2011-10-18
Alcohol-related Assaults - Statistics
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday, you claimed a drop in alcohol-related assaults because of the Banned Drinker Register; however, your figures are dodgy. You chose to compare statistics for a full quarter last year with this year’s quarter, but you held back five days-worth of figures. How many assaults were recorded during those five days? Will you now apologise to Territorians for deliberately misleading them?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am advised there was a typo in the documentation, but the figures are accurate. What it shows is these reforms are starting to bite; that we are seeing a reduction in alcohol-related assaults and violence across the Northern Territory as a result of the Banned Drinker Register and the suite of policy initiatives we have put in place.
We all know that if you want to tackle crime you have to tackle grog. Sixty percent of all violent crime is alcohol-related, and the vast majority of domestic violence is alcohol-related, so turning problem drinkers off tap will reduce the incidence of violence. Since these reforms kicked in on 1 July, 1500 people have been banned from accessing alcohol. That is a significant achievement. I pay tribute to our police force who have grasped this weapon we have given them to tackle alcohol-related crime and have run really hard and to great effect.
Assistant Commissioner Mark Payne was on the news last night saying, once again, that this is the most significant legislative tool the police have ever had to deal with violence, crime, and antisocial behaviour across the Northern Territory. Despite of that affirmation from our police, the CLP says it would scrap it. To those 1500 people who are banned from accessing grog as a result of repeat drink-driving, acts of violence, alcohol-induced domestic violence, being picked up and taken into protective custody over and over again, the CLP has said: ‘We will turn the tap back on, and all you guys and girls, you are back into it, back onto the grog’. There are 1500 people who are currently banned from accessing alcohol, who are not committing acts of violence because of their ban from alcohol.
These figures are trending in the right direction. If you want to tackle crime, you have to tackle grog. I am proud of the reforms this government has taken. They have been tough and courageous. They are the toughest alcohol laws in this nation, if not in many parts of the world, and we are already seeing significant results.
What we do know is the opposition would take us backwards. They would take us back to the dark days when people could get whatever they want, whenever they want, from wherever they want. We will not be doing that. We will be sticking with these reforms. The reforms have been endorsed by police men and women who are out there every day tackling crime, violence and antisocial behaviour. The CLP would scrap it.
Supplementary Question
Alcohol-related Assaults - Statistics
Alcohol-related Assaults - Statistics
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
The Chief Minister, in his defence, said it was a typo. Given that you and your government have chosen to withhold official crime data, could you please produce the evidence to back up your claim that it was simply a typo; and will you now make a public statement to Territorians to reassure them that it was not dodgy data?
ANSWER
Oh dear, oh dear. I am quite happy to table these figures that show the following results for recorded assaults between July and September by region and alcohol involvement. Alcohol-related for Darwin is down 20.6%. Alcohol-related for Palmerston is down 23.5%. Alcohol-related for Katherine is down 15.8%. Alcohol-related for Alice Springs is down 17.5%. Alcohol-related for Tennant Creek is down 19.5%. Alcohol total average for the Northern Territory ...
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have asked for the official data to be tabled so the claims can be verified.
Madam SPEAKER: The Chief Minister has already indicated he will table it.
Mr HENDERSON: I am just reading out to this House, and to people who are listening, the significant reductions in alcohol-related violence. These are the official figures. They tell the true story. The CLP would see those 1500 people who currently, as a result of their appalling behaviour, cannot access alcohol, back on the grog again tomorrow …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Ms Lawrie: He has tabled it.
Mr ELFERINK: It has been tabled? All right.
Members interjecting.
Mr Elferink: I am just being careful. You cannot trust you guys.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin!
Northern Territory – Heading in the Right Direction
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER
The opposition has announced that they want to change the course of the Northern Territory. Their tag line is ‘A New Direction’. Can you please update the House on how the Northern Territory is heading in the right direction?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. The Territory is absolutely heading in the right direction. When you look at what is happening around the world, there are very few other places you would rather be. North Australia will drive this nation’s economy over the next 50 to 100 years, and Darwin is the capital of northern Australia. We have a great future in the Northern Territory. At a time of global economic turmoil, our economic future is bright. Everyone believes that the Northern Territory’s economic future is bright apart from those members opposite who only see doom and gloom. Everywhere they look, they see doom and gloom.
It is not just the government saying this. We have twice the business confidence of the rest of the country. We have experienced the lowest unemployment every month for the last two years - an unprecedented achievement - and Territory business has the confidence to invest in jobs. Unlike most places around the world, Territory businesses have confidence in the future. We will continue to work hard to deliver high-paying jobs for Territorians and opportunities for Territory business. Of course, the INPEX project stands as the most prominent example of our bright economic future.
Whilst I am on INPEX, the scale and benefits of the INPEX project was the subject of a discussion on Q&A last night in front of a national audience. It was a pleasure to be on Q&A with the true Leader of the Opposition, the member for Fong Lim. We had an entertaining exchange. The true Leader of the Opposition certainly …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … appealed to the CLP faithful in the audience. However, we know the current Leader of the Opposition, the member for Blain, spent all last week bitterly complaining that he was not involved in the show. We know that the Leader of the Opposition was ringing Q&A saying: ‘But I am the leader, I am the leader. Why is Dave on Q&A and not me? I am the leader, why not me?’ We know he was complaining that he had not been invited on to the show. Even more than that, the true Leader of the Opposition …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Honourable members!
Mr HENDERSON: The true, spiritual leader of the CLP did not even let his leader know that he had been invited on to the show and that he had accepted. And good on you, Dave, it was certainly an entertaining performance. It speaks volumes that the southern producers of Q&A know who the real Leader of the Opposition is. It is the member for Fong Lim who is calling the shots. It is the member for Fong Lim who is heading the CLP in their policy direction, not the Leader of the Opposition who bitterly complained he had been overlooked as the true Leader of the Opposition for this show. Again, it was an opportunity to show how the Territory is heading in the right direction …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, your time has expired.
Mr HENDERSON: … I would welcome Q&A back to the Territory on any other occasion.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Your time has expired.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, I ask you to never stand and yell across the Chamber in that manner again.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, in my defence, I was simply responding to someone standing and yelling at this side of the House with nonsensical dribble.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat.
Central Australia – Bushfire Threat
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
Bushfires across thousands of square kilometres in Central Australia have forced the closure of the Stuart Highway and evacuation of the Tara community near Barrow Creek. That is on top of the devastating fires over the past month. However, as is often the case with your government, it is out of sight, out of mind. In the environmental statement you plan to deliver later today there is not one mention of bushfire management or the shocking impact of fires around Central Australia. Why has your government let Central Australia burn? Why did you not adequately prepare for the fire season despite plenty of warning?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. As a former minister responsible for bushfires - albeit less than one year - she should know the effort this government puts into bushfire control.
We have known for some time, with the extremely high amount of rain we have had throughout Central Australia and the Top End, that we would be faced with a huge challenge in managing bushfires, and we are. I acknowledge all those volunteers, people from Parks and Wildlife, the rangers, and the many Indigenous rangers …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Braitling!
Mr HAMPTON: … from organisations such as Ingkerreke Outstations Resource Services, and many of those pastoralists who have been out there fighting fires over many months now. They are the ones on the front line. We should not be coming here saying they are not doing a good job. They are working under pressure. Government is working with them to …
Mr Bohlin: No, we are saying you …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Drysdale!
Mr HAMPTON: … to resource them to fight these massive fires. We have a large amount of fuel out there. It is a big country. We are doing the best we can, and I acknowledge the great work of our many volunteers.
The Chief Minister and I had the pleasure to be in Alice Springs a couple of weeks ago where we held a function for volunteers to show respect and acknowledge the work they are doing, and to also thank the South Australian Country Fire Service workers. This is what it is like in Central Australia: when times get tough, people come together. The community gels. I thank the South Australians for coming across the border to help our firefighters manage such a huge fire. Many people are saying it was the biggest fire in the last 10 years …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling!
Mr HAMPTON: The government has also been pleased to continue funding for NAFI, the North Australia Fire Information, which has proven to be a very important tool in determining where fires are, how best to manage them, and where to put fire breaks in to stop them spreading. However, as we know, Mother Nature is awesome. When you have a combination of high winds with high fuel loads, it is very hard to stop and, in a vast country, you cannot manage all these fires but you can be best prepared.
I met with many stakeholders in December last year …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Drysdale! Member for Braitling! Member for Sanderson!
Mr HAMPTON: Last year, I met with the Cattlemen’s Association, bushfire representatives and the land councils. We started talks last December in preparation for the bushfire season this year. We have announced extra funding for radio units and a grader to help those volunteers fight the fires. We have listened. We have acknowledged the hard work they are doing, unlike the opposition who criticise the work they are doing.
Banned Drinker Register – Impact on
Reducing Alcohol-related Crime
Reducing Alcohol-related Crime
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for ALCOHOL POLICY
Key to the alcohol reforms is the Banned Drinker Register to turn problem drinkers off tap. Can you please update the House on the impact the Banned Drinker Register has had on reducing alcohol-related crime?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy who understands just how important these reforms are in turning lives around and making our community safer. We are leading the nation in our comprehensive holistic approach to alcohol reforms. We are turning the problem drinkers off tap. We are enforcing those bans through the Banned Drinker Register, but without criminalising chronic alcoholism.
Although I stress it is only early days yet, I am pleased to report that, after three months of operation of the Banned Drinker Register, it is having an impact on reducing alcohol-fuelled assaults. We have more than 1500 Territorians on the Banned Drinker Register. Preliminary data extracted from the police PROMIS system shows that, as at 1 October - and that was information tabled in parliament today by the Chief Minister - alcohol-related assaults have dropped by 15% across the Territory. If you look at all those regional centres, there are significant drops in alcohol-related assaults.
The exception to that is Nhulunbuy. As I explained yesterday, Nhulunbuy does not yet have a Banned Drinker Register tool in place; it is still operating under the permit system. Our government has a tender out to ensure we have the IT solution to link the permit systems in East Arnhem - which are good alcohol management plan-operated systems - with the Banned Drinker Register. That will be in place early next year. Nhulunbuy is the standout in significant drops. All regional centres, including Darwin, had significant drops in alcohol-fuelled assaults.
Based on this preliminary data, that 15% drop equates to some 164 fewer victims of alcohol-fuelled violence due to the reforms that came in on 1 July. Police have very strong support for these tools. Yesterday, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mark Payne, stated:
- … police did see it as one of the most powerful tools if not the most powerful tool available to police to actually deal with the source problem of antisocial behaviour and the violence that was occurring in the community. I think these early indicators prove that the initiative is working.
The Assistant Police Commissioner also stated he would like to see the initiative continue:
- From a policing point of view we see some tremendous results from this initiative.
The government brought in these tough new laws. Police say it is the best tool they have ever been equipped with to fight crime and alcohol-fuelled violence, but the opposition remains committed to stripping these tools away. Yet we see at this important regional level that the BDR has resulted in a 20% drop in alcohol-fuelled assault in Darwin; a 23% drop in Palmerston; a 17% drop in Alice Springs; a 15.8% drop in Katherine; and a 19.5% drop in Tennant Creek ...
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Carbon Tax – Alleged Increase in Electricity Costs
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE to MINISTER for ESSENTIAL SERVICES referred to TREASURER
It is a short and brief question because Territorians would like a short and brief answer. How much will the cost of electricity rise as a result of Labor’s carbon tax?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is nice to hear a question from the member for Katherine. As the member for Katherine well knows, we have gas in the Northern Territory - 25 years of a gas sales agreement into the future. As has been highlighted …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister also knows we have 43 000 houses that are powered by diesel. The question was …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim …
Mr TOLLNER: … what will the price of electricity rise by, not some airy-fairy waffling answer about gas.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim! Resume your seat, thank you, member for Fong Lim. You might have noted the minister was only about 15 seconds into the answer. It is a bit hard for him to make his case …
Mr Tollner: Stand up and say 5%.
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has the call, not you, member for Fong Lim!
Mr KNIGHT: You are not on Q&A again, member for Fong Lim.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Direct your comments through the Chair please, minister.
Mr KNIGHT: Under the administrative arrangements - I will just inform the member for Katherine - the shareholding minister is the Treasurer. The Treasurer handles the pricing arrangement. That is the arrangement, and the Treasurer …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr KNIGHT: I will just make this point, Madam Speaker, that the CLP’s position …
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister acknowledged he does not have carriage of the issue, he does not understand the question, he is going to defer to the Treasurer. Let him do it so we can get an answer.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, perhaps you could resume your seat as well. Minister, are you asking the Treasurer to respond to the question?
Mr KNIGHT: I was just finishing my statement, and was going to re-direct to the shareholding minister, Madam Speaker ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Can you keep it very fast then, thank you. Order! Order!
Mr KNIGHT: Currently, the CLP’s position on Power and Water is to sell it …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Treasurer.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes, I can advise that as the shareholding minister of Power and Water, this is appropriately referred to me as Treasurer. Power and Water estimates the average household electricity bill will increase by approximately $2.70 per week in the Territory, while the Commonwealth Treasury estimates average national bills may rise by approximately $3.30 per week. This reflects that the Territory has that lower payment because of the clean gas our minister was talking about. With the compensation package of $10 on average, Territorians at that end will be better off.
Humpty Doo Police, Fire and Rescue Station
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
The Humpty Doo Police and Fire centre is an important facility in the rural area. Could you please say whether the rumours are true that the government intends, or is considering, closing part of this facility down during the next Wet Season?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I was at the opening of the joint NT Police, Fire and Rescue Station at Humpty Doo. It was an initiative in the early term of our government to build the station and provide improved policing and fire services to the rural area – something the CLP never got around to doing in 27 years of government. Member for Nelson, I am not sure where this story comes from, but I can give you an absolute guarantee and assurance that there is no plan to close that facility this Wet Season or at any other time.
Territory Health Services
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for HEALTH
Our government has a strong record in leading Territory health services in the right direction with more frontline health workers and more facilities than ever before. We have opened the Palmerston Super Clinic and we are fighting for the families of the northern suburbs to have their own. Can you please update the House on the directions this government is taking to improve Territorians’ health?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. Our government is the government which has delivered the strongest health system in the Territory. Not only have we strengthened our workforce by providing 720 additional nurses, but we have also increased the number of doctors by 93% since 2001. We are the government which opened the first full medical school, the world-class Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre, the award-winning hospice, the rapid admission unit, the birthing centre, and expanded hospital capacity with 127 new beds. The CLP had closed wards and cancelled beds.
Primary healthcare has been strengthened with a massive increase to remote health with the opening of the $10m Palmerston GP Super Clinic – 18 000 people have accessed that super clinic since its opening, and 28 000 people have accessed the after-hours urgent care clinic.
The super clinic in Palmerston provides GPs, nurses, mental health services, respiratory physicians, private physios, dietetics, psychologists, and a pathology collection centre; a comprehensive clinic providing essential services to the people of Palmerston. We believe the people of the northern suburbs deserve the same, which is why I have asked Nicola Roxon to meet with me to discuss how we can deliver a similar clinic in Darwin.
We support the super clinics – the CLP does not. The CLP has opposed it, they said they want to close it, and I am very conscious that the members from Palmerston would not support something like that. Let me mention that Peter Dutton, the shadow minister for Health, has a super clinic in his electorate – he did not oppose it. The CLP opposes super clinics in the Territory …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: We continue to lead the way. We are progressing our plans for a new hospital in Palmerston; building a new emergency department in Alice Springs; expanding operating theatres for more elective surgery; expanding the Royal Darwin Hospital emergency department; and building patient accommodation and medi-hotels. What is more important is the outcomes we see in the community. Since we have been in government, we have seen a 4.5-year improvement in life expectancy for Aboriginal women; improved the Indigenous infant mortality rate by 37%; the anaemia rate for Aboriginal children has gone down by 20%; cervical cancer rates have fallen by 61% - a dramatic decline in mortality from cervical cancer; it has fallen 64% for non-Indigenous women and 92% for Indigenous women between 1991 and 2003.
We invested heavily in renal dialysis, and have seen survival rates as we have never seen before. People with renal disease in the Territory will now have exactly the same time as the rest of Australia – an increase of seven years in their life expectancy. This government has provided the best health system in the Territory.
Carbon Tax – Alleged Increase in Milk Costs
Mr GILES to MINISTER for TRANSPORT referred to TREASURER
Trucks run on diesel and they freight milk to the Northern Territory. How much extra will a litre of milk cost when you add on Labor’s carbon tax?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Braitling and his interest in transport …
A member: And in milk.
Mr McCARTHY: In milk. I pick up the interjection - in milk. These are early days. We are about working with the Australian government. If we get into details then, of course, I will provide you with details. That line of questioning is trying to make mischief. Let us work together on this …
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is relevance. The question was very simple: how much extra will a litre of milk cost with Labor’s new carbon tax? Answer the question. It is very simple. If he does not know, sit down …
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat, member for Fong Lim. Minister, could you come to the point fairly quickly, please.
Mr McCARTHY: Yes, Madam Speaker. My point was mischief, if we want to talk about milk. Let us talk about transport, because that was the question …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, please come to the point.
Mr McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, households and light commercial vehicles will not face a carbon price on the fuel they use for transport, so let us put that out …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113. The question is very specific and it seeks a single figure. Can the minister provide the figure? How much more will a litre of milk cost under Labor’s carbon tax?
Madam SPEAKER: I am not certain that is actually a Transport minister’s question, to be quite honest. If he wishes someone else to answer the question; it is not about transport.
Mr McCARTHY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Mischief with milk. I am answering about transport …
Madam SPEAKER: No, minister, they have asked about a separate question. Perhaps you would like to give it to the Treasurer, please. I call the Treasurer.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, a point of clarification. They do not want the Transport Minister to give a transport breakdown on the diesel fuel rebate, who it applies to, and who it does not apply to. If they want a Treasury response the reality is, of course, you take out the categories where the diesel fuel rebate does not apply, and that was a transport answer the Minister for Transport was about to give.
Where the diesel fuel rebate will apply is those long haulage …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We are not asking about the diesel fuel rebate or any other area that the minister might want to take things off to. What we want to know is: how much will the price of a litre of milk go up with Labor’s new carbon tax? A very simple question.
Ms LAWRIE: It comes down to the long haulage diesel rebate issue that is still actually an issue up for discussion between the Territory government and the Commonwealth government around how it will apply, because we recognise …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Members interjecting.
Mr Giles: A supplementary, Madam Speaker !
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! You do not have a supplementary question.
Honourable members, can you settle down a bit. I know we have had a big break since the last sittings and people are getting a bit excited. It would be good to be able to hear the questions and the answers.
Northern Territory Economy – Labour Force Figures
Mr GUNNER to TREASURER
The latest labour force figures show the Territory is headed in the right direction. Can the Treasurer please explain how the Territory economy is placed to keep Territorians working and take advantage of our opportunities?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. We have a very bright economic future. We are heading in the right direction. After 10 years of strong and stable economic growth in the Territory we now stand well positioned on the crest of an economic wave that will benefit all Territorians. We have cut taxes to support jobs and business growth, creating more than 22 000 new jobs since 2001. The most recent labour force figures confirm that the Territory has achieved the lowest unemployment in the nation for the past two years, remaining steady at 3.9%. This achievement, at a time of global economic uncertainty and the flow-through effects on bank lending practices and, therefore, private investment, is significant. We recognised the global impact at a local level. We acted early and lifted our infrastructure spend to record levels.
More than $4.6bn was spent across the capital works program across our three budget periods, recognising the government needed to step up to support those all-important jobs in the construction sector. This strategy has been welcomed by industry, and employment data shows that bold action has paid off. This strategy is literally keeping Territorians in work, and has positioned us to take full advantage of major projects on the horizon. The CLP continues to talk the Territory down. If we listened to them, our economy would be at a standstill and unemployment would be skyrocketing.
The International Monetary Fund has been consistent that a surplus should not be pursued at any cost. Recently, the IMF reiterated this and warned European governments against pursuing deficit reduction at the expense of growth:
- … the pursuit of nominal deficit targets should not come at the expense of risking a widespread contraction in economic activity.
That is the Outlook report of 5 October.
Key economic forecaster, Deloitte Access Economics, predicts the Territory’s economy will grow at 4.2% over the next five years, a rate that is second only to Western Australia. For Territorians, this means more jobs and more opportunities.
Local Government Act – Proposed
Changes Before Local Elections
Changes Before Local Elections
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LOCAL GOVERNMENT
With the local government elections not far away, it is important to know the rules for those who wish to stand for local government. Will you be bringing in amendments to the Local Government Act which will prohibit council employees from standing for council as requested by LGANT? Are you going to change the voting system to make voting for candidates in multi-member wards fairer? If you are going to bring in these changes, will you have enough time to change the legislation and tell people in the shires what the changes mean before the elections?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his questions. These are very important questions regarding the reform process within local government. The answer to each of those questions is yes. In fact, this week, in this sittings of parliament, we will be bringing forward those reforms. I assure everyone in the shires - each employee and the councillors - that we will be working to ensure what comes through this sittings of parliament will give enough time for those members across the Northern Territory to prepare for the March election.
Carbon Tax – Alleged Effect on Cost of Air Travel
Mr GILES to MINISTER for TOURISM
This is not going to be about milk, or yoghurt, or egg on your face or anything. It is about the carbon tax. How much will the cost of an Airnorth ticket from Darwin to Maningrida increase as a result of Labor’s carbon tax which your government supports?
Madam SPEAKER: I am not sure that it really should be going to you, however, you may …
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question. I put on the record, on behalf of the Northern Territory Labor government, a very big congratulations to the federal government for taking steps in their debate in the federal parliament over the issue of greening Australia and the future of the economy across the country. Naturally, we have to unpack the details of that …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause, minister.
Ms McCARTHY: They do not want to hear, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: What is your point of order, member for Fong Lim?
Mr TOLLNER: The minister is correct. We do not want to hear her waffle. We want to hear an answer to the question, which is very simple: how much will a ticket on Airnorth between Darwin and Maningrida rise as a result of Labor’s carbon tax?
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat, thank you, member for Fong Lim. You are making it very difficult for the minister to have enough time to respond.
Ms McCARTHY: The opposition clearly knows, with this debate only just having gone through the federal parliament - for the record for the people of the Northern Territory - that jobs in regional areas such as the Northern Territory will be supported by a $9.2bn jobs and competitiveness package …
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! She is not answering the question. How much will airline tickets go up as a result of the carbon tax?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling!
Mr GILES: They have known it was coming in for a long time. You have done the modelling. How much will airline tickets go up?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling! Member for Braitling, resume your seat. Minister, please come to the point.
Ms McCARTHY: Thank you, Madam Speaker, I will gladly come to the point. The Northern Territory government does not set the price of any particular product in the Northern Territory.
A Working Future - Update
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for INDIGENOUS DEVELOPMENT
You have been reporting regularly on the good work being done by this government with its investments in our regions as part of A Working Future. Can you please update the House on how reform and improvements are building stronger regions and improving services to Territorians no matter where they live?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. We have been working incredibly hard across the regions. These past four years have seen major historic reforms. My department holds a number of those key reforms: the growth towns; the outstation policy; and also local government reforms.
One of the great things about being a member of this government is the teamwork and the united effort we are all putting into our commitment to every single Territorian across the Northern Territory with unprecedented investment in health, education, community safety, transport, infrastructure, and housing. With the Australian government we have invested over $1.5bn to address Indigenous disadvantage with over $20m per annum of Northern Territory grants on top of Commonwealth financial assistant grants. Most importantly, there is real planning involving local people and local government in setting shared objectives, prioritising work, and building stronger communities and stronger towns across the Northern Territory.
It was never going to be easy; it is not easy. There will always be room for improvement. Continual improvement is what our government is all about. We have moved from a system of small local government bodies lurching from one year to the next. As we have introduced reform, we have seen even more clearly the deeply embedded structural issues we have to tackle: the need to replace rundown assets and improve services to all people in the bush; the heavy reliance of the Australian government on our shires for delivering services such as Night Patrols and other community services; and the unique environment of a small rate base and heavy reliance on government grants to underpin the work of our shires.
As I travel across the Northern Territory …
Mr Tollner: Oh, whining?
Ms McCARTHY: … I am heartened by the progressive improvement I see, unlike the members opposite - and I pick up on the interjection by the member for Fong Lim, who says they are all hellholes. This lot over there want to move everyone from all these communities to every place on the Stuart Highway simply because they are too lazy, disinterested, and disingenuous to want to see these places grow ...
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister is misleading the parliament. She well knows that nowhere, anywhere, has anyone ever said we want to move all Aboriginal people onto the Stuart Highway. What nonsense …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat. It is not a point of order. Minister, have you finished your response?
Ms McCARTHY: Yes, I have.
Carbon Tax – Alleged Extra Building Cost
Mr TOLLNER to MINISTER for BUSINESS and EMPLOYMENT
How much extra will a cubic metre of concrete cost a builder laying a slab in Palmerston when you add on the cost of Labor’s carbon tax?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, can you just withdraw that, thank you? Just refer to the member by the correct title, please.
Mr KNIGHT: I thought it was the member for Fong Lim.
Madam Speaker, we do not set the price of concrete. In the Territory …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr KNIGHT: … it has been clearly identified that we in the Territory will actually be better off through this carbon price than anyone else in the country, simply because …
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, do you actually have a point of order?
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order of relevance. The question was asked: what will the extra component be of a cubic metre of concrete? I understand they are not in the concrete business, but they have done all this economic modelling, they know the impacts on the Northern Territory. Surely he can simply answer the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Sit down, member for Fong Lim.
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, that is not a point of order. Resume your seat. Minister, please come to the point.
Mr KNIGHT: As I stated, Madam Speaker, we do not set the price of concrete. As has been highlighted, it is a very marginal cost. Power, being the biggest consumer of any sort of business operation, fractionally increased, with a very big compensation package coming to every family in the Northern Territory. We support business in a whole range of other ways …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr KNIGHT: … the lowest-taxing jurisdiction in the country. That is how we support business, and we certainly do not put prices on concrete.
Education in the Northern Territory
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for EDUCATION and TRAINING
Education is fundamental to our growing economy. Can you please advise the House on how education is progressing in the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. It was a pleasure on Saturday night, with other members of this Assembly, to attend the Smart Schools Awards which showcased excellence and achievement within our education system, and we certainly celebrated that. As I said on Saturday night, there is a record budget for education of $930m. That includes a lot of infrastructure. Both Commonwealth and Territory money has been poured into this sector, but without quality teaching and leadership of our educators, all that investment comes to nought. I believe we have that, and it was demonstrated on Saturday night.
We do have strategies. Our Literacy and Numeracy Taskforce, supported and evaluated by the Menzies School of Health Research, and also Professor Geoff Masters, is bearing fruit. We saw that in the NAPLAN results, despite the opposition talking it down. We saw increases outstripping the rest of Australia in 11 out of 12 domains of testing.
It is always sad to hear the opposition talking down our schools and our educators. In the last sittings the member for Brennan talked down Nightcliff Middle School. I understand it was quite interesting when he visited there; he had his cap in hand and was quite contrite. Members of the opposition need to be very careful about how they put labels on our schools because it is not appreciated at the school level.
Attendance remains our greatest challenge. Everyone in this House is aware of our Every Child, Every Day. We have 12 attendance and truancy officers who have been appointed and are moving throughout the Territory. I can report to the House that there have been 83 compulsory conference notices issued; and 74 students have re-engaged and returned to full-time schooling. There is much more to do. I am not pretending this is a magic bullet, but it is a step in the right direction. Seven infringement notices have been issued, and that is the last resort. I have spoken many times in this House about the whole suite of strategies and policies, which are well funded.
I understand, in conversation with the member for Brennan, that he is developing an education policy, or policies, and I will be very interested to hear those roll out. We need to have a very important debate in this House on education and education policy, because it is so crucial to the future of the Northern Territory.
Carbon Tax – Alleged Increase in Cost of Steel
Mr TOLLNER to MINISTER for BUSINESS referred to TREASURER
How much extra will a tonne of structural steel cost when trucked from Whyalla, in South Australia, where the company producing it is one of the 500 big emitters, to Darwin after you add on Labor’s carbon tax?
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is to the wrong minister. If he wants to ask a tax question, he should direct it to the Treasurer.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes. We will direct the question to the Treasurer.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the opposition is just scaremongering. We are talking about the introduction of a carbon tax through the federal parliament. The price of what will it be adjusted here and there is simply scaremongering …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: … and if you look at the national debate and where this is currently going, there is a very clear signal coming out of business to the federal opposition right now …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Ms LAWRIE: I know you want to gag, Dave, whenever you can …
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause, Treasurer. What is your point of order, member for Fong Lim?
Mr TOLLNER: The point of order is on relevance. We have a Treasurer here who supports this tax but seems to have no detail whatsoever on it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat.
Ms LAWRIE: There is a very clear message now coming out of the business community to the federal opposition. If you look at the Australian Financial Review report, where …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I go back to my previous point of order. It is in relation to relevance. I have asked a question about structural steel. Now she is running off on some tangent about what the Coalition’s policy is.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat. I also ask you to refer to the Treasurer as the Treasurer, thank you. Please, Treasurer, come to the point.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you. I will point out that the power industry is saying to the Opposition Leader that …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I did not ask a question about what the power industry was saying to the Opposition Leader in Canberra. The question was about a tonne of structural steel being used …
Madam SPEAKER: I heard the question, thank you, member for Fong Lim. Resume your seat! Minister, can you come to the point?
Ms LAWRIE: I point out - because he likes to gag - that it is not Labor setting the price on the cost of steel, on the price of milk, or any spurious question that the man who thinks that climate change only occurs on the planet of Triton has running around in his head …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I simply ask her to answer the question, not run off on these tangents.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat. I believe the Treasurer was answering the question at that point. Treasurer, if you could continue.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I pointed out that the fanciful flights of the member for Fong Lim - the man who thinks that climate change only occurs on the planet Triton - is simply in his fantasy. It is not the tax that was …
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, if you think that that is relevant to this argument, there is something wrong. Goodness me! Relevance, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, can you just come to the point. If there is no further information, please resume your seat.
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, cease interjecting!
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, the tax debate will roll on. There will be arguments about the opportunities and there will be scaremongering as well. I point out the business community is saying, whilst you are all over the place, opposition, and fighting the climate debate and the carbon tax, you are actually increasing uncertainty in the business community. …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Members interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Before we proceed, can we just remind whichever minister is answering a question of Standing Order 113, that:
- An answer shall be succinct, concise and directly relevant to the question.
None of the answers that have been given here so far fulfil those criteria.
Madam SPEAKER: Indeed, member for Port Darwin, the questions are also meant to relate to a minister’s portfolio. It is fairly dubious whether some of the questions that have been asked today relate to the portfolio.
Environment – Government Direction
Mr GUNNER to MINISTER for NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
The Henderson government has a strong record of achievement in natural resources, environment, heritage, and climate. What information can you provide to the House that demonstrates the Territory government is heading in the right direction on the environment?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. I thank him also for the tireless work he has done with the working group on the container deposit scheme.
The Territory Labor government is heading in the right direction when it comes to our environment. I can give the House two really good examples of sustainable development led by this government.
The first one is the container deposit scheme. We are currently debating the motion before the House. This government has worked tirelessly. We have led the way nationally with our container deposit scheme. We know Territorians want it. We know the Boomerang Alliance commissioned a news poll of some 250 Territorians. What did that news poll tell us? It told us that 67% of people who were polled strongly agree with the container deposit scheme - 67% - that is a huge endorsement of our container deposit scheme.
The other one is the banning of non-biodegradable plastic bags. Since 1 July when that ban came in, the sky has not fallen in. In fact, I have received many great comments from small retailers and consumers about the ban on plastic bags. In the Territory, around 14 million plastic bags enter our waste dumps, creeks and rivers. That had a huge impact on our environment. Since the banning on 1 July, we have seen a cleaner environment in the Territory.
Madam Speaker, where development has demonstrated risk to the natural environment, government has heeded the advice of experts and the community to prevent that happening. An example members from Alice Springs would know about is this government’s response to the proposed Angela Pamela uranium mine near Alice Springs. I would be interested to see what the member for Macdonnell does now that she has joined the CLP, as we know they support the Angela Pamela mine.
The other one is the dam on the Elizabeth River, or the Daly. We know what the federal Coalition want to do …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HAMPTON: ... damming the Daly. Also, the proposed Arafura Harbour development; fence line to fence line land clearing from crops such as cotton; and also the unsustainable use of water, wrecking special rivers such as the Daly.
In contrast, when this government does diligent environmental assessment processes …
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 79. The minister is not adding any relevance or clearly answering the question. He is making things up as he goes. I move that he be closed and no longer heard.
Madam SPEAKER: No, this is Question Time. You cannot close down Question Time. Standing Order 79 relates to debates, not Question Time. Minister, you have the call.
Mr HAMPTON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will continue with the great story of the Northern Territory Labor government and our environmental credentials when I get the time. When things are done properly, when there is an environmental assessment process conducted properly, the environmental risks are reduced. We are proud of our record over the last 10 years in managing the environment.
Carbon Tax – Alleged Effect on
Northern Territory Households
Northern Territory Households
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
In The Weekend Australian, the very respected journalist, Paul Kelly, calculated that one-third of all Australian households - everyone in this country, including the Northern Territory - will be worse off under Labor’s carbon tax. However, you said in February that you would not sign up to a scheme that leaves Territory families worse off. They are your words. Clearly, your government cannot answer even the most basic questions on the impact of this new tax on Territory families. Is it not time for you to stand up for the Territory instead of rolling over to Julia Gillard and blindly accepting Labor’s carbon tax?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I wondered when the Leader of the Opposition was going to wake up from his slumber whilst the member for Fong Lim was showing his leadership credentials to the back bench.
In the last sittings of parliament, I tabled advice from accounting firm, Deloitte, that very clearly states - this is not from me, this is from Deloitte:
- Since Northern Territory relies primarily on gas/oil based generation, the impact on its generation cost arising from carbon costs is likely to be significantly lower than other Australian regions, especially major Eastern states, that rely more heavily on coal.
It goes on with some figures. The final sentence is:
- The resultant impact on electricity price would therefore be far greater in Victoria compared to Northern Territory.
Clearly, Deloitte says the impact on electricity costs in the Northern Territory is going to be far less than interstate. The compensation is the same. We do not get less compensation, we get the same compensation, so it is clear the article in The Australian does not take into account the Northern Territory. I always said we would not sign up if Territorians were to be disadvantaged. Electricity costs for the average family will go up by $2.70 a week; the compensation is $10.10 a week. There will be slight cost increases in other areas which you can find on the Commonwealth website. It identifies for all those categories, 0.5 here or 2 there, on a range of consumer goods. The majority of Territorians will not be worse off.
The opposition is running a Tony Abbott scare campaign. They have no policies themselves; they have no vision for the Northern Territory. They are just a lapdog and a mouthpiece for Tony Abbott in Canberra. Their collective heads have never been violated by an original thought. They have no policies for the Northern Territory and no vision for the Northern Territory. They are just a mouthpiece and excuse for Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party in the Northern Territory. It is a scare campaign. All households in the Territory will receive a $10.10 a week tax cut …
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Fong Lim has made derogatory comments about the Chief Minister while he was delivering his answer. I ask him to withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, I was not actually able to hear it, but if you could just withdraw.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, I said the Chief Minister was a pathetic lapdog for Julia Gillard …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, I just want you to withdraw it and …
Mr TOLLNER: … I did not know that was particularly unparliamentary. I thought it was more a statement of truth.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, please withdraw the comment, thank you.
Mr TOLLNER: Okay, I withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much.
Chief Minister, unfortunately your time is just about to expire.
Mr HENDERSON: I believe we need to have another look at standing orders, given the tactics of the opposition to gag the government in answering their own questions.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Housing – Delivery by Government
Ms WALKER to MINISTER for PUBLIC and AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Can you please inform the House on what work the Territory government is doing to deliver more housing for Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. We face enormous challenges with housing in the Northern Territory. With public housing, the government is making a $49m investment over three years for 150 new dwellings. We see evidence of that with the new Bellamack seniors village. I went for a drive there the other day and it is looking fantastic. Also, the last time I was in Alice Springs I had a look at the Larapinta seniors village with 18 units, which is fantastic.
I commend the Australian government for their investment through the national partnerships, particularly the $55m for over 200 new dwellings across the Territory. Most of those have been built, and all will be complete by the end of this calendar year. I am advised that equates to about 460 extra beds of accommodation for those who are most needy.
Although negotiations have been somewhat protracted, we are very close to reaching legal agreement with the Affordable Rental Housing Company. We expect them to sign off on that in the next week or so, and for them to set up an office in Darwin in November. Of course, they are part of the wonderful Wirrina development. There will be 35 units involved for them in affordable housing.
In the latest round of NRAS, there are quite a few success stories in the Northern Territory, including Charles Darwin University.
Homestart is a fantastic program. It has helped around 1400 Territory families get their own equity into housing since we brought it in, from memory, around 2004-05. That is fantastic. I was a bit disappointed to hear the member for Brennan say that would not be part of a CLP policy for housing. He said they would get out of the way of the free market, which seems to indicate to me they are not going to have any support for those homebuyers at that end of the market who need some support from government ...
Mr Mills: Just wait. Just be patient.
Dr BURNS: Well, you should clarify your policy. That is the way it sounded when the member for Brennan went out publicly.
This government is committed to supporting families get equity in their houses, and we will continue our Homestart program. We revised the income limits and the price limits in the last budget, and I commend the Treasurer for that. There have been substantial numbers of inquiries and applications since that occurred.
This is a government that really supports that type of program. I would really be interested to see what the CLP policy will be around that - or are they just going to throw those homebuyers to the open free market, as was suggested by the member for Brennan? We are committed to housing in the Northern Territory ...
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Dr BURNS: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Herbert Subdivision –
Flooding and Draining of Lagoon
Flooding and Draining of Lagoon
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT and HERITAGE
Earlier this year, there was flooding in Herbert, and a proposed draining of a nearby lagoon. During estimates, I put the question: ‘Which lagoons are now waterways and which are not? Provide analysis of all lagoons and waterways in the Litchfield Shire’. I have not yet received any information to date on this matter. Can you tell me if this work is being done and when it will be available?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. I can advise him that work on the classification of those water bodies and lagoons is currently under way. A definitive map and report should be finalised by early next year. Thank you for your e-mails and your conversations with me. I am happy to provide a briefing from the department on the issue if you have any further questions. The map and report will be ready for you and the community early next year.
Territory Business Confidence
Ms SCRYMGOUR to MINISTER for BUSINESS and EMPLOYMENT
The Territory government has recorded the highest business confidence in the country. Please update the House on what government is doing to support our local businesses heading in the right direction.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her very important question about our business community. The Henderson Labor government is the most business-friendly government in the nation, and it is recognised every single quarter. The most recent Sensis Business Index came out on 6 September, and the figures were fantastic for the Northern Territory.
At the moment, as we move around the community, we are hearing that things have slowed down a bit. On the back of the recovery from the GFC, people are saving much more and not spending as much, so there has been a tightening up. But even with that tightening up across the nation and within the Northern Territory, the Northern Territory business confidence is twice as high as the national average. It is fantastic for our business community that they have confidence about the future, about the direction of the government, what is coming up in the future - what the government has enabled to come up in the future.
Overall, six out of 10 Northern Territory businesses had confidence about their business prospects over the next 12 months. Our policies are supporting those areas. In the Territory, there were four sectors which recorded the highest rise in business confidence compared to the May quarter 2011. That was in the accommodation, cafes, and restaurants; the cultural, recreational, and personal; the finance and insurance; and the retail trade. That is very encouraging.
There were three key reasons they gave for why they supported the Northern Territory government. They supported the interest the Northern Territory government had in small business, and that we encouraged growth around our small business training schemes. It is the work the department of Business does with the businesses of the Northern Territory which really gives them that confidence. We have our October Business Month. As at yesterday, we had something like 3000 people come through our workshops, beating last year’s record, and we still have several days to go. It is a fantastic month of events. We have our business growth programs, our upskills programs, and also the great work our client managers do in the community supporting businesses.
We are on track. This government has provided those opportunities. This government has gone out and chased down the big projects, and not only INPEX, but future projects such as the Marine Supply Base. There is much coming through and businesses are recognising that. It is great to get that feedback through the Sensis Business Index that we are on the right track.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016