Mr BURKE - 1994-11-24
This morning, the Minister for Aboriginal Development provided information relating to a recent disturbance at Nyirripi. Can the minister advise what impact this type of behaviour has on the delivery of health services to remote areas of the Territory?
ANSWER
It is interesting to note that the member for Brennan has more interest in this matter than the member who represents the community of Nyirripi - the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Ede: What? Because you asked him to ask the question?
Mr REED: Indeed, it distresses me somewhat to be in this House at a time when we face particular difficulties in delivering health services to the community of Nyirripi while the most important issue on the mind of the Leader of the Opposition - the person responsible for representing the people of Nyirripi in this parliament - is to ignore this matter and, instead, delve into matters that are years old ...
Mr Ede: I made a speech about it 2 days ago.
Mr Setter: In the secrecy of an adjournment.
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Mr Ede: So adjournments are secret now?
Mr REED: ... and which are of very little relevance to what is really happening in the Northern Territory. He should be concerning himself with matters on which he may be able to provide some assistance to his constituents.
It concerns me greatly that Department of Health and Community Services staff experience the types of difficulties that they do in the circumstances that exist currently at Nyirripi. I must give great credit to the nursing staff at Nyirripi for maintaining services in that community during a time which probably could be described fairly as very serious civil unrest from ...
Mrs Hickey: Nobody is arguing about that.
Mr Ede: And no police aide.
Mr Coulter: Imagine a police aide in that situation!
Mr Ede: Some police presence would have helped.
Mr Coulter: The SAS would not have helped!
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is far too much chatter across the Chamber at present. It is very difficult to hear the minister's response.
Mr REED: I wonder exactly how in touch with the community of Nyirripi the Leader of the Opposition is. I say that because of this incident and also the fact that, when I was there about a year ago, the people of Nyirripi had not seen the Leader of the Opposition for some time - and he is their local member.
Mr Ede: Garbage!
Mr REED: At that time, I was there to inspect a health clinic and to discuss with the community the construction of a new clinic. I wonder whether the Leader of the Opposition has been back to Nyirripi since then. Certainly, he does not seem to be very familiar with the circumstances that exist there. I understand that non-Aboriginal people at Nyirripi are being accused of having interfered because they called the police once the disturbance started. One wonders what the Leader of the Opposition's attitude is given the accusations that he makes in regard to the non-stationing of police at Nyirripi. We must be concerned also about the impact that disturbances like this have on our ability to provide services to remote communities right across the Northern Territory.
Mr Ede: That is why we have a police force. That is why we post police to places.
Mr Hatton interjecting.
Mr Ede interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
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Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition is fully aware that it is simply not possible to have police in every community in the Northern Territory. If we experience disturbances like this, it concerns me that we will have increasing difficulty in attempting to attract staff to provide health services at communities across the Northern Territory. That should be of concern to the Leader of the Opposition. I believe that it is a matter of greater importance than the State Square project. My concerns are for the safety of ...
Mr Ede: If we had not had $70m of overruns on State Square, we could have afforded it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: We do not have, as the Leader of the Opposition asserts incorrectly, a $70m overrun. However, that is not of such importance as the matter which we are attempting to address at the moment. Unfortunately, the Leader of the Opposition is not particularly interested in this matter. To have vehicles trashed as a result of riotous behaviour and staff expecting that they will have to deliver services in these types of circumstances is of concern to me. It should be of concern to members opposite.
It is of concern to me that there have been other recent events, including one in Arnhem Land where I understand that a doctor has found it necessary to leave the community because of an assault on him following a particular set of circumstances that arose in that community. Whilst that is a matter of some sensitivity, it illustrates again the difficulty that we face. I am distressed at the attitude of the Leader of the Opposition and other members opposite who are very keen to criticise this government for its failure to provide health services to Aboriginal communities - as is the federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Hon Robert Tickner - but are never prepared to look at the other side of the coin.
Members opposite and their federal colleagues are always criticising state and territory governments for their perceived inability to provide services, but they never understand the very difficult circumstances that exist in many of these communities. Firstly, staff are expected to provide services, which they are willing to provide, under very difficult circumstances such as those occurring at Nyirripi at the moment. Members opposite are never prepared to consider the difficulties that staff face in providing those services. There are 2 sides to every story. It is most unfortunate that the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs never seems to see the story from the point of view of the health professionals. He never seems to recognise that there may be problems in these communities that can be solved by the communities. There is a responsibility on the part of community members to ensure that they maintain a level of decorum in their communities and that community members do not endanger the lives of those people who have ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! This morning, there has been far too much yelling across the Chamber and it is becoming very difficult to control the House. I put all members on notice that individually they will receive only one further warning.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, there is a level of responsibility on all of us, whether we are Aboriginal Territorians or non-Aboriginal Territorians, whether we live in a community
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with a police presence or in a community without a police presence. I believe community leaders have a responsibility to ensure that there is a level of decorum and that those who work in communities to provide the various professional services can do so in safety, and with confidence that their vehicles will not be trashed and that they will not be confronted, molested or threatened personally.
If the Leader of the Opposition takes me to task for those views, I wonder what his attitude is. Given that he represents many remote communities, I wonder what advice he provides to those communities and their leaders about their responsibilities. Clearly, he has a problem. I hope he will take these matters into account and give them due consideration. He should have more respect ...
Mr Bell: Do you take responsibility like that in Katherine?
Mr REED: ... for those people who are attempting to deliver health services for the benefit of all Territorians.
Mr Bell interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacDonnell will withdraw that remark.
Mr BELL: Mr Speaker, I withdraw unreservedly.
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ANSWER
It is interesting to note that the member for Brennan has more interest in this matter than the member who represents the community of Nyirripi - the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Ede: What? Because you asked him to ask the question?
Mr REED: Indeed, it distresses me somewhat to be in this House at a time when we face particular difficulties in delivering health services to the community of Nyirripi while the most important issue on the mind of the Leader of the Opposition - the person responsible for representing the people of Nyirripi in this parliament - is to ignore this matter and, instead, delve into matters that are years old ...
Mr Ede: I made a speech about it 2 days ago.
Mr Setter: In the secrecy of an adjournment.
Page 318
Mr Ede: So adjournments are secret now?
Mr REED: ... and which are of very little relevance to what is really happening in the Northern Territory. He should be concerning himself with matters on which he may be able to provide some assistance to his constituents.
It concerns me greatly that Department of Health and Community Services staff experience the types of difficulties that they do in the circumstances that exist currently at Nyirripi. I must give great credit to the nursing staff at Nyirripi for maintaining services in that community during a time which probably could be described fairly as very serious civil unrest from ...
Mrs Hickey: Nobody is arguing about that.
Mr Ede: And no police aide.
Mr Coulter: Imagine a police aide in that situation!
Mr Ede: Some police presence would have helped.
Mr Coulter: The SAS would not have helped!
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is far too much chatter across the Chamber at present. It is very difficult to hear the minister's response.
Mr REED: I wonder exactly how in touch with the community of Nyirripi the Leader of the Opposition is. I say that because of this incident and also the fact that, when I was there about a year ago, the people of Nyirripi had not seen the Leader of the Opposition for some time - and he is their local member.
Mr Ede: Garbage!
Mr REED: At that time, I was there to inspect a health clinic and to discuss with the community the construction of a new clinic. I wonder whether the Leader of the Opposition has been back to Nyirripi since then. Certainly, he does not seem to be very familiar with the circumstances that exist there. I understand that non-Aboriginal people at Nyirripi are being accused of having interfered because they called the police once the disturbance started. One wonders what the Leader of the Opposition's attitude is given the accusations that he makes in regard to the non-stationing of police at Nyirripi. We must be concerned also about the impact that disturbances like this have on our ability to provide services to remote communities right across the Northern Territory.
Mr Ede: That is why we have a police force. That is why we post police to places.
Mr Hatton interjecting.
Mr Ede interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
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Mr REED: The Leader of the Opposition is fully aware that it is simply not possible to have police in every community in the Northern Territory. If we experience disturbances like this, it concerns me that we will have increasing difficulty in attempting to attract staff to provide health services at communities across the Northern Territory. That should be of concern to the Leader of the Opposition. I believe that it is a matter of greater importance than the State Square project. My concerns are for the safety of ...
Mr Ede: If we had not had $70m of overruns on State Square, we could have afforded it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: We do not have, as the Leader of the Opposition asserts incorrectly, a $70m overrun. However, that is not of such importance as the matter which we are attempting to address at the moment. Unfortunately, the Leader of the Opposition is not particularly interested in this matter. To have vehicles trashed as a result of riotous behaviour and staff expecting that they will have to deliver services in these types of circumstances is of concern to me. It should be of concern to members opposite.
It is of concern to me that there have been other recent events, including one in Arnhem Land where I understand that a doctor has found it necessary to leave the community because of an assault on him following a particular set of circumstances that arose in that community. Whilst that is a matter of some sensitivity, it illustrates again the difficulty that we face. I am distressed at the attitude of the Leader of the Opposition and other members opposite who are very keen to criticise this government for its failure to provide health services to Aboriginal communities - as is the federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Hon Robert Tickner - but are never prepared to look at the other side of the coin.
Members opposite and their federal colleagues are always criticising state and territory governments for their perceived inability to provide services, but they never understand the very difficult circumstances that exist in many of these communities. Firstly, staff are expected to provide services, which they are willing to provide, under very difficult circumstances such as those occurring at Nyirripi at the moment. Members opposite are never prepared to consider the difficulties that staff face in providing those services. There are 2 sides to every story. It is most unfortunate that the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs never seems to see the story from the point of view of the health professionals. He never seems to recognise that there may be problems in these communities that can be solved by the communities. There is a responsibility on the part of community members to ensure that they maintain a level of decorum in their communities and that community members do not endanger the lives of those people who have ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! This morning, there has been far too much yelling across the Chamber and it is becoming very difficult to control the House. I put all members on notice that individually they will receive only one further warning.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, there is a level of responsibility on all of us, whether we are Aboriginal Territorians or non-Aboriginal Territorians, whether we live in a community
Page 320
with a police presence or in a community without a police presence. I believe community leaders have a responsibility to ensure that there is a level of decorum and that those who work in communities to provide the various professional services can do so in safety, and with confidence that their vehicles will not be trashed and that they will not be confronted, molested or threatened personally.
If the Leader of the Opposition takes me to task for those views, I wonder what his attitude is. Given that he represents many remote communities, I wonder what advice he provides to those communities and their leaders about their responsibilities. Clearly, he has a problem. I hope he will take these matters into account and give them due consideration. He should have more respect ...
Mr Bell: Do you take responsibility like that in Katherine?
Mr REED: ... for those people who are attempting to deliver health services for the benefit of all Territorians.
Mr Bell interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacDonnell will withdraw that remark.
Mr BELL: Mr Speaker, I withdraw unreservedly.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016