Mrs HICKEY - 1998-02-25
Last night, SBS Television broadcast a documentary, which was made only a few moths ago, called A Dying Shame, highlighting the appalling health of Territorians living in Borroloola. Featured in that program was a sister from Territory Health Services, one of the minister's own employees. My question focuses on her contribution. She said:
The government thinks we get by, and we don't get by. The government advertises that Aboriginal health is the worst
in Australia and this is what we should do to fix it, but they don't provide the resources to fix it. We just get by, providing
basic health services but they [Aboriginal people] miss out on health promotion and education.
She went on to say that this would not be tolerated in big towns and cities but, in Borroloola, the government gets away with it.
Does the minister agree with these comments by the Territory Health Services nursing sister? Is it a fact that the Country Liberal Party does not provide sufficient resources to fix the health problems in this community which would be just one of many in the Northern Territory in the same state? Does he agree with his own departmental officer that any other government in Australia would not get away with this?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this question is from the Leader of the Opposition and member for Barkly, who gains her insight into her own electorate from watching television. Since I became a minister in 1995, this is the second question the member has asked me about Borroloola. The other related to sewage effluent when I was Minister for Power and Water.
Mrs Hickey: I have a file this thick, Denis.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, please be quiet.
Mr BURKE: The second one is this question, inspired by a television program that she watched last night. I was expecting the question. What disappoints me is that, if the Leader of the Opposition as the local member is so concerned about issues in Borroloola, she has not brought these ...
Mrs Hickey: For years, Denis, I have tried to get some ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Members of the opposition, the minister has the floor.
Mr BURKE: The rattle of simple men, Madam Speaker.
While I respect the efforts of the registered nurse who was interviewed for that program, she does not set policy for Territory Health Services. The producer and director of the program was offered a briefing by Territory Health Services to provide some balance, but he declined it. I thought an interesting comment came from Barbara McCarthy who gave a very balanced opinion of the situation in the township. She said:
I really do not have the answers to the drink problem and I do not think anybody else has.
But what are we doing to ourselves? Where are we going? What are we showing our
Page 1
children, and where will they go?
The operative word is 'we' - not 'you', as a government, as in 'what are you going to do about it?' I will stand proudly on the record of Territory Health Services at Borroloola, and the Leader of the Opposition must agree. I have been there on a number of occasions. To suggest, as last night's program did, that the Borroloola clinic is not used by the community because the people go to the local GP is simply incorrect. Since June 1997, there have been 4 registered nurses on staff. There were 3 from November 1996 to June 1997. In 1996-97, they averaged 837 consultations per month. In the 6 months from July 1997 to the end of December 1997, they averaged 895 consultations per month. In 1996-97, overtime was up 30% on previous years, consultations ...
Mr Bailey: Did she say they were overworked?
Mr BURKE: No. This is the clinic that, it is suggested, the community has no faith in and does not use.
In 1996-97, consultations after hours averaged 169 per month. Consultations after hours for the last 6 months of 1997 averaged 223 per month. There was incredible stress on those nurses at Borroloola. I have never denied that for a minute. The staff that we recruit and endeavour to retain come from all areas of Australia and overseas. They are highly qualified to work in remote communities, but it is a very stressful environment. Most of the stress comes on them after hours. That program, dealing with the alcohol problems in Borroloola, amply demonstrated that.
Mrs Hickey: And their lack of ability to deal with primary health matters.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: The ability to deal with primary health matters stems primarily from the community itself. You cannot lay that on Territory Health Services. You cannot lay that on the amount of money we put into Borroloola. You cannot simply say: 'What are you going to do about it?' Until such time ...
Mr Ah Kit: Why won't you supply the resources?
Mr BURKE: The resources put into Borroloola are very considerable, not the least being the number of Kingair air- med flights that fly in there regularly to evacuate to Royal Darwin Hospital the victims of violence and drunken behaviour. That in itself puts a drain on our ability to put more resources into that community.
The other issue that was mentioned starkly in the television program was that the night patrol had been de-funded. The member for Barkly, as the local member, knows precisely the issue with that night patrol. She knows that it was funded specifically from a wine cask levy grant that I organised. She knows that it was not recurrent funding, but one-off funding. While it was widely supported by the community ...
Mr Bailey: What is the point of having something that only lasts for 6 months?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: Because there is incredible pressure all over the Northern Territory. We do not fund programs on a recurrent basis, an ongoing basis, with no review of the outcomes. We would support that particular program. We sent a Living With Alcohol officer to Borroloola to help the community to prepare its submission for
Page 2
ongoing funding of that night patrol. No such submission has been received. Until such time as I receive a submission, I shall not be walking out there like Santa Claus, handing out money.
Mrs Hickey: Your officers said they would go back to assist with the preparation of the submission, and they have not done so.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: In 1994, the Living With Alcohol program organised a community plan that showed directions in which we could go in dealing with the alcohol problems in Borroloola. However, it is the sort of plan that is not worth the paper it is written on unless it is supported by the community and unless there is an attitude, particularly on the part of the local member, that focuses on how we will deal with these problems together, rather than how the minister will deal with them. Frankly, if they ask me what I am going to do, I will say that I can do no more than I and Territory Health Services are doing at the moment. The only way we can move forward in that community is to heed the words of Barbara McCarthy: 'What are we doing? Where are we going? What are we showing our children?'
Page 3
The government thinks we get by, and we don't get by. The government advertises that Aboriginal health is the worst
in Australia and this is what we should do to fix it, but they don't provide the resources to fix it. We just get by, providing
basic health services but they [Aboriginal people] miss out on health promotion and education.
She went on to say that this would not be tolerated in big towns and cities but, in Borroloola, the government gets away with it.
Does the minister agree with these comments by the Territory Health Services nursing sister? Is it a fact that the Country Liberal Party does not provide sufficient resources to fix the health problems in this community which would be just one of many in the Northern Territory in the same state? Does he agree with his own departmental officer that any other government in Australia would not get away with this?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this question is from the Leader of the Opposition and member for Barkly, who gains her insight into her own electorate from watching television. Since I became a minister in 1995, this is the second question the member has asked me about Borroloola. The other related to sewage effluent when I was Minister for Power and Water.
Mrs Hickey: I have a file this thick, Denis.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, please be quiet.
Mr BURKE: The second one is this question, inspired by a television program that she watched last night. I was expecting the question. What disappoints me is that, if the Leader of the Opposition as the local member is so concerned about issues in Borroloola, she has not brought these ...
Mrs Hickey: For years, Denis, I have tried to get some ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Members of the opposition, the minister has the floor.
Mr BURKE: The rattle of simple men, Madam Speaker.
While I respect the efforts of the registered nurse who was interviewed for that program, she does not set policy for Territory Health Services. The producer and director of the program was offered a briefing by Territory Health Services to provide some balance, but he declined it. I thought an interesting comment came from Barbara McCarthy who gave a very balanced opinion of the situation in the township. She said:
I really do not have the answers to the drink problem and I do not think anybody else has.
But what are we doing to ourselves? Where are we going? What are we showing our
Page 1
children, and where will they go?
The operative word is 'we' - not 'you', as a government, as in 'what are you going to do about it?' I will stand proudly on the record of Territory Health Services at Borroloola, and the Leader of the Opposition must agree. I have been there on a number of occasions. To suggest, as last night's program did, that the Borroloola clinic is not used by the community because the people go to the local GP is simply incorrect. Since June 1997, there have been 4 registered nurses on staff. There were 3 from November 1996 to June 1997. In 1996-97, they averaged 837 consultations per month. In the 6 months from July 1997 to the end of December 1997, they averaged 895 consultations per month. In 1996-97, overtime was up 30% on previous years, consultations ...
Mr Bailey: Did she say they were overworked?
Mr BURKE: No. This is the clinic that, it is suggested, the community has no faith in and does not use.
In 1996-97, consultations after hours averaged 169 per month. Consultations after hours for the last 6 months of 1997 averaged 223 per month. There was incredible stress on those nurses at Borroloola. I have never denied that for a minute. The staff that we recruit and endeavour to retain come from all areas of Australia and overseas. They are highly qualified to work in remote communities, but it is a very stressful environment. Most of the stress comes on them after hours. That program, dealing with the alcohol problems in Borroloola, amply demonstrated that.
Mrs Hickey: And their lack of ability to deal with primary health matters.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: The ability to deal with primary health matters stems primarily from the community itself. You cannot lay that on Territory Health Services. You cannot lay that on the amount of money we put into Borroloola. You cannot simply say: 'What are you going to do about it?' Until such time ...
Mr Ah Kit: Why won't you supply the resources?
Mr BURKE: The resources put into Borroloola are very considerable, not the least being the number of Kingair air- med flights that fly in there regularly to evacuate to Royal Darwin Hospital the victims of violence and drunken behaviour. That in itself puts a drain on our ability to put more resources into that community.
The other issue that was mentioned starkly in the television program was that the night patrol had been de-funded. The member for Barkly, as the local member, knows precisely the issue with that night patrol. She knows that it was funded specifically from a wine cask levy grant that I organised. She knows that it was not recurrent funding, but one-off funding. While it was widely supported by the community ...
Mr Bailey: What is the point of having something that only lasts for 6 months?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: Because there is incredible pressure all over the Northern Territory. We do not fund programs on a recurrent basis, an ongoing basis, with no review of the outcomes. We would support that particular program. We sent a Living With Alcohol officer to Borroloola to help the community to prepare its submission for
Page 2
ongoing funding of that night patrol. No such submission has been received. Until such time as I receive a submission, I shall not be walking out there like Santa Claus, handing out money.
Mrs Hickey: Your officers said they would go back to assist with the preparation of the submission, and they have not done so.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: In 1994, the Living With Alcohol program organised a community plan that showed directions in which we could go in dealing with the alcohol problems in Borroloola. However, it is the sort of plan that is not worth the paper it is written on unless it is supported by the community and unless there is an attitude, particularly on the part of the local member, that focuses on how we will deal with these problems together, rather than how the minister will deal with them. Frankly, if they ask me what I am going to do, I will say that I can do no more than I and Territory Health Services are doing at the moment. The only way we can move forward in that community is to heed the words of Barbara McCarthy: 'What are we doing? Where are we going? What are we showing our children?'
Page 3
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016