Mr ELFERINK - 2000-03-01
Kava consumption in east Arnhem Land continues to pose concerns to community leaders. I ask the minister, what is his department doing to deal with this situation?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is a good question. It is of great concern to people in the east Arnhem area, particularly, and I’m sure to a lot of other Territorians.
Kava is, and will continue to be, a very complex issue to deal with because there is a split within the community and I’m sure the member for Nhulunbuy would agree with this.
Our Kava Management Act sets out a licensing regime to deal with the supply of kava, but how these provisions are and should be implemented is something that we’re working through - that is the department and the Licensing Commission. We’ve held various hearings and consultations with not only agencies, but also communities and individuals who are interested in getting involved in the licensing and distribution of kava.
Proposals for the kava distribution are being developed. How we will license either individuals or agencies or communities to distribute kava, wholesale or retail, is a complex issue. I am pleased to say that there is good coordinated help by the member for Nhulunbuy.
One of the things that I am doing next week talking to leaders from East Arnhem particularly at Yirrkala to give them the latest update on where we are at and also to canvass some of the issues that are of concern, because while we haven’t a distribution system kava is being illegally distributed, according to reports from East Arnhem. It is of great concern, and I do thank the member for Nhulunbuy for his help. But the question I ask through all of this is, where has the Labor shadow spokesman on licensing, particularly on kava, been in this whole process?
Mr Stirling: He talks to me every week about.
Mr BALDWIN: Well, I am glad he talks to the member for Nhulunbuy, because it’s a real concern to me that the opposition spokesman ...
Mr Ah Kit: I wrote to you at this year.
Mr BALDWIN: I am glad the member for Arnhem has finally spoken up and what he said is that he has written to me. That is true. I just remind the House that in October last year we passed amendments to the Kava Act to ensure that we had a clear understanding of what the kava constituent was all about, so we could proceed with some fining and arresting of people dealing illegally in kava. During those amendments, the member for Arnhem, the shadow spokesman for licensing, actually spoke to those amendments in debate. He also had a briefing prior to those amendments being introduced which I was happy to arrange for him, and yes, he did write to me just recently, on 14 February, in fact:
‘Dear Minister
I write requesting a briefing from you on the Kava Management Act with particular regard to the current amendments in preparation for the forthcoming sittings’.
February this year. You have to ask yourself: ‘Where has he been’?’. He locks himself up in the Casuarina office. There are no amendments in this sittings. Where are you? The Leader of the Opposition should be asking what her shadow portfolio minister – the alternative minister for government in this area - is doing. He has been asleep. He could not remember that he debated the amendments last October. He could not remember that he had a briefing. He could not read the notice paper for this sittings that has nothing on it to do with kava amendment.
Territorians should know this person over there is a lazy member and the Leader of the Opposition should do something about him. Not only did he...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order on both sides!
Mr BALDWIN: Not only does he not know what is going on in respect to kava, but this week another example of his inefficiency came out when the member for Arnhem sent an urgent fax to my office seeking a briefing on the NT TAB sale bill. I know it was mentioned by reporters that it was up for debate in the Senate. At least this time he’s early. But, it’s not intended to come up until at least the May sittings. This man is an incompetent. You should do something about him. It’s incumbent on you to do something about him. He’s a lazy member who should go back to his office in Casuarina and he should ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order!
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is a good question. It is of great concern to people in the east Arnhem area, particularly, and I’m sure to a lot of other Territorians.
Kava is, and will continue to be, a very complex issue to deal with because there is a split within the community and I’m sure the member for Nhulunbuy would agree with this.
Our Kava Management Act sets out a licensing regime to deal with the supply of kava, but how these provisions are and should be implemented is something that we’re working through - that is the department and the Licensing Commission. We’ve held various hearings and consultations with not only agencies, but also communities and individuals who are interested in getting involved in the licensing and distribution of kava.
Proposals for the kava distribution are being developed. How we will license either individuals or agencies or communities to distribute kava, wholesale or retail, is a complex issue. I am pleased to say that there is good coordinated help by the member for Nhulunbuy.
One of the things that I am doing next week talking to leaders from East Arnhem particularly at Yirrkala to give them the latest update on where we are at and also to canvass some of the issues that are of concern, because while we haven’t a distribution system kava is being illegally distributed, according to reports from East Arnhem. It is of great concern, and I do thank the member for Nhulunbuy for his help. But the question I ask through all of this is, where has the Labor shadow spokesman on licensing, particularly on kava, been in this whole process?
Mr Stirling: He talks to me every week about.
Mr BALDWIN: Well, I am glad he talks to the member for Nhulunbuy, because it’s a real concern to me that the opposition spokesman ...
Mr Ah Kit: I wrote to you at this year.
Mr BALDWIN: I am glad the member for Arnhem has finally spoken up and what he said is that he has written to me. That is true. I just remind the House that in October last year we passed amendments to the Kava Act to ensure that we had a clear understanding of what the kava constituent was all about, so we could proceed with some fining and arresting of people dealing illegally in kava. During those amendments, the member for Arnhem, the shadow spokesman for licensing, actually spoke to those amendments in debate. He also had a briefing prior to those amendments being introduced which I was happy to arrange for him, and yes, he did write to me just recently, on 14 February, in fact:
‘Dear Minister
I write requesting a briefing from you on the Kava Management Act with particular regard to the current amendments in preparation for the forthcoming sittings’.
February this year. You have to ask yourself: ‘Where has he been’?’. He locks himself up in the Casuarina office. There are no amendments in this sittings. Where are you? The Leader of the Opposition should be asking what her shadow portfolio minister – the alternative minister for government in this area - is doing. He has been asleep. He could not remember that he debated the amendments last October. He could not remember that he had a briefing. He could not read the notice paper for this sittings that has nothing on it to do with kava amendment.
Territorians should know this person over there is a lazy member and the Leader of the Opposition should do something about him. Not only did he...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order on both sides!
Mr BALDWIN: Not only does he not know what is going on in respect to kava, but this week another example of his inefficiency came out when the member for Arnhem sent an urgent fax to my office seeking a briefing on the NT TAB sale bill. I know it was mentioned by reporters that it was up for debate in the Senate. At least this time he’s early. But, it’s not intended to come up until at least the May sittings. This man is an incompetent. You should do something about him. It’s incumbent on you to do something about him. He’s a lazy member who should go back to his office in Casuarina and he should ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016