just going off his head!
Mr BURKE: How were the termination payments calculated and why?
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, there is no point of order; you know that. Chief Minister, do you want to wind up your answer?
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, I will finish the answer, but I think this is appalling behavior from the Leader of the Opposition. He is trying to bully. He is simply trying to stand up and bully. It is very demeaning to him and it is also very demeaning to this parliament.
On the two points, we have noted the Auditor-General’s comments and that documentation will be there. The contractual arrangements that we are currently dealing with are the ones put in place by the CLP.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: I believe the Minister for Lands and Planning has additional information to give us.
ANSWER TO QUESTION
Power and Water Authority – Budget Transfer
Power and Water Authority – Budget Transfer
Mr VATSKALIS (Essential Services): Madam Speaker, I have verification with regard to the question asked by the member for Katherine about stripping of assets from PAWA. I was advised before, it is true that the government is proceeding to restructure the Aboriginal Essential Services from PAWA to the Department of Community Development. This process is continuing. At the same time, since the mini-budget was delivered in November, the government has moved to restructure the loan held by the Power and Water Authority, and to review the total loan portfolio allocated to it.
I am pleased to advise members that the overall restructuring has resulted in a reduction of PAWA’s cash liability in the current year; declined by almost $12.4m. This reduction of allocation was due to a preliminary restructure of PAWA’s debt equity structure. The $12.4m reflects a reduction in interest and advance payments to Treasury Corporation.
The confusion occurred because the $12.459m that the member for Katherine referred to is very similar to the money to be transferred to the Department of Community Development this new financial year for Essential Services.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016