Mr WOOD - 2011-03-30
Madam Speaker, my question is to the minister for place names.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, who are you directing the question to?
Mr WOOD: The Minister for Lands and Planning, and place names comes under that.
Madam SPEAKER: We will just stick with the official titles, thank you, member for Nelson.
Mr WOOD: I have previously asked you about reviewing the spelling of place, street and road names, especially in Central Australia. It is my understanding that you were going to look at that. Many people cannot read these names because they are written by linguists.
I have been to Sterling Heights off Larapinta Drive in Alice Springs, and there are two streets - I have to spell them - Mparntwe Drive and Irlpme Court. If residents and visitors cannot pronounce the street names, they may in danger in the case of an emergency because Emergency Services will not be able to find them. How do you pronounce these street names? As place names minister, are you going to require spelling type that can be read by tourists and Territorians, and also respect the language?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. We had a great debate about this at estimates last year. For everyone here, including honourable members, let us go to what the Place Names Committee is all about. The Place Names Committee is ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr McCARTHY: Names, names, but offensive names ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, member for Drysdale, cease interjecting! Minister, you have the call; direct your comments through the Chair, please.
Mr McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, the Place Names Committee is established under the Place Names Act to make recommendations to the minister regarding the naming or renaming ...
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has only just started his answer, member for Fong Lim. Resume your seat.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member did not ask for an explanation of how the Place Names Committee works ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat. He has only just started the answer to his question. Resume your seat. Minister, can you come to the point fairly quickly.
Mr McCARTHY: The point, Madam Speaker, is that I was hoping to enlighten the visitors about this incredible part of the job. It is a wonderful part of the job because you get to work with Territorians to leave a real legacy for the Territory.
Let me move on, since those opposite are interjecting; once again, they are being obstructionist and they do not want to hear. I apologise to everyone in the gallery for that.
Member for Nelson, we have had this debate. When we are talking about Aboriginal place names, the committee takes expert advice from linguists, and that is for the orthography, the spelling of the language. As the member for Nelson said, in many places there are Aboriginal names, including Alice Springs. It is important to note that sometimes this relates to Indigenous Land Use Agreements, and usually includes commitments to ensure that proposed place names require the approval of the Aboriginal representative body.
For those opposite, I will quote from Aretha Franklin: R E S P E C T. That means respect, Madam Speaker.
If the member for Nelson is prepared to give me those names at Sterling Heights, the best advice I can give to those opposite is I will ask some locals, because that is showing respect ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order, member for Fong Lim!
Mr McCARTHY: I am talking about empowering people and celebrating culture and identity. So, if I am here and I want to learn these names, I will go out and search them ...
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister did not listen to what I said. I have respect for Aboriginal culture and Aboriginal languages. That was not the question.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order, either.
Mr McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, in relation to the question, I believe the police department has the ability to make inquiries and …
Madam SPEAKER: Your time has expired, minister.
Mr McCARTHY: What a pity, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, who are you directing the question to?
Mr WOOD: The Minister for Lands and Planning, and place names comes under that.
Madam SPEAKER: We will just stick with the official titles, thank you, member for Nelson.
Mr WOOD: I have previously asked you about reviewing the spelling of place, street and road names, especially in Central Australia. It is my understanding that you were going to look at that. Many people cannot read these names because they are written by linguists.
I have been to Sterling Heights off Larapinta Drive in Alice Springs, and there are two streets - I have to spell them - Mparntwe Drive and Irlpme Court. If residents and visitors cannot pronounce the street names, they may in danger in the case of an emergency because Emergency Services will not be able to find them. How do you pronounce these street names? As place names minister, are you going to require spelling type that can be read by tourists and Territorians, and also respect the language?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. We had a great debate about this at estimates last year. For everyone here, including honourable members, let us go to what the Place Names Committee is all about. The Place Names Committee is ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr McCARTHY: Names, names, but offensive names ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, member for Drysdale, cease interjecting! Minister, you have the call; direct your comments through the Chair, please.
Mr McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, the Place Names Committee is established under the Place Names Act to make recommendations to the minister regarding the naming or renaming ...
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has only just started his answer, member for Fong Lim. Resume your seat.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member did not ask for an explanation of how the Place Names Committee works ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat. He has only just started the answer to his question. Resume your seat. Minister, can you come to the point fairly quickly.
Mr McCARTHY: The point, Madam Speaker, is that I was hoping to enlighten the visitors about this incredible part of the job. It is a wonderful part of the job because you get to work with Territorians to leave a real legacy for the Territory.
Let me move on, since those opposite are interjecting; once again, they are being obstructionist and they do not want to hear. I apologise to everyone in the gallery for that.
Member for Nelson, we have had this debate. When we are talking about Aboriginal place names, the committee takes expert advice from linguists, and that is for the orthography, the spelling of the language. As the member for Nelson said, in many places there are Aboriginal names, including Alice Springs. It is important to note that sometimes this relates to Indigenous Land Use Agreements, and usually includes commitments to ensure that proposed place names require the approval of the Aboriginal representative body.
For those opposite, I will quote from Aretha Franklin: R E S P E C T. That means respect, Madam Speaker.
If the member for Nelson is prepared to give me those names at Sterling Heights, the best advice I can give to those opposite is I will ask some locals, because that is showing respect ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order, member for Fong Lim!
Mr McCARTHY: I am talking about empowering people and celebrating culture and identity. So, if I am here and I want to learn these names, I will go out and search them ...
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The minister did not listen to what I said. I have respect for Aboriginal culture and Aboriginal languages. That was not the question.
Madam SPEAKER: It is not a point of order, either.
Mr McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, in relation to the question, I believe the police department has the ability to make inquiries and …
Madam SPEAKER: Your time has expired, minister.
Mr McCARTHY: What a pity, Madam Speaker.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016