2003-10-16
Sentences for Murder - Legislation Reform
Mr BURKE to CHIEF MINISTER
Is it not a fact that, under the changes introduced by your government today, there will be no minimum non-parole sentence for convicted murderers? Is it not a fact that the exceptions your government has introduced means that convicted murderers could receive very little time in gaol before being eligible for parole? Is it not a fact that your government’s changes mean, in the real world, that mandatory life sentences for murder no longer apply in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I say to the Leader of the Opposition’s question: no, no, no! Again, this is another example of the opposition coming into this House, misinformed, or deliberately being misinformed, and not representing the facts. The facts have been spelled out very clearly. You can ask for a briefing. You are very thin on asking for briefings.
With most of the legislation that comes into this House and is, in a cursory fashion, debated by the opposition, they do not ask for briefings on. Then we have the Leader of the Opposition coming in here deliberately misrepresenting what is important legislation that has been spelled out by this government, through the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, a number of times publicly: that there is mandatory life sentence for murder; there is a minimum non-parole period of 20 years; and for some aggravated offences it is 25 years. That is very clear.
It is a much more effective regime than the one we inherited, the one that the Country Liberal Party, when they were in government, said: ‘We should have 20 years’, but did nothing about putting it in place - nothing!
Mr Ah Kit: Absolutely nothing!
Ms MARTIN: Absolutely nothing! So we had an example of rhetoric from the then government, but no action.
This government takes the action, puts in place effective legislation and, in this case, very effective and careful legislation. I say again to the Leader of the Opposition: no, no and no!
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Before I take the next question, I have had some complaints that people cannot hear on the radio. Therefore, I would like the objections or the interruptions kept to a minimum, please.
Alcan Refinery Expansion – Feasibility Study Joint Venture
Mr McADAM to CHIEF MINISTER
Another huge investment project has taken a step forward with Alcan today announcing the joint venture for its feasibility study into the proposed $1.5bn expansion of its refinery at Gove. Can you please outline the benefits for the Territory?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I am delighted to. This is a very important question regarding the Territory’s future from the member for Barkly. I congratulate Alcan on naming Leighton Contractors and SNC-Lavalin, joint venturers, to do a definitive feasibility study for their proposed $1.5bn expansion of the alumina facility at Gove.
We had the announcement of this mid-year, but this is moving the project a step forward. It is a massive project for the Territory. The announcement today that they have appointed what they call their EPCM, which is their engineering procurement and construction manager partner, is a substantial step forward to seeing that major project for the Territory realised. It is about hundreds of jobs in the construction phase, and a doubling of the size of the work force at Gove when completed.
It is a very exciting project and one that has taken another step forward. That project, of course, is the linchpin for the go-ahead of a 1000 km pipeline from Blacktip through to Gove, costing $500m, and the gas facility at Blacktip, another $500m investment. The investment in full is $2.5bn. The announcement today from Alcan puts that firmly on track for that $40m feasibility study. We congratulate that fine Australian company, Leighton, for winning that part of the joint venture.
There is a lot more work involved with this project. Making that commitment to a feasibility study is a very important first step for Alcan. There are land access and environmental issues to do with the pipeline coming 1000 km across the Territory. Government has the Alcan task force, which is combining the expertise of government to work with the joint venturers - Alcan and Woodside ENI, who are doing the gas and the pipeline - to make sure that when this project comes to Alcan mid-next year for final project approval, everything will be lined up. We are confident that we can get there.
I have not yet met with SNC-Lavalin, based in Montreal, Canada. I will be meeting with the Leighton team, including their chairman, Wal King, in Brisbane next week. I will also be meeting with Alcan to talk further on the involvement of our work force and our enterprises in the project.
We were delighted in mid-June when we had first gas come onshore from the Timor Sea. This is another step forward to an announcement, mid-next year, that second gas will be coming onshore from the Timor Sea. This means a significant step change in our economy, really underpinning for steady and strong growth for the future. That is great news for Territorians, jobs and our enterprises. I congratulate Alcan and Leighton for their involvement in this feasibility study.
Information Act – Release of Documentation
Mr MALEY to MINISTER for HOUSING
Yesterday, during Question Time, you said that the opposition had said nothing about cuts to housing, and I quote from Hansard:
- … since they received copies of all the Estimates Committee documentation under their freedom of information application.
We did, indeed, make an application under the Freedom of Information Act, and we received about 70 pages. Page 35 was withheld, as was page 37. Pages 46 to 70 – that is 24 pages – were withheld completely. There were numerous items deleted from pages 9 and 10. On pages 24, 31 and 36 items were also deleted. In other words, 39 pages were received of which five were censored, two were duplicated twice, and 24 pages withheld completely. I will table an example of the type of freedom of information that the ‘Martin Labor government will tell all’. I seek to table both of those documents.
Leave granted.
Mr MALEY: This is FOI under the Martin Labor government. Effectively, minister, you have withheld almost everything which is useful under the FOI exemptions.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Acting Speaker! This is not a ministerial statement time; it is …
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: Well, it is their Question Time. If they want to burn up six minutes in answering the question, so be it! But you would expect a question in a couple of sentences.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: There is no point of order, but can you come to the question please, member for Goyder. It was very long.
Mr MALEY: I will not repeat the entire question. Minister, you said that we have all the documentation. You have effectively withheld almost all …
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Goyder, the question, please.
Mr MALEY: You have effectively withheld all the important information under the FOI exemptions …
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Members, for Goyder, your question please.
Mr MALEY: Given your comment yesterday that we have received all the Estimates Committee documentation, will you now instruct your department to actually release all of the information?
Members interjecting.
ANSWER
Oh, good question, what a great question! All of the information that is allowable …
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order! Minister! Can we please keep the interjections down.
Mr AH KIT: Thank you, Mr Acting Speaker. They are provocative and have not taken their tablets today, obviously.
FOI: interesting topic. I have just said that we have released the information that is allowable under the legislation.
Mr Dunham: All, all!
Mr AH KIT: Now listen up, listen up, because things seem to go through one ear and out the other with the member for Drysdale.
We have introduced FOI. What did you people do in 27 years? Where was the FOI stuff? Did not want to tackle it. Very nice, now that a Labor government has come and introduced it.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr AH KIT: Labor has introduced it and you are jealous of it.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, order!
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, please! Let the minister finish.
Members interjecting.
Mr AH KIT: You are jealous of it. Labor has introduced it …
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order! There is too much cross-Chamber chatter.
Mr AH KIT: Labor has introduced it and now they are choosing to utilise it. Can I also respond …
Mr Baldwin: Can you just give us the information? That is all we want.
Mr AH KIT: When the member for Daly finishes. Can I also add that we had an estimates process. You have …
Mr Maley interjecting.
Mr AH KIT: Hang on. You have since changed shadow portfolio responsibilities. What have you done? Have you talked to your new Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the former shadow minister for Housing? Has he briefed you?
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr AH KIT: Has he briefed you? No, he has not. Have you sought a briefing from my office on housing?
Mr Maley: Yes, I have.
Mr AH KIT: You sought a briefing, and you cancelled, because you were too lazy to get there and to understand your shadow portfolio. That means that you are a joke. You do not represent the people of Goyder properly. I am prepared to give you briefings - as many as you like - if you want to come and find out my portfolio areas. However, you choose not to do it because most of you are lazy.
We introduced FOI, we have an estimates process and, as I said, we will release whatever documentation under the FOI that is allowable, and that is what you have received.
Deficit Reduction Strategy Progress
Mr BONSON to TREASURER
Can the Treasurer please advise the House of the progress on the government’s deficit reduction strategy and the final outcome of the 2002-03 budget? My constituents of Millner, Coconut Grove, RAAF Base and Ludmilla would like to hear your answer.
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question, because there is interest in the community about how this government is handling its finances and deficit reduction strategy that we had to put in place in November 2001. These were put in place because, on election to government, we were told by the then Under Treasurer that the budget position was ‘unsustainable’ – in big black letters. He may as well have tattooed it across our foreheads, because that is what drove us to the November 2001 mini-budget, to then put in place a deficit reduction strategy that is standing this Territory and all Territorians in good stead as we move through.
We recognise that, for economic development and growth to occur, you have to have the engine in good shape and you have to have the finances in order; and that simply was not the case when we were elected. The 2002-03 Treasurer’s Annual Financial Report will be tabled later on today, in detail …
Mr Baldwin: Get it out now!
Mr STIRLING: … when we get to Tabled Papers. There is a structure to these sittings and Tabled Papers come later.
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr STIRLING: They want to know why I want to get up here now and why we went to the media on this at lunch time. It is because we had a story to tell. I will tell you why the CLP Treasurer never went out the door for a press conference and went to the media on the back of their Treasurer’s Annual Financial Report. I will give you an example.
In 2000-01, the last Treasurer’s Annual Financial Report that they would have reported on before the election, they had forecast a surplus of $1m for the outcome of that year. The outcome was $212m deficit. That is why they never went out to the media …
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: … and you snuck in here at 11 o’clock at night and dropped it quietly on the table, and hoped it was a long time to the next sittings. That is what they used to do. Well, we want to share this information. We want to tell the truth. We told the truth in August 2001, and we are going to go on telling the truth …
Mr Baldwin: Well table it in here.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Daly!
Mr Baldwin: Table it.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Daly!
Mr STIRLING: … unlike you were. In 2002-03, you told us it was a $12m deficit. I hope the Leader of the Opposition is listening, because he was responsible, the buck stops with him. He was Chief Minister of the day. You told us it was a $12m deficit we were headed for in 2001-02 and, when we had a look at it with Professor Percy Allan and Treasury, it was closer to $130m. They are the facts, and that is what drove us to a mini-budget and a deficit reduction strategy.
In 2002-03, the Treasurer’s Annual Financial Report will record a cash surplus of $9m, but we changed that underlying deficit of $31m. The cash surplus – modest thought it is – is a positive sign that the deficit reduction strategy is on track. It is achieved largely because of the transfer of payments out of 2002-03 into the 2003-04 budget.
The outcome is also assisted by some increases in Territory revenue, but largely one-off ...
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: … largely one-off transactions and large commercial transactions, pastoral properties, commercial building transfers that increased stamp duty on conveyancing.
Mr BALDWIN: A point of order, Mr Acting Speaker! The Treasurer is referring to a document which is called TAFR and it should be tabled in this House. He is referring to it without it being tabled for consideration by members of the opposition.
Mr Stirling: It will be.
Mr HENDERSON: Speaking to the point of order, Mr Acting Speaker. This question and answer does not contravene standing orders. The Treasurer is updating the House on the actual outcome for the 2002-03 financial year. It is of interest to Territorians and it is good news.
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: I will seek advice. There is no point of order.
Mr STIRLING: Thank you, Mr Acting Speaker. I wonder if they would lay the same claim against the federal treasurer, Mr Peter Costello, who did exactly the same thing. He went out and told the media, before it had gone into parliament, what the outcome was, but still does not know what he is going to do with the surplus.
The transfer of that payment into 2003-04 from 2002-03 occurs because of a number of factors. Primarily, an injection of specific purpose grants from the Commonwealth and some Territory grants which came into the accounts late in the financial year, boosted the cash balances in some of the departments, particularly Education and Health. However, it is money that has to be paid out in programs in 2003-04, including to the non-government sector or to other recipients such as schools, as would have occurred early in 2003-04. Overall, $20m in operational payments transferring to 2003-04.
Also good management by Treasury in relation to interest payments: $9m less than projected in the budget papers, a saving to Territory taxpayers, and superannuation benefits lowered to the extent of $10m than projected in the budget papers. Interestingly, the reason for that, is less people retiring out of the public service and going on to super than was expected to be the case. People are happy in the work force and are not leaving.
The government is satisfied with this result. However, we remain vigilant about the budget because of those underlying factors. We believe we are still on track for the predicted projected deficit of $24m for 2003-04. As additional payments will be made in some key government areas, such as the police, as a result of the investment we have made coming out of the O’Sullivan Report, the deficit reduction strategy is on target. That is the bottom line. We are slowly but steadily reducing the problem we inherited in August 2001.
I will not be, and I was not out there at lunch time shouting this from the rooftops, because the fact is we are carrying $40m into that 2003-04 year, and that has brought about this unexpected, modest surplus. It is not a genuine surplus, it reflects a $31m underlying deficit which was projected at the time we brought down the 2003-04 budget in May. I commend the Under Treasurer, Jennifer Prince, and the Treasury officers for getting so close in the latter part of the 2002-03 financial year to the actual outcome. If you carry $40m forward, you have a $9m cash surplus, the underlying deficit is $31m, which was projected in May.
Alice Springs – Harassment and Violence at Bus Interchange
Mr MILLS to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
Violence and abuse at an Alice Springs bus interchange where last term a teacher was assaulted, continues to be unmanageable. Teachers, school-based constables and parents have, since last term, sought a solution from the minister. It is now the final term. Teachers are now refusing to cover for your lack of action. Please advise the House of the solutions you have put in place to deal with this totally unacceptable situation at the interchange.
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. It is a genuine issue, and I have acknowledged that in the parliament in the past. We have had the school-based constables on deck there because of the result of the injuries sustained by an Alice Springs teacher. Those teachers are holding the students they are responsible for inside the school fence rather than outside the school at the bus interchange because of this congregation of non-government and government school students and the wide range of ages spread across them.
It is simply too big an interchange; there is no question about that. You asked what is occurring. Urgent meetings are being held between officers from the Department of Employment, Education and Training, and the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and the Environment. I have discussed this a number of times with my colleague, the minister for DIPE.
Mr Mills: This was brought to your attention in August.
Mr STIRLING: This bus interchange has been there since 1990. We did not introduce it.
Mr Mills: The teacher was assaulted in August.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STIRLING: It has been there since 1990 …
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr STIRLING: It has been there since 1990 and has obviously grown and it requires …
Members interjecting.
Mr STIRLING: If you do not want the answer I will sit down. It obviously requires some close detailed work and consultation …
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Allow the minister to finish.
Mr STIRLING: … between DEET, DIPE, the school communities, including the parents and the school councils, as to the re-routing of the buses and what is going to be the most cost effective solution in putting extra buses on and running different routes, so that we disaggregate this too large a group of students that are all at this one bus interchange.
He says: ‘How long is it going to take?’. The process of working this out, through consultation with schools and school communities, is going to take some time. In the meantime, the school-based constables will be there with the teachers who are holding their students inside the school perimeter. I regret the incident, of course, that occurred to the teacher who sustained injuries to their hand. However, we have interim measures in place and we are working urgently toward a more permanent solution.
Tennant Creek – Chariot Gold Production
Mr McADAM to MINISTER for BUSINESS, INDUSTRY and RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Earlier this year, you advised that gold production may commence in Tennant Creek before October this year. Can you please advise of the latest developments?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question. It is a very good announcement. I advise honourable members that 30 October is going to be a big day in Tennant Creek because, on that day, the first gold pour in Tennant Creek for quite a number of years will take place. I will be very pleased to be there with my colleague, the member for Barkly, officially opening the Chariot Gold project in Tennant Creek and witnessing that first gold pour.
Chariot is the first producing mine in Tennant Creek since Normandy Mining closed all operations in March 1999. We are very pleased, as government, that we were able to provide $300 000 in a development grant to Giants Reef to help them through a part of their project when they were very cash flow poor which enabled them to get to this point where they are today. It is a great day for Tennant Creek, and to see a new gold mine commence in the Northern Territory.
The mine is forecast to produce 60 000 ounces of gold a year, over a mine life of at least 3 years. Certainly, with the increase in gold prices at the moment, even though that is a bit counter-balanced by the increase in the Australian dollar, it is great to see that the mine is going to last for that long.
However, it is even better than that because, when Giants Reef bought out the Normandy tenements, they also acquired a significant exploration acreage, which has identified significant gold mineralisation about one kilometre west of Chariot at Malbec, so production and mine life might well be extended. Having met with the geologists on a couple of occasions - a great bunch of young geologists, not long out of university most of them - they are very excited about their work.
Giants Reef employs about 25 people at Chariot Mine. Approximately 35 people are employed at Warrego refurbishing the plant, and 20 people in administration and exploration. Granted, this is not a world-class mine, but it is a great day for Tennant Creek to have gold being poured there.
The Giants Reef operation by no means stands alone as an emerging or expanding mining project in the Territory nor, indeed, in the Central region. The Peko rehabilitation project proposes to process tailings at the old Peko mine in Tennant Creek to produce gold, copper, cobalt and magnetite. The project has a mine life of about 7 years and will employ 25 people. Again, great news for Tennant Creek.
Newmont proposes to develop the Minatour deposit, approximately 33 km north-east of the Granites Gold Mine as a satellite open pit, and produce 680 000 tonnes of ore over a one-year period. Again, we are working with Newmont and the Commonwealth, putting $6.5m into the Tanami road. A question was answered the other day, that this is the type of investment that we are putting in for infrastructure for the mining industry.
Olympia Resources is proposing a garnet sand mining operation at Harts Range. The project is expected to commence in 2004 and have a life in excess of 20 years. Initial production is estimated at 60 000 tonnes of garnet sand a year.
Just last week, I received an updated briefing, along with my colleague the member for Barkly, from Mr Trevor Tennant of Bootu Creek Resources, on another potentially very exciting project at Bootu Creek, 120 km north of Tennant Creek, for the development of a manganese mining operation.
At Gove, the Chief Minister has updated us on Alcan …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: I would have thought members opposite would be cheering these operations on, because it really is good. The mining industry has had a tough time over the last few years.
Mr Baldwin: Two years.
Mr HENDERSON: Not over the last two years - the ignorance of the member opposite absolutely astounds me - over many years. If you had watched Lateline the other night, the confidence is there in the mining sector regarding the new resources boom for Australia. The Northern Territory is going to be part of that. We are going to be part of that - as I said in the House last week - as a result of the government granting some 640 exploration licences since coming to government. At every level, we are working with the mining industry in the Northern Territory to get people out on to the ground exploring, assisting existing operations get up and running, and putting infrastructure in to assist those operations.
I commend the mining industry to this House. It is going to be a great day in Tennant Creek next week. I look forward to being there with my colleague, the member for Barkly.
Roads Funding Sources
Dr LIM to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
Yesterday, you attacked the Commonwealth government for not giving you more money for roads. This graph shows that the federal government’s contribution, shown here in black, has gone up consistently each year for the last four years. On the other hand, this white column, representing Northern Territory government spending, has gone down since you have been in charge. This graph is from your department. Is this yet another case of where you claim the public service has let you down, or do you accept that they are right and you are wrong?
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Mr Acting Speaker! Can I ask the member to table that graph.
Dr LIM: It is yours, you can have it back.
Leave granted.
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for his question. What he forgot to say is that. on this graph, the black bars represent the money given by the Commonwealth to fund the national highway system. The white declining bars show the money spent, even under the CLP, for the regional highways. The Roads to Recovery does not refer …
Mr DUNHAM: A point of order, Mr Acting Speaker! Can that be tabled?
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: Certainly. Let me finish my answer and I will table it.
What the Roads to Recovery refer to is not the national highways but to the regional roads. That is where the Territory is missing out, member for Greatorex, because your mates in Canberra do not give a hoot for the people in the Territory. They have not given money to this government, they gave money to your government when you were in power because they neglected it. They do not care about us.
Let me put it bluntly: money was directed to their national seats, not to the Territory. So, next time you show your graph, can you please explain where the increase in the money went from the Commonwealth, and where the decline of the money went, because it is a totally different picture from what you said.
Money for the Territory is not coming through; we are losing $20m a year. It has been acknowledged by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson, but he still refuses to give us the money.
Ilparpa Swamp - Water Reuse Project
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for ESSENTIAL SERVICES
I understand the tender was advertised this week for a major contract for the Ilparpa water reuse project in Alice Springs. Can you please advise the House of the progress with this major project and the implications for the horticulture industry?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, it is with a great deal of pleasure that I answer this question because it is not just as Minister for Essential Services, there are other considerations here: minister for the Environment and, of course, minister for Primary Industry. This particular Ilparpa project is fantastic. This government has allocated $6.3m to it. It has environmental and horticulture benefits, and is also solving a problem for PowerWater in the amount of waste water that is produced and its effective reuse.
The advertisement that went into the NT News and the Centralian Advocate this week for a $1m contract to pipe the water away from the Ilparpa Swamp to the Arid Zone Research Institute is very important. I am very proud to announce it. It is a boost for the local economy, and opportunities for the construction industry in Central Australia.
There are not only significant economic values, there is also an environmental benefit. I am sure those people living around Ilparpa who have been worried about insects and all sorts of things - the smell, I guess - are going to be very welcoming of this project. This is an initiative of the Martin Labor government …
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: We have done it, where the other crowd could not get anywhere near it.
Dr Toyne: You created the swamp and we are creating the horticulture.
Ms Carney: Rubbish! You never …
Mr Burke: Are you sure you have the right brief there?
Mr Dunham: Are you sure it’s not a Palmer initiative?
Mr Baldwin: Mick Palmer announced this three years ago.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms Carney: Yes, you will find an old statement on it somewhere, if you are lucky.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, member for Araluen!
Mr Burke: Just check your notes there again, Chris.
Dr BURNS: I know my notes about this one because …
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Let the minister finish, please!
Dr BURNS: … the crowd opposite were landlocked. They wanted to have a native title dispute.
We moved in and provided a temporary solution to this because we were able to negotiate with Aboriginal groups. There was an interim measure brought forward about putting water through to St Mary’s Creek. Now, we are delivering on the main promise with this $6.3m project - $1m advertised in the paper. It is going to be fantastic because, once this 6 km of pipe is laid, and there will be horticultural industry that grows up around that, there is going to be substantial economic benefit to the people of Alice Springs and Central Australia.
I commend this project. I believe it is great, and it is a great initiative by the Martin Labor government.
Roads Maintenance Spending
Dr LIM to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
This graph on repairs and maintenance, also from your department, shows that your spending on road repairs and maintenance is consistently below what the CLP spent say, in 1998-99. You are sitting right down there. Why do you persist in claiming you are maintaining our roads and doing a better job than the CLP government, when your department is producing graphs that show the complete opposite. When will you put sufficient money into roads to ensure the safety of Territorians?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for his question and, certainly, for holding out the graph, because the highest spending we saw was in 1998. From 1998, the graph is declining. We have only just started to arrest the decline and bring it up again. The reason for the decline in funding for roads is, once again – and I repeat it - because he is an apologist for his mates in Canberra. He is the person who is prepared to abandon Territorians in order to defend Anderson. His government, and this government, repeatedly asked Canberra for money for roads from the Roads to Recovery program, the money that other states always claim and get. Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales get it – we do not. The excuse is because we are not incorporated.
Well, it is no fault of this government, is it? In addition to that, they recognise it. DOTARS recognise it, even Anderson himself, the man who the member for Greatorex is prepared to come into the Territory’s parliament to defend. It is indefensible because he is not giving us the money. The truth of the matter is that the money that goes to regional roads starts going up. We started arresting the continuous decline, despite the fact we do not get extra funding. But I tell you what. I said yesterday the only person here to have the guts to stand up and say he is prepared to go to Canberra with me to argue with Anderson is the member for Macdonnell. He is on the record. I invite you to join us and go and lobby for Territorians instead of sitting here and apologising for Anderson.
Tiwi Islands – Status of Forestry Project
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for BUSINESS INDUSTRY and RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
I have an important electorate question, minister. Can you please update the House on the status of the Tiwi forestry project?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Arafura, for her question. She has been a great champion and proponent for this particular project. We are starting to see the outcomes in employment for Tiwi people and, at the end of the day, this is what it is all about - jobs for people in the Northern Territory.
The harvesting of native timber has commenced on Melville Island, and the first shipment of 25 000 tonnes of logs is scheduled for November 2003. I understand that the markets for the timber will be Korea and India, and a range of South-East Asian countries. Again, a great news story regarding the Territory’s export effort. Only last week, we were talking about clothing being on sale in the boutiques in Paris out of Ali Curung. We are now going to be exporting logs from the Tiwi Islands to Korea and India.
Sylvatech, which is the project manager of the forestry project, apparently has …
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: I would have thought that members opposite would be interested in this, rather than trying to talk it down. The good news is that it should be cheered on by every member of this House, given how hard it is to create jobs for Aboriginal people on Aboriginal land.
Currently, we have 19 full-time employees, with six Tiwi apprentices. Funding commitments have been made for a total of 14 Tiwi apprentices, who are all expected to be employed by the end of 2003. The apprenticeships are under the forest and wood products program. In the budget this year, we announced $1m in capital works for upgrade of the community road on Melville Island. It was a great day to be there with the member for Arafura to advise Sylvatech, and also Tiwi elders, that this government was going to put in $1m for that road. The upgraded road will become the haul route for the timber cut under a timber harvesting project, and the projects will deliver significant economic and sustainable work opportunities for the Tiwi people.
The works are being performed by a local firm, GRD Civil Constructions, and congratulations to them. They have been committed from day one in ensuring that Tiwi people have been trained and employed on that road project. A full-time independent training and employment supervisor is being provided by GRD to ensure the implementation of its training and employment plan for the Tiwi people. Upgrade work commenced in August, and is expected to take about 12 weeks.
It is going to be a great day to see that first shipment of timber leaving the Tiwi Islands for Korea or India. I look forward to being there with my colleague, the member for Arafura.
Government Tenders – Award Rate
Dr LIM to MINISTER for TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE
In the latest list of awarded tenders …
Mr HENDERSON: A point of order, Mr Acting Speaker! I know the member for Greatorex is new in the shadow portfolio, but the portfolio responsibility goes to the minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Environment. Please direct questions to the minister by his appropriate title and not be so …
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Ministers have many titles. As long as one of those is correct, I would have thought that was all right, so there is no point of order.
Dr LIM: In the latest list of awarded tenders for your department, almost 14% have not been awarded or have been cancelled. These cancelled contracts - and there is a whole swag of them here. In fact, I will show you this page. Look! All cancelled tenders. They are the ones that are crucial to small businesses in the Northern Territory.
Why is your government cancelling tenders, particularly in the crucial areas of your responsibility; transport and infrastructure? What do you say to those small businesses that have spent time, money and effort in applying for these government contracts, only to see the opportunity to earn money evaporate on a whim of your government?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, the member for Greatorex is waving a piece of paper and I am asked to reply to something that, at the moment, I do not have in front in me. I would like him to table the documentation.
Dr Lim: This is Tenders Online, obtained from the government. See it up there? Tenders Online, obtained 16 October.
Members interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Are you tabling that, member for Greatorex?
Dr LIM: I am happy to table that.
Leave granted.
Mr VATSKALIS: Mr Acting Speaker, as I said before, the member for Greatorex is waving a list of tenders and he asked me to respond to 14 tenders from four or five pages. I do not have this information in front of me …
Dr Lim: September – 22 cancelled.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Let the minister finish.
Mr VATSKALIS: However, I am very happy to take his tabled document, examine the situation and come back and provide information. There is a reason for tenders to be cancelled. They are not cancelled on a whim of this government, as he suggested.
Member for Goyder – Remarks in Relation to National Parks
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Are you aware of inaccurate and misleading media comments made by the member for Goyder regarding the government’s efforts to negotiate to establish a world class system of national parks?
ANSWER
I thank the member for Karama for the question because it is important. It is an important fact of what members in this House should aspire to. It certainly is not going to the media and giving totally inaccurate, misleading and ignorant comments on an important issue. This is what the member for Goyder has done.
It is all right to indulge your fantasies but, as a member of parliament, you should be accurate in what you are saying. You should be informed about what your are saying and you should not be ignorant. Yet, the member for Goyder, in the latest edition of the Litchfield Times, fits all those categories. I will deal with it, because he is talking about the bill introduced last week on parks and reserves - the Framework for the Future bill - and he simply gets it wrong, wrong, wrong.
If we go through the article, in it, he claims that the central plank of the agreement is to settle a legal dispute over a handful of parks and, because we are settling this legal dispute we are going to allow Aboriginal people the opportunity to live in carefully planned living areas of national parks. That is what we are doing. However, if you go through the article, he claims that we are giving squatting rights in national parks. This is what the member for Goyder says: we are giving squatting rights in all national parks to Aboriginal people. This is a man who says: ‘I am a lawyer. I come into this parliament. I am smart, I am accurate’, and he is totally wrong. Let us look at what he says in the article.
What the bill is intending to do is not solve a legal dispute, but to solve an issue that has arisen, one we did not expect to have happen. What we are going to do is create a world class system of parks, using our primary assets: our natural and cultural heritage. What a great thing to aspire to. And what a grubby little performance this is by the member for Goyder.
Let us look at the accuracy. He says that the government is going to offer squatting rights in our national parks in order ‘to settle a legal dispute over a handful of national parks’. Wrong, wrong, wrong. The member for Goyder is saying that there is a legal dispute. Even in the basic facts he is wrong; there is not a legal dispute. It is a consequence of the Ward High Court decision that existing claims over 11 parks are now likely to be able to proceed to hearing by the Land Commissioner. What we are doing is not involved in a legal dispute; we are avoiding a legal dispute. We could, on one hand, go and spend tens of millions of dollars by doing what the CLP did, and go to court and fight and get no resolution, or we can find a solution. The fact that he even says we are involved in a legal dispute is wrong, wrong, wrong. We are resolving issues. We are not currently in a legal dispute, so he is wrong.
Then he says in the article:
- … put all national parks under the control of a joint management board.
Where does he get this information from? He says we will put all national parks under the control of a joint management board. The framework offer does not involve all national parks - point one. There are 14 of the 49 parks that were affected by this Ward High Court decision. We are saying to the Commonwealth that 14 parks are available to schedule. Six parks are transferring to NT title and 12 parks will be jointly managed. That is not all the parks that are affected by the Ward High Court decision. It is very apparent in this legislation that there will be boards of management for individual parks, based on the model of Nitmiluk, which the CLP put into place. Yet the member for Goyder writes an article and says the framework offer will put all national parks under a joint management board. He is wrong and he is ignorant.
He got one thing right. I will recognise he got one thing right. He says that part of the deal was that the traditional owners cannot raise revenue through park entrance fees. Well, well done! In one article, he got just one thing right.
Let us quote from the article, because he says:
- … the central plank of the agreement was the establishment of legal rights for traditional owners to live in the parks in the manner they chose - whether through occasional camping, or even permanently in constructed houses. In a worst case scenario, this could mean houses being built beside Wangi Falls …
Wangi Falls. He again is wrong. What happens in those parks will be decided by a joint board of management. If you look at what currently happens in Nitmiluk, that is the model we are following – and what a success story there. What kind of garbage is the member for Goyder writing, and based on what, in this article in the Litchfield Times?
Finally, he says in the article, he wants to:
- … challenge the government to conduct a referendum ….
He says:
- Labor did not have a mandate to do a deal like this when it became the government.
Let us go back to the previous government and the decision made over Nitmiluk, and the role model it has become and the one that we are following, and the other parks that have also followed that approach. This is government tackling a complex issue that has arisen, in a constructive and positive way for our future. The interesting thing is, when the member for Goyder says, ‘I demand a referendum’, who is he demanding it on behalf of? I listen to the tourism industry. They are saying it is the best way to move ahead. They are delighted at the opportunities this approach will bring for tourism. The mining industry is saying they can work with this approach.
We have support from across the community, and yet we have the member for Goyder leaping into print saying, ‘We demand a referendum because this government cannot do that’. This government has brought a creative approach to a difficult problem that will take the lawyers out of this system. It will stop taxpayers’ dollars being spent on lawyers in courts. Let us look at Kenbi - $20m-odd, and for what outcome? Nothing, no outcome at all. We are resolving the issue by getting out of the courts.
In terms of the member for Goyder’s credibility on this, he raced in with this article in the paper, without having a briefing – he came for his briefing yesterday, after he had made these misleading and inaccurate comments. It is certainly a very poor way to do business.
I do not know what the member for Goyder thinks he is doing in here. He keeps telling people in the community he does not like it and he does not want to stand again. I do not know whether you have actually told the Leader of the Opposition this is the case. However, based on this inaccurate and misleading performance, and the words you are spreading around the community, you should do something about it. It is a very disgraceful effort, based on ignorance and misleading the community, that you should be ashamed of.
Alice Springs - Neighbourhood Dispute
Dr LIM to MINISTER for LANDS and PLANNING
You are aware of the neighbourhood dispute involving the Dominguez family in Alice Springs and the house their neighbours built at 48 Taylor Street. When you visited the Dominguez, you told them you would fix the problem. It has now escalated, at considerable cost to both parties. Will you fix the problem, as you said, or are these more hollow words to Territorians?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I agree with the member for Greatorex. It is a very sad story and a very long dispute. Unfortunately, there is nothing much that this government can do. I refute that I said I could fix the problem, for the simple reason, there was nothing to fix.
Let me tell you what the problem is. Mr Dominguez lives in Alice Springs. A family of two people decided to buy the block next door, which is higher than Mr Dominguez’ house. They built an elevated house, and used material which is highly reflective. Unfortunately, there is no provision in the Building Act to prohibit the use of this material. There was a big dispute escalating and there were allegations from both sides. Mr Dominguez put a series of complaints to the Building Branch. None of those complaints were found to have a basis. Despite that, when I went to Alice Springs, I visited Mr Dominguez and spoke him and his wife. I have to say that I witnessed the effect of unpainted reflective surface of the house, and I sympathise with them.
However, legally, I cannot overrule the existing legislation in the Territory. Despite this, I offered the services of a mediator, at considerable cost to the department, because I wanted to resolve this issue, as I understood that if these people went to court it was going to cost both of them time, money and personal suffering. That was accepted by Mr Dominguez and his wife, and by the neighbours. I also visited the neighbours. So, I had another earful from the neighbours about the problem that the Dominguez caused them. It is obviously a neighbour’s dispute.
My department went to great lengths to sort out the dispute in order to prevent it going to court. As I said before, everything was done properly and legally, nothing contravenes the legislation. If there was any aspect of the new house that contravened the existing legislation of the Territory, my department would have stepped in and asked them to resolve the issue. I made several suggestions to Mr Dominguez and the other party. They were not accepted, they decided to go to court.
Let me remind you, a few months ago, when I brought forward legislation that we were adopting under the Building Code of Australia, that specified the colour you should use on corrugated iron and reflective sheeting, I recall the then member for Katherine getting up and yelling at the House: ‘You are not allowed to pay to have the colour you want’.
Mr Burke: You said you would fix the problem.
Mr VATSKALIS: That was part of the problem that is created with the use of current and modern material. I cannot fix the problem, and I have refuted that I ever said I would fix the problem …
Mr Baldwin: Why did you say you would?
Mr VATSKALIS: I told them that I would provide them with a mediator, and that is what I did. If they want to continue the dispute and go to court, good luck to them.
Tropical Cut Flower Industry
Mr KIELY to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
I get around Sanderson a fair bit, it is lovely green suburb, and my constituents love their gardens. In the gardens, you cannot help …
Ms Carney: Tell them to open their windows, do you? Open your windows!
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, member for Araluen!
Mr KIELY: In Sanderson, the people have lovely gardens with beautiful flowers. Members of the opposition should get out there and take time out to smell the flowers. They need a lesson like that desperately.
A member: And the question is?
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order! The question please.
Mr KIELY: Sorry if I do not take 10 minutes of the time up, like the member for …
Members interjecting.
Mr KIELY: I thought, what are we doing that other people can share this great experience of flowers. That is what I thought.
Mr Dunham interjecting.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale.
Mr KIELY: I thought I would take it upon myself to come in here and ask the minister if he could please inform the House what the government is doing to assist with the development of the tropical cut flower industry?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, this is a good question and, hopefully, it will be a pleasant answer. It is an appropriate time of year to talk about the Territory’s cut flower industry, because harvesting has recently commenced and increased with the warm weather. More Territorians and clients of major hotels and restaurants in southern Australia will be enjoying these magnificent products.
Cut flowers are one of the newest parts of the Territory’s diverse horticultural industry. Initial development started about 15 years ago.
Mr Baldwin: Hang on. They have been around for a while.
Mr Burke: Didn’t you used to do that, Tim?
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: The industry has since grown to an estimated worth of about $3.5m a year. I acknowledge the member for Daly, who was a pioneer in this particular area, developing the cut flower industry, particularly the Zingibers.
Mr Baldwin: One of them – one of.
Dr BURNS: I am coming to all of that. I have given you a plug, member for Daly, so I will get on with the answer.
Around 80 Territorians are directly employed in this sector of approximately 50 enterprises. It supports other employment through associated transport and distribution networks.
A significant development for the industry recently has been the establishment of a cut flower industry group. The group has taken a leadership role in preparing an industry development plan, which has included strategies to address the industry’s future needs.
It was my pleasure earlier this year to visit Jan Hinze at Humpty Doo, who is quite a significant player in the cut flower industry. I had a look at her set-up and the various species that she has there, and the research and development. I was particularly impressed by the way she has undertaken to import and develop new species. They are always looking at the form and the colour of the flowers - it is very complex. I believe Jan and the rest of the industry are doing a great job.
One such strategy that has received considerable attention from the industry development plans is to examine the possibility of cold storage and road transport opportunities. Preliminary trials were undertaken earlier this year to assess the feasibility of road transport, and I understand that the initial results are very promising.
The department has also played a significant role identifying potential species that might be suitable for the Territory. These include: Dendrobium orchids, gladioli and gerberas, to name just a few. There are exciting new products as well. Beehive hybrids of Zingiber gingers have been field tested. These have been named the Darzing series, which is basically a hybrid of the name of Darwin and Zingiber species. Six lines have now been registered under the Plant Breeder’s Rights legislation, and they will be further tested for release. It is an exciting time for the cut flower industry. It is a growth industry. We are looking forward to further development of new and exciting species.
In closing, I would like to draw members’ attention to the fact that members of the industry have constructed a display of these exciting products and supporting materials - also in collaboration with the department - for the benefit of members and visiting public to Parliament House. I am pleased to invite members to view this display in the foyer at the cessation of Question Time.
It is pioneering work, it is a great industry and congratulations to all those involved, including the member for Daly.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you, minister. Did you mean to have the pun ‘the growth industry’?
Dr BURNS: There were a few others in there that I avoided.
Government Ministers - Performance
Mr BURKE to CHIEF MINISTER
Over the past two weeks, we have seen three of your ministers attempt to abandon their posts in the face of criticism. The Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, by way of a media release, placed distance between himself and his Police Commissioner over breathalysers in pubs; the Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries publicly blamed a public servant for giving him the wrong speech; and the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure expressed his anger at public servants for his decision to tender out the Mandorah ferry.
Chief Minister, when are you going to make your ministers responsible for their jobs rather than attacking public servants?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, the question from the Leader of the Opposition is one from a desperate opposition that cannot recognise that this government is on track. We came into this parliament, following the by-election in Katherine when you would normally expect, in a by-election, for a government that had only been in place for a couple of years, that there would be a fairly strong statement from the community …
Mr Baldwin: Did you support Territory businesses in that by-election? Or did you get your stuff printed in Queensland?
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order, member for Daly!
Ms MARTIN: … that maybe this new government was not on track …
Mr Baldwin: Where did you get your …
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Daly!
Ms MARTIN: It was not getting everything right necessarily, but was not necessarily on track …
Mr Baldwin: Where did you get …
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Daly! Last time.
Ms MARTIN: In a by-election, when you would expect up to a 10% swing against the government, we had a strong vote of support form the Katherine community - a 9.5% swing.
Mr BURKE: A point of order, Mr Acting Speaker! Whilst I am proud of the Katherine by-election because the results are sitting in the chair behind me, I would ask the Chief Minister to answer the question that was asked. If she cannot answer for all three, just pick one of your ministers and speak about that.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Ms MARTIN: Thank you, Mr Acting Speaker. As I said, this is a question from a desperate opposition, who are not recognising, as I said, that this government is on track for Territorians. In the last two years, this government has overseen the flat economy of the Territory actually start to move. It takes time.
As far as the voters of Katherine go, there is strong support that, even though we are not getting it all right, we are heading in the right direction. The irrelevance of the question and trying to say, for example, the Police minister was blaming the Police Commissioner. Get a reality check on this. I am very proud of my Police minister making very clear what government policy is. That is exactly what I expect from my Police minister – and, may I say, well done!
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016