Mr WARREN - 2007-08-21
As the Chief Minister so eloquently announced yesterday, the Closing the Gap plan is one of the most comprehensive packages to tackle indigenous disadvantage in the Territory’s history. What action has the government taken to build on those advances made in Aboriginal health since we came to government in 2001?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Goyder for his question. I was glad to be there yesterday when the Chief Minister made her announcement, on behalf of government, of our detailed response to the 97 recommendations put forward by Rex Wild and Pat Anderson.
As we will hear later on today, and as the debate on the Chief Minister’s statement on this issue progresses through parliament this week, government has made a very detailed response to 97 recommendations. However, in my mind, there is one paragraph that stands out in this report:
What we will be seeing through this government’s response to this report, and bridging the gap and closing the gap, is a government that is keen to engage with Aboriginal people and Aboriginal communities at every level of service provision and every level of government. The malaise in many Aboriginal communities is all about alienation and powerlessness, and it has been getting worse over time. As a government, we need to work in partnership with the Commonwealth government, and we hope we can work in partnership with the opposition, to turn this around as it is one of the most important issues facing the Territory.
As the authors of this report point out, this is a government that is headed on the right track. We have had the building blocks in place and we are further building through our response. Since we came to power in 2001, we have had a 73% increase in health expenditure. Also, approximately 60% of our health expenditure has been directed towards providing services for Aboriginal people, who represent approximately 30% of our population.
Some of the things that we are going to be building on, as the Chief Minister mentioned, are an increase in life expectancy for Aboriginal women. She also mentioned the decrease in infant mortality rates, compared decade to decade, and kidney dialysis programs. We have doubled expenditure on that since we came to power in 2001 - $12.5m at that time, it is closer to $25m now in this budget - and we will continue to build on it, because it is such an issue for the Territory. We are setting up renal dialysis satellites throughout the Territory, something that the CLP never did as government. They resisted it in government, and it was something the former member for Greatorex, I believe, admitted during his final session here, that it was an error, that government should have moved on that issue much sooner.
We will also be building on the $2.2m a year we have in the current budget to employ 25 child health staff, including nurses and Aboriginal community health workers. There will be a focus on early childhood health and development, preventative health, sport and recreation, and primary health care programs. We will also be looking at the management of chronic disease, and access to quality primary health care. I am pleased to say that that is one area in which we are working cooperatively with the federal government, with Tony Abbott, and the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory. There are very productive talks occurring at present, and I am hoping there will be a significant extra injection of funds from the Commonwealth to address this very important issue.
We will be investing $9.6m in early childhood and family services; expanded antenatal and maternal care programs, with additional midwives; plus the development of appropriate models of maternal and child health home visitation. Home visitation is very important; the evidence has shown it to have a very powerful effect in improving wellbeing for children. There will be a focus on early childhood health and development programs that strengthen development and learning in early childhood, playgroups, mothercraft skill development, in addition to increasing the number sport and recreation officers, facilities and programs in each shire worth $4.5m.
The Chief Minister mentioned alcohol rehabilitation as being pivotal. It has been spoken about here. Yes, $0.5m, and is leveraging nearly $16m of Commonwealth funds. We will also be expanding programs around hearing loss for Aboriginal children, and preventable chronic diseases at $8.8m ...
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Dr BURNS: The member for Blain might not want to hear this …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please pause.
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, this is very important material being discussed here, however, the concerns that the government expressed whilst in opposition about the use of Question Time for excessively long answers is not reflected in the responses now in Question Time. We are going to have a statement to discuss this very important matter. It is an abuse of Question Time, Madam Speaker.
Mrs BRAHAM: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker. There is a rule about presumption of debate that is going to occur later on. The member for Blain is quite right: we have had question after question about a statement we will hear later in the day. There are other questions we could ask instead. We would like to get on with Question Time.
Mr WOOD: I agree. Each minister has been given a question which is, obviously, in relation to the statement about Closing the Gap. We are getting a free radio broadcast of a statement that is going to be made this afternoon. That is a misuse of the Question Time.
Mr WARREN: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! I cannot hear.
Mr WARREN: It was my question and I wish to hear the answer to that question. I have a right to ask a question in the House as every member here does, and I wish to hear the answer.
Mrs Braham: It is a statement!
Madam SPEAKER: There is no …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Braitling!
Mr Warren: I give you that courtesy, please give me that courtesy.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Goyder!
There is no point of order. As you are aware, in Question Time there is a lot of latitude, both in the asking and the answering of questions. Yes, there is a statement which the Chief Minister is making later on. As you are also aware, that particular standing order does not generally relate to Question Time. It has been raised as a point of order many times in this Chamber, both during the time that I have been the Speaker and with previous Speakers as well. It is also used in the House of Representatives. The minister can continue, but perhaps he could come to the point fairly soon.
Dr BURNS: I have been making the point, Madam Speaker, that this is a comprehensive response to a comprehensive report, further strides through Closing the Gap, and we will hear more about it during the statement.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Goyder for his question. I was glad to be there yesterday when the Chief Minister made her announcement, on behalf of government, of our detailed response to the 97 recommendations put forward by Rex Wild and Pat Anderson.
As we will hear later on today, and as the debate on the Chief Minister’s statement on this issue progresses through parliament this week, government has made a very detailed response to 97 recommendations. However, in my mind, there is one paragraph that stands out in this report:
- What is required is a determined, coordinated effort to break the cycle and provide the necessary strength, power and appropriate support and services to local communities, so they can lead themselves out of the malaise: in a word, empowerment!
What we will be seeing through this government’s response to this report, and bridging the gap and closing the gap, is a government that is keen to engage with Aboriginal people and Aboriginal communities at every level of service provision and every level of government. The malaise in many Aboriginal communities is all about alienation and powerlessness, and it has been getting worse over time. As a government, we need to work in partnership with the Commonwealth government, and we hope we can work in partnership with the opposition, to turn this around as it is one of the most important issues facing the Territory.
As the authors of this report point out, this is a government that is headed on the right track. We have had the building blocks in place and we are further building through our response. Since we came to power in 2001, we have had a 73% increase in health expenditure. Also, approximately 60% of our health expenditure has been directed towards providing services for Aboriginal people, who represent approximately 30% of our population.
Some of the things that we are going to be building on, as the Chief Minister mentioned, are an increase in life expectancy for Aboriginal women. She also mentioned the decrease in infant mortality rates, compared decade to decade, and kidney dialysis programs. We have doubled expenditure on that since we came to power in 2001 - $12.5m at that time, it is closer to $25m now in this budget - and we will continue to build on it, because it is such an issue for the Territory. We are setting up renal dialysis satellites throughout the Territory, something that the CLP never did as government. They resisted it in government, and it was something the former member for Greatorex, I believe, admitted during his final session here, that it was an error, that government should have moved on that issue much sooner.
We will also be building on the $2.2m a year we have in the current budget to employ 25 child health staff, including nurses and Aboriginal community health workers. There will be a focus on early childhood health and development, preventative health, sport and recreation, and primary health care programs. We will also be looking at the management of chronic disease, and access to quality primary health care. I am pleased to say that that is one area in which we are working cooperatively with the federal government, with Tony Abbott, and the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory. There are very productive talks occurring at present, and I am hoping there will be a significant extra injection of funds from the Commonwealth to address this very important issue.
We will be investing $9.6m in early childhood and family services; expanded antenatal and maternal care programs, with additional midwives; plus the development of appropriate models of maternal and child health home visitation. Home visitation is very important; the evidence has shown it to have a very powerful effect in improving wellbeing for children. There will be a focus on early childhood health and development programs that strengthen development and learning in early childhood, playgroups, mothercraft skill development, in addition to increasing the number sport and recreation officers, facilities and programs in each shire worth $4.5m.
The Chief Minister mentioned alcohol rehabilitation as being pivotal. It has been spoken about here. Yes, $0.5m, and is leveraging nearly $16m of Commonwealth funds. We will also be expanding programs around hearing loss for Aboriginal children, and preventable chronic diseases at $8.8m ...
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Dr BURNS: The member for Blain might not want to hear this …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please pause.
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, this is very important material being discussed here, however, the concerns that the government expressed whilst in opposition about the use of Question Time for excessively long answers is not reflected in the responses now in Question Time. We are going to have a statement to discuss this very important matter. It is an abuse of Question Time, Madam Speaker.
Mrs BRAHAM: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker. There is a rule about presumption of debate that is going to occur later on. The member for Blain is quite right: we have had question after question about a statement we will hear later in the day. There are other questions we could ask instead. We would like to get on with Question Time.
Mr WOOD: I agree. Each minister has been given a question which is, obviously, in relation to the statement about Closing the Gap. We are getting a free radio broadcast of a statement that is going to be made this afternoon. That is a misuse of the Question Time.
Mr WARREN: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! I cannot hear.
Mr WARREN: It was my question and I wish to hear the answer to that question. I have a right to ask a question in the House as every member here does, and I wish to hear the answer.
Mrs Braham: It is a statement!
Madam SPEAKER: There is no …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Braitling!
Mr Warren: I give you that courtesy, please give me that courtesy.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Goyder!
There is no point of order. As you are aware, in Question Time there is a lot of latitude, both in the asking and the answering of questions. Yes, there is a statement which the Chief Minister is making later on. As you are also aware, that particular standing order does not generally relate to Question Time. It has been raised as a point of order many times in this Chamber, both during the time that I have been the Speaker and with previous Speakers as well. It is also used in the House of Representatives. The minister can continue, but perhaps he could come to the point fairly soon.
Dr BURNS: I have been making the point, Madam Speaker, that this is a comprehensive response to a comprehensive report, further strides through Closing the Gap, and we will hear more about it during the statement.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016