2008-02-19
World War II Museum - Location
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
The Commemoration of the Bombing of Darwin reminds us all of the sacrifices made by the Australian Armed Forces stationed here during World War II. It has also reinforced the community view that East Point is the natural location for Darwin’s World War II museum. Will you now take this opportunity to announce that you are going to shelve the proposed site next to this building and put the museum where it belongs at East Point?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. It is a very topical and appropriate question, on a day that we commemorate the 66th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin. This is a government that will deliver a World War II museum for this city. It is an initiative that we have committed to. As Chief Minister, I understand not only the significance of having a museum that commemorates, records and involves, most importantly, the people of Darwin in how that museum is to be put together, what should be on display and what format that should be. We, as a government, are committed to doing that.
It is a lively debate between very strong calls from a certain section of the community to say we believe that the museum should be here in the CBD where so much of the devastation occurred with the bombs that were dropped on this city. The site of this very building, as I showed some of our guests in the great hall today, where the Post Office stood, is where 10 people lost their lives. There is a very strong significant reason, historically, why the World War II museum should be in the heart of our CBD.
However, I also acknowledge there is a very strong argument and push from people who say that the museum would be better located at East Point, with so much of the infrastructure developed as part of the defence for a potential invasion of Darwin still there. As the Chief Minister, I have said that I will listen to Territorians. I am getting across all the different points of view of this debate and, over the next few weeks, the government will be announcing firmly the site of the World War II museum for Darwin.
Bombing of Darwin – Education of Public
Ms SACILOTTO to CHIEF MINISTER
The bombing of Darwin was the first attack on Australian soil during World War II, yet it is a little known part of Australian history. How can we better educate the rest of the nation of the importance of this event?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for her question. It has been a very moving day, where many hundreds - possibly even over 1000 people - turned out to commemorate the 66th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin; not only the anniversary of the bombing of Darwin, but also commemorating the loss of life with the USS Peary, which was sunk in our harbour on this day 66 years ago. It is a day that is full of national significance.
It really is a defining moment in our nation’s, as well as this city’s and the Northern Territory’s history. It is a day that Darwin, 66 years ago, went from being a backwater to the frontline of World War II with all the fears that surrounded this nation at the time with the possible Japanese invasion of Australia. To commemorate that day 66 years ago is absolutely appropriate. It is a history that, over the years, has become increasingly well known in Darwin. It is certainly a history that is taught in our schools in the Northern Territory
However, there is, surprisingly, when you travel throughout the rest of Australia, very little knowledge of what did occur here - not only on this day during the war, but over the following three years in which this city was heavily bombed. It should be in the forefront of our understanding of the national history.
Last year, you will recall there was a lively debate about having a national history curriculum. Obviously, there are a range people who would be involved in determining what parts of our history would make up that curriculum. At the time, as Education minister, I said very strongly that the World War II history of Darwin and the bombing of Darwin should be part of that national curriculum. The minister for Education will be continuing to take that call into education debates as well as, very importantly, the history of the Stolen Generations being part of the national historical record and part of the teaching of history.
An example is the role played by our nurses on and after the bombing of Darwin. Few Australians would be aware that, of 41 000 nurses who served in World War II, the nurses who served in the Territory were on the spot at Australia’s frontline, tending Australian soldiers wounded on Australian soil. I spoke to a lady in the great hall earlier whose husband was the gentleman who shot down the first Japanese fighter over Darwin. He was severely injured later at the oil tanks when the tanks were bombed and he was covered with burning oil. He was tended to and his life was saved by the nurses who were here at that time.
Yesterday, I was pleased to hear of the announcement by the Prime Minister and Veterans’ Affairs Minister that Canberra is to finally have a memorial specifically dedicated to World War I and World War II. These memorials will be located at the foot of Anzac Parade on Rond Terrace above Gallipoli Reach, forming the view from the Australian War Memorial to the Commonwealth parliament. The memorials will honour the 1.4 million Australians who participated in the two wars, leaving 100 000 Australians dead.
I inform the Assembly that I am writing to the Prime Minister to put the strong view that the bombing of Darwin and the subsequent defence of the north should be incorporated in a meaningful way in the design brief for the World War II memorial. Veterans’ Affairs Minister, Mr Griffin, said yesterday the memorials will reflect pride in Australia’s contribution in preserving freedom and democracy.
Madam Speaker, all of us in this House can only begin to imagine what it would have been like 66 years ago today. This is a fitting tribute to people who served in World War I and World War II, and I will be taking this issue up with the Commonwealth government to ensure that the Territory’s story is told.
Antisocial Behaviour Program – Failure to Deliver
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday, you announced yet another plan to deal with antisocial behaviour around Darwin and Palmerston, but we have heard it all before. On 14 February 2006 - that is two years ago - you promised extra resources, new programs and stronger legislation. In the past, you have also promised to fix the problem with the Community Harmony Project in 2002; habitual drunks legislation in 2005, but not delivered; alcohol courts, 1 February 2005; better laws on 21 February 2006; a Minister for Alcohol Policy in 2007; a substance abuse inquiry, reported on in 2007; and more police repeatedly promised over the last six years. Why should we have any faith in your new program when past announcements have failed to deliver results?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question, and for reminding the parliament and Territorians that this government has, since we came to government, not been ducking this particular issue, putting it in the too-hard basket or pretending that it is not an issue at all, and working very hard with the community to minimise the disruption of antisocial behaviour that does occur across our urban centres in the Northern Territory. Territorians would know that there is no silver bullet in dealing with this issue. It is a complex issue. At the root of it are complex social problems with chronic abuse of alcohol at the core. This issue is being exacerbated at this point in time as a result of the federal intervention, where many people are coming in from remote communities for a whole heap of reasons: income quarantining of welfare payments, access to alcohol, and everybody who lives in Darwin and Palmerston …
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The honourable member needs to be clear that the intervention has been in place for eight months and that cannot be the reason why these programs have not succeeded in stemming the problem.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the opposition, there is no point of order.
Mr HENDERSON: If the Leader of the Opposition was actually out there in the community talking to people and understood what was happening in communities across the Northern Territory, he would know that a significant amount of the increase in antisocial behaviour is as a direct result of the federal intervention that has seen more people come into town, living in the long grass, and getting on the grog ...
Mr Mills: You guys just like to find excuses Okay, excuses. That is the cause of the problem. Without that there would be no problem. .
Mr HENDERSON: It is only the hermit-like Leader of the Opposition, bunkered down in Palmerston, not talking to people about the complexities of the problems we have. He would be the only person who would not acknowledge that we have a significant increase of people moving to Darwin, Palmerston and our regional centres as a result of the intervention.
We will continue to work across government, with non-government organisations and the federal government, very importantly at the mid-year review, to try to get on top of this problem. We are not a policy-free zone like the opposition. We are not a ‘one-shot-in-the-locker’ policy zone like the opposition. This problem has not materialised overnight. After 27 years in government, what was the only CLP response to antisocial behaviour? It was monstering and stomping, Madam Speaker. That was the only policy response they had. I am not saying or promising to Territorians that we are going to eliminate this problem overnight.
We announced a comprehensive package yesterday that establishes a first response patrol, with police and people from Justice to get in the frontline and understand why people are in town, how to work with them to get back to communities or into temporary accommodation, and a dedicated antisocial behaviour reporting line. We have heard the call from the community, very loudly, regarding calling the police and being triaged through the police response line, and the way the police, with all the issues they have to respond to, sometimes place these issues as low in priority. We will have a dedicated reporting line.
We will reintroduce the Night Patrol, recognising that this problem has increased. We have more police and ACPOs dealing with the issue, but we need additional support from a dedicated Night Patrol. We will introduce closed circuit television cameras across the Casuarina business district and also the CBD - a very strong signal to people who are engaged in alcohol-related antisocial behaviour that acts of violence and humbugging people are going to be on camera and, if they commit offences, then those people will be able to be tracked and the police and the courts will deal with them. It will be a very strong signal to people that, if you engage in that type of behaviour in our major commercial precincts, then there is a very strong likelihood that you will be caught on CCTV.
Very importantly, recognising the complex social issues around this problem, we will have increased accommodation. We have a lot of people in town with nowhere to stay, and we will be funding an additional 127 beds to ensure that, if people are in the long grass, we can actually get them into some accommodation and work with them to get them home. There will also be a significant boost to the Return to Home program that has been very effective in getting around 800 people back to communities. Plus, I will be opening an office in Palmerston.
This is a comprehensive approach to a very significant problem in the Northern Territory. We will continue to work hard to deal with this issue rather than being a policy-free zone, which is all the opposition has to offer.
Australia – Benefits to the Territory
Ms McCARTHY to CHIEF MINISTER
The filming of Baz Luhrmann’s movie, Australia, created a real buzz in Darwin - and not just for Baz - and is said to be an international box office hit. Can you please update the House on government efforts to capitalise on the movie to the benefit of all Territorians.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for her question. The shooting of Baz Luhrmann’s Australia in Darwin really did capture the imagination. I am not the world’s greatest movie buff - I am pretty bad at Trivial Pursuit questions when it gets to who was in what movie - but I know enough to know that this movie will be an absolute worldwide hit. I could not believe the many thousands of Darwinians and Territorians who turned up to see the film being shot on the wharf. Driving home on a number of occasions, I also could not believe seeing hundreds of people lining up, after work, to audition for an extra part in the movie.
I have started a campaign to have the worldwide premier for Australia to be screened in Darwin. I have spoken to senior people in the production crew, as late as yesterday, who think it is a great idea. There is a lot of logistics to be worked through. It is complicated, because whoever is going to make the decision is not really part of the crew, and Baz Luhrmann who is making the film, but the distributors. Anyway, we will work through that. They are certainly saying: ‘Put your best case forward’. There are a lot good reasons to have the worldwide premier for Australia in Darwin.
On top of that, I am determined, as the Chief Minister, that we will do everything we can to capture the tourism benefits and the exposure that this movie is going to give to the Northern Territory. It is going to be the equivalent for this generation of Gone With the Wind. It is a great epic; about a great journey and a great romance. Much of it was shot in outback Australia and in Darwin. Tourism NT will be working, as they so very cleverly do - we have some great marketing people in Tourism NT - to put together a campaign around the awareness that this film is going to bring about the Northern Territory, and encourage people to take that great outback journey, to take the great trip on The Ghan and experience the vastness of this unique and wonderful country, to spend time on an outback cattle station and experience the greater country out there across the Northern Territory, to come to Darwin and see where the film was shot, and understand the history and the role that Darwin played in World War II.
Lord of the Rings was an enormous benefit to the New Zealand tourism industry. We can only begin to imagine what the exposure is going to be like for the Northern Territory as a result of this film. Tourism NT will be working very hard to ensure that we do capture the essence of that movie, and get it into the marketplace so that when people are thinking of taking the once-in-a-lifetime holiday to Australia, the first place they will want to come is the Northern Territory.
Minister for Local Government - Program
Mr HAMPTON to MINISTER for LOCAL GOVERNMENT
What are your plans for the next couple of months?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Stuart for his question. I am delighted to be in the portfolios of Local Government and Central Australia. It gives me a great opportunity to get out and around the Northern Territory, and that is exactly what I will be doing in the coming months. As soon as parliament finishes, I will be hitting the road. An intensive travel schedule is being developed as we speak. The next few months are vital in getting across the Territory, engaging with Territorians on the issues of local government and engaging with the Centralian community.
I will be travelling to Utopia, the Tiwi Islands, the Daly River/Port Keats area, Warruwi, Gunbalanya, Galiwinku and Hermannsburg, just to name a few. There will be many more communities that I will be visiting over the coming months. I want to talk to stakeholders. I want to have public forums in shopping centres to engage with the community on these issues. It is vitally important that we do so. I will be listening, I will be acting and I will be bringing that back to my colleagues within Cabinet.
Tangentyere Night Patrol Funding
Mrs BRAHAM to MINISTER for FAMILY and COMMUNITY SERVICES, referred to MINISTER for JUSTICE and ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Tangentyere Night Patrol is funded by the federal government. The current funding is for one car, five nights per week; that is, Tuesday to Saturday from 5.30 pm to 1 am. They do a very good job and I commend them for that. However, they really need two cars on the road to provide the service needed now that we have this influx of visitors to the town. It would stop so many problems if they had two cars answering that call when needed. In the forthcoming Northern Territory budget for next year, will you include additional money for Tangentyere Council to have two cars for their Night Patrol at least, and staff to service them?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I will answer part of this, because the minister for Justice also has carriage with some of the patrols. Regarding Family and Community Services funding Tangentyere, member for Braitling, they do receive comprehensive funding. Approximately $380 000 or more goes to Tangentyere to fund a Day Patrol in Alice Springs. The Commonwealth also funds the Night Patrol with approximately $365 000-plus. In addition to that, they receive $160 000 which is specifically for the youth Night Patrol. There is quite substantial funding.
The meeting I had with Tangentyere and other members of the youth sector in Alice Springs was to look at where those gaps are in a lot of the services. When I met with those services, we saw that there is over $8m or more going into the non-government sector in Alice Springs to deal with some of these issues. It is about working with those services to have a look at whether we are getting the outcomes and how we can be more strategic, and putting efforts towards targeting where some of those problems areas are.
Is adding another vehicle going to get those outcomes? I am not sure. It is something that we are committed to working with Tangentyere and all those services to try to get the outcomes that everybody needs, not just the Alice Springs community, but also the Aboriginal community that wants to see a lot of those problems that are being experienced by their children dealt with. There are two youth patrols that are being funded by Family and Community Services and the Commonwealth. It is about looking at and working with Tangentyere to get those outcomes, and stopping those gaps for those kids falling between them and overcoming those problems that are there.
Dr BURNS (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Arafura. As the Chief Minister alluded to earlier in Question Time, government is looking at a comprehensive package. He made announcements around what is happening within the Top End regarding a public safety model.
I will put it on the record in this House that government has a structured program to roll out across the Territory. It is addressing issues such as simple interventions, providing people a way to get home with Return to Home and Return to Country. Tangentyere is funded to do that by government, as well as other things. I mentioned the identification system in this House as well.
Also, structured interventions are very important. It gets service agencies together, including Centrelink, to really give people some support - whether they have alcohol problems, or problems with Centrelink; whatever those problems are - almost on a case-by-case basis, to support people, get people out of the long grass, out of patterns of itinerancy, and back to their home community. I have mentioned transport and prison release, which are integral parts of that.
In essence, the Chief Minister has made very comprehensive announcements about Darwin. We have always said that a one-size-fits-all is not appropriate. Each location has its special needs, particularly in Alice Springs, where a lot of work has been going on to reduce harmful alcohol consumption. We will continue working with Tangentyere. We fund them to run referral and Return to Country programs and, as I said, the ID service. They are also a member of the tasking coordination group that brings together all relevant government and non-government agencies to target antisocial behaviour hotspots.
Regarding the upcoming budget, a former member of the CLP Cabinet knows that no one can preempt what those Budget Cabinet decisions are …
Mrs Braham: But you start putting in your bids now.
Dr BURNS: I can give assurances to this House, as the Chief Minister has done, that this government is absolutely focused on reducing itinerancy and antisocial behaviour and harmful alcohol consumption within the Northern Territory.
Political Advertising Rules
Mr MILLS to CHIEF MINISTER
Yesterday, I called for enforceable guidelines to prevent the abuse of taxpayer money for political advertising. You responded by saying strict rules already exist. How strict are those rules if this advertising is considered an acceptable use of public money?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. There are strict guidelines which affect government and the opposition regarding public funding for government advertising. They are in place and they are enforced. I could hold up a whole heap of advertisements that have the Leader of the Opposition on them, on a whole range of issues. That particular advertisement talking about a strong and growing economy is an absolutely vital part of government’s role in letting Territorians know that the economy is strong, that it is growing, and that it can grow investment.
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, what the opposition members do not remember - we have been talking a lot about history today. We will go on a little history lesson here. Let us go back to 2000 and 2001, when there was zero growth in this economy ...
Mr Mills: So it is political, is it? Oh, come on!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: There was zero growth in this economy. A new government had been elected, with a $130m black hole in the economy, and a new government which, in talking to the business community, discovered nobody would invest. Nobody would invest because they had no confidence in the economy. They could not see a way forward for the Northern Territory. What did we have as a result? We had an economy that was on its knees. We had people who were selling their homes because they could not make the mortgage repayments. Any competent manager of the economy - and heaven help the Leader of the Opposition if he ever became Chief Minister - knows that one of the most important ingredients in a healthy economy is confidence - confidence to invest.
To actually promote the fact to Territorians that the economy is growing and is doing well actually gives confidence for people to invest. As Chief Minister, I will never stand aside from promoting the great things that are happening in the Northern Territory - great opportunities for business, investment, trade, and people moving to live in the Northern Territory …
Mr Mills: You are promoting yourselves.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON All we get from the opposition is a policy-free zone and carping and whingeing. We will continue to promote the Northern Territory because we want people to come and live here, to invest here, and we want a better lifestyle for all Territorians.
Additional Teachers for Territory Schools
Ms ANDERSON to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
Can you please inform the House about additional teachers in Territory schools?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question because, for me and a lot of our bush members, recruiting and keeping our teachers out in the bush is fundamental. This government recognises the important role teachers play in delivering educational outcomes, training and, ultimately, jobs for the Territory.
Since 2001, our government has employed over 100 additional teachers into our schools and is increasing those numbers still. A key component of this government’s Closing the Gap initiative will be 26 additional teachers costing $12.8m over five years. Teachers will be ready to teach where additional students attend. Furthermore, it was good to be in Canberra …
Mr Mills interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: The member for Blain hates good news, Madam Speaker. He hates knowing that we are getting the teachers out there, we are getting more jobs and we are boosting this economy ...
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That is a ridiculous proposition, Madam Speaker. Absolutely ridiculous.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. You might like to resume your seat.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: You are being really provocative. You are like a naughty little kid in the classroom. There is an ex-principal sitting beside you. She should tell you ...
Mrs Braham: Yes, so just get on with it and speak up.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Madam Speaker, I will look at you and I will try to ignore him – he hates good news.
Madam SPEAKER: Please direct your comments through the Chair.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: The federal government’s election commitment of 200 additional teachers for the Territory is being rolled out. It was fantastic to have been in Canberra when Kevin Rudd, a courageous and great Prime Minister, issued the apology to the Stolen Generations ...
Members interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: They hate this stuff. I was fortunate enough to have been in the Chamber and to see the Deputy Prime Minister - Australia’s first female Deputy Prime Minister, which all women in this parliament should be applauding - stand up and make an additional appropriation of $7.1m for the 2008 school year for recruitment, bringing forward the recruitment of 50 of these additional 200 teachers. The additional funding of $56.8m will be provided for the remaining 150 teachers over the years 2009 to 2011. I welcome this commitment, as does everybody on this side of parliament. We recognise the role that teachers play. I commend my federal colleagues for being prepared to join in with the Territory government with our Closing the Gap initiative and the federal government’s Closing the Gap initiative to have those additional teachers we need into the Territory as numbers increase.
We understand that there are nationwide difficulties in recruiting teachers, which formed part of my discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister and the minister responsible federally for education, regarding why we need to grow our own. That is an important strategy and it certainly needs to be considered by both ourselves and the federal government to have a very targeted strategy in looking at our indigenous teachers within our education system, to professionally develop our own teachers. And not just indigenous teachers. A lot of our young people leave the Territory and go interstate, do teaching, and we lose them down south. It is about retaining our young people, keeping them here, growing them, and giving them the incentive to stay here. I am looking forward to having more discussions with my federal counterpart to look at how, with the department, we can get those initiatives happening.
A lot of the work that we have done since 2001 is in building the capacity of our agencies and particularly education. I thank the previous Education ministers because a lot of work in the policy changes and the resources that were needed, as with most of us as ministers when we have taken on these portfolios has been to do with a lack of infrastructure and resources. Our government, since 2001 through previous ministers, has built up those. I am fortunate to have that portfolio to try to turn around the disadvantage in our remote Aboriginal communities which, for too long, had been neglected under the previous regime. We are certainly looking at, once again, delivering better educational outcomes, training and, ultimately, more jobs, particularly local jobs and growing our own in the Territory.
Alice Springs – Dry Town Legislation
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Are you aware that there are considerable failings with the dry town in Alice Springs? For example, here is the front page of last week’s Alice Springs News, headed, ‘Dry Town a Farce’. Many Alice Springs residents believe that the dry town is failing. They are seeing large groups of drinkers gathering in places around town where they have never been seen before, and they are stepping over empty cans and bottles regularly. Why is it failing? Do you agree that there is a need for significantly more police in Alice Springs to assist with this problem?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen for her question. In spite of the argy-bargy in the parliament over the years, I know she is a passionate advocate for her town. I do not believe that the dry areas legislation and other measures that this government has put into place in Alice Springs are failing. It is certainly early days, and we have seen some significant early gains, which I am sure my colleague, the Minister for Alcohol Policy, can talk about.
In the first nine months of the plan, we have seen a 10% reduction in the consumption of pure alcohol. That is almost 100 000 litres of pure alcohol that has not been consumed in Alice Springs that was being consumed. That is a very significant reduction. There is still a long way to go, and that is why we have comprehensive approaches in place regionally across the Northern Territory to deal with the tragedy that is occurring, destroying so many lives and so many families, around excessive alcohol consumption. There is no simple policy resolution to this issue. Improving education, housing and job opportunities, reducing supply of alcohol, better law enforcement and rehabilitation are all part of a very complex jigsaw in getting on top of this problem.
I am also advised that there has been a significant reduction in the number of serious assaults reported by police. This is corroborated by a reduction in admissions to Alice Springs Hospital for serious assault. These are the facts of the situation. Consumption is still high and we, as a government, are not going to take our eye off the ball. We will continue to work with communities across the Northern Territory to do everything we can to reduce and minimise the harm that is being done.
To say that the plan is failing, when we have seen 100 000 litres less alcohol consumed in Alice Springs - that is pure alcohol; an enormous quantity of alcohol - in nine months is a good start. There is a long way to go. We have a comprehensive approach to this problem, rather than being a policy-free zone, which the opposition is.
Territory Health and Nursing Workforce
Mr BURKE to MINISTER for HEALTH
Can you please inform the House on the important steps this government has taken strengthening the Territory’s health system and nursing workforce since 2001?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his very important question. We are a government that has put 73% extra funding into our health system since we came to power in 2001. As I alluded to last week, we have put in approximately 70 extra beds in Darwin and 83 extra beds across the Territory. We have also supported and funded 318 extra nursing FTE positions across the Territory since we came to power in 2001. Even in the last year, there have been an extra 42 nursing FTE positions put into the system, an increase of 2.6%. There is stability in that workforce also, with a stability factor of 74%.
At the same time, I acknowledge that this time of year is difficult, with the turnover in nursing. We have funded recruitment campaigns nationally. I believe we have had a lot of success in that regard, with 330 recruited into nursing positions as a result of our 2007 campaign. That is a very extensive campaign. As I said, it is not only about advertising, it is about conferences, promotional material and a dedicated telephone number and website.
With the settlement of the nursing EBA, I believe that we offer very competitive salary packages when compared to the rest of Australia. Coupled with that, particularly in the area of training, through collaboration with Charles Darwin University Nursing Faculty and the Centre for Remote Health, there are opportunities and support for postgraduate studies and management training; annual nursing and midwifery awards that are very highly sought after and a great event to attend; and study assistance programs.
Madam Speaker, we will continue as a government to support our nursing workforce. In many ways, they are really the backbone of our health system, both within our hospital system and in our remote areas. We are also moving forward with nurse practitioner legislation. We want to support our nursing workforce because they do so much for the Territory. However, we are also a government that has invested heavily in our health system since we came to power and, with collaboration and cooperation of the federal government, there will be further investments.
Northern Territory Gas Supplies - Blacktip
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for ESSENTIAL SERVICES
In June 2006 at the Estimates Committee hearings, Power and Water, in relation to gas for our power station, said that:
- Higher than planned gas consumption will lead to the expiration of existing gas contracts earlier than anticipated. As a consequence, additional gas has been sourced from existing suppliers, and this gas has come at a higher cost than that under the existing contracts, and will impact on the corporation’s operating costs from 2005-06 through to 2008-09.
Could you say if additional gas was sourced from existing suppliers and who were those suppliers? Do we have enough gas to get us through until the Blacktip gas project comes online without relying on the 260 000 litres of diesel we are using per day at the moment? Is the Blacktip project on target? Can you guarantee that it will be completed and gas delivered by 1 January 2009?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I refer the member to the previous question he asked last week about Power and Water. I told him that we are using 15% diesel in order to cover the problems with gas coming from Central Australia, which is diminishing. This has been known since we started exploiting the resource. We are currently using diesel. However, we are also in negotiation with ConocoPhillips to provide additional gas in the case of an emergency. Negotiations are very close to finalisation and contracts are going to be signed.
As for a guarantee that the project is going to be on time, ENI has projected that their gas will be delivered to Power and Water in early 2009.
If you look at the weather today and, if this weather continues for a period of time, obviously timelines will be pushed back. However, at the moment, ENI is on track. The APT is on track to start installing the pipeline in the Dry of 2008, and the company that is manufacturing the pipeline already started deliveries in December. Everything is ready to be put in place but there are too many unknown factors, and one of the most unknown factors is the weather.
Police Numbers - Increase
Ms SACILOTTO to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
Since Labor came to government in 2001, there has been a significant rise in the number of police. Can you inform the House on the latest information about these increases?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for her question. This is a government that has invested significantly in our police force that had been devastated through four years of zero recruitment in the early 1990s. That left a significant deficit in our police force that had to be rebuilt by this government.
Since 2001, funding for police has increased by 65%. We spend more than twice as much on police services per capita than anywhere else in Australia. That is, in large part, because we have a huge land mass in the Northern Territory with small population centres. To actually police those regions comes at a significant cost; however, it is a cost that we acknowledge.
We have already recruited more than 200 extra police than were in the force when we came to office in 2001, and more are on the way. The police do a magnificent job with ongoing recruitment campaigns. As Police minister, I am keen to see more Territorians recruited into our police force. I have said to the commissioner that our police force should really start to represent the community of the Northern Territory through which it serves. I know there is a lot of work going on in that regard.
I am also pleased to advise the House today that there is a strong program within Northern Territory Police to work with Aboriginal Community Police Officers who want to move into fully-sworn ranks. A significant number of those ACPOs are now taking that course and will be moving forward into the fully-sworn police force.
Work will soon begin on a brand new police station for Darwin’s northern suburbs; tenders are being evaluated. Anybody who has visited Casuarina Police Station over many years will know that that is a police station that really does need to be rebuilt. It will be rebuilt to better service the needs of the northern suburbs. Police have been given new, tougher laws to do their jobs. We have also seen an investment in mobile police stations that now service Alice Springs, Darwin and Katherine.
This is a government that has recognised that, in order to have a safer Territory, there is not a single silver-bullet solution. We do need to have better coverage of police. We do have better coverage of police who are better equipped, better trained, and better resourced than they have been before. They do a great job on behalf of Territorians, but there is always more to do.
Alice Springs - Police Numbers
Ms CARNEY to MINISTER for POLICE, FIRE and EMERGENCY SERVICES
In November last year, in relation to the dry town in Alice Springs, the member for Stuart said:
- We can have a Dry Town, but people will always find ways around it and that is what we are finding. We need to support the police. I have talked to quite a number of police officers. They are struggling with the Dry Town legislation. It has shifted the problem.
Alice Springs residents want more police; the police want more police. I refer you to the comments made by the local commander in the Alice Springs News last week. He said: ‘If I had another 300 police I could use them’. Even one of your local members wants more police in Alice Springs. Why will you not change your position in response to our call, made repeatedly, for at least 20 to 30 extra police in Alice Springs so that, in particular, the dry town does not become a complete failure?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member of Araluen for her question. There are more police in Alice Springs than there ever have been. There are certainly significantly more police in Alice Springs than when the opposition was in office. The Alice Springs News provides an interesting read. I can say to the people of Alice Springs that, interestingly, regarding accuracy, I will let the community debate that.
If you ask any police officer if they could do with additional resources, and every police officer - right across Australia, right across the world - would say: ‘Yes, we could do with some more’. You ask any Education department whether they could with more teachers, and they would say: ‘Yes, if we had 300 more teachers we could use them’. If you ask any general manager of any hospital if they could do with more doctors, more nurses, of course, they would say: ‘Yes, if we had more doctors, more nurses, we could use them’.
I am not saying that the situation is perfect. What I am saying is there are significantly more police in our police force - 200 more – than when the CLP were in government. Since this government has been in office, we have been running three to four recruit squads every year, unlike the CLP, which did not run one recruit squad. We will continue to invest in our police. We will continue to see numbers grow across the Northern Territory. We will continue to give them the resources, laws and public policy arena to work within, to do a very difficult job that they have to do right across this great Territory of ours.
On the issue of crime and antisocial behaviour, the opposition is absolutely bereft of any policy. The only solution is more police. They had an opportunity to deliver more police when they were in government. What they did was gut and decimate this police force, and it is one that we had to rebuild.
Jobs Plan 3 - VET
Mr HAMPTON to MINISTER for EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION and TRAINING
Can the minister advise the House what progress has been made in relation to implementing Jobs Plan 3, particularly in the area of Vocational Education and Training?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Stuart for his question. In the wake of strong outcomes by its predecessors, Jobs Plan 1 and 2, both initiatives of this government, Jobs Plan 3 is fast achieving its objectives. In 2006, this government spent a whopping $72.4m on training.
In 2007, I anticipate the figures that will be finalised in April will indicate a spend close to $83m. We are on track to increase our spending again in this area. Our record on investing in training is clear. Jobs Plan 3 sets out, quite plainly, a target of 10 000 new apprentices and traineeships over the four-year period. These apprenticeships and traineeships are all delivered through Vocational Education and Training, or in common terms as we all know it, VET. The Territory has the highest VET participation rate in Australia of any person aged between 15 and 64 years.
We also have in the Territory - and this is something the member for Stuart is keen on looking at in his role as Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development - the highest participation rate by indigenous students anywhere in Australia. In fact, half of those VET numbers are indigenous.
The proportion of VET graduates in the Northern Territory in employment or further studies is higher than the national average. Since 2001 and the annual commencement of apprentices and trainees, those figures have risen from 2025 to 2655, which is a whopping rise of 23%. Currently, there are 3045 apprentices and trainees across all levels of training in the Territory. If we were to look at an industry focus, we have 1535 traditional trade apprentices undertaking VET training in skills shortage trade areas, compared to 819 that we saw in 2001. VET training is significantly contributing to our skills base, and the Territory government is committed to building the work force of the future.
Katherine Hospital – Visiting Specialist Services
Mrs MILLER to MINISTER for HEALTH
Katherine Hospital has an area where visiting specialists consult, supposedly on a monthly basis. Residents have complained that they have to wait up to 12 months for an appointment and, after waiting a lengthy time for an appointment, have it cancelled the week prior to the scheduled visit due to overbooking or a lack of staff. Could you advise the House what visiting specialist services are provided; how frequently each of these services do visit Katherine Hospital; and what will be done to ensure that the needs of specialist services for the Katherine region are adequately addressed in the future?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I can understand the member for Katherine asking a health question, but I thought the opposition did have a health spokesman ...
Mrs Miller: No, it is a local question.
Dr BURNS: I will accept the question. It is a detailed question. As with all our regional hospitals, there is a whole range of specialties offered through Katherine Hospital. I am more than willing to communicate back to the member for Katherine about the length and breadth of those services. If there is a specific speciality area where you believe there is a problem, I am more than happy to look into that and try to rectify that situation, member for Katherine.
Territory Economy – Employment
Mr WARREN to TREASURER
Everyone, even the opposition, can see that our economy is booming. That means that there are more jobs out there being created. Can you please tell the House how many jobs this Labor government has delivered in the past 12 months?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Territory has the strongest economy in Australia. We have 11 000 new jobs that have been created just in the last year alone - 11 000 more Territorians earning a quid; 11 000 more Territorians able to support their families. We cannot underestimate the importance of this jobs growth. We have an 11% growth in jobs, and our population growth is healthy as well, growing at around 2%. Normally, this would result in a substantial reduction in unemployment figures. However, whilst this is the case in Darwin where unemployment has dropped to around 2%, it is certainly not the case right across the Territory.
Due to a number of anomalies, the official January unemployment figures for the Territory are up to 5.2%. The Australian Bureau of Statistics advises that monthly unemployment figures in the Territory are extremely volatile. We have certainly had plenty of debates in this Chamber about the volatility of ABS statistics in the past. It is especially at this time of year, which we know is the non-peak period in the Territory. We also know that CDEP changes are impacting on this figure as more people are required to register with Centrelink. More people are entering or re-entering our workforce in the Territory. This government sees that as a good thing. We have more job seekers. We know that there are more jobs available. As a result, we have the highest workforce participation rate in the country at 73.9%.
Under the Henderson government, we have the highest jobs growth in the country, and Access Economics has predicted that this trend will continue for the next five years. This is good news for all Territorians, and certainly good news for Territory families.
Aboriginal Communities – Permits for Travelling on Roads
Mr WOOD to MINISTER for LOCAL GOVERNMENT
I congratulate the minister on his new portfolio. The Rudd government recently announced that they will reintroduce permits in relation to roads within Aboriginal community townships. If roads within a town centre are maintained using money raised from shire rates, and a permit is required to travel on these roads, will ratepayers from that super shire who contribute through their rates for the maintenance of those roads be allowed to travel on those roads without a permit? If not, does that not make the roads private? Can ratepayers funds be used on private roads?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. As the member well knows, local governments provide a whole range of services and they really are, at the local level, the backbone of a community. The reforms that we have announced over the last 15 months are vital to ensuring those services and the infrastructure out bush really deliver for individuals.
The member for Nelson will also realise that the federal government funds many roads in the Northern Territory in different ways. That situation will continue. With these reforms, though, we will see greater accountability of that roads funding and greater opportunities for efficiency. It will also give us the opportunity to lobby for more dollars to go into the bush where it is vitally needed.
To give an example, the minister for Transport will be travelling to Canberra next week to meet with the federal minister for Transport, Anthony Albanese. I am sure she will be putting a very strong case for more dollars to come into the Northern Territory to fund these communities as it does now.
The short answer for you, member for Nelson, is that funding will continue as it is today. Through these reforms, we will see better use of it and more coming in.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I asked a question about whether those roads in Aboriginal townships that have been funded by ratepayers will be regarded as private.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, resume your seat. There is no point of order.
Ms LAWRIE (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016