Mrs BRAHAM - 1996-02-21
In deciding that Darwin would be the only place in the Territory to receive SBS television, the federal government reneged on its promise to deliver this service to all Australians. Thankfully, the Northern Territory government stepped in to ensure that Territory regional centres did not miss out, and Alice Springs enjoys SBS at the moment. Has the Northern Territory government been able to keep its promise to provide SBS to all Territory regional centres?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, unlike the federal Labor government, the Northern Territory government does not take its commitments lightly. Through a unique cooperative effort between my department, community action groups, local councils and Imparja Television, I am pleased to say that this government has fulfilled its commitment to ensure that Territorians in regional areas receive SBS. The service was launched officially in Alice Springs in November 1994. Transmission began in Nhulunbuy in October 1995, and Katherine and Tennant Creek have been provided with SBS this month. The government is providing a further $40 000 to bring SBS to Alyangula later this year.
In contrast, the federal Labor government's record on bringing SBS to the Territory is appalling. Reference to the Parliamentary Record indicates that this situation goes back 12 years. In 1984, as part of an ongoing Labor election promise, the then federal Minister for Communications, Michael Duffy, promised to provide a nationwide SBS service, announcing that SBS would be available to Territorians in 1986. That commitment was broken in 1986 when Mr Duffy said: `The government has agreed that the extension of SBS to Darwin should be deferred indefinitely'. Honourable members should note that Labor had moved the goalposts from Territory-wide to Darwin only, and even that was to be deferred.
The response of the Leader of the Opposition in the Territory parliament at that time, Bob Collins, was to urge the federal government to provide the SBS service to Darwin. He said: `It will cost about $500 000, which is peanuts, to install this advertisement-free service'. This was followed up and supported by the federal Labor member, Warren Snowdon, in 1987. He stated, in a letter to the Chief Minister of the day, that he would write to the federal Minister for Transport and Communications to secure the provision of SBS to all Territorians. Again, nothing happened.
When Senator Collins was appointed federal Minister for Communications in 1993, he proudly announced that SBS was coming to the Territory, but that only Darwin would receive it. He was lobbied subsequently by many people, including myself, and certainly by the Alice Springs SBS action group and Katherine Town Council, to have the SBS service extended to
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their regions. However, the requests were dismissed by Senator Collins, who claimed it was not possible to access the SBS signal. On 17 March 1993, a spokesman for Senator Collins was quoted in the Katherine Times as saying: `If it is technically possible to get SBS to Katherine, Bob Collins will make sure it gets there'.
During 1993, the Territory government and the Alice Springs action group conducted a feasibility study on rebroadcasting the SBS signal into Alice Springs. We found that it was possible to receive SBS, at a modest cost, by utilising Imparja Television. In fact, SBS could be transmitted into all Territory regional centres via a retransmitting system. It was certainly technically possible. In October 1993, Senator Collins advised the Alice Springs action group that the federal Labor government would not provide funding of $50 000 to set up a retransmitting system in the town. Having described $500 000 as `peanuts' in 1986, he now found $50 000 far too high a cost.
Mr Speaker, you would be aware that, following this appalling history of broken promises and misinformation, the Territory government stepped in to allocate the necessary funding to set up the SBS retransmission system in Alice Springs, as well as allocating additional funding to provide the service to Nhulunbuy, Katherine and Tennant Creek. The cost to date ...
Mr Ede: You said you were going to do it across the Territory, but 90% of the Territory's landmass still misses out.
Mr POOLE: That is our fault?
Mr Ede: You made the promise.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr POOLE: This government has spent $300 000 which it should never have been required to spend if Senator Collins had lived up to his promises as Minister for Communications. The federal Labor government could have afforded easily to extend SBS to regional centres outside Darwin. Obviously, it regarded Territorians as being worth only peanuts. This sorry saga demonstrates the ineffectiveness of the Labor politicians who represent the Territory. It is a telling fact that Labor promises about SBS have always surfaced just before federal elections.
Mr Bailey: Yes, you are doing it again!
Mr POOLE: And we provide the service - something your colleagues should have done many years ago.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Page 1180
Mr POOLE: Not your colleagues in Canberra ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr POOLE: It leads me to believe that the commitments that have been made by Hon Warren Snowdon and Senator Bob Collins in this election campaign will suffer the same fate.
Page 1181
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, unlike the federal Labor government, the Northern Territory government does not take its commitments lightly. Through a unique cooperative effort between my department, community action groups, local councils and Imparja Television, I am pleased to say that this government has fulfilled its commitment to ensure that Territorians in regional areas receive SBS. The service was launched officially in Alice Springs in November 1994. Transmission began in Nhulunbuy in October 1995, and Katherine and Tennant Creek have been provided with SBS this month. The government is providing a further $40 000 to bring SBS to Alyangula later this year.
In contrast, the federal Labor government's record on bringing SBS to the Territory is appalling. Reference to the Parliamentary Record indicates that this situation goes back 12 years. In 1984, as part of an ongoing Labor election promise, the then federal Minister for Communications, Michael Duffy, promised to provide a nationwide SBS service, announcing that SBS would be available to Territorians in 1986. That commitment was broken in 1986 when Mr Duffy said: `The government has agreed that the extension of SBS to Darwin should be deferred indefinitely'. Honourable members should note that Labor had moved the goalposts from Territory-wide to Darwin only, and even that was to be deferred.
The response of the Leader of the Opposition in the Territory parliament at that time, Bob Collins, was to urge the federal government to provide the SBS service to Darwin. He said: `It will cost about $500 000, which is peanuts, to install this advertisement-free service'. This was followed up and supported by the federal Labor member, Warren Snowdon, in 1987. He stated, in a letter to the Chief Minister of the day, that he would write to the federal Minister for Transport and Communications to secure the provision of SBS to all Territorians. Again, nothing happened.
When Senator Collins was appointed federal Minister for Communications in 1993, he proudly announced that SBS was coming to the Territory, but that only Darwin would receive it. He was lobbied subsequently by many people, including myself, and certainly by the Alice Springs SBS action group and Katherine Town Council, to have the SBS service extended to
Page 1179
their regions. However, the requests were dismissed by Senator Collins, who claimed it was not possible to access the SBS signal. On 17 March 1993, a spokesman for Senator Collins was quoted in the Katherine Times as saying: `If it is technically possible to get SBS to Katherine, Bob Collins will make sure it gets there'.
During 1993, the Territory government and the Alice Springs action group conducted a feasibility study on rebroadcasting the SBS signal into Alice Springs. We found that it was possible to receive SBS, at a modest cost, by utilising Imparja Television. In fact, SBS could be transmitted into all Territory regional centres via a retransmitting system. It was certainly technically possible. In October 1993, Senator Collins advised the Alice Springs action group that the federal Labor government would not provide funding of $50 000 to set up a retransmitting system in the town. Having described $500 000 as `peanuts' in 1986, he now found $50 000 far too high a cost.
Mr Speaker, you would be aware that, following this appalling history of broken promises and misinformation, the Territory government stepped in to allocate the necessary funding to set up the SBS retransmission system in Alice Springs, as well as allocating additional funding to provide the service to Nhulunbuy, Katherine and Tennant Creek. The cost to date ...
Mr Ede: You said you were going to do it across the Territory, but 90% of the Territory's landmass still misses out.
Mr POOLE: That is our fault?
Mr Ede: You made the promise.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr POOLE: This government has spent $300 000 which it should never have been required to spend if Senator Collins had lived up to his promises as Minister for Communications. The federal Labor government could have afforded easily to extend SBS to regional centres outside Darwin. Obviously, it regarded Territorians as being worth only peanuts. This sorry saga demonstrates the ineffectiveness of the Labor politicians who represent the Territory. It is a telling fact that Labor promises about SBS have always surfaced just before federal elections.
Mr Bailey: Yes, you are doing it again!
Mr POOLE: And we provide the service - something your colleagues should have done many years ago.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Page 1180
Mr POOLE: Not your colleagues in Canberra ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr POOLE: It leads me to believe that the commitments that have been made by Hon Warren Snowdon and Senator Bob Collins in this election campaign will suffer the same fate.
Page 1181
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016