2016-03-16
Antisocial Behaviour – Drop in Police Numbers
Mr GUNNER to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Antisocial behaviour is out of control across the Northern Territory. When asked about police numbers on Mix 104.9 FM today Paul McCue of the NT Police Association said:
- … in black and white the numbers are less than they were three years ago.
You promised 120 additional police within your first three years and have failed to deliver. Will you now admit the increase in crime is a direct result of your failed policies and broken promises?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I also thank him for bringing law and order to the debate.
Starting from the premise of our commitment to increase police numbers by 120, it is important to point out that that increase is above and beyond what Labor had when it left government. When Labor left government …
Ms Fyles: Another broken promise from you.
Mr GILES: Well, you asked the question, I am happy to answer it.
When you left government crime was at record levels across the Territory. We had a Banned Drinker Register that was not working, chronic alcohol consumption which was destroying people’s lives, property break-ins and assaults were through the roof, and homicides and other crimes were escalating.
I am happy to provide some information. Squad No 128 commenced training on 5 November 2015. I had a chance to catch up with them last Friday at the academy. A total of 34 are expected to graduate from that squad on 12 May 2016. We are just about at 120 and this squad will get us close to that number ...
Mr Gunner: According to the NT Police Association the number is lower now than in 2012.
Mr GILES: I encourage you to get a briefing from police. They will tell you their staffing numbers. I am happy to …
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: I hear the interjections, and they are reflective. They get their information about crime from the radio – all respect to the radio. They get information for their policies from the Country Liberals, which they clearly plagiarise.
Let us look at crime; I am happy to talk about it. Alcohol-related assaults are down 9% in Darwin, 22% in Palmerston and 27% in Katherine. I have spoken about Alice Springs and Tennant Creek many a time. Domestic violence in Darwin is down 11%, 13% in Palmerston and 23% in Katherine. I spoke about the Katherine figures yesterday.
The Leader of the Opposition said he heard something on radio and led Question Time with a question about a radio interview about crime. I am happy to tell you there are 34 recruits graduating in May this year. Crime is down across the Territory. Property crime, assaults, the number of people being picked up for protective custody – no doubt there will be a few more questions and I look forward to answering them.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Boosting our Economy Package
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you please outline what funding the Northern Territory government is providing the tourism industry through the Boosting our Economy package?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is a good question about tourism from the member for Drysdale. Tourism, in contrast to crime, is going up. Where crime levels are going down, tourist numbers are going up. Today we saw the release of the National Visitor Survey statistics which talked about domestic tourists coming to the NT. It showed an increase – I am sure the member for Greatorex will love to hear this – of 29% in holiday visitors coming from around Australia to the NT. That shows the Do the NT campaign is highly successful. These numbers are up in all regions of the NT, not just in the Top End, the southern end, Kakadu or Uluru. This is right across the board, including Nhulunbuy. They are very good figures.
We spoke a bit about this yesterday, and I said we had a target of a $2.2bn economy by 2020. Achieving that target will be difficult, but we have been sitting at $1.5bn, $1.7bn and $1.9bn. I can confirm that the NT now has a $2bn tourism economy. We are well on track to achieve our goal and we still have four years to do that.
I had the opportunity of talking today about our Tourism Infrastructure Development Fund. It started two years ago with $500 000, and in the currently financial year it has $4.75m. It saw some 210 applications for more than $15m. It is about putting money into infrastructure for tourism to support the development and redevelopment of product so tourists who come to the Northern Territory get a better visitor experience. That money has been fully subscribed and allocated.
I announced today that part of our $100m Boosting the Economy package, $5m, will go towards a new infrastructure development fund. It is being brought forward from next year to start now. Advertisements will go out from today onwards asking people to put forward their ideas of how we can invest money in tourism.
There are a few criteria on this. We are not looking at supporting accommodation. We want to see people provide a co-contribution of 50% so we double our $5m and get $10m worth of work to help stimulate parts of our community that support the tourism industry. We have said we want some money going towards tourism businesses being China ready, that is, getting ready for the Chinese tourist wave that will be coming to the Northern Territory – whether that is updating websites, menus or flyers.
Madam Speaker, today’s results are a sure sign that things are going gangbusters. It is the biggest increase in Australia for tourist numbers. There is new investment going into the Tourism Infrastructure Development Fund so we have shiny new rides for tourism. It is a great time to be participating in tourism in the Northern Territory. It is a sure sign that the Country Liberals plan for tourism is leading to every success.
Antisocial Behaviour –
Mr GUNNER to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
The increase in antisocial behaviour in Palmerston and across Darwin is a direct result of your policies. In your annual report there are fewer police on the streets in 2014-15 than in 2012-13. Police Association Executive Officer, Paul McCue, told radio this morning:
- Our members are telling us now that they regularly see Katherine locals in Darwin because they access the alcohol far easier now.
Will you now admit your failed policies are directly responsible for the spike in antisocial behaviour across Darwin and Palmerston?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is easy to stir these conversations up and try to put fear into people. I know that is what you are doing. You talk about the northern suburbs and Palmerston a lot.
I will read part of a transcript of commentary by Superintendent Daniel Shean from the Palmerston police station regarding crime in Palmerston. I know there are many people in Palmerston – I will talk about the northern suburbs in the next answer – who talk about crime. Crime has not gone; there is not a zero crime element. But crime is going down. The number of break-ins, people in protective custody and people who are drunk on our streets is going down. It is not perfect but it is continuing to get better.
Superintendent Shean attended a meeting with concerned residents of Rosebery on 17 January this year. He asked that meeting of concerned residents, ‘How many unlawful entries do you think there have been in Rosebery since 1 July 2015?’ Attendees answered with a range between 80 and 250. One resident stated every house had been broken into at least once. Superintendent Shean advised the residents that there had been 20 residential properties in Rosebery and 10 properties in Bellamack unlawfully entered since 1 July 2015. I am advised that apart from one person who stated that it is obvious that people are not reporting it to police, the remaining residents were surprised.
When I look through some of the data that comes through the JES Communications Centre, police report that calls to police have been going through the roof for the last five to seven years. That has much to do with mobile phone technology and more people ringing up about crimes. Numbers are going through the roof, but instances of crime are not necessarily causing that.
With the communication, the commentary on Facebook, Twitter and social media, everybody is talking about high levels of crime. But when we go through the specific numbers we see the crime figures are not higher. It is not to say we are not providing an approach and increasing and improving levels of police. For example, Strike Force Trident, which is based at the Casuarina police station, is doing a great job in reducing crime. It has seven of its Strike Force Trident members based at Palmerston, particularly focusing on reducing property crime there.
As I said earlier, crime is down right across the board, whether it is property crime, assaults, motor vehicle theft, homicide or alcohol-related crime. I am happy to continue to go through a range of statistics. I have a lot of information I am happy to share with members of the opposition …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
ACT Government and Unions ACT – Deal
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you provide details about a secret deal the ACT government and Unions ACT have cooked up and whether there are similar close relationships between Labor and the unions in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale ...
Ms Fyles: Is that all you have to talk about?
Mr GILES: Member for Nightcliff, that is not all I have to talk about. I am happy to talk about the Nightcliff police station.
As we heard in yesterday’s Question Time, there are serious matters surrounding the blackmail payment of $1m from the contractors of the Blacktip gas project to the MUA for training. That is into a fund that has public benevolent institution status, which means this MUA slush fund does not pay any tax. Normally those with PBI status are community or religious organisations such as churches. But it seems the MUA slush fund does not have to pay tax.
I have taken care to understand the findings of this trade union Royal Commission. Nowhere does it directly refer to the payments for training for MUA members in Darwin or the Territory. All the statements made by the Royal Commissioner refer only to the WA and federal branches of the MUA.
Yesterday the NT MUA Branch Secretary, Thomas Mayor, said on Territory Talk with Daryl Manzie:
- What happened was we negotiated to have some money into a training fund that has trained some people that live here in Darwin right now. You know, we’re unapologetic about that.
- The fact is that the MUA got $1m worth of training through negotiation for these workers – workers that live in Darwin.
Ms Lawrie interjecting.
Mr GILES: Oh, the architect of the Stella Maris dodgy deal is chiming in. The true leader of the Labor Party, the member for Karama, speaks up and flexes her muscles.
Nowhere in the final report does the Royal Commissioner refer to the Darwin branch of the MUA, a branch of the Labor Party. Yet the NT branch secretary directly pointed to the fact that while the Leader of the Opposition was in a position of influence and authority the NT government signed several massive multimillion dollar contracts to replace diesel with natural gas to provide electricity for Darwin, only to be bullied into handing over $1m for training.
This stinks of union corruption and bully-boy tactics. The Leader of the Opposition had his hands at the wheel at the time this was happening. He has questions to answer …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Antisocial Behaviour – Policing
Ms MANISON to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
This morning Mix 104.9 FM was inundated with calls from listeners regarding antisocial behaviour in Darwin and Palmerston. Rob from Wulagi said, ‘It’s absolutely shocking; it’s out of control.’ Britta from Casuarina texted, ‘The situation in Casuarina is absolutely shocking’. Britta said. ‘There needs to be more of a police presence’. Jo from the northern suburbs said, ‘Antisocial behaviour is out of control in Wulagi’. She has a laneway near her house and has seen some disgraceful occurrences, all alcohol-related.
You promised to reduce crime by 10% every year and you have failed. When will you give police the resources they need to do the job Territorians want them to?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, on Friday I had the opportunity of spending the whole day with police. We started in Palmerston and saw some of its hot spots, made our way to Casuarina and spent some time at the Casuarina police station talking about levels of crime and how police are coping resource-wise. We talked about some of the strategies, especially Strike Force Trident in Casuarina and its extension into Palmerston. I had the opportunity to go to the academy to meet the new recruit squad. On Friday night I went out with police and toured areas including Vesteys Beach, John Stokes Square, through the watch house in Darwin and certain other places.
Police explained to me that things have been getting better. They cannot say crime has disappeared, there are no drunks on the street or that antisocial behaviour has disappeared. We can say, however, that things are improving. Our relationship with Larrakia Nation ensures people with chronic alcoholism are taken off the street and taken home.
The number of people being taken into protective custody and put into the cells is reducing because fewer people need to be picked up and taken into protective custody. Thousands of people are still being taken into protective custody, but the number has gone down substantially.
Regarding the comment before – ‘I saw a black person from Katherine in Darwin – how dare you!’ We are in the Northern Territory where people are highly mobile. People can move. To say the entire population of Arnhem Land is moving into Wulagi is not fair or reasonable.
Yes, crime is still an element in our community, but statistics are coming down and there are more police officers in the community ...
Ms Walker: It is a huge element. Take your blinkers off, Adam.
Mr GILES: Member for Nhulunbuy, I hear you screeching across the Chamber again …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. Your commentary could be a bit more respectful. I ask you to withdraw that, please.
Mr GILES: I withdraw.
If the member for Nhulunbuy was so interested in crime she would know that alcohol consumption in her electorate is down, so much so that domestic violence is down by 21%. These are things that are working …
Ms Walker: Because we have the BDR. You fool! You idiot!
Mr GILES: You can talk like that ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Nhulunbuy, withdraw that comment.
Ms WALKER: I withdraw, Madam Speaker, and I apologise that we have a BDR.
Mr GILES: These are the people who want to be in government.
You have to understand the policy elements and the results. Sure, have a different policy approach, but do not just scream across the Chamber. Tennant Creek has no BDR and domestic violence is down by 20% …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I am not screaming across the Chamber.
Madam SPEAKER: No, it is all right. Chief Minister, have you finished?
Mr GILES: Yes, Madam Speaker.
Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption –
MUA Comments
MUA Comments
Mr KURRUPUWU to TREASURER
Can the minister outline to the House the confession made by the Secretary of the Northern Territory Branch of the Maritime Union of Australia in the final report of the Royal Commission into union corruption, which directly points to a major contractor who was commissioned by the then Labor government to supply gas to a Power and Water Corporation generator?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for that question, which is important. It follows on from an answer the Chief Minister just gave. Like the Chief Minister, I have taken care in trying to understand the findings of the Royal Commission.
I was quite stunned yesterday when Thomas Mayor of the MUA said on radio that that money was paid into the Darwin branch. Nowhere in the Royal Commission report does it mention anything at all about Darwin. It talked about the Western Australian and national branches, but nothing about Darwin. He said $1m went in, as the Chief Minister said, for training.
I scratched my head and thought back to 2008. Regarding employment and training, $1m is a significant amount of money for a Territory government to spend. To give you an idea, about 95% of our training funds are tied to Charles Darwin University, Batchelor Institute and the like. The discretionary amount of money that is spent on training by government in the Territory is very little. So, $1m going into a training fund being used to train international seafarers would have been a big story. One would expect that the then Labor government would have been crowing from the rooftops about how it managed to get another $1m from its union mates into training funds.
When we troll through the newspapers, the media and the Parliamentary Record we do not see a skerrick of a mention of $1m for training international maritime seafarers – nothing, zip!
The first question we have to ask, and I imagine any ICAC will ask, is where we find this $1m that mysteriously ended up in a public benevolent institution used for training Territorians. Where are all the workers the MUA has trained since 2008? What was the number of workers? Were there 500, 100, 50 or five? What is this training the MUA is now saying it is doing? What was the outcome of its blackmail or extortion from that company Saipem? Did they get Territory workers on those barges? There has been nothing.
At the time the Leader of the Opposition held significant positions in government and would no doubt be aware of these deals. Time to front up, Leader of the Opposition.
Antisocial Behaviour – Public Housing
Ms LAWRIE to MINISTER for HOUSING
There is concern about antisocial behaviour on the streets. It is real; it exists. It is deeply disappointing to hear the government deny what is impacting on people’s lives. There is significant antisocial behaviour within public housing. There are many public houses in my electorate from which residents have consistently called Housing and police. The tenants are beyond any measure of the three-strike rule yet they remain in housing. People are desperate. A resident in my electorate is packing up and leaving their house to live elsewhere because they can no longer live under the conditions of the antisocial and criminal behaviour next door to them.
What will you do to clean up the rivers of grog that are flowing into public housing? It is becoming overcrowded and intolerable. What are you doing to help people return to a peaceful existence?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Karama for her question. Yes, misbehaviour in the public housing sector is a big issue. We have great people working to help move these people along, and the police are working with us. We are doing a huge amount of work to help people move on and find places where they can be safe and not injured. We are doing the best we can for them.
I walk around Darwin and see people who are homeless. I ask them where they are from. I do not just walk past and ignore them. I talk to them and ask why they are here. I find ways to make sure these people are safe.
Our housing officers are talking to people. Every time there is a problem our housing people talk to them and make sure they move on and do not bother people in the suburbs. I urge the opposition to talk to the people they mention every day in this House who are causing trouble. Do they say, ‘Hello, what can we do for you?’ in the suburbs of Darwin? I talk to …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. What is the minister doing to address these concerns?
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has time.
Mrs PRICE: These people are important and we look after them and make sure they are safe. We are doing our best to make sure they are not a hindrance to the public. Our public safety officers are called out every time there is a problem and they work in partnership with the police to move these people along and make sure they are safe, and people in public housing are safe as well ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. I am talking about people who are way beyond the three strikes who are still in housing and committing antisocial and criminal behaviour. Police have had between 500 and 1000 interactions with the same household. What are you doing to deal with this?
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Karama.
Mrs PRICE: Madam Speaker, I reiterate that our Public Housing Safety Officers do a great job. They are there every night working with these people to move them on and to make sure they are safe and not bringing harm to themselves. We work in partnership with the police.
Union Negotiations with Major Contractors
Mr CONLAN to TREASURER
We know the Leader of the Opposition has a multitude of questions to answer with his involvement with the PWC, Blacktip and the unions, but he refuses to do that. All he can do is say he was on leave at the time these negotiations took place.
Can you outline to the House the series of major contracts undertaken by PWC for the Blacktip project, and what role the Leader of the Opposition played when he was in a very high position of influence with the then government?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for the question. I admit I was scratching my head yesterday at the response from the Leader of the Opposition, who said, ‘I do not know anything about the mysterious $1m that went out in training money and was extorted from Saipem. I was on leave.’ Goodness me, I do not know how much leave this guy takes. Hopefully he does not take that much if he ever becomes Chief Minister because we will not see him.
To refresh the Leader of the Opposition’s memory about the senior jobs he has had, in December 2005 the heads of agreement was signed with PWC and Eni to supply gas to Darwin for electricity generation. At the time, he was the senior adviser to the Chief Minister, Clare Martin.
On 16 May 2006, a year later, a heads of agreement was signed between PWC and the Australian Pipeline Trust for the pipeline. The Leader of the Opposition at that time was the chief of staff for Kon Vatskalis, the minister for Power and Water.
In June 2006 the agreement for 750 PJ of gas, a multibillion-dollar deal, was signed by PWC and Eni. At that time the Opposition Leader was chief of staff for Kon Vatskalis.
On 16 October 2007 the bill was introduced in the NT parliament to allow the 280 km gas pipeline, and this time he was deputy chief of staff to Chief Minister Paul Henderson.
The Leader of the Opposition had senior positions and influence within the then Labor government. It surprises me that he can say he knows nothing about it. Clearly he was not doing his job.
Another important event occurred at the time the MUA was bullying the $1m out of the NT taxpayers. That was the trip the then Minister for Business and Economic Development, Kon Vatskalis, made. He travelled to Western Australia and met with the Blacktip subcontractor, Saipem, on 11 March 2008. We know this from the media releases and formal travel documents of Mr Vatskalis.
What was the meeting with Saipem about, when you were working with him in 2008, Leader of the Opposition? Was it about bullying $1m out of Saipem? What was your involvement? What was the involvement of the previous government? They are all unanswered questions you have to front up on …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Crime in Nightcliff
Ms FYLES to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Crime under the CLP government is out of control. Katherine, the owner of the Ally’s Barber Shop in Nightcliff, had to lock herself in her shop while a violent brawl took place outside. The chairman of the local community bank, Jim, said he is ‘increasingly concerned about the level of crime in Nightcliff’. Local businesses are calling police daily and talking about shutting down or moving their shops, putting Territory jobs at risk.
When will you admit you have failed miserably to reduce crime by 10% each year as promised by the CLP before the last election? When will you admit this is damaging business and costing jobs? When will you deliver on your promise to the the community of Nightcliff and reopen our police station?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, there are a couple of important points to make. I thank the member for Nightcliff for her question.
The police station in Nightcliff was never staffed by police. The police station in Nightcliff was staffed by one auxiliary who served the front counter when people walked in …
Ms Fyles: Rubbish! The Police beat there was scrapped under your government.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GILES: I am happy for you to meet with the Police Commissioner, who will confirm that there was only ever one auxiliary who sat in the front of the Nightcliff police operation. Nightcliff has always been serviced out of Casuarina police station.
Since there has been a range of points made about crime and antisocial behaviour – and I am not negating those – in Nightcliff, police have stepped up their operations in Nightcliff through a range of different measures. They have increased beats and patrols – both foot and vehicular patrol. They have seen the roll-out of CCTV cameras to almost permanent basis outside the …
Ms Fyles: Why not place the permanent CCTV there?
Mr GILES: Well, it has almost been there permanently. I think it sat there for four weeks straight. There has been a range of investments made by police in that area.
We have gone through the Planning Commission to look at redesign of the Nightcliff area and there has been a proposal for redevelopment. I am on the public record saying I would like to see a complete remodelling or redevelopment of John Stokes Square, which will cause a complete change in attitude to that area.
In relation to levels of crime, you keep pushing this bad figure out hoping it will be picked up somewhere and spread. I will read through a range of different elements from Darwin Metropolitan Command …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. The community knows antisocial behaviour is at unacceptable levels. When will you open a police station?
Madam SPEAKER: That is not a point of order. Sit down.
Mr GILES: You made some assertions that are factually incorrect so I will read these out. Offences against the person between the 2014-15 financial year and the 2015-16 financial year: the numbers went from 2096 to 1750, a reduction of 16.5% over the last year. Homicides and related offences …
Mr Gunner: Crimes against the person are up since you were elected.
Mr GILES: Leader of the Opposition, can you listen? That is not rising above it like someone who wishes to be a leader. They do not like the answer. Acts intended ...
Mrs PRICE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 20. Interruptions flow from the other side every time we try to give them an answer they want from us.
Madam SPEAKER: Members, it is appropriate and a decent thing if we listen to the question and answer in relative silence.
Mr GILES: Homicides and related offences are down 62.5%. Acts intended to cause injury are down 19.6%. Sexual assaults are down 8.9% …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110. With 20 seconds to go, answer the question with a yes or no.
Madam SPEAKER: No, it is not a point of order. Sit down.
Mr GILES: Offences against the property are down 15.2%. Unlawful entry is down 21.4%. Theft and related offences are down 17.4%. Property damage and environment pollution is down 7.6% …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Union and Official Corruption
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE to MINISTER ASSISTING the TREASURER
In your role providing support as Minister Assisting the Treasurer, who is the shareholding minister of publicly owned corporations, can you please provide your perspective of the challenge to Territory businesses of the issues of union and official corruption. A number of Northern Territory union officials and Labor Party members have been named in the Stella Maris inquiry and been questioned through the Royal Commission into trade union corruption. Can you bring together for Territorians the wicked web of deceit that lies at the heart of the Labor opposition and its mates in the union movement?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Katherine for his question. We have heard about this nasty deal brokered by the MUA to extract funds from developers and operators of the Blacktip gas project. It is important to know how this fits together, and I will get to that.
From a personal perspective and following on from what the Treasurer said, I was a member of the MUA for several years and it was not forthcoming with training options when I was there. I would like to know where that $1m went as well.
However, in 2012 a deal was brokered between the members for Karama and Barkly and Unions NT. Key to that was the role of Matthew Gardiner, Secretary of United Voice and President of Territory Labor, who drove the deal.
Alan Paton, ex-Secretary of Unions NT, ex-ministerial adviser and witness at the Stella Maris inquiry, confessed to the ABC on 18 March 2014 to being the main union contact for the Stella Maris deal while still on the government payroll.
There is also Mick Huddy from the CFMEU who notoriously organised illegal industrial actions and was mentioned in the trade union Royal Commission because of the unfair lockout of Lis-Con, forcing it to shut up shop. He also had a role as representative for the Cbus superannuation fund.
Michael Haire, the ETU organiser, is renowned for instigating illegal industrial action at the INPEX site …
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, it would be in your best interests to hear your colleague answer the question. Could members please be quiet. I would like to hear the answer as well.
Mr BARRETT: The illegal industrial action at the INPEX site was to send a message, as was the march on the weekend against JKC.
Ella Maguire, now a member of the Leader of the Opposition’s staff, was previously an adviser in the Henderson government and CPSU member of Unions NT executive in 2012.
Add to this motley crew a number of other active Labor Party identities and Hall Payne Lawyers, which was mentioned in a previous answer, ably assisted by the ex-member of this Assembly, union organiser and ex-Labor candidate James Bourke.
I table a copy of the Unions NT Executive Committee 2012-14.
Today we have several other names to add to the list: the Electrical Trades Union organiser and Labor candidate, Paul Kirby; the Australian Workers Union organiser and Labor candidate, Damian Hale, who did a great job of belting up a window because he did not like an umpire’s decision; and the United Voice organiser and Labor candidate, Phil Tilbrook.
It would seem that if the Labor Party had its way the Northern Territory government would be run by the trade unions ...
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Aboriginal Policies – CLP
Mrs LAMBLEY to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday in parliament I asked you a question pertaining to your remote contracting policy and Aboriginal employment strategy. The intent of these policies is very good. Getting Aboriginal people into employment is good. However, most people, especially in the construction industry, think your strategy is too much, too soon.
You have been trading insults with your CLP candidate for Araluen on this issue. You called him a xenophobe and he called you a racist. The whole thing has become rather embarrassing. You have now been pressured into reviewing your policies. Are you ready to concede you may have the detail of this policy very wrong?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, no. This policy is producing outcomes for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. We came to government saying we would help develop economies in the bush. Labor never did that. Let us understand what happened before we came to government. You shut communities down and started the shires. You took all the housing off communities and centralised in Darwin ...
Members interjecting.
Ms Fyles interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nightcliff!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is out of control.
Madam SPEAKER: Sit down, member for Port Darwin. You are on a warning!
Mr GILES: You shut communities down …
Mr Elferink: How could I get a warning for that?
________________________
Suspension Of Member
Member for Port Darwin
Member for Port Darwin
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, for reflecting on the Chair please leave the Chamber for one hour pursuant to Standing Order 49.
________________________
Mr GILES: You took housing off communities …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. That is completely irrelevant. No one removed housing or shut down communities ...
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point …
Ms LAWRIE: Can you define …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Karama! It is not a point of order! Sit down!
Mr GILES: You do not like the honesty in this. You set up the $1.8bn strategic Indigenous housing program and ran it. Out of that program, established under the intervention, designed to increase housing numbers and bedrooms, what has been Labor’s outcome out of $1.8bn into Aboriginal housing …
Ms Lawrie: Stop telling lies.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Karama, withdraw.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw.
Mr GILES: There is not one new bedroom. As part of the agreement ...
Mr Wood: That is ridiculous!
Mr GILES: That is true!
Mr Wood: No, you said one new bedroom …
Mrs LAMBLEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. My question is about the remote contracting policy and the Aboriginal employment strategy, not SIHIP or your housing strategy.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr GILES: Thank you, member for Araluen. It is hard to get to the point when there is screaming and interjections across the Chamber. But it is very important to set the scene of where we started. It is very important because your employment targets under your senior leadership team of SIHIP was not delivery employment outcomes for Aboriginal people. Our challenge …
Ms Lawrie interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Karama, cease interjecting.
Mr GILES: Our challenge has been how we employ and give control back to people, develop economies and start businesses. Unashamedly, we said we want to give control back to the bush, develop economies, start businesses and have people getting into jobs.
I hear the racial undertones from everyone on that side of the Chamber …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 20: offensive.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister …
Mr GILES: I do not see how that is offensive. There was a question …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause! If the members opposite feel it is offensive, then it is offensive, so please withdraw that reference.
Mr GILES: I withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr GILES: It is interesting to reflect on an earlier question when you said, ‘I saw somebody from Katherine in Darwin’. Were they black? I bet they were!
Labor’s Planned Reviews
Mr CONLAN to MINISTER for BUSINESS
The Opposition Leader and his Labor colleagues have announced thus far they will hold 10 reviews if Labor wins the next election. I am sure there will be many more to come. We have addressed their law and order, tourism, corrections, the budget and primary industry failures. Now the Opposition Leader says he wants to review all those success stories. He wants to review the success we had in tourism, the correctional and budget failures of the previous government and, of course, the primary industry successes we had. Can you please outline to the House – I am sure everyone is interested to know – what impact these 10 reviews, so far, will have on Territory jobs and the local business community?
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Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, before you answer, I will welcome some people to the galleries. I advise honourable members of the presence in the open gallery of interpreters from the Interpreting and Translating Service of the Northern Territory. Welcome to Parliament House. I hope you are enjoying your time here.
Members: Hear, hear!
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Greatorex for his question. The Labor leader said on radio yesterday that he intended to lead a boring government if elected in August. It is probably what they will be because all they will do is reviews.
So far, 10 reviews have been announced, and that number is growing. The Opposition Leader has announced more reviews than he has policies. What policies they have announced are mostly direct lifts of what we are already doing. He is re-announcing them, saying they will have this and that. If you got a briefing you would find those initiatives already exist.
In his jobs plan the Opposition Leader intends to rehash an old Clare Martin Labor election promise of an economic summit if he is elected, which is effectively a time-wasting review. If he is going to do anything, surely he would be doing that now so he can take the right policies to the election? But no, he will have a review after the election. How can an alternative leader tell business, ‘I will wait and see if I am elected, and if I am I will hold a summit to see what you think’? I would have thought, as the shadow minister, he would be out there now finding out what is going on. If he bothered to do that he would find that half of the things he is announcing already exist.
What about the gem of an idea of six more business champions? I want to know which 18 of our business champions he will sack. There are 24 at the moment. He will sack 18; that is more job losses on top of all the job losses created because of his attitude at this point in time.
The pearl of a plan to review the Department of Business and restructure it to create a unit dedicated to small business – what a great idea! The problem is we already did it when we came into government; the unit already exists. It is called Business NT and it is doing a magnificent job helping 14 000 small businesses.
The Opposition Leader, as the shadow Business minister, needs to get up to speed with what is happening in his shadow portfolio. Doing what he does is creating a crisis in confidence. Hundreds of jobs have already gone and thousands more will not eventuate if he is elected to govern. He has sent a message internationally that investing in the Northern Territory is too high a risk to take a chance.
The Labor Opposition Leader continually fails Territorians ...
Members interjecting.
Mr STYLES: They do not like hearing this, but he has failed on key issues. Labor’s former federal Resource minister, Martin Ferguson, could not have put it any clearer, ‘If Labor wins the Territory election in August with bad policy from Michael Gunner it will inflict real economic harm to the Northern Territory’.
Antisocial Behaviour – Police Numbers
Ms MOSS to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Community members using my meeting room are telling me they are now scared of the antisocial behaviour that occurs outside. Deaf NT representative, Ms Betty Franklin, spoke about the large pool of blood she saw when she was coming into the office. She also said their Auslan teacher has been grabbed. She said the teacher was very concerned and has called for the government to put in controls to allow antisocial behaviour to be controlled.
Police tell me you have reduced the number of police in Casuarina by 10%, cut the Police beat, absorbed it into general duties and moved it from Casuarina, and shut the police shopfront at Casuarina Square.
What do you say to community members scared of going about their daily lives when you have reduced police numbers which could help this situation?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Casuarina. That is a terrible story from Deaf NT. I am keen to chat with them to hear their concerns and find out what happened. I will have my office set up a meeting soon, possibly next week, to hear their fears. I am happy to chat with you in your electorate office to see how that can happen.
The claim that police numbers at Casuarina are decreasing is not correct. Police numbers have been increasing ...
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: This is a serious issue about Deaf NT and its concern. We need to have respect and hear the answer rather than scream across the Chamber, member for Nightcliff.
Member for Casuarina, I will take that issue on board. I am happy to have a meeting and that you are there. I will bring police representatives along and we can explain what is happening in Casuarina.
Crime is down in Casuarina. I know there is noise and hustle and bustle, but crime is down. There will always be victims of crime and that is a terrible situation to be in. Seeing blood at the front of an office is not nice in any part of the Territory or Australia. I understand the issue.
I have a question. It would be good to know how many times you have called police and raised a concern when you have seen antisocial behaviour or crime. If you could let me know, member for Casuarina, how many times you have rung police and made a complaint, I will find out the response times in the situations so we can understand that. I would appreciate it if you could let me know.
If any member of the Labor Party would be so kind as to let me know when and where you have called police I will investigate the incidents and follow them up. I will follow up with you and Deaf NT to find out exactly what has happened.
Labor Election Candidate – Behaviour
Mrs FINOCCHIARO to CHIEF MINISTER
On the back of a recent newspaper article it was reported that the Labor candidate, Phil Tilbrook, had attempted to access funds from a trust account managed by the Prison Officers Association. This is obviously very concerning to Territorians. How has our government responded?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. I was also shocked to hear about this. I did not read about it in the NT News; I heard about it in Alice Springs when a number of prison officers came to me complaining that one of the NT Prison Officers Association officials had demanded money from the trust account to fund a Labor Party campaign.
Money set aside by prison officers in a trust account is to support prison officers for the purposes of their social wellbeing, as it relates to their employment or otherwise. It can help family members also. But in this regard this gentleman, Mr Phil Tilbrook, the head of the Prison Officers Association, was demanding money from this trust account which is supposed to go to family members of corrections officers.
The member for Casuarina is raising questions and matters of concern to do with crime. Surely she must be concerned that someone wishing to be a part of the Labor team has demanded that money from a trust account designed for prison officers and family members be spent on campaign agendas.
I am sure we are all well aware of the claims made of union dollars flowing into the Labor Party. I know Labor members like to deny that. Here is a specific request from an association to drive money forward.
The question was about what we are doing from a government point of view, but I am interested to know what Labor and the Leader of the Opposition are doing about these claims from candidates demanding union money to fund campaigns. That money has gone into trust accounts to help members of the Prison Officers Association or their families. Heaven forbid that a prison officer is injured and their family needs support, but that is what this money is for. It is not supposed to go towards Labor-funded campaigns.
Leader of the Opposition, come out of hiding and explain what you will do. These are tough environments when you have to show leadership and decision making. You have to stand up for Territorians. This is a very small but important issue where you can gain some strength by doing something about it.
I challenge you, Leader of the Opposition. What will you do to stop Phil Tilbrook from raiding money for the coffers of prison officers which is supposed to help people …
Mr Tollner: He is on leave.
Mr GILES: He could be on leave. He looks as if he is a bit vacant and dormant.
Leader of the Opposition, I challenge you to do something about Phil Tilbrook, pull him into line and stop him from doing this. Tell the unions to stop using standover tactics on their members, trying to take money from families and members to drive Labor Party campaigns.
Milingimbi Police Resources
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
The Milingimbi community is home to some 1200 people and does not have one police officer, nor does it have a women’s safe house. You have reduced the number of remote police sergeants from 41 to 30. Your policies are failing Territorians who live in the bush. When will you provide the people of Milingimbi with the resources they need and have been calling for to keep their community and families safe?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a serious question but I am very keen to know where the police station at Milingimbi was when you were in government. It was not an issue big enough for you to put a police station there.
Quite clearly, we are rolling out more police to remote parts of the Northern Territory on a regular basis. The Prime Minister and I speak about how to increase levels of policing on a regular basis. We are currently in the middle of negotiation between the Northern Territory and Canberra about increasing the number of police and seeing changes in levels of servicing in remote parts of the Northern Territory.
Yes, Milingimbi is a big community. Does it need a police station based on its numbers, compared to other communities? Quite possibly it does. Does it need a police station based on the level of crime? Is that what the TOs are asking for? How do we service that and otherwise?
Ramingining currently services Milingimbi police station and does quite a good job. I am not criticising police like the Labor Party does. I want to see regular levels of servicing in the right places. Milingimbi, as a community, is one that is raised on a regular basis regarding putting in extra police. If we put extra police there, how do we fund and resource it from a policing point of view? It is something the former Labor government did not think was important enough to do, but we are looking at.
There are two different points here. One is you are trying to grandstand when you did not do anything about it in the past. We are looking at it and will continue to look at it.
Political Donations
Mr WOOD to CHIEF MINISTER
You said in Question Time yesterday, when referring to deals by the Labor Party, that on 17 July 2008 CSG made a $50 000 donation to the Labor Party, so the contract had gone from $7m to $14m interstate with Fujitsu and CSG. Maybe we need an ICAC to look at that.
Your government received a $150 000 donation from the Australian Hotels Association at the last election. Since then you have changed the regulations, allowing pubs to double the number of pokies and clubs to increase the numbers by 10, with already 13 pubs and clubs getting approvals, meaning profit windfalls. Would it not be handier of you to say we need an ICAC to look at that? Will your party refuse donations from AHA NT for this upcoming election?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for the question. We also raised taxes on poker machines in the casino to the point where the Community Benefit Fund is now $10m or $11m …
Mr Chandler: Up from $3m.
Mr GILES: Up from $3m. The Community Benefit Fund is taking the taxes of poker machines and putting that money back into the community.
We cannot spend that money quickly enough. We are holding regular community forums, talking to the community about how to apply for the CBF funding through an application process. We want the money that goes through poker machines going back to the community.
I spoke about pokies the other day and said that the community clubs do not pay the taxes the pubs and casinos pay because community clubs are designed to put money back into the community. Pubs and casinos are putting money through the CBF back to the community through their taxes.
In regard to donations that have been received from the AHA, many people have received donations from it.
Since coming to government we have become tougher on the AHA. We have coppers out the front of bottle shops in three big towns in the Northern Territory. Wholesale alcohol supply has gone down in every part of the Northern Territory except for Palmerston, which is growing rapidly in population. The amount of alcohol being sold in the Northern Territory is decreasing. If we were to do favours for the AHA we would sell more grog. We are getting tougher in Mitchell Street, tougher on supply and policing, and increasing taxes on poker machines across the Territory ...
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. The question was: will your party refuse to accept donations from the AHA for this upcoming election?
Mr GILES: Thank you for the question. Donations to the party is a matter for the party. I appreciate the intent of your question.
I have just explained quite thoroughly that we have reduced the amount of alcohol being sold across the Territory and we have raised taxes on poker machines. One of benefits is we have had developments at pubs and clubs which have seen the construction industry get more money. This has been a good outcome. We have not taken money and then bent over and bowed to the industry. We have become tougher and made our streets safer. Tell me the last time you heard about a major assault in Mitchell Street.
The Darwin Safe campaign is working in partnership with liquor accords and agreements across the Northern Territory. If you look at Tennant Creek, Elliott or Mitchell Street you will see we are getting tougher on this industry because we want to make sure people can enjoy a beer and a good night out but also get home safely. They are the results we are seeing from this.
Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
ANSWER TO QUESTION
Commonwealth Land – Status
Commonwealth Land – Status
Mr TOLLNER (Lands and Planning): Madam Speaker, yesterday I was asked a question by the member for Nelson which I took on notice. The question related to the Commonwealth looking at selling off a large parcel of land along the Stuart Highway at the 11 Mile. The member for Nelson wanted to know what, if any, discussions had taken place with Defence on the future use of that land and what we are considering using it for.
Member for Nelson, the property you referred to is Section 5122, Portion 1157, Hundred of Bagot. It is, as he said, owned by the Commonwealth. The site is 75 ha in size and provides some general industrial development along the Stuart Highway. A future road and rail corridor has been identified through the site. That corridor can be achieved at any future time during a subdivision process.
The site is currently marked for sale by the Commonwealth. The department of Lands has advised the Commonwealth that we are not interested, at this stage, in purchasing that site ...
Mr Wood: What will it be used for?
Mr TOLLNER: That will be up to the purchaser to determine, member for Nelson.
Ms Lawrie: Zoning determines it, you fool.
Mr Wood: You are the minister for zoning.
Ms Lawrie: Zoning determines the use, you idiot!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Karama, withdraw that please.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016