Dr LIM - 1999-04-28
I understand that the Northern Territory University is celebrating its 10th anniversary today. Having been a member of the NTU Council during its formative years, I’m delighted to congratulate the Northern Territory University on its 10th anniversary. I remind Territorians that the Northern Territory government funded the establishment of the Northern Territory University ...
Mr Stirling: Your question is?
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Dr LIM: In light of that - yes, and I take on that interjection that ...
Mr Stirling: And your question is?
Dr LIM: ... against all of Labor’s efforts ...
Mr Stirling: Come back, Shane!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Dr LIM: In light of that, I ask the minister if this government’s commitment has benefited Territorians?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I find it quite extraordinary that the honourable member for Greatorex, who, in his question, was doing nothing more than reflecting positively on the university, had to put up with a string of constant interjections from the members of the opposition. But they have a track record of that.
But before we go down that particular path, can I simply say that it was 10 years ago today, that at the Casuarina Campus, the Northern Territory University was officially opened and established.
Mr Reed: No thanks to Labor!
Mr ADAMSON: No thanks to Labor is correct.
Mr ADAMSON: Since then, the university has achieved a tremendous amount in a very short period of time. But they have, in fact, achieved it against a tremendous amount of opposition, opposition that we face from the Northern Territory Labor Party and the federal government, from all sectors down there. In fact, there was only one organisation that stood up for the Northern Territory then, and stood up to establish the university ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: ... and that was this CLP government. And indeed, we are…
Mr Stirling: You bet; I was there.
Mr ADAMSON: ... quite proud of the achievement that was done ...
Members interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: Can I take members back ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ADAMSON: Can I take honourable members ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ADAMSON: Can I take honourable members back to 1980 in this House, and the Leader of the Opposition, at that stage, noted the folksy philosophy of the Chief Minister that we want to keep our kids here from cradle to grave, he goes on: ‘I’m quite sure that very few people will want to use a University’. 18 November 1980, pages 142 and 144. That was the ALP championing the cause here in the Northern Territory’s House.
In the State’s House, in the Senate, Labor’s Senator Robertson, and if anyone wishes to make sure that it wasn’t taken out of context, Hansard 18 November 1980, page 147, said:
An unnecessary and certainly unwarranted monument. Such a university must be second rate because it will be able to attract only second rate brains, either of the students or teachers.
Labor opposed the university then …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: … and Labor has used the university as a political football since.
Mr Bailey: 10 years ago.
Mr ADAMSON: The fact of the matter is …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Would the minister resume his seat please. I’m prepared to wait out Question Time if you wish, in silence. I would like to hear the minister’s answer. I’m sure listeners on radio would like to hear his answer. There is far too much interjection.
Mr ADAMSON: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I make reference to yet another form of opposition that we’ve had since, by saying that - well some of these people are no longer even with us. How about our current federal member of the Northern Territory parliament?
NT News - an article from 4 December 1988:
The Territory government’s plans to establish the university were labelled as abuse reaching dizzy heights and I quote:
‘Canberra pointed out that costs of establishing a new installation will be exorbitant. Despite the warnings the Territory government went ahead and established the University College of the Northern Territory’.
Mr Snowdon then goes on to say that he saved the day because Senator Dawkins, Mr Dawkins, is now going to help them merge the 2 facilities and, in fact, that it was all Warren’s doing. But the fact of the matter is, they stand condemned for what was labelled at that time, abuse.
We had Senator Susan Ryan, in fact, with the University College of the Northern Territory, telling the University of Queensland they would have their funding cut if they gave too much support to this new college, this new, experimental college here in the Northern Territory. It simply goes on and on. The problem being, that while Labor at that stage opposed the decision, and I think not even in their wildest dreams could they do that now, they have continued to use the Northern Territory University as a political football, to their own damnation.
I acknowledge the spread in today’s NT News, and I’d like to quote some of the comments made by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ron McKay, because I think it does sum up just exactly where our investment in the last 10 years has gone:
In 1998, NTU had over 12 000 students of all ages, of all stages of academic and professional development and representing most of the 60 different nationalities that live in Darwin today. This year alone, over 2000 of these will graduate. They will join over 10 000 students who have graduated over the past 10 years, many of whom now contribute en masse to the Territory’s cultural and economic achievements. Think about the fact that as well as having over 12 000 student, NTU now employs over 1000 people. That means around 17% of Darwin’s population. Now think about the university’s contribution, economically. Over the past 10 years, the university has spent over $100m in establishing our campuses. The contribution of our annual budget is also substantial. In 1998, our income from all sources where it was nearly $90m of which more than $28m was provided by the Northern Territory government for TAFE activities.
On behalf of members on this side, because I do still question the intent of members on the other side, I would like to pay my compliments and congratulations to the Northern Territory University, to all those involved in its establishment. I would certainly like to table today’s inserts. We’ve seen that even the current opposition spokesperson has admitted himself that he will try in future not to talk down the university. I simply say to members on the other side, treat this not as a political football, treat it as the success story that it is. Yes, I believe that this government and Territorians have received excellent value for money, and long may that continue.
Mr Stirling: Your question is?
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Dr LIM: In light of that - yes, and I take on that interjection that ...
Mr Stirling: And your question is?
Dr LIM: ... against all of Labor’s efforts ...
Mr Stirling: Come back, Shane!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Dr LIM: In light of that, I ask the minister if this government’s commitment has benefited Territorians?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I find it quite extraordinary that the honourable member for Greatorex, who, in his question, was doing nothing more than reflecting positively on the university, had to put up with a string of constant interjections from the members of the opposition. But they have a track record of that.
But before we go down that particular path, can I simply say that it was 10 years ago today, that at the Casuarina Campus, the Northern Territory University was officially opened and established.
Mr Reed: No thanks to Labor!
Mr ADAMSON: No thanks to Labor is correct.
Mr ADAMSON: Since then, the university has achieved a tremendous amount in a very short period of time. But they have, in fact, achieved it against a tremendous amount of opposition, opposition that we face from the Northern Territory Labor Party and the federal government, from all sectors down there. In fact, there was only one organisation that stood up for the Northern Territory then, and stood up to establish the university ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: ... and that was this CLP government. And indeed, we are…
Mr Stirling: You bet; I was there.
Mr ADAMSON: ... quite proud of the achievement that was done ...
Members interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: Can I take members back ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ADAMSON: Can I take honourable members ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ADAMSON: Can I take honourable members back to 1980 in this House, and the Leader of the Opposition, at that stage, noted the folksy philosophy of the Chief Minister that we want to keep our kids here from cradle to grave, he goes on: ‘I’m quite sure that very few people will want to use a University’. 18 November 1980, pages 142 and 144. That was the ALP championing the cause here in the Northern Territory’s House.
In the State’s House, in the Senate, Labor’s Senator Robertson, and if anyone wishes to make sure that it wasn’t taken out of context, Hansard 18 November 1980, page 147, said:
An unnecessary and certainly unwarranted monument. Such a university must be second rate because it will be able to attract only second rate brains, either of the students or teachers.
Labor opposed the university then …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: … and Labor has used the university as a political football since.
Mr Bailey: 10 years ago.
Mr ADAMSON: The fact of the matter is …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Would the minister resume his seat please. I’m prepared to wait out Question Time if you wish, in silence. I would like to hear the minister’s answer. I’m sure listeners on radio would like to hear his answer. There is far too much interjection.
Mr ADAMSON: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I make reference to yet another form of opposition that we’ve had since, by saying that - well some of these people are no longer even with us. How about our current federal member of the Northern Territory parliament?
NT News - an article from 4 December 1988:
The Territory government’s plans to establish the university were labelled as abuse reaching dizzy heights and I quote:
‘Canberra pointed out that costs of establishing a new installation will be exorbitant. Despite the warnings the Territory government went ahead and established the University College of the Northern Territory’.
Mr Snowdon then goes on to say that he saved the day because Senator Dawkins, Mr Dawkins, is now going to help them merge the 2 facilities and, in fact, that it was all Warren’s doing. But the fact of the matter is, they stand condemned for what was labelled at that time, abuse.
We had Senator Susan Ryan, in fact, with the University College of the Northern Territory, telling the University of Queensland they would have their funding cut if they gave too much support to this new college, this new, experimental college here in the Northern Territory. It simply goes on and on. The problem being, that while Labor at that stage opposed the decision, and I think not even in their wildest dreams could they do that now, they have continued to use the Northern Territory University as a political football, to their own damnation.
I acknowledge the spread in today’s NT News, and I’d like to quote some of the comments made by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ron McKay, because I think it does sum up just exactly where our investment in the last 10 years has gone:
In 1998, NTU had over 12 000 students of all ages, of all stages of academic and professional development and representing most of the 60 different nationalities that live in Darwin today. This year alone, over 2000 of these will graduate. They will join over 10 000 students who have graduated over the past 10 years, many of whom now contribute en masse to the Territory’s cultural and economic achievements. Think about the fact that as well as having over 12 000 student, NTU now employs over 1000 people. That means around 17% of Darwin’s population. Now think about the university’s contribution, economically. Over the past 10 years, the university has spent over $100m in establishing our campuses. The contribution of our annual budget is also substantial. In 1998, our income from all sources where it was nearly $90m of which more than $28m was provided by the Northern Territory government for TAFE activities.
On behalf of members on this side, because I do still question the intent of members on the other side, I would like to pay my compliments and congratulations to the Northern Territory University, to all those involved in its establishment. I would certainly like to table today’s inserts. We’ve seen that even the current opposition spokesperson has admitted himself that he will try in future not to talk down the university. I simply say to members on the other side, treat this not as a political football, treat it as the success story that it is. Yes, I believe that this government and Territorians have received excellent value for money, and long may that continue.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016