2007-11-27
NT Government – Relationship with
Federal Labor Government
Federal Labor Government
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
On ABC radio this morning you said: ‘The job is too important for the future of the Northern Territory not to have a good working relationship based on respect, based on forward thinking to move the Territory forward’. That was made in relation to building a relationship with the Prime Minister elect. Are you seriously suggesting that the member for Fannie Bay was not going to be capable of a good working relationship with Mr Rudd? If not, why did you suggest a change would bring about a good relationship?
Madam SPEAKER: Before I call the Chief Minister, I will seek some advice. It is a fairly hypothetical question, I have to say, Leader of the Opposition, however, I will allow the Chief Minister, if he wishes to answer it, to do so.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for my first question as Chief Minister. It was a very convoluted question. I was struggling to follow the theme of it. The real opportunity now, with an incoming Rudd Labor government, an enormous election victory for Kevin Rudd and his team on Saturday night, provides the Northern Territory with a golden opportunity in time. A golden opportunity, as I have said, probably once in a two or three generation opportunity where there is a Labor government in the Northern Territory and a Labor government in Canberra, with shared values, providing equality of opportunity for all Australians, all Territorians, to move the Territory forward and to work in partnership with a federal Labor government.
I am keen to meet with Kevin Rudd as soon as I possibly can to chart a new path forward, particularly on the crucial issues of indigenous disadvantage in the Northern Territory. I am confident, with the conversations that I have had with shadow ministers whilst they were in opposition, who are now going to be members of Kevin Rudd’s government, that we can work with Canberra to put a plan in place. Most importantly, the critical ingredient that was missing in regard to the previous federal government’s intervention into the Northern Territory over indigenous affairs was the engagement and involvement of indigenous people in the solutions of the great problems that we face in the Northern Territory. We have to engage and involve indigenous people. That is something I am committed to doing as Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. I look forward to meeting with Kevin Rudd at the earliest opportunity.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of Senator Trish Crossin, Senator for the Northern Territory. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Martin/Stirling Leadership Team –
Contribution to the Northern Territory
Contribution to the Northern Territory
Mr HAMPTON to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday, our long-serving Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister resigned as ministers. Can you outline the contribution they have made to the Northern Territory?
Ms Carney: Like you mean it.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. The churlish comment from the Leader of the Opposition does not do her any justice whatsoever.
The member for Fannie Bay and the member for Nhulunbuy have made an enormous contribution to the Northern Territory, and an enormous contribution to the Labor Party in the Northern Territory over many years.
We came to government in 2001. If we look at the Territory that we inherited in 2001 and we look at the Territory today, in so many aspects of life, we live in a much better Territory today. In 2001, we had an economy on its knees. In Darwin and in the northern suburbs, I remember campaigning in that electorate, and I had many conversations with my friend and colleague, the member for Casuarina, about the numbers of people who were out of work, who were signing up for Centrelink payments for the first time, many of those proud Greek Territorians who had never been out of work. People had to sell their houses because they could not make the mortgage repayments.
It was a very distressing time, and it is a time that I will never forget, in terms of the absolute critical importance of growing our economy. Unless you have a growing economy, people really hurt. The fundamental opportunity that we should be providing every Territorian is the opportunity for a job. That has been turned around to an economy that is outperforming the rest of the nation. We have an investment boom from the private sector happening in the Northern Territory that is absolutely unprecedented, and we have jobs being created at a faster pace than the rest of Australia.
The proudest legacy in terms of the economy for the member for Fannie Bay and the member for Nhulunbuy as Treasurer for all of those years is the fact that we now have a tax base which means that, for businesses which employ 100 people or fewer, there is the lowest tax base in Australia. That is a very real boost for small business and one that we intend to keep.
In 2001, we also inherited a police force that was run down, demoralised and crime out of control.
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The honourable member has been very concerned about the length of questions when he was Leader of Government Business. I hope the same applies to the length of answers. This is excessive.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Blain, there is no point of order.
Mrs Miller: You could make a statement.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, the opposition never want to be reminded about the scale of crime that existed in the Northern Territory. When we came to government in 2001, there was never a police officer to be found in the northern suburbs. What we have seen under the leadership of the member for Fannie Bay as Chief Minister and the former Treasurer is a $75m injection into our police force, an extra 200 police officers, and property crime that is 50% down on when we came to government.
Under the stewardship of the member for Fannie Bay, the member for Nhulunbuy, and government from 2001 until this day, we have seen increased spending in health and education, we have seen infrastructure built right across the Northern Territory.
The contribution the member for Fannie Bay and the member for Nhulunbuy have made to this Northern Territory will forever be remembered. They have served this Territory very well.
Members: Hear, hear!
Appointment of Ministers
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister elect, has made much of the fact that he will be choosing his own front bench, contrary to Labor convention that traditionally chooses the ministers. Was it your choice to elevate the member for Millner and the member for Sanderson to your front bench? If not, why is it that Prime Minister elect, Kevin Rudd, gets to choose his front bench, but you, as new leader, do not get to choose yours?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question and her interest in the rules of the Caucus of the Labor Party in the Northern Territory. Maybe I can have a look at the rules regarding their parliamentary wing’s procedures. Yes, we have a process where all 19 Labor members of parliament are free to put forward members to be a minister.
I totally support the election of the members for Millner and Sanderson to the front bench of the government. They are two people who have made a very solid contribution to this government in the six years since they were elected to this parliament. Both members were elected in 2001 and re-elected in 2005. The member for Sanderson has served this parliament well as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee which, of all of the committees of parliament, is the committee that scrutinises the detail of the government’s budget for three years …
Ms Carney: So you are backing him. You like him, you want him You really like him!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, if the Leader of the Opposition asks the question …
Ms Carney: You cannot cope with a few interjections on your first day.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … she really should listen to the answer.
Mr Mills: Well, tell the whole story.
Ms Carney: It is so astonishing it is worthy of interjection.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Opposition members, please cease interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I totally support the election by my colleagues of the members for Sanderson and Millner. They both bring huge capacity to their new roles as Cabinet ministers. I am certain they will serve the Territory well.
Priorities of Henderson Labor Government
Mr KNIGHT to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday, you were elected the eighth Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. Are you able to tell the Assembly about the approach that you will take with tasks and your priorities?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. It dawned on me last night as I was driving home that, being the eighth Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, I have many friends in the Chinese community, and eight is a very lucky number. I hope that some of the luck will rub off on me as Chief Minister.
The Northern Territory is the best place in the world to live; I have no shadow of a doubt about that. I came to this place 24 years ago as a young man looking for opportunity and adventure, and this Territory has given me opportunity, adventure, and a family - like so many Territorians who came from elsewhere and made the Territory their home. I believe the Northern Territory is the best place in Australia to live, work, and raise a family. I want to make this place even better.
I said yesterday, in my first press conference, that a lot of the vision that I will see through in my new role as Chief Minister, the decisions that I make as Chief Minister and the decisions that we make as a government, will be centred around will these decisions improve the lives of Territory families. Territory families are the rock on which this great place is built. I am absolutely passionate about that and making this place even better.
The other great part of living in the Northern Territory that I want to continue to see grow, develop and evolve is the multicultural aspect. We really do live in a place where we celebrate and actually share each other’s cultures. I am looking forward to continuing to see those opportunities grow.
The primary focus for me, as Chief Minister, will be to see that our economy continues to grow. Without economic development and investment in the Northern Territory, then the opportunities for young Territorians to seize a job in the workplace - and not only a job, but a career and a future to allow them to raise a family - are diminished. I have been in this parliament in the times when, under the previous government, we had an economy that had bottomed out and there was zero growth. I can see what it is like today, and we will continue to build on that.
Education is the cornerstone of any society. I was very pleased to serve as Education minister for nearly 16 months. It was a huge body of work that we started in reforming our education system. We have the middle years reforms that will be rolled out for next year. I received exciting feedback as Education minister about that. The challenge that we face in indigenous education and getting those kids in the bush into school on a regular basis and improving education outcomes is still the great challenge that faces the Northern Territory. I will be continuing to put my shoulder to the wheel in regard to that.
Health is vitally important for all Territorians. One of the great things this government has done has been to significantly boost health spending. We have upgraded our hospitals to the benefit of all Territorians. In a ministerial report today, the Health Minister talked about renal dialysis and how we are expanding that throughout the Northern Territory. Health is critical.
We have to protect our environment; that is crucial. Territorians want to see economic development balanced with protecting and preserving the unique environment of the Northern Territory, which is an environment that all of us enjoy - the great outdoors. It is the unique attribute which brings so many people to the Northern Territory.
Madam Speaker, this is a real opportunity to move forward under new leadership in the Northern Territory. I look forward to working with the incoming Labor government under Kevin Rudd’s Prime Ministership. The challenges are complex, they are enormous. Never forget that we are 204 000 people. We occupy one-sixth of the land mass of Australia. Many of our people live in remote communities where it is very difficult to provide services. It is a challenge that most Australians and most Australian governments do not face. We face them here on a daily basis.
I am up to the job and I am looking forward to the challenge. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to improve the lives of Territorians and, importantly, increase the investment opportunities that will generate jobs for Territorians into the future.
VISITOR
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of the wife of the Chief Minister, Mrs Stacey Henderson. On behalf of all honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Member for Sanderson –
Promotion to the Ministry
Promotion to the Ministry
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
Sondra, the female security guard who was sexually harassed by your new minister, the member for Sanderson, rang ABC radio this morning. You said to her, regarding the member for Sanderson’s promotion which you supported, that: ‘He has paid his price for it and he is rehabilitated’. Exactly how has the member for Sanderson been rehabilitated, and what kind of message do you think this sends to Territory women by promoting someone who conducts himself in such a vulgar and disgusting manner?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do not know if I should thank the Leader of the Opposition for that particular question. I did receive a call from Sondra this afternoon. I acknowledged, as the member for Sanderson had acknowledged at the time, that the member for Sanderson made a very bad mistake. The member for Sanderson was up to making a substantive apology to the lady concerned, he apologised to all Territorians through this parliament, he apologised to his electorate. All of us in life are human. I believe all of us make mistakes that we look back on and wish we had not done that. The real challenge is to learn from those mistakes and never make them again. I am confident that the member for Sanderson has learned from that mistake and he will never make it again.
I take umbrage with the Leader of the Opposition’s assertion that the member for Sanderson conducts himself like that on a regular basis. He does not. He made a mistake, he apologised for it, and certainly, through the work that he has done in this parliament over six years, on numerous committees of this parliament, the work that he is doing in his electorate and the feedback that I have from people in his electorate about the contribution that he is making, I believe that the member for Sanderson will make a fine Cabinet minister. I also believe that all Territorians believe that everybody should be given a second chance. I believe in giving people a second chance, even if the Leader of the Opposition does not.
Commonwealth Intervention –
New Leadership Approach
New Leadership Approach
Ms ANDERSON to Chief Minister
The federal government’s intervention into remote communities has been active in my electorate. As the new Chief Minister, what approach do you intend to take in addressing this important issue?
Answer
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. As we know, the member for Macdonnell is a passionate advocate for her constituents.
It is vital that we seize this opportunity to work with an incoming Rudd Labor government to make a difference to people’s lives in the bush. We all know the scale and enormity of the problems with service delivery and the lack of housing in the bush. Basic infrastructure needs for many years have been seen to wither away. We all know, with a population of just 204 000 people, we have the lowest taxing capacity of any of the states to raise the revenue to actually start to deal with those problems.
It is only the Commonwealth government of Australia which has the financial capacity to really make a difference. I believe we need to seize that moment. We must build a new relationship based on collaboration and respect. We have to work in partnership. We are not going to agree on everything with a Commonwealth Labor government. We should not let what we disagree on get in the way of working in collaboration and with respect, and moving on with things that we do agree on. I am absolutely convinced, as I said earlier, that we will be able to work with Canberra to significantly improve the lives of indigenous people in the member for Macdonnell’s electorate and so many other electorates throughout the Northern Territory.
Education is the key to that. As Education minister, I am very pleased that an incoming Rudd government has committed an extra 200 teachers to the Northern Territory on an ongoing basis in the bush. We all know that under the current funding formulas that we receive for teachers in remote communities, it does not take into account English as a Second Language and the challenges teachers face. The extra 200 teachers will be important and there are other reforms we can progress as well.
We still disagree with the legislation as it sits before the federal parliament regarding the $100 grog laws. We all agree, and if the opposition were honest with themselves they would also agree, that signing your name on a piece of paper when you buy $100-worth of grog is not going to stop grog running in remote communities. We disagree with that federal legislation.
We disagree on the blanket removal of CDEP in remote communities where there is no labour force and there is no job market. We have to find a better way. We are not saying that the CDEP scheme, as it was, was the best way to get people into the workforce, but the blanket removal, with no consultation with people, is not going to work. The wholesale abolition of the permit system, again, without consultation with indigenous people, is something we need to work further on with an incoming Rudd Labor government.
We have to seize the moment. The future is bright and I am looking forward to meeting the new Prime Minister as soon as possible.
Local Government Reform –
Request for a Moratorium
Request for a Moratorium
Mr WOOD to CHIEF MINISTER
At the lunchtime protest rally today, people were asking the Territory government for a two year moratorium on local government reform, at least in the Top End. The idea is that, during that period, the Top End councils with financial support from the government would hold public forums, develop a business plan, look at local government options, and finally develop a model they could present to the government. In light of your statement yesterday that we as Territorians have to work together to achieve our goals, would you grant a fair moratorium on local government reform in the Top End so that the community which does support reform could have a real say in the reform process, and that, in the end, both your government and the community could achieve the same goal?
Answer
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I also recognise that the member for Nelson, even though there is a lot of argy bargy across the table here on many issues with local government, has a passionate interest in local government. Some of us on this side would say that he also has a passionate interest in stirring the possum and playing politics with it. I recognise that he has a passionate interest, and that does extend to playing politics, as he does on this issue.
Mr Wood: That is what this House is. I am a politician. We are not playing tennis.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Sometimes it feels as if we are playing tennis, member for Nelson.
Local government reform is certainly a hot item of debate at the moment and, as the incoming Chief Minister, just over 24 hours into the job, I understand that there are a whole range of views on this particular issue, and all of us would agree that there needs to be local government reform.
I believe all of us agree, that what preceded it in terms of a local government agenda across the Northern Territory was not working. We had many dysfunctional councils. The primary aim of local government reform is to see the Northern Territory incorporated under regional governance so that we can access additional funding from Canberra. At the moment, 80% of the Territory is unincorporated, where we cannot access the funding that other states can, and that burden, in terms of maintaining, particularly roads in the bush, falls on the Territory taxpayer as opposed to the Commonwealth taxpayer where it falls elsewhere in Australia.
I do believe that we have made significant concessions, for want of a better word, in the debate around this by promising to cap rates for three years. I do believe we have introduced a fair rating regime. This government will look forward at how we roll out local government reforms. We are not going to look backwards and say: ‘What we had in the past was really good and we are going to stick with that’. I also acknowledge, in terms of the debate at the moment about slow down, stop, go backwards, or whatever the slogan is, that many, in fact, the majority of people in the Northern Territory support the reform agenda that this government is putting through. We will continue to look forward. Local government reform will continue to evolve, and I am sure that the debate will continue to rage.
Member for Sanderson –
Conduct at Public Functions
Conduct at Public Functions
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
On the day your new Cabinet colleague, the member for Sanderson, sexually harassed a woman at the cricket, he was so drunk on taxpayer-funded alcohol he claimed he could not remember sexually harassing the woman.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I refer the Leader of the Opposition to Standing Order 121 - Improper Questions.
Ms CARNEY: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker. I suggest that there is nothing whatsoever improper with this question. This is an issue of great concern to Territorians. This man is about to become a minister of the Crown. There is nothing in the question that is not well and truly on the public record.
Ms LAWRIE: Speaking further to the point of order, the Leader of the Opposition seems to be completely ignorant of the standing order, so I will read it to her:
Questions shall not be asked which reflect on or are critical of the character or conduct of those persons whose conduct may be challenged …
Ms Carney: He is about to become a minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE:
… only on a substantive motion. …
Learn your business.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Please pause. I will allow the question, however, I would remind the Leader of the Opposition that you need to be very careful when making allegations about members. I will be listening very carefully to any future questions in that manner.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, so that the new Chief Minister has not lost the thread of my question, I will start from the top.
Chief Minister, on the day your new Cabinet colleague, the member for Sanderson, sexually harassed a woman at the cricket, he was so drunk on taxpayer-funded alcohol he claimed he could not remember sexually harassing this woman as she went about her job. Considering that the member for Sanderson will be attending more corporate boxes and having more taxpayer-funded alcohol supplied at functions, what confidence can Territory women have that he will not behave in such a disgraceful way again and that headlines like this one are avoided?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, while I am allowing the question, it is entirely up to you as to whether you wish to answer the question, as parts of it are clearly, possibly, out of order.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am not going to thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. I do not have the encyclopaedic knowledge of the Bible that the member for Johnston has, but there is a statement in the Bible, ‘he who is without sin should cast the first stone’.
If the Leader of the Opposition wants to talk about inappropriate behaviour, taxpayer-funded alcohol …
Ms Carney: He sexually harassed a woman when he was drunk.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Mr HENDERSON: … it goes to the issue of behaviour of members of parliament. The member for Goyder - not the member for Goyder, sorry - the member for Greatorex at the Brolga Awards …
Ms Carney: Oh, rubbish! That is not true and you know that.
Mr HENDERSON: … just a couple of weeks ago …
Ms Carney: Were you there? I do not think so.
Mr HENDERSON: If you read the article in the paper, it was alleged that he was so intoxicated that he could not find the steps of the bus. He is alleged to have said, and the person …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, the person who has attributed these comments is named in the paper, so I am sure if he misquoted the member for Greatorex, the member for Greatorex will be looking at his legal options. However, the member for Greatorex was alleged to have said: ‘Where is a shotgun when you need one?’ That is highly offensive behaviour as well. I am sure the member for Greatorex …
Ms Carney: So you stand by the little weasel over there, do you? What an inauspicious start to your Chief Minister …
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker, could the Leader of the Opposition withdraw the offensive reference?
Ms Carney: What was it?
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, I ask you to withdraw the comments that you made.
Ms CARNEY: I ask in fairness, Madam Speaker: what comments exactly?
Madam SPEAKER: The reference to the ‘weasel’.
Ms CARNEY: Oh, weasel. If it is so offends the new Leader of Government Business and her colleagues …
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, simply withdraw.
Ms CARNEY: … that the member for Sanderson is a weasel, I am happy to withdraw it.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, I remind you that when I ask you to withdraw, that it would be appropriate for you simply to withdraw, thank you. Chief Minister, please continue.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, it goes to the issue of behaviour. The Leader of the Opposition can throw headlines from the Northern Territory News around; I have one here. The alleged quotes - and the man who has alleged this slur was made on him is named here, so I am sure, as I have said, if the member for Greatorex believes that he has been defamed, he will be seeking legal advice.
He is quoted as saying: ‘Oh, the times you wish you had a [expletive] shotgun’. I believe that incident was totally out of character for the member for Greatorex. I believe that he has probably made a very big mistake in his public life. We make mistakes in public life, they are amplified. The Territory is a small place and, as people in public life, we have to be mindful all the time that we have a great trust in being elected to this parliament and we should behave appropriately at all times. However, we are human, mistakes are made. I believe the member for Greatorex made a mistake and I believe that the member …
Ms Carney: You think that is just fine and dandy, do you? You stand by him. That is astonishing.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: I believe that the member for Greatorex will not repeat that behaviour and he will learn from the mistake he made. I do not know whether he has apologised, however, I do know that the member for Sanderson did make a grave mistake and he has apologised.
Ms Carney: A grave mistake? You are joking!
Mr HENDERSON: It was a very bad …
Ms Carney: Lewd and disgusting are words that could be used.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: He made a mistake. He has apologised for it. He brings enormous capacity into his new role as a Cabinet minister. As I said before, I believe Territorians, quite rightly, feel that people should be given a second chance. I am giving the member for Sanderson a second chance and I believe he will make a very good Cabinet minister. I am sure the Leader of the Opposition will give the member for Greatorex a second chance and he will not repeat his behaviour as he did at the Brolgas a couple of weeks ago.
Casuarina Police Station –
Plans for New Facility
Plans for New Facility
Mr KIELY to CHIEF MINISTER
Can the Chief Minister advise the House on what he unveiled at lunchtime, and how this will help police provide a safer community?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, today I was very pleased to attend Casuarina Police Station with my Deputy Chief Minister to unveil the plans for the new police station. This is a government which will continue to invest in our police force, continue to recruit additional police officers, continue to provide better infrastructure and equipment for our police force. This has been demonstrated with new police stations at Humpty Doo, Kintore, Darwin CBD, Numbulwar, and many other stations have had upgrades over the years.
This is an election commitment being fulfilled by this government. It is an election commitment that badly needs to be filled, because the Casuarina Police Station is over 30 years old. It is very tired and run down. It is a facility that does not provide for a modern workplace in terms of processing people who have been arrested and charged and taken into custody. We are very pleased to be going to tender in the next couple of weeks for the new station at Casuarina. It will be state-of-the-art. There will be wireless communication all the way through it. The flows of prisoners through that facility will mean that police have to spend less time on administration and will be able to get out on the street, in the community, protecting Territorians.
We will accommodate an additional 33 members at Casuarina, to expand the police presence in the northern suburbs. I am sure that is welcomed by all residents of the northern suburbs. This is on top of the additional 200 police in our police force today, that were in our police force in 2002 and 2003. So the fulfilment of another election commitment and further demonstration that this is a government that will continue to resource, equip and tool our police force in the fight against crime.
Member for Sanderson –
Taping of Public Meeting
Taping of Public Meeting
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
The member for Sanderson’s unacceptable behaviour goes well beyond making drunken sexual advances to women. Earlier this year, Channel Nine television reported that the member for Sanderson secretly taped a Neighbourhood Watch meeting. I understand that the member for Sanderson has since admitted that he did secretly tape the community meeting. Do you approve of this secret taping of a Neighbourhood Watch meeting or, indeed, any other, and will you forbid the member for Sanderson, soon to become a minister of the Crown, from secretly taping any further public meetings?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I know that the member for Sanderson is a proud supporter of Neighbourhood Watch. When I was Police minister, the member for Sanderson was at every Neighbourhood Watch function I attended. I understand that the Leader of the Opposition does not believe that the member for Sanderson should be in Cabinet and she is entitled to that.
Ms Carney: Well, it is not so much me; it is just the rest of the population!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Allegations and continuing personal attacks on individual members of this parliament really go to show that the Leader of the Opposition has no forward thinking agenda. She has absolutely no vision for the Northern Territory outside of individual personal attacks. I say: ‘Welcome back, Leader of the Opposition. Where have you been?’ I have not seen a media release from the Leader of the Opposition for weeks and weeks!
I did not see the Leader of the Opposition on the campaign trail with the member for Solomon during the six weeks of the election campaign. I would have thought that the Leader of the Opposition, the most prominent member of the CLP in the Northern Territory, would have had some part to play in the member for Solomon’s campaign, but she was invisible. She has absolutely no forward agenda for the Northern Territory, no vision for the Northern Territory. All she is interested in is personal attacks on members of parliament and I hope that, in regard to our interchange in Question Time across the Chamber in the lead up to the next election is going to get into issues of substance for the Northern Territory as opposed to ongoing personal attacks that the Leader of the Opposition is making in the Chamber today.
Government’s New Leadership Priorities
Ms ANDERSON to DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER
Can the Minister for Family and Community Services and Deputy Chief Minister outline her first priorities as part of the government’s new leadership team?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. My first priority as Deputy Chief Minister, whilst still holding the important portfolio of Family and Community Services, is to support the Chief Minister, together with other members of our leadership group, the new Leader of Government Business, the member for Karama, my Cabinet colleagues and Caucus. We will govern for all Territorians.
I thank the former Chief Minister and her deputy for all their work, energy and effort in turning around our economy when Labor came to office. Economic development, jobs, the health and welfare of Territorians, particularly our children, improving education - these are our priorities. It is one of these priorities …
Mrs Braham interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: I know you do not like listening to these things, member for Braitling, you are always chattering on. The health and welfare of our children, which is an important aspect that I would like to elaborate on today, is an important priority.
The Little Children are Sacred Report’s first recommendation called on the Northern Territory and federal governments to establish a collaborative partnership. I believe in collaboration, and also respect, which is critical to mature relationships, and this is what we will deliver. I intend to work on behalf of all Territorians and, when we talk about child abuse, we have to eliminate the scourge in our indigenous communities, but we cannot take our eye of the ball with children in our urban centres. We have a real chance with the Little Children are Sacred Report to put that inquiry back on the road in a positive, constructive way. I support the previous federal government’s decision to make a huge financial contribution to the Territory and to improving those lives - that was always something that I did support, member for Braitling.
What I did not support was the abolition of CDEP, the removal of the permits, and the land acquisition. All of that appropriation was not strategically aimed, when we look at the Little Children are Sacred Report, to what we were trying to address in the Northern Territory, and that is the important issue of protecting our children, and looking at the issues of child abuse.
As I have said previously, if you want to look at protecting a child in a remote Aboriginal community, we all know the most important issue is housing. How can you expect a child living in an environment with 20 other people to be safe? It will be a fantastic way forward, to work with the Rudd Labor government to look at health, which is an important issue in remote areas; and fixing education ,another major issue. If we are talking about welfare quarantining, kids coming back to school, how are we going to deal with that infrastructure and get those kids in?
Member for Braitling, there was support for that financial contribution, but it was saying that it needed to be aimed more strategically. If you talk about protecting children, put the money where it does protect children.
It was interesting to listen to the former federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs where he said: ‘I have done these initiatives because it means that at least there are children sleeping safely at night’. Well, hello, minister, all of us sitting in this Chamber would be pretending if we said that there is one child, or many children, who are sleeping out there safely tonight. We support, and we need to continue the support of the additional police resources that our communities need.
We listen to communities. I heard the member for Macdonnell and the member for Arnhem talk this morning about how many of our women and our children, particularly the women, have been saying the alcohol restrictions are very important for our communities. We need to continue our work with the Rudd Labor government to ensure, with a lot of that family dysfunction and difficulty, that we build on the strengths that are there, the diversity in the economy.
Creating jobs is important. The abolition of CDEP was beyond any rational logic. CDEP is not sit down money. If you look at many communities, such as Maningrida, where you have 28 businesses, and where CDEP is used as a means of creating employment, for anyone to say that that is sit down money, people were in full-time jobs and now CDEP is being removed. We are seeing people no longer in work. It is foolish for us to ignore the situation. I know you do not like it, but you are certainly full of criticism when …
Mrs Braham: Who said we do not like it?
Ms SCRYMGOUR: … commentating and saying - well, it gives me an opportunity to paint my priority, because I know that there has been …
Mr Mills: It is Question Time - not statement giving.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Sure, it is Question Time, but I have been asked a question and it is an important issue. We talk about protecting our children, getting the Little Children are Sacred Report back on the agenda, so we will do it.
It is for this reason that we, and certainly I, in my role, will be looking for a new cooperation with the new leadership in Canberra, from the big picture items such as economic development in the whole of northern Australia, health, child protection, education, through to those smaller but no less critical areas, and one that I have a lot of passion about, and that is building opportunities in our artistic and cultural pursuits, because that area certainly creates a lot of job opportunities.
Local Government Reform –
Location of Offices
Location of Offices
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Could you say if it is true that the directors of corporate services and the financial controllers of the new Top End shires will not be based in their respective council offices but instead in a Darwin office? If so, why does this not apply to the Darwin and Palmerston Councils? Are not these changes going against the concept of local government, with the emphasis on ‘local’, and just reinforcing the belief by many that the new local government means greater control by you and your department, and less control by the people who democratically elected their council?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I have made it very clear in this House and on several occasions in the past, in the context of the Litchfield Shire and the Top End Shire, it was intended by this government to ensure that the jobs and the services would be based locally at the existing Litchfield Shire Council infrastructure. I do not know why you continue to bung on and why you continue to scaremonger. You have been caught out a few times over the last few days, member for Nelson. Keep it up, because you are going to be caught out again.
It is very important to understand. I was at the LGANT AGM the other day and this same question was asked. I made it very clear to Mary Walshe, President of the existing Litchfield Shire Council, that every effort would be made to ensure that existing resources, existing personnel and new resources would be housed and serviced from the existing Litchfield Shire Council facilities on behalf of, and to, the Top End Shire.
Live Cattle Export to Indonesia
Mr KNIGHT to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the President of the NT Cattlemen’s Association, Mr Roy Chisholm, and the CEO, Mr Stuart Kenny, in the gallery.
Members: Hear, hear!
Minister, the live export cattle industry is very important to the Northern Territory, and I understand you recently met with Indonesian cattle importers in Jakarta. They raised a few concerns about the continuation of the live cattle export from Australia. What assurances were you able to give them in relation to the future of Northern Territory live cattle export?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. He is right; the live cattle trade is vitally important to the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory government supports export trade and the Northern Territory cattle producers.
Indonesia is vitally important to the Northern Territory. Just this year, we have exported over 200 000 head of cattle, that is nearly 20 000 more than what we did at this time last year. It is interesting to note, in meeting with the Indonesians, they recognise our cattle as some of the best cattle in the world - disease free and well bred for the conditions.
I visited Jakarta on my way to China. Prior to my visit, concerns were raised in the media down south over animal welfare issues, in particular, the live sheep exports from the southern parts of Australia to the Middle East. I had the opportunity to meet with APFINDO members. together with Mr Roy Chisholm from the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association and Mr Lachlan MacKinnon from the Northern Territory Livestock Exporters Association, who accompanied me on the trip. We met with APFINDO members, in particular, the President, Yudi and Executive Officer, Teguh. At the dinner, I assured them that the importers’ welfare is of utmost importance to Northern Territory producers and, obviously, to the Northern Territory government, and that export would continue from the Northern Territory.
We are in a lucky position in the Northern Territory where we are very close to Indonesia. The boat trip from Darwin Harbour to some of the ports in the Indonesia area only take three to five days. Obviously, we are very similar in climate. A very experienced and accredited stockman manages the welfare of the animals while they are on board the ship and they arrive in very good condition. I witnessed that when I was in Sabah last year. I witnessed the stock leaving the ship and, in most cases, the animals actually gained weight during their trip to Indonesia. It is also interesting to note that the mortality rate on the ship is 0.1%, compared to 3% on properties. That goes to show that the welfare of the animals from the Northern Territory to Indonesia is well looked after.
I had the pleasure of visiting the Tum Feedlot while I was in Jakarta and I was very impressed. It is a 5000 head feedlot. The buildings are well established and it has been going for a number of years. It is exceptionally clean and well laid out. All their compounds were shaded. They employ over 100 local villagers in the feedlot. It is comforting to know that our cattle are in good hands when they arrive in Jakarta.
The industry is investing heavily in facilities in the unloading area, and also the humane slaughter. That helps in the receiving markets. The Northern Territory government and industry are training to improve management skills, techniques and practices for the welfare of these animals. I can assure you that, when the new federal minister is appointed, I will be travelling to Canberra together with representatives from the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association to ensure that our live export is maintained and our live cattle trade is well looked after in the Northern Territory.
Alleged Misleading Comments
by New Chief Minister
by New Chief Minister
Ms CARNEY to CHIEF MINISTER
When asked on ABC radio this morning about the elevation of the member for Millner - the author of the famous Bonson memo - and the member for Sanderson to the ministry, despite their embarrassing behaviour, you said that they had been returned by the voters of the Northern Territory. Contrary to what you said on radio, neither of them have faced voters since their publicly embarrassing comments. Why did you seek to mislead the listeners this morning? Is this more of what we can expect …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of the Opposition well knows that she cannot make an allegation unless by way of a substantive motion.
Madam SPEAKER: I ask you to withdraw those words and reword the question, Leader of the Opposition.
Ms CARNEY: Why did you represent to Territorians that your two new ministerial colleagues had faced the voters since their disgraceful conduct when, in fact, you knew that was not the case? Is that what Territorians can expect from you as the new Chief Minister in the future?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, on this occasion I will thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. She really is confusing what I said on the radio this morning. It is a continuation of a line of questions that do not go to the substantive issues facing the Northern Territory - the substantive issues of how to improve the economy, how to improve health and education, how to improve the lives of indigenous Territorians. She is playing with semantics and words in regard to the number of elections that both the member for Sanderson and the member for Millner have faced. The member for Millner and the member for Sanderson faced the people in 2001 and again in 2005. That is what I have said.
I was talking about the parliamentary experience that they bring to their new roles as Cabinet ministers.
In the case of the member for Sanderson, particularly in his three years as the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, which goes to the absolute level of detail of the Northern Territory government’s budget and the scrutiny of a $3bn budget is great experience to be brought into the Cabinet room. The member for Millner, in being returned twice, the last time with a huge majority, speaks volumes of the regard in which he is held right throughout the Darwin community.
I am very proud to have a man called Bonson in the Cabinet in the Northern Territory, because it is a great Territory name with great history attached to it. If the Leader of the Opposition spent more time in Darwin, she might understand the contribution that the extended Bonson family has made to the Northern Territory …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … but hardly spending any time in Darwin she would not actually know about that contribution.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: I look forward in Question Time tomorrow to getting some substantive questions about things that are important to the people of the Northern Territory, as opposed to the …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … personal attacks that she has persisted with today. It does not hold her in good stead …
Ms Carney: A statement of fact.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: It does not hold her in good stead in the eyes of Territorians. I urge the Leader of the Opposition to get on to matters of substance and shelve the personal attacks and let us move the Territory forward.
Glyde Point – Environmental Protection
Mr WARREN to MINISTER for NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
Could the minister please update the House on what plans the government has to ensure the environmental protection of Glyde Point?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Goyder for his question. Last month, the government announced that it had moved to protect Glyde Point from industrial development.
We have listened to the views of the community and those views were that they did not want to see industrial development at Glyde Point. They wanted that pristine environment protected. Since the government announced that decision, we have received some very positive feedback. The Amateur Fisherman’s Association of the Northern Territory has welcomed the decision describing it as ‘great news’ and something that will undoubtedly be appreciated by future generations of Territorians, people living in and visiting Darwin and the Top End.
Mr Wood: Where is industry going to go when Middle Arm is full?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, I know the CLP wants to see industrial development at Glyde Point. I know they disagree with our decision. However, it might bode well to listen to the views of the community. We have had the view from AFANT. The Environment Centre also welcomed the decision, saying: ‘We applaud the government’s decision to protect the precious and relatively pristine coastal environment of Glyde Point. The protection of Glyde Point will ensure it remains a coastal jewel for all Territorians to enjoy’.
It is important to note that protecting Glyde Point is not about locking it away. We want Glyde Point to become a recreational playground for Territorians. The CLP opposition has outlined their opposition to AFANT, the Environment Centre and the government on this issue. They want to see industrial development on that pristine coastline. They want industrial development. Under the Henderson government, Glyde Point will continue to be protected.
Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016