2014-02-13
Federal Benefits to the Northern Territory
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
In December you headed off to Canberra, promising a wealth of benefits to Territorians from your special relationship with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, but what has the Territory got from this? We have a town effectively being shut down and you cannot even get the Prime Minister to visit. We have not one extra dollar in funding, and you even had to admit the federal government is paying attention to Queensland, not the Territory, when it comes to shaping its north Australia policy. You went to play with the big boys in Canberra, but they pushed you out of the sandpit. Why can you not persuade your federal mates of the benefits of investing in the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Karama for her question. We have the Grinch going straight to the negative, talking about doom and gloom in the Northern Territory once again. It is the same every day. On our side of the Chamber we have been wondering when you will get a strategy and start debating policy in parliament rather than going straight to the negative every time.
Your bitter and ill-tempered approach to politics in the Northern Territory may continue. However, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has a solid policy approach to how he will support the Northern Territory. He is the only Prime Minister who has spoken about how he will support northern Australia. He has already put out the commitment to develop a green paper and a white paper, look at what can be done for infrastructure in the Northern Territory and support the growing economy which will be highly important for the nation, particularly as we seek to involve ourselves with greater dealings around Asia. You will see a Prime Minister and a federal government with the greatest level of commitment to the Northern Territory and northern Australia.
It is also interesting to reflect on his commitment to Indigenous Australians and what that means in Canberra. He has often described himself as an infrastructure Prime Minister, a Prime Minister about northern Australia, but he is also a Prime Minister for Aboriginal Australians and wants to see a significant change in the livelihood, welfare and advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders across the nation. I think you will see a greater level of investment and commitment to that.
Yesterday, Tony Abbott gave a Closing the Gap response in parliament which was a very sound response. It is interesting to see the comparison between what was tabled in the closing the gap response, particularly around Indigenous education, and look at the comparisons with Bruce Wilson’s Indigenous education review which was recently released. Both those reports identified Indigenous education in the Northern Territory is substantially behind and needs a substantial reform process.
Interestingly, I was watching the ABC 7.30 Report last night and there was a high degree of applause given to many Indigenous students from Queensland going to boarding schools and getting much better education outcomes. It is not a silver bullet, it is not the be-all and end-all, but it is a program initiative and policy approach which is helping so many Indigenous kids around Australia. We need to ensure we provide the best opportunity and outcome for those kids.
I am very firmly of the belief that Tony Abbott will be a good Prime Minister for the Northern Territory and northern Australia, and we are keen to work with the Prime Minister and Cabinet in Canberra as it is.
Mitchell Street –
Government Management of Behaviour
Government Management of Behaviour
Mr HIGGINS to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you update the Assembly on any efforts by the government to work with licensees and the City of Darwin to manage concerns about antisocial behaviour in Mitchell Street?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his very good question. The member for Daly has a vast interest in alcohol consumption in the Northern Territory and its effects on people who may have a problem, and other people in society.
Yesterday in parliament I spoke about some of the decreases in wholesale alcohol consumption in the Northern Territory. I spoke on a Territory basis and a regional perspective about the change. Yesterday I spoke about a 4% reduction in 2012-13, as opposed to 2011-12, and a 16% reduction since 2004-05. I will not go through all those statistics again as they are in Hansard, but it shows our alcohol policies are working. Mandatory alcohol rehabilitation, some of our supply and demand side advances and alcohol protection orders are going quite well.
In that vein, I am happy to table a copy of the Department of Business report. It will be online - it might be online right now – and those figures will be up there for all to see. It is very interesting when you look at the Grinch on the other side who likes to make things up and talk about how bad everything is in the Northern Territory when we have statistics which show things are improving rapidly thanks to our government’s initiatives.
The member for Daly asked about Mitchell Street. Later today, I will be announcing a new initiative titled Darwin Safe, which talks about how we can have even further improvements in the CBD of Darwin. It is a partnership between the Australian Hotels Association, Darwin City Council and the Northern Territory government, identifying ways we can improve behavioural aspects of some of the people who cause problems in the CBD at night. We have always said, on this side of the Chamber, people should have the opportunity to consume alcohol in the way they like and to behave responsibly in accordance with social values, the legal institutions and legislation we have in the Northern Territory. However, we know there are some people in our society who do not behave the way they should and we are making a concerted effort to make changes in that regard.
I will be making that announcement around 12.30 pm today about some of the changes which have been initiated by all three parties, and one of those things will include advancing on the secure taxi rank so we can encourage people to get a safer ride home.
It is important to note that for all the doom and gloom of the Grinch over there, Labor lies, people you cannot trust, Delia Lawrie - who you cannot trust - the lies, mistruths and mistrust coming out of the Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition, things are on the improve right across the Northern Territory.
Mitchell Street is no Newcastle, Kings Cross or Wollongong, but what we will continue to do is make improvements in the amenity of the CBD, and I thank the AHA and Darwin City Council for their partnership in trying to make advancements in the CBD.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister your time has expired.
Nhulunbuy – Support Plan
Ms WALKER to CHIEF MINISTER
On Monday, Toyota announced it would stop making cars in Australia, leaving 2500 people without jobs by 2017. On Tuesday, Victorian Premier, Denis Napthine, met the Prime Minister in Canberra and put the case for federal support. In other states, Premiers have demanded the federal government contribute towards any structural adjustment package when companies like Ford, Holden, Cadburys and BHP wind down.
Seven months ago you scrapped the ‘done deal’ on gas to Gove. It has been three months since you said, ‘We have, for a long period of time, had a plan in place should the negative decision be made’.
Why have you failed to stand up for the fourth largest town in the Northern Territory and do as Premiers have done for their constituents in other states?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, here we have Grinch number two from the Labor Party, spreading lies and mistruths about what is occurring. These are factual errors. It is interesting when you hear this question, then you hear the last question from the Leader of the Opposition, and then hear the debate by …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I seek advice on whether ‘lies’ is okay without substantive motion. It has been ruled out of order in the past and I seek your ruling on it.
Madam SPEAKER: The use of the words ‘spreading lies’ is unparliamentary, Chief Minister, if you could withdraw please.
Mr GILES: I am happy to withdraw. The Leader of the Opposition is spreading mistruths, like the member for Nhulunbuy. Yesterday, we sat through the excruciating pain of a debate by the member for Johnston where he illustrated so many apparent facts. Every fact the member for Johnston laid out was completely wrong. It is like the first two questions on Tuesday and Wednesday about Power and Water which are complete lies - made up, mistruths which …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, I have asked you to withdraw that comment before, withdraw it again. Please do not use it in the near future.
Mr GILES: I withdraw.
The questions for day one on Tuesday and day two on Wednesday were both completely made up, designed to …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a very direct question: why have you failed to stand up for the residents of Nhulunbuy in Canberra?
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
Mr GILES: Let us get to something really important about that debate. We spent 16 minutes the other day giving a statement updating the House and the Territory on what is happening in Nhulunbuy. The member for Nhulunbuy spent 40 minutes carping, whining and whingeing, like she had sucked on a bag of sour lemons for the last five years and it was all coming out. She had not said anything for five years; just sucked on those sour lemons and they have started to come out with venom and fight.
Let me go to this point. On 12 May 2011, the former Minister for Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources was given a brief about the export licence extension for Rio Tinto at Gove. Within the brief was an attached e-mail, and within the attached e-mail there was reference given by legal advice from the Northern Territory, which states …
Ms Fyles interjecting.
Mr GILES: If you would like to learn about Nhulunbuy, member for Nightcliff, then grow up and listen:
- The department should consider whether there are any circumstances which may give rise to the minister wanting to maintain the power to prohibit the exporting of the bauxite, i.e. if the refinery is no longer operational during the term.
This was advice given to the former minister. Did he accept that advice? No. He signed off on the brief on 16 May 2011, and the letter authorising the export of bauxite from Alcan Gove without any …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask the Chief Minister to table all correspondence and I point out there is a requirement to operate the licence you are not holding Rio to.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
One-Punch Legislation
Ms FINOCCHIARO to ATTORNEY-GENERAL and JUSTICE
There was considerable media coverage last month about New South Wales’ plans to tackle alcohol- and drug-fuelled violence where one of their major responses was to introduce one-punch legislation. On coming to government in August 2012, you made it a priority to introduce one-punch legislation in the Northern Territory. Why was this so important?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Country Liberals is a party with its finger on the pulse; it is a party which proudly foresees public expectation and responds to it. When we were in opposition, I came into this House as the shadow Attorney-General and I suggested to this House we should have one-punch homicide legislation in the Northern Territory.
This was rejected by the then Labor government, and we were cast off into the wilderness, being told such an idea would be a silly one; it would be something we would never require in the Northern Territory. Nevertheless, I persevered.
I place on the record, again, my thanks to Amy Meredith, who lost her husband due to a similar type of crime. Fortunately, there was sufficient evidence to support a manslaughter conviction in that instance.
Upon coming to government, we made good on our promise because we could see the cowardly act of striking a person with a king-hit - or, as it is now being termed, the coward’s punch - was of increasing concern to the community as a whole.
As it turns out, we became national leaders in this field. What is occurring in other jurisdictions is the game of catch-up to the position the Northern Territory took almost a year ago.
I remember the whingeing, whining and carping as the reluctant support - what they did on the other side of the House was not object, but whinge for hours. I invite any member of this House, or the public, to go through the debate in Hansard and read the carping about this unnecessary piece of legislation.
In spite of the naysayers opposite, we persevered and pressed on, and we are now national leaders in this important piece of legislation which goes on to protect Territorians. We are unashamed to introduce mandatory sentencing legislation. We are unashamed to introduce one-punch homicide legislation. We are unashamed to turn the people who beat their wives, through domestic violence policy, into criminals. We are unashamed of defending the victims in our community, and we will stridently protect the victims in our community wherever and whenever we find them. The members opposite will try to blame society and all sorts of things, but the one thing they never wanted to do was blame the perpetrators. Not so with the CLP government …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Central Arnhem Highway
Mr VATSKALIS to CHIEF MINISTER
Last year you went to COAG in Canberra bragging about how you would win more money for bush roads and ensure the Territory would have a central role in developing northern Australia, but so far we have not seen a single extra dollar in road funding come the Territory’s way. You keep saying how important the Central Arnhem Road is, but your federal mates do not seem to be listening. Why do you appear to have no influence with your colleagues in Canberra? Is it because they want to work with leaders of substance, leaders who understand the issues and make a difference realising the development potential of northern Australia and you do not fit the bill?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, here we go straight on to the personal attacks. It is all they can do. What else have you got? You talk about the Central Arnhem Road, and on Tuesday the member for Nhulunbuy called it the road to nowhere. It goes to where you live and you called it the road to nowhere.
Mr McCarthy: You take it out of context.
Mr GILES: No, I was not taking it out of context. It is what was said.
You had two offers on the table, one to help a buffalo industry be created, one to support Indigenous education as a sustainable industry, and you knocked them both back. Now you are knocking back us trying to help you with the Central Arnhem Highway because it is a road to nowhere. There is one party in here which is standing up and trying to fight for the development of the Northern Territory, but the other party in this Chamber - which includes the member for Nelson - is the party of naysayers who come in here, talk the Territory down, make up stories, spread mistruths and false interpretation, or just make things up. What was it on Tuesday, a $1000 increase to a power bill? You are trying to get people to suck this up and believe it. Territorians are not stupid. The media is not stupid. You just make it up.
Mr Vowles: Do you know what our leader would be doing, Adam?
Mr GILES: Member for Johnston, the atrocious state of your debate last night - you are only a bit behind the member for Nightcliff in poor performances, but look at your incorrect statement with all your false facts last night. You cannot come in here, following the Leader of the Opposition, the Grinch she is, spreading lies and mistruths and mistrust in the way she wants to do things, making stuff up.
The question about the Central Arnhem Road: did you get $433m from Canberra? This is to fix a road which goes to nowhere, according to the local member. As you know, we are burdened by $5.5bn worth of Labor debt. Look what Canberra is burdened by thanks to federal Labor. Look what the Coalition is burdened by through federal debt. I encourage you …
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: The Leader of the Opposition and her three lemon sucking supporters who seem to be very sour and bitter every time they walk in here …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please withdraw that comment.
Mr GILES: I withdraw.
Take those four people, get them to listen to the member for Fannie Bay, get some good policy debates and come in here and ask proper questions. This question was atrocious.
There is a story in the paper today about politicians and professionals and how hard they work. I know how hard we are all working, but you …
Ms Walker interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, cease interjecting.
NT Sports Awards
Ms LEE to MINISTER for SPORT, RECREATION and RACING
Minister, can you please inform the House how this year’s NT Sports Awards, which for the first time will be held in Katherine, looks set to be one of the biggest awards yet?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for her question. I believe she will be attending the NT Sports Awards this year to be held in Katherine for the very first time. It is all about spreading the love around the region, something the previous government did not do for about 11 years. It is fabulous to see the regions starting to get some of the attention and respect they not only deserve, but have been deprived of for about 11 years.
I am able to announce today that the event has attracted a record 90 nominations, which is fantastic. It is up from 63 last year. Clearly, taking the event out to the regions has inspired many people to nominate. It is terrific to see the Territory’s sports support this event ...
Ms Walker interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. Member for Nhulunbuy, I asked you to cease interjecting. You are on a warning.
Mr CONLAN: This is a fabulous news story. We are taking this key Territory event to the regions, and for some reason the member for Nhulunbuy does not like it. It is amazing.
The NT Sports Awards is one of the highlights of our sporting calendar. It is fantastic to see the sporting community support this move with a record number of nominations this year spread across 33 sports, up to 90 from 63 last year.
Hosting the awards will be huge for the community of Katherine, which has a rich sporting history producing champions such as Tour de France cycling king, Cadel Evans, and current Parramatta Eels player, Luke Kelly. Former Parramatta Eels captain, Nathan Cayless, will be guest speaker and our emcee will be the champion sports poet Rupert McCall – a star-studded line up. It is at the Cultural Centre; I believe we can host 250 people there. It is a black tie event and tickets are selling fast. I encourage everyone to book a table of 10, bring your family and friends, and support this wonderful key event in Katherine. I certainly will be there. I will be hosting a table and encourage you to do so. I encourage the shadow minister for Sport to be there, the Opposition Leader and perhaps some of the other opposition members might turn up to support the great town of Katherine.
It is a fabulous initiative and you will see more of these key events under my portfolios of Tourism and Sports spread across the regions. Congratulations to the Katherine community for embracing it. All the new sponsors - Power Projects NT has come on board as a new sponsor, as has Colemans Printing, which has demonstrated a commitment to Territory events such as this for a long time and has now come on board with the NT Sports Awards. It should be huge; it is on 29 March in the mighty town of Katherine.
Select Committee to Consider Bills
Mr WOOD to CHIEF MINISTER
In the past, you indicated you may consider improvements to our parliamentary processes. One improvement I have been calling for some time is the use of select committees to inquire into government legislation before it is debated in the parliament, a process used by another unicameral parliament – Queensland. With regard to committees, I quote from the Queensland parliament web page:
- They allow the Parliament to ensure that the right decisions are being made at the right time and for the right reasons. At the same time they effectively enhance the democratic process by taking the Parliament to the people and giving them a role in its operations.
Considering that yesterday the Treasurer announced the introduction of a number of bills which, if passed, will split the Power and Water Corporation into separate entities, would you support the establishment of a select committee to look at these very important bills so the workers, management, the public and members of this parliament can have a role in scrutinising these bills before they are debated and voted on in this House?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. Yes, the notice was given yesterday, the second reading speeches will be made today and debate on those bills, I anticipate, will come in the next parliamentary sittings. There is no doubt we are looking at improving the performance of Power and Water, as well as how we can have structural separation to have better accountability and accountancy, and ensure we can get greater competitiveness and efficiencies within each arm of the Power and Water divisions. We are trying to work out how we can get a better competitive nature, all with a view to better servicing and better pricing structures within the divisions of Power and Water. It is something we have discussed for a long time. I am not sure if you have had the opportunity to have a briefing about Power and Water as a whole or what the structural separation means to date.
We are very keen to work out how we can support improved committee structures within parliament. We already have the energy committee which is running and many investigations have been undertaken by it to date. We will not be moving towards a committee on these bills, apart from the parliamentary process, which has a committee in it.
I note that in the report today about parliament and how it works we have committee processes as part of our legislation. We break from this setting to the committee setting, which is a great opportunity to have a broad range of debate about how these things will work. I have had a chat with the Treasurer and shareholding minister for Power and Water, and the Minister for Essential Services, the member for Katherine, will also be keen to talk you through how the whole process is designed to work and what some of the specifications and complications in the legislation will be.
We will also be keen to talk to you about things such as the NERA and how the national agreement and reform process through COAG is working, particularly around Power and Water, as well as what our commitments are to reform the electricity networks signed under the former Labor government. I will not go into a formal committee, but I am happy to open the services of government and ministers to provide you with all advice and guidance. We will go through the committee structure as part of any legislation, which will be open for all of us to have a chat about.
Palmerston Regional Hospital – Time Frames
Ms MANISON to CHIEF MINISTER
Under your watch we have seen the time frames for the Palmerston hospital blow out by years. You still cannot commit to a date when Palmerston residents can walk in and be seen by a doctor in their own hospital. The federal government committed $110m to the development of the Palmerston hospital, but by the time you get around to building it, the money will not go nearly as far as it would have, had you stuck to Labor’s time lines. How will you cover the blow out in cost, due to headworks and the now very lengthy time line?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Wanguri for her question. I am pleased to see you did not get involved in gutter politics like the Leader of the Opposition, the Grinch of this parliament, usually does, along with the members for Nhulunbuy and Nightcliff.
In regard to the Palmerston hospital, this is an issue dear to the heart of the Minister for Health and all of us on this side of the Chamber. You talk about timelines – I am pretty sure you were in government for eleven-and-a-half years and it did not get built; there is an important timeline in the debate.
We have committed to doing it. We have already started the planning around the road infrastructure. We are already doing the scoping study to see what might be required. We have had public consultation meetings - I think the Minister for Health might have even been at one of those consultation meetings - and these things will continue. You talk about the time frame of when it will be built – we do not have the design of what it will look like to know how long it will take to build the thing.
We have said we will have shovels in the ground this year, getting it under way, but the time frame of when it will be finished will be dependent upon the procurement process, the contractor we use to do it, the design models and the staging of when each component of the new hospital will come out.
As soon as we have the information, if you are serious and not just playing games - like the Grinch, the one who cannot be trusted - we will be more than happy to give you the information as it becomes available, and the Minister for Health will be happy to brief you on it, but at this point in time we are still going through the design and concept planning. We are consulting, and until we decide on the procurement process and actively engage someone, we do not know what the model will be.
Ms MANISON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance: The question was very direct with regard to how the government will cover the costs which will blow out due to the length of time it will take to build this hospital. Where will you find the extra money?
Madam SPEAKER: The Chief Minister is answering the question.
Mr GILES: It is a very good question, because everybody in this Chamber knows we are lumbered with a $5.5bn Labor debt legacy, so we cannot just pull it out. We spoke about this yesterday, being at the crossroads of where to get the money to build it; do we raise taxes, sell assets or go the Labor way and borrow more money and increase our debt and interest bill?
We are working through the process of how we do it. We want to develop the Palmerston regional hospital and provide a greater service to the greater Darwin area, particularly around the development of northern Australia. There is infrastructure and many assets we need to invest in to support the growth in our population. Finding the money is a tricky component to this. Labor spent more than $600m on a new prison. My preference would have been for the money to go to the Palmerston hospital, but instead we are getting a new prison, no hospital and a massive debt.
We are here to try to clean up your mess. We will clean up your mess. We are already doing it on crime, alcohol and housing. We have the Grinch of death over there, who tells us the sky is falling. We will solve the Palmerston hospital deal, we will get it built. If you want to know what it is all about we are happy to help you and give you the information.
Open Speed Limits
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for TRANSPORT
Can you update the House on open speed limits?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Namatjira for her question. I know that prior to the last Territory election many of her constituents who use these major highways for getting around the Territory had a great interest and lobbied her to bring back open speed limits. It was an election promise, and as a result we commissioned a number of audits and assessments to be done on our major highways.
So far, those audits and assessments have revealed there has been an enormous amount of neglect by the previous government on huge sections of our roads. What happened is …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask the minister to table the full reports.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order, sit down.
Mr STYLES: I pick up on the interjection. They are not reports. I keep telling them these are audits and assessments. What happens with audits and assessments is – and I do not know what you did in government; these are normal processes. Audits and reports build on the knowledge base we have. What we found was the amount of neglect you people left our highways in. There are certain sections in good condition, one of those is 204 km south of Barrow Creek from the Tanami turnoff. What we know, and what Territorians know, is we have long roads with low traffic volumes. I drove that piece of road about seven or eight months ago from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs. I was driving along at 130 km/h because the police are out, as they are every day, checking speeds, and I had people passing me.
I had mums and dads in Land Cruisers passing me, doing around 150-160 km/h, because there are some good sections of road. One of those people who passed me may have been the former Transport minister, the member for Barkly, flying past me at 149 km/h.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, put it down!
Mr STYLES: They say you cannot do this, this is terrible, yet ordinary Territorian families - I have lived here for 32 years, and for 26 years I drove the highway at open speed limits. I had my family in the car. It puts responsibility back on Territorians to drive to conditions, their capabilities, road capabilities, the capability of their tyres, the weather conditions, whether there is stock around or whether it is night or day. These are decisions Territorians, no matter what road they drive on in the Northern Territory, have to make every day. If there is anyone in the Territory or this Chamber who is not making those decisions when they get into a car and drive home, they should not have a driver’s licence. Anyone who comes from interstate who thinks this is an autobahn, you are sadly mistaken because the police are out and they will want to talk to you if you do not drive to the capabilities of the road and your motor car.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
School Funding
Ms FYLES to CHIEF MINISTER
In the last month, prior to the federal election, the federal Education minister committed federal money to support schools in Queensland, but you refused extra school funding and are continuing school cuts. Why is it Queensland and all but one other state have come to an agreement with the federal government on schools funding? Why is it other state and territory leaders can roll up their sleeves and negotiate outcomes to benefit our schools, students and families? Is it because you are a weak, ineffectual leader who is ignored by your peers in Canberra because you talk big and deliver small?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I think everyone can see the theme today. Let us just denigrate and try to put the Chief Minister down, name call and all of these little things, but once again …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It is a very direct question: when will he deliver for education in the Territory?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nightcliff, it is not a point of order. The Chief Minister has only just started; he was only 10 or 15 seconds in.
Mr GILES: We have Labor making stuff up again. We will not go into the personal insults and attacks; it is what they can do because they cannot seem to do anything else in a policy context. They cannot debate issues properly so they go to the negative all the time. But I have broad shoulders – six foot three, 106 kg – I can carry the whole thing. Call me a little boy as much as you want, member for Nightcliff, but you know I will handle it.
Let us go to the mistruths in your question about not being able to secure money from Canberra. People will recall, under the former Prime Ministers, Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, there was this thing called Gonski. We did not sign up to it because we did not think it was a good outcome for the Northern Territory. We thought the model and calculations were wrong and we did not sign up; we moved beyond that point.
Labor cannot seem to move beyond that point. They are still having Gonski protests out the front of Darwin High School. The other day they had 10 people turn up to a protest when they were giving out free sausages. If we ran a barbecue, we would get more than 10 people turn up for a free sausage sizzle, even if you were wearing a Gonski shirt, but this is beside the point.
Let us go to the heart of the question. Apart from all the personal gibes, you wanted to know if we received money for education from the feds. Anyone in their right mind who did a simple Internet search would find that we secured $267m off the feds which is going to education, and we will put into our education reforms.
This is old news from last year. Did we get money? Yes, we did. Did we negotiate well on Gonski? Yes, we did. Will we put money into the Indigenous education review, the findings and the way forward? Yes, we will. Will we put it into other education infrastructure? Yes, we will, but we are evaluating the best way to do it.
We have three reviews occurring about improving education in the Northern Territory and we will get good outcomes. Going to the heart of your question, which was false, misleading, a mistruth, made-up, not factual, completely wrong, sucking on lemons when you wrote it possibly - I do not know. I will tell you now, $267m is coming to the Territory, negotiated by me, my government, by the Education minister, by everybody on this side to get better outcomes in education. So come in spinner. Make another question up. We can knock them back all day. When you want to debate real policy and be a real opposition - because you have not worked out you are in opposition yet - come back into the Chamber and we will debate properly.
Indigenous Education – Closing the Gap
Mr KURRUPUWU to MINISTER for EDUCATION
Yesterday our Prime Minister delivered the annual Closing the Gap report to federal parliament, which highlighted the school attendance and literacy of Indigenous Australians as an area which is not meeting our national targets.
What is the Territory government doing to ensure our Indigenous students have the same opportunities as non-Indigenous students?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his question. He is working damn hard for his community and standing up for his community. We saw that this week with the Tiwi forestry deal. Well done, member for Arafura. He cares about improving Indigenous education results.
Closing the Gap is something we all should aspire to, and having targets gives governments something to aim for, to work towards. Our Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, yesterday said he wants to see Australia meet the target for Indigenous school attendance in five years. Some might say this is overly ambitious, but without ambition nothing gets done. I fully support our Prime Minister as it fits well with this government’s approach to education.
We are results driven, not dollars spent. Our idea of results differs slightly from those opposite. What we mean by results is more children attending schools, improved NAPLAN results, more NTCET completions and more children going into jobs once they leave school.
Those opposite, and their narrow-minded union mates, would have you believe spending more money and employing more staff is a result in itself. They think, ‘Right, job is done, let’s go home. Look at the difference we have made’ - 790 more staff, $210m in extra money, and they are happy with the results of education in the Northern Territory.
You cannot measure education purely by how much money you spend on it. You measure education through the results, and we have appalling results, particularly in remote locations.
The former Labor government looked over an education system in the bush for 10 years which saw results go backwards and was happy with it. If you believe what they are saying, that we should continue to use the same methodology and approach they did for 10 years - quite frankly, I do not know how they can sit in this Chamber and be happy with those results.
I would like to think we could be above politics, like our federal counterparts were yesterday with Closing the Gap. Everyone is on side, even the federal Labor Party. No, not our Labor opposition in the Northern Territory. It is dead against Closing the Gap, dead against improving results for Indigenous students, and it is shameful.
Alice Springs – Kilgariff Development
Mr McCARTHY to CHIEF MINISTER
The Alice Springs economy is flatlining, local businesses are shutting up shop, laying off staff and leaving town. The town council urged you to take action to stimulate the economy. Local businesses are urging you to invest in the second stage of the mall. The President of the Chamber of Commerce NT, Julie Ross, said your government has no vision; she is not the only one.
We all know the release of 33 lots at Kilgariff risks the integrity of the whole master plan suburb. When will you listen to what residents and businesses in Alice Springs – your former town –are telling you and act to create an economic stimulus in the town? When will you stop turning your back on Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is coming from a member of the former Labor Cabinet which was just a fly-in, fly-out government and would turn up occasionally here and there. Again, there are so many mistruths in this. There is a master plan for Kilgariff. It will not come to fruition for five years, and what we have done is …
Mr McCarthy: There are 141 lots.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GILES: If you want the facts, I will tell you the facts. The first lot was to be 70 and if you wanted to get …
Mr McCarthy: There were 141.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. Member for Barkly, you have asked a question, allow the Chief Minister to answer. You are on a warning.
Mr GILES: I know my portfolios, so the first thing in the five-year period for Kilgariff was 70 blocks would be released under the same modelling we were going to use.
If you wanted the NBN to come in, the NBN people in Canberra, Mike Quigley, Labor’s mate, said you need to have at least 100 lots. We changed it to have 100 lots in the first round at Kilgariff to support local stimulation of the industry, residential construction, house start-ups, concreters, chippies and so forth.
Then the NBN, with Stephen Conroy, reneged on the deal to put the NBN into the 100 blocks. Then we took it back to the first stage, which is 80 blocks, which is being done as Stage 1A and 1B. Stage 1A is 33 blocks, which are now on the market. There were 26 initial expressions of interest before the formal expressions of interest opened, 15 formal expressions of interest came in by 11 am the first day, and if they end up all gone by Friday coming we will move immediately to 1B.
Stage 1B has already had the initial planning done. We already have the modelling and scheduling done. We will get the first 33 done, and a caveat to the first 33 says housing construction has to start within the first 12 months so we can get the residential construction going sooner, which supports economic growth in the region, supports banking and finance and so forth.
Stage 1B has a caveat which says the building has to be constructed within the first 18 months. We do not want a 12-month time frame because we might put too much of a burden on local builders. I know this stuff quite well. The first stage is 80 blocks.
Getting back to the false point of your question, we had to bring it forward, because it would not occur for five years, meaning we had a lack of housing in Alice Springs and a lack of stimulation in the residential construction market.
I could speak on this all day, continuing the false misrepresentations within the question. Perhaps there will be another question later and I can come back to it and talk more about the Alice Springs economy.
I ask people to look at the strategic plan of Alice Springs Town Council. I believe point three says the Alice Springs Town Council is not responsible for any economic activity in Alice Springs, which I find surprising.
National Parks Upgrades
Ms LEE to MINISTER for PARKS and WILDLIFE
Can you please update the House on some of the newly completed upgrades in the Top End national parks?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for her question. I know she is very keen to hear about what is happening within her parks as well as Nitmiluk, which we have joint management with. We employ a lot of Indigenous people from the Jawoyn group who enjoy working with us, and the member for Arnhem’s sister works with Cicada Lodge. We are pleased to have such amazing parks in the Territory, and I am proud of the work being done to make them more accessible and enjoyable for everybody.
I will start with the work now happening at Edith Falls with the new footbridge. The construction of the footbridge allows visitors access to the other side of the river, which offers great photo opportunities and an alternative access to the water for swimming. It also allows access to the Jatbula trail and assists park rangers with vehicles so they can can access and carry out weeding and other land management programs.
Recently, completed works at Nitmiluk National Park mean visitors have a safer walking path and improved facilities. The installation of steps, boardwalks and low-level solar lighting constructed by the Jawoyn Association means more employment for Jawoyn people who are proud of their parks and whom the member for Johnston asked yesterday - we are proud to have more Aboriginal people involved in the parks, because they know how these parks operate and what they should look like for people to enjoy them.
Moving on to Litchfield National Park, I am proud to say a crocodile fence, being constructed at Wangi Falls, is almost complete. The fence is being installed under the existing footbridge which can be closed after the Wet Season to reduce the chance of saltwater crocodiles entering the plunge pool in the Dry Season. It is hoped this fence will mean earlier access to this popular pool for visitors.
This government is working hard to ensure facilities in the parks allow access for everyone, so more people can visit and spread the word about how great our parks are in the Northern Territory. I encourage other people to come, because in March we are having a special parks week where we will encourage Territorians to enjoy looking at nature, being part of nature and encouraging their families to get off the lounges, breathe in the fresh air and enjoy our country.
Banana Freckle – Compensation for Growers
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
As you know, the banana freckle eradication program has had a major effect on people living in the rural area with many people losing all of their bananas. Some people in here lost their bananas. Whilst most of those people are regarded as backyard growers, others had more substantial crops, which they used to supplement their income. The Emergency Response Plant Pest Response Deed questions and answers section says:
- Providing for these Owner Reimbursement Costs also provides for social justice for growers who, through no fault of their own, are detrimentally affected by a plan to eradicate an Emergency Plant Pest.
We know the government is willing to compensate commercial growers affected by banana freckle. Why should the government not do the same as a matter of social justice for part-time commercial growers who were willing to allow the department to destroy their crops for the sake of the banana industry, even though those crops did not have the disease?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. Before I answer, I make the observation that it was fantastic to have two questions about Katherine on this side of the House today in stark contrast to the opposition when it was in government. They never spoke about Katherine at all so this is fantastic. They hated Katherine. We care about the regions. The Labor Party does not.
To answer the question, when you use the word biosecurity, a lot of people’s eyes glaze over and it does not seem like a terribly sexy topic. We, as a government, take biosecurity extremely seriously. You have seen some of the issues we have had in the banana industry around Panama disease and how it has had an effect on our banana industry, and we took it seriously. An enormous amount of work has gone into researching what varieties of bananas might become Panama disease resistant. There is a lot of work happening in this space. We are trying to protect our banana industry, which is my prime focus in dealing with this banana freckle issue.
This is critical to ensuring we protect the Northern Territory’s banana industry, but it is also critical that we protect Australia’s banana industry. We have a relatively small industry in the Territory. Queensland and states such as New South Wales have significant crops which also need to be protected. We need to do the right thing here.
Under the Plant Health Act and the subsequent Cost Sharing Deed between the states, when we have these biosecurity incursions there are provisions for owner reimbursement costs, which are generally restricted to applicants who are commercial growers.
I listened very carefully to the question and the premise is a little incorrect, whereby the government does not decide who gets owner reimbursement costs. It is the national management group, operating under the auspices of the Cost Sharing Deed, which makes the decision.
Commercial growers can apply for owner reimbursement costs; they are entitled to do so. People who are, let us say, hobby farmers who consider their operations to be commercial, can certainly make an application for owner reimbursement costs. I am willing to get the department to look at how we may assist those people who do not qualify.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Parks and Wildlife
Mr VOWLES to MINISTER for PARKS and WILDLIFE
In Question Time yesterday, you asked me:
What would you know about the parks and Aboriginal people?
Your comment smacks of a racist slur against my Aboriginality, which offends my family and me. My mum shares the same traditional name as you do. When will you stand up to your ministerial responsibilities, rather than hiding behind personal attacks that offend me and my family?
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member is welcome to make a personal explanation. Questions should be on substantive issues surrounding the policies of government and this question contains a clear breach of Standing Order 112 on a number of levels.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Johnston, questions to the minister or the government must pertain to the portfolio. You can rephrase the question, or if you wish to make a personal statement to the House later, come and see me.
Mr VOWLES: Madam Speaker, speaking to the point of order. The end of the question was: when will you stand up to your ministerial responsibilities, Parks and Wildlife minister?
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order Madam Speaker. That was not the substance of the question at all. It is merely a cloak for what is occurring.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Leader of Government Business. Member for Johnston, you may reword the question in regard to the minister and her responsibilities, otherwise the question will be out of order and if you want to make a personal statement later, that is okay.
Mr VOWLES: Madam Speaker, I will rephrase the question. Will the Minister for Parks and Wildlife please stand up to her ministerial responsibilities and give an update on Parks and Wildlife?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Johnston for his question. It sounds like a little boy asking a grandmother, ‘Oh, tell me about the parks. What do you think about the parks?’
I have been to 12 reserves and parks during my time as Minister for Parks and Wildlife and we have the best parks in the Northern Territory.
What information do you really want to hear? What specific answer do you want from me? The parks in the Northern Territory are the best and I urge you, the opposition, to visit all of them. You can take the kids, enjoy our parks and take your time enjoying them. The Territory Wildlife Park is just down the road for the Darwinites. Take your families and enjoy it. Go and feel the little animals we have in the parks. There are parks everywhere: Gregory National Park; Nitmiluk; Cobourg; Limmen; there are flora reserves; Charles Darwin; East and West MacDonnell Ranges; Uluru; Kata Tjuta; Kakadu. They are all the parks we have and my staff will be able to show you around them if you really want to see them. If you have a specific park you want to go to, ask my park rangers. If you want a real experience, get the Aboriginal rangers to show you a bit of country, learn about the flora, fauna, bird-watching, rock climbing, go swimming. They are the parks we have, member for Johnston.
Sport Voucher Scheme
Ms FINOCCHIARO to MINISTER for SPORT, RECREATION and RACING
This government is once again helping Territory mums and dads with the cost of playing organised sport with the Sport Voucher Scheme coming back in 2014. Can you please inform the House of how this scheme is helping more children into organised sport, both urban and in remote areas?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for the question. She is very committed to sport in her community, and I know many of her constituents have benefited from the 2013 Sport Voucher Scheme.
We are pleased to reintroduce the scheme this year. Last year, we saw approximately 20 500 students take up the $75 Sport Voucher Scheme. Out of about 40 000, we got about half way. It was a huge take-up and a great success for the initial roll-out of the scheme, and there is still a fair bit to go. The message is to encourage all parents to apply for the sports vouchers, pick them up and get their kids into sport. It is a great contribution towards the cost of sport.
Last year we had a total of 183 sporting clubs and organisations from 46 different sports registered for the scheme. So far, 31 vouchers have been redeemed on the learn to swim classes, which is a new edition for 2014. These classes are welcome and have been added to the scheme. The other sports which have registered for 2014 include: archery; eight ball; golf; judo; sailing; squash; and surf lifesaving. Under the scheme, the $75 sports voucher can be used for registration, essential equipment and uniform costs at any registered sporting club from 1 February. It is under way until 30 November 2014.
I encourage all parents to utilise it; register for your $75 sports voucher. It is a great contribution to your child’s sport. The vouchers are available for every enrolled school-aged child across the Northern Territory, from preschool to Year 12, in both government and non-government schools. To find a registered sporting club, visit the website which is www.sportvoucher.nt.gov.au. Drop in, click on the website, follow the prompts and you will find where you can pick up your sports voucher.
More kids playing sport means more children living healthier lives, which is a core focus and initiative of the Northern Territory government, and something we are committed to in health, education, law and order, sport and tourism. Across the range of portfolios, a healthier Territory is exactly what we want, unlike what we have seen in the past 11 years of Labor neglect.
Can you believe the shadow minister for Central Australia is the member for Wanguri. The architect of Alice Springs’ demise over the last 11 years is the shadow minister for Central Australia.
Mr VOWLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I want to ask the Sport minister where I buy a ticket to the Sports Awards considering they do not open until next week.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Johnston, it is not a point of order.
Mr CONLAN: It is actually the member for Karama, which is even more disgraceful. The member for Karama is the shadow minister for Central Australia. It is extraordinary considering what we have seen over the last 11 years. The architect of Alice Springs’ demise is the shadow minister for Central Australia.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016