2014-03-27
Government – Confidence in Government
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Three of your members have just walked out of this Chamber, clearly in disgust at your leadership. You have failed to deliver for Indigenous Territorians across the bush who delivered government to the CLP on the back of what have become hollow and empty promises. Last night, your three members - who have just walked out of this Chamber in disgust - told a national TV audience they have put demands to you. It is clear they are now on the verge of leaving the CLP to start their own political party, which means you no longer have the numbers to govern in your own right. How can the people of Blain, about to go to a by-election, have any confidence in your dysfunctional government when your own members show they have no confidence in you?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I think the context of the question was about Blain. The people in Blain know the Country Liberals have a plan for delivering on outcomes for Blain constituents. The people in Palmerston know we have plans for how we will deliver outcomes for the people of Palmerston. They know we are delivering on the first and second stage of Tiger Brennan Drive: the first stage, the duplication of Tiger Brennan Drive up to Woolner Road, will be completed by July; the next stage will be running from August, to be delivered by 2016. We will see a $90m contribution to the road to ensure people have greater ease of traffic.
The people of Blain know we are spending, at the start, $150m on the Palmerston regional hospital, which was promised many times under the previous Labor government. There is only one party in this Chamber who will deliver the Palmerston regional hospital. You promised, many times over eleven-and-a-half years to build it, but all you delivered was a cyclone fence and a sign. We are putting out what the Palmerston hospital will be and released early images of what it will look like. We have detailed the construction works on the road intersection will commence this year. The Minister for Health has detailed when construction of the hospital will start. We have said it will be a hospital for the future growth of the greater Darwin area for the next 50 years to support northern Australia development.
We know the demands placed on Royal Darwin Hospital are substantial. They are struggling under pressure. We need greater hospital services and we are putting them in place.
Ms Walker: Do the people of Blain know three backbenchers have just walked out of this parliament? Are you stepping up and doing the numbers?
Mr GILES: We have a partnership with the federal government …
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, can you please pause.
Opposition members, you may have an audience, but it is no excuse for calling across the Chamber, or interjecting to a level I believe is excessive. I will not put a warning out at this time, but be very careful, it is not a classroom.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. Chief Minister, three members of your own government have literally just walked out of the Chamber on you. This has never happened in Territory political history …
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. Sit down.
Mr GILES: The theme of the question was about Blain and we were talking about what we are delivering for the people of Palmerston and Blain, more so the broader Northern Territory.
We announced last week - the minister for Fisheries announced - we are putting CCTV cameras at the Palmerston boat ramp, as part of ensuring security for the fishermen and fisherwomen who like a day of fishing. There are concerns about the security of peoples’ cars and trailers when they go out fishing for the day, so we are ensuring there is a greater amount of security.
People know property crime, and crime in general around Palmerston and the whole of the Territory, has gone down substantially, to the lowest levels on record. We are delivering for the people of Blain, we are delivering for the people across the Northern Territory and we will continue to ensure we deliver in that frame.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Government – Confidence in Government
Government – Confidence in Government
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
Perhaps you will answer the question this time, Chief Minister, because my question is to you. Three members of your own party, your own government, have literally just walked out of this Chamber. It is unprecedented in Territory political history; you have lost the numbers to govern. What do you have to say to Territorians about this debacle?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I would say to Territorians there is only one party in this Chamber with a plan for the future of the Northern Territory.
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: There is only one party which has a policy …
Ms Lawrie: Your own are walking away from you.
Mr GILES: … in the Northern Territory. You sit over there and interject regularly during Question Time, but the Labor Party in the Northern Territory does not have a policy around what you would do. Should you be in government right now, you do not have a policy. Our plan to grow the Northern Territory, to ensure kids get educated, ensure we have jobs for the future and roll out infrastructure to build the Northern Territory - they are solid plans which Territorians want and accept, we will continue to drive forward in that frame.
Development in the Bush
Mr HIGGINS to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you outline for the Assembly the extensive program of work rolled out by this government to drive development in the bush?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. He is keen on seeing us deliver outcomes in the bush. We want to see the delivery of economic change to ensure there are jobs in the bush and move away from the patterns of welfare and sit-down money, which have been around for too long.
Many would know we have been in talks with a number of communities interested in pursuing real economic opportunities on their land, with strong interest coming in early days from Tiwi Islands, Ngukurr, Wadeye and the Utopia region, where people want to see a change of paradigm, from public sector investments to include private sector investments so we can start to see people have an opportunity in life, start to see …
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: … kids have hope for the future, so they can have a purpose for going to school, ensuring it can be a long lasting program for the Northern Territory. We are putting this under our draft program called Framing the Future, which will be released in finality soon. Under the Framing the Future document, we have investments under four key areas: economic; social; cultural; and environmental - all underpinned through the development of the northern Australia proposed strategy.
Northern Australia will see an investment in infrastructure, education and health, with the Palmerston regional hospital. This includes roads, such as the Port Keats Road in the member for Daly’s electorate, Plenty Highway, Sandover Highway, Carpentaria Highway, Roper Highway and Central Arnhem Road - the top road - at some of those remote locations. We must have the infrastructure in place in those remote locations to ensure people are better connected, have the ability to meet up with one another, and so we can open up and get access to markets. This way, products which are grown, farmed or otherwise can get to the port or the market.
It is a long-term approach. There have been many decades of lack of investment in the Northern Territory. Fundamentally, there are only about four main roads in the Northern Territory, those being the Stuart, Barkly, Victoria and Arnhem Highways. The Arnhem Highway is crumbling badly with the Wet Season and the heavy trucks to a point where a truck is only allowed to go across the Arnhem Highway every eight minutes.
We have substantially invested in the bush. I have been Chief Minister for 12 months and we have been in government for 18 months. It is a long-term approach towards getting more money into the bush. We inherited a $5.5bn Labor debt legacy when we came to government, so balancing to get the deficit to zero and then start paying off debt while getting investment into the bush and creating economies is a challenge, but we are up for the challenge. We believe our policies and programs are the right plans for the future and will deliver outcomes for Territorians.
Firefighters – Compensation Legislation
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER referred to MINISTER for BUSINESS
Northern Territory firefighters have made the reasonable request for legislation which looks after them if they develop cancer. Medical evidence shows firefighters are at a greater risk of developing cancer and your consultants agree. There are 28 000 people who have signed a petition - the biggest petition this parliament has ever received. Last year, the CLP said firefighters had a political motive for this legislation. This week, you said you now support the principle of our legislation. Our legislation looks after all firefighters, including those who already have cancer.
Do you guarantee you will support legislation which is retrospective and looks after all our firefighters, including those who already have cancer?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the shadow minister for his question. I think I answered a similar question yesterday or Tuesday - I cannot remember which day it was. I said in answer to that question I fully support the principle of the presumptive legislation. I also said it is not just firefighters we support but a range of workers in the Northern Territory. I referred the question to the Minister for Business, who has the workplace legislation on this matter, and I said we are looking at this and how we can support a range of workers in the Northern Territory with the same issues.
The Minister for Business is across this issue on a much more stern level, being in his portfolio. I am not flicking the question, but I will ask the Minister for Business to give a bit more clarity on the issue. I fully support the principle and we are looking forward to the outcome of the review, which I believe comes back at the end of April. I will ask the Minister for Business to provide a bit more clarity and detail.
Mr TOLLNER (Business): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister, he is right; a work health review has been going on for some time now. This is because it is the first time in more than 30 years the act has been reviewed. It is undergoing a very detailed and robust assessment. The draft has been up for comment for some time and I expect the full report will be with the government by the end of April.
This government has sympathy for the situation of firefighters, but we are looking at a range of different occupations and rather than just pull one out, we would much rather have a look across the board. As I say, it is a very detailed review which is happening at the moment.
Alcohol Abuse – Temporary Beat Locations
Mr HIGGINS to CHIEF MINISTER
Can you outline for the Assembly any recent figures provided by Territory police on their successful use of temporary beat locations to target alcohol misuse?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. He is interested in finding out about the success, or otherwise, of Operation Leyland, which is the enforcement of a full lockdown at every takeaway outlet in Alice Springs. It is a targeted operation aimed at problem drinkers who purchase takeaway grog with the intent of consuming it in protected areas. It is also about those who might wish to consume top-up grog, as I call it. This is, going in for your second round of alcohol throughout the day, which, anecdotally, causes a range of social upheaval issues in many areas in the Northern Territory.
A temporary Police Beat location has been set up outside every Alice Springs takeaway for every hour of trade, seven days a week, for the duration of Operation Leyland. The intent is to reduce the consumption of alcohol in restricted areas and further reduce alcohol-fuelled violence and antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs.
The results have been impressive so far. During the operation’s first two weeks, police reported a 24% reduction in incidents compared to the same period last year. They have also reported a 54% reduction in assaults.
Let us review this. Assaults have more than halved since Operation Leyland began. This is more evidence to show targeting specific hot spots and problem areas is getting results. It is undertaking a ‘prevention rather than cure’ approach and ensuring we provide the most amount of protection we can, especially for women in Central Australia.
By contrast, Labor sought to inconvenience everybody with blanket rules such as a Banned Drinker Register, which did not work. Since the removal of the Banned Drinker Register, we have seen a drop of wholesale alcohol supply of 4% across the Northern Territory and, where Operation Leyland is occurring, a reduction of 7% in wholesale alcohol supply.
Police are reporting similar success with temporary Police Beat locations in Tennant Creek and Katherine. In Katherine, temporary Beat locations - the member for Katherine is interested in this - began on Thursday and Friday of last week at five takeaway outlets. The results are encouraging: in total, 239 L of alcohol was seized and destroyed; two people were taken into protective custody; four people were nabbed for breaching APOs; two people were arrested for breaching their bail; four were arrested on warrants; four were arrested for drink-driving; 11 traffic infringements were issued; and there was one liquor infringement handed out.
Already, we are starting to see a reduction in crime in Katherine and we are trying to ensure there is greater amenity for residents there - those who seek a safe and harmonious environment and society - and provide a more supportive environment for tourists who travel through Katherine.
The member for Katherine has said early success looks good. We have to get the numbers and statistical data, not rely on early numbers, but it is a positive outcome. It is the way we can provide protection to women across the Northern Territory.
Power and Water – Privatisation and Tariff Increases
Ms MANISON to CHIEF MINISTER
We have just seen three members of your party walk out of this Chamber in disgust. CLP power price hikes are making it harder for young families to make ends meet in the bush as well as urban areas. For example, a young mum living in Woodroffe with a new eight-month-old son is struggling under the weight of her growing power and water bills. She has spoken out to say she will be forced back to work earlier than planned because of her rising power bills. Your government’s power price hikes are hurting families across the Territory. When will you drop your Power and Water privatisation plans, which will further drive up the cost of power and water, and start caring about Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, we never stopped caring about Territorians. Power and Water is not for sale and will not be privatised. If you want to see a reduction in your power price, tell Bill Shorten, the Opposition Leader in Canberra, to vote down the carbon tax, which adds $20m per year to the price of power in the Northern Territory.
It is fact: we are not selling Power and Water, it will not be privatised, and the carbon tax adds $20m per year to the cost of power in the Northern Territory. If you want to see a reduction, see the carbon tax removed.
If you also want to talk about the mistruths shed in this place, have a look at what the Opposition Leader has been saying for a long period of time about CPI on power. I tabled a document yesterday which shows there will be no CPI increase for power from 1 July 2014. This question is not supported and I do not accept the premise of it. I have provided clarity. Yet again, there will be no privatisation of Power and Water; there will be no CPI increase. If you want to see a reduction in power prices, get Labor to support removing the carbon tax.
Blain By-Election – Candidate Obligations Under Electoral Act
Mr HIGGINS to CHIEF MINISTER
You called the date for the election in Blain and any advertising going out must now adhere to the Electoral Act. Can you explain to the House what obligations this act places on political parties and candidates?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I know the member for Daly is very interested in what is going on in the seat of Blain and that dirty tactics being used there. I have a copy of one of the advertisements - I am not sure who this bloke is. It is the Labor guy. I did a comparison: the fellow the Leader of the Opposition did not support as a candidate for Labor but was rolled by her own party versus Nathan Barrett, the Country Liberals’ candidate, and what he is doing for the seat of Blain. I have blown it up so people know the advertisement I am talking about. Let us go through some of these mistruths. It says, ‘Labor did not increase your power bills by 34%. Nathan Barrett did increase your power bills by 34%’.
What a complete lie and a mistruth in the advertisement. Power bills did not go up by 34% and Nathan Barrett is not even in parliament. The Country Liberals did not increase the power bills by 34%. If you want to see a reduction in power bills, tell Electricity Bill Shorten in Canberra, Labor’s federal leader, to support removing the carbon tax and you will see the cost of power go down.
Here is another one: education:
- Labor built Rosebery Middle and Primary Schools.
If you want to talk about schools and teachers in the Blain electorate – this is another lie.
Let us look at fishing. ‘Labor ruled our damming the Elizabeth River and Nathan Barrett planned to dam the Elizabeth River.’ Another lie - no one is damming the Elizabeth River; no one is building a weir on the Elizabeth River.
Let us look at this last one. This one really makes me laugh; it is in the Minister for Health’s portfolio and I am sure she will enjoy it. It says, under health, ‘Labor started building the Palmerston hospital. The Country Liberals delayed building the Palmerston hospital’.
I would challenge anyone to go to the vacant block in Palmerston, where there was a cyclone fence and a sign, and see whether there has been any start to the Palmerston hospital. People will see there is no start to Palmerston hospital. If you drive up the road, you will see a site 15 times bigger, identified by the Country Liberals, where we are building the Palmerston hospital. You will see road works commencing soon for construction of a hospital which will support the growth and development of northern Australia and the greater Darwin area for the next 50 years and, despite $5.5bn worth of Labor debt legacy, we will build the hospital.
There is only one party with plans for the future, and it is the Country Liberals.
Banana Freckle Update
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for PRIMARY INDUSTRY and FISHERIES
Before everyone goes bananas, I want to ask about banana freckle.
Could you please give the House an update on the present state of the banana freckle eradication program? Could you say what the government’s future strategy is and what scientific work is being done to assess whether the need to eradicate was required, and if people in the rural area will be able to grow bananas again and, if so, when? Could you say whether the government has had a change of heart regarding compensation for small semi-commercial growers?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question, which is the first sensible question we have heard from the other side this morning.
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 51: no interruption. It is very difficult to hear the answer and the minister has only just started speaking.
Madam SPEAKER: That is correct. Opposition members, if you could keep the noise level down slightly so everyone can hear the minister’s answer.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: The Northern Territory government takes the biosecurity of the Northern Territory extremely seriously. When banana freckle was detected in Cavendish bananas in the middle of last year, we immediately moved to invoke the terms of the Plant Health Act 2008. We brought the Commonwealth and other states on under the cost sharing deed, which is an arrangement between the states and the Commonwealth for sharing the cost of serious biosecurity incursions into our respective jurisdictions.
Extensive surveillance is continuing, which has resulted in the detection of a further infected premise, making the total number now 29 infected premises.
Apart from the destruction of plants at new IPs and continuing treatment of regrowth at all sites where plants have been removed, other destruction activities are currently on hold pending a decision on the revised response plan. The response plan is an evolving beast, because, while a plan is formulated and predicated on current and contemporary knowledge, as things change and progress over time, sometimes those plans have to adapt.
With the future management of this and how it has been looked at by the government, we are looking carefully, and working closely, with the National Management Group and the group charged with formulating the plans for the response to banana freckle, so we can get the best adaptive plan in place over time. At this point in time, we are continuing with the efforts to eradicate and detect new incursions of banana freckle in the Northern Territory.
The next stage will be to prepare a revised response plan, which will be submitted shortly to the national Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests for discussion before progression to the National Management Group for action.
With compensation for small growers, the government’s position has not changed. Under the terms of the national deed, commercial growers may apply to the National Management Group for compensation. There is nothing in the national deed which allows for compensation to people who are not commercial; therefore, we are not looking at compensation other than what we have announced already as a replacement plant for those which have been destroyed.
Housing Failures in Palmerston
Ms WALKER to CHIEF MINISTER
What an extraordinary day in this House where we have just seen three members of your government walk out on you. Recent building approvals data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics highlights your failure to reduce the cost of living in the Territory. For the fifth consecutive month, dwelling approvals plummeted in the Territory. In the last month, it dropped by a shocking 28.5%. You have failed to release any new land and are relying on land release in Palmerston East, initiated by the previous Labor government. You have scrapped home ownership schemes. How do you explain the dramatic housing failure to families in Palmerston and the voters of Blain?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I do not accept any of the question. Land is being released at the fastest levels ever in the Territory’s history. Dwelling approvals are at the highest levels in the Territory’s history. You have just stated information which is factually wrong and I will ensure we have information to update the House at the end of parliamentary sittings, to ensure Territorians know the facts. Look at what we are doing in Muirhead; the northern suburbs; Palmerston; Katherine, with their land release strategy; Tennant Creek; and Alice Springs. We are trying to negotiate in some of the remote locations of the Northern Territory to release land. It is the most land release ever.
Dwelling approvals are going through the roof. There is $350m worth of unit developments in Darwin as we speak and $450m to start right now …
Ms Lawrie: Thank God for Labor.
Mr GILES: It is not ‘thank God for Labor’, because we have been approving these developments to make them happen.
I have given a commitment to show our housing approval data by the end of Question Time and you will see your question is completely out of order and wrong.
Tourism Industry Investments in the Northern Territory
Mr HIGGINS to MINISTER for TOURISM
The previous Labor government cut our Tourism budget and the Opposition Leader has said she hates tourists. Can you please inform the House how the Country Liberal government is investing in our tourism industry and attracting more national business events to the Territory, bringing thousands of visitors here?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. It is interesting to see the rabble unfold on the other side of the Chamber - being the Australian Labor Party - because they do not have a plan. This government has a plan and, despite what they like to portray to the rest of the world, the government has never been stronger. Our plans for infrastructure, transport, health, primary industry - how many delegates are attending this conference in the next couple of days? There are 650 delegates attending a primary industry conference which had to be moved from the casino to the Darwin Convention Centre, because there was not enough space at the casino. More people than ever were dying to attend this conference. The government has plans for attracting business events. It is a key component to generating wealth and creating great economic drivers for the Northern Territory.
The business events sector is worth $89m to the Northern Territory economy under the Country Liberals government. We have increased expenditure by coming to government and putting a strong focus on the business events sector.
I am delighted to announce this year our hard work has paid off; we have been very hard at it to generate a huge business event sector. We, unlike the Labor Party, recognise business events as being a key economic driver to growing our tourism economy.
We have 30 major conferences secured for 2014, bringing over 12 000 delegates to the Northern Territory. These major conferences will see $52m flow through the Northern Territory. That is $1m a week, and overall the sector is worth about $89m a year. It shows the Territory is punching above its weight when it comes to attracting business conferences. The list is pretty long, so I will run through some of the major ones. There is the highly anticipated Australia Japan Joint Business Conference in October - I congratulate the Chief Minister as we were there last October, working hard for the Northern Territory to secure this major, key critical component of our relationships with Asia, and particularly our relationship with Japan.
It will feature some of Japan’s largest corporations, such as Nippon Steel, Mitsubishi Corporation, the Bank of Tokyo, Mitsui Group, Toyota Corporation, NEC, Japan Airlines, and, of course, INPEX.
Several other significant health conferences are also coming to the Territory this year: the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia, the National Medicines Management Conference - that is in Darwin featuring some 950 delegates - the Australian Society of Anaesthetists, the National Scientific Congress in Alice Springs, and that will feature some 700 delegates. There is also the Ecological Society of Australia Conference, which will also bring with it some 500 delegates to Alice Springs.
We are punching well above our weight. We not only have a plan for the Northern Territory, we are not only stronger than ever, but we also have a plan to grow the tourism sector and achieve our 2020 vision.
Palmerston Public Safety
Mr GUNNER to CHIEF MINISTER referred to ATTORNEY-GENERAL and MINISTER for JUSTICE
We have just seen three of your members walk out, which is unprecedented, as was 2013, the most violent year in Territory history. The most recent crime stats for Palmerston showed domestic violence related assaults were up by 7.2% and sexual assault up by 17.9%. Overall, crime against the person is up.
Moulden residents recently saw a street brawl in their local area and a boy was taken to hospital with head injuries. Local residents say trouble happens nearly every weekend. Why does the CLP not care about public safety in Palmerston?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, once again, I do not accept the premise of the question because we do care. I will hand over to the Attorney-General, who can talk a bit further about this, but first let us have a look. Since APOs came in, there has been a 22% drop - early numbers - in assaults across the Territory. In Palmerston, we do not have the assault drop number on a regional breakdown, but there is a 22% drop.
Let us talk about Palmerston, comparing 2013 with 2012: house break-ins have dropped by 45%; commercial property damage has dropped by 6% and commercial break-ins are down 33%. Wholesale alcohol supply has dropped across the Northern Territory by 4% and we are seeing substantial change, but I will hand over to the Attorney-General, who can talk more on the statistical component of these figures.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, members opposite know what is occurring in this place. The Labor Party is trying to dress up these crime statistics. We have continued a policy they started, but we ramped it up and went a lot harder than they ever did. It was the policy of no longer taking out civil orders of restraint in times of domestic violence, and pursuing those wife beaters and thugs criminally. When you pursue wife beaters and thugs criminally, it puts upward pressure on the number of people going through the court system as criminals.
We are proud of this, because we are taking the people who would beat their wives and flog their spouses and family members and putting them in front of the courts, making them criminally responsible. If you remove the domestic violence component from those numbers you will find assaults have tracked pretty much level, in fact, slightly lower than they have done historically.
We are unafraid, as a government, to pursue those thugs and bullies to the full extent of the law. The members opposite know this. Their approach concerns me; they are deliberately misrepresenting what they know so they can create a sense of fear in the environment. We heard it written large into the question presented by the member for Fannie Bay. He describes an incident then extrapolates from it, and it is suddenly indicative of what is happening in the community.
We have a police force in the community, which is aggressively going after wife beaters and we applaud that. Moreover, we will soon be releasing a domestic violence policy which will place us in the forefront, in this country, of effective domestic violence policies to see more people going to gaol for crimes against women.
Palmerston Regional Hospital – Delay
Ms MANISON to CHIEF MINISTER
We have seen three members of this Chamber walk out today in disgust. We know they have concerns about health clinics within their communities. In August 2013, your media release said:
- Based on current modelling, the greater Darwin region will require an additional 114 overnight hospital beds and 123 same day beds by 2015-16.
The government’s health statistics show alcohol-related admissions and presentations doubled across the Territory after the CLP scrapped the Banned Drinker Register. The CLP government has delayed the Palmerston hospital until at least 2018 and is not clear when these hospital services will be available for the people of Palmerston and the rural area. Why have you delayed crucial hospital services to Palmerston and the rural area for local families, given RDH is bursting at the seams with patients and will become more congested?
Madam SPEAKER: Your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, another question which is, in my opinion, out of order. We have heard this concern about Palmerston hospital. You were an advisor for the previous government, member for Wanguri. You know how things were working in the previous government under Labor. You know after eleven-and-a-half years Labor did not build the Palmerston hospital; you built a cyclone fence and a sign. You also know the Health minister in the Country Liberals government is delivering on the Palmerston hospital.
Let us put this question into context with another question asked by another shadow minister about land release and building approvals. I cannot remember which one it was.
I said I would come back with some more information. In the year to January 2014, the number of residential building approvals in the Territory increased …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. This is a question about a health system. Perhaps the Chief Minister could give us that information at the end of Question Time.
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker! The question was preambled with a number of other assertions. I believe the Chief Minister is responding to those assertions.
Mr GUNNER: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker! The question from the member for Wanguri did not touch upon building approvals. We would like an answer to the health question, he can talk about building approvals at the end of Question Time.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, the question was in regard to health. If you want to defer this until the end of Question Time under Standing Order 119A.
Mr GILES: Thanks, Madam Speaker. My answer is to the heart of truthfulness of some of these questions and the insinuations in the preamble of the question. We heard a preamble which was factually incorrect. We are building the Palmerston hospital.
Let us reflect on some of the other factual inaccuracies in your question. Power and Water being split up and sold off - it is not being sold off. You talked about CPI - it is not happening. Let us have a look at the building approvals …
Ms MANISON: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113 says:
- An answer shall be succinct, concise and directly relevant to the question.
I have asked a question about the Palmerston hospital and the delays. I would like it if the Chief Minister can address the question.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Wanguri, I did hear reference to the hospital and what the government was doing. I understand he has answered that question. He has three minutes to answer other parts of your question, as well as bring in any other information he wants to.
Mr GILES: I will get to the Palmerston hospital, but it is important for people to see the inaccuracies in your question and preamble. Residential building approvals in the year to January 2014 increased by 21.8% to 2299, reflecting a 24% increase in the number of unit and townhouse approvals and a 13.4% increase in the number of house approvals …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 255. I ask him to table the information and return to the health question.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, do you wish to table that or is it your own papers?
Mr GILES: No, people can clearly see it has workings on it. The increase in the number of unit approvals during the year reflects a large number of multi-unit developments in and around the Darwin CBD and Palmerston. These were approved in 2013 when the CLP was in government. The increase in the number of house approvals was supported by increased building activity and land release by the Country Liberals in the new Darwin and Palmerston suburbs of Muirhead, Bellamack, Johnston and Zuccoli, as well as the new Coolalinga subdivision in Litchfield. When you look at the result in housing approvals, what is happening in the Northern Territory puts to bed any claims made by the preamble about housing approvals by the opposition. It also puts to bed any concerns raised about Power and Water, Elizabeth River and the lies and mistruths being spread.
Look at Palmerston hospital in that context; it was promised, but not built by Labor - fact. In eleven-and-a-half years it was not built. We are building it. We have a plan and work starts this year on the roadwork, which the Minister for Transport and for Infrastructure is doing. The work is commencing and we will get it done.
Container Deposit Legislation – Update
Mr HIGGINS to MINISTER for LANDS, PLANNING and the ENVIRONMENT
Can you update the House on what this Country Liberals government is doing to improve the clunky container deposit legislation we inherited from Labor?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. I will be very careful how I answer this because I do not want to pre-empt debate. This is up for further debate during this sittings and next sittings.
Yesterday I gave notice of a bill which will dramatically simplify the sorting process for depots, something I have been striving to do since taking on the Environment portfolio.
The Container Deposit Scheme we inherited from Labor was clunky; it was complicated and illegal. When the scheme was launched there was great fanfare, there was a clever 10 coin flyer in everyone’s letterbox and full page ads in the paper – it was all very nice. However, I wish those opposite had invested as much time and effort in the development of the scheme as they did in marketing it. Perhaps we would not have ended up in front of a judge. The Northern Territory government was taken to court ...
Ms Lawrie: You backflipped.
Ms Fyles: You dropped the ball and forget to get the letters.
Mr CHANDLER: After the federal Court struck down the scheme …
Ms Lawrie: You said you supported it and then you didn’t.
Mr CHANDLER: Does this woman ever listen?
Mr Tollner: Calm down, please.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim!
Mr CHANDLER: After the federal court struck down the scheme, this government, through the hard work of our NT EPA, resurrected it by negotiating with every state - as well as the Commonwealth - to receive an exemption from the Mutual Recognition (Northern Territory) Act. It was not easy, but I was committed to making the scheme work.
This work only got us back to square one. The NT EPA and I embarked on developing new legislation which would make the scheme easier to use and pave the way for more collection depots. It made me very proud yesterday when I was able to introduce amendments to do that.
These amendments will bring about an improved scheme which will promote recycling in our community. We will see the number of required splits – that is, how many different categories depots need to sort their products - reduced from 24 to a maximum of nine. This is being done by removing the requirement to sort containers by manufacturer, instead just sorting by material - glass, tin, plastic etcetera.
Depots will now be required to have an agreement with one coordinator, a measure which has proved prohibitive for some depots. These changes will make the system easier for depots, but more importantly will cut down on the wait times for Territorians who want to be responsible and recycle their containers.
The scheme is very popular. It has become increasingly difficult to partake in the benefits. Due to the disruption of the scheme through its rocky beginning, some depots closed and have not reopened. This is especially the case in our regional and remote areas, where the impacts of existing systems are compounded with the lack of volume to cover costs of running a depot.
I am excited and, as the minister, I will continue to look for areas where our environmental practices can be improved and strengthened. I am like everyone else in this House, committed to protecting our precious environment.
Unemployment Figures in Darwin CBD
Mr HIGGINS to BUSINESS
The Darwin CBD has a population of 25 109, and a labour force of 17 206. How many unemployed people are there in the Darwin CBD?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, can I inform the House the plans laid down by the Giles government to increase economic development and attract private investment and jobs are working. In Australia, the unemployment rate is currently sitting at 6%. The latest economic data reveals there are 330 unemployed people in Darwin city, which equates to an unemployment rate of 1.9%. I know how important employment outcomes are for the member for Daly and I am thrilled he has taken an interest in what is going on in the Darwin CBD.
In the greater Darwin area, where the population is 131 938, the labour force is 82 332. There are 1934 unemployed people, a rate of just 2.3%. Similarly, I could go through the numbers of people who live in Palmerston. The unemployment rate there is 2.5%.
A few years ago we talked about unemployment rates - it might have been the former Treasurer and Prime Minister, Paul Keating, who said when you got to an unemployment rate of around 4%, you were effectively looking at zero unemployment - or looking at full employment. In Palmerston, Darwin CBD and the greater Darwin area, we have an unemployment rate of somewhere between 1.9% and 2.5%. What an amazing achievement.
The Northern Territory continues to be Australia’s jobs powerhouse. Next month I will be travelling to the southern states, beating the drum about our opportunities here, trying to encourage workers from southern parts of the country to come to the Northern Territory and get into employment prospects here. We need workers, we have a developing and growing economy and there is no doubt about it, the Giles government has plans in this area. We see the fruits of those plans and it is sad there is no policy coming from the other side as to how they will drive employment in the Territory.
Government – CLP Failures
Ms LAWRIE to CHIEF MINISTER
We have seen three members of your government walk out of this Chamber in disgust. It is unprecedented in the Territory’s political history. In the CLP’s contract with Territorians, the former member for Blain - the former Chief Minister, who you axed when he was on an overseas trade mission – said:
- If we don’t deliver, throw us out.
Violent crime is up. The cost of living has escalated. You hire your CLP old boys and keep government reports secret. You have delayed the Palmerston hospital out to 2018 and you lie about cutting resources to Palmerston schools. You have been telling one big lie after the other …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, withdraw.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS
Move Proposed Motion of Censure
Move Proposed Motion of Censure
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent this House from censuring the Chief Minister directly, for his dismal attempt at leadership in the Northern Territory, and his failure to stand up for Territorians, including:
refusing to discipline the member for Greatorex over his abuse and bullying behaviour towards the member for Namatjira
ignoring a letter of complaint about the member for Port Darwin from the member for Arnhem
failure to deliver on any of his bush promises and breaking the trust of Indigenous Territorians
hiking up the cost of living for all Territorians by increasing power prices
the disgraceful knifing of the former Chief Minister, Terry Mills, and then lying about it.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, the government accepts the censure motion from the opposition.
I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016