2013-08-20
Madam Speaker Purick took the Chair at 10 am.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of Year 6 Wagaman Primary School students accompanied by their teacher, Ms Lisa McLean. On behalf of honourable members, I hope you enjoy your tour and time at Parliament House today.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: I remind honourable members of our annual Parliament House Open Day this Saturday 24 August from 9 am to 3 pm. Government House and the Supreme Court will also be holding open days on Saturday. I am expecting and hoping many people will come to the Open Day, not only for the front of the House tours, but also the back of the House tours being undertaken by John Brears, the project manager for Multiplex during construction of this building.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received Message No 10 from Her Honour the Administrator notifying assent to bills passed in the June sittings. The message is dated 18 July 2013.
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader)(by leave): I move that the following changes be made to membership of committees: Public Accounts Committee, discharge Mr Gunner and appoint Ms Manison; Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, discharge Mr Gunner and appoint Ms Manison. Accordingly, the shadow minister for Statehood will be the member for Wanguri, Ms Manison.
Motion agreed to.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that pursuant to Standing Order 89 the routine of business is reordered so that ministerial statements be called upon immediately after Question Time and continue after Petitions.
Motion agreed to.
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that this Assembly censure the Chief Minister for a year of failures and lies including:
jeopardising the future of Nhulunbuy and the region by reneging on his government’s gas to Gove deal
hurting families and businesses with the cost of living skyrocketing while wage growth drops to the lowest in the nation
violent alcohol-related crime up by 17% and alcohol-related domestic violence up by 24%
axing the Palmerston community hospital and Royal Darwin Hospital children’s wing
rejecting Commonwealth funding for renal services
causing business confidence to crash as unemployment has increased every month this year
slashing infrastructure spending, costing jobs and economic development
increasing the cost of housing and failing to release new land for housing in the growth zones of Darwin and Palmerston
renaming shires regional councils and claiming it to be your greatest achievement yet
dismantling child protection scrutiny while staff leave and caseloads increase
axing environmental advisory committees and appointing a mate to run the EPA
trying to make it easier to sack more public servants and supporting Tony Abbott’s plan to make further cuts
handing out jobs to mates
handing out millions of dollars’ worth of water to their own CLP candidate
becoming the most secretive, deceptive and dishonest government in the history of the Northern Territory.
It has been a horrible year for Territorians, a year where we have seen one horrendous failure after the other. We believe this is truly a sign of things to come if Tony Abbott is elected. He will be the CLP on steroids – more jobs axed.
We have seen 100 broken promises flying out of the lies that were the CLP election commitments. We have tabled them, listed them, and you are still not sticking to them. You will not table your contracts with the bush, you will not put them in the public arena, and you will not report on your election commitments because they were lies – say one thing before an election and do quite the opposite after.
The cost of living has been spiralling in the Northern Territory while decreasing across the nation. You promised to cut it, but now it is growing at the fastest rate in the country. Deloitte Access forecasts it will keep growing at the fastest rate in the country for the next five years. While the cost of living is skyrocketing, wages growth is the slowest in the country at just 0.3% in the last quarter. These are statistics and facts that prove what everybody knows, what everybody is feeling, whether they are a householder or a business. Under the CLP costs are going up and real wages are going down.
You promised to grow our economy, yet every month this year the unemployment rate has increased. You blame the cost of living on the carbon tax when your budget papers show the cost of living spike in power and water is due to your decision to increase power, water and sewerage tariffs. Now you say you want to make the Power and Water Corporation commercially sustainable.
It was not a government announcement that disclosed Power and Water is being prepared to be split up into different entities: water/sewerage, networks and generation. A report was not published and provided for consideration or scrutiny by the public. It was a whistle-blower to the media who let us know this government is secretively moving to split up the Power and Water Corporation, a move that prepares it for a sale. The Chief Minister does not rule out the sale of networks, generation, or part thereof, in this term of government. You have no mandate to sell the public’s assets at the Power and Water Corporation. We know through experience, across all other jurisdictions in Australia, that privatisation leads to reduced reliability. In simple terms, more blackouts, more often, for longer periods and it increases the costs: the tariffs go up.
Come clean with Territorians. Stop this secretive dismantling of our services. If you have no intention to sell any part of Power and Water Corporation’s business this term, rule it out. You will not, because whistle-blowers are shining the light on your secretive moves.
Housing prices are increasing by about 8%. Rents are increasing, yet, at the same time, housing building approvals are at a record low. How did you get it so drastically wrong when we came off, in the same time the previous year, a record rate increase of building approvals? What happened? We know what happened. One of your first actions in government was to remove the housing finance assistance schemes designed to get Territorians into home ownership.
You axed My New Home. You axed HOMESTART Extra. You took the ability for Territorians to get into home ownership away from them through axing those two schemes. Housing finance assistance approvals through government schemes was running at around 350 per year until you intervened, axed the schemes, and now we have, under your plan, 24 approvals. Do your maths. Averaging 350 a year versus, under your scheme, an almost impossible to enter scheme with 24 approvals. The only land being released in the growth zones of Darwin and Palmerston is land the Labor government planned and invested in infrastructure for. There is no new land. You talk about Kilgariff as the great land release in Alice Springs. The Labor government planned Kilgariff originally as AZRI, named it Kilgariff and invested in the infrastructure.
There is nothing new from the CLP, no new initiative, no new turn-off of land, and no increase in the rate of housing approvals. We have an increasing imbalance in supply. Then you decide to axe the township of Weddell and say, ‘No, we will look at building at Gunn Point’. For that action alone you ought to be condemned, because you are saying by the year 2014-15 and 2015-16 we will be in a housing crisis because you are not building the sites planned at Weddell. You are pushing out into the later years beyond that, the possibility of Murrumujuk. It is unbelievable stupidity. Perhaps that is why we are getting applications for floating barges off Dinah Beach.
You went after seniors. They vented their disappointment in a big campaign for hurting some of their pensioner entitlements, but you went after them anyway. You are making them pay $1 just to get on a bus.
You promised to cut crime by 10% a year, and you promised to tackle alcohol-related crime and remove drunks from the streets. Despite the Chief Minister living in his own bubble and pretending antisocial behaviour does not exist and everything is okay, anyone who lives in our community across the Territory can see antisocial behaviour is increasing. There are more drunks on the streets and in the parks, and we know from your crime statistics that alcohol-related crime has increased with alcohol-related assaults up 17% and domestic violence assaults up 24% since you scrapped the Banned Drinker Register.
In the first six weeks of the Banned Drinker Register 858 problem drinkers were banned. In the first six weeks of CLP mandatory rehabilitation nine people have gone to rehabilitation, sort of, because they keep running away. The CLP says having people run away from rehabilitation proves it is working. You have really lost it if you believe people absconding from rehabilitation, at great expense to the taxpayer, is a working system.
You could not even work out who the responsible minister was. You made Administrative Arrangements Order changes at night and did not let the public know. An expensive farce, tragically a $45m farce, affecting the lives of Territorians every day.
Your track record on health has being appalling. Scrapping the construction of Palmerston hospital is the worst thing you have done. Previous governments went into every detail of what hospital services were required, where they should be delivered from, significant scoping studies occurred and consultation with the community, the City of Palmerston, and others. You have ignored all that work because you want a different site. You will delay as long as you can, and one wonders what site you are talking about. Is it Crown land? Is it privately owned? What on earth led you to believe the site next to the health clinic was a bad one when it could clearly accommodate a hospital?
At the same time you said, ‘No, we will not have that federal funding and capital dollars to construct a children’s wing at Royal Darwin Hospital’. I challenge you, Chief Minister, to visit the paediatric ward at Royal Darwin Hospital and continue to say we do not need that children’s wing.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, may I interrupt?
Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of students from Milkwood and Alice Springs Steiner Schools accompanied by their teachers, Michael Simmons and Noel Ferry. On behalf of honourable members, I extend a warm welcome to our visitors and hope they enjoy their visit to Parliament House.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms LAWRIE: To your eternal shame you became embroiled in the argument around renal funding. You rejected it; you did not want to proceed with renal funding despite it being a chronic disease across the Territory with a dire need for increased renal services for Indigenous Territorians.
Education has been an appalling series of failed decisions resulting in a dramatic reduction in services across our schools. We are just starting to see the tip of the iceberg.
Mr Tollner: Name a few.
Ms LAWRIE: I note the member for Fong Lim laughs about it. You are the Treasurer and it is important you listen to what teachers are saying. Across all our middle and senior schools we have lost teachers due to funding formula changes which occurred between you coming to government in August and the mini-budget. We have seen losses of teachers across all our schools, including losses for the bush members who beat their chests and say how wonderful they are at representing constituents across remote schools in the Northern Territory. You are literally dismantling the education system as we speak.
You have not just stripped the educators in the curriculum areas of education, ESL and others, you have cut teachers from our classrooms, from that frontline point of contact, so much so that the education union is mounting its own advertising campaign against this government.
On top of that, to add insult to dramatic injury to our education system, you have rejected additional funding from the Commonwealth government’s Better Schools Plan. You stand by your dogmatic rhetoric: because it is not a Tony Abbott offer you will not take it even though it means additional funding for every school. Despite the lies of the Chief Minister in estimates, the media, and of his Education minister, every school receives additional funding.
The tragedy in rejection of this offer is that the bush schools stood to gain the most. There were upwards of 63% increases across remote schools. You have said, ‘No, we are not taking that extra funding’. Yes, it comes with strings attached. It says, ‘Do not sack more teachers. Do not erode the base of education in the Territory. If you take this money you cannot take your own out. You have to put your own in.’ What are you being asked to put in? Essentially, CPI across your forward estimates in the Education budget – natural growth within your Education budget.
The $100m is growth in Education of around 5%. That is what Education normally requires if you are interested in delivering the education services Territorians need. Clearly you are not interested, because you have taken an axe to the Education budget. You have dismantled the structures supporting our teachers in the classrooms, and you are now taking an axe to teacher positions.
What is fundamentally important to any society wanting improved social and economic outcomes is education. Yet, you dismantle it. You take it apart and pretend to your own colleagues it is not happening.
Get out to your bush schools, members of parliament, and find out how many teachers you have lost. Find out, through the cuts, how many members of your local community no longer have a job at the school because those positions have also been axed due to funding cuts. Job cuts, one of the biggest lies of all - you had fliers during the election campaign saying, ‘Your job is safe’. You had paid advertisements in the newspaper, ‘Your job is safe’. We have seen hundreds of public servants sacked by your government. You do not use the term ‘sacked’, ‘their contracts were not renewed’. They had a job before. Their job was not safe; their jobs have gone.
You said it would not apply to frontline workers. Frontline workers have been lost across all agencies of government. The public servants left in the workplace today working under increasing pressure know this has happened. Every time you say it has not they know you are lying, as you consistently lie about each of these things, to your eternal shame. Your default is to lie.
I have never come across a government as dysfunctional, chaotic and consistently lying as this one. I have lived in the Territory for a long time, and some of us remember the form of some previous CLP governments where it became an increasingly small circle. They called it the silver circle of influential mates who benefited where everyone else missed out. It did not take long for you to go there, with jobs for 13 mates while you were sacking public servants. Also, there is your beneficiary, a ‘water mate’, Tina MacFarlane, the CLP candidate who received millions of dollars in water rights. Despite the advice of the agency, you have increased the risk of the Roper running dry and, if you continue with your foolishness …
Mr Westra van Holthe: You have just made a fool of yourself.
Ms LAWRIE: No, not at all. Look at the water modelling, member for Katherine. You are as grubby as the member for Fong Lim and both your hands are all over water mate. Have you heard from AFANT, have you heard from NAILSMA? Do you bother to look at what they say? Are you taking the regional allocation from 20 to 40? Have you told the people of Ngukurr what risk you have put them in regarding water …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, can you please stop pointing. Could we have some order. Thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: I understand, member for Daly, why you have spoken out publically against your party in this matter. You have said publically you do not agree with removing water rights for Indigenous people.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! She can refer, in the third person, to the member for Daly, but whilst you are in the Chair as the Deputy Speaker she is, effectively, reflecting on you and that is inappropriate. If she speaks in the third person about the member for Daly she can do so, but to directly attack you whilst you are in the Chair is inappropriate and should be ruled out of order.
Mr TOLLNER: Further to the point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker, it is completely wrong to verbal a Deputy Speaker whilst he is sitting in the Chair. It is in breach of standing orders and the member should desist.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, if you refer to the member for Daly that is fine, but you should not refer to ‘you’, being me, as the member for Daly in the Chair. Thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: I take on that advice, member for Daly, and thank you for seeking advice from the Clerk.
The member for Daly has spoken out against his own party on this one. The member for Daly understands that what has occurred under water mate is corruption. I will say it in this House, it is corrupt. We cannot access the information; it is being withheld. There have been 13 pieces of correspondence between the minister’s office and the department which have not been released under freedom of information because it would spark public debate. That is a new one, not releasing something under freedom of information because it would spark public debate.
Member for Katherine, your hand is all over this. Member for Fong Lim, everyone is pointing at you in the background. No wonder you are touchy on this subject. Why did you provide water rights to Tina MacFarlane, the CLP candidate, when so many others in the region did not get additional water rights and are still waiting to hear an outcome?
There is more on this to come, but you are grubby and have gone straight back to form in taking care of your mates while the rest of the Territory suffers. They suffer under the cost of living increase, under job losses, and they suffer with small businesses going to the wall. Media reports show bankruptcies increasing by 40% under the CLP. If you bother to listen to the industry organisations you will hear they are all hurting. From civil contractors to engineers, the construction sector, tourism and hospitality, they are having a shocking time and businesses are hitting the wall. According the CLP it is all okay, it is nirvana and they have had a great year.
In child protection 171 staff have gone, lost from that agency, yet the minister’s daughter receives a $170 000 pay rise. It is the talk of the agency. How can someone go from an AO4 prior to the election, rocketing up to an AO6 post-election, to now an Executive Officer Level 2? It is unheard of, never witnessed before, but it is okay, she is the minister’s daughter.
You promised an independent EPA …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of the Opposition has a history of directly attacking public servants without a skerrick of evidence. This was raised with the Speaker recently after a disgraceful attack on public servants during the estimates process. She either stumps up with some evidence or restrains herself and respects the public service she purports to defend.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, please refrain unless you have some evidence.
Ms LAWRIE: Member for Daly, it has been widely reported in the media and the Leader of Government Business knows this. I will go in to bat and defend the public sector, and I have. They have a campaign today. You may be wondering why we are wearing red. Did it even flicker through your consciousness? The CPSU and other unions are in the midst of an EBA dispute with your government. You are cutting jobs. You are trying to keep their wages below real growth in CPI, and you are changing their employment, or trying to through the EBA, so you can sack them. You are going after the permanency provisions within the EBA …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Once again, attacking public servants. I understand they are wearing red. They are communists; they do that anyhow. Mr Deputy Speaker, she should withdraw the scurrilous attack, without any evidence to support it, on a public servant and she has not done so.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, could you bear in mind that members of the public, whether they are public servants or not, do not have any right of reply in this House.
Ms LAWRIE: I am talking about the EBA. Last time I checked there was no public servant called EBA. I am talking about the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement in dispute between the unions of the public service and the Northern Territory government. Clearly they are saying this government is suppressing real wages growth through a pathetic offer not even matching CPI. More important to public servants, you are going after conditions that would change permanency: that would make it easier for you to sack more with a lesser payout than they would receive under the existing EBA. It is little wonder they are entrenched in a dispute with your government, and little wonder they have been given the right to vote on protected industrial action, the result of which we will know on Friday. You are incompetent and have gone after public servants. You have slashed them, are hurting them with this EBA, and they will fight. I am happy to point out any time a minister’s daughter benefits when 171 staff have lost their job in the child protection agency.
Mr Elferink: If they are married or in any way related to the CLP they are an open slather target. You are a disgrace.
Ms LAWRIE: The member doth protest too much.
Mr Elferink: I protest on behalf of honest people.
Ms LAWRIE: You fall by your own actions, member for Port Darwin …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Can we please …
Mr Elferink: Step outside and say some of those rubbish things.
Ms LAWRIE: I point out to the member for Port Darwin - he is sensitive on this subject – that it has already been the subject of media articles. It is fact. The minister’s daughter has received an increase and a promotion. She is now heading up the regional area of Alice Springs and is on a big contract. It is $170 000, thank you very much, while 171 staff were axed …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Can we have the censure motion continue and this debate cease.
Ms LAWRIE: In relation to the environment, member for Daly …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Deputy Speaker.
Ms LAWRIE: Mr Deputy Speaker, of course. I was going back to the environment argument in relation to water rights so I have to point out, member for Daly, whilst you condemn your government on removing the rights of Indigenous Territorians, they have removed them in the policy setting to ensure their mate, Tina MacFarlane, does all right in Mataranka despite not having a plan to grow anything. Then, when really pushed on it she said, ‘I am going to have some cattle and some wheat’. The last time anyone checked that region you cannot grow wheat unless it is genetically modified. By all means feel free to keep backing that up.
We have talked about what has happened to Territorians as a result of the actions of this government in increasing power and water tariffs. We have talked about how that has hurt every household and every business. Now, you are splitting it up to sell it off. That was not the subject of a report you released; that was from a whistle-blower. You have been sprung! ‘No, it is okay, we are just doing regulatory reform so there can be competition in the marketplace.’ Regulatory reform has been done and there is already competition in the marketplace. We already have different power supply to Parliament House, for example. No, you want to flog off its networks and Weddell Power Station. Why would you not sell the gas to Gove? Because it is a useful commodity!
If you were to position it and split up the assets, why would you not have an oversupply of gas so you can sell it to a major user entering the marketplace? We have seen that happen before. How did Paul Everingham, former CLP Chief Minister, end up owning a transmission line from Darwin to Katherine? That deal cost the taxpayers $10m. We have seen it before; you have form.
Gas to Gove represents and sums up what is so terribly wrong with this government. It has all the elements of what is gross and despicable about this government. It has the element which saw the knifing of a Chief Minister. Terry Mills was knifed, but if you read the ministerial statement we will debate later today, he did not even exist in their minds and they pretend he does not now.
Yet, he has spoken out on gas to Gove. He has spoken out against the current Chief Minister and said where he is wrong. Gas to Gove is a shining example of the incompetence of this government. One Chief Minister did a deal after months of prevaricating, running the arguments the new Chief Minister now runs, being proven wrong, stumped up with a deal because he knew it would be to the social and economic benefit of not just Nhulunbuy, not just the region, but the entire Northern Territory.
Let us rewrite that. Let us pretend a deal was not done despite one having been. Let us put the Territory in the category of great sovereign risk when it comes to dealing with our global companies. Say one thing, strike a deal, then renege and dishonour it ...
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I request the member be given an extension of time pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Mr Elferink: Not possible. This is a censure motion, Mr Deputy Speaker. We do not have extensions in censure motions.
Ms LAWRIE: I will continue to speak to my time. The member for Nhulunbuy has spoken out on gas to Gove and will continue to do so. I travel there and will continue to do so. We have seen rank dishonesty, rank lies, and rank petty politics: the Chief Minister refusing to visit the people of Nhulunbuy and listen to them regarding the livelihoods he is jeopardising with his dishonesty.
He needs to revisit this decision. It is critical to the future of the region: $800m economic investment in the region with a $200m to $300m investment in Darwin alone. You are jeopardising the lives of far too many people through their jobs, their livelihood, and through devaluing their homes. You stand condemned.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker, her time has expired.
Mr TOLLNER (Deputy Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, this censure motion is nothing but cheapjack political games being played by the Opposition Leader.
The opposition has known, from the early hours of this morning, that today the Chief Minister intended to give a full, open, and frank report on everything that has occurred in the last 12 months and the future direction of this government. These cheapjack political games are designed to cause the Chief Minister problems in delivering that address. The Leader of Government Business asked for a change in the order of business so the Chief Minister could do just that.
This has nothing to do with the opposition’s concern about government or the fact they believe people have lied. This is about doing what they can to put the Chief Minister off his game today, nothing more and nothing less.
This is one of the weakest censure motions I have ever seen in the Northern Territory and, prior to that, in the federal parliament. You could see there was no passion in the Opposition Leader. She is not even concerned about the things she says. Instead of coming up with any facts, as the Leader of Government Business said, she does nothing but drag good, decent hard-working people’s names through the mud. That is a shameful thing because it drags this parliament into disrepute. It makes all of us look bad.
The Leader of the Opposition has no concern for the standing of this parliament in its community because she continually interjects in Question Time and continually plays the man, not the ball. It is all about a quick political point rather than thinking about the long-term future of the Territory or the long-term good or what we can do to benefit Territorians, nothing more, nothing less.
On behalf of government, we are sorry we have to deal with the gas to Gove issue. When coming into government we found there was a crisis in Gove. In fact, prior to coming to government I had an inkling of it. I recall in the election campaign being in Nhulunbuy asking people, ‘What is happening with the future of Nhulunbuy and the concern over energy security?’ People looked at me like I was from another planet. They had never heard of it. Their local member had been part of a government that had been negotiating for some time with Pacific Aluminium in relation to energy security and the future of that refinery. However, not once had the local member, the Chief Minister, or anyone in the former government raised the issue of gas to Gove.
The former Chief Minister offered a paltry four years of gas. They rejected the deal outright. They asked to generate using coal, but as the Chief Minister said today in Question Time, the government’s response to that was, ‘We are more interested in Green preferences than the lives and future of people in Nhulunbuy’. The most shameful part of it is the member for Nhulunbuy never raised the issue in parliament. She never sought to question government about what had happened. Now, 12 months into this government, all of a sudden the member for Nhulunbuy takes issue with what is happening.
The member for Blain, the former Chief Minister, did the right thing. He went to Gove and could see there was a problem. He was of the view, as a government, we should try to help facilitate the energy security they desperately needed in Nhulunbuy in order to see the continuation of jobs and business in that community.
The previous government saw it solely as a commercial issue. Their view was that government does not have a role to play and was not intending to do anything to secure the future of Nhulunbuy or the residents of that region - very sad.
I am proud of the work the Chief Minister has done to date. He looked at the issues and has analysed things from every direction. He has been up hill and down dale, not just making available Territory government-owned gas resources, but also searching across the Territory and the offshore resource companies to see what we can do to facilitate long-term security for residents of the Gove community. That deserves applause rather than the Opposition Leader condemning him for his actions. Goodness me, the previous government did nothing. We are trying to do something and now these guys opposite have decided we are to be condemned for having a go, something they were not prepared to do.
On behalf of government, we are sorry we have to clean up problems with crime, antisocial behaviour and public drunkenness. However, these problems were left to us by a former government not interested in dealing with the problem. They were more interested in political spin and coming up with cheapjack political solutions to detailed and chronic problems in our community.
The Banned Drinker Register was about penalising everyone: making us all feel we had a problem. Tourists were turned away from bottle shops, Territorians were made to feel like criminals every time they wanted to go through a bottle-o to buy a beer, and publicans were made to feel akin to heroin traffickers because of the job they did in the community. We recognise alcohol has a part to play in the community and the hospitality and entertainment industries ...
Ms Walker: It is a core value according to your boss.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, you have been warned.
Mr TOLLNER: We talk about growing tourism - a solid part of any tourism industry is the hospitality and entertainment sectors. In that regard, we are keen to have similar laws to those they have around the rest of the country, and people should live with and drink alcohol responsibly. Unfortunately, in the community there are some people for whom alcohol has become a major health problem to the extent they have no control over their desire to consume alcohol. It is a drug to which they are addicted and they are beyond seeking help.
In that regard, we have taken the tough decision to deal directly with the problem - the problem drunks themselves - and help those people find the help they need. Access to good clinical and rehabilitation services is for people who have lost the ability to recognise they have a problem with alcohol and the need for those types of services. We have started a mandatory treatment program and make no apologies for it.
A number of people across the sector have said some fantastic things about it, people who recognise the need many people have to deal with alcohol, and we are seeing results already. In Alice Springs, antisocial behaviour and public drunkenness have reduced dramatically. Having visited Alice Springs in recent months, people are amazed at the number of people not on the streets at night causing problems. Where are they? They are more than likely still drinking, but they are certainly not doing it on the streets. In Alice Springs we are delivering on the election commitment to get drunks off the streets. However, we are most interested in capturing people who have chronic problems and giving them the help they sorely need. This government will continue to do what it can to help people with major alcohol problems.
I am sorry for the problems we have inherited with crime. We have had to deal with escalating crime rates across the Territory. As the Chief Minister said today in Question Time, we have made progress in this area. Crime offences against property have reduced by 8.29% in the last 12 months. Offences against property are down 10.56% in the last 12 months and protective custodies - where intoxicated individuals are taken into protective custody - have decreased. I will go through these.
In the Darwin metropolitan area we have seen a decrease of 14.54% in the last 12 months. In Northern Command, the top part of the Northern Territory, we have seen an overall reduction of 22.23%. In Southern Command, Alice Springs and the Centre, we have seen a massive reduction of 49.6% in protective custodies in the last 12 months. Overall, there has been a 29.91% decrease in protective custody episodes. That is an amazing result in just 12 months. It points to the fact, whilst we understand much of this is new and there will be bugs in the system, that the framework of the system is working and we are seeing measurable results.
We are sorry we have had to look across government and cut waste and find inefficiencies, but we inherited a system of massive waste. We knew government debt was to rise to $5.5bn. The Opposition Leader, the Treasurer at the time, in the pre-election fiscal outlook predicted as much. We knew we would have 98% revenue to debt ratio by 2015-16. These things are alarming in anyone’s book. However, we did not know the amount of waste throughout the system. It is hardly surprising because if you look at the way Labor operates around the country, they all take their marching orders from their masters in Canberra. When you see the way their masters in Canberra act in relation to public money, it is no surprise we find ourselves in this dreadful situation in the Northern Territory.
I believe Kevin Rudd would see the member for Karama as one of the greatest economic managers in this country because of her ability to throw money around without getting any result for it. Of Kevin Rudd’s $10bn spent to stimulate the retail sector, we saw a $390m bounce in retail trade in a month. Some people might say that kept businesses alive, kept people in jobs, but to spend $10bn to see a $390m jump in retail trade is money wasted in the extreme.
Sending cheques off to dead people, to people who have not lived in the country for years, putting money into an insulation scheme where hundreds of houses burnt down and people died, putting money into cash for clunkers - almost every program the federal government ran was a disaster and a farce.
The same applies in the Northern Territory. The previous government had no regard for the public purse. They were prepared to create intergenerational debt: debt left to our children to repay. That is spending of the worst kind. This generation should pay for the services this generation uses. We should not be pushing the cost of the services we require today onto future generations. That is not good government and it is not good fiscal management; it is appalling.
Again, I apologise for the work we as a government have had to do in the health sector. We have inherited a decaying health sector, a health sector run in silos. It was extraordinarily complex, was not providing services to the people who needed them most, and was and is costing an enormous amount of money: $1.3bn a year for a population of 230 000. That is an extraordinary amount of money in anyone’s language.
We have taken the bull by the horns and reformed the structure of our Health department. We have pushed more decision-making into the regions. We have given clinicians, nurses and other people in the sector much more say about how they deliver services. These reforms are happening.
Of course, we had to shut the medi-hotel. It cost the federal government $18.5m and was going to cost $5.5m in our budget when our debt is rising to $5.5bn. How can we afford another $5.5m to house long-grassers who want to have hospital services in the home? It is an extraordinary expense for a jurisdiction that can least afford it.
We had to can Labor’s idea of a Palmerston hospital. They never had a plan for a Palmerston hospital; it was all dreamed up on the eve of the election. They needed something to run to an election campaign. Goodness me, show me anywhere in the country you can build a hospital for $110m. The whole idea of building a hospital for $110m is a farce. The best we could have expected for that amount was an overflow ward from RDH. Again, the ongoing funding to keep that open was $50m a year, recognised in their forward estimates. I draw your attention to the fact we have an emerging debt of $5.5bn, but they were quite prepared to spend another $50m on an overflow for RDH. I am sorry we have had to take action on that.
There is a range of things mentioned in the Opposition Leader’s censure - causing business confidence to crash. Goodness me, what a joke. Business confidence has never been higher. Infrastructure spending has been slashed - what a load of nonsense. We have enormous money going into infrastructure.
I am sorry, on behalf of government, for having to deal with a housing and accommodation crisis. Everybody knows we have the most expensive houses and most expensive rents in the country. Why? Because of the failures of the previous government. Now we have to clean it up. I am sorry we have to clean it up, but that is a reality of government.
We are doing what we can. We now have the fastest land release in the Territory’s history. We have 2700 blocks of land ready for development. Things are happening quickly in that area. However, there is still a lack of accommodation. These things cannot be solved quickly but we are doing everything we can, and industry is thankful we are finding accommodation. One of the critical things if you want to employ staff and attract people to the Territory is you need somewhere to house them.
I am sorry for the work we are doing in the regions and in the shires, but if we did not inherit the mess of local government we would not have to undertake these reforms. I pay tribute to the member for Namatjira, the Minister for Local Government, for the work she is doing there and the consultations she is having because we want to put authority and decision-making back into the hands of people in communities. We do not believe in a centralised communist city system. We do not wear red into parliament to show we are communists. We support individuals and the individual’s right to make choices for themselves. In that regard, we support devolving authority into the regions and giving people a greater say in how they are governed and managed. We make no apology for that, but I am sorry we have had to do the work to make it a reality.
I also have to apologise for the work we have to do in child protection. This area is very dear to my heart and one where I have seen the damage caused over years of neglect by the previous Labor government. What led to the federal intervention were the direct and attributive failures of the former Labor government. This led to the Little Children are Sacred report, the Northern Territory intervention, and much interference in Territory responsibility by the Commonwealth. If Clare Martin had not been so interested in papering over things we would have had a much better working relationship with the Commonwealth in this area. We could have done things differently but, at the time, the Commonwealth had no choice but to step in because the statistics and the reality in remote communities were abysmal. In no area of government has more shame been brought to the Northern Territory than child protection. It is a disgrace. The problem will not be easily fixed. I am sorry, but it has to be fixed. We are committed to fixing it and assisting Territorians because until we do, we cannot walk around with our heads held high.
I am sorry for the work we have had to do to mend our economy. We have inherited a bloated system where one business is the economy of the Northern Territory. We have inherited a system where the government tried to turn the rest of the Northern Territory into one big national park. They tried to stop development. They tried to do everything they could to keep farmers from the Northern Territory. Most of the research stations around the Territory were shut down by the former government. No assistance was given to farmers. In fact, they made life hard for both farmers and miners.
We saw the debacle with the McArthur River Mine when they wanted to expand operations. We saw four of their members cross the floor including, I believe, the Deputy Chief Minister of the day because she was reluctant to see economic development in that area. It was a shame.
We saw one of the worst decisions the Commonwealth has made affecting the Northern Territory, the live cattle ban. We saw our Chief Minister of the day welcome it saying it was the circuit breaker we needed to have.
I am sorry, but we have had to try to fix these things. We said we wanted a diversified economy; we do not want to have to rely on just one business. As good as that business might be, we want more. We want mining operations, agriculture, tourism, jobs in education and jobs in manufacturing. We are dead keen to grow and diversify our economy because that is the only way the Territory can grow.
We have such an imbalance between the public and private sector. If we were in Queensland or New South Wales we would have to take drastic action because they are mature economies and would have no choice but to slash jobs and expenses. We are in a fortunate position in the Northern Territory where we have a lot of blue sky in relation to private sector investment and opportunity. As a government we have taken a belt-tightening attitude with our finances trying to find more efficiency. We are not running a wholesale effort to get rid of public servants. All the fear-mongering and concerns raised by the opposition in relation to that have proved to be nonsensical because we have not sacked public servants. We have not removed frontline workers.
Our focus has been on bringing some balance into our economy and growing the private sector. To do that, we recognise we do not have buckets of money to throw at businesses or stimulus packages etcetera. Those glory days of profligate Labor spending are behind us, thank God. Ultimately, they result in debt carried on to future generations.
On the other hand, we make no apology for greasing skids for business, cutting red tape, removing regulation, getting into the habit of saying yes, getting into that mindset of saying, ‘This business will be good for the Northern Territory, it will provide jobs, we want it. We will do what we can to facilitate it without having to throw money at it.’
We have seen some incredible things happen in the last 12 months and the member for Katherine has been remarkable in this area: Sherwin Iron Ore, Vista Gold, Western Desert Resources and Australian Ilmenite. Goodness me, I cannot remember the last time we had new mines in the Northern Territory. The member for Katherine has done a remarkable job encouraging that.
Similarly, he has had to deal with the ridiculous situation created by the Gillard government and our former Labor government with the live cattle ban. He has re-engaged with Asia. It is not just Indonesia, he has been tracking other countries as well, such as Vietnam, trying to diversify markets for our cattle producers so we never have to face that situation again.
The work the Tourism minister has done is incredible. He has attracted Tigerair back to the Territory. Malaysia Airlines is coming in November, and we have Philippine Airlines and Air Asia. These things have happened in just 12 months.
Work has been done in the area of Defence. We are dead keen to grow our Defence support industries and are working with Canberra to ensure we know when Defence contracts are coming up to give Territory businesses the best possible opportunity of accessing jobs.
The opposition derides us for the work we have done in the area of farming by releasing water. You see a political opportunity there. Whoopee doo! A candidate got some water and now we are about to drain the Roper. I have not heard anything so bizarre in my life: it is going to drain the Roper because our candidate got some water. Goodness me! We want farmers everywhere to get water. Water is a fundamental of farming. I wonder if Labor people understand that. Another part of farming is land. The minister is doing much to make land available for farming because we want to see farming.
Mr Deputy Speaker, it has been an impressive 12 months of government. I pay tribute to the entire leadership team we have had in the last 12 months of government. It has been a tough road to haul and we have had to make serious changes. Let me assure Territorians everywhere that we are committed to doing what is best for Territorians, irrespective of what the numbskulls on the other side of the Chamber say. We are not interested in selling everything, driving up power prices, and sacking everybody. That is not in the interests of Territorians. We are doing what is right for the Territory and we are governing well.
Debate suspended.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I table a copy of the Administrative Arrangements Order published in the Northern Territory Gazette No S41 dated 9 August 2013. I advise the Assembly that on 9 August 2013, Her Honour the Administrator made the following additional appointment of ministers of the Northern Territory:
David William Tollner: Minister for Alcohol Policy.
The CLERK: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 100A, I inform honourable members that responses to petition nos 12, 15, 17, 18, and 19 have been received and circulated to honourable members. The text of the responses will be placed on the Legislative Assembly website. A copy of the response will be provided to the member who tabled the petition for distribution to petitioners.
Presented by: Ms Finocchiaro
Referred to: Minister for Health
Date response due: 17 October 2013
Date response received: 6 August 2013
Date response presented: 20 August 2013
Response:
MOTION
Proposed Censure of Chief Minister
Continued from earlier this day.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for bringing this censure motion before the House. In her contribution she highlighted the litany of failures and broken promises of those members opposite, masquerading as a government. These promises, made to Territorians on the strength of, ‘If you vote for us we will reduce the cost of living. We will do this, we will do that’, were all broken and were made at a time when Territorians had the opportunity to choose. I know many people who gave their vote to the CLP deeply regret it, especially people in the bush who feel betrayed because they listened to the lies offered prior to the election and at the booths when casting their votes - the lies and betrayal this government has delivered to Territorians, especially those in the bush.
We heard the woeful contribution from the Treasurer who talks about belt-tightening. It is more like belting up on Territorians. Twelve months and people have had enough of it.
I condemn this hopeless, terrible, callous and insincere group of individuals, liars who call themselves a government, and who have treated the people of Gove with utter contempt and disregard, a government which has backflipped on a deal, reneged on a deal …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It might save some time if the member simply tables the speech she is reading from.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, member for Fong Lim. Please be seated.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The censure merely accuses the Chief Minister of lying, not other members of this House. She is using the word against other members of this House and, consequently, it should be ruled out of order.
Ms Walker: I am talking about the government lying.
Mr ELFERINK: No, it does not say government, it says Chief Minister. You should read the censure motion.
Mr GUNNER: Madam Speaker, speaking to the point of order, it talks about a year of lies. I believe the member for Nhulunbuy is referencing the year of lies.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, just so I am clear, the censure motion reads, in part:
Ms Walker: A bit sensitive over that side.
Mr ELFERINK: No, just getting the order correct.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, it does say censuring the Chief Minister as an individual. Please continue.
Ms WALKER: Thanks, Madam Speaker. They are way too sensitive over that side because they know that they are implicit in this. It is not just the Chief Minister; they are all implicit in this, because they are a gammon government …
Mr STYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I thought you asked the member to withdraw the statement. She has not withdrawn the statement.
Madam SPEAKER: No, I asked the member to contain her comments to what is in the censure motion.
Mr STYLES: My mistake. Sorry, Madam Speaker.
Ms WALKER: Clean out your ears, member for Sanderson.
Madam Speaker, they are a gammon government; a government which says one thing then does another. They cannot be trusted. They spent months and months fighting amongst themselves and forgot their role as elected members and as the government of the Northern Territory. There was so much fighting amongst them led by a backstabber, the liar who is the Chief Minister, who seized the opportunity for the top job in March when the former Chief Minister, the member for Blain, was in Japan.
In the lead-up to that, in February, the people of Nhulunbuy had been delivered certainty by the former Chief Minister, the member for Blain. I notice all the downcast eyes on the other side, owning up to what you were part of. The member for Namatjira said he was the most fantastic Chief Minister in the Northern Territory and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, in full-blown colour pictures in the NT News, and you all turned your back on him. Shame on you! The people of Gove had respect for the Chief Minister, the member for Blain, when he reached the decision he did. It provided our community with certainty and with a future. People fail to recognise it is not just about Gove, it is about the region and the contribution that region makes to the Northern Territory and the national economy. That decision in February was significant.
For the members opposite, including the liar who is the Chief Minister and his sidekick, the member for Fong Lim, to say I have been silent for five years is wrong, and they know it. What is most important to me is what appears on the public record and what the people of Nhulunbuy have asked me to do, which is speak up for them in this parliament - pre-election, post-election, that is my role. That will be abundantly evident on the public record.
For the Deputy Chief Minister to say there was an offer of 120 PJ from the former government is untrue. Here is a letter - there were negotiations between Pacific Aluminium, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, and the Northern Territory government. A task force had been formed at that time. There was no mention of the quantum of petajoules required, but there is most definitely correspondence on the public record, and the fact that a high-level task force existed to progress a supply of gas for the Pacific Aluminium operations on the Gove peninsula.
In March, after the now Chief Minister, the member for Braitling’s bid to become the top man, people were asking, ‘Who is this Adam Giles?’ Now they are asking me, ‘Who the hell does Adam Giles think he is, and why will he not come out and talk to us? If he is the Chief Minister, should he not be showing leadership and make his way to our community to front up to people at a meeting and explain his actions?’ However, the only way the government can deal with this situation is to attack me. They cannot see beyond the fact that, as much as they do not like it, the electorate of Nhulunbuy is held by Labor. They accuse me of playing politics. I am not playing politics. I am here to represent the people of Nhulunbuy, which is what they expect me to do.
There was a time when I said to my constituents, ‘This is beyond politics. Chief Minister Terry Mills will sort this out. He knows there is more at stake than the community of Nhulunbuy. This is not about politics. I have confidence the new CLP government will get this sorted.’ It was sorted but was then pulled apart by a media release on 26 July 2013. ‘New plan for gas to Gove’, crowed the new Chief Minister, the member for Braitling, telling lies to people in his media release when he said it is a win/win. He later described it in a media interview as ‘exciting’. Nobody, except the Chief Minister and the CLP government, can see the win/win or the fact this is an exciting offer. We were led to believe there was an offer on the table, and, on the strength of that, certainty for our community.
On the following day, announced on a public holiday when most people were out enjoying themselves – camping, fishing, perhaps at the Darwin Show – the news leaked. The following day our local newsagency was so angry with what they had heard - the news about the reneging on the gas deal had been leaked and Gove people had been lied to – they erected a sign which said, ‘Chief Minister Giles not welcome here. Goveites – political pawns.’
There was a time when I thought this was beyond politics, but I agree with the authors of that sign, as does the entire community of Gove: they are being treated as political pawns. This photo speaks volumes in reflecting the views of many people who live and work in the region and call the place home. However, as anger has subsided, people are looking for answers. They want to hear from the Chief Minister, they want to know what is going on. He is the leader of the Northern Territory and needs to man up, prove he is not the ‘little boy’ the member for Namatjira accused him of being, and front up to the community of Gove.
People’s lives and livelihoods have been thrown into turmoil with the rug of certainty pulled from beneath their feet.
The media release of 26 July was a cynical exercise from the Chief Minister. What an incredibly political exercise it was to make an announcement five minutes out from a federal election, but it gets worse. That announcement was on the Friday then, on the Monday, lo and behold, the Deputy Chief Minister arrives in Nhulunbuy, the Deputy Chief Minister who could not give a budget presentation to the regions. He declined my invitation to front the community to talk about the budget. He wrote me a rude letter basically saying, ‘Too bad, we do not care about you and we do not have the money to do it’.
I calculated a budget presentation from the Treasurer would set his budget back $2500 to $3000 for the benefit of 40 to 50 people who would really love to hear what was being handed down, but no, he could not afford it. Magically, he finds the money because on the Monday he issued a media release saying, ‘Deputy Chief Minister to visit Gove’. He talked about how he would update locals on the progress of plans to get the gas to town.
In tow with the Deputy Chief Minister - this was an entirely political exercise - were some of his Country Liberal Party mates. He had Ian Macfarlane, the Coalition spokesperson for Mines and Energy, and who else might be in that party, not related, but Tina MacFarlane, the CLP candidate for Lingiari also looking for a few votes in the upcoming election. We received a media release saying; ‘He will visit Gove today to update locals on progress with plans to get gas to the town’. Fantastic, people were reading this and saying, ‘It does not say where the meeting is. Where are we meeting?’ Where will the Deputy Chief Minster be so people can hear about this fantastic plan to get gas to the town? The only thing they had scheduled was a media conference at Ski Beach at midday where, lo and behold, Mr Macfarlane made the biggest non-announcement I have ever heard. He announced, ‘If you support the Liberal candidate here you support Tony Abbott. We will save your town. We will underwrite the gas pipeline.’
Excuse me, Deputy Chief Minister, the last time I saw the news a commitment had already been made to underwrite the gas pipeline with due diligence but not without a secure gas supply. That was always the first step. A secure gas supply had to be secured. The federal government was working with the Territory government. Even Chief Minister Terry Mills issued a media release in November to say he had Canberra on board for the gas pipeline. Fantastic! Good on the former Chief Minister because he did not play politics with this; he went to Canberra and worked with the relevant parties to ensure we had Commonwealth government support to get the gas pipeline here.
The member for Fong Lim, masquerading as the Treasurer and Minister for Business, obviously had no choice. It must have been a dilemma. ‘Heck, we have all these Gove people believing I am going to meet with them. We had better set up a meeting somewhere.’ That meeting was set up at the Walkabout Lodge at about 3 pm. It was a good sign of the networks in Nhulunbuy that the word was spread so anybody wanting to attend the meeting to learn about progress with plans to get gas to the town had an opportunity to hear, firsthand, the Deputy Chief Minister. There were probably 70 to 80 people there. I am sure there would have been more if more notice had been given and a more suitable venue had been used. However, at least there was the opportunity to meet.
The meeting opened with the member from the Canberra parliament speaking to a roomful of people worried about their future, their lives, their livelihoods, the fact they reinvested in their businesses, and people who had turned back jobs in February to move somewhere else because they thought everything would be fine in Gove. It was also the first time I had heard Tina MacFarlane speak. She does not say much. She had the microphone shoved into her hand and was told by Ian Macfarlane to, ‘Just welcome everyone will you, and say we are pleased to have everyone here’.
She did that and said nothing for the rest of the meeting, just sat there with a dopey look on her face. Ian Macfarlane started by telling people, ‘You vote for the Coalition in the federal government and we will save your town. We will get gas to Gove.’ You can imagine the reaction in the room. People said, ‘You are here to buy our vote. That is not why we are here; we want to hear about gas to Gove.’
Things pretty much went downhill from there. The Deputy Chief Minister offended people in some of his responses to questions. He was dismissive of their questions and branded the room the Lynne Walker Fan Club. That went down like a lead balloon. I do not presume to second guess what people’s politics are. Yes, it may be a Labor held seat, but there are people who do not vote for me. I do not ask, when they come through my door looking for support, ‘Did you vote for me?’ I represent everyone, and I know in that room there were people who did not vote for me. They were highly offended by the presumption the Deputy Chief Minister made about their political allegiances.
He had the gall, on ABC radio later that afternoon, to say the meeting had been railroaded by a few people with political agendas.
I can tell you who was absent from that meeting - the member for Namatjira. If this does not have political hairs all over it, I do not know what does.
I received this e-mail. In fact, a number of public servants received this e-mail, which I thought would be in breach of OCPE. It is an invitation with special guests, Hon Ian Macfarlane and Hon Alison Anderson, for a $100 per head CLP dinner at the Walkabout Lodge that night. I received the invitation. The member for Namatjira was a no show. I believe the night before she knew the heat was on, and when the heat is on in the kitchen, she is the first one running out the door.
There were no plans for the Deputy Chief Minister to come to Nhulunbuy; he was thrown that task some time that night. You can bet your bottom dollar that was the case. They mistimed things drastically. They catered for 80 people but only 10 showed up at the dinner. They did not make money, they lost it, and they are losing the people of Gove unless the Chief Minister, Adam Giles, gets off his backside and makes his way there.
The last four weeks have been an incredibly difficult time for people in Nhulunbuy, knowing they have had the rug pulled out from under their feet. I go back to the members opposite who sat in Cabinet when the decision was made in February. The Chief Minister, Terry Mills, spoke endlessly about needing to talk with Cabinet to get approval ...
Mr Tollner: We are still waiting to see what you have done publicly in the last five years …
Ms WALKER: Revisit Hansard. On 12 February, a number of members praised the Chief Minister for the fantastic job he did in getting gas to Gove. We are talking about the former backstabbed Chief Minister. This is what the member for Araluen said:
Does that not matter any longer to those of you who sat around the Cabinet table and said, ‘Yes, this is a good idea?’ What a spineless bunch of callous and lying individuals you are!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy …
Ms WALKER: I withdraw ‘lying individuals’, I will just use ‘lying’ to refer to the Chief Minister, because he is a liar.
There was a rally in January. We had 1000 people turn out to our oval – mums, dads, kids, business owners, government employees, people who call the place home. We rallied and rallied. Eventually, in February, we had the decision from the Chief Minister, one we now know counts for nothing. However, to add insult to injury, we still have a Chief Minister who refuses to come out to Gove. Unless he changes that very soon, he will find people there will become increasingly hostile towards him. Not invited to Gove? He was invited; he pulled out of the Garma Festival. The only one who bothered to come was the member for Arnhem who came to get a few photographs with Tony Abbott.
This CLP government does not like Gove and is punishing Gove people because it is a seat held by Labor. They need to move beyond that. They are far most interested in fattening up the newly elected CLP seats than worrying about the people of Gove. Shame on them, I condemn them!
Mr Tollner: That is an impassioned speech.
Ms WALKER: It is an honest one, Dave.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I pick up on the comment by the member for Nhulunbuy, ‘It is an honest one, Dave’. It is not because at the outset she said the only person who bothered turning up to the Garma Festival was the member for Arnhem. I spoke to you at the Garma Festival while I was there, but the truth …
Ms Walker: … the Saturday forum.
Mr ELFERINK: You were standing there talking to me.
Ms Walker: Yes, you were there. I am talking about the Saturday forum he was supposed to be at.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay, so we are now qualifying the things we say in this House. That is the hallmark of the way the former Labor government presents arguments. They will make a sweeping statement and you have to find the asterisks in that statement and look into the small print for the qualifiers. The fact the last thing she said I can pull up for being incorrect - the ‘L’ word would apply if the censure motion was against her - demonstrates exactly why, when the Labor Party comes into this House and starts throwing this stuff around, you have to listen very carefully to what they are saying.
Let us pause for a moment to consider what a censure motion is. It is an attempt to bring a government down and convince members of the parliament that government is in such a state of disarray it needs to be brought down and we have to bring it back to the electorate for a decision. If members of the Labor Party were in support of this, why is the member for Fannie Bay not here? Why can I not see the member for Wanguri? Why can I …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of Government Business knows only too well, as Professor of Procedureology in this parliament, he cannot make reference to the presence or absence of members. I ask that he withdraw references to members from this side.
Mr ELFERINK: I withdraw that they are not here.
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Please withdraw completely, member for Port Darwin.
Mr ELFERINK: I withdraw, Madam Speaker. Why is the Leader of the Opposition not being stridently supported by her colleagues in the way we would expect when trying to bring down a government? I am suffering from the vision of the back of so many chairs. It seems we are more interested in what is really going on here - politics. If members opposite genuinely believed the Leader of the Opposition was correct, they would be screaming from the rafters. This would be hellfire and brimstone stuff, not meandering in and out at leisure to deal with the issue before the House. So passionately and stridently committed is the Leader of the Opposition to this issue that after her censure motion, which saw some of the members not show the support you would expect, she did not continue to pursue the matter and, I understood, was elsewhere in the building scoffing sausage rolls.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask the Leader of the Government Business to withdraw. They well know you do not point to a person’s absence or otherwise in debate in the Chamber. Further to that he is wrong. I was not scoffing down sausage rolls.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! What the member for Port Darwin was saying is entirely relevant to this debate and he should be allowed to continue. What the Leader of the Opposition did immediately after that censure motion was vile and the worst type of practice you would expect from any parliamentarian in this House. The Leader of Government Business should be allowed to continue those remarks and point to the actions of the Leader of the Opposition.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, there is no point of order. Please be seated.
Member for Port Darwin, please ensure your comments are not of a personal nature.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I found the member for Fong Lim’s comments highly offensive. I ask that he withdraw. He said my actions were vile and highly offensive and I ask that he withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, please withdraw the comments. The member has found them offensive.
Mr TOLLNER: Withdraw what?
Madam SPEAKER: Withdraw the comments with reference to the member being vile.
Mr TOLLNER: What is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, withdraw your comments!
Mr TOLLNER: All right, I withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Member for Port Darwin, you have the call
Mr ELFERINK: The point is, for an opposition trying to bring down a government in calamitous decay, they are not showing the heart one would expect. It is so pedestrian as to be bereft of legitimacy. I do not see a rising fume of anger; I see a vehicle to highlight what they consider the shortcomings of the current government.
Mr Tollner: The local member is on his feet here and you are scoffing sausage rolls with a primary school from his electorate. That is appalling.
Ms Lawrie: You are wrong.
Mr Tollner: What were you doing there then?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, you are on a warning. Cease interjecting! Member for Port Darwin, you have the call.
Mr ELFERINK: There is one component of the approach of the Leader of the Opposition that I take exception to, and this House should take exception to. I have no real complaints about her contribution, in spite of the fact it was laced with venom, other than her predisposition to identify people who are married to, related to, or associated with the Country Liberal Party and publicly attack them using their names and identifying them as public servants of the Northern Territory. That is ghastly behaviour and unsupportable because she makes allegations of a criminal nature, particularly during the estimates process, and then offers no supporting evidence other than her own conjecture. We see …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I find that highly offensive. I have made no allegations of a criminal nature. He is accusing me of having made allegations of a criminal nature. If he wants to do that he must do so by way of a substantive motion and take me to privileges, otherwise he withdraws. Madam Speaker, that is a bridge too far.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, the allegation she made against a former member’s wife, who is a serving public servant, was of a criminal nature and involved the electoral process. During the estimates process she named the person quite deliberately - a public servant of the Northern Territory.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, the Opposition Leader has asked you to withdraw the comments because she has found them offensive.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I withdraw, but I make the observation that she is liberal to the point of being cavalier and beyond with other people’s reputations.
Ms Lawrie: There is a police investigation.
Mr ELFERINK: I pick up on the interjection. If there is a police investigation then the allegation you made is of a criminal nature. You named that person, continue to name that person, and that is disgraceful, embarrassing and horrible conduct towards public servants in the Northern Territory. The only crime you can commit in the Northern Territory, according to the Leader of the Opposition, is to be in some way related to a Country Liberals member. If you are and are employed in the public service, win a contract or perhaps even win a water licence, your reputation is there to be sullied and diminished in every possible way.
We remember the Leader of the Opposition was prepared to attack the member for Daly, on the first day he walked in here, in a most scurrilous fashion ...
Ms Lawrie: Absolutely.
Mr ELFERINK: She says, ‘Absolutely’. Repeat those allegations outside this House. Issue a media release stating that. Outside this House - zip, because what she articulates against public servants and members of this House in any other environment would be slander and defamation.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Relevance. I know he is somewhat obsessed, but the censure is about the failings of the CLP Chief Minister and the lies. He wants this to be about me entirely because the opposition brings the government to account through my strength in leadership. Get onto it, be relevant, and have something to say in defence of your own Chief Minister!
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Opposition Leader.
Mr ELFERINK: This is entirely about trying to protect public servants and we saw it again today. Today the Leader of the Opposition asserted that the daughter of the member for Namatjira received favourable treatment in a promotion. Who originally employed the daughter of the member for Namatjira? Was it the Country Liberal Party or was it the former Labor government? My goodness, it was the former Labor government.
Ms Lawrie: How did she go from an AO6 to an EO2?
Mr ELFERINK: I pick up on that interjection. You said AO4 in your speech. All of a sudden she is an AO6. Are you to be believed when you talk about other people’s reputations? Is the Leader of the Opposition in any way to be believed?
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I repeat what I said before on Hansard, AO4 prior to the election, AO6 after the election, promoted to EO2.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Opposition Leader.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, why is it that because this public servant is related to a member of the Country Liberals, they are automatically receiving preferential treatment? The former Country Liberals Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, also clearly received preferential treatment, or is it the case a talented person was given a job?
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is factually incorrect. Chief Minister Paul Henderson was a former Labor Chief Minister not a Country Liberals Chief Minister. You are getting confused.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Sit down.
Mr ELFERINK: That was irony, Madam Speaker. It was an ironical expression. The point is: public servants beware. If this person becomes Chief Minister of the Northern Territory you are political fodder. I have made it a point, since becoming a minister, to protect public servants and shield them as much as possible from the way the Labor Party used public servants. If you look at the way public servants were rolled out as human shields during the Mataranka cattle deaths debacle you get a clear understanding of how this Labor Party operates. It irritates me to an extraordinary degree that a person’s reputation is up for grabs simply because the Leader of the Opposition cares to make a point.
This censure motion is basically the wrap up of the year according to members opposite. Each point masks a real issue, because we would have to engage in a competent debate to deal with issues such as the future of Nhulunbuy. I hear the screeching, accusations, and see the finger pointing. What I do not hear from members opposite is a deconstruction of the facts. They weave in fabrications and leave out information. That concerns me because they are not really engaged in a deconstruction of what government is doing, they are merely trying to muddy the waters.
The allegation of sacking public servants – no public servant earning under $110 000 has been sacked. They have determined a contract is an unending arrangement in spite of the fact many of the contracts we are referring to were supported by federal government money, channelled through the Northern Territory government, and have come to an end.
They say we are sacking people and arguing we should continue employing these people on contracts from funding streams which have stopped. These, by the way, are contractual arrangements the former government entered into which came to an end, which means there is no more money to pay public servants. Those public servants were not made permanent by the former Labor government because they knew there was a point when the federal government would dry up.
However, we do not hear that in these debates because the language of the members opposite is to say we have sacked all these people. They knew of those arrangements because they put them in place. They never said boo about it when they were in government because they knew the results would be the same. It is part of the way they dress up some slogans which are then woven into a censure motion, without exploring what is occurring behind each of the slogans.
The allegation of slashing infrastructure spending - I ask them to compare their budget from two years ago to their budget from one year ago. You will find that budget came down because …
Ms Lawrie interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: I hear the interjection. I am talking about the last two infrastructure budgets you put together. You said you slashed your own budgets. No, what you did was …
Ms Lawrie: No, it was not slashed.
Mr ELFERINK: … you knew you were already borrowing beyond your means, which is why we ended up inheriting a projected debt of $5.5bn …
Ms Lawrie: Rubbish!
Mr ELFERINK: Do not say ‘rubbish’. I can point the bottom line out to you in your last set of budget papers.
The $5.5bn projected debt is something we have to cope with. The former government would have us believe you can spend your way out of debt. That is the logic. They are wearing red, we are advised, in solidarity with members of the union. That is an easy position to take; from opposition you can stand in solidarity with anything you like. I wonder if they would be wearing red in solidarity with the unions had they still been in government presented with the same budget deficit and future debt. I suspect not. However, one of the great pleasures of opposition is you can say what you please, do as you please, promise the world, knowing you will not be accountable for any of those promises.
You can wear red in solidarity with the unions; however, we have inherited a deficit from a former government. We also have a projected debt of $5.5bn inherited from a Labor government. This continues to be a source of great concern to members on this side of the House. I remember the Treasurer talking about the threat to our credit rating. ‘Nonsense’, said the former Treasurer, ‘absolute nonsense’, until it was confirmed by Access Economics – I could stand corrected on that; it was some independent and well-respected party outside government. Have we heard boo about it since then? Not a chance!
We continue to govern for the people of the Northern Territory. Are we a perfect government? No, but no government ever is. We will, however, continue to work for the people of the Northern Territory. We will continue to do it in a responsible fashion, a measured fashion, and with a view to bringing about the best results for the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory.
The members opposite can interject and be as shrill as they like, but they know, especially those who were ministers, that you have to deal with real issues affecting all Territorians, and the process of dealing with real issues means we have to make real decisions and, sometimes, have to make challenging and tough decisions. Nevertheless, we will continue to do what is necessary to ensure the Territory is well-governed into the future. I have not seen any evidence brought to this House today that the Territory is not well-governed. It is soundly governed with a view to what we pray for every time we sit in this House, the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory.
The Assembly divided:
Ayes 5 Noes 14
Ms Fyles Ms Anderson
Ms Lawrie Mr Chandler
Mr McCarthy Mr Conlan
Mr Vatskalis Mr Elferink
Ms Walker Ms Finocchiaro
Mr Giles
Mr Higgins
Mr Kurrupuwu
Mrs Lambley
Ms Lee
Mr Mills
Mr Styles
Mr Tollner
Mr Westra van Holthe
Motion negatived
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Opposition Leader made a range of unparliamentary comments she should withdraw. Perhaps, at the same time, she can explain why she was up there with the Milkwood Steiner schools scoffing sausage rolls
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, there is no point of order. Sit down!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! There was an offence towards the member for Namatjira and I ask that be withdrawn.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, given many members were on the floor talking aloud, I could not and did not hear any statement. However, if you have taken offence, Opposition Leader, please withdraw.
Ms LAWRIE: I am happy to withdraw.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, on 25 August 2012 the Country Liberals were elected by the people of the Northern Territory. It was an historic result which delivered a government which truly represents our major centres - Darwin, Palmerston, Alice Springs and Katherine - as well as the bush. We came to government armed with an agenda of priorities designed to target areas of opportunity and neglect we identified when in opposition. We have hit the ground running. Today I report to the House on the first 12 months of government and outline where my government is heading in the next 12 months and beyond.
At the outset it must be said the new government encountered numerous challenges within its first 12 months as we set about implementing our reform agenda. We were confronted with a dire fiscal situation left to us by the former Labor Treasurer, now Opposition Leader. This required the new government to reprioritise its agenda. The ramifications of the financial mess left to us cannot be underestimated. A $5.5bn debt is a serious problem for all of us. The fiscal challenges confronting the new government are unprecedented. We have comprehensively reviewed the Territory’s fiscal situation and have taken stock. Without putting in place a cost-efficient government for the future we could not move forward. We are now building positive momentum and looking towards the future. We want to harness existing possibilities and pursue new ones in order to maximise the Territory’s potential.
Our approach to growing the economy must be sensible, structured and strategic. What we do now will guide the Territory for generations, so we have to get it right. We are known as a growing, confident can-do jurisdiction. We will pursue opportunities and tell investors in Australia and internationally that we in the Northern Territory are open for business. Our economy must be diverse, innovative and sustainable.
Some months ago I established an economic expert panel to work with government and an economic subcommittee of Cabinet to guide our efforts. We will develop and implement an economic development framework that will focus on opportunities for growth around the Northern Territory. These and other initiatives are vital if we are to achieve our goals.
If we look first at the business industry and resources sector, the Territory continues to lead the nation with economic activity. The July 2013 CommSec State of the States report noted that we had the fastest annual economic growth rate in the nation, up by 13.5% on a year ago.
The June 2013 Sensis Business Index results also noted the longer term profitability outlook for the 12 months to May 2014 was the highest of any jurisdiction, and forecasts suggest our economy will grow by 5% in the coming year.
In order to continue to drive growth and see greater private sector enterprise participation, we must attract increasing investment. Currently, 15 projects hold major project status in the Territory. Of course, the most significant project currently under way is the $34bn Ichthys LNG project. It is the largest private investment in the Northern Territory’s history. Work on the project continues to ramp up in Darwin with more than 2000 people already employed to build onshore LNG facilities at Blaydin Point. An estimated 4000 jobs will be created in Darwin at the peak of the construction period, with a further 1000 offshore.
The Northern Territory government is working closely with INPEX to ensure local businesses have the chance to win many of the multimillion dollar construction contracts on offer.
I made presentations and representations on this subject when in Japan recently. Approximately $5.1bn of the project commitment has been allocated to NT-based businesses over the life of the project. As of March this year, more than 150 NT-based companies have been awarded subcontracts or supply of purchase orders by JKC. The onshore LNG facility is on track to be up and running by late 2016.
The resources sector plays a vital part in the Territory’s economy and will continue to do so into the future. We want to expand and facilitate increased activity in oil and gas, and mining, but we must ensure these important assets are managed sustainably and in line with community expectations regarding the impacts of mining activities on the environment.
In May, we announced a new 1% levy to address mining legacies which comes into effect on 1 October 2013. This recognises the level of environmental performance expected from the mining sector in 2013, and is vastly higher than in previous decades. It is important to note Labor lacked the courage to do this when in government.
The Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority also commenced as an independent statutory authority on 1 January 2013, tasked with promoting sustainable development through proper regulatory frameworks. The new EPA is reflective of environmental protection authorities in other jurisdictions and removes uncertainty over the role of the EPA and government departments.
Turning to Asian engagement, since coming to government we have been expanding and deepening our links with our Asian trading partners. Our relationship with our neighbours is fundamental to growing our trade. I am happy to report our relationship with Japan has never been stronger. Regular meetings have taken place with INPEX, led by President and CEO, Mr Kitamura, and with Dr Masahiro Kohara, the Japanese Consul-General.
While I was in Japan last month, high-level meetings took place with representatives from the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry for Economy, Trade and Industry. I also met with the Mitsubishi Corporation and JGC Corporation.
Later this year I will return to Japan to address the prestigious Australia Japan Joint Business Conference, and Darwin, interestingly, will host this annual conference for the first time in 2014. We look forward to that.
Ms Lawrie: Delivered by Paul Henderson.
Mr GILES: Sorry, is someone choking on a sausage roll over there?
I have also been working closely with the Timor-Leste government to build stronger regional relations and economic opportunities. President Ruak recognises the importance of the Territory to his country’s economy and future, and has announced he will open Timor-Leste’s first official Darwin consulate.
I recently visited Dili and expressed my support for building a trilateral relationship between the Territory, Timor-Leste and eastern Indonesia through the Indonesian government. We will be sponsoring a business forum in Bali in November involving all three jurisdictions.
With regard to our largest neighbour, Indonesia, we are considering an opportunity within the overall northern Australian scenario of establishing an office in Jakarta to ensure better relationships with our largest neighbour.
With regard to the vital live export trade, we have worked hard to repair the damage done by Labor. Extensive work has been done to re-engage with Indonesia. The Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, the member for Katherine, has travelled to Indonesia on a regular basis to help restore the important relationship with Indonesia.
I have also been to Indonesia and held top-level meetings with government officials, including the Foreign minister, Marty Natalegawa.
Our government has contributed a significant amount of time and energy into attracting new investments in the Northern Territory by forming relationships with investors here and overseas. On a recent trade mission to Singapore, I was overwhelmed by the enormous interest in the Northern Territory in a range of sectors, from education to agriculture and, of course, energy. I consider building these relationships to be of utmost importance.
I also want the bush to share in the benefits of the economic growth, something Labor neglected for eleven-and-a-half years. Substantially increasing Indigenous workforce participation continues to be a priority for this government, especially in remote areas. We have the highest workforce participation rates in the country, but we must underpin the capacity of our Indigenous Territorians to participate in the local and wider economy.
The draft Indigenous Economic Development Strategy 2013-2020 was released for comment in June 2013 and sets out a long-term plan to increase Indigenous participation by promoting entrepreneurship, self-reliance and resilience. Key to this is a new openness to development in the bush. My message to communities is clear: if you want a viable economic future with real jobs for your people, come with a business idea and we will do everything in our power to make it happen. If you are prepared to make the tough decisions to give your children a brighter future, I will walk with you every step of the way. The team at the Country Liberals will work to remove the road blocks for development. We are offering a partnership. We will go to the banks, be your advocate, remove red tape - and there is much Labor red tape - arrange leases and source private investors, whatever is required to establish economic development in the bush. Top-level government advice will be available to you to facilitate this.
The Department of the Chief Minister is in the process of recruiting a new Director of Regional Economic Development who will work with communities that want to do their business differently: the ones that want to create jobs and opportunities. I have already spoken to a number of communities that are showing interest in this new approach which promotes jobs over sit-down money.
Another crucial element of energising our bush communities is giving them a genuine voice through local government reform at a grassroots level. The community had become disenchanted with Labor’s much-maligned super shires concept, its system. It was apparent that drastic reforms were needed to empower people once again. A significant election promise is being fulfilled this week with legislation being introduced at these sittings which will mark the beginning of a new era of local government. These amendments will introduce regional councils. They will then be required to establish local authorities made up of local people. These local authorities will be a direct link between the regional council and communities to ensure local government is far more responsive to the needs of its residents. These changes have followed extensive consultation.
There is, without doubt, an enormous amount of work still to be done to re-engage with local communities, but we have begun the process of rebuilding faith in the local government system that was failing people in the bush.
We are serious about our commitment to give Aboriginal people in the bush a voice. Soon I will be making further announcements about first circles, a model of engagement with Aboriginal people in the Territory that will ensure Aboriginal people can provide advice on development and implementation of policy directly to government. The focus will be on developing our regions and their economies. The model will involve branches established in the Top End and Central Australia which will meet with Cabinet throughout the year. This collaborative model of consultation will be an Australian first, a direct voice into an Australian Cabinet.
The growth of the Northern Territory economy has inevitably increased pressure on the housing market. The legacy left by Labor was very little provision of housing to support growth. In stark contrast with Labor’s inertia, we have been active in this area through our Real Housing for Growth strategy. Accelerated land release through identifying and progressing greenfield sites, as well as infill on existing Crown land sites, is essential to reducing the cost of living for Territorians, something Labor never did.
More than 70 parcels of land for development have been identified for release over the next five years. These sites are serviced by established infrastructure. The potential housing yield from these sites is 2700 dwellings across the Territory. This year land parcels will be released to the market in Kilgariff, Katherine East, and Zuccoli Stage 2 in Palmerston, accelerating the land release program. A new head release scheme is also being put in place. That is a win/win for both property owners and renters. Under this scheme, the government will lease new residential properties for a period of 10 years. These will then be rented to eligible tenants at a 30% discount on market rates. Contracts for more than 500 of these will be issued next month. A further 1500 will be offered over the next three years. The response from developers has already been overwhelming.
The government is committed to pursuing good process in the way we manage our built environment. The new Planning Commission was established on 1 January 2013, with the primary function of preparing integrated strategic plans, guidelines and assessment criteria for inclusion in the Northern Territory Planning Scheme.
We have also been working to improve housing in the bush. As at 30 June, under the National Partnership Agreement for Remote Indigenous Housing, the Territory has delivered 942 new houses. This is in excess of the target. We are delivering at around triple the pace of Western Australia and Queensland, a significant achievement considering the challenges of delivering across 73 communities.
We have also launched a new Homelands Policy which revises our funding methodology so municipal services and housing maintenance allocations take into account the number of residents, degree of isolation and existing essential service levels. We have also introduced a new incentive, the Homelands Extra Allowance, to better support families who are pursuing employment and education and want to live on their homeland.
Now to police: part of building a safe and stable Northern Territory is a properly staffed police force. We have known for years that more police officers were needed in the Territory, despite Labor’s attempts to shout us down. We said we would improve community safety and recruit 120 new police positions with an additional 20 frontline officers for Alice Springs. Four squads have either begun training or have already graduated this year. In Alice Springs, the 20 positions have been filled as well as an additional Assistant Commissioner being appointed with responsibility for regional operations.
The stage 1 expansion of police facilities in Alice Springs is also under way. The CCTV system is being expanded to include Katherine. High tech advances to enhance policing include the mobile data project for iPad devices giving officers direct access to police databases. This is the kind of high-tech cutting-edge project I want to see more of throughout our business in the Territory.
In the broader justice arena, our government has introduced important reforms to the legal system with the launch of a comprehensive policing, justice and corrections strategy called the Pillars of Justice. It will be integrated across our government departments to address repeat offending, violence and substance abuse. Prisoner employment programs such as Sentenced to a Job are already showing signs of success and strong support from the business community. There are now a total of 14 permanent prisoner work parties operating from correctional centres, including two aimed at work in regional and remote areas. The development of the two boot camp models, one for early intervention and one for sentenced young offenders, reinforces our strong commitment to youth diversionary programs.
To education: this government is pursuing educational outcomes to ensure Territory schools receive the best deal possible, rather than the rushed political frenzy of Gonski. We listened to what the federal government had to say, but Labor’s Gonski remains a bad deal. It is a flawed model which says 40% of Territory school students receive too much funding and need less. Should we sign up, it would require a large funding injection from the Northern Territory government. At the same time, we have a huge debt legacy from the previous Labor government of $5.5bn. Accruing more debt on top of that $5.5bn is not in the best interests of our children who will then be saddled with paying it off.
Kevin Rudd’s Gonski formula also dictates how every cent of this money should be spent, setting up bureaucracies in Canberra and telling our schools what to do. By contrast, there is another way. The federal Coalition, under the leadership of Tony Abbott, has offered a plan which gives us tens of millions of dollars in extra funding with none of Labor’s strings attached. You can trust Tony Abbott but you cannot trust Kevin Rudd. Tony Abbott will boost education spending in the Northern Territory by the same amount as federal Labor over the forward estimates, but will allow us to spend it where we believe it is needed most and not be dictated to by Canberra. We are the Northern Territory; we decide how we operate. It is exactly what I have been asking for and it has taken the federal Coalition to deliver it. You can trust Tony Abbott.
An Indigenous education review is under way. Last undertaken in 1998, this review will provide a long overdue analysis of Aboriginal students, who make up more than 40% of enrolments in government schools but whose educational outcomes fall well below par.
In health, we are working hard to keep our communities healthy. We have embarked on significant reforms and investment in this sector, including major restructure of the health and hospital system. Gone are the days of top-down decision-making and strict compliance. Our new framework provides for increased local and devolved decision-making, particularly for senior clinicians. New Top End and Central Australian Health Boards have been appointed and will help drive regional-specific solutions to local problems. We have also been busy improving our health infrastructure. We have redevelopments planned or completed at the emergency departments in Gove and Tennant Creek, as well as wider upgrades at Alice Springs and Royal Darwin Hospitals. A new site for the second Darwin hospital has been identified in Palmerston. An amount of $5m is being spent on a proper hospital scoping study and master plan for the new hospital and is due to be completed in the third quarter of this year. It is without doubt a sensible investment with the objective of proper planning leading to a hospital that will properly service the needs of Palmerston and the rural area in the long term.
We are tackling chronic alcohol issues with strength and leadership through the health system. The alcohol mandatory rehabilitation program is one part of the suite of measures to address the …
Ms Lawrie: That is not what the nurses say, or the doctors.
Mr GILES: … Territory’s alcohol problems. Can someone get this lady a nurse? She is choking on a sausage roll.
Our strategy is about protecting the rights of people with chronic alcohol problems and their families …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that the Chief Minister withdraw his offensive comments about me – Standing Order 51.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: What comment was offensive?
Ms LAWRIE: Talk to the Clerk if you want. It was highly offensive.
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker ...
Ms LAWRIE: Standing Order 62.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: There are a couple of things. First, you are already on a warning and I do not like being misled with standing orders. If you quote a standing order, can you please ensure it is the correct one. Do not just quote a number.
Second, I ask the Chief Minister to withdraw the comment. If the Leader of the Opposition finds it offensive she can ask for it be withdrawn, but it is up to you whether you withdraw it.
Mr GILES: I am happy to withdraw. It is all very well to sit there like Robinson Crusoe with a glass jaw and not be able to handle what you dish up, Leader of the Opposition. I notice you are on your own. The way the politics of the Labor Party in the Northern Territory is at the moment, I would not trust your colleagues the same way we do not trust Labor.
Mr Deputy Speaker, our strategy is about protecting the rights of people with chronic alcohol problems and their families. We believe chronic alcoholics have a right to get help from qualified clinicians and counsellors instead of cycling through the revolving door of protective custody, sobering-up shelters, and complete neglect by Labor.
Looking at the advances in infrastructure, in May 2013 the budget invested in building the Territory’s future with an infrastructure program in excess of $1bn, comprising a capital works program of more than $550m and a repairs and maintenance program exceeding $250m. This includes: almost $140m towards remote Indigenous housing and capital works; more than $48m towards the upgrade and construction of health clinics and family centres, including the construction and upgrade of the Ntaria, Papunya, Elliott, Ngukurr and Galiwinku health clinics; the construction and upgrade of remote health clinics in Canteen Creek, Numbulwar, Docker River and Maningrida; and the continued construction of child and family centres at Gunbalanya, Maningrida, Ngukurr and Yuendemu. There has also been nearly $30m committed to continuing the stream crossing upgrades in areas such as the Goyder River, and targeted pavement upgrades on the Central Arnhem Road.
In transport, the Country Liberal government has invested in roads and transport assets. Motor Vehicle Registry is now more efficient and user-friendly due to a wide range of reforms. Changes include no more rego stickers for light vehicles, a new 10-year driver’s licence, and the launch of smartphone MVR applications. MVR in Darwin is now open on Saturday.
There are enhanced public bus services with additional routes, and the upgrade of free WiFi. The DriveSafe NT Remote program is being fully funded to continue for a further three years. DriveSafe NT Remote encourages Indigenous Territorians to gain a driver’s licence by helping them with the paperwork and teaching them safe driving skills. The program has been an enormous success with more than 700 people already qualifying for their licence in remote Territory communities from Galiwinku to Tennant Creek.
Planned road upgrades include the Barkly, Stuart and Arnhem Highways. Darwin motorists will also benefit from the start of the duplication of Tiger Brennan Drive. However, a major setback in road funding has been the federal government’s delayed provision of funding for Territory roads, or non-committal or non-trustworthy approach to supporting the Territory’s growth in infrastructure. This is particularly reflective through the Nation Building 2 program for the years 2015-19.
With this in mind, the federal government has been playing political games with the money meant to provide road safety. I look forward to a stronger working relationship with the Abbott-led Coalition government; someone we can trust with roads for the Northern Territory.
Tourism is a vital part of the Territory’s economic story. After a tough decade of Labor neglecting the sector this government made a strong commitment, acknowledging the crucial role tourism plays. In November 2012, the Tourism Advisory Board was replaced with an independent Tourist Commission. Positive news for tourism is now coming online. International air services into Darwin now include Philippine Airlines, Air Asia, SilkAir, Jetstar, and Airnorth, and Malaysia Airlines has resumed flights out of Darwin. The outlook for Central Australia was also improved substantially with the expansion of airline services, particularly around Tigerair.
In June 2013, Tourism Vision 2020 was also released for discussion. The draft strategy defines targets to boost tourism growth to 3.1% per annum, to achieve a $2.2bn visitor economy by 2020, and to support an estimated 4300 new jobs above the current total of 14 000.
Last month the government signed a landmark $7m cooperative marketing agreement with Qantas, the largest marketing agreement in the Territory’s history. We have also updated our tourism branding with a new tag line, ‘Do the NT’ to promote the Territory as a hands-on visitor experience. The new Tourism headquarters in Alice Springs officially opened in the Todd Mall at the end of June and will contribute to the revitalisation of the Alice Springs CBD.
I now turn to the Power and Water Corporation. The dire state of Power and Water was uncovered in full when the government came to office. It has led us to make some tough decisions about reform and structural change. At this important but troubled organisation we have to make this change. Power and Water has been hamstrung by Labor’s failure to address its problems. Under Labor, Power and Water was a bloated, inefficient organisation sustained through taxpayer subsidies. We are working to change that.
Labor ignored the recommendations of the Reeves report, a report it brought on. The report said it was necessary to increase electricity prices by 40% to keep the organisation viable. A revised tariff structure together with inefficiencies identified by the board are expected to achieve savings in operating costs of some $180m over the next five years.
The Northern Territory government has recently announced it is moving to improve the regulatory framework in the energy sector to encourage greater competition. These reforms aim to reduce pressure on future power costs and prices. We want to promote choice for consumers and encourage more players into the energy market. These reforms will be progressively introduced over the next couple of years, and will require the passage of legislation through parliament along with extensive consultation with stakeholders and the community. Delia Lawrie’s former government did nothing to promote or encourage competition in the Territory’s electricity supply market.
Cabinet is still considering the best structure for Power and Water to operate in a more competitive marketplace; however, there are no plans to sell Power and Water.
I turn to arts. Our government sees the Territory as an arts destination with an exciting future and an exciting minister. In April 2013, the government announced work towards the new structure for Museums and Art Galleries of the NT. There will soon be an independent statutory authority managed by a board directly responsible to the government. This will bring Museums and Art Galleries of the NT into line with other major institutions across the nation. This is a change that friends and staff of Museums and Art Galleries of the NT have long been lobbying for, but their calls fell on the deaf ears of the former Labor government. The Country Liberals government has delivered, unlocking huge potential for philanthropic contributions.
In summary, despite the mess left to us by the former Labor Treasurer, now Opposition Leader and someone you cannot trust, we have been able to accomplish a great deal in our first 12 months. We have done some heavy lifting and made some tough decisions. We recognise that, but we are confident we are on the path to achieving greatness in the Territory over the next year and beyond. For this, we need to plan using a structure which supports and promotes our goals to realise those opportunities.
Madam Speaker, this brings me to Framing the Future. We have developed a blueprint called Framing the Future setting out the overall vision for the Territory and its objectives and priorities over the next three years. Cabinet has discussed this blueprint at length. I have had discussions with business, industry and community representatives who have helped shape the direction this government will take.
This draft framework establishes four strategic goals. The first is a prosperous economy. This means we need to expand our economy and ensure it is competitive, both domestically and internationally. It means an economy where our local businesses, wherever they are located in the Territory, are productive and profitable. It means an economy attractive to local, national, and international investors. We need to work with our communities and build the regional economy and make the most of our position in northern Australia and our proximity to Asia. To achieve this prosperous economy, we need to ensure the Territory is positioned for sustainable growth, and has a capable and competitive workforce. Industry, business, non-government organisations, and the community, as well as local, state, and national governments, must work together and take responsibility for the sustained growth and prosperity of the Northern Territory.
Our second goal is a strong society. It means a fully participative society where all individuals have access to the same opportunities and resources to make a contribution to the community within their capacity. This is one of the most complex social policy challenges. Government needs to assist those who are less capable so they may develop their capacity to engage within the economy and within society in a way which empowers them as individuals. We also need to make it safe for them to do so. We want everybody to play a role in, and share the profits of, our prosperous economy.
This government will focus its actions on delivering a strong society that is participative and engaging, connected and capable of making a difference. We will not be afraid to confront the Territory’s serious problems head on.
The fabric of our society is under siege from alcohol abuse. Addressing this is crucial to our community’s long-term wellbeing. We cannot allow these problems to take another generation of our people, our Territorians.
The third is a balanced environment. Government will ensure the importance of our environment is understood, that processes are in place for both the use and preservation of the environment, and both are well-supported by solid management and decision-making. A balanced environment is also the imperative for strong planning of our built landscape, including urban design and public spaces that will define the Northern Territory.
The fourth goal is a confident culture. We must continue to show pride in our culture, be confident of who we are, where we have come from and our place in the world. More than 30% of Territorians are Aboriginal, with the remainder coming from more than 100 nations. We must celebrate this and make the most of our individual and shared cultures. We also need to do more to celebrate all that is great about being a Territorian. We are proud to be Territorians and are patriotic. Our lifestyle is unique and we should do more to enjoy it.
I released the Framing the Future document at lunchtime today. It will remain in draft form so all Territorians have an opportunity to give feedback until 30 October 2013. Government will carefully consider all contributions and then finalise the blueprint. Once finalised, all government processes will be aligned with Framing the Future. All ministers and government departments will be required to work to and be held accountable to the blueprint. They will report against it. This includes the budget process.
This is another measure of this government’s fiscal responsibility, as opposed to Labor’s irresponsibility. After an annual review of the framework, I will report to this Assembly. I will outline the progress made and any new priorities for the next 12 months.
In conclusion, a strategic direction provides the way forward for this government and sets out what is important for the Northern Territory. Despite differences, many things bind us together as Territorians, and each and every one of us benefits. We benefit from a prosperous economy, a strong society, a balanced environment, and a confident culture. We invite Territorians to contribute to this blueprint so that government, on their behalf, can strive to create and deliver opportunities for all.
Despite the challenges left to us by the former Labor Treasurer – someone you cannot trust – the government’s first 12 months have been busy and active. As I outlined, there are many achievements. We have put the Territory back on the right path. I am excited about the next 12 to 36 months and beyond. I commend the statement to the House and congratulate and thank my colleagues for their hard work over the last 12 months.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, this is not a Chief Minister’s statement, it is the creative musings of a little boy. How do you re-write the past into something with a very tenuous grip on reality? Do you close your eyes? Do you pretend it was you, rather than the member for Blain, who won the election? Walk out, leave the Chamber, do not listen …
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, withdraw those comments.
Ms LAWRIE: What comments?
Madam SPEAKER: Referring to members who are not in the Chamber.
Ms LAWRIE: I was not referring to anyone individually.
Madam SPEAKER: Continue.
Ms LAWRIE: Chief Minister, do you close your eyes and pretend the member for Blain does not exist, is not in this Chamber, and everything he did as Chief Minister did not happen?. This statement is bizarre. It is damning for what it does not contain. There is no recognition that Territorians are doing it tough due to your policies and decisions, and no recognition that the entire township of Nhulunbuy is in crisis due to your decision to renege on the gas to Gove deal. In this little boy’s creative musings you stick to the great pretence, telling the stories often enough that they just might sound real. There is the strange fantasy that the Territory was left in such a dire state under Labor and you are saving it, despite the reality we were poised as the fastest growing economy in the nation, according to Deloitte Access Economics.
The CLP pulled on the economic handbrake and we are slipping behind in your first year of government, even behind the ACT. The biggest pretence, the biggest story of all, is that Labor left this whopping $5.5bn debt that was going to swallow us whole. In fact, we left a debt of $1.6bn, predicting it to increase to $5.5bn in the out years of budget 2016 if nothing changed. Play the little boy games; make that $5.5bn your mantra, sing it, repeat it at every opportunity, but do not let anyone know your own budget has debt rising to $5.1bn in your own predictions. Like any little boy, you had to grab what was not yours.
The former Chief Minister was rolled in the most despicable circumstances then you pronounced to all and sundry you were going to ‘have fun’. What a ridiculous first press conference on the steps of Government House, after you had knifed Terry Mills, member for Blain, while he was on a trade mission to Japan.
It is incredible, even for you, to pretend in this statement all is fine, you are best friends with Kitamura-san and Kohara-san and, ‘Our relationship has never been stronger’. The arrogance of a juvenile mind! Did it not escape you, Chief Minister, that you did not meet with a single minister on your visit to Japan, despite previous Chief Ministers meeting ministers of the Japanese government when visiting our crucial trade partner?
There is good news in this statement. At some stage it penetrated that fun bubble you exist in that perhaps you needed to hire someone who understood our Territory economy, so you hired the former Labor Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, to tell you what to do. Thank God, otherwise I would have had no hope for the years ahead. When reality hits you at the next election - if you are still around and the member for Fong Lim has not knifed you, or the member for Port Darwin can finally muster a number beyond his own.
Therein lies the rub; the incompetence and chaos of the CLP. The worst government since self-government is what Territorians are saying. I am stopped by people in the street, in shopping centres across our towns and remote areas of the Territory. From the bricklayers to the public servant, from struggling small business people to our large companies and industrialists, from non-government service providers to strong Indigenous leaders, there is a chorus of disgust at the behaviour they have witnessed in just one year of this CLP government.
Two Chief Ministers, four Treasurers, four or five Cabinet reshuffles - we have lost count. Will you listen to the industry peak groups on the business council, or are you too blinded by your own arrogance? Will you listen to the unions who know the cuts have gone too far, too deep, and are hurting services to Territorians? Will you listen to the public who are struggling under the cost of living and cannot bear another power tariff increase following privatisation - the sell-off of parts of Power and Water?
That is right, little boy, you have been caught with your fingers in the cookie jar. A whistle-blower alerted us to the plans to split up Power and Water into networks, generation, and water and sewerage. No one is buying the words of your Treasurer because neither …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have let it slide until now, but it is customary to refer to members by their electorate. She is applying an epithet which is unparliamentary, and she diminishes the dignity of this House by pursing it. I ask that she desist.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, if you are referring to people in the Chamber you must use their electorate title.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. No one is buying the weasel words of your Treasurer because neither of you have ruled out selling part of Power and Water in this term of government, yet you have no mandate to privatise or to sell.
This statement is damning in what it is missing. It makes your pretend world look rosy while the rest of us grapple with a crippling and spiralling cost of living, job cuts and service cuts and, perhaps the most damning of all, the cuts across education and child protection. This is damning in what it ignores as a Chief Minister’s statement.
You made the Framing the Future announcement today. There is no irony lost on the opposition benches that the letter to all public servants from the Chief Minister, Framing the Future, goes out on the same day a letter from the Public Service Commissioner goes to all public servants telling them what will happen if they take industrial action - the good, the bad and the ugly. The coincidence is not lost on us, the irony is not lost on us, and when you talk to public servants about framing their future, understand right now they have a very grim present. Under your government, through the EBA, you are going after their job permanency, their fundamental livelihood, and are shaking the foundations upon which they can rely to support their families, pay their rent, pay their mortgages and support their children.
The reason public sector unions have had such strong support from public servants is because they saw and heard the promises prior to the last election when you said, ‘Your job is safe’. They then saw the behaviour of the government, which started with sackings in the senior levels of the public service and continued right down to the front line.
To say in the Chamber today that no permanent public servant earning under $110 000 was sacked is wrong. A person known to all of us, who had been around the Assembly for a long time, was sacked, shamefully. I will protect their identity but am happy, Madam Speaker, to let you know who I am talking about outside the Chamber. It is one example of how bad it became.
When people see those who have been doing a job with a hard work effort go because their job has gone under the CLP, then you go after permanency in the EBA, you are going after their livelihood and they will fight you.
The Chief Minister issues a statement pretending somehow, magically, he has been Chief Minister for a year. In that statement there is no acknowledgement or recognition of the social and economic challenges being confronted right now by the people of Nhulunbuy. As the member for Nhulunbuy appropriately pointed out, it affects the entire region as a result of the Chief Minister reneging on the gas to Gove deal. The pretence has been extreme. The Chief Minister pretended there was a great new offer of a mix of heavy fuel. No, that was not a good deal, not a good offer, it was pretence. He pretended there would not be gas beyond 2026 because there is no gas out there. Yet, when you refer to the previous Chief Minister’s ministerial statement in this Chamber, there is a great deal of gas out there. It would be pretty simple to explain to people, when you have Santos exploring in the Mereenie fields, Penguin Deep with ENI, that we are the heart of one of the greatest exploration regions in the world for oil and gas, and that Labor brought two big plants through the Marine Supply Base as a service and supply. There is no mention of that here.
There is no mention, big pretender, that the roads funding was delivered by Labor. Every road you mentioned was a Labor capital works program. By all means, pretend it is your work.
You pretend in your statement there was no land release under Labor and no housing initiatives under Labor when developers are saying to me, ‘These guys do not know what they are doing. They have put a real dampener on construction.’ Residential has slowed; we have seen that in building approvals. They have dropped dramatically under this government. The only land being turned off in Darwin and Palmerston is land fuelled by the infrastructure and planning of Labor.
You talk about 70 sites, where are they? Why are you not fast-tracking them? Why are they not happening? What fair process will occur if it is Crown land? Identify the developers sitting on the private land in the 70 sites. Would you be open and accountable, or was that just another broken election commitment?
You have pointed to the environment and the big pretence there. All of a sudden, in 2013, we had our very first independent EPA. What a load of rubbish! It took a Labor government to introduce a new Environmental Protection Agency; one did not exist under the CLP. Ours was independent; it did not have a mate appointed as its Chair. We undertook a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry to establish it. You have sacked independent scrutiny of the environment. How do you have a balanced environment - one of your pillars - when you have removed the Daly River Management Advisory Committee which scrutinises precious water resources of the region based on science? You have removed and sacked the Darwin Harbour Advisory Committee which scrutinises the health of our harbour based on science. These are inconvenient when you want to do things your own way without accountability, transparency and honesty. We have seen far too much of that in just one year.
One of the many repeated comments around the Territory is how quickly the CLP went back to the worst of its form by taking care of mates. People have been gobsmacked. There is no mention of the rising unemployment, that CommSec has downgraded the Territory’s economy, that business confidence in this government has fallen through the floor in the latest business surveys, that the mining industry said the government put up the ‘closed for business’ sign when it introduced its two levies, that retail trade has dropped, and that bankruptcies are up 40%. Curiously, there was no mention in the transport section that the Chief Minister seems to have gone back on his promise to scrap speed limits. There is certainly no mention that he commissioned three reports but will not release a single one of them.
There is no mention that the Arafura Games were cancelled, or of the economic pain that caused local businesses. At the same time, there is no mention that the tourism sector is coming through its worst Dry Season performance. Small businesses in tourism are close to the wall. Accommodation is doing well because it is filled with business travellers from the major projects brought to town by Labor.
There is no mention of how you will approach the planning application for the barge mooring off Dinah Beach. Flip that to your mate in the Planning Commission. There is no mention of the fly-in fly-out worker accommodation site under construction which Labor opened. It has 9 ha at Batten Road. It does not happen if it is not in the little world the Chief Minister wants to talk about.
There is no mention of the number of alcohol-related assaults increasing and domestic violence increasing since the Banned Drinker Register was scrapped because, according to the Chief Minister, mandatory rehab is working even though there is only one person in Alice Springs, one in Darwin, and the rest keep absconding. There is no mention that our hospital waiting rooms are full of drunks because the police now resort to taking them straight there. There is also no mention that doctors and nurses have been threatened with their contracts being cancelled if they talk publically about it.
However, the Territory is a small place. Our communities are small enough that when you live and work here, people tell you what is happening. Obviously it is not happening in the Chief Minister’s world because it is all rosy; there is no mention of any of those challenges in the Chief Minister’s statement. There is no mention the planned children’s wing at Royal Darwin Hospital or the planned Palmerston hospital being scrapped has any effect on overcrowding at Royal Darwin Hospital - the bed block that is filling the medi-hotel with patients it was not built for. You announced that this mandatory rehab treatment is a great success when, shamefully, the medi-hotel is all but empty. It should be filled with patients who are currently bed blocking at Royal Darwin Hospital. True to form, the big pretender, the Chief Minister, blames it on asylum seekers. He will take and claim the 94 Commonwealth-funded police who came as a result of the detention centre and say it is a CLP initiative for additional police. However, he will not accept any impact on the Health system. Also, there is no mention of the funding cuts to Charles Darwin University or the 600 public servants sacked …
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order Madam Speaker. Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request the member be given extension of time.
Motion agreed to.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. There is no mention in the statement that some 171 staff have left the Child Protection Branch. There is no mention of the mysterious contracts you wrote with people in the bush. You are not going to put them on the public record because they contain things like sealing the Port Keats Road to Wadeye. Do not worry, the communities have copies and are showing them to us. We are seeing the detail. They are learning there was one big pretend happening.
The classic was the promise to scrap the shires. You promised people living in our communities across the Northern Territory you would scrap the shires. The Chief Minister, as Minister for Local Government, said, ‘We will consult’. The new and current Minister for Local Government then said, ‘That is it. We will consult.’ I keep finding shires being renamed regional councils which had neither minister consult with them. You have not gone to the shires; you have renamed them regional councils and claim that to be your greatest achievement in a year.
Tiwi Shire said on radio, ‘It is just a renaming’. Do not treat people like fools; they can see it for what it is. Stop pretending. Understand that is why you are becoming so unpopular as a government and why you are seen as the worst government since self-government. People are not fools, they can see through the pretence. It screams it today in this statement. It is one big pretend. There is no mention of the failure to hold your own members to account in their use of taxpayers’ dollars and how on earth the member for Arnhem racked up a fuel bill of $19 000.
Mr McCarthy: $22 000.
Ms LAWRIE: It started at $16 000, up to $19 000, now $22 000. Where is that going? How do you do that? Do you keep the motor running?
Then the Framing the Future blueprint - prosperous economy - you have done the opposite. You had the fastest growing economy in the nation when you won the August election. You have put the handbrake on, and we have now slipped behind the ACT and are going backwards. Small- and medium-sized businesses across the industry sectors are screaming.
How on earth do you have a strong society when you go after people with retribution? How, when you create a culture of fear across the public sector and non-government service providers? There is even a culture of fear among business people because of retribution: they are too frightened to speak out. How is it a strong society when you put people with chronic alcoholism problems back on the streets and back on the grog by scrapping the BDR and replacing it with a failed rehabilitation system that has people absconding and police chasing them around in circles?
How is it a balanced environment when you are handing out water rights that will see the Roper start to run dry at different times, and how on earth do you claim to build a confident culture? I know the culture is confident; I meet with Indigenous leaders as I travel across the Territory.
Chief Minister, you did a runner from Garma. You did not show up to Gulkula, nor did your bush colleagues, apart from the member for Arnhem. Member for Port Darwin, you are not in the category of a bush colleague. You were not in the program for the Saturday morning session. I am not misleading there. You know clearly we are talking about the people who were promoted.
Chief Minister, why did you do a runner from Garma? Why did you give about three different reasons why you would not face the confident, strong Yolngu culture? Why would you not sit down and listen to the plans of strong confident people? Why will you not go to Nhulunbuy, face the Gumatj and explain why you are not supporting gas to Gove – 300 PJ that are crucial to the early supply of gas.
You pretend somehow it is around our future energy needs and both Santos and ENI exploration is new. It is not. You have delayed it and caused problems for it. When you removed that 300 PJ from the table you removed a doubling of the domestic gas market opportunity.
Enough people with enough knowledge are talking about your government. We, in opposition, are just some of them. We work with all of them. You have the Framing the Future document and will give people six weeks - a few of those during a federal election campaign - to look at it and comment. Why am I not surprised you do not want much scrutiny of it? You put it out there quickly then close the deadline for comments.
You are an ideological Chief Minister, not a statesman. You are not a scratch on my Labor Chief Ministers of the past. The former member for Fannie Bay, Clare Martin, and the former member for Wanguri, Paul Henderson, never behaved the way you do in this Chamber or outside. They were statesmen.
I point you to, Chief Minister, the Territory 2030 strategic plan 2009. I will take you through its contents. It talks about the inclusive way it was created through the Territory 2030 Steering Committee, which was not made up of government members but rather stakeholders from a range of backgrounds who were working with public servants - economic and social stakeholders, experts in their fields.
They went through a series of consultations across the Territory. They created immediate focus on a balanced housing market, reforming the education and health sectors, making general progress in regional and remote areas, and kick-starting key projects and initiatives. They then had major categories of: education, society, economic sustainability, health and wellbeing, environment, and knowledge, creativity and innovation. Do not worry, Chief Minister, because you like to pretend. I daresay you are pretending Territory 2030 does not exist and all the work, consultation, and effort that went into it is simply wiped because you are an ideologue; you cannot cope with the idea that Labor did one single thing that was good for the Northern Territory. You do not have statesman in your vocab writ large by what you ad-libbed into the Chief Minister’s statement.
It is a convention of this parliament that statements are read verbatim, but today the Chief Minister could not help himself and wove his political rhetoric, ad-libbing throughout the statement because what is convention to him? It is also a convention in this parliament that General Business Day has precedence, but that was broken today. People see the way you are behaving and are calling it out. Do more of it and you will get more of that chorus of disgust that is ringing out across the Territory calling you the worst government since self-government. It is a big call to make so soon into government.
Territorians are fairly easy going and forgiving people, but they do not like what they see. They do not like the actions of this government or the consequences of your decisions, which some are trying to live through, but, sadly, too many are leaving the Territory because they have lost their livelihood and have no choice. We will be a voice for Territorians. We will not be silenced by your bullying and personal vilification that flies across the Chamber. Shame on you, Chief Minister, for what you did not say in your statement.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I will comment briefly on a few comments of the member opposite. One would be forgiven for thinking in August last year the lights were switched off and there was nothing but tumbleweeds in the mall today. One could be forgiven for thinking the world ended in August last year after a halcyon decade of spectacular and brilliant Labor management. One could be forgiven for thinking if you walked outside right now the sun would not be shining and there would be low leaden clouds hanging over the people of the Northern Territory as they trudged around in a depressed state. One could be forgiven for believing that, having hearing what I have. However, Territorians are getting on with their lives as they have always done, often because of the action of governments in the past, and sometimes, in spite of governments in the past.
The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory offered Territorians a vision for the future, a vision with a belief that government is about the true welfare of Territorians. It is challenging to listen to the Leader of the Opposition talk about vilification from members on this side of the House after having to withdraw calling a member on this side a rat. If you want statesmen-like qualities, you have to demonstrate them in your conduct.
I ask the Chief Minister to consider that because the image people have of members of this House, and other Houses like it, is often driven by virtue of the fact we call each other rats and attack people using the privilege of this House.
Before I respond to the Chief Minister’s statement from the position of Attorney-General and as Minister for Correctional Services, the Leader of the Opposition attacked a public servant earlier saying that person had been promoted from AO4 to ECO2. The Leader of the Opposition is not correct. The public servant she attacked was an SAO2, which is a Senior Administrative Officer 2. The promotion did not lead to a pay increase anything like the $171 000 asserted by the Leader of the Opposition. I remain concerned that she attacks public servants with misinformation inside this House. I ask that she repeats those allegations outside this House so the appropriate action can be taken by those public servants.
I ask the CPSU, in its defence of public servants, to chastise the Leader of the Opposition for continued unwarranted, unsubstantiated attacks on public servants. If the CPSU cares about its membership, and I have no doubt it does, I ask, despite its constitutional bonding to Labor, it protect those public servants who are consistently attacked by the Leader of the Opposition when she makes unsubstantiated criminal allegations.
I am positive about the future of the Northern Territory. From an Attorney-General’s point of view, I am delighted to report on the Pillars of Justice my Cabinet colleagues have given me responsibility for, which I take as a humbling vote of confidence.
One thing that has always struck me is the continuity of how our criminal justice system works. I am talking about continuity from the point of arrest to the point of beyond parole. I find it fascinating that, for some reason, we have always separated – I am talking about all jurisdictions, including the Commonwealth – the police role, the court’s role, and the corrections role in how we roll those policies out.
A number of policy drivers operate in the area of police which bypass the courts and in which corrections can have some involvement, particularly when there is no charging and no criminal sanction involved. Police, from time to time, will run into people who are flirting with the edge of the criminal justice system – youth - quite regularly. The youth justice policy sits under the umbrella of corrections for administrative convenience purposes; however, philosophically, a corrections approach can deal with correcting people before they get into the criminal justice system. That is something this government has sought to pursue.
With a view to that, having a consistent policy approach across the pillars of the policing environment, the judicial environment, and the corrections environment, and considering the importance of victims in all this, you can then create a system which is much cleaner, smoother, and much more responsive if you have it all answering to one place, which is, essentially, what the Pillars of Justice structure aims to do. As a consequence, if police want to divert someone away from the criminal justice system there is still a role for corrections through the boot camps we have established.
The first trial program has come back recently. What has been achieved by the first trial boot camp at Operation Flinders is very telling. I cannot quite lay my hands on the paperwork; however, an e-mail was forwarded to me from inside the department demonstrating that kids who entered the boot camp process through Operation Flinders, but 10 days ago, as aggressive and ill-tempered kids have come out saying things like, ‘I now understand what it is to be a man’. ‘I now understand what it is to be personally responsible and what that responsibility means.’ If they have learnt that lesson, the chances of them coming back to the criminal justice environment are far less than they were. Through that process of the Pillars of Justice referred to in the Chief Minister’s statement, we already have one structure in place where we can take kids away from the criminal justice process and teach them responsibility by demanding responsibility from them.
The Chief Minister also mentioned the Sentenced to a Job program. My understanding is - I stand corrected on the exact number - 64 prisoners are now taxpayers to the federal government because they are earning award wages. They do so because low-security prisoners successfully classified into the open category are offered full-time work, which we have been organising. It is a back-of-the-envelope calculation; however, about 15 000 prisoner days have now been applied to prisoners working outside the corrections system. Of those 15 000 prisoner days, those prisoners have been paying rent to the corrections system - $125 per week - they are making a contribution to victims assistance funds, they have a small amount of money to spend in the prison but, moreover, they are valuing the jobs we have organised for them. These jobs follow them into the period beyond the custodial environment so, if they are on parole, they keep the job. They leave prison with as much as $15 000 or $20 000 in their back pocket, they have paid tax, and are in a much better place to go on to a better life than they otherwise would. That is encouraging.
How many escapes during that period? Zero. How many offences committed by prisoners on that program? Zero. Yes we have had some returns because of unsuitability, but we have no recorded offences by any prisoner. How many positive alcohol tests on those 15 000 prisoner days? Zero. That is extremely heartening and I hope those prisoners go on to live fulfilled and productive lives. We are, of course, aiming to expand the program.
One of the reasons I was at the Garma Festival was that I have being speaking to the Gumatj Association and we are close to striking a deal. We will place serving prisoners into full-time jobs in the Nhulunbuy area so they can continue to serve on country and pay their debt to the community they offended against.
We have also committed, through a memorandum of understanding, to another three years of supporting the Garma Festival as part of our work gang environment. That is something both the prisoners and the prison officers are proud of. It is my understanding that one of the prison officers showed the Leader of the Opposition and the local member around the prison work site. I am delighted the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Nhulunbuy saw what we are doing. As we roll these programs out, we will see more prisoners in the work environment.
We will be bringing manufacturing – we are currently negotiating with one manufacturer - into the prison system so there will be jobs inside prisons. We are currently working to establish a commercial arm attached to prisons so the work they do in building cattle yards, trailers, exercise equipment, cabinet made products, all of which they currently do, are of a commercial standard and can be sold commercially.
I doubt the prison system in the Northern Territory will ever be self-funding, but it can earn a great deal of money. In the process, we can train people in the jobs they do and they learn about dignity and self-worth by virtue of having a job, and keeping that job when they leave prison.
We are looking at post-release accommodation and how to use the parole system to lock people into jobs even through the period of their parole. Rather than the racking and stacking system we had in the past, we have a graduated transition from custody to liberty. If you consider the past, the door opened and a prisoner stepped from custody to liberty.
We hope to achieve a progression, so even when they are in prison there are elements of liberty. As they earn their stripes and progress through the parole process, we slowly take the hooks out as they learn the skills you and I, and everybody else, takes for granted.
Many prisoners in the Sentenced to a Job program have never had a job in their life. I was delighted, at the recent Bar Association dinner, when a prisoner serving hors d'oeuvres walked by. He was working with Karen Shelton Catering, which has taken on a number of prisoners who continue to work in the community. Not only do they learn how to be wait staff, but they get basic skills in preparing hors d'oeuvres etcetera. He was a proud man with a job and I was utterly delighted to see him there. I did not know we were allowing shift work, but the department advised that was correct. That is a positive thing, and this is just the corrections environment. Let us now talk about what we are trying to do in the policing environment.
I am concerned that in Mitchell Street and the Todd Mall in Alice Springs we regularly see street offences being committed. These are objectionable words, disorderly behaviour and those types of things. If a police officer arrests a person for an objectionable words offence they are tied up at the police station on a Friday night for an hour to an hour-and-a-half processing the paperwork. The effect is the shift sergeant is poking that copper in the back of the head saying, ‘Look, the jobs are piling up. Get back out on the road.’ ‘I have to do the paperwork, sergeant.’ The copper knows if he arrests somebody he will be tied up and there will be pressure to get him back out on the road.
I have said publicly, and stand by it, that this makes coppers arrest adverse. I am not saying they are lazy, but they are anxious to ensure they have a presence on the street. I spoke to the Commissioner of Police about this under the pillars umbrella. He made a suggestion, and we are working on the final details of a paperless arrest system by which the turnaround time for a police officer in the police cells when processing a prisoner arrested for a street offence is five to 10 minutes maximum. They can be in the station and back policing the streets, having removed that person at 10 pm for their objectionable words. The guy standing on the street corner swearing at 11 pm and being generally obstreperous is the guy you are locking up at 3 am for a serious assault or rape. Take him out of commission early and you can deal with the more serious offences.
The other message is, if a copper tells you to move on and you do not, you are locked up. That is an important message to send on a Friday or Saturday night in Mitchell Street. I encourage the police, through changing our arrest processes, to use their powers in a way not to be arrest adverse but which enables them to control the streets, because that is what we expect from them.
Moreover, there is work we can do with the courts. At the moment the defence lawyer says, ‘My client will indicate a not guilty plea, your Honour’. A contest mention is set up or, alternatively, a hearing. Back to the copper goes a file where a whole investigation has to be done, because the evidence has to be collected to determine the guilt or innocence of a client. That is how the system works. The problem is, often the points of difference between the evidence of the prosecution and what the defence is relying on are not major at all.
In a simple assault matter where somebody gave somebody else a smack in the mouth, the defence indicates a not guilty plea on the grounds, which they keep to themselves, that it was a self-defence response. You do not need five witness statements to place the offender at the scene. However, under the current system all those statements have to be collected. They will never be used because they are not a point of contest.
As Attorney-General, I am seeking to introduce a system of pre-trial conferencing added to pre-trial disclosure of certain types of evidence and sentence indications. Wrap those together and you are in a much stronger position to avoid hearings. In Victoria, where this is being done, they moved from 7000 to about 3500 hearings in 12 months. That is an enormous saving of resources. Understanding how the court system works means you can also save resources in the policing environment. You will not be asking police to do full investigations into fairly simple matters when the point of contest is something quite particular.
The civil jurisdiction has been doing this for years, and I am not suggesting interfering in the processes of the Supreme Court. I am talking about the simple criminal matters dealt with in the summary courts, which make up 95% of our criminal caseload.
Then go to the corrections environment and give authority to corrections to run electronic monitoring technology - bracelets. This technology is wonderful, but why leave it to corrections alone when the courts could use it, and police could use it for bail? We are looking at ways to roll out electronic monitoring in an effective fashion which serves all arms of the justice system from whoa to go.
This is the purpose of having a Pillars of Justice structure in place. These are a handful of the many useful, positive things this government is aiming to achieve in the management of the criminal justice system and our corrections system.
They are several items I wanted to touch on. There are many more items I could speak about in my portfolio areas alone. However, if you contrast my contribution about positive governance of the Northern Territory in relation to specific areas of how we are governed and compare that to the contribution from the Leader of the Opposition, I wonder what a third party observer would see as better outcomes for people of the Northern Territory. I suspect you would find, and people would agree fairly readily, a contribution which has vision, direction, belief, desire and passion, which the Chief Minister’s contribution and statement had - I would like to believe I bring that to the position, and other ministers - and compare it to the attacks and desire not to acknowledge the good things the government is doing by the Leader of the Opposition. I ask honourable members who they would trust and who they believe would make a better government for the people in the Northern Territory.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Speaker, I enjoyed listening to the member for Port Darwin. It is interesting to reflect on the CLP in opposition for four years, particularly the member for Greatorex who went to great lengths to destabilise, criticise and ridicule ministerial statements in this House. The Attorney-General has just made a positive contribution on behalf of his Chief Minister because he has no legislation in this House. This government is not practising one of the most important and essential roles of a government: introducing, debating and passing laws for the Northern Territory. The Attorney-General, the heavy lifting member of the government, has run out of legislation. He led the pack early in the piece with a new, punitive regime representing the old guard CLP approach to ‘lock them up’. Now he is outlining the initiatives in corrections and police which will deliver better outcomes, but the rest has gone.
There are no laws before this House so we are debating ministerial statements. The irony is all through Hansard. There is four years of hypocrisy by members who are now in government. I find that interesting.
Picking up on the member for Port Darwin’s comment, as a member of the opposition and voice of the people, I follow in the Leader of the Opposition’s trail to comment on what has been brought to this House. The member for Port Darwin talks in his comparative language and the constituent will judge; however, I draw his attention to the media release accompanying the Chief Minister’s statement.
Working at lunchtime, I looked at the media release and it testifies to victim blame mentality. The Leader of the Opposition is right. I have challenged the new Chief Minister many times to rise to the occasion; to become a statesmanlike figure representing all Territorians. Unfortunately, this media release starts with an introductory paragraph then goes into blame, blame, and more blame as it rolls out bile and vitriol in the victim blame mentality which is characteristic of this government. I wonder what has been going on after 12 months when the opposition has been assisting the government to get on with it. Show us what is new and be proud of your efforts. I have reached the conclusion that what this victim blame mentality represents is a Chief Minister with a guilty conscience who cannot move on and needs to lift the game.
Let us talk about the statement. I was interested to hear about the Ichthys project, a major project brought to the Northern Territory by the previous Labor government. The Chief Minister has employed Paul Henderson to restore trust and faith, to use the corporate knowledge of a Chief Minister who did the heavy lifting - the member for Port Darwin’s words - to bring that project to the Northern Territory. Well done, Chief Minister, in employing Paul Henderson to get it back on track.
It is interesting to read how the project is progressing in the Northern Territory – what I call the jewel in the crown of having the oil and gas sector located in the Northern Territory, particularly in Darwin as the capital of northern Australia.
However, the Chief Minister made no mention of the Marine Supply Base, another Labor-initiated project that goes hand-in-hand with the onshore project of Ichthys. The previous Labor government, with good planning, vision, and leadership, showed the Northern Territory is about capturing both onshore and offshore opportunities. The Marine Supply Base, being constructed as we speak, an initiative of the former Labor government, generating significant jobs, will parallel those incredible onshore opportunities for the oil and gas sector and bring wealth and prosperity to the Northern Territory and opportunities for Territorians working in the sector.
The Chief Minister spoke briefly about the live cattle trade but reverted to political rhetoric once again and the Canberra parallel he lives in. There was not one mention of the Australian Agricultural Company’s planned abattoir. That, to me, is the diversity in the primary industry sector I talk about. It is the further potential of marketing prime Territory beef, pushing out much further than the live export boats can reach, and having a product we can land into China which will boost our live export market. Not only will we be shipping live cattle into Southeast Asia, we will be shipping frozen beef into what will become one of the biggest consumers in this millennium.
There was no mention of the abattoir; there is a lack of vision there. Perhaps a Chief Minister with a victim blame mentality and a guilty conscience might try to blame it on his speechwriter. I certainly hope not. However, in this House we have the opportunity to add this to debate, and that is what the opposition is doing. That is our job. We do it with a well-referenced approach, as a coordinated team, and with a clear alternative policy position. That is what we offer Territorians.
In Question Time today - or was it in the censure; I will have to check the Hansard - government was talking about no accountability. It is all about accountability, and Territorians will hold you to account. As the Leader of the Opposition said, Territorians are very articulate in their conversation about this government.
Chief Minister, I will quote from page 6 of your statement:
That is good to hear, Chief Minister. Just over a week ago I was at Ramingining. There are some really good stories in Ramingining. Under the previous Labor government’s initiative, construction of 27 houses is to commence, something like 54 refurbishments, and a major painting project. As an opposition member, it was great to talk to the constituents at Ramingining about work created and commissioned under the previous Labor government in partnership with the federal Labor government. Added to that, is the project commissioned by the former Territory Labor government to upgrade the barge landing road. Not only have we a major housing construction, we also have a major civil construction project.
What is the Chief Minister doing about Indigenous employment targets? I encouraged local people to get a job because these are real jobs. Chief Minister, that is big talk in a colloquial sense – big name, no blankets. What are you doing to ensure links are forged between the residents of Ramingining and the incredible projects rolling out in that remote town over the next 12 to18 months?
We want to see action. The previous Chief Minister, the member for Blain, contributed to debate and spoke about outcomes. We had the projects on the pad; claim them by all means, but the outcomes are Indigenous residents working in real jobs. No more rhetoric, Chief Minister, let us get on with it.
In local government reform, it is ironic the Chief Minister claims all the credit for a successful election strategy which saw the CLP form government based on a ruthless campaign to destabilise major reform into local government. I have said to the Chief Minister on previous occasions that it is about creating expectations and perceptions. Chief Minister, once again, there is plenty of rhetoric in your statement but people want their perceptions fulfilled. Those perceptions are about your promise to scrap shire councils and give them autonomy as community government councils, including the resource packages and the budgets to go with it.
There is an interesting turnaround from the Chief Minister when talking about land release. I will quote from page 9 of the statement:
This is in bold, underlined, for the Chief Minister to read:
‘Very little provision’ is an amazing turnaround in semantics from the Chief Minister and the Country Liberal Party which crowed so loudly about land release programs under the previous Labor government. They are now claiming Zuccoli Stage 2, Johnston Stage 2, and Kilgariff.
I was at each of those projects recently, and it is great to see Zuccoli forging ahead and Stage 2 being delivered under a budget appropriation in 2013-14. It is great to see Johnston Stage 2 forging ahead. I looked at the private projects going on, including Durack Heights, Muirhead, and Coolalinga. However, Kilgariff, as I mentioned to the minister in estimates, has hit the wall and I explained to him why. This government has to come up with the resources to partner with a developer to deliver Kilgariff. The last time I was at Kilgariff, the same traffic barriers were up, the same grass was growing, and the same rhetoric was coming from the government.
The rigours of government are quite complex and challenging. I would love to be a fly on the Cabinet wall, as I am sure ministers are experiencing those rigours profoundly when it comes to delivery as opposed to idle rhetoric.
I am still concerned, when talking about the Real Housing for Growth strategy, that only $1.1m has been appropriated for land release across the Northern Territory. That is not a big budget appropriation. However, the estimates answer was, ‘Do not worry; the private sector will develop it for us’. Let us see them develop Kilgariff. I can assure you once again, minister, they will need much support from the government to deliver the basic premise, which is keeping the cost of a serviced lot of land down. That is heavy lifting from government, let me tell you.
The Chief Minister spoke about transport and there are some great initiatives. I commend the Chief Minister for talking about DriveSafe NT and the remote program initiated under Labor and rolling out under the new Chief Minister and the CLP government for the next three years. That is fantastic. I have written to the Chief Minister as Minister for Transport. I was in Maningrida recently and it was great to hear about the gift of a troop carrier with dual controls to support the DriveSafe NT Remote package. That was wonderful news, and I welcome that in Maningrida.
I was also on Groote Eylandt. There is an incredible outfit - and I have written to the Chief Minister about it – the youth development unit at both Angurugu and Milyakburra. They have two troop carriers with dual controls and have been running driver education programs. They were influential in developing that package under the previous Labor government, but they now need help. They need funds for a driving instructor. Chief Minister, it would be great if you could deliver that for the youth development unit, because you could come into this House and talk about outcomes and real delivery. They really deserve it, and I encourage you to get out there and talk about it.
The $30m for the Central Arnhem Road - I was proud to walk across the Mainoru bridges and see the work commissioned under the previous NT Labor government with money from a federal government partnership. I also discovered the detours and could not get to the work site. I would not mind a visit to the new Goyder crossings under construction. Then, of course, I had a good look at the Donydji crossings as well, and the logistics around delivering those. It is great to see that work going on. The Chief Minister’s speechwriter neglected to pay tribute to the previous government or the federal government. However, the Central Arnhem Road is opening under the previous Labor government policy of beef, mining, and community road networks. People I spoke to along that route are very proud of what is happening with better roads to their communities.
We all celebrate the enhanced public bus services with additional routes and free WiFi we talked about in estimates. However, there is not one cent for the Integrated Regional Transport Strategy. People throughout the Central Arnhem region in Bulman, Nhulunbuy, Ramingining, Maningrida, right through northeast Arnhem, and in Barkly and Central Australia as well, really valued the Integrated Regional Transport Strategy. It is sad to see this government has not continued what Territorians say is a good move in delivering, for the first time, public transport networks into regional and remote areas, including very remote areas. It was disappointing; however, we celebrate what is in there.
It was good to hear the Chief Minister talk about the arts. However, a couple of questions for your Arts minister, Chief Minister. Why has the Northern Territory joined New South Wales and Queensland in not signing the federal government funding agreement for a major performing arts excellence pool to fund new works? What is happening with the national culture policy, Chief Minister? Could you ask your minister for Arts as well? We acknowledge the work coming forward in the statutory body for the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory; however, talking to the arts sector, they do not welcome a reduction in funding and shifting the blame, in this victim blame mentality, or any thinking or rhetoric around creating a statutory authority for the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory which will allow government to pull back on spending.
The Chief Minister outlined in his statement that the Territory arts, culture and heritage sector is one of the emerging opportunities for the Northern Territory, socially, culturally and economically. The whole world wants to experience and learn about Indigenous culture so it is no time to pull back. It is no time to use rhetoric to talk about the statutory authority - a good outcome - and pull back from government support. Our arts and museums sector needs stimulus, heavy lifting, as you say on that side, including the creation of a statutory board to deliver real outcomes in this area. As the member for Blain says, real outcomes will promote our arts, culture and heritage to the rest of the world. It is great to see arts appearing in this statement but it will need much support.
Last but not least, when the Chief Minister spoke about the infrastructure budget - it was quite clear at estimates and is published in the budget papers that there is a reduction in the infrastructure program of $64m. Not only is this government living off Labor projects, it has pulled $64m and the middle level contractor is really hurting.
In Tennant Creek, I have middle level civil construction contractors faced with selling off gear because, ‘This government is not spending money and does not have its priorities right’.
Mr CHANDLER (Education): The last statement by the former Minister for Lands and Planning sums it up for a Labor government - spending money. That is something they knew how to do extremely well. However, the problem with spending money, particularly money you are not earning, or when you spend more than you earn, is that money has to be paid back. That is the one thing Labor governments are not good at. Not many Labor governments in the country have paid any money back. They talk about education, transport and the many projects on the cards, but many were unfunded or to be funded with additional borrowings. You cannot continue to live outside your means.
Labor parties are like any other good time party goer: experts at spending your money and making a hell of a mess but they are never around when it is time to clean up the mess or pay the bills for the damage left behind.
I commend the Chief Minister for his statement on 12 months in government and for launching this important strategy for the future of the Northern Territory, Framing the Future.
The former Minister for Lands and Planning, minister McCarthy, mentioned several which are continuing. Like any government when they take over, as it was with last year’s election, the budget had been set for the year. Yes we set about making changes under the mini-budget, but many of the projects of the day were already signed - contracts were signed. The work is an expectation of the companies that had those contracts. Of course, when a government comes in many things are already locked in. It is right that some of these things continue. There were some good projects which will continue, have continued, as with land release. The problem is the Labor Party had 11 years and failed in so many different areas, land release being one of them.
I would be right to suggest the previous Minister for Lands and Planning failed to release a block of land in Tennant Creek in all the years he was involved there.
Mr McCarthy Fifty-four.
Mr CHANDLER: How many were industrial?
Mr McCarthy: There were 54 residential lots.
Mr CHANDLER: How many were industrial?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Barkly!
Mr CHANDLER: How many industrial lots?
Mr McCarthy: You are reselling two of them. Six industrial lots.
Mr CHANDLER: We digress. The former minister …
Mr McCarthy: You digress. You want to get on the game, mate, if you want to throw insults.
Mr CHANDLER: … is becoming a little upset.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr CHANDLER: You can do all the talking you like, but I am going on the facts given to me by the department you used to …
Mr McCarthy: You advertised two of those industrial lots in Tennant Creek.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Barkly!
Mr CHANDLER: I must have hit a raw nerve!
What I find exciting about the blueprint is that it is a real and practical plan for the future of the Northern Territory, something so lacking under the previous Labor government. This framework sets out our vision, something we have the right to do because we were elected by Territorians. This is our vision, and our objectives and priorities for the next three years. It will guide decision-making for this government. It is about who we are and where we are going.
I will go through the blueprint in some detail. I will talk about this government’s achievements in my portfolio in the 12 months we have been here.
Framing the Future targets four key areas: create a prosperous economy, build a strong society, maintain a balanced environment, and foster a confident culture. The Chief Minister spoke about a prosperous economy which creates wealth and jobs and is open, competitive and innovative. I need to focus on that: an economy that is open, competitive and innovative. Earlier today we heard the Leader of the Opposition talk about jobs for the boys: works given to certain individuals or companies. For the record, everything going through my office has gone out for expression of interest, which has been open and accountable. In all cases where there are procurement boards involved, just like the previous government - I hope the previous government used these processes - they were open and accountable.
Tenders are based on the merit principle of whatever the development is. I suspect it has not changed since we have taken over. This is an open and accountable government. Of course, expressions of interests are accountable documents and accountable processes. To suggest anything otherwise is a measure of the person involved.
We will be looking at an economy built on exports and the needs of our trading partners that captures the ideas, energy, and opportunities across the Territory and lands new local, national, and international investment.
The blueprint also mentions creating a strong society which values an individual’s right to freedom and ensures everyone has the same access to opportunities and resources to make a contribution to, and participate in, society and the economy. It will be a society that supports the most vulnerable, is safe for all at home, in school, in the workplace, and while travelling.
Framing the Future has a balanced environment which is sustainable. Again, we heard allegations of jobs for the boys and the person running the EPA today has some background or is a long-lost friend. For the record, I did not meet Bill Freeland until coming into this job. I knew his reputation, and know he is doing a damn good job in the EPA. I cannot tell him what to do; he just does it, which is exactly what an independent EPA should be doing. To hear the allegations this is just another job for the boys is the mark of the person.
In framing a future we want a balanced environment, one which balances use with protection, is well-managed, includes urban design and public spaces, fosters a confident culture proud of the Territory, and values and celebrates the diversity of people from all backgrounds, language groups, age, gender and religions. It is a culture that supports significant occasions and events, that focuses on a healthy, active and enjoyable lifestyle taking advantage of the unique features of the Northern Territory or what the Northern Territory offers.
The Chief Minister said earlier that growth of the Northern Territory economy has, inevitably, increased pressure on the housing market. How true. The legacy left by Labor was little provision for housing to support growth. In stark contrast with Labor’s inertia, we have been very active in this area through the Real Housing for Growth strategy. Accelerated land release through identifying and progressing greenfield sites, as well as infill on existing Crown land sites, is essential to reducing the cost of living for Territorians.
A new head lease scheme is being put in place that is a win/win for both property owners and renters. Under the scheme, the government will lease new residential properties for a period of 10 years. These will then be rented to eligible tenants at a 30% discount on market rates. Contracts for more than 500 will be issued in the next month. A further 1500 will be offered shortly thereafter. Listening to the censure motion put up by the opposition earlier today, you might think everything has come to a standstill. Around the skyline I see a number of cranes in the CBD alone, not to mention the development taking place shortly.
For the record, I will read off the Real Housing for Growth head lease initiative from my latest briefing which describes what has been happening behind the scenes in the last 12 months. Much work has been done, and I take my hat off to the hard-working public servants who have taken on the policies of a new government. It is important, as a new government, that we bring the hard-working people in the departments along with us on our journey.
We had 11 years of Labor government in the Northern Territory, and the culture within departments will always favour the government of the day. When there is a change of government, it is important that government’s vision is made known to the public service. If you can get public servants to understand your vision, you bring them along with you, and that is important. That is happening now.
Have there been roadblocks? Yes, there have. It is a big thing for a government to change its culture from within, but you get the impression from the opposition we are pulling everything apart and nothing is happening. I will read the latest advice: within the next two weeks in Darwin alone, contracts will be signed for 76 units, of which 50 units will be head leased by this government. In another suburb in Darwin, of 82 units in the development, 53 units are proposed to be head leased. The time frame for contracts to be signed is about two weeks. In another area of Darwin, 60 units in the development and 52 are proposed to be head leased. The time frame is within the next four weeks.
In Palmerston, 84 units in the development, 54 units proposed to be head leased, and contracts should be signed shortly. Another area of Palmerston - there are three different sites, one with 14 units, one with 23 units and one with 86 units - the time frame expected for the lease agreements to be in place is around four weeks from now. In the rural area, 84 units in the development and 60 units proposed to be head leased. The time frame is about a week until all contracts are in place.
In Alice Springs, 105 units in the development, 78 are proposed to be head leased. The time frame for contracts to be in place is around two weeks from now. Further in Alice Springs, another 62 units in the development and all units are proposed, at this stage, to be head leased. The time frame for the agreements is around four weeks from now. In Alice Springs there is possible capacity for up to 84 dwellings on another site.
In Tennant Creek there are three units in the development, with two units proposed to be head leased. Another one in Tennant Creek, three units within a development all proposed to be head leased and around two weeks until contracts are signed. In Tennant Creek again, eight units all proposed to be head leased. In another development, six units all proposed to be head leased with a time frame of about two weeks from now. There is another site in Tennant Creek but I cannot talk about that at the moment.
In Katherine, 11 units in the development all proposed to be head leased and around six weeks until we have contracts in place. Again in Katherine, three other sites, one with six units proposed to be head leased, seven units in another development all proposed to be head leased, eight units in another area all proposed to be head leased. The time frame is about six weeks. Does this sound like a government that has been sitting on its backside doing nothing?
Let me tell you about the developers coming forward. I will use the same document because the allegations are that this is only going to a few developers across the Territory. Wrong again.
There are 16 companies involved in the developments I just read out. They have all gone through an EIS open and accountable process. There are quite a few units there, all of which are part of the Real Housing for Growth head leasing initiative.
Moving on to what the Chief Minister was saying about housing, from a government perspective, being completely and openly honest, we are behind the wave. The Country Liberals government has a long way to go. It is imperative we get in front of the wave in more ways than people understand.
Is the Territory going ahead? It certainly is. Will we be faced with challenges into the future? Yes, but they are exciting times, exciting challenges, and, as a government, we have to be ready to face the challenge.
The previous government could have set us up to fail. The lack of land release, keeping in front of the wave of development in the decades to come, and the debt situation have all made things increasingly harder. Labor governments are fantastic at spending money but fail to heed that the money spent today, when living above our means, is stealing from the future. In education, unless we learn to live within our means we are stealing from the children we are educating today, and that is not fair.
I do not want us to be seen as a greedy government. Is it fair that we cannot live within our means today and will penalise young people into the future? It is not fair. We have an obligation to live within our means. Governments do, societies do, and unless we get that right we will be leaving a terrible legacy for people into the future.
Moving to planning, we have identified 70 parcels of land for development over the next five years. Most, if not all, are serviced by established infrastructure. The potential housing yield from these sites is 2700 dwellings across the Territory this year. Land parcels will be released to the market right across the Northern Territory. This government is committed to pursuing good processes as we manage our built environment.
The new Planning Commission established on 1 January 2013 has a primary function of preparing integrated strategic plans. This document is the Northern Territory Planning Commission work program for 2013-14. It is a comprehensive document, and I will talk about several things in it. One of the projects is the Tennant Creek Land Use Framework. The project description is to develop and implement a land use framework for Tennant Creek. The Hughes Noonamah development: provide a report to the minister under section 50B(5) of the Planning Act in relation to a significant development proposal for Hughes and the Noonamah district centre; review the old hospital site and Flagstaff Hill Park developments; work towards an area planned for Knuckey and Ironstone Lagoons.
We have just gone through an open and accountable process with Knuckey Lagoon. There was a well-attended public meeting recently which the member for Nelson attended. Submissions were called for and have closed, and the Planning Commission will report back to me by September.
The Katherine Land Use Plan and the Darwin Regional Land Use Plan are things the Planning Commission is working on at the moment and, of course, the urban densification strategy.
The Planning Commission provides a strategic framework to take us into the future. Developers are calling for a strategic framework to provide guidelines, the goalposts if you like - insurance for the future and how we develop the Northern Territory. There is no good having a flip flop relationship with developers, it does not inspire confidence. We plan to, through good planning, provide them with the goalposts needed to go well into the future and give them the assurance they need that this government is open and accountable and has a strategic framework for planning well into the future.
One of the last things I wanted to talk about is our framework over the next few years. Of course, this will involve an Indigenous education review. The booklet I have in my hands, Learning Lessons, was commissioned in about 1998, finished in 1999, and was the last comprehensive document ever developed for Indigenous education in the Northern Territory. It was handed to parliament in 1999 and, 14 years later - we had 11 years of the Labor …
Mrs LAMBLEY: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request an extension of time for the member.
Motion agreed to.
Mr CHANDLER: A review of Indigenous education in the Northern Territory is overdue. Since this was handed down to parliament in 1999, 14 years have passed. It is time we looked at what is in the book as it is an excellent starting point for Indigenous education in the Territory. However, unless government pays attention to what is in the report and does what is suggested, we will not change anything.
It is time to change convention. I was in a meeting recently with the federal minister, Bill Shorten, and before that minister Garrett when he was Education minister. They were asking what the Territory needs to support Indigenous education. One of the offers was 200 additional teachers. They were prepared to fund an additional 200 teachers into remote schools. On the surface I thought, ‘Wow, what a great offer, we could do with 200 teachers’. However, what would we do with them, where would we house them? It is not like putting 200 teachers into Sydney, where they could rent a property close to their school. If we were to put 200 teachers into remote communities we would have to have the right housing for them. That is something we, as a government, have to look at in the future too.
It made me realise you cannot keep putting your hand out to Canberra asking for more money. That is the easy approach, and has probably been the approach over the last 11 years under the Labor administration. It made me think, ‘What will we do if we get additional money from the federal government for Indigenous education?’ Even with urban education, so many Indigenous students come in from remote areas and we do not track them well enough. The resources do not follow those students well enough. We need to understand more about this, which is why I have called for an Indigenous education review to cover off on some of these areas.
It is time to challenge convention. We cannot walk away from the fact whatever we have done in the past has brought us to where we are today. Is it good enough? I do not think so.
One thing the previous Labor minister for Education, Chris Burns, was right about was attendance. If children are not going to school, there is no way they will receive a good education. In fact, the latest research says there is no safe threshold when it comes to losing days from school. When we talk about a school having a good attendance record of 93%, it means many children are not attending. Having figures released saying there is no safe threshold says we need to have kids at school every day. Of course, children will be sick from time to time, but unless there is a decent excuse for being away from school, they need to be there. In many communities I have visited recently, even last week, I was astounded at the number of children wandering around the community not engaged at school. It is frightening to think these children are missing out on an education. It is something we have to focus on into the future.
The objectives of the terms of reference I put together for this review are:
The context mapping which needs to occur will include:
and initiatives, including the effectiveness of programs and initiatives operating throughout the Northern Territory. We want to look at partnerships we have with schools as well as with the federal government.
I will quickly touch on the scope of this review. It is important because education is important:
In regard to the programs and strategies:
There are many good programs, but identifying which ones work and which do not is something this review will look at. One of the challenges and frustrations you have in government - even in opposition - is learning that, for some reason, funding will not continue for very good programs. This is where it comes down to the partnerships with the federal government and there are some complicating factors. I become frustrated when I learn of good programs which, for whatever reason, have funding cut at the federal level. It flows through to the Territory that the funding is cut. You have to identify what programs are working, focus on them, and go in to bat for them, ensuring not only funding continues, but the federal government is made aware we want to keep the programs running. It is cruel to find the legs cut out from under good programs before they have a chance to work.
At Gunbalanya last week - what a fabulous program Learning Games for Kids is. It has been operating successfully around the world for about 15 years and for three years at Gunbalanya. That program has seen some fantastic results and has been demonstrated to work, not only in Australia but in Mexico and Canada. We need to stick with those programs. We will see improvements if we can stick to some of these programs long term, rather than chop and change. Much of it comes down to what has been agreed to federally, and that can be a frustration in itself, but we have to simplify things. Education departments, including Canberra, seem to be focusing on a bureaucracy rather than on what is working. These partnerships and agreements, and the way funding is operated – there are so many different buckets of money - in a perfect world you could hand one bucket of money to a school principal or school council and say, ‘Deliver. You people are best placed to know how to spend that money. You have a job to do. These are the objectives that have been set, do it.’
That is not possible because of the funding arrangements in place, not only between the Northern Territory Education department and our schools, but the arrangements we have in place with Canberra. No wonder people become frustrated with much of this.
In summing up, Framing the Future is a fantastic blueprint. I would like as many people as possible involved with the development of this. As the Chief Minister said, these documents can be as fluid as the community needs them to be. However, they need to provide a strong framework so people have certainty into the future and understand the government’s priorities, goals and focus. After 12 months, it is a good starting point for a new government to batten down the hatches and make saving measures where we need to. We have to live within our means. If we do not, we become a legacy for our future and that is not something any of us want to focus on.
There are many challenges ahead. Framing the Future provides a framework and we all have a tough job. Can we do it? Damn right we can. We are focused, and we will bring the Territory along with us.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for his statement but wonder why he bothers to reinvent the wheel when a blueprint and road map for the future was prepared under the previous Labor government. This formed the cornerstone of policy in moving the Territory and Territorians ahead.
A large part of that work has already been done and the Leader of the Opposition spoke about it. Territory 2030 was a blueprint for the way forward. The Chief Minister’s statement talks about the next three years. I worry about what he believes he can cover-off in three years, but I urge him to return to the document drafted under the stewardship of some very eminent Territorians, not politicians. It is the result of extensive face-to-face community consultations around the Northern Territory, as well as the opportunity for people to go online and offer input. It remains a good blueprint for the future, and it is a shame there is no acknowledgement of the work undertaken in preparation of that document.
This government is at a loss as to how to govern, so thinks if it keeps putting out motherhood statements it thinks will keep people happy and make it look like it is doing something. It has little government business on the parliamentary agenda for these August sittings. There is one piece of legislation to be debated and, as such, it needs to fill the time with something. Why not, as the member for Greatorex would describe it, with a puff piece?
We would have had zero legislation for parliamentary debate these sittings except on the last evening of estimates. Come 3 am, the government was too tired and over parliament and did not want to debate the legislation it should have during those sittings. Members decided they needed to go home. We were prepared to stay until daybreak if necessary, but they pulled the last piece of legislation. Thank goodness they did, with hindsight, because at least they can say they have one piece of legislation up for debate these sittings. It would have looked even worse had they had zero.
I am sure public servants throughout the Territory were thrilled to receive a letter from the Chief Minister this afternoon, alerting them to the monumental announcement of Framing the Future. This announcement is so monumental it probably surpasses the local government announcement last week by the member for Namatjira about re-badging shire councils to regional councils. That, in itself, was a monumental announcement, so much so that the Chief Minister was not by her side. He was in Maningrida trying to flog a good news story which turned out to be a train wreck for him in community backlash and some terrible interviews he did on the ABC.
It will not surprise you that I have already had several calls from public servants in my electorate outraged at the letter sent to them. The hypocrisy, as was pointed out by one public servant, is this policy framework is designed to give certainty about our direction and future plans. This person said, ‘How can the government be so hypocritical to talk about certainty in direction and future plans, when they cannot even provide certainty for our jobs in the public service?’ As the Leader of the Opposition pointed out, this is on the same day an update has gone out from OCPE about public servants and the path they are taking to get a fair deal out of the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement process.
We might be more confident of the future under this awful government if we saw more evidence of action, not just words from the CLP. However, we continue to see a pattern of what they say and what they do being two very different things. Ask me, I can tell you all about that, living through what the people of Gove and northeast Arnhem Land are going through at the moment. This is a dishonest and disingenuous government which says one thing and does another, and constantly sends mixed messages to Territorians. What is gobsmacking about this statement is that there is no mention of the current crisis in Gove and the uncertain future residents and businesses face now the Chief Minister has reneged on the gas to Gove deal.
I forgot to mention earlier in debate is that those Cabinet members, who were around the table in February and said, ‘Yes, that is a fantastic idea, we support Chief Minister Terry Mills’, are the same people now sitting there silently with their heads down saying, ‘Now we support Chief Minister Giles and the fact he has pulled the rug out from under the feet of people in northeast Arnhem Land’. It is not just the people in Nhulunbuy. There has been some nasty commentary online about the fact Nhulunbuy is just a place with rich miners. That is cruel and unfair commentary. It is not just employees of the mining company who are having the rug pulled from beneath their feet, but traditional owners, the many Yolngu communities and homelands across northeast Arnhem Land, small business owners, mums, dads, kids, and our public servants who work hard. Everybody is affected by this, not just those who work for the mining company.
I recall a huge community celebration in March funded by the mining company. The Chief Minister was unable to attend but sent the member for Sanderson, who stood before 1000 people metaphorically thumping his chest saying, ‘How good are we getting gas to Gove?’ That same member is now very quick to slam me about any criticism I might have of this government and its reneging on the gas to Gove deal. Shame on you!
How can the Chief Minister talk of a prosperous economy on one hand and fail to make reference to the awful state of affairs the Gove region finds itself in because he has backflipped on the member for Blain’s gas deal, one he worked on over a period of months. Eventually, following a trip around the world to sit in the boardroom with key stakeholders, not the least of which was Rio Tinto, somehow Cabinet approved that, yet they are now telling us they got it terribly wrong. I am not buying into that. Gove people are not buying into that story at all.
It is hard to swallow the Chief Minister’s line about wanting people in the bush:
when we see the entire region of northeast Arnhem Land under threat, 1400 jobs at risk and, with it, the threat of losing millions of dollars spent on goods and services.
Yesterday I met with the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce NT, Mr Greg Bicknell, and impressed upon him what is at stake not only for Gove and northeast Arnhem Land, but for Darwin businesses, and the fact the reputation of the Territory is that it is not open for business. I also stressed business deals and commitments will be overturned on the strength of the CLP’s whim of politics, and this environment is not healthy for business confidence. I also mentioned the loss to Darwin and Territory businesses, not to mention the loss to the gas companies currently conducting exploration at considerable cost which was driven by the announcement in February.
We have the potential to double the gas market in the Northern Territory and create jobs. Look at the spend from Rio Tinto Alcan’s end, with conversion of their power station from heavy fuel oil - not diesel, as many CLP members call it - to a gas-fired power station. There is construction of a gas pipeline and the hundreds of jobs that will create. All of that is on hold at the moment because the CLP government considers it is reasonable that Rio and Pacific Aluminium should run a dual fuel option on just over half the gas previously offered and heavy fuel oil for the rest. Whilst they are obviously considering their position at the moment, I do not believe the deal will sit comfortably with Rio Tinto. There are many people in my community who are concerned that, if it wanted to, Rio Tinto has the best excuse in the world to say, ‘Too hard doing business here. We cannot work with this government; we thought we had a deal. We thought we had a gas supply and will have to pull out and close the refinery. Sorry, but we will be making a commercial decision on this basis’, and with it will go hundreds of jobs, millions of dollars in lost spend, and the CLP government will be carrying the can.
This government talks about grand schemes, but what about some real and practical work. We need more support for local government and more support for housing programs which provide real training and employment outcomes for local people, not the drive-in drive-out contractors or fly-in fly-out contractors, and real and genuine support for homelands, Indigenous tourism, and the music and arts sector that provides real opportunities for economic activity in our smaller bush communities. People already possess skills, knowledge and a passion for these, and those skills will translate into jobs and economic opportunities.
I love the hypocrisy of this new government which bagged, endlessly, the SIHIP program, the biggest housing program in the history of the nation. It was transformational. Now they are on the other side, the CLP crows about the delivery of 942 new houses under NPARIH, the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing. With that acknowledgement, I quote from the Chief Minister’s statement:
Well, well. You do not say, Chief Minister, having endlessly bagged the program and the member for Fong Lim saying, ‘Why do we need houses there? It is an emergency; all they need is shelters.’ Also, the member for Fong Lim is well-known for describing remote communities as ‘hellholes’. The Chief Minister is now saying what a great program it was, claiming ownership for the program and delivery of 942 new houses when, over the past five years, four years of the program was delivered under the previous Labor government.
Our new Chief Minister says increasing Indigenous participation in the workforce is one of his highest priorities, especially in remote areas. However, he says nothing about how he will tackle a core issue threatening our families in remote communities: the growing proportion of young Indigenous Territorians, especially men, who are not participating in local and regional workforce opportunities, are not in work, and are not even connected to Newstart and the opportunities that presents for work and economic independence. Instead of work and an income, they survive day to day in poverty.
This was a key issue identified by the Northern Territory Coordinator-General, Olga Havnen, in the report she provided to government early in its term, and just days before she was sacked and the independent office she held was removed as a cost-cutting measure. The statement from the minister, ‘We do not need that. We will be looking after that from within the agency’, lends itself to ‘at arm’s length’ accountability and is simply beyond me and the rest of the world.
We know why she was sacked by the member for Namatjira. Ms Havnen is well-known for her frank and fearless advice, irrespective of the political persuasion of the government she may be advising. She would provide frank and fearless advice based on evidence and analysis of the facts. We know this government has no time for accountability and transparency. What is that in the language of this government and the members opposite? It is simply non-existent. I acknowledge the job Olga Havnen did and, despite the fact she was given her marching orders in no uncertain terms, that she stayed on, even though she was not on the payroll, to conduct public consultations which had already being flagged in Alice Springs and Darwin. Perhaps the minister was trying to gag her from not conducting those public consultations, but the fact that she did them anyway under her own steam says much about the integrity of Ms Havnen.
The Chief Minister bragged about the member for Namatjira’s draft Indigenous economic development strategy, a thin document almost devoid of detail. What a joke! The former Territory Labor government always worked on practical ways to help build the economy and jobs in the bush. Indeed, a hallmark of our time in government and our approach to Indigenous disadvantage was our real determination to move forward and focus on real and measurable outcomes.
The draft strategy, applauded by the member for Greatorex who, by the way, has not visited my electorate or the tourism operators out there, is odd in that it does not include any measurable targets. It is not a plan; it is just another promise of better times with no real evidence around how it will be progressed. It talks about generating new economic opportunities but fails to mention the opportunities of the Territory’s largest employer - though its workforce is shrinking - the public service. There is no mention of the public service in that document, yet I heard the member for Namatjira talk up the opportunities for Indigenous employment within the public service during the estimates process.
The CLP’s preference is rhetoric about making things better - happy days with the CLP back in town. However, people in the bush …
Mrs Lambley: Hear, hear!
Ms WALKER: You do not know sarcasm when you hear it, member for Araluen. People in the bush are not silly. They have not forgotten the CLP’s community contracts in places like Borroloola, Wadeye and, no doubt, many others that have proven to be something of a cruel joke. It is a depressing slap in the face to the good people of our bush towns and remote communities who believed they might happen. As we move around, people in the bush are saying - we heard it recently on Groote Eylandt - ‘We made a mistake. We voted for the CLP. We thought they would be different but they are back to their old ways.’
For in excess of $20 000 worth of fuel, many constituents in the seat of Arnhem are not seeing their local member. I regularly have contact with people who are resident in the seat of Arnhem regarding various electorate matters. I always ask, ‘Have you contacted your local member?’ They say, ‘Who is it?’ They do not even know who she is; they do not see her out there. Heaven knows where in excess of $20 000 of taxpayers’ money on fuel is being spent. If she was changing the world, responding to constituent inquiries that might be acceptable, but she is not doing the job. She is not representing the people who voted for her, and will be a casualty of the 2016 election because people have woken up to the fact she is not working and not delivering.
The ‘water mate’ affair has not gone unnoticed. It is shameful that an allocation of squillions of dollars’ worth of water can be handed to the CLP’s candidate for Lingiari and the CLP thinks that is okay and defend it relentlessly. For a government that claims to be listening, clearly they are not. I wish to place on the public record the views of NAILSMA in their Kantri Laif, Issue 7, May 2013, under the heading Bitter Water Decisions. In his column, NAILSMA CEO, Joe Morrison, a former student of mine from my days teaching at Katherine High School, states:
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request the member be given an extension of time.
Motion agreed to.
Ms WALKER: Thanks very much. Joe Morrison goes on:
I have not read the entire column; however, there is a very important message from an Indigenous group representing a key stakeholder group who clearly is not happy with the CLP government, has not been consulted and has not been listened to.
The CLP way is to create overseas investment opportunities for mates ...
Mr Westra van Holthe: They tried that, which is why nothing was done in their term of government.
Ms WALKER: You can have your turn in the debate, member for Katherine …
Mr Westra van Holthe: I will, do not worry about that.
Ms WALKER: I dare you to bag this organisation and anyone else who has dared to speak out against the CLP’s decision to grant water to a CLP candidate. The CLP way is to create overseas investment opportunities for mates, to make deals in private rooms, indeed, private jets, to provide quick and easy access to community resources, cut what they call green tape and presume, out of all this, there will be more jobs for Territorians and perhaps a few crumbs left for local people if they are lucky.
The Chief Minister says he will remove the red tape to arranging leases and sourcing private investors. The Chief Minister’s office will be the Territory’s new one-stop-shop for all his old CLP mates. He says he will deliver whatever is needed, including access to land to progress economic development. This is on the back of his promise to help communities develop and for the Tiwi Islands to become our own Bali, with all the joys that economic development has brought its citizens in Indonesia.
The Chief Minister has designs on himself; he wants to be a fixer but he cannot even fix gas to Gove. What chance does he have to deliver on any of his big and grandiose promises? The Chief Minister brags about how he has delivered reform to shire councils. He appears to have listened to the local government sector and picked up the ball where Labor left it, giving local people a voice through local boards. However, he believes we are all hicks and he is smarter than all of us. He believes a few name changes and the promise of more reform in the future will wash with the people in the bush. His problem is many people in the bush thought he was serious when he said he would get rid of local government shires, toxic shires as he called them, leading people to believe they were returning to smaller community government councils across the Northern Territory.
Ms Anderson: Not at all.
Ms WALKER: I hear the white noise coming from the member for Namatjira. Why is it the Regional Governance Working Group membership attendance at meetings dropped in the last couple of months? Less than half the people who were part of that group were at the last meeting held ahead of the release of the document with the new vision for the way forward. I have spoken with one of those members who said they did not continue attending those meetings because they were a sham. The CLP government had its own ideas about what it was doing and many individuals said, ‘You promised you would get rid of the shires and we would go back to community government council and now you are not doing that at all’.
The CLP local government reforms and what they promised have been entirely dishonest to people, many of whom voted on the strength of what they said they would do but have not done. Those mixed messages continue through this government at every level every moment of the day.
The Chief Minister says the local government changes follow extensive consultation. He is poorly advised. We know the quality of community consultations from our travels around the bush and what people have told us. They were, at best, a rash of poorly organised, generally poorly attended and poorly advertised meetings. Even his regional government consulting groups withered on the vine.
Why was it they had heard it all before, and it was pretty clear any big reform was a long way off? All they have is rebadging of the shires.
It is interesting to note we are hearing about a First Circles consultative group to advise the government on Indigenous issues. This is an old CLP idea that has been dragged up from the depths.
Perhaps it is the Chief Minister’s way of further diluting the role and voice of the member for Namatjira in his government. He has already stripped away from her the Indigenous Affairs portfolio, citing it is not necessary. There has been outrage over that, and it means there is less work for the member for Namatjira to do. She is becoming more and more irrelevant on that side of the House. We know what a turncoat she is. She is not about loyalty, she is about herself. She called the member for Blain a fantastic Chief Minister, arms around him in a big colour photograph in the Northern Territory News, and a week later she was supporting the man she had called a little boy the week before. Of course, he is a fantastic Chief Minister as well. There are no bounds to the disingenuousness of the member for Namatjira. I tip that her days are probably limited.
As for First Circles, it is likely a case of the Chief Minister following the Tony Abbott model of an inner circle of like-minded voices to give legitimacy to the Chief Minister’s plans for the Territory - the core of mates and people who will say what the government wants to hear. We know how they deal with people whose voices they do not want to hear. Dismissals and the ending of employment contracts with NGO service providers might hobble any capacity for people to say what they think.
How will the members of this group be appointed? The CLP has form here. It is jobs for CLP boys and girls. There are rarely expressions of interest, more a tap on the shoulder to people they know and believe will support them and their views. It is just another dose of window dressing instead of getting on with the job and working honestly with local people and industry to deliver real progress.
The Homelands Policy is a bit of a non-policy, particularly if we talk about the Homelands Extra policy. Let us look at that shallow administrative nightmare. Where are the new houses people thought were possible? Where are the real improvements to homeland schools and the infrastructure for utilities around Power and Water? A Homelands Extra policy, where the member for Namatjira, on 2 May, said, ‘This money is available from today’. She may find it funny, as I hear her laughing, but at estimates the answer to my question on notice was: zero applications received, zero processed, zero pending. Big fat zero. Why was that? It does not start until 1 July, two months after it was announced at GanGan. What a hypocrite you are, now tied up in a system.
People were coming to my office seeking a copy of the form because they had been sent away from the Territory Housing office, sent away from the Local Government office which said, ‘No, you need to go to Laynhapuy Homelands’. A person asked me, ‘How do I get funding for the Laynha homeland where my family lives?’ I showed them the four page form. Like me, they were distressed at how any individual with low levels of literacy could complete that form, all for a meagre $5200.
I can hear the member from Fong Lim laughing; he thinks this is hilarious. He is not interested in homeland communities; he thinks they are hellholes.
The Homelands Extra policy is an administrative nightmare. There is confusion. It has been poorly advertised or not advertised, and in estimates next year we will see that very few organisations, service providers and residents have been able to access this funding. It is a crying shame. Nowhere else in the country would impoverished tenants have to provide the level of detail they are required to, including means testing for an asset they do not own. They, effectively, do all the work for the landlord to fix the place up. Go figure! It is a basket case of a way to make funding available. It is a gammon scheme, a Clayton’s scheme, and funding is not available.
The Chief Minister brags about new structures and management for our health systems, but these are not the things families in the bush worry about. We are talking about people with real health issues, chronic health issues, needing the best support and care the government can provide. They are not doing that in the bush. They have taken away the medi-hotel where patients from out bush would normally be able to stay while in Darwin or Gove. Where are the members opposite from the bush electorates? They are silent. They do not stick up for Gove. They are hypocrites and are not interested in supporting the people who elected them. This will come back to bite them in the next election, even before the next election, I suspect, for some of them, because they have treated people abysmally for a government that claims to be listening to the bush. They are not listening at all. They do not talk to their constituents, do not visit them, and we are picking up that message loud and clear as we make our way around the Territory.
This statement says very little. This statement is filling time on the floor of the House because the government has nothing worthwhile to talk about and no legislation to debate. Whist it may be interesting to fill in a few hours, it is a waste of the House’s time.
Mr Westra van Holthe: Why did you spend 50 minutes talking about it?
Ms WALKER: I took the opportunity to point out your many errors.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): It is with great pleasure that I talk about the wonderful achievements of the new Country Liberals government over the last 12 months. Indeed, what a fantastic year it has been. First, I have to respond to some of the emotional comments made by the member for Nhulunbuy. I feel compelled to do so because her diatribe of vitriol and negativity deserves a response.
The first point I make is that as much as we won the election in August last year, Labor lost the election because of their poor performance. That includes bush areas as well as the urban and metropolitan areas of the Northern Territory. They lost the election because of their very poor management. They became tired, tardy, lazy, and took their eye off the ball. As much as the member for Nhulunbuy and the Leader of the Opposition would have us believe the last 12 months is a story of complete and utter failure and negativity, the former Labor government lost the election on their performance and performance only.
They left a legacy. We inherited a train wreck in some respects, particularly fiscally. We have considerable debt mounting to $5.5bn over the forward estimates at this point in time. Thanks to Labor, we are paying around $600 000 per day every day as a legacy of the debt they amassed during 11 years of government. It is a sad story, because the only thing they were good at was spending a lot of money the Northern Territory could not afford. Having inherited that, we had to go about setting a fairly strict plan which did not involve just spending, spending, spending. It was about good fiscal management, prudence, and good governance. That is what the former Northern Territory government lacked for a long time.
I return to the diatribe of the member for Nhulunbuy we were just privy to …
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Mrs LAMBLEY: Subjected to, as the member for Fong Lim has just corrected me. We were subjected to a barrage of negativity. Let me tell you a story. Several months ago I had the pleasure of visiting Nhulunbuy for the first time in my life. I am a Central Australian; I have lived in Central Australia for the best part of 20 years. I had never ventured to Gove, the Nhulunbuy area, or the Arnhem area.
One of the things that struck me was the fact the member for Nhulunbuy, during my almost three years as a member of parliament, was a silent enigma in this Chamber. She never said boo and, I believe from my colleagues, has not during her career as a member of parliament said boo about any issue pertaining to her electorate, not to mention the developing and potential problems around the Gove refinery which we are confronted with now. She never raised it as an issue, never said anything about it to lead us to believe they were heading to big problems around the future of Nhulunbuy and that area due to problems with the Gove refinery.
I found several months ago, as the new Minister for Health, long-term plans for an aged care facility in Gove. These plans had been in the making for years, including the 11 years of the former NT Labor government and the last six years of the current federal Labor government. The member for Nhulunbuy has sat on and presided over plans to set up an aged care facility in her electorate for five years. She has achieved nothing, despite the fact she, presumably, had the full support of her team when in government, and her federal Labor government team now. She has been completely impotent in providing an aged care nursing home facility in Gove for her people.
I am stunned and appalled at the lack of capability of the member for Nhulunbuy. Whilst on the opposite side of the Chamber she can throw stones at our performance over the last 12 months in everything we have said and done which is, frankly, unfair and misinformed. However, this member of parliament has failed her community and the elderly people of Nhulunbuy and Gove in not providing adequate aged care services when she has been in the prime seat to provide for her community for a long time. Member for Nhulunbuy, if I were you I would hang my head in shame. You have let your people down.
There are plans in place and, as the new Minister for Health, my aim is to assist the Gove community to unravel the mess the member for Nhulunbuy has presided over for a long time and address this important issue. Elderly people who require nursing home placement in the member for Nhulunbuy’s electorate, I presume, have to travel to places like Darwin for long-term important care.
She is a disappointment. No one on this side of the Chamber has failed their electorate like the member for Nhulunbuy. She remained silent on this gas to Gove issue until recently. Now she has found her voice, her legs, and is screaming from the top of the mountains and towers. She has not found her voice around the serious problem of the provision of aged care services in her electorate.
To begin my response to the Chief Minister’s stimulating and positive statement around the negative comments from the member for Nhulunbuy is not how I intended to begin, but I could not let that go without addressing it. It would be hypocrisy, and she used the word hypocrisy many times in her speech, but the hypocrisy lay within her rather than anyone else in this Chamber. She said that gas to Gove issue was a depressing slap in the face. Her lack of performance is a slap in the face for people in her electorate.
I will return to my area of interest, an area I am pleased to be working in, Health. What we inherited in August 2012 from the former Labor government was some serious problems in the Health system. I am gobsmacked and surprised that the opposition alluded to some of the problems we inherited from them 12 months ago. Already they are trying to manufacture a story around us being responsible for these problems rather than their 11 years of taking their eye off the ball.
One of the surprising things I have uncovered during my five or six months as the Minister for Health is the sad state of sections of Royal Darwin Hospital, one being the paediatric wards. I visited the paediatric wards late last week and was stunned. It is a fragmented service, spread across several floors of the hospital. It is very dated. The staff do a remarkable job given their physical surrounds and the space allocated for the most part of the last 12 years of the former Labor government. When the opposition mentioned the paediatric wards, I was surprised they were so thick-skinned as to raise this issue as our responsibility. We will be proceeding with refurbishment and redevelopment of the Paediatric Unit of Royal Darwin Hospital, and plans are well under way to commence that work as soon as possible.
As part of the Health and Hospital Fund commitment to the Paediatric Unit of Royal Darwin Hospital, $38.1m has been allocated to a new wing and the new Country Liberals government is happy to accept that money. We have put to minister Plibersek, the current federal Labor Minister for Health and Ageing, that we be allowed to use that funding to develop a new paediatric wing at the new Palmerston hospital we are planning.
Minister Plibersek, although a very pleasant woman, has been active in her use of our decisions as a new government to play a political football game with us. She likes to send letters to us via the media first. I have become used to that after it occurring three or four times. Minister Plibersek is not inclined to allow us to use the $38.1m towards a paediatric wing in the new Palmerston hospital. I am hoping a new Coalition government will be so inclined, being far more understanding that a new government has new priorities and wants a different vision for health service delivery in the Northern Territory.
The paediatric services in Royal Darwin Hospital are well-delivered considering the constraints of the physical space they have been given over the years. One of a number of serious problems Royal Darwin Hospital inherited from the former Labor government is the practice of double-bunking in the Emergency Department, which is well known to the former Minister for Health, the member for Casuarina. He is well aware that double-bunking occurs when the pressure on beds becomes great in the Emergency Department of Royal Darwin Hospital. For many years a practice has occurred where two beds are put in each cubicle. We have inherited this problem. I have already received a number of letters from people complaining about this practice. It is undesirable. I am assured by the medical practitioners and bureaucracy at Royal Darwin Hospital it is perfectly safe, but it is undesirable and inappropriate, and something we hope to address through the extension and redevelopment of Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department.
A congested, dated, outpatient department is another legacy of the former Labor government. I was stunned when I walked through there a few days ago to see the facilities in which people work. The turnover of the Royal Darwin Hospital outpatient department is huge. It has a massive flow of people coming through every day, and the facilities are antiquated. The former Labor government presided over this for many years, so it is something we have to address. Part of that will be addressed by the development of a new Palmerston hospital.
The opposition is fixated on thinking we are not committed to Palmerston hospital, which is incorrect, misleading, and not resonating with the community. The community realises this government is committed to Palmerston hospital and sees the need for it. The only reason we are not going with Labor’s plan is because it was appalling. It was not visionary, and not in keeping with the 30- 40- or 50-year health needs of the people of the greater Darwin area which it is essential we address.
I will give you a good example of why the site chosen by Labor is completely inappropriate. I do not have the document with me, but the size of the land chosen by the former Labor government as the site for Palmerston hospital is about two-thirds the size of the existing Royal Darwin Hospital campus. It is so small it could never grow to the size of Royal Darwin Hospital. Is that good practice, good planning, is that visionary? No, it is not. The member for Casuarina is screwing his face up, but it is a fact. The size of Royal Darwin Hospital is much bigger than the site designated by the former Labor government for the new Palmerston hospital. There is lack of vision. It is too small, too short-sighted and nothing we would go with.
We are a government of vision, and will ensure the future health needs of the greater Darwin area are serviced properly by a new Palmerston hospital at a site which allows for expansion and development into the decades ahead, not the next few years. The short-sightedness of the former Labor government is astounding.
The other thing we inherited from the former Labor government and their federal Labor colleagues, who you cannot trust, and this is a good example of why, is they provided considerable funds to set up facilities with no operational costs connected to those facilities. That is shameful. No wonder the former Territory Labor government blew the budget, and would have continued to blow the budget to the tune of $5.5bn in the forward estimates because they were going along with federal Labor’s mission to build and build and provide no money for operational costs.
The biggest example was the medi-hotel, now known as the Royal Darwin Hospital Short Term Accommodation Facility. Not one cent was allocated to the Northern Territory government to fund the operational costs associated with this large, beautiful complex. We inherited it. It sat empty, even through the end of the former Labor government’s term. They did not know what to do with it because they had no money to operate it. They had spent every cent in the money box and we inherited that. We did not know what to do with it because we could not stomach the idea of spending the huge amount of money required to commission the new facility, get it up and running, and fill it with 100 beds.
The former Labor government and the existing federal Labor government were in cahoots. They were great at planning facilities which cost a lot of money and underfunding the operational side of them.
The other example is aged care. I highlighted the failure of the member for Nhulunbuy’s commitment to aged care. However, across the Northern Territory I have discovered aged care services and facilities have been underfunded by federal Labor and, coercively and cooperatively, the former Northern Territory Labor government went along with it. We inherited inadequate funds to provide community care for people in Central Australia. It is a huge problem. There is a lack of nursing home beds in Central Australia, and in recent times we have seen three nursing homes penalised because of the federal Labor government’s inability to effectively regulate and monitor nursing homes in the Top End. Their accreditation has been changed and they have been prevented from taking new nursing home patients. This has meant the pressure on beds in Royal Darwin Hospital has gone through the roof.
At the moment, 59 people are waiting for nursing home placement in the Darwin area. That is a huge number. There are only 150 000 or 160 000 people in Darwin alone. Pressure on these services is considerable. The former Labor Northern Territory government allowed this situation to decline to the point it has. When we hear about bed-blocking, double-bunking, pressure on the ED, it is not because we have decided to temporarily use the medi-hotel as an alcohol mandatory treatment centre, it is because of lack of real planning and real vision in managing increasing demands with limited resources. The key is limited resources.
A finite amount of money is available to this government, and was to the former government, to meet the needs of Territorians. You cannot keep spending your way out of problems because it will come back to bite you. Look overseas to America and Greece, look to countries that have faced the consequences of spending without any sense of responsibility and prudence.
I conclude my response to the Chief Minister’s statement by mentioning the vision we have for health services across the Northern Territory. Late last year my colleague, the member for Fong Lim, launched a new Health and Hospital Services framework for the Northern Territory. In 2009, the federal government was given a reform agenda by a group of consultants who had worked long and hard …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request an extension of time for the member to complete her remarks.
Motion agreed to.
Mrs LAMBLEY: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. In 2009, the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission’s final report came down. It took the new Country Liberal government a matter of months after coming to government to embrace these reforms. There are problems in the system that can only be rectified by dramatic and widespread reform. The member for Fong Lim, the former Minister for Health, kicked this process off in a very courageous and bold way, and has set us on a course of reform which will bring amazing results to our health system.
We are regionalising the management by creating two hospital boards: a Top End Health and Hospital Board, and a Central Australian Health and Hospital Board. We are making them statutory bodies with full responsibility for their budgets. Decision-making will not be top down but devolved and, for the first time, people at the coalface providing services will have a say in how those services are provided and resources are allocated. Of course, as Minister for Health, I will have a role as the system manager to ensure the policies and planning are consistent with the political philosophy and agenda of this government. This is a very exciting time. It has been completely embraced by stakeholders across the board, across the width and breadth of the Northern Territory, and we are heading for an exciting time.
Legislation governing the roll-out of this service framework is being drafted and is expected to be released for public consultation later this year. The full financial control given to the new boards will come into effect from 1 July 2014.
It has been an exciting, fulfilling, and successful first 12 months in health for this government, and not just in health, but across the board. We can clearly demonstrate, this evening and beyond, that we have met our election commitments in health around elective surgeries and cardiac services. Within hours we will be announcing the outcomes and commitments we will make to the Patient Assistance Travel Service review, keenly awaited by people across the community. We have met our election commitments and beyond.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I look forward to the next 12 months working with the people of the Northern Territory to improve health services and health outcomes for all Territorians.
Ms ANDERSON (Children and Families): Mr Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the Chief Minister for bringing this statement to the House. It forecasts, for the future of the Northern Territory, positive signs in all our ministries: agriculture, health, regional development, the Office of Children and Families, infrastructure, roads, and housing. It is a clear indication we are a focused government ready to lead Territorians economically, have them involved in dealing with their own issues socially, and ensuring we listen to people.
It is extraordinary to hear the member for Nhulunbuy talk garbage inside this House. When the Chief Minister and I went to GanGan to launch the Homelands Policy, it was evident that in the five years she has been in this Chamber she has not once spoken about upgrading education standards there.
A lady there told the Chief Minister and me that the children go to school two days a week. They said, ‘Chief Minister, can you extend school hours for our children to five days a week and build infrastructure at GanGan so our teachers can live here instead of flying in and out?’ This lady has sat here all this time and said nothing about those issues. She spoke about poor housing on outstations. This government is listening to Aboriginal people on remote Aboriginal communities and homelands. She has not once spoken about poor homeland conditions in remote Aboriginal communities.
For the record I put on Hansard, regarding shires, that the department has conducted 177 community visits and held 279 meetings. We are a government that is listening to Indigenous Territorians. We were voted in because we said we would listen to them. Labor lost sight of voters, lost sight of Aboriginal people, and forgot other parts of the Territory. All they thought about was Darwin, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Katherine. They did not understand Aboriginal homelands or regional towns such as Gove.
Not once did we hear the member for Nhulunbuy talk about gas to Gove. Not once did she open her mouth in this Chamber. She opened it for the first time in opposition, never when in government – a shame. For five years she was silent. We called her the Phantom every time she stood up. She was silent on all issues dealing with Indigenous disadvantage. She did not speak about creating new economic opportunities in Gove. Not once did she open her mouth, and she still does not. She is banging on at a government she knows is getting runs on the board.
Chief Minister, I congratulate you for bringing this statement forward to the House because it is a positive future for all Territorians and one that embraces and allows businesses from outside the Northern Territory, telling them we are open for business and open for development. We are a government that has the foresight to ensure we embrace the different cultures we have in the Northern Territory. We have become a multicultural society. We are interested in our children’s future and the future of all Territorians. That is why we are developing, economically, the Northern Territory to be the best place in Australia and we encourage other Australians living outside the Northern Territory to come to the Northern Territory.
This is a government that is focused on all areas and aspects of our service delivery. Whether it is a social service delivery to the Office of Children and Families or to education and health, we embrace the difference we see and are on a path leading Territorians forward.
I welcome the statement to the House and want to report on my ministries and what we do as ministers on behalf of the Northern Territory.
It has been a fantastic year. We do not just have a plan for this year, we have a plan for the future, and that is the exciting part of being in this government and in the Country Liberal Party. We see things differently, and it is no secret that governing the Northern Territory is one of the hardest jobs in Australia, and we recognise that. We come from diverse electorates and this government understands and recognises that.
Our problems are often more extreme and often very different. If a policy works in Victoria, it is likely it will work in New South Wales too because of the similarities between those places. There is a high chance it will not work in northern Australia because we are different in ways everyone here is familiar with. Much of what we do here in government is new, which means we have to proceed with determination but also great caution. There are no quick fixes. You cannot buy policies and programs for the Northern Territory off the shelf; you have to develop them with care and consultation. That is exactly, member for Nhulunbuy, what this government is doing every day. It is listening to and consulting with people.
The journey for Territorians and the Country Liberal Party is interesting. It is a journey of economic opportunity for anyone, and we encourage Indigenous people in the Northern Territory to come forward. The Chief Minister said he will move heaven and earth to ensure regional and remote Northern Territory is involved in the good future we have.
I sometimes consider this job a bit like building a house: everyone wants to see the walls go up and the roof put on, but before you can do that you need to design it, choose the right site and dig the foundations. There will be many foundations in what I am about to report, and I make no apology for that. In each of my portfolio areas I am doing my best to build something that will last, with the great help of this government. I am the Minister for Regional Development, for Local Government, for Children and Families, and for Women’s Policy. Each of those areas presents a different range of issues; however, I have found some common themes. The big one is what I call the ‘need to listen’. We have certainly done that since taking government. The reason this government was elected was because the previous one had stopped listening, especially to the regions. Not listening is a political problem. Of course, no one wants a government that ignores them and is not respectful, but it is also a practical problem.
One of the persistent problems in the Northern Territory has been the belief of many politicians and public servants that Darwin knows best. This shows faith in centralisation. However, centralisation does not work because the people in the centre can never know enough about the lives of people in other places. Politics around the world shows us the belief in centralisation is particularly foolish in a place like this, as life in Darwin is so different from life in the regions. However, we know the solution to this problem. If you are in government you need to acknowledge you do not know everything. You listen, and that is exactly what this government has been doing.
We have also travelled widely and have consulted with people. One of my proudest achievements of the past year is something quite simple, my travel diary. I have made 25 trips to more than 40 remote communities. I have paid monthly visits to regional centres, visiting communities and staff. I have attended 33 official functions around the Territory. Each of those visits represents much conversation and an expansion of the number of people I know and have given my phone number to.
It also represents a commitment of time, because we are all busy ministers. It is not that I do not have enough work to do back at the office, but if you are building a house in Alice Springs or Tennant Creek there is no point working on the walls in Darwin unless you have found the site and prepared the foundations. I list my travel schedule as my proudest achievement to date, and promise to keep it up over the next year. I will keep listening, and I know that to listen to enough people I have to move around.
The problem of centralisation has been reflected in aspects of the super shires in local government. That was an attempt by the government to keep in touch with the regions while achieving economies of scale but, as we know, it did not work because the shires lost touch with ordinary people and stopped listening. They lost touch with the central government too. That might have been one of their strengths – the government in Darwin keeping in touch with the shires it created, but too often that did not happen. In fact, when it came to infrastructure and development there was no effective way for regional centres to connect with the government in Darwin or Canberra, so the Territory’s political structures at the regional level ended up in a vacuum, too often irrelevant and powerless. We are giving people back their voices. We are allowing the regions to connect with Darwin once again.
This will be done in the next few months with changes to the Local Government Act. We will introduce regional councils, and each will establish multiple local authorities. Anyone can be involved with the local authority, which will pass on local concerns to regional council. The regional council will deal with the Territory government. We are establishing a chain of communication from every family, every resident and every business wherever they are, all the way to Darwin. We are giving people back their voices. This reform is a result of extensive consultation, including much good work by the Regional Governance Working Group set up by the Chief Minister when Minister for Local Government. The municipal governments of Alice Springs, Katherine and Darwin have not been affected by these reforms; however, there will be more change. The issue of local government in the Top End has not been forgotten; it will be addressed.
While nothing has been agreed on yet, it may well be considered as part of the next stage of this major reform. In that stage we will consider more deeply the viability and sustainability of the finances of local government. I understand there is a great hunger in the bush for even more change, but we are proceeding cautiously. As I said, this is not a government of quick fixes, not a government of gestures; it is a government of patient, hard work. The two stage review of local government, which has already involved visits to 177 communities, will be finished by the end of this year. This is not fast enough for some, but you cannot visit 177 communities and listen to everyone you meet overnight.
We have also created four regional development committees in Tennant Creek, Katherine, Nhulunbuy and Alice Springs. Each has one member appointed to Regional Development Australia as part of the same deal. This government also has its own member of Regional Development Australia, so there is a development chain reaching from the regions all the way to Canberra, something Labor never thought of and never did.
One of my challenges in the coming years will be to ensure these communications chains work and there is productive two-way traffic up and down all lines. Positive communication is the only way we can get real outcomes.
I have also been involved directly in some regional development issues. I have attended two Northern Australia Ministerial Forums, biannual meetings of representatives of the Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia and federal governments. We used that forum to talk about live exports, infrastructure projects, and so on. I have also attended the Australia China Minerals Investment Summit and played a role in the development of the Ord River Development Stage 3.
It has been a busy time and it is bearing fruit. It is more likely now other states, other nations, and their companies are prepared to think about the Northern Territory as a place with a responsible government, a place where they can do business and employ people.
The next big change is homelands. We all know what went wrong. They are a great idea connecting people to country but were badly funded and, in many cases, became difficult places to live. The money spent on homelands too often failed to distinguish between occupied and unoccupied homes, how remote a homeland was, or if it had power or other services. Money was spent poorly, inefficiently and ineffectively so people moved to the towns where many were unhappy. They were anxious and upset and all types of trouble occurred.
In 2013, this government introduced a new Homelands Policy which sets out a clear and transparent plan for funding services to homelands. Some homelands will now receive services for the first time under this new policy framework, something Labor and the member for Nhulunbuy never did.
In addition, $14m has been made available by this government, an unprecedented funding boost in this area. Eligible residents can use the funds to improve their housing. This is the first time a Territory government has contributed significantly to the federal funding of homelands. People are moving back and are much happier. That is good for adults, families, and children, to keep their children safe, keep families together, enjoy their homelands again and enjoy their country, and have children involved in hunting and ensuring they understand their traditional ways, language and culture. This government has introduced Homelands Extra, which provides additional money to families where the children go to school and the parents work in paid jobs, are in training, or perform some other important role for the community.
One of the major goals of Homelands Extra is to encourage economic participation. That is a tough one but it has to be tackled. As I have said before, the more independent people can be economically the more choices they have. The Chief Minister has put the offer to people in the Northern Territory who live in remote Aboriginal communities to be part of moving forward economically in the Northern Territory. There are opportunities. If they have choices they can live where they want: on homelands, in Alice Springs, Darwin, and other places. We want to give people the freedom to explore their potential. That is one of the things this government stands for which requires economic independence, but it starts with education and families.
When I became Minister for Children and Families there was a concentration of managers in Darwin who were what I call ‘theoretical’. They were so focused on inquiry recommendations and bureaucratic policies that they were being distracted from their basic role of protecting children. If you keep kids safe, they can be very resilient. Having consistency, getting basic things like food and shelter regularly and reliably, support from family, and a bit of love goes a long way. To really thrive, a good school and good healthcare is also critical. Children are pretty tough as long as they are not abused, are respected, and have their basic needs met. That is my focus as a minister and the focus of this government. I know I cannot do many of the things I would like to for the kids. If I can make them safer by strengthening families we can all sleep a little easier at night.
What have we done? We have redirected $25.1m to frontline child protection and out-of-home care services in 2013-14. We have introduced a new practice framework, Science of Safety. This framework activity requires involvement of the child and the family in case planning. This shifts family involvement from being good theory to a practical part of normal work with families. This is a real example of a policy that ends up being seen, heard, and felt by the child, their family, and their community in a way that keeps children safe. The result will be greater involvement of the family in early stages of investigations and will create better planning and more involvement by the family so intervention is more effective. It will shorten involvement, where possible, and increase the stability of placements in foster care.
The Office of Children and Families has created the Tune into Little Ones Kit to help child protection workers identify which children and young adults are at risk or in trouble and to deal with that.
We have also been recruiting more child protection workers. It is not an easy job, and many child protection agencies around Australia have shortages. We have run a national campaign and early signs are promising, with many positions already filled. We have also created real action in kinship recruitment and in recruitment, assessment and training of foster carers. We have a long way to go, but things are happening in a positive way with real action leading in the direction we have to travel.
When I took over Women’s Policy, I found much theory. It was all caught up in United Nations agreements and other high-level women’s business. There were many proclamations, big words, and fine hopes. However, they did not match up to what was happening on the ground. Ambition is all very well, but it can lead you astray if you try to do too much. If you try to do everything, often you end up doing nothing properly.
We have plenty of women’s policies. There is a risk that policies are developed disconnected from the real world. In the real world I, and many of those policy writers, become frustrated when we see those policies having little or no effect. The challenge is to make good policies generating change in the lives of individuals.
We are encouraging women in the Territory to talk about what matters to them and encouraging men to listen. I am a great believer in the need for victims of both sexes to speak out. Until they start talking and reporting change, it will be very hard. We are encouraging that with series like ‘A Conversation Worth Having’, and ‘Smashing Glass Ceilings’. Sometimes to get action you need to talk first. You need a lot of talk. Fortunately, most women are not too bad at that, but to talk about some things we all need encouragement. Government can help with that …
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! I request the member for Namatjira be given an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms ANDERSON: Thank you, and thank you to my colleague. To find a practical strategy for addressing sexual assault and domestic violence that will work on the ground, I have already announced discussions with Ruby Gaea to help us open a forum for those skilled and motivated agencies and individuals to contribute to a Territory-wide strategy. We will have strong and committed women and skilled professionals from key agencies all over the Territory contributing to make things work. We can then implement a strategy the whole government can get behind, and do this in partnership with the community in a way that will work for women in remote areas as well as the Top End.
I will speak about a general area of reform which cuts across all the policy areas I have been talking about. When we came to office we found a lack of planning. We inherited government agencies suffering from a lack of political direction. The only solution for years had been to pile on the money, hire more public servants, and create more debt for the people of the Northern Territory. Shameful Labor! We have changed that; it is partly a cultural change. We are living within our budget, working smarter and more efficiently. That means working with other departments rather than in competition. This has been a fundamental change for some of our public servants but a welcome one.
This government feels under pressure to make savings and be more effective with less money. That is a good thing. I would like more money, like everyone else. Taxpayers expect us to work with a budget and want a government to acknowledge public finances are not bottomless. We inherited a situation where there seemed to be no bottom to public finances. We are slowly turning this thinking around.
In conclusion, I will say three things. The first is about consistency. This government made promises it is keeping. What I said I would do, I am now doing. We are building the house I mentioned before. The foundations are down and the walls are going up. In the next year, we will put on the roof. This is a government people can trust.
My second point is focus. When I look across my different portfolio areas of Regional Development, Local Government, Children and Families, and Women’s Policy, and I look at what my colleagues are doing in their portfolios, I see focus. We are doing a lot but not trying to do everything. We have done a good job of identifying the important things, real issues such as education, housing and safety, and are concentrating on doing them well.
Finally, we are listening. For communication to occur it is not enough for one person to speak, someone has to listen. By being a government which listens, we are giving the people of the Northern Territory back their voice. This government is determined to move Territorians forward.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement on the Country Liberal government’s significant achievements in the past 12 months and the outline of our future directions.
I want to echo the member for Namatjira’s sentiments about the amount of work being done by her ministerial colleagues on the fifth floor. The Chief Minister is working particularly hard in many areas. He is ably supported by a great number of people on the fifth floor, including his ministers who are doing their utmost to further the objectives and priorities of this government and make a real difference to the lives of Territorians.
I also want to pay respect to the non-ministerial members of this Legislative Assembly who provide a great deal of feedback and information to the ministers. Their role in the scheme of things is extremely important as well. It is comforting to know we are getting feedback from electorates around the Northern Territory so we know what is happening.
It is vitally important that not only ministers talk to people but that our backbenchers support us in our roles and provide us with the means to support them in their electorates. It has been a great team effort.
As my departmental portfolios include Primary Industry and Fisheries, Mines and Energy and Land Resource Management, I have responsibility for many of this government’s big ticket items regarding election commitments. There are also smaller ones which, once fully implemented, will make it easier for Territorians, especially miners, pastoralists, farmers and fishers, to conduct and grow their business in the Territory.
Since becoming a stand-alone department and able to facilitate better investment for industry, Mines and Energy has cut red tape, worked to attract investors to the Territory and implemented new geoscience initiatives to help explorers find new minerals and energy deposits.
In June this year, the government launched a new pre-competitive geoscience initiative to stimulate mineral and petroleum exploration titled Creating Opportunities for Resource Exploration, or the acronym CORE. CORE is a stand-alone and fully funded initiative that will develop new geoscience and exploration stimulus programs designed to accelerate the Territory’s next generation of minerals and petroleum discoveries.
This is opposed to the situation we found under the former Labor government where the Bringing Forward Discovery Program fell in both stature and status from a discretely funded program to one that was being funded from within the department. For us, it ultimately became an unfunded liability which this government, recognising the importance of ongoing geoscience programs, immediately refunded in the mini-budget late last year.
The new CORE initiative includes new programs to assess the gas and minerals potential of our sedimentary basins and surveys that will cover more than 10% of the Northern Territory with high resolution gravity data which will be used to demonstrate prospectivity for onshore petroleum.
We are also co-funding selected exploration drilling and geophysical programs in areas which have seen limited past activity. We are also improving service to the exploration industry by making open file company exploration reports available online.
CORE fulfils an election commitment to continue supporting pre-competitive geoscience initiatives, including onshore petroleum programs. Specifically, CORE will deliver collaborative industry grants for greenfield exploration, improve coverage of the NT with gravity, magnetic and radiometric geophysical surveys to help uncover exploration; fund new geosciences mapping and resource assessment projects, fund digital hyperspectral scanning of drill core, including interpretation and digital delivery, and improve online access to exploration industry technical reports, all of which will help attract explorers and international investors to the Northern Territory. I have almost belaboured the point around CORE, such is the importance of this activity occurring in order to attract new investment to the Northern Territory.
The department is also reviewing administrative arrangements for onshore petroleum, including drafting new regulations for environment management and resource management which complement and further strengthen the current legislation. In May this year, this government announced the establishment of an Energy Directorate within the Department of Mines and Energy. The Energy Directorate will set a path for the long-term strategic development of the energy industry across the Northern Territory. The directorate will bring together a range of energy-related activities from across government, with a particular focus on the potential for energy infrastructure to be linked to regional areas to provide supply options for existing and new developments.
The high-level strategic policy directorate will coordinate and manage our emerging energy industries both upstream and downstream. The team of resource economists and other energy-related experts will inform government on opportunities and priorities for developing future energy policy for the NT.
The Energy Directorate officially came into effect on 1 July 2013, and has already begun reviewing legislation, policy and administrative arrangements supporting the petroleum industry.
On 27 June 2013, the government passed amendments to the Mining Management Act allowing for the introduction of a 1% levy on existing mine securities. Unfortunately, the NT has a significant number of legacy mining sites. As a government, we are neither running away from nor ignoring these major issues which have ongoing negative impacts on the environment. We are prepared to do the right thing and make tough decisions, something which was not the hallmark of the former Labor government. We are assessing these sites to gauge the level and type of environmental impacts they have, and then identify how they can be appropriately remediated over time.
It is anticipated the new 1% levy will generate $6.45m in the first year, with a third of the revenue going directly to a specific mining remediation fund to begin tackling these significant legacy issues. The remainder of the revenue generated will be used to create a dedicated Legacy Mining Unit within the department and to support other key activities which will minimise the environmental impacts of mining and prevent future legacies.
In return for paying the levy, mining operators will receive a 10% reduction in the level of security they need to lodge. I went through those figures in estimates, but government will continue to hold over 100% of the calculated costs for remediating individual sites. This new levy will come into effect on 1 October 2013, as previously mentioned by the Chief Minister. To ensure the cutting edge world-class geological work undertaken by the Mines and Energy staff is realised to its full potential by explorers, major investors need to be attracted to the Territory.
The China, Japan and South Korea Minerals Investment Strategies continue to deliver results to assist explorers in the NT to access capital and drive exploration in mining. The Australia China Minerals Investment Summit, or ACMIS, a joint effort between the NT and South Australian governments, was held for the first time in Darwin earlier this year. The event was a resounding success with 330 delegates registered, including over 80 Chinese officials and investors. This event showcased the vast mineral opportunities of the Territory to an international audience.
Finally, in election commitments for Mines and Energy, work has been achieved in regard to promoting fossicking, including the launch of a new website which provides new information, updated maps, details of potential new fossicking areas, and a range of resources to make fossicking an enjoyable experience.
We have the runs on the board in implementing our election commitment regarding geoscience initiatives, onshore petroleum administration, investment attraction, and fossicking.
This government has also upheld election commitments and made significant progress on many projects handled by the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries. Our election commitments regarding fishing in the Northern Territory, both recreational and commercial, were significant. We recognise the importance of ensuring commercial operations continue with minimal impediments and hurdles to ensure all Territorians and visitors can purchase locally caught fish. We have balanced this against the high importance many Territorians place on recreational fishing. Regardless of whether the fishing is commercial or recreational, this government aims to protect all fisheries to ensure their sustainability and create a certainty that future generations can still land a 1 m barra or get a feed of Spanish mackerel.
Healthy fisheries require careful management and government support. In recognition of the importance of fishing to the economy and Territory lifestyle, this government has supported a number of major initiatives. This government has closed Chambers and Finke Bays to commercial barramundi fishing and set those priority areas aside for the exclusive use of recreation anglers and fishing tour operators. We bought back six commercial licences to provide fair adjustment to the commercial fishery, something the former government seemed to baulk at given a number of those licences bought back were historical ones needing to be bought back from previous closures.
The government has improved information and data collection on recreational fishing by funding an annual recreation fishing survey. This government has implemented a fishing and boating safety education program. We have also established a Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee to provide advice directly to me, as minister, on the management and development of our recreational fisheries. We have committed significant funding to additional fishing infrastructure improvement works.
With these runs already on the board, we have established a task group to develop a new resource-sharing framework to guide all future resource-sharing decisions in the Northern Territory. The framework will recognise the aspirations of specific user groups, put in place guidelines to enable decision-making, and establish principles against which decisions should be assessed for appropriateness. The task group includes representatives from commercial, recreational and fishing tour sectors, and I am anticipating a draft framework will be released for public comment shortly. A new Recreational Fishing Unit has been established within the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries to ensure ongoing sustainable management and enhancement of recreational fishing opportunities.
This government has also committed to resolving issues presented by the High Court decision on Blue Mud Bay. We continue to negotiate with traditional owners and the northern Anindilyakwa councils, and we have recommenced discussions with the Tiwi Land Council, something the former government failed to do, seeking a more balanced outcome in support of their development of successful business enterprises and to provide more practical access opportunities for fishers.
It was a pleasure to have my first meeting with the Tiwi Land Council in December last year. I can confidently report more was achieved in that one-hour meeting than in the years Blue Mud Bay had been in negotiation with the former Labor government. It was a pleasure to have good people discussing things openly and honestly, a method the former government seems to have missed. With final details currently being worked on, arrangements for the Tiwi Islands should be announced soon.
In close consultation with industry, the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries will be reviewing commercial fisheries with the objectives of minimising red tape, increasing investment certainty, and realising the potential of the commercial sector as a food producer, which is very important. We are working with the commercial seafood industry to look at ways to enhance the value and productivity of our commercial fisheries. We have recently committed $300 000 over two years to progress development of our commercial fisheries.
As outlined by the Chief Minister, the extension of the Ord Irrigation Scheme into the Northern Territory in the Keep River and Knox Plains areas was a major election commitment, one I am particularly proud of. In November 2012, this government awarded the Ord Development project major project status, which is the first time an agricultural project has received major project status in the Northern Territory. An Ord Development Unit has been established in the department of Primary Industries and a cross-agency task force has been formed to progress this important project. Native title negotiations are a priority activity with sacred site clearances currently under way.
Knock-on or downstream benefits for the Northern Territory from the Ord Development project include jobs, local business growth, major investment attraction, and industry participation. The former Labor government made no commitment to the Ord whatsoever, with no plans, no strategy, and no attempt. Typical of Kevin Rudd, he announced something none of his ministerial colleagues had knowledge of - the north Australia policy. How can we trust Labor to manage the economy when they cannot coordinate their own policies?
Even the reduced taxation measures announced by Kevin Rudd do not enjoy the support of his own Finance minister, Penny Wong, as we saw recently in the media. Anyway, I digress.
The Northern Territory government is committed to supporting the pastoral industry and the live cattle export industry. This is yet another major policy stuff-up by a bad Labor government which had resounding consequences. How can we trust Labor to not make the same mistakes when they keep making them?
This government is working collaboratively with the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association and the Northern Territory Livestock Exporters Association to rebuild live cattle exports to Southeast Asia. We are actively engaging with Indonesia to re-establish live cattle export numbers to match figures enjoyed by the industry prior to the federal government’s ban on the live cattle trade. As Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, I have travelled to Indonesia three times to build this important relationship. One of those trips was with my Queensland counterpart, Hon Dr John McVeigh, something the former government would never have done. In fact, in a recent conversation I had with the federal shadow minister, John Cobb, we discussed a joint federal ministerial visit to Indonesia with the three northern beef states of Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Again, that is something the former NT Labor government would never have considered and something not even suggested by the current federal minister.
In June this year, in conjunction with Agriculture ministers from Queensland and Western Australia, I hosted the third Beef Industry Round Table in Darwin – something the former Labor government would never have done. Priority actions discussed at this round table included market development and diversification, China market development, and investment attraction and collaboration for research and development. The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries has a collaborative strategy in place with NT Livestock Exporters Association and the NTCA to promote NT cattle to encourage and facilitate market development by providing focus, technical advice, and support to importers.
A recent focus of the department has been to support importers in Vietnam. Already over 13 000 head of NT cattle have been sent to Vietnam this year, making it the Territory’s second largest market. The establishment of a Live Animal Export Market Development Unit with $300 000 of new money to increase the focus on existing and emerging market and develop new live export trade opportunities is under way, with the department currently recruiting to this unit.
Another election commitment we can tick off is a review of export yards to ensure capacity keeps pace with industry growth. This has been done, and the department will continue to work closely with the NTLEA to address future capacity requirements.
We are not sitting on our hands domestically. As much as work needs to be done to find, establish and build international and interstate markets to support our beef industry in the Territory, we are doing things here to help our struggling pastoralists.
Mr HIGGINS: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 77, I seek an extension of time for the member to complete his remarks.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Thank you, member for Daly. The live cattle suspension of 2011, the worst decision ever made by a government in this country, bit hard then and continues to impact heavily on a sector which did not deserve the kicking federal Labor gave it. Pastoralists are going broke and their property values have plunged. Their cash flow has dried up and many do not know what the future holds. It was bad enough that an out of touch federal government dealt this blow to our industry, but what is even worse is the then Labor NT government supported the move. Former Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, speaking on behalf of a lame Labor government, said the suspension of trade was the circuit breaker that was needed. That is shameful, but, again, it is even worse than that.
I recently heard the Opposition Leader talk about our government in the context of introducing sovereign risk. Sovereign risk is the risk that a government will either default on its obligations or impose regulations restricting the ability of issuers in the country to meet their obligations, such as foreign currency restrictions. Another example of sovereign risk in that context would be the decision of the federal Labor government, ably supported by NT Labor government, to suspend the live cattle trade. That is sovereign risk. The scary thing is they did it once and could do it again. A weak government without any political courage took a horrible decision based on a Four Corners report and the loud voices of a number of animal activists. You cannot trust Labor, federally or here. They have shown their true colours.
I said we were doing things domestically to help our pastoral sector. To further the opportunities of our pastoral sector this government is amending the Pastoral Land Act. This will see the current five-year limit on non-pastoral use activities on pastoral land extended to a period sufficient to allow for a project to mature and provide an adequate return on investment for up to 30 years.
Changes to the Pastoral Land Act will go before parliament before the end of the year. Once passed, these changes will have a significant effect on how NT pastoralists do business. Basically, it will pave the way for pastoralists to diversify their land use to take on business activities such as tourism, forestry, agriculture and horticulture; even aquaculture. Also, under the proposed changes, permits will be issued to the lease rather than the lessee. Strong industry support has been received for amendment to the act.
The reason this government has pursued this path is because we get it; we understand business. We understand what it takes to support business in the Northern Territory, and anyone looking at the current situation with any idea of project financing, long-term planning and cash flows, would realise the current system does not cut it for pastoralists. I am proud we will be the government to drive this change for the pastoral industry.
This government has a renewed approach to water allocation planning in the Territory and has developed associated assessment and monitoring programs to improve the understanding and knowledge of water resources and inland aquatic ecosystems, and to guide their management. Unlike the former government, which could not be trusted to undertake due process with development applications and let them pile up on someone’s desk, we are moving through the backlog of water licence applications left over from the former government to provide some certainty to our important primary producers. I will not belabour that now. Plenty will be said about this during General Business Day, where the member for Nightcliff has brought in a repetitive motion, one we saw debated in this House a few months ago, about water planning and allocation in the Mataranka region.
I will get some mileage out of the Opposition Leader’s silly uninformed comments this morning about draining the Roper River. Goodness me, if the Opposition Leader has not made a fool of herself recently, she did today. It shows an Opposition Leader so bound up with Darwin she has no inkling of the way water works in the bush.
In recent months the department has developed a comprehensive monitoring and research plan for the Daly River, and progressed to the development of the Oolloo Water Allocation Plan to ensure the Daly River remains in pristine condition and that development in the region is ecologically sustainable. The Department of Land Resource Management has also implemented high-priority monitoring and research programs in Darwin Harbour and continues to facilitate the Darwin Harbour Integrated Monitoring and Research Program. This included release of the Darwin Harbour region report card in February 2013 which highlighted the excellent health of Darwin Harbour.
In closing, I reiterate that the Country Liberals government has made significant inroads into the election commitments and has driven new priorities over the past 12 months. I would hazard a guess we have achieved more in our first 12 months of government than goodness knows how many years of the lazy moribund Labor government we had from 2001-12.
I take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of my agency chief executives and their staff, and the important roles they play in implementing the policies of this government. Since being in government we have had a busy agenda driving our policies, but also fixing the many mistakes of the former government, the scope and scale of which continues to astound me every day. This work will continue with a refocused public sector and a government willing to drive real growth and real prosperity for all Territorians.
I support the Chief Minister’s statement in this House. We have already had, as has been said by my colleagues today, an amazing 12 months.
I regularly walk through the corridors of the fifth floor. This afternoon I ran into a staffer I have probably not seen for six weeks, perhaps longer. What dawned on me at the time was that I rarely run into ministers. I rarely run into people in the corridors because they have their heads down and their tails up working hard for the Territory and hard to deliver priorities of this government.
It has been an amazing 12 months. I have loved every minute of the last 12 months in government and there is not a single day I have to drag myself out of bed to come to work because I know there are more exciting things coming up. We have an enormous program of work ahead of us. However, we have to contend with the whining, whinging, carping Labor opposition who have nothing better to do than whine, whinge and carp when they reflect on the poor standard of government they provided for the Northern Territory. Contrast that with what is being done currently.
I thank my ministerial colleagues and backbenchers on this side of the House for providing the support they do. We have another amazing three years ahead of us before the next election and there will be more good stuff to come.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I listened intently to the member for Katherine who gave a good summing up of his portfolio. However, I have been around long enough to hear these statements from both sides of parliament. Of course, one side will always show what a wonderful job they are doing and the other side will tell them what a lousy job they are doing. I can remember the now government doing exactly that when in opposition. I can be a little cynical when I see these statements because I have been in this parliament for many years.
Today we heard about Framing the Future, and people roll their eyes because slogans are two a penny when it comes to government programs. It needs to be seen whether slogans can be turned into reality. Again, minister, I enjoyed your comments.
The difficulty with this type of debate is the Chief Minister puts forward a range of ideas, many of which he only touches on. To respond to some of the topics he raises means it is not easy to look at them in any depth, but I will go through some regardless. Some things need to be said, and some things I will say because I support what the government is doing.
The minister praises the INPEX project, something I find a little hard to take. When the government was in opposition it did not give INPEX a great pat on the back. Unfortunately, when Terry Mills was in Japan trying to mend relationships he was, of course, stabbed in the back while away. I do not believe the relationship with Japan has been mended. I have heard comments from people in the know saying it certainly affected our relationship with Japan. Although the Chief Minister has had communications with Japan recently, because of that incident it will take a long time before we gain the trust of our Japanese counterparts.
The minister also talked about the EPA, praising the fact it is now an independent authority. I will never accept it is an independent authority for two reasons. One, it is run by the department of Environment and, therefore, there is no one to check the department of Environment is doing its job. Second, both the Chair of the EPA and the Chair of the Planning Commission are on the EPA, and you have a conflict of interest. Because of that conflict of interest, you do not have the independence required for an independent Environment Protection Authority. No matter how much the government says it is independent, it will be never independent while it has people who have a conflict of interest by being on two boards.
It is good to hear the Chief Minister is expanding our relationship with Indonesia. I praise the member for Katherine because he was one of the first people to go to Indonesia trying to get live cattle exports on the map again. It caused major problems with pastoralists in the Northern Territory, many of whom were struggling to pay their bills. That is one area the government should be congratulated on.
The Chief Minister mentioned a business forum in Bali. I also heard that from members of the Indonesian Consulate in Darwin at a recent dinner I attended at the wharf organised by Charles Darwin University. I thank Barney Glover, Vice-Chancellor, for inviting me to that dinner. It gave me an opportunity to talk to people from Indonesia about matters I do not often get a chance to discuss with people.
It is also good to hear Timor-Leste is opening a consulate in Darwin. That is excellent. I would like to hear more from our government on what importance it believes we should place on our relationship with Timor-Leste; for instance, from an economic point of view. There has been much discussion about the Greater Sunrise gas fields. Where does Timor-Leste stand in relation to opportunities for development of that important gas field?
We also need to develop the area of governance. About two or three years ago, a group from this parliament visited Dili to talk to the government of Timor-Leste. We visited parliament and had an opportunity to give some advice on the way we operate our parliament and to listen to how they operate theirs. From a Territory and a local government point of view - I believe Darwin City Council has been involved in some discussions - this was an opportunity to work with Timor-Leste in strengthening those governance-type issues that need to be developed as a young democracy emerges. It is also for our benefit that we keep up a good working relationship with Timor-Leste.
The Chief Minister also spoke about people in remote communities sharing in the economic growth of the Northern Territory. I have said for many years that unless that happens you are going to have an ‘us and them’ mentality in the Northern Territory. However, I have heard these statements many times before. We should get rid of welfare and use the welfare money for developing basic jobs in remote communities, but nothing seems to happen. We still have welfare and high unemployment. I had some percentages sent to me during estimates and we are looking at 24% unemployment in some communities.
I often hear about so-called job training. Training for what jobs? I hear the government will put another $5m into a program to create jobs. You cannot create jobs out of thin air if you are talking about private industry. You can create jobs in local government, and that is a start and where your welfare money should go. Then, as jobs come online, people are work ready. That area needs to be looked at. The government is saying things will change under its new policies. I have heard it before and will believe it when I see it. Again, these statements have been made many times over many years.
The Chief Minister spoke about regional economic development. If the infrastructure we need to promote regional development is tied up in leases or is very poor, it is hard to have regional development. I recently travelled down the Nathan River Road which runs from the Roper Highway to the Carpentaria Highway. It is a dreadful road, an absolute shocker. Yet, it is called the Savannah Way. It is on our tourist maps as a road we should use as an alternative trip to the Northern Territory. It goes through Limmen National Park and along the Roper River. If we are to promote regional development in those communities, especially from a tourist point of view, they are not on the map when it comes to airlines coming to the Northern Territory; they are on the Grey Nomad trail. If you want regional development and people to visit those areas, infrastructure has to be improved. I would like to talk more about that.
Business people I spoke to when travelling through say business is down this year mainly because of lack of maintenance of roads by the government. They said both the Roper Highway and the Nathan River Road have only been graded once. Unless the infrastructure is up to scratch, you cannot help communities with regional development.
The Minister for Local Government issued a media release today in relation to reform of local government. The media release said, ‘Bill Puts the Local Back in Local Government’. The word ‘regional’ takes local government away from local government. ‘Regional councils’ is a term used for a gathering of local government. The name is not appropriate. If you believe in local government then you call it what it is, and regional councils are a combination of local government. I am yet to be convinced, and am interested in the legislation going through this week, but so far there are no substantial changes to local government.
The real areas we need to look at - the minister said that is stage two - are funding and rates. Unless councils are viable they will not get anywhere and will have to rely on money from the Northern Territory government to keep them going. If they are to be sustainable - that came out in a report last year - rating has to be looked at.
The Chief Minister spoke about the Planning Commission. I was a critic of the commission but have seen it in action. I thank Gary Nairn for the hard work he has put into plans - at least the ones I have seen - for proper planning processes for the Northern Territory. An example is the proposal for the Knuckey Lagoon area. I attended the recent forum at Knuckey Lagoon, have read the reports, and believe Gary Nairn and the commission have done an excellent job in allowing people to understand a range of options, although I do not agree with 4000m2 blocks at Knuckey Lagoon. It is an illegal-sized block in Litchfield Shire because the minimum size for a rural block is 1 ha. Anything smaller belongs in a district centre. Knuckey Lagoon is a special place which needs to be looked at carefully. Do not always listen to developers, because Knuckey Lagoon is special and we should ensure it is protected.
Gary Nairn had two forums. I thank the minister for extending the time for people to respond because it was silly the forums were held the day before submissions closed. The Planning Commission has been busy, but it sent out the wrong message: one day we will tell you what we think, and the next day you have to have your answer in. Many people have put submissions in, which is very good and I thank the Planning Commission.
I am interested in other changes the commission might put forward for the rural area. I know the pressure is on governments to open land for development, but planning is more than someone thinking they can chop their block into smaller ones; planning is about the long-term well-planned structure of an area. It should not be because certain individuals have pressure that planning is allowed here and not there, it should be done in a logical and sustainable way.
The government talks about SIHIP and I become cynical. I listened to the government, when in opposition, clobber the federal government about SIHIP. The Chief Minister now says how great it is the Territory has delivered 942 houses. It is the same program with a different name! I did not mind the government, when in opposition, having a go at SIHIP. The Council of Territory Cooperation had great problems with SIHIP. The sad thing is, we no longer have a committee to see what you are doing with the program. We do not have the Council of Territory Cooperation asking, ‘Are these houses being built correctly? Is money being wasted?’ That was the criticism. It is great we have delivered 942 houses and are faster than Western Australia and Queensland. That is terrific. I am not knocking it, but it is a little hard to get used to after all the criticism of the same program.
I have no problem with government putting money into homelands. The promise of $5200 per house was a winner in the bush for the government. One reason there were problems for the last government was because the minister for Local Government was upset about the amount of money used in administering SIHIP. She said too much money was being spent on that and not enough on building houses. We have $5200 promised for every house on outstations, within a budget of course. That money, I understand, goes to a service provider, who does not do things for nothing. They have to employ people and need to cover their insurance. They will need plans for repairs on identified houses. All that will require administration. It will be interesting to see how much of the $5200 ends up on someone’s house.
The criticism of the federal government’s housing program was that too much money was spent on administration. This government will need to ensure it does not fall into the same trap. This is a small amount of money, and if you have to travel 300 km to a community with three outstations in a four-wheel drive with a pile of materials to fix the house, someone has to camp there for two weeks while they work on the house. What will that cost? The Council of Territory Cooperation was useful because it could see if money was being well spent. I am not saying the money should not be spent, but it should be well spent.
The Chief Minister mentioned Sentenced to a Job, and I support the concept. It is a pity that could not have been developed a little more. The area needs more facts and figures. The Attorney-General has spoken about it a number of times, but I would like to see the numbers. How many people have been kept in work after leaving prison because it is not just about …
Mr HIGGINS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I seek an extension of time for the member for Nelson.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: Thank you member, for Daly, you are becoming a professional time extender.
Sentenced to a Job is a good program. However, like many programs, it needs to be tested to see if it is working. The Attorney-General was talking about accommodation for people when they come out of prison so they could keep their jobs. I would like to see more work on that.
Gonski has been debated many times. I will not go into it today because the Auditor-General is looking at the accuracy of the letter sent by the Chief Minister. I will be interested to see what the Auditor-General comes back with regarding the facts in the letter.
Health is covered. I welcome the government’s promise to spend $5m on a scoping report for Palmerston hospital. I listened to the Chief Minister two weeks ago and was expecting him to make an announcement a day later as to where they might put it. It seems to have been held off. That might be because of the federal election. We might keep the juicy bit until closer to election day. I thought he would make an announcement and am still listening. I have an idea where it might go and that site is pretty good. However, it would be good if the government made an announcement. I am also interested in what comes out of the scoping study because many issues need to be debated before we start pouring concrete - issues of staffing and what the hospital will be for. All those fundamental ideas need to be sorted out before we start building a hospital.
There is mention of alcohol rehabilitation. Again, I become a little cynical. I copped a blast because I would not support the motion on mandatory alcohol rehabilitation the government was putting forward. My concern is that you were not ready for it, and the proof of the pudding is people kept escaping. That was my argument. Do not have it up and running until it is ready to be up and running, otherwise people escape and it defeats the purpose.
The government is saying chronic alcoholics have the right to qualified clinicians and counsellors. It is a little insulting because there are many alcoholics, many people with these problems, who voluntarily go to places like CAAPS, FORWAARD and Amity. They take up the right to have a qualified counsellor and qualified clinician. When you say, ‘We are giving these people the right to clinicians and counsellors’, that is fudging it. They do not want that right. That is the reason you are putting them into mandatory rehabilitation. You make it sound like we are doing them a favour ...
Mr Tollner: We are.
Mr WOOD: Yes, but you are forcing them to do what you want. The right has always been ...
Mr Tollner: Forcing them to do what they need.
Mr WOOD: I understand what you are saying, but what you put in here is semantics. People who have the right are the people who voluntarily go to rehabilitation. You are trying to force the people who do not want it to accept that right. I am not against that, but the statement tries to look good when it is just a play on words.
If you have a mandatory rehabilitation facility you need to ensure it is secure. If you go to the medi-hostel you see a chain mesh fence and some plain wire. If a bloke really wants to get over a chain mesh fence and plain wire, he will. However, if you go to the secure care centre at Holtze, you will see a special type of wire you cannot grab onto with a roll at the top which spins. It does not look prison-like, is not very high, but it is difficult to get over. We need that type of facility so you do not look like a laughing stock when people escape four or five times. Instead of helping people, we concentrate on people who have escaped.
There was not much discussion about the environment. We will probably talk about water licensing tomorrow. I disagree with what the government has done. The process of giving water licences previously may have been slow, but when you work through a water advisory committee you include the community. When you look at some of the documents you will see water was allocated in fairly large amounts, but carefully. I am all for developing the Northern Territory, but if you do not include ‘sustainable’ we will be out of business. What happened was silly. If the government is worried about criticism, they bring it on themselves because they did not do the right thing.
I do not believe the minister said that was what it should be. The government has a policy, ‘We are here for business’, which means many people who work for the government know their masters. Their masters are saying, ‘We are here for the government’. They want to please their masters and, to some extent, will say, ‘The decisions we make will reflect the policy of the government’.
I thank the minister for mentioning national parks and cash for cans today. It needs upgrading. I said in the Estimates Committee last year the government dropped the ball as soon as they introduced the legislation. I have given the minister some contacts in South Australia which I believe can help the government with some of the issues it is working through. That is not to ignore the people of the Northern Territory, but it has been operating in South Australia for a long time and people know what tricks companies like Statewide, which is Coca Cola, are up to; they want to destroy cash for cans.
Regarding industrial development, I thank the minister for Planning for meeting with locals at Humpty Doo. We are starting to see some real things come out of that with expressions of interest to open up industrial land at Humpty Doo. I tried to do that with the previous government. We had discussions and plans, but it never happened and I was disappointed. I am pleased it is happening because it has been a major problem, especially people developing rural land for industrial.
Sport did not get much of a mention. People in government say, ‘We cannot do that because the previous government left us with a deficit’, then the Sports minister said, ‘We are bringing the Eels to the Northern Territory for $4m’. I thank the budget deficit for enabling us to bring the Eels to the Northern Territory. I am happy the Eels are coming to the Northern Territory, but the logic does not sound right if we needed a deficit in the budget to bring them here.
That is the way it is in politics. You lose your swimming pool in the rural area, but you pick up the Eels from a different point of view. Sport should have been given more priority in this statement because a healthy Territory is important, and sport is very much a part of that.
I thank the minister for Primary Industries. There is not much in here regarding primary industry. I suppose you can only put so much in a statement. As I said, I listened carefully to what the minister for Primary Industries said. It has been the poor cousin for many years, and this minister is making a big effort to bring it up from what it used to be. I disagree on the water allocations. We should not be getting rid of our water advisory committees. DRMAC was a good committee. It took a while, but it included the community. Not all agree on everything, and that is one area where I do not agree.
The Leader of the Opposition held the 2030 book up today. When I read this statement I thought, ‘Here we go again, this is 2030’. However, in his conclusion the Chief Minister said:
I would put in there ‘a healthy society’ …
That sounded like the 2030 document and it is why I say I have heard these things many times and each government does its own thing. This one has a new name. The previous government had a 2030 document with a different name. I hope all these things come to fruition, but sometimes I become a little cynical. I will believe it when I see it.
Mr HIGGINS (Daly): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minster for bringing this statement on today. It is an opportunity for us to reflect on the last 12 months and highlight some of the things happening.
One thing concerning me when I come into this House is the constant criticism from the opposition. I know opposition is needed, but it needs to be constructive rather than just criticising. They do not want to accept any guilt for the situation we are currently in, which is a major problem with the opposition.
I will touch on some of the things said today before I get to the statement itself. Reference was made to the contracts signed in the lead-up to the election. I assure the Opposition Leader they are on walls of offices in Wadeye. Obviously she does not have access to these offices. People do not really want to listen to her.
The Opposition Leader also talks about conventions. The classic is she criticised the Chief Minister for modifying some of his speech. I find that disgusting. I have never criticised previous Chief Ministers for anything they did. Chief Ministers deserve some respect, something the Opposition Leader needs to earn.
The General Business Day convention - my understanding of the Westminster system is that General Business Day can also be used by members for any private issue they want to raise. The hypocrisy of this Opposition Leader has been evident since the first day of this parliament. That is something I will not forget and I have a really good score to settle here.
We need to realise this opposition wants all of us to be in the gutter. On this side of the parliament we are better than that. We want to lift the Territory out of the debt gutter left by the previous government.
I thank the member for Nelson; he is the only person outside of government who has given credit to this government where it is due.
What made me feel good about the statement is that the bush needs to be treated equally in the economic growth available in the Territory. The Chief Minister mentioned the Indigenous Economic Development Strategy currently out for consultation. People need to have a close look at that.
Going to some of the other aspects of the statement - Asian engagement. We are talking about trade and so forth, but I have previously mentioned we have much to learn from our Asian neighbours. If I look at that in an Indigenous sense, it is in agriculture and horticulture. These people can teach us much.
The Chief Minister also spoke about walking with the people, ‘I will walk with you every step of the way.’ The consultation regarding local government and how we have given the voice back to the bush is really good. The changes to be introduced in this parliament this week are the first steps in doing that.
I also note the vision of First Circles. This document encourages the involvement of Aboriginal people, something quite exciting for them. I have spoken to people at Wadeye about this and they are looking forward to it.
Housing has been covered extensively by the Housing minister, but I would also like to point out the new Homelands Policy - how exciting that is for Aboriginal people, or the funding model that goes with it, and we are talking about $5200. I was at Wadeye a week ago, and people there are quite happy about that.
Education and Labor’s Gonski. Gonski is a gonger is it not? All it does is add to our $5.5bn debt, and it is a rudderless bureaucracy to be built in Canberra. I will give you some examples of why Gonski does not help in my electorate. How much extra money will Woodycupaldiya receive? The Leader of the Opposition might supply those figures to me under Gonski. How about Woolianna School? How much extra money will it receive? Both those are zero.
When we go to health, what about all the things that are unfunded? We have spoken about big programs; why not look at some of the little ones. I thank the Treasurer, the Deputy Leader, for helping me open the new facility at Dundee, and I thank the Health minister for providing funding for it. Yes, that is it, provide funding. There was no funding for it so they put up a building and expected volunteers to run it out of their own pocket. We had to find the money to fund it. That money was supplemented by the Coolalinga Bendigo Bank, and I thank them for coming on board. They saw how ridiculous the Labor policy was of building a building with no funding. I would also like to thank St John first aid for support in the same area.
Infrastructure: The Opposition Leader was recently at Wadeye saying there is nothing in the budget. Our budget had $550m in capital works for infrastructure, and $250m in repairs and maintenance, but what about federal Labor? How much money did federal Labor fund for roads maintenance? None! Perhaps they are hoping the carbon tax will be so great it will close all the transport companies down. With the new FBT stuff we will have no cars to drive on the roads so we do not need to maintain our roads. That is the logic the Labor Party would come up with.
Tourism has been neglected for years. I have said in this House before, the first thing the previous Chief Minister did was cut funding to some of the tourist associations in Katherine and Tennant Creek. I am glad to see we are doing something with tourism. It might be our Tourism minister is a bit one-eyed about Parramatta, but good on him. To push something like Parramatta coming to the Northern Territory is good. I am a St George supporter, so am not really keen on Parramatta.
I am proud to facilitate any discussion in my electorate on the Framing the Future document. It is not a motherhood statement, as the member for Nhulunbuy suggested. If you look at the four key areas and the key four words: economy, society, environment and culture - all important things in my electorate. Thank you
Mr KURRUPUWU (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement. The Northern Territory has an economy influenced by major projects and international trade. Our economy is different from other states in Australia.
We have a large mining sector, a large public sector, and a Defence presence. Our economy is growing strongly. Growth in the Territory’s gross state product is expected to continue to strengthen into 2014-15 as a result of major projects in the mining sector. This will lead to strong growth in employment, population and wages growth over this period. Economic and business growth will be driven by the construction activity due to the Ichthys project and residential construction, which is expected to hit a record level. Spending on consumption is also expected to increase as a result of higher population and employment growth and lower interest rates.
Deloitte Access Economics is forecasting average annual economic growth in the Territory of 5% over the next three years. This is the highest growth rate of any state or territory in Australia. International exports are estimated to increase by an average 16% a year through to 2016-17 and annual average employment growth in the Territory is forecast at 3%. Again, this is the highest of any state or territory in Australia and it compares with a five-year employment growth rate for Australia of 1.4%. The Territory’s employment growth rate is therefore substantially above the forecast growth rate for Australia as a whole.
In line with this strong economic growth, the five-year annual population growth in the Territory is expected to be up by 1.7%, which puts the Territory just behind Western Australia and Queensland in population growth.
This rapid increase in economic growth in the Territory has put upward pressure on rents and house prices. This is largely due to a lack of understanding by the previous Labor government of the effects of economic growth. The Territory Labor government did not plan successfully for such growth.
This government is addressing this issue as a matter of urgency, and minister Chandler is to be congratulated on how well he is handling the serious problem passed on by the previous government. There are signs a rapid increase in house prices is coming to an end with real estate data indicating the median house price fell by 3.1% in March 2013 and remained unchanged for home units. Prices are expected to moderate under the policy of this government as more serviced land is released and the supply of housing increases. Dwelling approvals had increased dramatically and were up to 40.9% in the year to February 2013.
There is also a number of potential mining, manufacturing, and large retail projects on the horizon for the Territory. These are likely to further increase economic growth and improve the outlook for business in the Territory under this government. For example, there is a Crux project by Nexus Energy and Shell. At peak production, this project is expected to produce 3000 barrels per day.
There is also the Bonaparte LNG project, a joint venture between GDF Suez and Santos to develop a floating LNG production facility in the Bonaparte Basin in the Timor Sea some 250 km west of Darwin. Sherwin Iron is proposing to develop a large iron ore project along the Roper Highway. This is expected to produce around five million tonnes of iron ore per annum. In addition, Western Desert Resources is looking to commence development of the Roper iron ore project over the coming years, with an expected 10 million tonnes of iron ore per annum.
Minemakers is also proposing to develop the Wonarah phosphate deposit over coming years. In the initial stages, the project is looking to produce one million tonnes of phosphate per year.
There is also the proposed new development of Casuarina Square incorporating a new Myer department store, and the Gateway in Palmerston incorporating a new supermarket, department store, and specialty shops.
In my own country, the Tiwi Islands, construction of Port Melville will enable the Tiwi to export an estimated 300 000 tonne of wood chip per annum. It is also expected it will enable the export of one million tonnes of rutile and zircon to Asian markets over a nine-year period.
Under the good economic and business management of this government, the Territory economy is expected to grow strongly over the next three years. However, we will need to be aware of some risks, which include the potential for shortages of important skills and the impact of high residential prices on real incomes of Territorians. I am confident this government will be able to manage this risk so all Territorians benefit from our exciting future.
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement and thank him for bringing this statement into the House today. As we all know, this sittings marks 12 months since the 2012 general election and celebrates the achievements of our government over that period of time. It also marks an important period of time for me, as it is my first 12 months as an elected representative of the good people of Drysdale. I am grateful to the people of Drysdale for having faith in me, my ability, and my commitment to the community, and to the broader Northern Territory. Not a single day goes by where I do not act in the best interest of our community.
In 12 months I have forged strong relationships with the leaders in the Drysdale community, and have worked hard to build trust between me and my constituents. The Chief Minister’s statement is timely and important. It gives this parliament the opportunity to reflect on the state of the Northern Territory at the time our government took the helm. As the Deputy Chief Minister highlighted in great detail today, much of what our government inherited is regrettable because the state of the Territory was worse than expected. This means Territorians have been put in a position of disadvantage and opportunities that could have been realised were not. It means the cost of living rose so high and housing became so scarce that people could not afford to live here.
In 12 months our government has conducted an audit of the Northern Territory on an unimaginable scale. We have had to take stock of our great Territory and come to terms with the depths of despair Labor left us in. Interestingly, for the entire 12 months we have been reviewing, remodelling, enhancing, innovating and achieving, the miserable soursop, hapless opposition has complained and acted as an impediment at every turn. Instead of participating in the regeneration of our Territory, they have bred misery in this parliament and among Territorians.
The scare tactics employed by Labor on innocent hard-working Territorians have been disgusting beyond belief. This is not the first time I have spoken about Labor’s scaremongering. Every policy, every change, every improvement, was met with a media conference held by the opposition attack dogs spreading hysteria and confusion. The feeding frenzy in our first six months in government was disgusting. You should all be ashamed of yourselves for being involved in the lowest of lows.
Our team has faced an impossible situation left to us to fix. It has faced challenges and significant complexity but we, as a team, have risen above everything thrown at us and have achieved many good things for Territorians.
The future of our Northern Territory is in our sight; it is at the forefront of our mind so our children and their children have the opportunity to live in a place with job opportunities, a vibrant private sector, a strong public service, affordable housing, clean parks, recreational areas which support our love of the unique Territory lifestyle, and a balance sheet that translates to opportunity not unsustainable levels of debt.
What did we achieve in 12 months? We have brought 34 pieces of legislation into this House, passed 33, and there is much more to come in the next two weeks. These items extend far and wide across a breadth of portfolios, including harmonisation with national uniform legislation such as the Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games amendments, the Evidence Bill and the Rail Safety Bill. We have created new laws to deal with serious sex offenders, people who assault workers, and we have reformed the Motor Vehicle Registry.
We have developed strong and courageous policies on fundamental issues affecting Territorians in the pursuit of strengthening our community and culture. These include alcohol mandatory rehabilitation, women’s policy and Sentenced to a Job, just to name a few.
In my maiden speech in this parliament, I expressed issues of great importance to me on which I would like to make a difference. I am proud the unique Territory lifestyle I vowed to protect is being protected by our government.
This government has done amazing things, such as sign an MOU with Four Wheel Drive NT. The MOU encourages greater use and access to four-wheel drive tracks so Territorians can enjoy the outdoors and go camping in our parks and reserves. I have a media release from my colleague, the Minister for Parks and Wildlife, and numerous other releases:
The President of Four Wheel Drive NT said:
I will also mention what my colleagues have done at Howard Springs Nature Park, with a management plan issued and open for public consultation. That is not only important to people in that area. I am sure the members for Goyder and Nelson can attest to that, but it is important that we open up areas in a responsible and sustainable way so we can enjoy our lifestyle and protect our precious natural areas.
My colleague, minister Westra van Holthe, has created a fishing advisory committee and I have a press release about that dated 22 February 2013:
These are all core parts of the Territory lifestyle. Not everyone likes fishing, not everyone likes four-wheel driving, but they are iconic to our lifestyle. Whether you fish or four-wheel drive, you like to know that in the Northern Territory we find those activities sacred and, if you wanted to, you could do both things. We are protecting that right and opportunity, and engaging with stakeholders in those fields is critical to everything we do.
In my maiden speech, I also spoke about the importance of ensuring growth does not come at an irreversible cost to our lifestyle. I have faith in my colleagues, particularly minister Chandler. I have faith in the all-important Planning Commission and the Environment Protection Authority which, together, not only ensure we have optimum land use, but our land use is Territorian by its nature.
Our government talks about being a can-do place and our new tourism slogan is ‘Do The NT’. That not only applies to tourism, it applies to business.
In his statement, the Chief Minister said the July 2013 CommSec State of the States report noted we have the fastest annual economic growth rate in the nation, which is up 13.5% from last year. That is not something to shy away from. We should be proud of that achievement, particularly in the face of the adversity I mentioned earlier.
Tiger Brennan Drive is a bugbear of mine, and its comprehensive duplication is of great concern to the people of Palmerston and the rural area. Our government is currently spending $13m to duplicate Tiger Brennan Drive from Dinah Beach Road to Woolner Road, and this duplication is 100% funded by the Northern Territory government. Unfortunately, this is unlike the federal Labor government, which will not contribute a cent to Territory roads until 2016-17 beyond Nation Building 1. This jeopardises the full duplication of Tiger Brennan Drive in the much-needed stretch between Berrimah and Woolner Roads. That came as a shocking and disappointing announcement earlier this year. The Chief Minister and I did some media around that on Tiger Brennan Drive, because it is a huge blow for Palmerston and rural residents. The commute into the city takes long enough on the best of days, and the road blocks we are facing in getting on with the job are pathetic. I am glad our government is putting its shoulder to the wheel and doing what it can. Of course, duplication between Woolner Road and Dinah Beach cannot compensate for the massive lack in funding we receive, and Berrimah to Woolner cannot be completed.
Continuing with transport, our government has made leaps and bounds in this portfolio and has a commitment to ensuring equal access and opportunity to our public transport system. My colleague, minister Chandler, said things are not perfect, but we are forging ahead in many areas. No one expects us to have made things perfect after 12 months, particularly what we inherited such a short time ago.
I speak to many people in my electorate who are mobility impaired, and they always identify footpaths, crossings, or areas that can be improved. That is fantastic and I welcome it. We are listening and doing everything we can to address access issues. Our government is working with the City of Palmerston to enhance some walkways and crossings so we have optimum safety and access for all people.
With respect to our public bus service, we can proudly say all our buses are Disability Discrimination Act compliant, meaning we have 75 disability-compliant buses. Our government has a rigorous program to convert all bus stops to Disability Discrimination Act compliant stops. I particularly want to thank the Chief Minister for escalating redevelopment of a bus stop in Drysdale which is on the side of the road, in the dirt, not connected to any footpaths, and next to a major road. Access and safety are huge issues in that area, and that has made its way onto the priority list to be converted into a full Disability Discrimination Act compliant bus stop. In our time in government we have built 25 Disability Discrimination Act compliant bus stops and that is fantastic.
I also congratulate the Department of Transport for employing a diverse workforce. It has a gender split of 44% female employees to 56% male employees, so we are not doing too badly.
Going back to Labor’s scaremongering, I would like to mention Gonski. The federal Labor government and Territory Labor opposition have done a good job, once again, of scaring parents and teachers. It is such a good job the Chief Minister had to write to Territorians to explain, uninterrupted by scaremongering, why Gonski is a bad deal for our schools and students. Under Gonski, the Northern Territory would have lost control of schools, giving it to Canberra, which may as well be on the other side of the world. A total of 40% of our schools would receive less under Gonski. The Northern Territory government spends an average of $15 649 per student, far above other states and territories which spend, on average, $9466 per student. Despite the scaremongering by Labor, this untrustworthy and dishonest Labor breed of show-pony politicians, the Northern Territory government would have to commit $625m over six years, while the federal Labor government would have contributed only $193m. Someone tell me how that is a good deal and I will put my hand up and surrender. It does not sound good to me, and it did not sound good to the Chief Minister.
With respect to crime, from 2007-12 under a Labor government, alcohol involvement in assaults went from 46.5% to 51.2% at the end of their dismal record. This is a shameful legacy. Add to this the staggering increase in actual assaults. In 2007 there were 288 assaults in Palmerston. At the end of the Labor era and, coincidently, the Delia 2IC era, there were 461 assaults in Palmerston in 2012. That is a whopping 173 more assaults.
There is also the property crime record, and I recall speaking in parliament on this topic. In the last year of the Labor government there was an increase of 14.4% in property crime in Palmerston. Property crime is deeply personal and invasive for victims. It came up again and again during my campaign. Streets, homes and cars were not safe. Labor had failed Palmerston in yet another area, and do not even get me started on that.
Anecdotal evidence shows that Labor’s failed Banned Drinker Register had a large role to play in the increase in property offending: the failed BDR that moved the problem around rather than treated it. There was an 85.4% increase in house break-ins in Palmerston during the BDR and the last year of Labor. No wonder you were not trusted by Palmerston residents. I am pleased the figures are now trending down. The police at Palmerston Police Station are amazing to work with, amazing with Palmerston residents, and I cannot thank OIC Daniel Shean and his team enough for their innovative approach to policing in Palmerston. Constable Kim, I run into you all the time and you are always doing a wonderful job and, hopefully, your positive impact on young Palmerston people will mean in the future we will have less crime and more respect in our community.
I move to housing, which is going gangbusters thank you, minister Chandler. Houses are popping up everywhere. We have Johnston Stage 2 popping up out of nowhere with houses going up every day. The stages in Zuccoli have been brought forward and construction is well and truly under way and changing every day.
There is no question that land release is happening quicker under our government and Territorians are benefiting from the opportunities that presents. The new housing schemes are good and are targeted at encouraging first homebuyers to build or buy a new property. This is to support the growth of new products on the market. An amount of $25 000 for new builds or buys for first homeowners is fantastic. It is a versatile grant which goes a long way to assisting Territorians own their own home, as does the 2.5% interest rate our government offers. Both schemes are not means tested. The schemes support our vision for more Territorians to own their own home and for more products to be developed.
The Labor My New Home debacle, which was reckless in the extreme, would have driven house prices up even further, which is hard to image because things were out of control. Nonetheless, they whacked another ridiculous policy on top of the trouble they had already caused and Bob’s your uncle.
With our government’s $550 000 cap, we have already seen builders develop and design house and land packages which fall under the cap. That has been hugely positive for Territorians and builders alike.
In respect to gas to Gove, I note the member for Nhulunbuy is sitting across the Chamber from me. It is worth remembering Rio Tinto, the mining company often described as one of two Australian whales - the casino term for big money - which owns the Gove refinery and is the major player in the future of Gove, posted a half-year nett profit of US$4.2bn. I support the people of Gove and a strong Northern Territory economy; however, I represent the people of Drysdale and their future energy security. Large corporations who hold figurative guns to government’s head always have the upper hand. It is disappointing the former Labor government dropped the ball on the issue and is now only capable of hysterical repetition of, ‘Give them what they want; give them what they want’.
I am no expert, I have not sat in the boardrooms or the negotiations, and I sympathise entirely with the people of Gove; however, the people of Drysdale and the rest of the Northern Territory should not and cannot be forgotten when negotiating with a multinational beast with the ultimate goal of increasing that $4.2bn next half year at whatever cost.
It is a corporation and its responsibility is to its shareholders. Ours in this parliament is to the people of the Northern Territory. Just as Kevin Rudd, who Territorians cannot trust, should not be chasing big car companies like GM Holden and Toyota down the road with a blank cheque, we, the Northern Territory government, should not chase Rio Tinto with a blank cheque when the consequences could be huge power price implications for all Territorians. I am confident in the Chief Minister and the Energy Security Committee and look forward to sustainable, smart, and good outcomes for all Territorians.
Palmerston hospital is another Labor beauty. We cannot say ‘lies’ in this parliament so I will not, but I am unsure what else to call it. The federal campaign is hanging its hat on saying to Palmerston residents, ‘There will be no Palmerston hospital; Palmerston hospital has been scrapped’, and it is nonsense. How the Leader of the Opposition could sit across this Chamber today and say construction had commenced, is - words cannot describe …
Members interjecting.
Ms FINOCCHIARO: Many words are being thrown at me. They pale into insignificance to the words in my mind because it is rubbish. What we had in Palmerston was an unsuitable piece of land in a ridiculous location. Then we had a temporary fence ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move an extension of time for the member, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms FINOCCHIARO: … go up around the entire site - hundreds of metres of temporary fencing. I do not know how much that cost the taxpayer; I shudder to think. Then we had a sod turn, with the then Chief Minister doing some media around it. That was it. The gate was closed and it sat there and sat there. It sat there a little longer. Oh, wait! During the 2012 general election campaign, the Labor candidate for Brennan was allowed to adorn it with his election posters, something else that boggles the mind.
For Hansard, there were 167 Labor candidate for Brennan election posters on the taxpayer-funded fence surrounding the alleged site where construction was allegedly happening for the alleged Palmerston hospital.
Unlike Labor, we will deliver Palmerston hospital, which will service the needs of Palmerston and the rural area. It will be a hospital with vision and purpose well into the future. It is not a ridiculous election spike of insulin we had, unlike Labor. It is a well-thought-out and developed product we can all be proud of. I would rather have no hospital than the one Labor was proposing. I am proud to be part of a team which recognises taxpayers’ money is important and should be spent well. Sometimes you need to take time, step back and plan properly for the future, which is evidenced in all our achievements, including implementing a Planning Commission and many other mechanisms.
We are not shooting from the hip but setting up for the future. Our children and their children will, hopefully, reap the benefits of the hard and gritty work our government has to do. As my colleague, minister Westra van Holthe, said, ‘We are not scared to make the tough decisions. We are not scared to make unpopular decisions because, at the end of the day, we are here for a reason.’ Territorians knew we would make the right decisions, and that is exactly what we will do.
In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I reiterate I am proud of what we, as a government, have achieved for the Territory in 12 short months, particularly when we inherited such a mess and faced such adversity. I am proud of my commitment to the electorate. I have had such an amazing time representing them with everything I have to offer and, from my experience and the relationships I have built, I have put some runs on the board and made real changes that matter to everyday people. Our government is making huge changes, then there are small things you can do in your own community.
One example is the Territory Housing home with a driveway full of potholes. It is completely ordinary and has been there for 30-odd years. That is being fixed and means the world to that family in Gray. I am proud I delivered that for them. It is important to them and to me. The people in Durack might not care about the person in Gray’s driveway, but that is not what this is about. Small things, generally speaking, mean the most to people.
It is like the bus shelter which will support not only the constituents concerned about that bus stop, but it will increase mobility access for all Territorians. That is critical and important, and I thank the Chief Minister again for realising that bus stop is inappropriate and needs to be changed. It is like the $3000 Community Benefit Grant that will support the Palmerston Football Club to purchase a new ride-on mower. I was proud to support that application.
It is like my steadfast commitment to supporting Palmerston seniors. I spend much time with Palmerston seniors. At first, they probably thought, ‘What is in this for her?’ There is nothing in it for me; it is about creating relationships, spending genuine time and building trust. I feel that in the last 12 months I have made many good friends amongst the Palmerston seniors. I am proud to support them in everyday run-of-the-mill life issues they have. I will continue to do that, and equally support schools in my electorate.
Having said that, there is much to be done and much to learn but, make no mistake, we are the government to do it. My colleagues’ views of the last 12 months show we have, despite all the criticism and scaremongering, achieved wonderful things. I am proud of that, and look forward to my time as a member of parliament representing Drysdale.
Madam Speaker, I commend the Chief Minister for bringing this statement to the House.
Debate adjourned.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table travel reports for the members for Stuart and Casuarina, pursuant to clause 4.12 of Remuneration Tribunal Determination No 1 of 2012.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table a letter sent their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on behalf of members of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
On 31 May 2013, I announced two successful organisations to deliver the early intervention boot camps on a trial basis. These are the boot camps we have described on this side of the House as the I camps or intervention camps. Those organisations were Operation Flinders in South Australia and the Tangentyere Council in Alice Springs. I am pleased to say on 6 August, 10 young people left Darwin and flew to the Flinders Ranges to begin the first intervention camp with Operation Flinders.
Ten male youth were identified as suitable to attend due to their risky behaviours. The youth were referred by the Northern Territory Police, the Office of Children and Families, and a range of youth diversion organisations - the department of Education, the Northern Territory Department of Correctional Services, Family Responsibility Centre - through a productive and successful interagency effort. Six of the young people were from Darwin and four from Katherine. The youth were provided with appropriate clothing, boots, etcetera, for the trip which were kindly donated by the corporate sponsors which support Operation Flinders.
They embarked on a 100 km trek through the Flinders Ranges. I can tell you from personal experience, having walked sections of that track personally, I know how difficult that terrain is there. They were physically challenged, emotionally challenged, emotionally engaged, and placed in situations where they had to learn to trust each other, talk to counsellors, and work through their issues and behaviours as part of learning to work as a team.
The 10 youth returned to Darwin on 15 August, and information I have received in relation to the trial of the I camp is heartening, to say the least. All ten completed the 100km trek through the bush. I am told the youth who returned were fundamentally different to the kids that left on 6 August. There were moments of aggression and hostility amongst the group, and they were hardly what you would call united, and there was some deep seated anger.
On their return, I am advised the boys had, in many respects, turned into men. Families were waiting to see them at the airport, and rather than hostility between these young people and their families, I am told there were young men wanting to revisit the relationships they were having with their parents, having learned a lot about themselves and about the concepts of respect, dignity and self-worth. Words like, quote, ‘I didn’t think I could do this’; and quote, ‘I feel like I have grown up and become a man’, are part of the language these kids are now using when they are talking to each other.
Such was the impact, that the four men from Katherine made and decorated a didgeridoo which was presented to the camp’s cultural advisor. The boys saw it as a gift from their people to his people and the staff member was overwhelmed by the gesture, particularly because it was these young men’s own idea.
One of the young men who is currently in foster care, has been identified as a potential peer group mentor and future team leader. The young man in foster care is now identified for his leadership abilities and skills. As part of the debriefing, each young man was able to identify their goals and will continue to be assisted in planning how to achieve those goals into the future; this support will continue for some time.
The first camp to be held by Tangentyere Council will begin on 8 September for 10 days, and I wish Tangentyere Council the best in their endeavours. Ten youth at risk are currently being assessed for suitability to attend the camp, and they are from Alice Springs and communities throughout Central Australia.
Over the coming month the two organisations will be assessed on the delivery of their intervention camp services, and I look forward to being able to announce the successful organisation which will continue to help Northern Territory youth realise their full potential as we work together to divert them away from the criminal justice system. I am enormously heartened by these preliminary results. I certainly hope that Tangentyere are able to produce similar results and, if they are, so much the better.
From the government’s point of view, this policy which was originally mooted by the Member for Blain, Terry Mills, when he was the Leader of the Opposition, was far sighted and I find myself in the privileged position of being the one who oversees its roll-out. I believe that if we can continue to roll-out this policy in a substantial fashion, we will be able to divert hundreds of young men and women away from a life of self-destructing selfishness, and get them to engage with themselves in a way they never dreamt possible.
I remain the eternal optimist, but we cannot fix young people’s lives for them; all we can do is create an environment where they might choose to fix their lives for themselves. If we can do that much, and some of these young people determine to do something about their lives and step away from the folly that comes with self-indulgent behaviour, then it would be worthwhile. I hope and pray that into the future more young Territorians take advantage of the I camp process and see a future for them which will not be reflected in their names appearing on court lists and prison records.
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Mr Deputy Speaker, it has been a long time since we were last in parliament so I am thinking back to what has happened in that time. Much has happened, but most recently I want to talk about Palmerston Seniors Week which concluded last Sunday.
Over the course of the week there were 11 fantastic events for Palmerston and rural seniors. To name a few, Cazalys put on a fantastic seniors lunch. Cazalys, in our Palmerston community, does a fantastic job of supporting our seniors and they also hold a free morning tea once a month. Thank you very much to them for supporting seniors and participating in Palmerston Seniors Week.
We also had mini golf activities at Caddies, at the Palmerston Golf Club. There was a trip to Larrakeyah Barracks, and also a popular motorcycling ride. This happened last year as well and it went off like wildfire; this year they did it again and it is very popular with our seniors. Angie, my electorate officer, could not help herself, she had to get down there and give motorcycle riding a go; she is much braver than I, and she had a great time with everyone there.
In saying that, I would like to thank Marg Lee, Marg Moore, Pam Norman, Pam Smith, Lillian Mann and Betty Chapman for their enormous contribution to Palmerston Seniors Week. They organised the whole thing. In excess of 120 Palmerston and rural seniors attend these events, and it is very well organised. Everyone has a wonderful time, everyone has plenty of food, and there is always plenty of entertainment, including the Groovy Grannies, who are fabulous. Thank you very much to them, and I look forward to Seniors Week next year.
Durack Primary School held its annual wheel-a-thon, another amazing community event. All of Durack rallies behind the primary school and supports this event because it is so much fun. It is for all kids and their families, and you do not have to go to Durack Primary School to participate. Kids get their scooters or rollerblades - I do not know if rollerblades are cool now – bikes, and all those things kids get around on.
They all go down to Flinders Park, there is an enormous barbecue, many fun activities for the kids, and Constable Kim came down with her radar gun and zapped kids as they rode their bikes past to see how fast they were going – and it was an excellent event.
I want to thank everyone on the Durack School Council, and everyone involved in producing the Durack wheel-a-thon. I apologise in advance if I forget anyone. Thank you very much to Gary, Pat, Wally, Lyndell, Richard, Sheila, Heather, Peter, Rebecca, Tracey, Carly, Yvonne, Rachael, Libby, Jackie, Belinda, Melinda and Corinna.
I would also like to thank all the sponsors. I do not have a list of them all but, in particular, to CIC who donated the bicycle, and to Constable Kim for coming down, and the list goes on. Thank you to everyone who was involved. The funds go to the school council which, obviously, spends money upgrading school equipment and providing other resources to the students.
Palmerston Festival is coming up on 30 and 31 August and is organised by the City of Palmerston. On 30 August there will be a bigger and better extraordinary Palmerston markets, and I encourage everyone to come down. On 31 August, a plethora of activities will happen in Goyder Square during the day for the little ones, and a cultural festival in the evening.
I wanted to talk about National Tree Planting Day, which was probably a good month ago now, but the Kids Brigade Childcare Centre in Durack approached me and said, ‘We want to celebrate National Tree Planting Day. The front yard of the childcare centre is really tired; a huge tree has to go, some new plants have to go in, and we want more textures and for it to be more interactive for the kids’. They mentioned they were having trouble getting parents along to help at the working bee, understandably, because it was during the work day. So, I liaised with my good friend, Lieutenant Savannah Moyer, a Marine here, and PR manager for the Marine Rotational Force. Savannah and I do many great things together with the marines in Palmerston, and she was able to provide me with five marines and five ADF soldiers to help transform the garden, and we all went down to the Kids Brigade Childcare Centre, which is Defence affiliated, along with Bunnings, which had staff there with trees and all types of things. I lugged my barbecue down and put on a big sausage sizzle, and it was just amazing - it was like Backyard Blitz in real time - I have never seen anything like it. Vanessa, the manager of the childcare centre was absolutely speechless and blown away. The Marines and the ADF soldiers were wonderful with the kids; who had the best time; the kids loved the sausages and interacting with the soldiers, and getting their hands dirty. The results were beautiful.
I thank Savannah Moyer very much for continuing to partner with me to deliver great community results in Palmerston. Kids Brigade is very happy and has also built very strong and important connections with the ADF, which they can continue to call on in support of their childcare centre, which is very good.
I was also very proud because the photo I took on the day of a gorgeous little blonde, curly-headed girl painting an ADF soldier’s face made the front page of the Palmerston Sun. That was my first front page, so I was pretty happy with that.
We also had the Advance Personal Planning Bill. The Attorney-General has been going around urban centres and also to our regions holding public consultations on the Advance Personal Planning Bill. I was quick to jump on having a public consultation for this bill in Palmerston. I believe the Palmerston consultation I held at Gray Community Hall had the largest turnout of citizens, not medical professionals and lawyers interested in the bill, but people in the community wanting to learn more about it. That was excellent and I was happy to extend that opportunity to everyone in my electorate.
I was also invited to STEPS in Palmerston, to see what everyone was doing. A constituent of mine, Cliff, said, ‘Come on down, see what we are learning about.’ It was great timing, as the teacher invited me to speak about the importance of being on the electoral roll. More importantly for me, I got to see the artwork and hear the stories and the learning journey of the people involved with STEPS. I had an amazing time and I promised I would go back, and I will because it was great, and I am really glad there is a program like that in Palmerston, running out of the library. It is very good.
The show circuit has whipped around for another year, and I was pleased to have been able to attend Alice Springs, Katherine, and the Darwin shows. It was great turn-out, and we had a positive feedback at the stall, and I look forward to doing it all again next year.
Mr Deputy Speaker, that is all I can think of that I have been doing at the moment, so I will let someone else go.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, tonight I speak on the horse and pony activities held recently in the rural area and the hard work that goes into staging these events, and the results of key championships held over the last couple of months.
Horse ownership and horse activities, not including the racing industry in the Territory, are enormous. It is an area and activity in our community that is often overlooked and under-considered when it comes to acknowledgements, grants and proper consideration by governments and local councils. I believe it is my job to change that position.
I have stated previously that I am not a horse person; it is way too big an animal for me, and too complicated in its feeding regimes. Yet, over the last four years, I have witnessed a remarkable group of people across the rural area, and elsewhere in the Territory, continuing to engage in horse activities and, in particular, providing a large range of activities and services and events for young people - children as young as four can be involved in pony club activities and start to learn and be involved in a clean, safe, and enjoyable sport and recreational activity. It can also be an enjoyable activity for people at the other end of the age spectrum and, whilst I do not know anyone over the age of 70 who is riding, I am sure they are out there.
Recently, there was a major event held at Freds Pass Reserve called Horse of the Year, which is organised by the NT branch of Equestrian Australia. The history of the Horse of the Year in the Territory goes back 10 or 15 years, and originally started at the greyhound track. Since that time, has become more formalised and was taken over by the Equestrian Australia NT Branch, and they continue to manage and organise it to this day. Given the size and the standing of the event, many people are needed to put it together and ensure its success. I place on the public …
Mr Deputy Speaker, I might adjourn and finish this another day, because I am missing some documents I require for my adjournment.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, that was a surprise. I was just getting excited about that adjournment debate, member for Goyder, because I was at that event.
Members may have received in their e-mail some correspondence from Clare Hewitt, a registered nurse based in Alice Springs who is employed by the Department of Health on a 457 Visa. In other words, she was invited by the Department of Health to work in the Northern Territory. Unfortunately, she had a serious car accident in 2010 while travelling along the Tanami Highway on her way to conduct trachoma screening at Mt Liebig. She wanted to eventually obtain permanent residency, with her husband, in Australia and was of the belief the Department of Health would support a permanent residency visa. She says the department now says it will not support her permanent visa application.
As we know from legislation passed in this parliament, 457 Visa holders are treated differently to Australian workers because if injured on the job, they are sent home. Although they would have their medical expenses paid, they would only receive two year’s pay unless they win an appeal for a one-off extension, and then they are on their own. The present government, when in opposition, even opposed that crying poor on behalf of the insurance companies.
But this is not a case of permanent disability. Clare Hewitt has made a remarkable recovery and wants to continue her work as a nurse in Australia. In fact, her rehab consultant said the only realistic chance Clare would have of a successful return to work would be in her previous employment, but it seems the department wants to send her home to England.
It also seems in her attempts to gather support for a renewal of her temporary visa, the department no longer supports that and her attempts to renew her nursing registration have run into trouble after APHRA first okayed the renewal but, for some unknown reason, APHRA then placed a restriction on her work.
There are probably some out there who say the law is the law but, in this case, it shows how unjust the law is. The Department of Health employed Clare and invited her to Australia on a 457 Visa. If this case was about an Australian it would be different, but because Clare is a 457 Visa holder for some reason she is discriminated against and, although that maybe legal under the act, it is definitely not moral.
I have not yet heard what the minister has to say on this matter, but I am sure she knows about it as Clare has sent e-mails to every member of this parliament. The bottom line is the department employed her, she was injured on the job, and the department should care for her as if she was a permanent citizen. After all, we are all human beings, not 457 human beings who should be treated differently.
I raise this question tonight, Mr Deputy Speaker, asking the department to show some compassion and support for Clare in her rehabilitation, in her request for permanent residency, and for renewal of her nursing registration. I am also asking that the minister step in to intervene on Clare Hewitt’s behalf because, as I said before, we can stick by the letter of the law, which I do not believe is fair anyway, or we can look at what is fair and reasonable.
I do not know whether the Department of Health has other reasons but, on the surface, they have not treated Clare Hewitt well. I believe when you are working for someone who has invited you to this country to work for them there is an obligation for you to care for that person, especially if that person is injured on the job. In this case, the department should treat this person as if she is a permanent resident, as if she was an Australian they employed. That would be a satisfactory outcome. I ask the minister to look at this case and intervene and, as sometimes said, do the right thing.
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Mr Deputy Speaker:
He had power in speech, in presence, big and strong, not loud, though he could be. He was a huge character whose actions and words always drew the eye and ear and saw people gravitate to him. He had a big and dusty charisma as befits a country boy. He had the same passion for sharing stories, whether it was for a packed room or a solitary guest at the dining table. Ellen, my grandmother, the perfect host, always busy fussing back and forth - you were guaranteed a cuppa and a biscuit in her home.
Dropping around unannounced is one of the great things about growing up in a small town with a big family. Nana and grandad loved visitors, and grandad would have some bacon in the pan or be pulling steaks out of the freezer, or yelling out to Ellen to make some sandwiches.
Grandad was the head of our family, the capstone, he held it all together, carried the weight that a big family has, and it was always a joy to know we were going around. In Tenant Creek, I remember going around after school with Rebecca and Tom; Lucy would not have been at school yet. Grandad would still be at work, and we always watched a video. Grandad had a huge collection of westerns, musicals and black and white classics. I would raid his book library and fell in love with the works of Louis L’amour and Zane Grey.
Grandad was a Territory boy with a huge range of experiences from cattle drives to the first road trains, exploration and mining sites, to owning and running a restaurant and founding the Finke Desert Race. The breadth can be hard to describe, it can be hard to believe, and I want to borrow some words from my father to describe grandad’s life:
One of the stories he told was his own. I cannot do justice to the tome he left us, but I will, over the course of nights in this Chamber, tell the story of my grandad in Adjournment.
He left his novel drafted but unproofed, and there is a poetry to his story being unvarnished. I will, as often as I can, speak with his voice rather than my own. He opens with an honesty that is clear where he never faulted or failed in talking from the heart and cuff. When it comes to putting a story to paper, pinning it to the page, there is an effect that permanency causes and a loss of nuance that can be carried with inflection. It is also his story, and while he often held me captivated sometimes for hours with stories, they were often not his stories he told.
Mr KURRUPUWU (Arafura): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to speak on Port Melville. On Thursday 11 July 2013 I had the great pleasure to welcome into the Apsley Strait the large vessel bringing important infrastructure to the new port being established at Pirlangimpi, Melville Island.
This port realised the dream of the British when they established Fort Dundas very near this site in 1824. The site was named after Robert Dundas, the First Lord of British Admiralty. The main purpose of this settlement was to start to build trade with Asia, but bad relations with the Tiwi people, tropical storms, large distances from other settlements, and poor food supply led to the failure of Fort Dundas; and the British left in 1829.
This new port sees this old, wise vision of the British renewed; it is a great example of development with cultural integrity, and it is also a great example of what a shared vision in a partnership can achieve. Tiwi landowners need to export wood chips and minerals. Our investment partner, Ezion Holdings Limited, operate many ships across northern Australia, and these ships will work with us to export our product. Port Melville is one of the finest ports in Northern Australia. Most of the coastline of Northern Australia is shallow mangrove country, but Port Melville has deep water and is a sheltered harbour with good tides for light vessels to load and unload.
Port Melville will be very good for Tiwi. We have light timber resources on Melville, and some of these were first planted in the 1960s. This timber plantation is 100% owned by Tiwi and it is expected that around 300 000 tonne of chips per annum will be available for export to Asia. In addition, the Tiwi Islands are rich in minerals such as rutile and zircon and there is a large market for these minerals in Asia, as well.
The port provides us with the means to export our valuable products to Asia, and this market is the most rapidly growing economy in the world. The port will also be a major source of real jobs and real income for Tiwi people. It is expected that the port will lead to approximately 150 new job opportunities for Tiwi people.
Mr Deputy Speaker, in marine and shipping, this wonderful venture is a credit to the Tiwi Land Council, Tiwi landowners and Tiwi enterprise. They deserve our most sincere thanks and congratulations. Such important economic development provides the foundation for our future and more productive and happy lives for Tiwi people.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek indulgence and leave from the parliament to conclude my remarks I started earlier.
Leave granted.
Mr Wood: Should there be a division?
Ms PURICK: No, member for Nelson. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and I thank the parliament.
Recently, there was a major event at Freds Pass Reserve called Horse of the Year which is organised by the NT Branch of Equestrian Australia. The inaugural NT Horse of the Year was held in 1986 at the Darwin Greyhound track, next to the showgrounds in Winnellie. Initially, the showgrounds were booked for the event; however, a rugby game took precedence that weekend, so Horse of the Year had to find an alternative venue just three weeks out from the big day. The greyhound track was happy to oblige and even dropped the fence between the track and the showgrounds so the stabling could be utilised for competitor’s horses.
Well-known local equestrian identity, Jenny Cordingly, came up with the idea of the NT staging its very own Horse of the Year, and with a friend, Cathy Shepherd’s, assistance the two of them started this prestigious equestrian event in Darwin.
Territory Milling and Horse Feed sponsored the first show for the handsome sum of $2000 which, back in 1986, was impressive sponsorship even by today’s standards. Sixty-six horse and rider combinations entered the inaugural event, again another impressive statistic when compared to more recent numbers. All winners who were members of Equestrian Australia were eligible to represent the NT, and then went on to compete south at the National Championships.
Jenny and Cathy continued to run the event for the next five years, by which time the Equestrian Federation of Australia, NT Branch, took over the reins, so to speak, to organise the event and they continue to do so today. Given the size and the standing of this event, many people are needed to put it together and ensure its success. I place on the public record the hard work and commitment of the following people who organised this year’s event but, no doubt, they have organised past events and will organise events into the future.
The Organising Committee was: Sophie Cleveland, Carmen Nowak and Andy Dobson. The Medication Control Officers were Judith Sheldrake and Danila Lochlin. Those are the people who do the swabbing of the animals after events and, yes, swabbing does go on in equestrian events. Chief Steward was Jo Bremner, and Events Stewards were Jo Bremner, Kaye Waldmann, Carmen Nowak and Jo Bensic. The Ground Jury was Karen Ruzsicska and Danila Lochlin. The Event Veterinarian was Dr Suzannah Smith. The Announcer was Cheryl (Chick) Stevens. Judges were Peter Plozza from Victoria. and Paul Austin from Queensland. The music that accompanied these events was provided by Matt Jean and Cary Thomson. The program and all the documentation was designed and provided by Monica Jack.
Despite me trying really hard and talking to many people and undertaking much Google research, much of what happens in the horse world remains a mystery to me. I know there is no such thing as a white horse - it is grey even if it is white - and riders wear different coloured jodhpurs for different events, and there are specific reasons for double bridles; however, I have not found out why events, or perhaps it is the horses, are called hunters or galloways, or what is the exact difference between a warmblood or a thoroughbred. However, I have worked out that regardless of the type of horse or the age of the riders, or whether a person is involved for fun or serious competition, the contribution by this activity, if not an industry in its own right, is enormous. I will leave that for a later time to talk about in this House.
The results from the Horse of the Year are as follows, and I extend my congratulations to them as well for an amazing effort and providing entertainment to the many people who watched the event. The name of the horses and their riders who contested the Grand Champion at the 2013 event were:
Julia Richter on Revelwood Galahad
Helena Walker-Sangster on Glynyarra Park Cinnabarr
Paige Curtain on Leedale Miss Millionaire
Paige Curtin also competed on Leedale Penelope
Sophie Cleveland on Bloomfield Kalinga
Sharon LeMesurier on Sing Me Emily Lacy
The NT Horse of the Year is the state qualifier for the National Show and Rider Championships of our country, which this year is being held in Werribee on 6 and 7 December. Every state and the Territory holds an annual Horse of the Year event, and first and second place in the various rider classes are separated by age, and the show horse classes are separated by a horse’s height, are eligible to participate in the national championships. I do not know who will be attending the national championships at this point in time, but I am sure Territory riders and horses will participate; I wish them well and am sure they will do the Territory proud.
I would like to inform the House also of the recent announcement of the successful riders and people who have been selected to participate in the 2013 National Interschool Championships to be held in Perth in October this year. Interschool is a national junior equestrian sport which serves to promote growth of equestrian sports at the grassroots.
Each year the Territory holds key events where riders are selected on their performance and then are selected for the Territory team to compete at the National Championships in October each year. Students may compete in Dressage, Show Horse, Jumping, Combined Training, and Eventing.
The successful riders for Interschool in the Primary section are:
Molliy Jack on Extravagance, competing in Dressage, Combined Training and Show Horse
In the Secondary category:
Shannah Mudge on Frodo Baggins, competing in Dressage
Many of these riders will also be participating in the National Pony Club Championships which are being held in Perth about the same time.
The Pony Club Territory representatives to go interstate are:
Dressage/Jumping Coach - Lisa Mutimer
Tetrathalon Coach - Vicky Beasy
Team Manager - Michelle Coman
Team Captain - Sarah Lock
Vice Team Captain - Jamee Dean
Team Members are:
Shannah Mudge
Risa Watanabe
Natasha Clayton
Finniss Beasy
MacKinlay Beasy.
Team Manager for Interschool team - Jenny Jones.
I extend my congratulations to all riders, team managers and supporters and wish them well for both events in Perth. I am told the team we have this year is in for a good showing for a medal, and I hope that will be true, if not lots of medals. Even if no medals are won, I know the Territory teams will do well and participate in true Territory style; that is, with determination, fairness and enjoyment.
Ms MANISON (Wanguri): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to raise some points regarding the treatment of our public service by this government and the mixed messages they have received over the last year.
There is a state of confusion amongst public servants regarding the value this government places on them and what lies ahead of them in the future, especially given what they have been through in the last 12 months.
When you run into constituents - old school friends, former work colleagues – or go to the shop and have a chat to people out and about at local sport - everyone has a story to share with you. They all know someone who has lost their job, or has moved away because of the uncertainty, has thrown in the towel because they were sick of the rubbish they were subjected to under this government, or have had to make several moves within the public sector, constantly changing due to restructures of departments or the government has decided to change its mind. It has been a rough 12 months, and the journey forward for many of these hard-working public servants appears to be tougher than ever before.
One of the most astonishing elements of this government is the fact it is consistently happy to deliver inconsistent messages to the value it places on the public service. For example, a year ago during the 2012 Territory election campaign, the members of the CLP opposition at the time, or the candidates, were handing out fliers to public servants stating that their jobs were safe. At the ballot box, again, on election day on 25 August 2012, there were corflute signs by the Country Liberals stating to public servants that their jobs were safe.
The messages could not be any clearer; however, the aftermath of the election was something different. Jobs started disappearing, and they disappeared quickly once the new CLP government started wielding its axe. I remember last Christmas time hearing a story from a friend about the amount of farewells in their work building. They said it was not just the fact that each Friday there was a farewell on each floor of their building; it was the fact that there were multiply farewells each week on each floor of their building. It was something they had never seen before, and they joked it was becoming an issue for their waistline because they had never had to go to so many morning teas before. It was their light-hearted way of dealing with the pretty depressing workplace they had around them.
The ‘Your Job is Safe’ flier was an inconsistent message, to say the least. This was reconfirmed in the mini-budget when the CLP government committed to sacking 600 public servants despite their commitment months before promising public servants their jobs were safe. In the first six months alone of the CLP government, they got rid of 470 public servants.
Probably the most outstanding and disturbing inconsistency of this government’s message to public servants in the ‘Your Job is Safe’ flier, prior to the election, was it stated no frontline services would be cut. In the ‘Your Job is Safe’ flier, and consistently in the lead-up to the election last year, they said that frontline service jobs were safe. Instead, what have we seen? In the first six months of this government, 171 jobs have gone from the Department of Children and Families, and this government has also admitted that approximately 130 teachers are to disappear from our middle and senior schools. That means less subject selection, more numbers in classrooms, and students do not win here.
The numbers state the facts. You did not tell public servants the truth when you asked for their vote last year; you gave them a false promise and you did not deliver. Again today, we see more mixed messages being delivered to the public service. We see a bulletin to public servants with regard to the current EBA negotiations that have arrived at the point where public servants are voting to take action because EBA negotiations have broken down with this government.
Public servants will not accept this government trying to make it easier to sack them; they will not accept an EBA that eats away at their working conditions and makes it harder for them to afford to keep living here. They have gone through hell in their workplaces over the last 12 months, and are carrying the extra weight left as staff around them has disappeared.
Today, the Commissioner of Public Employment has sent a letter to public servants explaining to them how they can vote to take strike action. An hour later, the Chief Minister sent an e-mail to public servants stating things like, ‘We have all achieved a great deal over the past 12 months and this could not have been done without your hard work. Thanks again for all your hard work.
This is not genuine thanks. If you genuinely cared you would never have treated public servants the way you have, and you would be back at the negotiating table.
On one hand, you will not sit down and work through the issues with the public servants to the point where everything has broken down and industrial action could be on the horizon and, on the other hand, you are saying thank you and that you value them. Yet, they can see through it because they have lived through a period where they have not been treated with respect.
I have been told all types of stories about the way the CLP government has made public servants feel, and the reasons why they no longer see the Northern Territory Public Sector as an employer of choice.
I have heard of people leaving because they could see no future in the public service because of the way the CLP government has treated them. I have seen people lose their jobs. I have also seen people leave their jobs as they waited for the government to stop dragging out or continually changing its mind about restructuring to the point they could not stand the insecurity, and they left to give their families a secure future by finding secure jobs.
People are also leaving because they have lost trust in the government and feel they have no job security going forward. People have also told me they have left their jobs because this government is ethically and morally putting them in a professional position they cannot tolerate and they want their professional integrity intact. People have left or are looking to get out because their workloads have gone through the roof due to less staff around them to do the work.
This is the reality of working in the Territory public service today under the CLP government. You have let our hard-working public servants down despite your promise their jobs were safe. Public servants have gone through hell and are continually being put under pressure by this CLP government. They can see through your disingenuous messages.
It is time to start treating our Territory public servants with respect if you want to keep the best and brightest here so Territorians get the service delivery they deserve.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Speaker, I respond to the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, the Honourable Adam Giles, and his signature throwaway lines which are consistently careless with the truth. I would like to give the Chief Minister a synopsis of what a Labor member does in a united Labor team as a local member and also as a minister, over four years of the Henderson government delivering real growth for the Northern Territory.
I was elected as the member for Barkly in 2008, when 70 m of the Barkly highway washed away, Australia’s nuclear waste management facility was nominated at Muckaty Station, and the world economy crashed in the global financial crisis. On reflection, the department of Construction managed rebuilding the national highway, earning an Australian Engineering Award nomination; the protest against Muckaty entered the federal court; and the Labor government introduced an economic stimulus policy to save Territory jobs.
During 2008-12, Tennant Creek saw record infrastructure investment delivering the main street enhancement and stormwater drain upgrades, Peko Road housing subdivision, Barkly Work Camp, new police station, sobering-up shelter, renal dialysis unit, high school gymnasium, and a new accident and emergency department at the hospital. Major road investment included: flood immunity projects like the McArthur River Bridge at Borroloola; Gilbert Swamp upgrade on the Stuart Highway; Carpentaria and Tableland Highways strengthening and widening; 20 km of Barkly Highway rebuild on the Queensland border; beef roads re-sheeting projects, and new national highway pavement and truck parking bays.
Barkly schools saw record infrastructure spending on upgrades and minor new works. In addition to new classrooms at Elliott and Ali Curung Schools, there was a new school at Borroloola, a trade training centre in Tennant Creek, and new teacher housing out bush.
Power, water and sewerage infrastructure saw record investment over forward years, including the Borroloola sewerage project, new solar wind and diesel power generation at Alpurrurulam, water treatment plant at Ali Curung, and $22m budgeted for upgrades to generation and transmission at the Tennant Creek Power Station.
The Northern Territory’s economic stimulus followed the Australian government stimulus plan to save jobs and deliver public infrastructure, now acknowledged by global economic commentators as the envy of the western world, delivering Australia’s immunity to economic recession gripping countries like England, France, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy.
Country Liberal politicians who voted against Labor’s economic stimulus strategy now boast and claim the glory in copious media releases hailing the Territory economy growing from strength to strength, engineering construction work at a record high, business confidence improving, and multibillion mining, oil and gas projects coming online. The Country Liberal government is so confident about the Northern Territory economy the Treasurer recently made a cash withdrawal of $160m, a Treasurer’s Advance, spending five times the normal cash budgeted annually under the previous government.
Governments need to grow the economy and instil business confidence for creating jobs, so the question for Liberal political commentators remains: what would the debt and deficit levels of the Australian economy, the envy of western democracies languishing under the global financial crisis, and the Northern Territory economy, the fastest growing in the nation, be in 2013 if jobs were not saved under Labor’s flexible economic stimulus strategy?
Australian families who endured epic unemployment in the 1970s could comment on the destructive social and economic effects of recession with an inflexible economy causing generational unemployment over decades, where some parents never had a job. Without the four-year economic stimulus spend on infrastructure, Tennant Creek contractors and local businesses would have joined the unemployed on our streets experiencing devastating effects on families, business, and the Northern Territory economy.
Now in government, Country Liberal Party media releases crow about the incredible future of the Territory economy - and so they should - how truly amazing, created in the past 10 months by two CLP Chief Ministers, three CLP Treasurers, and seven CLP Cabinet reshuffles.
Chief Minister, it has been a pleasure to be able to share that story with the parliament and put it on the public record to counter your classic one-line, consistently careless with the truth statements in this House.
Madam Speaker, I conclude by saying that the record of the previous Labor government spend in Tennant Creek and the Barkly links a network and a strategy across the Northern Territory without any jobs for the boys, any water allocations to mates, and without any favours of the good old silver circle backslap and handshake approach to doing business in the Territory. Simply put, it was hard work growing the Territory so we remain the best place on the continent and the best place in Australia to raise a family.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of Year 6 Wagaman Primary School students accompanied by their teacher, Ms Lisa McLean. On behalf of honourable members, I hope you enjoy your tour and time at Parliament House today.
Members: Hear, hear!
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Open Day – Parliament House, Government House and Supreme Court
Open Day – Parliament House, Government House and Supreme Court
Madam SPEAKER: I remind honourable members of our annual Parliament House Open Day this Saturday 24 August from 9 am to 3 pm. Government House and the Supreme Court will also be holding open days on Saturday. I am expecting and hoping many people will come to the Open Day, not only for the front of the House tours, but also the back of the House tours being undertaken by John Brears, the project manager for Multiplex during construction of this building.
MESSAGE FROM ADMINISTRATOR
Message No 10
Message No 10
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received Message No 10 from Her Honour the Administrator notifying assent to bills passed in the June sittings. The message is dated 18 July 2013.
MOTION
Change to Committee Membership
and Shadow Ministry
Change to Committee Membership
and Shadow Ministry
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader)(by leave): I move that the following changes be made to membership of committees: Public Accounts Committee, discharge Mr Gunner and appoint Ms Manison; Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, discharge Mr Gunner and appoint Ms Manison. Accordingly, the shadow minister for Statehood will be the member for Wanguri, Ms Manison.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Reorder of Routine of Business
Reorder of Routine of Business
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that pursuant to Standing Order 89 the routine of business is reordered so that ministerial statements be called upon immediately after Question Time and continue after Petitions.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Proposed Censure of Chief Minister
Proposed Censure of Chief Minister
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that this Assembly censure the Chief Minister for a year of failures and lies including:
jeopardising the future of Nhulunbuy and the region by reneging on his government’s gas to Gove deal
hurting families and businesses with the cost of living skyrocketing while wage growth drops to the lowest in the nation
violent alcohol-related crime up by 17% and alcohol-related domestic violence up by 24%
axing the Palmerston community hospital and Royal Darwin Hospital children’s wing
rejecting Commonwealth funding for renal services
causing business confidence to crash as unemployment has increased every month this year
slashing infrastructure spending, costing jobs and economic development
increasing the cost of housing and failing to release new land for housing in the growth zones of Darwin and Palmerston
renaming shires regional councils and claiming it to be your greatest achievement yet
dismantling child protection scrutiny while staff leave and caseloads increase
axing environmental advisory committees and appointing a mate to run the EPA
trying to make it easier to sack more public servants and supporting Tony Abbott’s plan to make further cuts
handing out jobs to mates
handing out millions of dollars’ worth of water to their own CLP candidate
becoming the most secretive, deceptive and dishonest government in the history of the Northern Territory.
It has been a horrible year for Territorians, a year where we have seen one horrendous failure after the other. We believe this is truly a sign of things to come if Tony Abbott is elected. He will be the CLP on steroids – more jobs axed.
We have seen 100 broken promises flying out of the lies that were the CLP election commitments. We have tabled them, listed them, and you are still not sticking to them. You will not table your contracts with the bush, you will not put them in the public arena, and you will not report on your election commitments because they were lies – say one thing before an election and do quite the opposite after.
The cost of living has been spiralling in the Northern Territory while decreasing across the nation. You promised to cut it, but now it is growing at the fastest rate in the country. Deloitte Access forecasts it will keep growing at the fastest rate in the country for the next five years. While the cost of living is skyrocketing, wages growth is the slowest in the country at just 0.3% in the last quarter. These are statistics and facts that prove what everybody knows, what everybody is feeling, whether they are a householder or a business. Under the CLP costs are going up and real wages are going down.
You promised to grow our economy, yet every month this year the unemployment rate has increased. You blame the cost of living on the carbon tax when your budget papers show the cost of living spike in power and water is due to your decision to increase power, water and sewerage tariffs. Now you say you want to make the Power and Water Corporation commercially sustainable.
It was not a government announcement that disclosed Power and Water is being prepared to be split up into different entities: water/sewerage, networks and generation. A report was not published and provided for consideration or scrutiny by the public. It was a whistle-blower to the media who let us know this government is secretively moving to split up the Power and Water Corporation, a move that prepares it for a sale. The Chief Minister does not rule out the sale of networks, generation, or part thereof, in this term of government. You have no mandate to sell the public’s assets at the Power and Water Corporation. We know through experience, across all other jurisdictions in Australia, that privatisation leads to reduced reliability. In simple terms, more blackouts, more often, for longer periods and it increases the costs: the tariffs go up.
Come clean with Territorians. Stop this secretive dismantling of our services. If you have no intention to sell any part of Power and Water Corporation’s business this term, rule it out. You will not, because whistle-blowers are shining the light on your secretive moves.
Housing prices are increasing by about 8%. Rents are increasing, yet, at the same time, housing building approvals are at a record low. How did you get it so drastically wrong when we came off, in the same time the previous year, a record rate increase of building approvals? What happened? We know what happened. One of your first actions in government was to remove the housing finance assistance schemes designed to get Territorians into home ownership.
You axed My New Home. You axed HOMESTART Extra. You took the ability for Territorians to get into home ownership away from them through axing those two schemes. Housing finance assistance approvals through government schemes was running at around 350 per year until you intervened, axed the schemes, and now we have, under your plan, 24 approvals. Do your maths. Averaging 350 a year versus, under your scheme, an almost impossible to enter scheme with 24 approvals. The only land being released in the growth zones of Darwin and Palmerston is land the Labor government planned and invested in infrastructure for. There is no new land. You talk about Kilgariff as the great land release in Alice Springs. The Labor government planned Kilgariff originally as AZRI, named it Kilgariff and invested in the infrastructure.
There is nothing new from the CLP, no new initiative, no new turn-off of land, and no increase in the rate of housing approvals. We have an increasing imbalance in supply. Then you decide to axe the township of Weddell and say, ‘No, we will look at building at Gunn Point’. For that action alone you ought to be condemned, because you are saying by the year 2014-15 and 2015-16 we will be in a housing crisis because you are not building the sites planned at Weddell. You are pushing out into the later years beyond that, the possibility of Murrumujuk. It is unbelievable stupidity. Perhaps that is why we are getting applications for floating barges off Dinah Beach.
You went after seniors. They vented their disappointment in a big campaign for hurting some of their pensioner entitlements, but you went after them anyway. You are making them pay $1 just to get on a bus.
You promised to cut crime by 10% a year, and you promised to tackle alcohol-related crime and remove drunks from the streets. Despite the Chief Minister living in his own bubble and pretending antisocial behaviour does not exist and everything is okay, anyone who lives in our community across the Territory can see antisocial behaviour is increasing. There are more drunks on the streets and in the parks, and we know from your crime statistics that alcohol-related crime has increased with alcohol-related assaults up 17% and domestic violence assaults up 24% since you scrapped the Banned Drinker Register.
In the first six weeks of the Banned Drinker Register 858 problem drinkers were banned. In the first six weeks of CLP mandatory rehabilitation nine people have gone to rehabilitation, sort of, because they keep running away. The CLP says having people run away from rehabilitation proves it is working. You have really lost it if you believe people absconding from rehabilitation, at great expense to the taxpayer, is a working system.
You could not even work out who the responsible minister was. You made Administrative Arrangements Order changes at night and did not let the public know. An expensive farce, tragically a $45m farce, affecting the lives of Territorians every day.
Your track record on health has being appalling. Scrapping the construction of Palmerston hospital is the worst thing you have done. Previous governments went into every detail of what hospital services were required, where they should be delivered from, significant scoping studies occurred and consultation with the community, the City of Palmerston, and others. You have ignored all that work because you want a different site. You will delay as long as you can, and one wonders what site you are talking about. Is it Crown land? Is it privately owned? What on earth led you to believe the site next to the health clinic was a bad one when it could clearly accommodate a hospital?
At the same time you said, ‘No, we will not have that federal funding and capital dollars to construct a children’s wing at Royal Darwin Hospital’. I challenge you, Chief Minister, to visit the paediatric ward at Royal Darwin Hospital and continue to say we do not need that children’s wing.
_______________
Visitors
Visitors
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, may I interrupt?
Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of students from Milkwood and Alice Springs Steiner Schools accompanied by their teachers, Michael Simmons and Noel Ferry. On behalf of honourable members, I extend a warm welcome to our visitors and hope they enjoy their visit to Parliament House.
Members: Hear, hear!
________________
Ms LAWRIE: To your eternal shame you became embroiled in the argument around renal funding. You rejected it; you did not want to proceed with renal funding despite it being a chronic disease across the Territory with a dire need for increased renal services for Indigenous Territorians.
Education has been an appalling series of failed decisions resulting in a dramatic reduction in services across our schools. We are just starting to see the tip of the iceberg.
Mr Tollner: Name a few.
Ms LAWRIE: I note the member for Fong Lim laughs about it. You are the Treasurer and it is important you listen to what teachers are saying. Across all our middle and senior schools we have lost teachers due to funding formula changes which occurred between you coming to government in August and the mini-budget. We have seen losses of teachers across all our schools, including losses for the bush members who beat their chests and say how wonderful they are at representing constituents across remote schools in the Northern Territory. You are literally dismantling the education system as we speak.
You have not just stripped the educators in the curriculum areas of education, ESL and others, you have cut teachers from our classrooms, from that frontline point of contact, so much so that the education union is mounting its own advertising campaign against this government.
On top of that, to add insult to dramatic injury to our education system, you have rejected additional funding from the Commonwealth government’s Better Schools Plan. You stand by your dogmatic rhetoric: because it is not a Tony Abbott offer you will not take it even though it means additional funding for every school. Despite the lies of the Chief Minister in estimates, the media, and of his Education minister, every school receives additional funding.
The tragedy in rejection of this offer is that the bush schools stood to gain the most. There were upwards of 63% increases across remote schools. You have said, ‘No, we are not taking that extra funding’. Yes, it comes with strings attached. It says, ‘Do not sack more teachers. Do not erode the base of education in the Territory. If you take this money you cannot take your own out. You have to put your own in.’ What are you being asked to put in? Essentially, CPI across your forward estimates in the Education budget – natural growth within your Education budget.
The $100m is growth in Education of around 5%. That is what Education normally requires if you are interested in delivering the education services Territorians need. Clearly you are not interested, because you have taken an axe to the Education budget. You have dismantled the structures supporting our teachers in the classrooms, and you are now taking an axe to teacher positions.
What is fundamentally important to any society wanting improved social and economic outcomes is education. Yet, you dismantle it. You take it apart and pretend to your own colleagues it is not happening.
Get out to your bush schools, members of parliament, and find out how many teachers you have lost. Find out, through the cuts, how many members of your local community no longer have a job at the school because those positions have also been axed due to funding cuts. Job cuts, one of the biggest lies of all - you had fliers during the election campaign saying, ‘Your job is safe’. You had paid advertisements in the newspaper, ‘Your job is safe’. We have seen hundreds of public servants sacked by your government. You do not use the term ‘sacked’, ‘their contracts were not renewed’. They had a job before. Their job was not safe; their jobs have gone.
You said it would not apply to frontline workers. Frontline workers have been lost across all agencies of government. The public servants left in the workplace today working under increasing pressure know this has happened. Every time you say it has not they know you are lying, as you consistently lie about each of these things, to your eternal shame. Your default is to lie.
I have never come across a government as dysfunctional, chaotic and consistently lying as this one. I have lived in the Territory for a long time, and some of us remember the form of some previous CLP governments where it became an increasingly small circle. They called it the silver circle of influential mates who benefited where everyone else missed out. It did not take long for you to go there, with jobs for 13 mates while you were sacking public servants. Also, there is your beneficiary, a ‘water mate’, Tina MacFarlane, the CLP candidate who received millions of dollars in water rights. Despite the advice of the agency, you have increased the risk of the Roper running dry and, if you continue with your foolishness …
Mr Westra van Holthe: You have just made a fool of yourself.
Ms LAWRIE: No, not at all. Look at the water modelling, member for Katherine. You are as grubby as the member for Fong Lim and both your hands are all over water mate. Have you heard from AFANT, have you heard from NAILSMA? Do you bother to look at what they say? Are you taking the regional allocation from 20 to 40? Have you told the people of Ngukurr what risk you have put them in regarding water …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, can you please stop pointing. Could we have some order. Thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: I understand, member for Daly, why you have spoken out publically against your party in this matter. You have said publically you do not agree with removing water rights for Indigenous people.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! She can refer, in the third person, to the member for Daly, but whilst you are in the Chair as the Deputy Speaker she is, effectively, reflecting on you and that is inappropriate. If she speaks in the third person about the member for Daly she can do so, but to directly attack you whilst you are in the Chair is inappropriate and should be ruled out of order.
Mr TOLLNER: Further to the point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker, it is completely wrong to verbal a Deputy Speaker whilst he is sitting in the Chair. It is in breach of standing orders and the member should desist.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, if you refer to the member for Daly that is fine, but you should not refer to ‘you’, being me, as the member for Daly in the Chair. Thank you.
Ms LAWRIE: I take on that advice, member for Daly, and thank you for seeking advice from the Clerk.
The member for Daly has spoken out against his own party on this one. The member for Daly understands that what has occurred under water mate is corruption. I will say it in this House, it is corrupt. We cannot access the information; it is being withheld. There have been 13 pieces of correspondence between the minister’s office and the department which have not been released under freedom of information because it would spark public debate. That is a new one, not releasing something under freedom of information because it would spark public debate.
Member for Katherine, your hand is all over this. Member for Fong Lim, everyone is pointing at you in the background. No wonder you are touchy on this subject. Why did you provide water rights to Tina MacFarlane, the CLP candidate, when so many others in the region did not get additional water rights and are still waiting to hear an outcome?
There is more on this to come, but you are grubby and have gone straight back to form in taking care of your mates while the rest of the Territory suffers. They suffer under the cost of living increase, under job losses, and they suffer with small businesses going to the wall. Media reports show bankruptcies increasing by 40% under the CLP. If you bother to listen to the industry organisations you will hear they are all hurting. From civil contractors to engineers, the construction sector, tourism and hospitality, they are having a shocking time and businesses are hitting the wall. According the CLP it is all okay, it is nirvana and they have had a great year.
In child protection 171 staff have gone, lost from that agency, yet the minister’s daughter receives a $170 000 pay rise. It is the talk of the agency. How can someone go from an AO4 prior to the election, rocketing up to an AO6 post-election, to now an Executive Officer Level 2? It is unheard of, never witnessed before, but it is okay, she is the minister’s daughter.
You promised an independent EPA …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of the Opposition has a history of directly attacking public servants without a skerrick of evidence. This was raised with the Speaker recently after a disgraceful attack on public servants during the estimates process. She either stumps up with some evidence or restrains herself and respects the public service she purports to defend.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, please refrain unless you have some evidence.
Ms LAWRIE: Member for Daly, it has been widely reported in the media and the Leader of Government Business knows this. I will go in to bat and defend the public sector, and I have. They have a campaign today. You may be wondering why we are wearing red. Did it even flicker through your consciousness? The CPSU and other unions are in the midst of an EBA dispute with your government. You are cutting jobs. You are trying to keep their wages below real growth in CPI, and you are changing their employment, or trying to through the EBA, so you can sack them. You are going after the permanency provisions within the EBA …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Once again, attacking public servants. I understand they are wearing red. They are communists; they do that anyhow. Mr Deputy Speaker, she should withdraw the scurrilous attack, without any evidence to support it, on a public servant and she has not done so.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, could you bear in mind that members of the public, whether they are public servants or not, do not have any right of reply in this House.
Ms LAWRIE: I am talking about the EBA. Last time I checked there was no public servant called EBA. I am talking about the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement in dispute between the unions of the public service and the Northern Territory government. Clearly they are saying this government is suppressing real wages growth through a pathetic offer not even matching CPI. More important to public servants, you are going after conditions that would change permanency: that would make it easier for you to sack more with a lesser payout than they would receive under the existing EBA. It is little wonder they are entrenched in a dispute with your government, and little wonder they have been given the right to vote on protected industrial action, the result of which we will know on Friday. You are incompetent and have gone after public servants. You have slashed them, are hurting them with this EBA, and they will fight. I am happy to point out any time a minister’s daughter benefits when 171 staff have lost their job in the child protection agency.
Mr Elferink: If they are married or in any way related to the CLP they are an open slather target. You are a disgrace.
Ms LAWRIE: The member doth protest too much.
Mr Elferink: I protest on behalf of honest people.
Ms LAWRIE: You fall by your own actions, member for Port Darwin …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Can we please …
Mr Elferink: Step outside and say some of those rubbish things.
Ms LAWRIE: I point out to the member for Port Darwin - he is sensitive on this subject – that it has already been the subject of media articles. It is fact. The minister’s daughter has received an increase and a promotion. She is now heading up the regional area of Alice Springs and is on a big contract. It is $170 000, thank you very much, while 171 staff were axed …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Can we have the censure motion continue and this debate cease.
Ms LAWRIE: In relation to the environment, member for Daly …
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Deputy Speaker.
Ms LAWRIE: Mr Deputy Speaker, of course. I was going back to the environment argument in relation to water rights so I have to point out, member for Daly, whilst you condemn your government on removing the rights of Indigenous Territorians, they have removed them in the policy setting to ensure their mate, Tina MacFarlane, does all right in Mataranka despite not having a plan to grow anything. Then, when really pushed on it she said, ‘I am going to have some cattle and some wheat’. The last time anyone checked that region you cannot grow wheat unless it is genetically modified. By all means feel free to keep backing that up.
We have talked about what has happened to Territorians as a result of the actions of this government in increasing power and water tariffs. We have talked about how that has hurt every household and every business. Now, you are splitting it up to sell it off. That was not the subject of a report you released; that was from a whistle-blower. You have been sprung! ‘No, it is okay, we are just doing regulatory reform so there can be competition in the marketplace.’ Regulatory reform has been done and there is already competition in the marketplace. We already have different power supply to Parliament House, for example. No, you want to flog off its networks and Weddell Power Station. Why would you not sell the gas to Gove? Because it is a useful commodity!
If you were to position it and split up the assets, why would you not have an oversupply of gas so you can sell it to a major user entering the marketplace? We have seen that happen before. How did Paul Everingham, former CLP Chief Minister, end up owning a transmission line from Darwin to Katherine? That deal cost the taxpayers $10m. We have seen it before; you have form.
Gas to Gove represents and sums up what is so terribly wrong with this government. It has all the elements of what is gross and despicable about this government. It has the element which saw the knifing of a Chief Minister. Terry Mills was knifed, but if you read the ministerial statement we will debate later today, he did not even exist in their minds and they pretend he does not now.
Yet, he has spoken out on gas to Gove. He has spoken out against the current Chief Minister and said where he is wrong. Gas to Gove is a shining example of the incompetence of this government. One Chief Minister did a deal after months of prevaricating, running the arguments the new Chief Minister now runs, being proven wrong, stumped up with a deal because he knew it would be to the social and economic benefit of not just Nhulunbuy, not just the region, but the entire Northern Territory.
Let us rewrite that. Let us pretend a deal was not done despite one having been. Let us put the Territory in the category of great sovereign risk when it comes to dealing with our global companies. Say one thing, strike a deal, then renege and dishonour it ...
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I request the member be given an extension of time pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Mr Elferink: Not possible. This is a censure motion, Mr Deputy Speaker. We do not have extensions in censure motions.
Ms LAWRIE: I will continue to speak to my time. The member for Nhulunbuy has spoken out on gas to Gove and will continue to do so. I travel there and will continue to do so. We have seen rank dishonesty, rank lies, and rank petty politics: the Chief Minister refusing to visit the people of Nhulunbuy and listen to them regarding the livelihoods he is jeopardising with his dishonesty.
He needs to revisit this decision. It is critical to the future of the region: $800m economic investment in the region with a $200m to $300m investment in Darwin alone. You are jeopardising the lives of far too many people through their jobs, their livelihood, and through devaluing their homes. You stand condemned.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker, her time has expired.
Mr TOLLNER (Deputy Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, this censure motion is nothing but cheapjack political games being played by the Opposition Leader.
The opposition has known, from the early hours of this morning, that today the Chief Minister intended to give a full, open, and frank report on everything that has occurred in the last 12 months and the future direction of this government. These cheapjack political games are designed to cause the Chief Minister problems in delivering that address. The Leader of Government Business asked for a change in the order of business so the Chief Minister could do just that.
This has nothing to do with the opposition’s concern about government or the fact they believe people have lied. This is about doing what they can to put the Chief Minister off his game today, nothing more and nothing less.
This is one of the weakest censure motions I have ever seen in the Northern Territory and, prior to that, in the federal parliament. You could see there was no passion in the Opposition Leader. She is not even concerned about the things she says. Instead of coming up with any facts, as the Leader of Government Business said, she does nothing but drag good, decent hard-working people’s names through the mud. That is a shameful thing because it drags this parliament into disrepute. It makes all of us look bad.
The Leader of the Opposition has no concern for the standing of this parliament in its community because she continually interjects in Question Time and continually plays the man, not the ball. It is all about a quick political point rather than thinking about the long-term future of the Territory or the long-term good or what we can do to benefit Territorians, nothing more, nothing less.
On behalf of government, we are sorry we have to deal with the gas to Gove issue. When coming into government we found there was a crisis in Gove. In fact, prior to coming to government I had an inkling of it. I recall in the election campaign being in Nhulunbuy asking people, ‘What is happening with the future of Nhulunbuy and the concern over energy security?’ People looked at me like I was from another planet. They had never heard of it. Their local member had been part of a government that had been negotiating for some time with Pacific Aluminium in relation to energy security and the future of that refinery. However, not once had the local member, the Chief Minister, or anyone in the former government raised the issue of gas to Gove.
The former Chief Minister offered a paltry four years of gas. They rejected the deal outright. They asked to generate using coal, but as the Chief Minister said today in Question Time, the government’s response to that was, ‘We are more interested in Green preferences than the lives and future of people in Nhulunbuy’. The most shameful part of it is the member for Nhulunbuy never raised the issue in parliament. She never sought to question government about what had happened. Now, 12 months into this government, all of a sudden the member for Nhulunbuy takes issue with what is happening.
The member for Blain, the former Chief Minister, did the right thing. He went to Gove and could see there was a problem. He was of the view, as a government, we should try to help facilitate the energy security they desperately needed in Nhulunbuy in order to see the continuation of jobs and business in that community.
The previous government saw it solely as a commercial issue. Their view was that government does not have a role to play and was not intending to do anything to secure the future of Nhulunbuy or the residents of that region - very sad.
I am proud of the work the Chief Minister has done to date. He looked at the issues and has analysed things from every direction. He has been up hill and down dale, not just making available Territory government-owned gas resources, but also searching across the Territory and the offshore resource companies to see what we can do to facilitate long-term security for residents of the Gove community. That deserves applause rather than the Opposition Leader condemning him for his actions. Goodness me, the previous government did nothing. We are trying to do something and now these guys opposite have decided we are to be condemned for having a go, something they were not prepared to do.
On behalf of government, we are sorry we have to clean up problems with crime, antisocial behaviour and public drunkenness. However, these problems were left to us by a former government not interested in dealing with the problem. They were more interested in political spin and coming up with cheapjack political solutions to detailed and chronic problems in our community.
The Banned Drinker Register was about penalising everyone: making us all feel we had a problem. Tourists were turned away from bottle shops, Territorians were made to feel like criminals every time they wanted to go through a bottle-o to buy a beer, and publicans were made to feel akin to heroin traffickers because of the job they did in the community. We recognise alcohol has a part to play in the community and the hospitality and entertainment industries ...
Ms Walker: It is a core value according to your boss.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, you have been warned.
Mr TOLLNER: We talk about growing tourism - a solid part of any tourism industry is the hospitality and entertainment sectors. In that regard, we are keen to have similar laws to those they have around the rest of the country, and people should live with and drink alcohol responsibly. Unfortunately, in the community there are some people for whom alcohol has become a major health problem to the extent they have no control over their desire to consume alcohol. It is a drug to which they are addicted and they are beyond seeking help.
In that regard, we have taken the tough decision to deal directly with the problem - the problem drunks themselves - and help those people find the help they need. Access to good clinical and rehabilitation services is for people who have lost the ability to recognise they have a problem with alcohol and the need for those types of services. We have started a mandatory treatment program and make no apologies for it.
A number of people across the sector have said some fantastic things about it, people who recognise the need many people have to deal with alcohol, and we are seeing results already. In Alice Springs, antisocial behaviour and public drunkenness have reduced dramatically. Having visited Alice Springs in recent months, people are amazed at the number of people not on the streets at night causing problems. Where are they? They are more than likely still drinking, but they are certainly not doing it on the streets. In Alice Springs we are delivering on the election commitment to get drunks off the streets. However, we are most interested in capturing people who have chronic problems and giving them the help they sorely need. This government will continue to do what it can to help people with major alcohol problems.
I am sorry for the problems we have inherited with crime. We have had to deal with escalating crime rates across the Territory. As the Chief Minister said today in Question Time, we have made progress in this area. Crime offences against property have reduced by 8.29% in the last 12 months. Offences against property are down 10.56% in the last 12 months and protective custodies - where intoxicated individuals are taken into protective custody - have decreased. I will go through these.
In the Darwin metropolitan area we have seen a decrease of 14.54% in the last 12 months. In Northern Command, the top part of the Northern Territory, we have seen an overall reduction of 22.23%. In Southern Command, Alice Springs and the Centre, we have seen a massive reduction of 49.6% in protective custodies in the last 12 months. Overall, there has been a 29.91% decrease in protective custody episodes. That is an amazing result in just 12 months. It points to the fact, whilst we understand much of this is new and there will be bugs in the system, that the framework of the system is working and we are seeing measurable results.
We are sorry we have had to look across government and cut waste and find inefficiencies, but we inherited a system of massive waste. We knew government debt was to rise to $5.5bn. The Opposition Leader, the Treasurer at the time, in the pre-election fiscal outlook predicted as much. We knew we would have 98% revenue to debt ratio by 2015-16. These things are alarming in anyone’s book. However, we did not know the amount of waste throughout the system. It is hardly surprising because if you look at the way Labor operates around the country, they all take their marching orders from their masters in Canberra. When you see the way their masters in Canberra act in relation to public money, it is no surprise we find ourselves in this dreadful situation in the Northern Territory.
I believe Kevin Rudd would see the member for Karama as one of the greatest economic managers in this country because of her ability to throw money around without getting any result for it. Of Kevin Rudd’s $10bn spent to stimulate the retail sector, we saw a $390m bounce in retail trade in a month. Some people might say that kept businesses alive, kept people in jobs, but to spend $10bn to see a $390m jump in retail trade is money wasted in the extreme.
Sending cheques off to dead people, to people who have not lived in the country for years, putting money into an insulation scheme where hundreds of houses burnt down and people died, putting money into cash for clunkers - almost every program the federal government ran was a disaster and a farce.
The same applies in the Northern Territory. The previous government had no regard for the public purse. They were prepared to create intergenerational debt: debt left to our children to repay. That is spending of the worst kind. This generation should pay for the services this generation uses. We should not be pushing the cost of the services we require today onto future generations. That is not good government and it is not good fiscal management; it is appalling.
Again, I apologise for the work we as a government have had to do in the health sector. We have inherited a decaying health sector, a health sector run in silos. It was extraordinarily complex, was not providing services to the people who needed them most, and was and is costing an enormous amount of money: $1.3bn a year for a population of 230 000. That is an extraordinary amount of money in anyone’s language.
We have taken the bull by the horns and reformed the structure of our Health department. We have pushed more decision-making into the regions. We have given clinicians, nurses and other people in the sector much more say about how they deliver services. These reforms are happening.
Of course, we had to shut the medi-hotel. It cost the federal government $18.5m and was going to cost $5.5m in our budget when our debt is rising to $5.5bn. How can we afford another $5.5m to house long-grassers who want to have hospital services in the home? It is an extraordinary expense for a jurisdiction that can least afford it.
We had to can Labor’s idea of a Palmerston hospital. They never had a plan for a Palmerston hospital; it was all dreamed up on the eve of the election. They needed something to run to an election campaign. Goodness me, show me anywhere in the country you can build a hospital for $110m. The whole idea of building a hospital for $110m is a farce. The best we could have expected for that amount was an overflow ward from RDH. Again, the ongoing funding to keep that open was $50m a year, recognised in their forward estimates. I draw your attention to the fact we have an emerging debt of $5.5bn, but they were quite prepared to spend another $50m on an overflow for RDH. I am sorry we have had to take action on that.
There is a range of things mentioned in the Opposition Leader’s censure - causing business confidence to crash. Goodness me, what a joke. Business confidence has never been higher. Infrastructure spending has been slashed - what a load of nonsense. We have enormous money going into infrastructure.
I am sorry, on behalf of government, for having to deal with a housing and accommodation crisis. Everybody knows we have the most expensive houses and most expensive rents in the country. Why? Because of the failures of the previous government. Now we have to clean it up. I am sorry we have to clean it up, but that is a reality of government.
We are doing what we can. We now have the fastest land release in the Territory’s history. We have 2700 blocks of land ready for development. Things are happening quickly in that area. However, there is still a lack of accommodation. These things cannot be solved quickly but we are doing everything we can, and industry is thankful we are finding accommodation. One of the critical things if you want to employ staff and attract people to the Territory is you need somewhere to house them.
I am sorry for the work we are doing in the regions and in the shires, but if we did not inherit the mess of local government we would not have to undertake these reforms. I pay tribute to the member for Namatjira, the Minister for Local Government, for the work she is doing there and the consultations she is having because we want to put authority and decision-making back into the hands of people in communities. We do not believe in a centralised communist city system. We do not wear red into parliament to show we are communists. We support individuals and the individual’s right to make choices for themselves. In that regard, we support devolving authority into the regions and giving people a greater say in how they are governed and managed. We make no apology for that, but I am sorry we have had to do the work to make it a reality.
I also have to apologise for the work we have to do in child protection. This area is very dear to my heart and one where I have seen the damage caused over years of neglect by the previous Labor government. What led to the federal intervention were the direct and attributive failures of the former Labor government. This led to the Little Children are Sacred report, the Northern Territory intervention, and much interference in Territory responsibility by the Commonwealth. If Clare Martin had not been so interested in papering over things we would have had a much better working relationship with the Commonwealth in this area. We could have done things differently but, at the time, the Commonwealth had no choice but to step in because the statistics and the reality in remote communities were abysmal. In no area of government has more shame been brought to the Northern Territory than child protection. It is a disgrace. The problem will not be easily fixed. I am sorry, but it has to be fixed. We are committed to fixing it and assisting Territorians because until we do, we cannot walk around with our heads held high.
I am sorry for the work we have had to do to mend our economy. We have inherited a bloated system where one business is the economy of the Northern Territory. We have inherited a system where the government tried to turn the rest of the Northern Territory into one big national park. They tried to stop development. They tried to do everything they could to keep farmers from the Northern Territory. Most of the research stations around the Territory were shut down by the former government. No assistance was given to farmers. In fact, they made life hard for both farmers and miners.
We saw the debacle with the McArthur River Mine when they wanted to expand operations. We saw four of their members cross the floor including, I believe, the Deputy Chief Minister of the day because she was reluctant to see economic development in that area. It was a shame.
We saw one of the worst decisions the Commonwealth has made affecting the Northern Territory, the live cattle ban. We saw our Chief Minister of the day welcome it saying it was the circuit breaker we needed to have.
I am sorry, but we have had to try to fix these things. We said we wanted a diversified economy; we do not want to have to rely on just one business. As good as that business might be, we want more. We want mining operations, agriculture, tourism, jobs in education and jobs in manufacturing. We are dead keen to grow and diversify our economy because that is the only way the Territory can grow.
We have such an imbalance between the public and private sector. If we were in Queensland or New South Wales we would have to take drastic action because they are mature economies and would have no choice but to slash jobs and expenses. We are in a fortunate position in the Northern Territory where we have a lot of blue sky in relation to private sector investment and opportunity. As a government we have taken a belt-tightening attitude with our finances trying to find more efficiency. We are not running a wholesale effort to get rid of public servants. All the fear-mongering and concerns raised by the opposition in relation to that have proved to be nonsensical because we have not sacked public servants. We have not removed frontline workers.
Our focus has been on bringing some balance into our economy and growing the private sector. To do that, we recognise we do not have buckets of money to throw at businesses or stimulus packages etcetera. Those glory days of profligate Labor spending are behind us, thank God. Ultimately, they result in debt carried on to future generations.
On the other hand, we make no apology for greasing skids for business, cutting red tape, removing regulation, getting into the habit of saying yes, getting into that mindset of saying, ‘This business will be good for the Northern Territory, it will provide jobs, we want it. We will do what we can to facilitate it without having to throw money at it.’
We have seen some incredible things happen in the last 12 months and the member for Katherine has been remarkable in this area: Sherwin Iron Ore, Vista Gold, Western Desert Resources and Australian Ilmenite. Goodness me, I cannot remember the last time we had new mines in the Northern Territory. The member for Katherine has done a remarkable job encouraging that.
Similarly, he has had to deal with the ridiculous situation created by the Gillard government and our former Labor government with the live cattle ban. He has re-engaged with Asia. It is not just Indonesia, he has been tracking other countries as well, such as Vietnam, trying to diversify markets for our cattle producers so we never have to face that situation again.
The work the Tourism minister has done is incredible. He has attracted Tigerair back to the Territory. Malaysia Airlines is coming in November, and we have Philippine Airlines and Air Asia. These things have happened in just 12 months.
Work has been done in the area of Defence. We are dead keen to grow our Defence support industries and are working with Canberra to ensure we know when Defence contracts are coming up to give Territory businesses the best possible opportunity of accessing jobs.
The opposition derides us for the work we have done in the area of farming by releasing water. You see a political opportunity there. Whoopee doo! A candidate got some water and now we are about to drain the Roper. I have not heard anything so bizarre in my life: it is going to drain the Roper because our candidate got some water. Goodness me! We want farmers everywhere to get water. Water is a fundamental of farming. I wonder if Labor people understand that. Another part of farming is land. The minister is doing much to make land available for farming because we want to see farming.
Mr Deputy Speaker, it has been an impressive 12 months of government. I pay tribute to the entire leadership team we have had in the last 12 months of government. It has been a tough road to haul and we have had to make serious changes. Let me assure Territorians everywhere that we are committed to doing what is best for Territorians, irrespective of what the numbskulls on the other side of the Chamber say. We are not interested in selling everything, driving up power prices, and sacking everybody. That is not in the interests of Territorians. We are doing what is right for the Territory and we are governing well.
Debate suspended.
TABLED PAPER
Administrative Arrangements Order
Administrative Arrangements Order
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I table a copy of the Administrative Arrangements Order published in the Northern Territory Gazette No S41 dated 9 August 2013. I advise the Assembly that on 9 August 2013, Her Honour the Administrator made the following additional appointment of ministers of the Northern Territory:
David William Tollner: Minister for Alcohol Policy.
RESPONSES TO PETITIONS
The CLERK: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 100A, I inform honourable members that responses to petition nos 12, 15, 17, 18, and 19 have been received and circulated to honourable members. The text of the responses will be placed on the Legislative Assembly website. A copy of the response will be provided to the member who tabled the petition for distribution to petitioners.
- Petition No 12
Commercial Crabbing in Bynoe Harbour
Date presented: 13 February 2013
Presented by: Mr Higgins
Referred to: Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries
Date response due: 20 August 2013
Date response received: 25 July 2013
Date response presented: 20 August 2013
Response:
Commercial mud crabbing has taken place in Bynoe Harbour and estuaries to Dundee Beach for more than 20 years. Over the last five years, the commercial harvest in this area, as a proportion of the overall commercial take, has remained stable at 6% to 10%. The commercial catch rate during this time has also been relatively constant at 360 grams per pot-lift.
Recent research by the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries has demonstrated that the catch rate of mud crabs is proportional to total rainfall during the penultimate Wet Season. Mud crab catches will, therefore, fluctuate naturally irrespective of the amount of commercial crabbing that takes place in a particular area, such as Bynoe Harbour.
Results from the 2009-10 Recreational Fishing Survey showed that the recreational harvest rate of mud crabs in Bynoe Harbour, where commercial crabbing is permitted, was higher than that in Darwin Harbour, where commercial crabbing is prohibited. Therefore, the argument that banning commercial crabbing in Bynoe Harbour would improve recreational catch rates in this area is unlikely to hold true.
Balancing the competing demands of fishery stakeholders is a difficult task and one that this government is currently addressing through the development of a fishery resource sharing framework. This framework is being developed in collaboration with all fishery sectors, will be based on robust science and cost benefit analyses, and will ensure the optimal and equitable use of our fishery resources into the future.
Considering the above and government’s commitment to progress development of commercial fisheries, I am unable to support the request to ban commercial crabbing in Bynoe Harbour or adjacent areas.
Petition No 15
Alice Springs Police Call Centre
Date presented: 27 June 2013
Presented by: Mr Giles
Referred to: Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services
Date response due: 17 October 2013
Date response received: 23 July 2013
Date response presented: 20 August 2013
Response:
The Northern Territory government has considered all options relating to the requirement for regional communications centres. In order to provide the most effective call handling standards and efficiencies, the NT government has committed to improving the NT Joint Emergency Services Communications centre (JESCC) located in Darwin.
Additional funding provided to the NT Police will provide additional staff in both the JESCC and Alice Springs front counter in order to improve services. Funding has also been provided to refurnish the JESCC in order to improve efficiencies.
Technical enhancements have been completed that will enable Katherine and Alice Springs front counters to receive Police Assistance Line (PAL) (131 444) calls from their respective regions.
Additional staff at the Alice Springs Police Station front counter will enable the station to provide a 24-hour, seven days per week service, with the capacity to answer the PAL calls locally. The Katherine Police Station front counter will also answer PAL calls during normal hours of operation.
Petition No 17
Reinstate Seniors Bus Concession
Date presented: 17 June 2013
Presented by: Ms Finocchiaro
Referred to: Minister for Transport
Date response due: 17 October 2013
Date response received: 23 July 2013
Date response presented: 20 August 2013
Response:
I can advise that fares across the public bus network in the Northern Territory are low when compared to other jurisdictions. Importantly, the fare structure in the Territory is relatively less complex and does not employ a zonal fare based system where the cost of a ticket increases the further a person travels on the network.
Government’s around Australia heavily subsidise public transport and cost recovery levels vary substantially from state to state. In the Northern Territory, cost recovery levels are very low; however, it is estimated that the new fare structure introduced this year will generate in the order of an additional $2m in revenue annually.
This income has allowed the government to further invest in improving public transport services through initiatives such as the implementation of new bus routes in Darwin as of 1 July 2013, free WiFi on buses and investing in a new ticketing system.
Whilst it is not anticipated that fares will be reduced, a new ticketing system will provide the opportunity to consider other fare types, which will allow more flexibility in setting fare types and considering distance and zonal arrangements.
The $1 concessional fare is low and extremely good value when compared to other jurisdictions and the distances that can be travelled across the Darwin bus network. The $1 fare remains a significant discount for pensioners and contributes to government’s commitment to improving public transport services across the Territory.
- System for Increase on all Senior Concessions and Rebates
Presented by: Ms Finocchiaro
Referred to: Minister for Health
Date response due: 17 October 2013
Date response received: 6 August 2013
Date response presented: 20 August 2013
Response:
- The Northern Territory Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme (NTPCCS) provides concessions to pensioners, carers and seniors to assist them with the cost of living. It is not a seniors’ specific concession scheme.
The objectives of NTPCCS are to assist these groups of Territorians to meet the costs of essential services. Concessions are provided on power, water, sewerage, vehicle registration, driver’s licences, local council and garbage rates, spectacles and public bus travel.
Of the concessions provided, currently only the council and garbage rates are capped and there has been no increase to the concession for vehicle registration since 2009. However, driver’s licences are provided free, increases to concessions occurred with the tariff increases for power, water and sewerage in January 2013, and an annual Consumer Price Index increase is applied to the price list for the spectacles concession.
The Northern Territory government has no control over the level of rates set by councils.
Petition No 19
Interstate and Overseas Travel Concession
Dated presented: 27 June 2012
Presented by: Ms Finocchiaro
Referred to: Minister for Health
Date response due: 17 October 2013
Date response received: 6 August 2013
Date response presented: 20 August 2012
Response:
The Northern Territory Pensioner and Carer concession Scheme (NTPCCS) provides concessions to pensioners, carers and seniors to assist them with the cost of living. It is not a seniors’ specific concession scheme. The objectives of NTPCCS are to assist these groups of Territorians to meet the costs of essential services. Concessions are provided for power, water, sewerage, vehicle registration, driver’s licences, local council and garbage rates, spectacles and public bus travel.
In addition to the cost of living concessions, seniors (women over 60, men over 65) are entitled to a travel concession as a means to encourage them to remain in the Northern Territory during their retirement years by assisting them to maintain contact with friends and family who reside interstate or overseas.
On 5 April 2013, changes were announced to the travel concession available under NTPCCS. Members are now eligible for $500 every two years or the cost of the actual travel, whichever is the lesser amount. The travel concession is no longer accumulative and remains at $500 every two years. A member’s next concession will fall due two years from the commencement date of travel for the member.
The changes which came into effect on 1 July 2013 still allow for eligible members to travel interstate or overseas. It also still allows for a family member or friend to be brought to the Northern Territory. The provision of interstate and overseas travel is not a concession provided by any other state of territory government in Australia.
MOTION
Proposed Censure of Chief Minister
Continued from earlier this day.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for bringing this censure motion before the House. In her contribution she highlighted the litany of failures and broken promises of those members opposite, masquerading as a government. These promises, made to Territorians on the strength of, ‘If you vote for us we will reduce the cost of living. We will do this, we will do that’, were all broken and were made at a time when Territorians had the opportunity to choose. I know many people who gave their vote to the CLP deeply regret it, especially people in the bush who feel betrayed because they listened to the lies offered prior to the election and at the booths when casting their votes - the lies and betrayal this government has delivered to Territorians, especially those in the bush.
We heard the woeful contribution from the Treasurer who talks about belt-tightening. It is more like belting up on Territorians. Twelve months and people have had enough of it.
I condemn this hopeless, terrible, callous and insincere group of individuals, liars who call themselves a government, and who have treated the people of Gove with utter contempt and disregard, a government which has backflipped on a deal, reneged on a deal …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It might save some time if the member simply tables the speech she is reading from.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, member for Fong Lim. Please be seated.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The censure merely accuses the Chief Minister of lying, not other members of this House. She is using the word against other members of this House and, consequently, it should be ruled out of order.
Ms Walker: I am talking about the government lying.
Mr ELFERINK: No, it does not say government, it says Chief Minister. You should read the censure motion.
Mr GUNNER: Madam Speaker, speaking to the point of order, it talks about a year of lies. I believe the member for Nhulunbuy is referencing the year of lies.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, just so I am clear, the censure motion reads, in part:
- … as would prevent this House from censuring the Chief Minister for a year of failures and lies including ….
Ms Walker: A bit sensitive over that side.
Mr ELFERINK: No, just getting the order correct.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy, it does say censuring the Chief Minister as an individual. Please continue.
Ms WALKER: Thanks, Madam Speaker. They are way too sensitive over that side because they know that they are implicit in this. It is not just the Chief Minister; they are all implicit in this, because they are a gammon government …
Mr STYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I thought you asked the member to withdraw the statement. She has not withdrawn the statement.
Madam SPEAKER: No, I asked the member to contain her comments to what is in the censure motion.
Mr STYLES: My mistake. Sorry, Madam Speaker.
Ms WALKER: Clean out your ears, member for Sanderson.
Madam Speaker, they are a gammon government; a government which says one thing then does another. They cannot be trusted. They spent months and months fighting amongst themselves and forgot their role as elected members and as the government of the Northern Territory. There was so much fighting amongst them led by a backstabber, the liar who is the Chief Minister, who seized the opportunity for the top job in March when the former Chief Minister, the member for Blain, was in Japan.
In the lead-up to that, in February, the people of Nhulunbuy had been delivered certainty by the former Chief Minister, the member for Blain. I notice all the downcast eyes on the other side, owning up to what you were part of. The member for Namatjira said he was the most fantastic Chief Minister in the Northern Territory and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, in full-blown colour pictures in the NT News, and you all turned your back on him. Shame on you! The people of Gove had respect for the Chief Minister, the member for Blain, when he reached the decision he did. It provided our community with certainty and with a future. People fail to recognise it is not just about Gove, it is about the region and the contribution that region makes to the Northern Territory and the national economy. That decision in February was significant.
For the members opposite, including the liar who is the Chief Minister and his sidekick, the member for Fong Lim, to say I have been silent for five years is wrong, and they know it. What is most important to me is what appears on the public record and what the people of Nhulunbuy have asked me to do, which is speak up for them in this parliament - pre-election, post-election, that is my role. That will be abundantly evident on the public record.
For the Deputy Chief Minister to say there was an offer of 120 PJ from the former government is untrue. Here is a letter - there were negotiations between Pacific Aluminium, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, and the Northern Territory government. A task force had been formed at that time. There was no mention of the quantum of petajoules required, but there is most definitely correspondence on the public record, and the fact that a high-level task force existed to progress a supply of gas for the Pacific Aluminium operations on the Gove peninsula.
In March, after the now Chief Minister, the member for Braitling’s bid to become the top man, people were asking, ‘Who is this Adam Giles?’ Now they are asking me, ‘Who the hell does Adam Giles think he is, and why will he not come out and talk to us? If he is the Chief Minister, should he not be showing leadership and make his way to our community to front up to people at a meeting and explain his actions?’ However, the only way the government can deal with this situation is to attack me. They cannot see beyond the fact that, as much as they do not like it, the electorate of Nhulunbuy is held by Labor. They accuse me of playing politics. I am not playing politics. I am here to represent the people of Nhulunbuy, which is what they expect me to do.
There was a time when I said to my constituents, ‘This is beyond politics. Chief Minister Terry Mills will sort this out. He knows there is more at stake than the community of Nhulunbuy. This is not about politics. I have confidence the new CLP government will get this sorted.’ It was sorted but was then pulled apart by a media release on 26 July 2013. ‘New plan for gas to Gove’, crowed the new Chief Minister, the member for Braitling, telling lies to people in his media release when he said it is a win/win. He later described it in a media interview as ‘exciting’. Nobody, except the Chief Minister and the CLP government, can see the win/win or the fact this is an exciting offer. We were led to believe there was an offer on the table, and, on the strength of that, certainty for our community.
On the following day, announced on a public holiday when most people were out enjoying themselves – camping, fishing, perhaps at the Darwin Show – the news leaked. The following day our local newsagency was so angry with what they had heard - the news about the reneging on the gas deal had been leaked and Gove people had been lied to – they erected a sign which said, ‘Chief Minister Giles not welcome here. Goveites – political pawns.’
There was a time when I thought this was beyond politics, but I agree with the authors of that sign, as does the entire community of Gove: they are being treated as political pawns. This photo speaks volumes in reflecting the views of many people who live and work in the region and call the place home. However, as anger has subsided, people are looking for answers. They want to hear from the Chief Minister, they want to know what is going on. He is the leader of the Northern Territory and needs to man up, prove he is not the ‘little boy’ the member for Namatjira accused him of being, and front up to the community of Gove.
People’s lives and livelihoods have been thrown into turmoil with the rug of certainty pulled from beneath their feet.
The media release of 26 July was a cynical exercise from the Chief Minister. What an incredibly political exercise it was to make an announcement five minutes out from a federal election, but it gets worse. That announcement was on the Friday then, on the Monday, lo and behold, the Deputy Chief Minister arrives in Nhulunbuy, the Deputy Chief Minister who could not give a budget presentation to the regions. He declined my invitation to front the community to talk about the budget. He wrote me a rude letter basically saying, ‘Too bad, we do not care about you and we do not have the money to do it’.
I calculated a budget presentation from the Treasurer would set his budget back $2500 to $3000 for the benefit of 40 to 50 people who would really love to hear what was being handed down, but no, he could not afford it. Magically, he finds the money because on the Monday he issued a media release saying, ‘Deputy Chief Minister to visit Gove’. He talked about how he would update locals on the progress of plans to get the gas to town.
In tow with the Deputy Chief Minister - this was an entirely political exercise - were some of his Country Liberal Party mates. He had Ian Macfarlane, the Coalition spokesperson for Mines and Energy, and who else might be in that party, not related, but Tina MacFarlane, the CLP candidate for Lingiari also looking for a few votes in the upcoming election. We received a media release saying; ‘He will visit Gove today to update locals on progress with plans to get gas to the town’. Fantastic, people were reading this and saying, ‘It does not say where the meeting is. Where are we meeting?’ Where will the Deputy Chief Minster be so people can hear about this fantastic plan to get gas to the town? The only thing they had scheduled was a media conference at Ski Beach at midday where, lo and behold, Mr Macfarlane made the biggest non-announcement I have ever heard. He announced, ‘If you support the Liberal candidate here you support Tony Abbott. We will save your town. We will underwrite the gas pipeline.’
Excuse me, Deputy Chief Minister, the last time I saw the news a commitment had already been made to underwrite the gas pipeline with due diligence but not without a secure gas supply. That was always the first step. A secure gas supply had to be secured. The federal government was working with the Territory government. Even Chief Minister Terry Mills issued a media release in November to say he had Canberra on board for the gas pipeline. Fantastic! Good on the former Chief Minister because he did not play politics with this; he went to Canberra and worked with the relevant parties to ensure we had Commonwealth government support to get the gas pipeline here.
The member for Fong Lim, masquerading as the Treasurer and Minister for Business, obviously had no choice. It must have been a dilemma. ‘Heck, we have all these Gove people believing I am going to meet with them. We had better set up a meeting somewhere.’ That meeting was set up at the Walkabout Lodge at about 3 pm. It was a good sign of the networks in Nhulunbuy that the word was spread so anybody wanting to attend the meeting to learn about progress with plans to get gas to the town had an opportunity to hear, firsthand, the Deputy Chief Minister. There were probably 70 to 80 people there. I am sure there would have been more if more notice had been given and a more suitable venue had been used. However, at least there was the opportunity to meet.
The meeting opened with the member from the Canberra parliament speaking to a roomful of people worried about their future, their lives, their livelihoods, the fact they reinvested in their businesses, and people who had turned back jobs in February to move somewhere else because they thought everything would be fine in Gove. It was also the first time I had heard Tina MacFarlane speak. She does not say much. She had the microphone shoved into her hand and was told by Ian Macfarlane to, ‘Just welcome everyone will you, and say we are pleased to have everyone here’.
She did that and said nothing for the rest of the meeting, just sat there with a dopey look on her face. Ian Macfarlane started by telling people, ‘You vote for the Coalition in the federal government and we will save your town. We will get gas to Gove.’ You can imagine the reaction in the room. People said, ‘You are here to buy our vote. That is not why we are here; we want to hear about gas to Gove.’
Things pretty much went downhill from there. The Deputy Chief Minister offended people in some of his responses to questions. He was dismissive of their questions and branded the room the Lynne Walker Fan Club. That went down like a lead balloon. I do not presume to second guess what people’s politics are. Yes, it may be a Labor held seat, but there are people who do not vote for me. I do not ask, when they come through my door looking for support, ‘Did you vote for me?’ I represent everyone, and I know in that room there were people who did not vote for me. They were highly offended by the presumption the Deputy Chief Minister made about their political allegiances.
He had the gall, on ABC radio later that afternoon, to say the meeting had been railroaded by a few people with political agendas.
I can tell you who was absent from that meeting - the member for Namatjira. If this does not have political hairs all over it, I do not know what does.
I received this e-mail. In fact, a number of public servants received this e-mail, which I thought would be in breach of OCPE. It is an invitation with special guests, Hon Ian Macfarlane and Hon Alison Anderson, for a $100 per head CLP dinner at the Walkabout Lodge that night. I received the invitation. The member for Namatjira was a no show. I believe the night before she knew the heat was on, and when the heat is on in the kitchen, she is the first one running out the door.
There were no plans for the Deputy Chief Minister to come to Nhulunbuy; he was thrown that task some time that night. You can bet your bottom dollar that was the case. They mistimed things drastically. They catered for 80 people but only 10 showed up at the dinner. They did not make money, they lost it, and they are losing the people of Gove unless the Chief Minister, Adam Giles, gets off his backside and makes his way there.
The last four weeks have been an incredibly difficult time for people in Nhulunbuy, knowing they have had the rug pulled out from under their feet. I go back to the members opposite who sat in Cabinet when the decision was made in February. The Chief Minister, Terry Mills, spoke endlessly about needing to talk with Cabinet to get approval ...
Mr Tollner: We are still waiting to see what you have done publicly in the last five years …
Ms WALKER: Revisit Hansard. On 12 February, a number of members praised the Chief Minister for the fantastic job he did in getting gas to Gove. We are talking about the former backstabbed Chief Minister. This is what the member for Araluen said:
- the Chief Minister, who clinched the greatest deal in the recent history of the Northern Territory for all Territorians ...
…
He has clinched the deal to provide great security for the people of Nhulunbuy and people across the Northern Territory. More than anything, it opens the door to great economic prosperity and growth – what this government is all about.
Does that not matter any longer to those of you who sat around the Cabinet table and said, ‘Yes, this is a good idea?’ What a spineless bunch of callous and lying individuals you are!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nhulunbuy …
Ms WALKER: I withdraw ‘lying individuals’, I will just use ‘lying’ to refer to the Chief Minister, because he is a liar.
There was a rally in January. We had 1000 people turn out to our oval – mums, dads, kids, business owners, government employees, people who call the place home. We rallied and rallied. Eventually, in February, we had the decision from the Chief Minister, one we now know counts for nothing. However, to add insult to injury, we still have a Chief Minister who refuses to come out to Gove. Unless he changes that very soon, he will find people there will become increasingly hostile towards him. Not invited to Gove? He was invited; he pulled out of the Garma Festival. The only one who bothered to come was the member for Arnhem who came to get a few photographs with Tony Abbott.
This CLP government does not like Gove and is punishing Gove people because it is a seat held by Labor. They need to move beyond that. They are far most interested in fattening up the newly elected CLP seats than worrying about the people of Gove. Shame on them, I condemn them!
Mr Tollner: That is an impassioned speech.
Ms WALKER: It is an honest one, Dave.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I pick up on the comment by the member for Nhulunbuy, ‘It is an honest one, Dave’. It is not because at the outset she said the only person who bothered turning up to the Garma Festival was the member for Arnhem. I spoke to you at the Garma Festival while I was there, but the truth …
Ms Walker: … the Saturday forum.
Mr ELFERINK: You were standing there talking to me.
Ms Walker: Yes, you were there. I am talking about the Saturday forum he was supposed to be at.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay, so we are now qualifying the things we say in this House. That is the hallmark of the way the former Labor government presents arguments. They will make a sweeping statement and you have to find the asterisks in that statement and look into the small print for the qualifiers. The fact the last thing she said I can pull up for being incorrect - the ‘L’ word would apply if the censure motion was against her - demonstrates exactly why, when the Labor Party comes into this House and starts throwing this stuff around, you have to listen very carefully to what they are saying.
Let us pause for a moment to consider what a censure motion is. It is an attempt to bring a government down and convince members of the parliament that government is in such a state of disarray it needs to be brought down and we have to bring it back to the electorate for a decision. If members of the Labor Party were in support of this, why is the member for Fannie Bay not here? Why can I not see the member for Wanguri? Why can I …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Leader of Government Business knows only too well, as Professor of Procedureology in this parliament, he cannot make reference to the presence or absence of members. I ask that he withdraw references to members from this side.
Mr ELFERINK: I withdraw that they are not here.
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: Please withdraw completely, member for Port Darwin.
Mr ELFERINK: I withdraw, Madam Speaker. Why is the Leader of the Opposition not being stridently supported by her colleagues in the way we would expect when trying to bring down a government? I am suffering from the vision of the back of so many chairs. It seems we are more interested in what is really going on here - politics. If members opposite genuinely believed the Leader of the Opposition was correct, they would be screaming from the rafters. This would be hellfire and brimstone stuff, not meandering in and out at leisure to deal with the issue before the House. So passionately and stridently committed is the Leader of the Opposition to this issue that after her censure motion, which saw some of the members not show the support you would expect, she did not continue to pursue the matter and, I understood, was elsewhere in the building scoffing sausage rolls.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask the Leader of the Government Business to withdraw. They well know you do not point to a person’s absence or otherwise in debate in the Chamber. Further to that he is wrong. I was not scoffing down sausage rolls.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! What the member for Port Darwin was saying is entirely relevant to this debate and he should be allowed to continue. What the Leader of the Opposition did immediately after that censure motion was vile and the worst type of practice you would expect from any parliamentarian in this House. The Leader of Government Business should be allowed to continue those remarks and point to the actions of the Leader of the Opposition.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, there is no point of order. Please be seated.
Member for Port Darwin, please ensure your comments are not of a personal nature.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I found the member for Fong Lim’s comments highly offensive. I ask that he withdraw. He said my actions were vile and highly offensive and I ask that he withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, please withdraw the comments. The member has found them offensive.
Mr TOLLNER: Withdraw what?
Madam SPEAKER: Withdraw the comments with reference to the member being vile.
Mr TOLLNER: What is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, withdraw your comments!
Mr TOLLNER: All right, I withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Member for Port Darwin, you have the call
Mr ELFERINK: The point is, for an opposition trying to bring down a government in calamitous decay, they are not showing the heart one would expect. It is so pedestrian as to be bereft of legitimacy. I do not see a rising fume of anger; I see a vehicle to highlight what they consider the shortcomings of the current government.
Mr Tollner: The local member is on his feet here and you are scoffing sausage rolls with a primary school from his electorate. That is appalling.
Ms Lawrie: You are wrong.
Mr Tollner: What were you doing there then?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, you are on a warning. Cease interjecting! Member for Port Darwin, you have the call.
Mr ELFERINK: There is one component of the approach of the Leader of the Opposition that I take exception to, and this House should take exception to. I have no real complaints about her contribution, in spite of the fact it was laced with venom, other than her predisposition to identify people who are married to, related to, or associated with the Country Liberal Party and publicly attack them using their names and identifying them as public servants of the Northern Territory. That is ghastly behaviour and unsupportable because she makes allegations of a criminal nature, particularly during the estimates process, and then offers no supporting evidence other than her own conjecture. We see …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I find that highly offensive. I have made no allegations of a criminal nature. He is accusing me of having made allegations of a criminal nature. If he wants to do that he must do so by way of a substantive motion and take me to privileges, otherwise he withdraws. Madam Speaker, that is a bridge too far.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, the allegation she made against a former member’s wife, who is a serving public servant, was of a criminal nature and involved the electoral process. During the estimates process she named the person quite deliberately - a public servant of the Northern Territory.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, the Opposition Leader has asked you to withdraw the comments because she has found them offensive.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I withdraw, but I make the observation that she is liberal to the point of being cavalier and beyond with other people’s reputations.
Ms Lawrie: There is a police investigation.
Mr ELFERINK: I pick up on the interjection. If there is a police investigation then the allegation you made is of a criminal nature. You named that person, continue to name that person, and that is disgraceful, embarrassing and horrible conduct towards public servants in the Northern Territory. The only crime you can commit in the Northern Territory, according to the Leader of the Opposition, is to be in some way related to a Country Liberals member. If you are and are employed in the public service, win a contract or perhaps even win a water licence, your reputation is there to be sullied and diminished in every possible way.
We remember the Leader of the Opposition was prepared to attack the member for Daly, on the first day he walked in here, in a most scurrilous fashion ...
Ms Lawrie: Absolutely.
Mr ELFERINK: She says, ‘Absolutely’. Repeat those allegations outside this House. Issue a media release stating that. Outside this House - zip, because what she articulates against public servants and members of this House in any other environment would be slander and defamation.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Relevance. I know he is somewhat obsessed, but the censure is about the failings of the CLP Chief Minister and the lies. He wants this to be about me entirely because the opposition brings the government to account through my strength in leadership. Get onto it, be relevant, and have something to say in defence of your own Chief Minister!
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Opposition Leader.
Mr ELFERINK: This is entirely about trying to protect public servants and we saw it again today. Today the Leader of the Opposition asserted that the daughter of the member for Namatjira received favourable treatment in a promotion. Who originally employed the daughter of the member for Namatjira? Was it the Country Liberal Party or was it the former Labor government? My goodness, it was the former Labor government.
Ms Lawrie: How did she go from an AO6 to an EO2?
Mr ELFERINK: I pick up on that interjection. You said AO4 in your speech. All of a sudden she is an AO6. Are you to be believed when you talk about other people’s reputations? Is the Leader of the Opposition in any way to be believed?
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I repeat what I said before on Hansard, AO4 prior to the election, AO6 after the election, promoted to EO2.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Opposition Leader.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, why is it that because this public servant is related to a member of the Country Liberals, they are automatically receiving preferential treatment? The former Country Liberals Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, also clearly received preferential treatment, or is it the case a talented person was given a job?
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is factually incorrect. Chief Minister Paul Henderson was a former Labor Chief Minister not a Country Liberals Chief Minister. You are getting confused.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Sit down.
Mr ELFERINK: That was irony, Madam Speaker. It was an ironical expression. The point is: public servants beware. If this person becomes Chief Minister of the Northern Territory you are political fodder. I have made it a point, since becoming a minister, to protect public servants and shield them as much as possible from the way the Labor Party used public servants. If you look at the way public servants were rolled out as human shields during the Mataranka cattle deaths debacle you get a clear understanding of how this Labor Party operates. It irritates me to an extraordinary degree that a person’s reputation is up for grabs simply because the Leader of the Opposition cares to make a point.
This censure motion is basically the wrap up of the year according to members opposite. Each point masks a real issue, because we would have to engage in a competent debate to deal with issues such as the future of Nhulunbuy. I hear the screeching, accusations, and see the finger pointing. What I do not hear from members opposite is a deconstruction of the facts. They weave in fabrications and leave out information. That concerns me because they are not really engaged in a deconstruction of what government is doing, they are merely trying to muddy the waters.
The allegation of sacking public servants – no public servant earning under $110 000 has been sacked. They have determined a contract is an unending arrangement in spite of the fact many of the contracts we are referring to were supported by federal government money, channelled through the Northern Territory government, and have come to an end.
They say we are sacking people and arguing we should continue employing these people on contracts from funding streams which have stopped. These, by the way, are contractual arrangements the former government entered into which came to an end, which means there is no more money to pay public servants. Those public servants were not made permanent by the former Labor government because they knew there was a point when the federal government would dry up.
However, we do not hear that in these debates because the language of the members opposite is to say we have sacked all these people. They knew of those arrangements because they put them in place. They never said boo about it when they were in government because they knew the results would be the same. It is part of the way they dress up some slogans which are then woven into a censure motion, without exploring what is occurring behind each of the slogans.
The allegation of slashing infrastructure spending - I ask them to compare their budget from two years ago to their budget from one year ago. You will find that budget came down because …
Ms Lawrie interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: I hear the interjection. I am talking about the last two infrastructure budgets you put together. You said you slashed your own budgets. No, what you did was …
Ms Lawrie: No, it was not slashed.
Mr ELFERINK: … you knew you were already borrowing beyond your means, which is why we ended up inheriting a projected debt of $5.5bn …
Ms Lawrie: Rubbish!
Mr ELFERINK: Do not say ‘rubbish’. I can point the bottom line out to you in your last set of budget papers.
The $5.5bn projected debt is something we have to cope with. The former government would have us believe you can spend your way out of debt. That is the logic. They are wearing red, we are advised, in solidarity with members of the union. That is an easy position to take; from opposition you can stand in solidarity with anything you like. I wonder if they would be wearing red in solidarity with the unions had they still been in government presented with the same budget deficit and future debt. I suspect not. However, one of the great pleasures of opposition is you can say what you please, do as you please, promise the world, knowing you will not be accountable for any of those promises.
You can wear red in solidarity with the unions; however, we have inherited a deficit from a former government. We also have a projected debt of $5.5bn inherited from a Labor government. This continues to be a source of great concern to members on this side of the House. I remember the Treasurer talking about the threat to our credit rating. ‘Nonsense’, said the former Treasurer, ‘absolute nonsense’, until it was confirmed by Access Economics – I could stand corrected on that; it was some independent and well-respected party outside government. Have we heard boo about it since then? Not a chance!
We continue to govern for the people of the Northern Territory. Are we a perfect government? No, but no government ever is. We will, however, continue to work for the people of the Northern Territory. We will continue to do it in a responsible fashion, a measured fashion, and with a view to bringing about the best results for the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory.
The members opposite can interject and be as shrill as they like, but they know, especially those who were ministers, that you have to deal with real issues affecting all Territorians, and the process of dealing with real issues means we have to make real decisions and, sometimes, have to make challenging and tough decisions. Nevertheless, we will continue to do what is necessary to ensure the Territory is well-governed into the future. I have not seen any evidence brought to this House today that the Territory is not well-governed. It is soundly governed with a view to what we pray for every time we sit in this House, the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory.
The Assembly divided:
Ayes 5 Noes 14
Ms Fyles Ms Anderson
Ms Lawrie Mr Chandler
Mr McCarthy Mr Conlan
Mr Vatskalis Mr Elferink
Ms Walker Ms Finocchiaro
Mr Giles
Mr Higgins
Mr Kurrupuwu
Mrs Lambley
Ms Lee
Mr Mills
Mr Styles
Mr Tollner
Mr Westra van Holthe
Motion negatived
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Opposition Leader made a range of unparliamentary comments she should withdraw. Perhaps, at the same time, she can explain why she was up there with the Milkwood Steiner schools scoffing sausage rolls
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, there is no point of order. Sit down!
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! There was an offence towards the member for Namatjira and I ask that be withdrawn.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, given many members were on the floor talking aloud, I could not and did not hear any statement. However, if you have taken offence, Opposition Leader, please withdraw.
Ms LAWRIE: I am happy to withdraw.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Twelve Months in Government and Framing the Future
Twelve Months in Government and Framing the Future
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, on 25 August 2012 the Country Liberals were elected by the people of the Northern Territory. It was an historic result which delivered a government which truly represents our major centres - Darwin, Palmerston, Alice Springs and Katherine - as well as the bush. We came to government armed with an agenda of priorities designed to target areas of opportunity and neglect we identified when in opposition. We have hit the ground running. Today I report to the House on the first 12 months of government and outline where my government is heading in the next 12 months and beyond.
At the outset it must be said the new government encountered numerous challenges within its first 12 months as we set about implementing our reform agenda. We were confronted with a dire fiscal situation left to us by the former Labor Treasurer, now Opposition Leader. This required the new government to reprioritise its agenda. The ramifications of the financial mess left to us cannot be underestimated. A $5.5bn debt is a serious problem for all of us. The fiscal challenges confronting the new government are unprecedented. We have comprehensively reviewed the Territory’s fiscal situation and have taken stock. Without putting in place a cost-efficient government for the future we could not move forward. We are now building positive momentum and looking towards the future. We want to harness existing possibilities and pursue new ones in order to maximise the Territory’s potential.
Our approach to growing the economy must be sensible, structured and strategic. What we do now will guide the Territory for generations, so we have to get it right. We are known as a growing, confident can-do jurisdiction. We will pursue opportunities and tell investors in Australia and internationally that we in the Northern Territory are open for business. Our economy must be diverse, innovative and sustainable.
Some months ago I established an economic expert panel to work with government and an economic subcommittee of Cabinet to guide our efforts. We will develop and implement an economic development framework that will focus on opportunities for growth around the Northern Territory. These and other initiatives are vital if we are to achieve our goals.
If we look first at the business industry and resources sector, the Territory continues to lead the nation with economic activity. The July 2013 CommSec State of the States report noted that we had the fastest annual economic growth rate in the nation, up by 13.5% on a year ago.
The June 2013 Sensis Business Index results also noted the longer term profitability outlook for the 12 months to May 2014 was the highest of any jurisdiction, and forecasts suggest our economy will grow by 5% in the coming year.
In order to continue to drive growth and see greater private sector enterprise participation, we must attract increasing investment. Currently, 15 projects hold major project status in the Territory. Of course, the most significant project currently under way is the $34bn Ichthys LNG project. It is the largest private investment in the Northern Territory’s history. Work on the project continues to ramp up in Darwin with more than 2000 people already employed to build onshore LNG facilities at Blaydin Point. An estimated 4000 jobs will be created in Darwin at the peak of the construction period, with a further 1000 offshore.
The Northern Territory government is working closely with INPEX to ensure local businesses have the chance to win many of the multimillion dollar construction contracts on offer.
I made presentations and representations on this subject when in Japan recently. Approximately $5.1bn of the project commitment has been allocated to NT-based businesses over the life of the project. As of March this year, more than 150 NT-based companies have been awarded subcontracts or supply of purchase orders by JKC. The onshore LNG facility is on track to be up and running by late 2016.
The resources sector plays a vital part in the Territory’s economy and will continue to do so into the future. We want to expand and facilitate increased activity in oil and gas, and mining, but we must ensure these important assets are managed sustainably and in line with community expectations regarding the impacts of mining activities on the environment.
In May, we announced a new 1% levy to address mining legacies which comes into effect on 1 October 2013. This recognises the level of environmental performance expected from the mining sector in 2013, and is vastly higher than in previous decades. It is important to note Labor lacked the courage to do this when in government.
The Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority also commenced as an independent statutory authority on 1 January 2013, tasked with promoting sustainable development through proper regulatory frameworks. The new EPA is reflective of environmental protection authorities in other jurisdictions and removes uncertainty over the role of the EPA and government departments.
Turning to Asian engagement, since coming to government we have been expanding and deepening our links with our Asian trading partners. Our relationship with our neighbours is fundamental to growing our trade. I am happy to report our relationship with Japan has never been stronger. Regular meetings have taken place with INPEX, led by President and CEO, Mr Kitamura, and with Dr Masahiro Kohara, the Japanese Consul-General.
While I was in Japan last month, high-level meetings took place with representatives from the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry for Economy, Trade and Industry. I also met with the Mitsubishi Corporation and JGC Corporation.
Later this year I will return to Japan to address the prestigious Australia Japan Joint Business Conference, and Darwin, interestingly, will host this annual conference for the first time in 2014. We look forward to that.
Ms Lawrie: Delivered by Paul Henderson.
Mr GILES: Sorry, is someone choking on a sausage roll over there?
I have also been working closely with the Timor-Leste government to build stronger regional relations and economic opportunities. President Ruak recognises the importance of the Territory to his country’s economy and future, and has announced he will open Timor-Leste’s first official Darwin consulate.
I recently visited Dili and expressed my support for building a trilateral relationship between the Territory, Timor-Leste and eastern Indonesia through the Indonesian government. We will be sponsoring a business forum in Bali in November involving all three jurisdictions.
With regard to our largest neighbour, Indonesia, we are considering an opportunity within the overall northern Australian scenario of establishing an office in Jakarta to ensure better relationships with our largest neighbour.
With regard to the vital live export trade, we have worked hard to repair the damage done by Labor. Extensive work has been done to re-engage with Indonesia. The Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, the member for Katherine, has travelled to Indonesia on a regular basis to help restore the important relationship with Indonesia.
I have also been to Indonesia and held top-level meetings with government officials, including the Foreign minister, Marty Natalegawa.
Our government has contributed a significant amount of time and energy into attracting new investments in the Northern Territory by forming relationships with investors here and overseas. On a recent trade mission to Singapore, I was overwhelmed by the enormous interest in the Northern Territory in a range of sectors, from education to agriculture and, of course, energy. I consider building these relationships to be of utmost importance.
I also want the bush to share in the benefits of the economic growth, something Labor neglected for eleven-and-a-half years. Substantially increasing Indigenous workforce participation continues to be a priority for this government, especially in remote areas. We have the highest workforce participation rates in the country, but we must underpin the capacity of our Indigenous Territorians to participate in the local and wider economy.
The draft Indigenous Economic Development Strategy 2013-2020 was released for comment in June 2013 and sets out a long-term plan to increase Indigenous participation by promoting entrepreneurship, self-reliance and resilience. Key to this is a new openness to development in the bush. My message to communities is clear: if you want a viable economic future with real jobs for your people, come with a business idea and we will do everything in our power to make it happen. If you are prepared to make the tough decisions to give your children a brighter future, I will walk with you every step of the way. The team at the Country Liberals will work to remove the road blocks for development. We are offering a partnership. We will go to the banks, be your advocate, remove red tape - and there is much Labor red tape - arrange leases and source private investors, whatever is required to establish economic development in the bush. Top-level government advice will be available to you to facilitate this.
The Department of the Chief Minister is in the process of recruiting a new Director of Regional Economic Development who will work with communities that want to do their business differently: the ones that want to create jobs and opportunities. I have already spoken to a number of communities that are showing interest in this new approach which promotes jobs over sit-down money.
Another crucial element of energising our bush communities is giving them a genuine voice through local government reform at a grassroots level. The community had become disenchanted with Labor’s much-maligned super shires concept, its system. It was apparent that drastic reforms were needed to empower people once again. A significant election promise is being fulfilled this week with legislation being introduced at these sittings which will mark the beginning of a new era of local government. These amendments will introduce regional councils. They will then be required to establish local authorities made up of local people. These local authorities will be a direct link between the regional council and communities to ensure local government is far more responsive to the needs of its residents. These changes have followed extensive consultation.
There is, without doubt, an enormous amount of work still to be done to re-engage with local communities, but we have begun the process of rebuilding faith in the local government system that was failing people in the bush.
We are serious about our commitment to give Aboriginal people in the bush a voice. Soon I will be making further announcements about first circles, a model of engagement with Aboriginal people in the Territory that will ensure Aboriginal people can provide advice on development and implementation of policy directly to government. The focus will be on developing our regions and their economies. The model will involve branches established in the Top End and Central Australia which will meet with Cabinet throughout the year. This collaborative model of consultation will be an Australian first, a direct voice into an Australian Cabinet.
The growth of the Northern Territory economy has inevitably increased pressure on the housing market. The legacy left by Labor was very little provision of housing to support growth. In stark contrast with Labor’s inertia, we have been active in this area through our Real Housing for Growth strategy. Accelerated land release through identifying and progressing greenfield sites, as well as infill on existing Crown land sites, is essential to reducing the cost of living for Territorians, something Labor never did.
More than 70 parcels of land for development have been identified for release over the next five years. These sites are serviced by established infrastructure. The potential housing yield from these sites is 2700 dwellings across the Territory. This year land parcels will be released to the market in Kilgariff, Katherine East, and Zuccoli Stage 2 in Palmerston, accelerating the land release program. A new head release scheme is also being put in place. That is a win/win for both property owners and renters. Under this scheme, the government will lease new residential properties for a period of 10 years. These will then be rented to eligible tenants at a 30% discount on market rates. Contracts for more than 500 of these will be issued next month. A further 1500 will be offered over the next three years. The response from developers has already been overwhelming.
The government is committed to pursuing good process in the way we manage our built environment. The new Planning Commission was established on 1 January 2013, with the primary function of preparing integrated strategic plans, guidelines and assessment criteria for inclusion in the Northern Territory Planning Scheme.
We have also been working to improve housing in the bush. As at 30 June, under the National Partnership Agreement for Remote Indigenous Housing, the Territory has delivered 942 new houses. This is in excess of the target. We are delivering at around triple the pace of Western Australia and Queensland, a significant achievement considering the challenges of delivering across 73 communities.
We have also launched a new Homelands Policy which revises our funding methodology so municipal services and housing maintenance allocations take into account the number of residents, degree of isolation and existing essential service levels. We have also introduced a new incentive, the Homelands Extra Allowance, to better support families who are pursuing employment and education and want to live on their homeland.
Now to police: part of building a safe and stable Northern Territory is a properly staffed police force. We have known for years that more police officers were needed in the Territory, despite Labor’s attempts to shout us down. We said we would improve community safety and recruit 120 new police positions with an additional 20 frontline officers for Alice Springs. Four squads have either begun training or have already graduated this year. In Alice Springs, the 20 positions have been filled as well as an additional Assistant Commissioner being appointed with responsibility for regional operations.
The stage 1 expansion of police facilities in Alice Springs is also under way. The CCTV system is being expanded to include Katherine. High tech advances to enhance policing include the mobile data project for iPad devices giving officers direct access to police databases. This is the kind of high-tech cutting-edge project I want to see more of throughout our business in the Territory.
In the broader justice arena, our government has introduced important reforms to the legal system with the launch of a comprehensive policing, justice and corrections strategy called the Pillars of Justice. It will be integrated across our government departments to address repeat offending, violence and substance abuse. Prisoner employment programs such as Sentenced to a Job are already showing signs of success and strong support from the business community. There are now a total of 14 permanent prisoner work parties operating from correctional centres, including two aimed at work in regional and remote areas. The development of the two boot camp models, one for early intervention and one for sentenced young offenders, reinforces our strong commitment to youth diversionary programs.
To education: this government is pursuing educational outcomes to ensure Territory schools receive the best deal possible, rather than the rushed political frenzy of Gonski. We listened to what the federal government had to say, but Labor’s Gonski remains a bad deal. It is a flawed model which says 40% of Territory school students receive too much funding and need less. Should we sign up, it would require a large funding injection from the Northern Territory government. At the same time, we have a huge debt legacy from the previous Labor government of $5.5bn. Accruing more debt on top of that $5.5bn is not in the best interests of our children who will then be saddled with paying it off.
Kevin Rudd’s Gonski formula also dictates how every cent of this money should be spent, setting up bureaucracies in Canberra and telling our schools what to do. By contrast, there is another way. The federal Coalition, under the leadership of Tony Abbott, has offered a plan which gives us tens of millions of dollars in extra funding with none of Labor’s strings attached. You can trust Tony Abbott but you cannot trust Kevin Rudd. Tony Abbott will boost education spending in the Northern Territory by the same amount as federal Labor over the forward estimates, but will allow us to spend it where we believe it is needed most and not be dictated to by Canberra. We are the Northern Territory; we decide how we operate. It is exactly what I have been asking for and it has taken the federal Coalition to deliver it. You can trust Tony Abbott.
An Indigenous education review is under way. Last undertaken in 1998, this review will provide a long overdue analysis of Aboriginal students, who make up more than 40% of enrolments in government schools but whose educational outcomes fall well below par.
In health, we are working hard to keep our communities healthy. We have embarked on significant reforms and investment in this sector, including major restructure of the health and hospital system. Gone are the days of top-down decision-making and strict compliance. Our new framework provides for increased local and devolved decision-making, particularly for senior clinicians. New Top End and Central Australian Health Boards have been appointed and will help drive regional-specific solutions to local problems. We have also been busy improving our health infrastructure. We have redevelopments planned or completed at the emergency departments in Gove and Tennant Creek, as well as wider upgrades at Alice Springs and Royal Darwin Hospitals. A new site for the second Darwin hospital has been identified in Palmerston. An amount of $5m is being spent on a proper hospital scoping study and master plan for the new hospital and is due to be completed in the third quarter of this year. It is without doubt a sensible investment with the objective of proper planning leading to a hospital that will properly service the needs of Palmerston and the rural area in the long term.
We are tackling chronic alcohol issues with strength and leadership through the health system. The alcohol mandatory rehabilitation program is one part of the suite of measures to address the …
Ms Lawrie: That is not what the nurses say, or the doctors.
Mr GILES: … Territory’s alcohol problems. Can someone get this lady a nurse? She is choking on a sausage roll.
Our strategy is about protecting the rights of people with chronic alcohol problems and their families …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask that the Chief Minister withdraw his offensive comments about me – Standing Order 51.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: What comment was offensive?
Ms LAWRIE: Talk to the Clerk if you want. It was highly offensive.
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker ...
Ms LAWRIE: Standing Order 62.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: There are a couple of things. First, you are already on a warning and I do not like being misled with standing orders. If you quote a standing order, can you please ensure it is the correct one. Do not just quote a number.
Second, I ask the Chief Minister to withdraw the comment. If the Leader of the Opposition finds it offensive she can ask for it be withdrawn, but it is up to you whether you withdraw it.
Mr GILES: I am happy to withdraw. It is all very well to sit there like Robinson Crusoe with a glass jaw and not be able to handle what you dish up, Leader of the Opposition. I notice you are on your own. The way the politics of the Labor Party in the Northern Territory is at the moment, I would not trust your colleagues the same way we do not trust Labor.
Mr Deputy Speaker, our strategy is about protecting the rights of people with chronic alcohol problems and their families. We believe chronic alcoholics have a right to get help from qualified clinicians and counsellors instead of cycling through the revolving door of protective custody, sobering-up shelters, and complete neglect by Labor.
Looking at the advances in infrastructure, in May 2013 the budget invested in building the Territory’s future with an infrastructure program in excess of $1bn, comprising a capital works program of more than $550m and a repairs and maintenance program exceeding $250m. This includes: almost $140m towards remote Indigenous housing and capital works; more than $48m towards the upgrade and construction of health clinics and family centres, including the construction and upgrade of the Ntaria, Papunya, Elliott, Ngukurr and Galiwinku health clinics; the construction and upgrade of remote health clinics in Canteen Creek, Numbulwar, Docker River and Maningrida; and the continued construction of child and family centres at Gunbalanya, Maningrida, Ngukurr and Yuendemu. There has also been nearly $30m committed to continuing the stream crossing upgrades in areas such as the Goyder River, and targeted pavement upgrades on the Central Arnhem Road.
In transport, the Country Liberal government has invested in roads and transport assets. Motor Vehicle Registry is now more efficient and user-friendly due to a wide range of reforms. Changes include no more rego stickers for light vehicles, a new 10-year driver’s licence, and the launch of smartphone MVR applications. MVR in Darwin is now open on Saturday.
There are enhanced public bus services with additional routes, and the upgrade of free WiFi. The DriveSafe NT Remote program is being fully funded to continue for a further three years. DriveSafe NT Remote encourages Indigenous Territorians to gain a driver’s licence by helping them with the paperwork and teaching them safe driving skills. The program has been an enormous success with more than 700 people already qualifying for their licence in remote Territory communities from Galiwinku to Tennant Creek.
Planned road upgrades include the Barkly, Stuart and Arnhem Highways. Darwin motorists will also benefit from the start of the duplication of Tiger Brennan Drive. However, a major setback in road funding has been the federal government’s delayed provision of funding for Territory roads, or non-committal or non-trustworthy approach to supporting the Territory’s growth in infrastructure. This is particularly reflective through the Nation Building 2 program for the years 2015-19.
With this in mind, the federal government has been playing political games with the money meant to provide road safety. I look forward to a stronger working relationship with the Abbott-led Coalition government; someone we can trust with roads for the Northern Territory.
Tourism is a vital part of the Territory’s economic story. After a tough decade of Labor neglecting the sector this government made a strong commitment, acknowledging the crucial role tourism plays. In November 2012, the Tourism Advisory Board was replaced with an independent Tourist Commission. Positive news for tourism is now coming online. International air services into Darwin now include Philippine Airlines, Air Asia, SilkAir, Jetstar, and Airnorth, and Malaysia Airlines has resumed flights out of Darwin. The outlook for Central Australia was also improved substantially with the expansion of airline services, particularly around Tigerair.
In June 2013, Tourism Vision 2020 was also released for discussion. The draft strategy defines targets to boost tourism growth to 3.1% per annum, to achieve a $2.2bn visitor economy by 2020, and to support an estimated 4300 new jobs above the current total of 14 000.
Last month the government signed a landmark $7m cooperative marketing agreement with Qantas, the largest marketing agreement in the Territory’s history. We have also updated our tourism branding with a new tag line, ‘Do the NT’ to promote the Territory as a hands-on visitor experience. The new Tourism headquarters in Alice Springs officially opened in the Todd Mall at the end of June and will contribute to the revitalisation of the Alice Springs CBD.
I now turn to the Power and Water Corporation. The dire state of Power and Water was uncovered in full when the government came to office. It has led us to make some tough decisions about reform and structural change. At this important but troubled organisation we have to make this change. Power and Water has been hamstrung by Labor’s failure to address its problems. Under Labor, Power and Water was a bloated, inefficient organisation sustained through taxpayer subsidies. We are working to change that.
Labor ignored the recommendations of the Reeves report, a report it brought on. The report said it was necessary to increase electricity prices by 40% to keep the organisation viable. A revised tariff structure together with inefficiencies identified by the board are expected to achieve savings in operating costs of some $180m over the next five years.
The Northern Territory government has recently announced it is moving to improve the regulatory framework in the energy sector to encourage greater competition. These reforms aim to reduce pressure on future power costs and prices. We want to promote choice for consumers and encourage more players into the energy market. These reforms will be progressively introduced over the next couple of years, and will require the passage of legislation through parliament along with extensive consultation with stakeholders and the community. Delia Lawrie’s former government did nothing to promote or encourage competition in the Territory’s electricity supply market.
Cabinet is still considering the best structure for Power and Water to operate in a more competitive marketplace; however, there are no plans to sell Power and Water.
I turn to arts. Our government sees the Territory as an arts destination with an exciting future and an exciting minister. In April 2013, the government announced work towards the new structure for Museums and Art Galleries of the NT. There will soon be an independent statutory authority managed by a board directly responsible to the government. This will bring Museums and Art Galleries of the NT into line with other major institutions across the nation. This is a change that friends and staff of Museums and Art Galleries of the NT have long been lobbying for, but their calls fell on the deaf ears of the former Labor government. The Country Liberals government has delivered, unlocking huge potential for philanthropic contributions.
In summary, despite the mess left to us by the former Labor Treasurer, now Opposition Leader and someone you cannot trust, we have been able to accomplish a great deal in our first 12 months. We have done some heavy lifting and made some tough decisions. We recognise that, but we are confident we are on the path to achieving greatness in the Territory over the next year and beyond. For this, we need to plan using a structure which supports and promotes our goals to realise those opportunities.
Madam Speaker, this brings me to Framing the Future. We have developed a blueprint called Framing the Future setting out the overall vision for the Territory and its objectives and priorities over the next three years. Cabinet has discussed this blueprint at length. I have had discussions with business, industry and community representatives who have helped shape the direction this government will take.
This draft framework establishes four strategic goals. The first is a prosperous economy. This means we need to expand our economy and ensure it is competitive, both domestically and internationally. It means an economy where our local businesses, wherever they are located in the Territory, are productive and profitable. It means an economy attractive to local, national, and international investors. We need to work with our communities and build the regional economy and make the most of our position in northern Australia and our proximity to Asia. To achieve this prosperous economy, we need to ensure the Territory is positioned for sustainable growth, and has a capable and competitive workforce. Industry, business, non-government organisations, and the community, as well as local, state, and national governments, must work together and take responsibility for the sustained growth and prosperity of the Northern Territory.
Our second goal is a strong society. It means a fully participative society where all individuals have access to the same opportunities and resources to make a contribution to the community within their capacity. This is one of the most complex social policy challenges. Government needs to assist those who are less capable so they may develop their capacity to engage within the economy and within society in a way which empowers them as individuals. We also need to make it safe for them to do so. We want everybody to play a role in, and share the profits of, our prosperous economy.
This government will focus its actions on delivering a strong society that is participative and engaging, connected and capable of making a difference. We will not be afraid to confront the Territory’s serious problems head on.
The fabric of our society is under siege from alcohol abuse. Addressing this is crucial to our community’s long-term wellbeing. We cannot allow these problems to take another generation of our people, our Territorians.
The third is a balanced environment. Government will ensure the importance of our environment is understood, that processes are in place for both the use and preservation of the environment, and both are well-supported by solid management and decision-making. A balanced environment is also the imperative for strong planning of our built landscape, including urban design and public spaces that will define the Northern Territory.
The fourth goal is a confident culture. We must continue to show pride in our culture, be confident of who we are, where we have come from and our place in the world. More than 30% of Territorians are Aboriginal, with the remainder coming from more than 100 nations. We must celebrate this and make the most of our individual and shared cultures. We also need to do more to celebrate all that is great about being a Territorian. We are proud to be Territorians and are patriotic. Our lifestyle is unique and we should do more to enjoy it.
I released the Framing the Future document at lunchtime today. It will remain in draft form so all Territorians have an opportunity to give feedback until 30 October 2013. Government will carefully consider all contributions and then finalise the blueprint. Once finalised, all government processes will be aligned with Framing the Future. All ministers and government departments will be required to work to and be held accountable to the blueprint. They will report against it. This includes the budget process.
This is another measure of this government’s fiscal responsibility, as opposed to Labor’s irresponsibility. After an annual review of the framework, I will report to this Assembly. I will outline the progress made and any new priorities for the next 12 months.
In conclusion, a strategic direction provides the way forward for this government and sets out what is important for the Northern Territory. Despite differences, many things bind us together as Territorians, and each and every one of us benefits. We benefit from a prosperous economy, a strong society, a balanced environment, and a confident culture. We invite Territorians to contribute to this blueprint so that government, on their behalf, can strive to create and deliver opportunities for all.
Despite the challenges left to us by the former Labor Treasurer – someone you cannot trust – the government’s first 12 months have been busy and active. As I outlined, there are many achievements. We have put the Territory back on the right path. I am excited about the next 12 to 36 months and beyond. I commend the statement to the House and congratulate and thank my colleagues for their hard work over the last 12 months.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, this is not a Chief Minister’s statement, it is the creative musings of a little boy. How do you re-write the past into something with a very tenuous grip on reality? Do you close your eyes? Do you pretend it was you, rather than the member for Blain, who won the election? Walk out, leave the Chamber, do not listen …
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, withdraw those comments.
Ms LAWRIE: What comments?
Madam SPEAKER: Referring to members who are not in the Chamber.
Ms LAWRIE: I was not referring to anyone individually.
Madam SPEAKER: Continue.
Ms LAWRIE: Chief Minister, do you close your eyes and pretend the member for Blain does not exist, is not in this Chamber, and everything he did as Chief Minister did not happen?. This statement is bizarre. It is damning for what it does not contain. There is no recognition that Territorians are doing it tough due to your policies and decisions, and no recognition that the entire township of Nhulunbuy is in crisis due to your decision to renege on the gas to Gove deal. In this little boy’s creative musings you stick to the great pretence, telling the stories often enough that they just might sound real. There is the strange fantasy that the Territory was left in such a dire state under Labor and you are saving it, despite the reality we were poised as the fastest growing economy in the nation, according to Deloitte Access Economics.
The CLP pulled on the economic handbrake and we are slipping behind in your first year of government, even behind the ACT. The biggest pretence, the biggest story of all, is that Labor left this whopping $5.5bn debt that was going to swallow us whole. In fact, we left a debt of $1.6bn, predicting it to increase to $5.5bn in the out years of budget 2016 if nothing changed. Play the little boy games; make that $5.5bn your mantra, sing it, repeat it at every opportunity, but do not let anyone know your own budget has debt rising to $5.1bn in your own predictions. Like any little boy, you had to grab what was not yours.
The former Chief Minister was rolled in the most despicable circumstances then you pronounced to all and sundry you were going to ‘have fun’. What a ridiculous first press conference on the steps of Government House, after you had knifed Terry Mills, member for Blain, while he was on a trade mission to Japan.
It is incredible, even for you, to pretend in this statement all is fine, you are best friends with Kitamura-san and Kohara-san and, ‘Our relationship has never been stronger’. The arrogance of a juvenile mind! Did it not escape you, Chief Minister, that you did not meet with a single minister on your visit to Japan, despite previous Chief Ministers meeting ministers of the Japanese government when visiting our crucial trade partner?
There is good news in this statement. At some stage it penetrated that fun bubble you exist in that perhaps you needed to hire someone who understood our Territory economy, so you hired the former Labor Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, to tell you what to do. Thank God, otherwise I would have had no hope for the years ahead. When reality hits you at the next election - if you are still around and the member for Fong Lim has not knifed you, or the member for Port Darwin can finally muster a number beyond his own.
Therein lies the rub; the incompetence and chaos of the CLP. The worst government since self-government is what Territorians are saying. I am stopped by people in the street, in shopping centres across our towns and remote areas of the Territory. From the bricklayers to the public servant, from struggling small business people to our large companies and industrialists, from non-government service providers to strong Indigenous leaders, there is a chorus of disgust at the behaviour they have witnessed in just one year of this CLP government.
Two Chief Ministers, four Treasurers, four or five Cabinet reshuffles - we have lost count. Will you listen to the industry peak groups on the business council, or are you too blinded by your own arrogance? Will you listen to the unions who know the cuts have gone too far, too deep, and are hurting services to Territorians? Will you listen to the public who are struggling under the cost of living and cannot bear another power tariff increase following privatisation - the sell-off of parts of Power and Water?
That is right, little boy, you have been caught with your fingers in the cookie jar. A whistle-blower alerted us to the plans to split up Power and Water into networks, generation, and water and sewerage. No one is buying the words of your Treasurer because neither …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I have let it slide until now, but it is customary to refer to members by their electorate. She is applying an epithet which is unparliamentary, and she diminishes the dignity of this House by pursing it. I ask that she desist.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, if you are referring to people in the Chamber you must use their electorate title.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. No one is buying the weasel words of your Treasurer because neither of you have ruled out selling part of Power and Water in this term of government, yet you have no mandate to privatise or to sell.
This statement is damning in what it is missing. It makes your pretend world look rosy while the rest of us grapple with a crippling and spiralling cost of living, job cuts and service cuts and, perhaps the most damning of all, the cuts across education and child protection. This is damning in what it ignores as a Chief Minister’s statement.
You made the Framing the Future announcement today. There is no irony lost on the opposition benches that the letter to all public servants from the Chief Minister, Framing the Future, goes out on the same day a letter from the Public Service Commissioner goes to all public servants telling them what will happen if they take industrial action - the good, the bad and the ugly. The coincidence is not lost on us, the irony is not lost on us, and when you talk to public servants about framing their future, understand right now they have a very grim present. Under your government, through the EBA, you are going after their job permanency, their fundamental livelihood, and are shaking the foundations upon which they can rely to support their families, pay their rent, pay their mortgages and support their children.
The reason public sector unions have had such strong support from public servants is because they saw and heard the promises prior to the last election when you said, ‘Your job is safe’. They then saw the behaviour of the government, which started with sackings in the senior levels of the public service and continued right down to the front line.
To say in the Chamber today that no permanent public servant earning under $110 000 was sacked is wrong. A person known to all of us, who had been around the Assembly for a long time, was sacked, shamefully. I will protect their identity but am happy, Madam Speaker, to let you know who I am talking about outside the Chamber. It is one example of how bad it became.
When people see those who have been doing a job with a hard work effort go because their job has gone under the CLP, then you go after permanency in the EBA, you are going after their livelihood and they will fight you.
The Chief Minister issues a statement pretending somehow, magically, he has been Chief Minister for a year. In that statement there is no acknowledgement or recognition of the social and economic challenges being confronted right now by the people of Nhulunbuy. As the member for Nhulunbuy appropriately pointed out, it affects the entire region as a result of the Chief Minister reneging on the gas to Gove deal. The pretence has been extreme. The Chief Minister pretended there was a great new offer of a mix of heavy fuel. No, that was not a good deal, not a good offer, it was pretence. He pretended there would not be gas beyond 2026 because there is no gas out there. Yet, when you refer to the previous Chief Minister’s ministerial statement in this Chamber, there is a great deal of gas out there. It would be pretty simple to explain to people, when you have Santos exploring in the Mereenie fields, Penguin Deep with ENI, that we are the heart of one of the greatest exploration regions in the world for oil and gas, and that Labor brought two big plants through the Marine Supply Base as a service and supply. There is no mention of that here.
There is no mention, big pretender, that the roads funding was delivered by Labor. Every road you mentioned was a Labor capital works program. By all means, pretend it is your work.
You pretend in your statement there was no land release under Labor and no housing initiatives under Labor when developers are saying to me, ‘These guys do not know what they are doing. They have put a real dampener on construction.’ Residential has slowed; we have seen that in building approvals. They have dropped dramatically under this government. The only land being turned off in Darwin and Palmerston is land fuelled by the infrastructure and planning of Labor.
You talk about 70 sites, where are they? Why are you not fast-tracking them? Why are they not happening? What fair process will occur if it is Crown land? Identify the developers sitting on the private land in the 70 sites. Would you be open and accountable, or was that just another broken election commitment?
You have pointed to the environment and the big pretence there. All of a sudden, in 2013, we had our very first independent EPA. What a load of rubbish! It took a Labor government to introduce a new Environmental Protection Agency; one did not exist under the CLP. Ours was independent; it did not have a mate appointed as its Chair. We undertook a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry to establish it. You have sacked independent scrutiny of the environment. How do you have a balanced environment - one of your pillars - when you have removed the Daly River Management Advisory Committee which scrutinises precious water resources of the region based on science? You have removed and sacked the Darwin Harbour Advisory Committee which scrutinises the health of our harbour based on science. These are inconvenient when you want to do things your own way without accountability, transparency and honesty. We have seen far too much of that in just one year.
One of the many repeated comments around the Territory is how quickly the CLP went back to the worst of its form by taking care of mates. People have been gobsmacked. There is no mention of the rising unemployment, that CommSec has downgraded the Territory’s economy, that business confidence in this government has fallen through the floor in the latest business surveys, that the mining industry said the government put up the ‘closed for business’ sign when it introduced its two levies, that retail trade has dropped, and that bankruptcies are up 40%. Curiously, there was no mention in the transport section that the Chief Minister seems to have gone back on his promise to scrap speed limits. There is certainly no mention that he commissioned three reports but will not release a single one of them.
There is no mention that the Arafura Games were cancelled, or of the economic pain that caused local businesses. At the same time, there is no mention that the tourism sector is coming through its worst Dry Season performance. Small businesses in tourism are close to the wall. Accommodation is doing well because it is filled with business travellers from the major projects brought to town by Labor.
There is no mention of how you will approach the planning application for the barge mooring off Dinah Beach. Flip that to your mate in the Planning Commission. There is no mention of the fly-in fly-out worker accommodation site under construction which Labor opened. It has 9 ha at Batten Road. It does not happen if it is not in the little world the Chief Minister wants to talk about.
There is no mention of the number of alcohol-related assaults increasing and domestic violence increasing since the Banned Drinker Register was scrapped because, according to the Chief Minister, mandatory rehab is working even though there is only one person in Alice Springs, one in Darwin, and the rest keep absconding. There is no mention that our hospital waiting rooms are full of drunks because the police now resort to taking them straight there. There is also no mention that doctors and nurses have been threatened with their contracts being cancelled if they talk publically about it.
However, the Territory is a small place. Our communities are small enough that when you live and work here, people tell you what is happening. Obviously it is not happening in the Chief Minister’s world because it is all rosy; there is no mention of any of those challenges in the Chief Minister’s statement. There is no mention the planned children’s wing at Royal Darwin Hospital or the planned Palmerston hospital being scrapped has any effect on overcrowding at Royal Darwin Hospital - the bed block that is filling the medi-hotel with patients it was not built for. You announced that this mandatory rehab treatment is a great success when, shamefully, the medi-hotel is all but empty. It should be filled with patients who are currently bed blocking at Royal Darwin Hospital. True to form, the big pretender, the Chief Minister, blames it on asylum seekers. He will take and claim the 94 Commonwealth-funded police who came as a result of the detention centre and say it is a CLP initiative for additional police. However, he will not accept any impact on the Health system. Also, there is no mention of the funding cuts to Charles Darwin University or the 600 public servants sacked …
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order Madam Speaker. Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request the member be given extension of time.
Motion agreed to.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. There is no mention in the statement that some 171 staff have left the Child Protection Branch. There is no mention of the mysterious contracts you wrote with people in the bush. You are not going to put them on the public record because they contain things like sealing the Port Keats Road to Wadeye. Do not worry, the communities have copies and are showing them to us. We are seeing the detail. They are learning there was one big pretend happening.
The classic was the promise to scrap the shires. You promised people living in our communities across the Northern Territory you would scrap the shires. The Chief Minister, as Minister for Local Government, said, ‘We will consult’. The new and current Minister for Local Government then said, ‘That is it. We will consult.’ I keep finding shires being renamed regional councils which had neither minister consult with them. You have not gone to the shires; you have renamed them regional councils and claim that to be your greatest achievement in a year.
Tiwi Shire said on radio, ‘It is just a renaming’. Do not treat people like fools; they can see it for what it is. Stop pretending. Understand that is why you are becoming so unpopular as a government and why you are seen as the worst government since self-government. People are not fools, they can see through the pretence. It screams it today in this statement. It is one big pretend. There is no mention of the failure to hold your own members to account in their use of taxpayers’ dollars and how on earth the member for Arnhem racked up a fuel bill of $19 000.
Mr McCarthy: $22 000.
Ms LAWRIE: It started at $16 000, up to $19 000, now $22 000. Where is that going? How do you do that? Do you keep the motor running?
Then the Framing the Future blueprint - prosperous economy - you have done the opposite. You had the fastest growing economy in the nation when you won the August election. You have put the handbrake on, and we have now slipped behind the ACT and are going backwards. Small- and medium-sized businesses across the industry sectors are screaming.
How on earth do you have a strong society when you go after people with retribution? How, when you create a culture of fear across the public sector and non-government service providers? There is even a culture of fear among business people because of retribution: they are too frightened to speak out. How is it a strong society when you put people with chronic alcoholism problems back on the streets and back on the grog by scrapping the BDR and replacing it with a failed rehabilitation system that has people absconding and police chasing them around in circles?
How is it a balanced environment when you are handing out water rights that will see the Roper start to run dry at different times, and how on earth do you claim to build a confident culture? I know the culture is confident; I meet with Indigenous leaders as I travel across the Territory.
Chief Minister, you did a runner from Garma. You did not show up to Gulkula, nor did your bush colleagues, apart from the member for Arnhem. Member for Port Darwin, you are not in the category of a bush colleague. You were not in the program for the Saturday morning session. I am not misleading there. You know clearly we are talking about the people who were promoted.
Chief Minister, why did you do a runner from Garma? Why did you give about three different reasons why you would not face the confident, strong Yolngu culture? Why would you not sit down and listen to the plans of strong confident people? Why will you not go to Nhulunbuy, face the Gumatj and explain why you are not supporting gas to Gove – 300 PJ that are crucial to the early supply of gas.
You pretend somehow it is around our future energy needs and both Santos and ENI exploration is new. It is not. You have delayed it and caused problems for it. When you removed that 300 PJ from the table you removed a doubling of the domestic gas market opportunity.
Enough people with enough knowledge are talking about your government. We, in opposition, are just some of them. We work with all of them. You have the Framing the Future document and will give people six weeks - a few of those during a federal election campaign - to look at it and comment. Why am I not surprised you do not want much scrutiny of it? You put it out there quickly then close the deadline for comments.
You are an ideological Chief Minister, not a statesman. You are not a scratch on my Labor Chief Ministers of the past. The former member for Fannie Bay, Clare Martin, and the former member for Wanguri, Paul Henderson, never behaved the way you do in this Chamber or outside. They were statesmen.
I point you to, Chief Minister, the Territory 2030 strategic plan 2009. I will take you through its contents. It talks about the inclusive way it was created through the Territory 2030 Steering Committee, which was not made up of government members but rather stakeholders from a range of backgrounds who were working with public servants - economic and social stakeholders, experts in their fields.
They went through a series of consultations across the Territory. They created immediate focus on a balanced housing market, reforming the education and health sectors, making general progress in regional and remote areas, and kick-starting key projects and initiatives. They then had major categories of: education, society, economic sustainability, health and wellbeing, environment, and knowledge, creativity and innovation. Do not worry, Chief Minister, because you like to pretend. I daresay you are pretending Territory 2030 does not exist and all the work, consultation, and effort that went into it is simply wiped because you are an ideologue; you cannot cope with the idea that Labor did one single thing that was good for the Northern Territory. You do not have statesman in your vocab writ large by what you ad-libbed into the Chief Minister’s statement.
It is a convention of this parliament that statements are read verbatim, but today the Chief Minister could not help himself and wove his political rhetoric, ad-libbing throughout the statement because what is convention to him? It is also a convention in this parliament that General Business Day has precedence, but that was broken today. People see the way you are behaving and are calling it out. Do more of it and you will get more of that chorus of disgust that is ringing out across the Territory calling you the worst government since self-government. It is a big call to make so soon into government.
Territorians are fairly easy going and forgiving people, but they do not like what they see. They do not like the actions of this government or the consequences of your decisions, which some are trying to live through, but, sadly, too many are leaving the Territory because they have lost their livelihood and have no choice. We will be a voice for Territorians. We will not be silenced by your bullying and personal vilification that flies across the Chamber. Shame on you, Chief Minister, for what you did not say in your statement.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I will comment briefly on a few comments of the member opposite. One would be forgiven for thinking in August last year the lights were switched off and there was nothing but tumbleweeds in the mall today. One could be forgiven for thinking the world ended in August last year after a halcyon decade of spectacular and brilliant Labor management. One could be forgiven for thinking if you walked outside right now the sun would not be shining and there would be low leaden clouds hanging over the people of the Northern Territory as they trudged around in a depressed state. One could be forgiven for believing that, having hearing what I have. However, Territorians are getting on with their lives as they have always done, often because of the action of governments in the past, and sometimes, in spite of governments in the past.
The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory offered Territorians a vision for the future, a vision with a belief that government is about the true welfare of Territorians. It is challenging to listen to the Leader of the Opposition talk about vilification from members on this side of the House after having to withdraw calling a member on this side a rat. If you want statesmen-like qualities, you have to demonstrate them in your conduct.
I ask the Chief Minister to consider that because the image people have of members of this House, and other Houses like it, is often driven by virtue of the fact we call each other rats and attack people using the privilege of this House.
Before I respond to the Chief Minister’s statement from the position of Attorney-General and as Minister for Correctional Services, the Leader of the Opposition attacked a public servant earlier saying that person had been promoted from AO4 to ECO2. The Leader of the Opposition is not correct. The public servant she attacked was an SAO2, which is a Senior Administrative Officer 2. The promotion did not lead to a pay increase anything like the $171 000 asserted by the Leader of the Opposition. I remain concerned that she attacks public servants with misinformation inside this House. I ask that she repeats those allegations outside this House so the appropriate action can be taken by those public servants.
I ask the CPSU, in its defence of public servants, to chastise the Leader of the Opposition for continued unwarranted, unsubstantiated attacks on public servants. If the CPSU cares about its membership, and I have no doubt it does, I ask, despite its constitutional bonding to Labor, it protect those public servants who are consistently attacked by the Leader of the Opposition when she makes unsubstantiated criminal allegations.
I am positive about the future of the Northern Territory. From an Attorney-General’s point of view, I am delighted to report on the Pillars of Justice my Cabinet colleagues have given me responsibility for, which I take as a humbling vote of confidence.
One thing that has always struck me is the continuity of how our criminal justice system works. I am talking about continuity from the point of arrest to the point of beyond parole. I find it fascinating that, for some reason, we have always separated – I am talking about all jurisdictions, including the Commonwealth – the police role, the court’s role, and the corrections role in how we roll those policies out.
A number of policy drivers operate in the area of police which bypass the courts and in which corrections can have some involvement, particularly when there is no charging and no criminal sanction involved. Police, from time to time, will run into people who are flirting with the edge of the criminal justice system – youth - quite regularly. The youth justice policy sits under the umbrella of corrections for administrative convenience purposes; however, philosophically, a corrections approach can deal with correcting people before they get into the criminal justice system. That is something this government has sought to pursue.
With a view to that, having a consistent policy approach across the pillars of the policing environment, the judicial environment, and the corrections environment, and considering the importance of victims in all this, you can then create a system which is much cleaner, smoother, and much more responsive if you have it all answering to one place, which is, essentially, what the Pillars of Justice structure aims to do. As a consequence, if police want to divert someone away from the criminal justice system there is still a role for corrections through the boot camps we have established.
The first trial program has come back recently. What has been achieved by the first trial boot camp at Operation Flinders is very telling. I cannot quite lay my hands on the paperwork; however, an e-mail was forwarded to me from inside the department demonstrating that kids who entered the boot camp process through Operation Flinders, but 10 days ago, as aggressive and ill-tempered kids have come out saying things like, ‘I now understand what it is to be a man’. ‘I now understand what it is to be personally responsible and what that responsibility means.’ If they have learnt that lesson, the chances of them coming back to the criminal justice environment are far less than they were. Through that process of the Pillars of Justice referred to in the Chief Minister’s statement, we already have one structure in place where we can take kids away from the criminal justice process and teach them responsibility by demanding responsibility from them.
The Chief Minister also mentioned the Sentenced to a Job program. My understanding is - I stand corrected on the exact number - 64 prisoners are now taxpayers to the federal government because they are earning award wages. They do so because low-security prisoners successfully classified into the open category are offered full-time work, which we have been organising. It is a back-of-the-envelope calculation; however, about 15 000 prisoner days have now been applied to prisoners working outside the corrections system. Of those 15 000 prisoner days, those prisoners have been paying rent to the corrections system - $125 per week - they are making a contribution to victims assistance funds, they have a small amount of money to spend in the prison but, moreover, they are valuing the jobs we have organised for them. These jobs follow them into the period beyond the custodial environment so, if they are on parole, they keep the job. They leave prison with as much as $15 000 or $20 000 in their back pocket, they have paid tax, and are in a much better place to go on to a better life than they otherwise would. That is encouraging.
How many escapes during that period? Zero. How many offences committed by prisoners on that program? Zero. Yes we have had some returns because of unsuitability, but we have no recorded offences by any prisoner. How many positive alcohol tests on those 15 000 prisoner days? Zero. That is extremely heartening and I hope those prisoners go on to live fulfilled and productive lives. We are, of course, aiming to expand the program.
One of the reasons I was at the Garma Festival was that I have being speaking to the Gumatj Association and we are close to striking a deal. We will place serving prisoners into full-time jobs in the Nhulunbuy area so they can continue to serve on country and pay their debt to the community they offended against.
We have also committed, through a memorandum of understanding, to another three years of supporting the Garma Festival as part of our work gang environment. That is something both the prisoners and the prison officers are proud of. It is my understanding that one of the prison officers showed the Leader of the Opposition and the local member around the prison work site. I am delighted the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Nhulunbuy saw what we are doing. As we roll these programs out, we will see more prisoners in the work environment.
We will be bringing manufacturing – we are currently negotiating with one manufacturer - into the prison system so there will be jobs inside prisons. We are currently working to establish a commercial arm attached to prisons so the work they do in building cattle yards, trailers, exercise equipment, cabinet made products, all of which they currently do, are of a commercial standard and can be sold commercially.
I doubt the prison system in the Northern Territory will ever be self-funding, but it can earn a great deal of money. In the process, we can train people in the jobs they do and they learn about dignity and self-worth by virtue of having a job, and keeping that job when they leave prison.
We are looking at post-release accommodation and how to use the parole system to lock people into jobs even through the period of their parole. Rather than the racking and stacking system we had in the past, we have a graduated transition from custody to liberty. If you consider the past, the door opened and a prisoner stepped from custody to liberty.
We hope to achieve a progression, so even when they are in prison there are elements of liberty. As they earn their stripes and progress through the parole process, we slowly take the hooks out as they learn the skills you and I, and everybody else, takes for granted.
Many prisoners in the Sentenced to a Job program have never had a job in their life. I was delighted, at the recent Bar Association dinner, when a prisoner serving hors d'oeuvres walked by. He was working with Karen Shelton Catering, which has taken on a number of prisoners who continue to work in the community. Not only do they learn how to be wait staff, but they get basic skills in preparing hors d'oeuvres etcetera. He was a proud man with a job and I was utterly delighted to see him there. I did not know we were allowing shift work, but the department advised that was correct. That is a positive thing, and this is just the corrections environment. Let us now talk about what we are trying to do in the policing environment.
I am concerned that in Mitchell Street and the Todd Mall in Alice Springs we regularly see street offences being committed. These are objectionable words, disorderly behaviour and those types of things. If a police officer arrests a person for an objectionable words offence they are tied up at the police station on a Friday night for an hour to an hour-and-a-half processing the paperwork. The effect is the shift sergeant is poking that copper in the back of the head saying, ‘Look, the jobs are piling up. Get back out on the road.’ ‘I have to do the paperwork, sergeant.’ The copper knows if he arrests somebody he will be tied up and there will be pressure to get him back out on the road.
I have said publicly, and stand by it, that this makes coppers arrest adverse. I am not saying they are lazy, but they are anxious to ensure they have a presence on the street. I spoke to the Commissioner of Police about this under the pillars umbrella. He made a suggestion, and we are working on the final details of a paperless arrest system by which the turnaround time for a police officer in the police cells when processing a prisoner arrested for a street offence is five to 10 minutes maximum. They can be in the station and back policing the streets, having removed that person at 10 pm for their objectionable words. The guy standing on the street corner swearing at 11 pm and being generally obstreperous is the guy you are locking up at 3 am for a serious assault or rape. Take him out of commission early and you can deal with the more serious offences.
The other message is, if a copper tells you to move on and you do not, you are locked up. That is an important message to send on a Friday or Saturday night in Mitchell Street. I encourage the police, through changing our arrest processes, to use their powers in a way not to be arrest adverse but which enables them to control the streets, because that is what we expect from them.
Moreover, there is work we can do with the courts. At the moment the defence lawyer says, ‘My client will indicate a not guilty plea, your Honour’. A contest mention is set up or, alternatively, a hearing. Back to the copper goes a file where a whole investigation has to be done, because the evidence has to be collected to determine the guilt or innocence of a client. That is how the system works. The problem is, often the points of difference between the evidence of the prosecution and what the defence is relying on are not major at all.
In a simple assault matter where somebody gave somebody else a smack in the mouth, the defence indicates a not guilty plea on the grounds, which they keep to themselves, that it was a self-defence response. You do not need five witness statements to place the offender at the scene. However, under the current system all those statements have to be collected. They will never be used because they are not a point of contest.
As Attorney-General, I am seeking to introduce a system of pre-trial conferencing added to pre-trial disclosure of certain types of evidence and sentence indications. Wrap those together and you are in a much stronger position to avoid hearings. In Victoria, where this is being done, they moved from 7000 to about 3500 hearings in 12 months. That is an enormous saving of resources. Understanding how the court system works means you can also save resources in the policing environment. You will not be asking police to do full investigations into fairly simple matters when the point of contest is something quite particular.
The civil jurisdiction has been doing this for years, and I am not suggesting interfering in the processes of the Supreme Court. I am talking about the simple criminal matters dealt with in the summary courts, which make up 95% of our criminal caseload.
Then go to the corrections environment and give authority to corrections to run electronic monitoring technology - bracelets. This technology is wonderful, but why leave it to corrections alone when the courts could use it, and police could use it for bail? We are looking at ways to roll out electronic monitoring in an effective fashion which serves all arms of the justice system from whoa to go.
This is the purpose of having a Pillars of Justice structure in place. These are a handful of the many useful, positive things this government is aiming to achieve in the management of the criminal justice system and our corrections system.
They are several items I wanted to touch on. There are many more items I could speak about in my portfolio areas alone. However, if you contrast my contribution about positive governance of the Northern Territory in relation to specific areas of how we are governed and compare that to the contribution from the Leader of the Opposition, I wonder what a third party observer would see as better outcomes for people of the Northern Territory. I suspect you would find, and people would agree fairly readily, a contribution which has vision, direction, belief, desire and passion, which the Chief Minister’s contribution and statement had - I would like to believe I bring that to the position, and other ministers - and compare it to the attacks and desire not to acknowledge the good things the government is doing by the Leader of the Opposition. I ask honourable members who they would trust and who they believe would make a better government for the people in the Northern Territory.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Speaker, I enjoyed listening to the member for Port Darwin. It is interesting to reflect on the CLP in opposition for four years, particularly the member for Greatorex who went to great lengths to destabilise, criticise and ridicule ministerial statements in this House. The Attorney-General has just made a positive contribution on behalf of his Chief Minister because he has no legislation in this House. This government is not practising one of the most important and essential roles of a government: introducing, debating and passing laws for the Northern Territory. The Attorney-General, the heavy lifting member of the government, has run out of legislation. He led the pack early in the piece with a new, punitive regime representing the old guard CLP approach to ‘lock them up’. Now he is outlining the initiatives in corrections and police which will deliver better outcomes, but the rest has gone.
There are no laws before this House so we are debating ministerial statements. The irony is all through Hansard. There is four years of hypocrisy by members who are now in government. I find that interesting.
Picking up on the member for Port Darwin’s comment, as a member of the opposition and voice of the people, I follow in the Leader of the Opposition’s trail to comment on what has been brought to this House. The member for Port Darwin talks in his comparative language and the constituent will judge; however, I draw his attention to the media release accompanying the Chief Minister’s statement.
Working at lunchtime, I looked at the media release and it testifies to victim blame mentality. The Leader of the Opposition is right. I have challenged the new Chief Minister many times to rise to the occasion; to become a statesmanlike figure representing all Territorians. Unfortunately, this media release starts with an introductory paragraph then goes into blame, blame, and more blame as it rolls out bile and vitriol in the victim blame mentality which is characteristic of this government. I wonder what has been going on after 12 months when the opposition has been assisting the government to get on with it. Show us what is new and be proud of your efforts. I have reached the conclusion that what this victim blame mentality represents is a Chief Minister with a guilty conscience who cannot move on and needs to lift the game.
Let us talk about the statement. I was interested to hear about the Ichthys project, a major project brought to the Northern Territory by the previous Labor government. The Chief Minister has employed Paul Henderson to restore trust and faith, to use the corporate knowledge of a Chief Minister who did the heavy lifting - the member for Port Darwin’s words - to bring that project to the Northern Territory. Well done, Chief Minister, in employing Paul Henderson to get it back on track.
It is interesting to read how the project is progressing in the Northern Territory – what I call the jewel in the crown of having the oil and gas sector located in the Northern Territory, particularly in Darwin as the capital of northern Australia.
However, the Chief Minister made no mention of the Marine Supply Base, another Labor-initiated project that goes hand-in-hand with the onshore project of Ichthys. The previous Labor government, with good planning, vision, and leadership, showed the Northern Territory is about capturing both onshore and offshore opportunities. The Marine Supply Base, being constructed as we speak, an initiative of the former Labor government, generating significant jobs, will parallel those incredible onshore opportunities for the oil and gas sector and bring wealth and prosperity to the Northern Territory and opportunities for Territorians working in the sector.
The Chief Minister spoke briefly about the live cattle trade but reverted to political rhetoric once again and the Canberra parallel he lives in. There was not one mention of the Australian Agricultural Company’s planned abattoir. That, to me, is the diversity in the primary industry sector I talk about. It is the further potential of marketing prime Territory beef, pushing out much further than the live export boats can reach, and having a product we can land into China which will boost our live export market. Not only will we be shipping live cattle into Southeast Asia, we will be shipping frozen beef into what will become one of the biggest consumers in this millennium.
There was no mention of the abattoir; there is a lack of vision there. Perhaps a Chief Minister with a victim blame mentality and a guilty conscience might try to blame it on his speechwriter. I certainly hope not. However, in this House we have the opportunity to add this to debate, and that is what the opposition is doing. That is our job. We do it with a well-referenced approach, as a coordinated team, and with a clear alternative policy position. That is what we offer Territorians.
In Question Time today - or was it in the censure; I will have to check the Hansard - government was talking about no accountability. It is all about accountability, and Territorians will hold you to account. As the Leader of the Opposition said, Territorians are very articulate in their conversation about this government.
Chief Minister, I will quote from page 6 of your statement:
- I also want the bush to share in the benefits of this economic growth … Substantially increasing Indigenous workforce participation continues to be a priority for this government …
That is good to hear, Chief Minister. Just over a week ago I was at Ramingining. There are some really good stories in Ramingining. Under the previous Labor government’s initiative, construction of 27 houses is to commence, something like 54 refurbishments, and a major painting project. As an opposition member, it was great to talk to the constituents at Ramingining about work created and commissioned under the previous Labor government in partnership with the federal Labor government. Added to that, is the project commissioned by the former Territory Labor government to upgrade the barge landing road. Not only have we a major housing construction, we also have a major civil construction project.
What is the Chief Minister doing about Indigenous employment targets? I encouraged local people to get a job because these are real jobs. Chief Minister, that is big talk in a colloquial sense – big name, no blankets. What are you doing to ensure links are forged between the residents of Ramingining and the incredible projects rolling out in that remote town over the next 12 to18 months?
We want to see action. The previous Chief Minister, the member for Blain, contributed to debate and spoke about outcomes. We had the projects on the pad; claim them by all means, but the outcomes are Indigenous residents working in real jobs. No more rhetoric, Chief Minister, let us get on with it.
In local government reform, it is ironic the Chief Minister claims all the credit for a successful election strategy which saw the CLP form government based on a ruthless campaign to destabilise major reform into local government. I have said to the Chief Minister on previous occasions that it is about creating expectations and perceptions. Chief Minister, once again, there is plenty of rhetoric in your statement but people want their perceptions fulfilled. Those perceptions are about your promise to scrap shire councils and give them autonomy as community government councils, including the resource packages and the budgets to go with it.
There is an interesting turnaround from the Chief Minister when talking about land release. I will quote from page 9 of the statement:
- The growth of the Northern Territory economy has inevitably increased pressure on the housing market. The legacy left by Labor was …
This is in bold, underlined, for the Chief Minister to read:
- … very little provision for housing to support growth.
‘Very little provision’ is an amazing turnaround in semantics from the Chief Minister and the Country Liberal Party which crowed so loudly about land release programs under the previous Labor government. They are now claiming Zuccoli Stage 2, Johnston Stage 2, and Kilgariff.
I was at each of those projects recently, and it is great to see Zuccoli forging ahead and Stage 2 being delivered under a budget appropriation in 2013-14. It is great to see Johnston Stage 2 forging ahead. I looked at the private projects going on, including Durack Heights, Muirhead, and Coolalinga. However, Kilgariff, as I mentioned to the minister in estimates, has hit the wall and I explained to him why. This government has to come up with the resources to partner with a developer to deliver Kilgariff. The last time I was at Kilgariff, the same traffic barriers were up, the same grass was growing, and the same rhetoric was coming from the government.
The rigours of government are quite complex and challenging. I would love to be a fly on the Cabinet wall, as I am sure ministers are experiencing those rigours profoundly when it comes to delivery as opposed to idle rhetoric.
I am still concerned, when talking about the Real Housing for Growth strategy, that only $1.1m has been appropriated for land release across the Northern Territory. That is not a big budget appropriation. However, the estimates answer was, ‘Do not worry; the private sector will develop it for us’. Let us see them develop Kilgariff. I can assure you once again, minister, they will need much support from the government to deliver the basic premise, which is keeping the cost of a serviced lot of land down. That is heavy lifting from government, let me tell you.
The Chief Minister spoke about transport and there are some great initiatives. I commend the Chief Minister for talking about DriveSafe NT and the remote program initiated under Labor and rolling out under the new Chief Minister and the CLP government for the next three years. That is fantastic. I have written to the Chief Minister as Minister for Transport. I was in Maningrida recently and it was great to hear about the gift of a troop carrier with dual controls to support the DriveSafe NT Remote package. That was wonderful news, and I welcome that in Maningrida.
I was also on Groote Eylandt. There is an incredible outfit - and I have written to the Chief Minister about it – the youth development unit at both Angurugu and Milyakburra. They have two troop carriers with dual controls and have been running driver education programs. They were influential in developing that package under the previous Labor government, but they now need help. They need funds for a driving instructor. Chief Minister, it would be great if you could deliver that for the youth development unit, because you could come into this House and talk about outcomes and real delivery. They really deserve it, and I encourage you to get out there and talk about it.
The $30m for the Central Arnhem Road - I was proud to walk across the Mainoru bridges and see the work commissioned under the previous NT Labor government with money from a federal government partnership. I also discovered the detours and could not get to the work site. I would not mind a visit to the new Goyder crossings under construction. Then, of course, I had a good look at the Donydji crossings as well, and the logistics around delivering those. It is great to see that work going on. The Chief Minister’s speechwriter neglected to pay tribute to the previous government or the federal government. However, the Central Arnhem Road is opening under the previous Labor government policy of beef, mining, and community road networks. People I spoke to along that route are very proud of what is happening with better roads to their communities.
We all celebrate the enhanced public bus services with additional routes and free WiFi we talked about in estimates. However, there is not one cent for the Integrated Regional Transport Strategy. People throughout the Central Arnhem region in Bulman, Nhulunbuy, Ramingining, Maningrida, right through northeast Arnhem, and in Barkly and Central Australia as well, really valued the Integrated Regional Transport Strategy. It is sad to see this government has not continued what Territorians say is a good move in delivering, for the first time, public transport networks into regional and remote areas, including very remote areas. It was disappointing; however, we celebrate what is in there.
It was good to hear the Chief Minister talk about the arts. However, a couple of questions for your Arts minister, Chief Minister. Why has the Northern Territory joined New South Wales and Queensland in not signing the federal government funding agreement for a major performing arts excellence pool to fund new works? What is happening with the national culture policy, Chief Minister? Could you ask your minister for Arts as well? We acknowledge the work coming forward in the statutory body for the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory; however, talking to the arts sector, they do not welcome a reduction in funding and shifting the blame, in this victim blame mentality, or any thinking or rhetoric around creating a statutory authority for the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory which will allow government to pull back on spending.
The Chief Minister outlined in his statement that the Territory arts, culture and heritage sector is one of the emerging opportunities for the Northern Territory, socially, culturally and economically. The whole world wants to experience and learn about Indigenous culture so it is no time to pull back. It is no time to use rhetoric to talk about the statutory authority - a good outcome - and pull back from government support. Our arts and museums sector needs stimulus, heavy lifting, as you say on that side, including the creation of a statutory board to deliver real outcomes in this area. As the member for Blain says, real outcomes will promote our arts, culture and heritage to the rest of the world. It is great to see arts appearing in this statement but it will need much support.
Last but not least, when the Chief Minister spoke about the infrastructure budget - it was quite clear at estimates and is published in the budget papers that there is a reduction in the infrastructure program of $64m. Not only is this government living off Labor projects, it has pulled $64m and the middle level contractor is really hurting.
In Tennant Creek, I have middle level civil construction contractors faced with selling off gear because, ‘This government is not spending money and does not have its priorities right’.
Mr CHANDLER (Education): The last statement by the former Minister for Lands and Planning sums it up for a Labor government - spending money. That is something they knew how to do extremely well. However, the problem with spending money, particularly money you are not earning, or when you spend more than you earn, is that money has to be paid back. That is the one thing Labor governments are not good at. Not many Labor governments in the country have paid any money back. They talk about education, transport and the many projects on the cards, but many were unfunded or to be funded with additional borrowings. You cannot continue to live outside your means.
Labor parties are like any other good time party goer: experts at spending your money and making a hell of a mess but they are never around when it is time to clean up the mess or pay the bills for the damage left behind.
I commend the Chief Minister for his statement on 12 months in government and for launching this important strategy for the future of the Northern Territory, Framing the Future.
The former Minister for Lands and Planning, minister McCarthy, mentioned several which are continuing. Like any government when they take over, as it was with last year’s election, the budget had been set for the year. Yes we set about making changes under the mini-budget, but many of the projects of the day were already signed - contracts were signed. The work is an expectation of the companies that had those contracts. Of course, when a government comes in many things are already locked in. It is right that some of these things continue. There were some good projects which will continue, have continued, as with land release. The problem is the Labor Party had 11 years and failed in so many different areas, land release being one of them.
I would be right to suggest the previous Minister for Lands and Planning failed to release a block of land in Tennant Creek in all the years he was involved there.
Mr McCarthy Fifty-four.
Mr CHANDLER: How many were industrial?
Mr McCarthy: There were 54 residential lots.
Mr CHANDLER: How many were industrial?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Barkly!
Mr CHANDLER: How many industrial lots?
Mr McCarthy: You are reselling two of them. Six industrial lots.
Mr CHANDLER: We digress. The former minister …
Mr McCarthy: You digress. You want to get on the game, mate, if you want to throw insults.
Mr CHANDLER: … is becoming a little upset.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr CHANDLER: You can do all the talking you like, but I am going on the facts given to me by the department you used to …
Mr McCarthy: You advertised two of those industrial lots in Tennant Creek.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Barkly!
Mr CHANDLER: I must have hit a raw nerve!
What I find exciting about the blueprint is that it is a real and practical plan for the future of the Northern Territory, something so lacking under the previous Labor government. This framework sets out our vision, something we have the right to do because we were elected by Territorians. This is our vision, and our objectives and priorities for the next three years. It will guide decision-making for this government. It is about who we are and where we are going.
I will go through the blueprint in some detail. I will talk about this government’s achievements in my portfolio in the 12 months we have been here.
Framing the Future targets four key areas: create a prosperous economy, build a strong society, maintain a balanced environment, and foster a confident culture. The Chief Minister spoke about a prosperous economy which creates wealth and jobs and is open, competitive and innovative. I need to focus on that: an economy that is open, competitive and innovative. Earlier today we heard the Leader of the Opposition talk about jobs for the boys: works given to certain individuals or companies. For the record, everything going through my office has gone out for expression of interest, which has been open and accountable. In all cases where there are procurement boards involved, just like the previous government - I hope the previous government used these processes - they were open and accountable.
Tenders are based on the merit principle of whatever the development is. I suspect it has not changed since we have taken over. This is an open and accountable government. Of course, expressions of interests are accountable documents and accountable processes. To suggest anything otherwise is a measure of the person involved.
We will be looking at an economy built on exports and the needs of our trading partners that captures the ideas, energy, and opportunities across the Territory and lands new local, national, and international investment.
The blueprint also mentions creating a strong society which values an individual’s right to freedom and ensures everyone has the same access to opportunities and resources to make a contribution to, and participate in, society and the economy. It will be a society that supports the most vulnerable, is safe for all at home, in school, in the workplace, and while travelling.
Framing the Future has a balanced environment which is sustainable. Again, we heard allegations of jobs for the boys and the person running the EPA today has some background or is a long-lost friend. For the record, I did not meet Bill Freeland until coming into this job. I knew his reputation, and know he is doing a damn good job in the EPA. I cannot tell him what to do; he just does it, which is exactly what an independent EPA should be doing. To hear the allegations this is just another job for the boys is the mark of the person.
In framing a future we want a balanced environment, one which balances use with protection, is well-managed, includes urban design and public spaces, fosters a confident culture proud of the Territory, and values and celebrates the diversity of people from all backgrounds, language groups, age, gender and religions. It is a culture that supports significant occasions and events, that focuses on a healthy, active and enjoyable lifestyle taking advantage of the unique features of the Northern Territory or what the Northern Territory offers.
The Chief Minister said earlier that growth of the Northern Territory economy has, inevitably, increased pressure on the housing market. How true. The legacy left by Labor was little provision for housing to support growth. In stark contrast with Labor’s inertia, we have been very active in this area through the Real Housing for Growth strategy. Accelerated land release through identifying and progressing greenfield sites, as well as infill on existing Crown land sites, is essential to reducing the cost of living for Territorians.
A new head lease scheme is being put in place that is a win/win for both property owners and renters. Under the scheme, the government will lease new residential properties for a period of 10 years. These will then be rented to eligible tenants at a 30% discount on market rates. Contracts for more than 500 will be issued in the next month. A further 1500 will be offered shortly thereafter. Listening to the censure motion put up by the opposition earlier today, you might think everything has come to a standstill. Around the skyline I see a number of cranes in the CBD alone, not to mention the development taking place shortly.
For the record, I will read off the Real Housing for Growth head lease initiative from my latest briefing which describes what has been happening behind the scenes in the last 12 months. Much work has been done, and I take my hat off to the hard-working public servants who have taken on the policies of a new government. It is important, as a new government, that we bring the hard-working people in the departments along with us on our journey.
We had 11 years of Labor government in the Northern Territory, and the culture within departments will always favour the government of the day. When there is a change of government, it is important that government’s vision is made known to the public service. If you can get public servants to understand your vision, you bring them along with you, and that is important. That is happening now.
Have there been roadblocks? Yes, there have. It is a big thing for a government to change its culture from within, but you get the impression from the opposition we are pulling everything apart and nothing is happening. I will read the latest advice: within the next two weeks in Darwin alone, contracts will be signed for 76 units, of which 50 units will be head leased by this government. In another suburb in Darwin, of 82 units in the development, 53 units are proposed to be head leased. The time frame for contracts to be signed is about two weeks. In another area of Darwin, 60 units in the development and 52 are proposed to be head leased. The time frame is within the next four weeks.
In Palmerston, 84 units in the development, 54 units proposed to be head leased, and contracts should be signed shortly. Another area of Palmerston - there are three different sites, one with 14 units, one with 23 units and one with 86 units - the time frame expected for the lease agreements to be in place is around four weeks from now. In the rural area, 84 units in the development and 60 units proposed to be head leased. The time frame is about a week until all contracts are in place.
In Alice Springs, 105 units in the development, 78 are proposed to be head leased. The time frame for contracts to be in place is around two weeks from now. Further in Alice Springs, another 62 units in the development and all units are proposed, at this stage, to be head leased. The time frame for the agreements is around four weeks from now. In Alice Springs there is possible capacity for up to 84 dwellings on another site.
In Tennant Creek there are three units in the development, with two units proposed to be head leased. Another one in Tennant Creek, three units within a development all proposed to be head leased and around two weeks until contracts are signed. In Tennant Creek again, eight units all proposed to be head leased. In another development, six units all proposed to be head leased with a time frame of about two weeks from now. There is another site in Tennant Creek but I cannot talk about that at the moment.
In Katherine, 11 units in the development all proposed to be head leased and around six weeks until we have contracts in place. Again in Katherine, three other sites, one with six units proposed to be head leased, seven units in another development all proposed to be head leased, eight units in another area all proposed to be head leased. The time frame is about six weeks. Does this sound like a government that has been sitting on its backside doing nothing?
Let me tell you about the developers coming forward. I will use the same document because the allegations are that this is only going to a few developers across the Territory. Wrong again.
There are 16 companies involved in the developments I just read out. They have all gone through an EIS open and accountable process. There are quite a few units there, all of which are part of the Real Housing for Growth head leasing initiative.
Moving on to what the Chief Minister was saying about housing, from a government perspective, being completely and openly honest, we are behind the wave. The Country Liberals government has a long way to go. It is imperative we get in front of the wave in more ways than people understand.
Is the Territory going ahead? It certainly is. Will we be faced with challenges into the future? Yes, but they are exciting times, exciting challenges, and, as a government, we have to be ready to face the challenge.
The previous government could have set us up to fail. The lack of land release, keeping in front of the wave of development in the decades to come, and the debt situation have all made things increasingly harder. Labor governments are fantastic at spending money but fail to heed that the money spent today, when living above our means, is stealing from the future. In education, unless we learn to live within our means we are stealing from the children we are educating today, and that is not fair.
I do not want us to be seen as a greedy government. Is it fair that we cannot live within our means today and will penalise young people into the future? It is not fair. We have an obligation to live within our means. Governments do, societies do, and unless we get that right we will be leaving a terrible legacy for people into the future.
Moving to planning, we have identified 70 parcels of land for development over the next five years. Most, if not all, are serviced by established infrastructure. The potential housing yield from these sites is 2700 dwellings across the Territory this year. Land parcels will be released to the market right across the Northern Territory. This government is committed to pursuing good processes as we manage our built environment.
The new Planning Commission established on 1 January 2013 has a primary function of preparing integrated strategic plans. This document is the Northern Territory Planning Commission work program for 2013-14. It is a comprehensive document, and I will talk about several things in it. One of the projects is the Tennant Creek Land Use Framework. The project description is to develop and implement a land use framework for Tennant Creek. The Hughes Noonamah development: provide a report to the minister under section 50B(5) of the Planning Act in relation to a significant development proposal for Hughes and the Noonamah district centre; review the old hospital site and Flagstaff Hill Park developments; work towards an area planned for Knuckey and Ironstone Lagoons.
We have just gone through an open and accountable process with Knuckey Lagoon. There was a well-attended public meeting recently which the member for Nelson attended. Submissions were called for and have closed, and the Planning Commission will report back to me by September.
The Katherine Land Use Plan and the Darwin Regional Land Use Plan are things the Planning Commission is working on at the moment and, of course, the urban densification strategy.
The Planning Commission provides a strategic framework to take us into the future. Developers are calling for a strategic framework to provide guidelines, the goalposts if you like - insurance for the future and how we develop the Northern Territory. There is no good having a flip flop relationship with developers, it does not inspire confidence. We plan to, through good planning, provide them with the goalposts needed to go well into the future and give them the assurance they need that this government is open and accountable and has a strategic framework for planning well into the future.
One of the last things I wanted to talk about is our framework over the next few years. Of course, this will involve an Indigenous education review. The booklet I have in my hands, Learning Lessons, was commissioned in about 1998, finished in 1999, and was the last comprehensive document ever developed for Indigenous education in the Northern Territory. It was handed to parliament in 1999 and, 14 years later - we had 11 years of the Labor …
Mrs LAMBLEY: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request an extension of time for the member.
Motion agreed to.
Mr CHANDLER: A review of Indigenous education in the Northern Territory is overdue. Since this was handed down to parliament in 1999, 14 years have passed. It is time we looked at what is in the book as it is an excellent starting point for Indigenous education in the Territory. However, unless government pays attention to what is in the report and does what is suggested, we will not change anything.
It is time to change convention. I was in a meeting recently with the federal minister, Bill Shorten, and before that minister Garrett when he was Education minister. They were asking what the Territory needs to support Indigenous education. One of the offers was 200 additional teachers. They were prepared to fund an additional 200 teachers into remote schools. On the surface I thought, ‘Wow, what a great offer, we could do with 200 teachers’. However, what would we do with them, where would we house them? It is not like putting 200 teachers into Sydney, where they could rent a property close to their school. If we were to put 200 teachers into remote communities we would have to have the right housing for them. That is something we, as a government, have to look at in the future too.
It made me realise you cannot keep putting your hand out to Canberra asking for more money. That is the easy approach, and has probably been the approach over the last 11 years under the Labor administration. It made me think, ‘What will we do if we get additional money from the federal government for Indigenous education?’ Even with urban education, so many Indigenous students come in from remote areas and we do not track them well enough. The resources do not follow those students well enough. We need to understand more about this, which is why I have called for an Indigenous education review to cover off on some of these areas.
It is time to challenge convention. We cannot walk away from the fact whatever we have done in the past has brought us to where we are today. Is it good enough? I do not think so.
One thing the previous Labor minister for Education, Chris Burns, was right about was attendance. If children are not going to school, there is no way they will receive a good education. In fact, the latest research says there is no safe threshold when it comes to losing days from school. When we talk about a school having a good attendance record of 93%, it means many children are not attending. Having figures released saying there is no safe threshold says we need to have kids at school every day. Of course, children will be sick from time to time, but unless there is a decent excuse for being away from school, they need to be there. In many communities I have visited recently, even last week, I was astounded at the number of children wandering around the community not engaged at school. It is frightening to think these children are missing out on an education. It is something we have to focus on into the future.
The objectives of the terms of reference I put together for this review are:
- Within the context of the national and Territory reforms, programs and initiatives in Indigenous education, provide the Northern Territory government with recommendations to optimise education and training and outcomes for Indigenous students.
The context mapping which needs to occur will include:
- general characteristics of the Indigenous student population in the NT and demographic and outcome trends …
and initiatives, including the effectiveness of programs and initiatives operating throughout the Northern Territory. We want to look at partnerships we have with schools as well as with the federal government.
I will quickly touch on the scope of this review. It is important because education is important:
- undertake a demographic analysis to determine Indigenous student cohort numbers, locations and employment opportunities, including trend data …
evaluate the Australian and Northern Territory governments’ expenditure in Indigenous education over the past 10 years to determine the impact on outcomes for Indigenous students
… determine if there is a significant difference in the education outcomes for Indigenous students residing in remote and urban areas in the Territory and why.
In regard to the programs and strategies:
- advise on the effectiveness … of current teaching and learning approaches that provide the best outcomes for Indigenous students in both the remote and urban contexts
determine those current programs targeting Indigenous students that are working …
assess past and present programs and practices that impact on school attendance. For those schools identified as generating high school attendance, determine if they are employing strategies capable of replication.
There are many good programs, but identifying which ones work and which do not is something this review will look at. One of the challenges and frustrations you have in government - even in opposition - is learning that, for some reason, funding will not continue for very good programs. This is where it comes down to the partnerships with the federal government and there are some complicating factors. I become frustrated when I learn of good programs which, for whatever reason, have funding cut at the federal level. It flows through to the Territory that the funding is cut. You have to identify what programs are working, focus on them, and go in to bat for them, ensuring not only funding continues, but the federal government is made aware we want to keep the programs running. It is cruel to find the legs cut out from under good programs before they have a chance to work.
At Gunbalanya last week - what a fabulous program Learning Games for Kids is. It has been operating successfully around the world for about 15 years and for three years at Gunbalanya. That program has seen some fantastic results and has been demonstrated to work, not only in Australia but in Mexico and Canada. We need to stick with those programs. We will see improvements if we can stick to some of these programs long term, rather than chop and change. Much of it comes down to what has been agreed to federally, and that can be a frustration in itself, but we have to simplify things. Education departments, including Canberra, seem to be focusing on a bureaucracy rather than on what is working. These partnerships and agreements, and the way funding is operated – there are so many different buckets of money - in a perfect world you could hand one bucket of money to a school principal or school council and say, ‘Deliver. You people are best placed to know how to spend that money. You have a job to do. These are the objectives that have been set, do it.’
That is not possible because of the funding arrangements in place, not only between the Northern Territory Education department and our schools, but the arrangements we have in place with Canberra. No wonder people become frustrated with much of this.
In summing up, Framing the Future is a fantastic blueprint. I would like as many people as possible involved with the development of this. As the Chief Minister said, these documents can be as fluid as the community needs them to be. However, they need to provide a strong framework so people have certainty into the future and understand the government’s priorities, goals and focus. After 12 months, it is a good starting point for a new government to batten down the hatches and make saving measures where we need to. We have to live within our means. If we do not, we become a legacy for our future and that is not something any of us want to focus on.
There are many challenges ahead. Framing the Future provides a framework and we all have a tough job. Can we do it? Damn right we can. We are focused, and we will bring the Territory along with us.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for his statement but wonder why he bothers to reinvent the wheel when a blueprint and road map for the future was prepared under the previous Labor government. This formed the cornerstone of policy in moving the Territory and Territorians ahead.
A large part of that work has already been done and the Leader of the Opposition spoke about it. Territory 2030 was a blueprint for the way forward. The Chief Minister’s statement talks about the next three years. I worry about what he believes he can cover-off in three years, but I urge him to return to the document drafted under the stewardship of some very eminent Territorians, not politicians. It is the result of extensive face-to-face community consultations around the Northern Territory, as well as the opportunity for people to go online and offer input. It remains a good blueprint for the future, and it is a shame there is no acknowledgement of the work undertaken in preparation of that document.
This government is at a loss as to how to govern, so thinks if it keeps putting out motherhood statements it thinks will keep people happy and make it look like it is doing something. It has little government business on the parliamentary agenda for these August sittings. There is one piece of legislation to be debated and, as such, it needs to fill the time with something. Why not, as the member for Greatorex would describe it, with a puff piece?
We would have had zero legislation for parliamentary debate these sittings except on the last evening of estimates. Come 3 am, the government was too tired and over parliament and did not want to debate the legislation it should have during those sittings. Members decided they needed to go home. We were prepared to stay until daybreak if necessary, but they pulled the last piece of legislation. Thank goodness they did, with hindsight, because at least they can say they have one piece of legislation up for debate these sittings. It would have looked even worse had they had zero.
I am sure public servants throughout the Territory were thrilled to receive a letter from the Chief Minister this afternoon, alerting them to the monumental announcement of Framing the Future. This announcement is so monumental it probably surpasses the local government announcement last week by the member for Namatjira about re-badging shire councils to regional councils. That, in itself, was a monumental announcement, so much so that the Chief Minister was not by her side. He was in Maningrida trying to flog a good news story which turned out to be a train wreck for him in community backlash and some terrible interviews he did on the ABC.
It will not surprise you that I have already had several calls from public servants in my electorate outraged at the letter sent to them. The hypocrisy, as was pointed out by one public servant, is this policy framework is designed to give certainty about our direction and future plans. This person said, ‘How can the government be so hypocritical to talk about certainty in direction and future plans, when they cannot even provide certainty for our jobs in the public service?’ As the Leader of the Opposition pointed out, this is on the same day an update has gone out from OCPE about public servants and the path they are taking to get a fair deal out of the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement process.
We might be more confident of the future under this awful government if we saw more evidence of action, not just words from the CLP. However, we continue to see a pattern of what they say and what they do being two very different things. Ask me, I can tell you all about that, living through what the people of Gove and northeast Arnhem Land are going through at the moment. This is a dishonest and disingenuous government which says one thing and does another, and constantly sends mixed messages to Territorians. What is gobsmacking about this statement is that there is no mention of the current crisis in Gove and the uncertain future residents and businesses face now the Chief Minister has reneged on the gas to Gove deal.
I forgot to mention earlier in debate is that those Cabinet members, who were around the table in February and said, ‘Yes, that is a fantastic idea, we support Chief Minister Terry Mills’, are the same people now sitting there silently with their heads down saying, ‘Now we support Chief Minister Giles and the fact he has pulled the rug out from under the feet of people in northeast Arnhem Land’. It is not just the people in Nhulunbuy. There has been some nasty commentary online about the fact Nhulunbuy is just a place with rich miners. That is cruel and unfair commentary. It is not just employees of the mining company who are having the rug pulled from beneath their feet, but traditional owners, the many Yolngu communities and homelands across northeast Arnhem Land, small business owners, mums, dads, kids, and our public servants who work hard. Everybody is affected by this, not just those who work for the mining company.
I recall a huge community celebration in March funded by the mining company. The Chief Minister was unable to attend but sent the member for Sanderson, who stood before 1000 people metaphorically thumping his chest saying, ‘How good are we getting gas to Gove?’ That same member is now very quick to slam me about any criticism I might have of this government and its reneging on the gas to Gove deal. Shame on you!
How can the Chief Minister talk of a prosperous economy on one hand and fail to make reference to the awful state of affairs the Gove region finds itself in because he has backflipped on the member for Blain’s gas deal, one he worked on over a period of months. Eventually, following a trip around the world to sit in the boardroom with key stakeholders, not the least of which was Rio Tinto, somehow Cabinet approved that, yet they are now telling us they got it terribly wrong. I am not buying into that. Gove people are not buying into that story at all.
It is hard to swallow the Chief Minister’s line about wanting people in the bush:
- … to share in the benefits of the economic growth …
when we see the entire region of northeast Arnhem Land under threat, 1400 jobs at risk and, with it, the threat of losing millions of dollars spent on goods and services.
Yesterday I met with the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce NT, Mr Greg Bicknell, and impressed upon him what is at stake not only for Gove and northeast Arnhem Land, but for Darwin businesses, and the fact the reputation of the Territory is that it is not open for business. I also stressed business deals and commitments will be overturned on the strength of the CLP’s whim of politics, and this environment is not healthy for business confidence. I also mentioned the loss to Darwin and Territory businesses, not to mention the loss to the gas companies currently conducting exploration at considerable cost which was driven by the announcement in February.
We have the potential to double the gas market in the Northern Territory and create jobs. Look at the spend from Rio Tinto Alcan’s end, with conversion of their power station from heavy fuel oil - not diesel, as many CLP members call it - to a gas-fired power station. There is construction of a gas pipeline and the hundreds of jobs that will create. All of that is on hold at the moment because the CLP government considers it is reasonable that Rio and Pacific Aluminium should run a dual fuel option on just over half the gas previously offered and heavy fuel oil for the rest. Whilst they are obviously considering their position at the moment, I do not believe the deal will sit comfortably with Rio Tinto. There are many people in my community who are concerned that, if it wanted to, Rio Tinto has the best excuse in the world to say, ‘Too hard doing business here. We cannot work with this government; we thought we had a deal. We thought we had a gas supply and will have to pull out and close the refinery. Sorry, but we will be making a commercial decision on this basis’, and with it will go hundreds of jobs, millions of dollars in lost spend, and the CLP government will be carrying the can.
This government talks about grand schemes, but what about some real and practical work. We need more support for local government and more support for housing programs which provide real training and employment outcomes for local people, not the drive-in drive-out contractors or fly-in fly-out contractors, and real and genuine support for homelands, Indigenous tourism, and the music and arts sector that provides real opportunities for economic activity in our smaller bush communities. People already possess skills, knowledge and a passion for these, and those skills will translate into jobs and economic opportunities.
I love the hypocrisy of this new government which bagged, endlessly, the SIHIP program, the biggest housing program in the history of the nation. It was transformational. Now they are on the other side, the CLP crows about the delivery of 942 new houses under NPARIH, the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing. With that acknowledgement, I quote from the Chief Minister’s statement:
- We are delivering at around triple the pace of Western Australia and Queensland, a significant achievement considering the challenges of delivering across 73 communities.
Well, well. You do not say, Chief Minister, having endlessly bagged the program and the member for Fong Lim saying, ‘Why do we need houses there? It is an emergency; all they need is shelters.’ Also, the member for Fong Lim is well-known for describing remote communities as ‘hellholes’. The Chief Minister is now saying what a great program it was, claiming ownership for the program and delivery of 942 new houses when, over the past five years, four years of the program was delivered under the previous Labor government.
Our new Chief Minister says increasing Indigenous participation in the workforce is one of his highest priorities, especially in remote areas. However, he says nothing about how he will tackle a core issue threatening our families in remote communities: the growing proportion of young Indigenous Territorians, especially men, who are not participating in local and regional workforce opportunities, are not in work, and are not even connected to Newstart and the opportunities that presents for work and economic independence. Instead of work and an income, they survive day to day in poverty.
This was a key issue identified by the Northern Territory Coordinator-General, Olga Havnen, in the report she provided to government early in its term, and just days before she was sacked and the independent office she held was removed as a cost-cutting measure. The statement from the minister, ‘We do not need that. We will be looking after that from within the agency’, lends itself to ‘at arm’s length’ accountability and is simply beyond me and the rest of the world.
We know why she was sacked by the member for Namatjira. Ms Havnen is well-known for her frank and fearless advice, irrespective of the political persuasion of the government she may be advising. She would provide frank and fearless advice based on evidence and analysis of the facts. We know this government has no time for accountability and transparency. What is that in the language of this government and the members opposite? It is simply non-existent. I acknowledge the job Olga Havnen did and, despite the fact she was given her marching orders in no uncertain terms, that she stayed on, even though she was not on the payroll, to conduct public consultations which had already being flagged in Alice Springs and Darwin. Perhaps the minister was trying to gag her from not conducting those public consultations, but the fact that she did them anyway under her own steam says much about the integrity of Ms Havnen.
The Chief Minister bragged about the member for Namatjira’s draft Indigenous economic development strategy, a thin document almost devoid of detail. What a joke! The former Territory Labor government always worked on practical ways to help build the economy and jobs in the bush. Indeed, a hallmark of our time in government and our approach to Indigenous disadvantage was our real determination to move forward and focus on real and measurable outcomes.
The draft strategy, applauded by the member for Greatorex who, by the way, has not visited my electorate or the tourism operators out there, is odd in that it does not include any measurable targets. It is not a plan; it is just another promise of better times with no real evidence around how it will be progressed. It talks about generating new economic opportunities but fails to mention the opportunities of the Territory’s largest employer - though its workforce is shrinking - the public service. There is no mention of the public service in that document, yet I heard the member for Namatjira talk up the opportunities for Indigenous employment within the public service during the estimates process.
The CLP’s preference is rhetoric about making things better - happy days with the CLP back in town. However, people in the bush …
Mrs Lambley: Hear, hear!
Ms WALKER: You do not know sarcasm when you hear it, member for Araluen. People in the bush are not silly. They have not forgotten the CLP’s community contracts in places like Borroloola, Wadeye and, no doubt, many others that have proven to be something of a cruel joke. It is a depressing slap in the face to the good people of our bush towns and remote communities who believed they might happen. As we move around, people in the bush are saying - we heard it recently on Groote Eylandt - ‘We made a mistake. We voted for the CLP. We thought they would be different but they are back to their old ways.’
For in excess of $20 000 worth of fuel, many constituents in the seat of Arnhem are not seeing their local member. I regularly have contact with people who are resident in the seat of Arnhem regarding various electorate matters. I always ask, ‘Have you contacted your local member?’ They say, ‘Who is it?’ They do not even know who she is; they do not see her out there. Heaven knows where in excess of $20 000 of taxpayers’ money on fuel is being spent. If she was changing the world, responding to constituent inquiries that might be acceptable, but she is not doing the job. She is not representing the people who voted for her, and will be a casualty of the 2016 election because people have woken up to the fact she is not working and not delivering.
The ‘water mate’ affair has not gone unnoticed. It is shameful that an allocation of squillions of dollars’ worth of water can be handed to the CLP’s candidate for Lingiari and the CLP thinks that is okay and defend it relentlessly. For a government that claims to be listening, clearly they are not. I wish to place on the public record the views of NAILSMA in their Kantri Laif, Issue 7, May 2013, under the heading Bitter Water Decisions. In his column, NAILSMA CEO, Joe Morrison, a former student of mine from my days teaching at Katherine High School, states:
- We were perplexed at the ease with which the NT government, in April 2013, granted a huge amount of water to one property outside the draft Mataranka Water Allocation plan, but a day before and without community consultation, overturned the previous decision to set aside a Strategic Indigenous Reserve of water for the Indigenous community of the area.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request the member be given an extension of time.
Motion agreed to.
Ms WALKER: Thanks very much. Joe Morrison goes on:
- Indigenous people at the local level have always said they don’t want to be consulted after the fact; that they too have aspirations for economic development; that being part of northern development will enable them to create businesses that grow their wealth but also protect their cultural interests.
Keeping everyone informed upfront of the planning process, particularly Traditional Owners, must be standard practice, not the exception. This decision is totally inconsistent with internationally accepted standards to seek prior and informed consent from Indigenous people who have the most to lose in these circumstances.
I have not read the entire column; however, there is a very important message from an Indigenous group representing a key stakeholder group who clearly is not happy with the CLP government, has not been consulted and has not been listened to.
The CLP way is to create overseas investment opportunities for mates ...
Mr Westra van Holthe: They tried that, which is why nothing was done in their term of government.
Ms WALKER: You can have your turn in the debate, member for Katherine …
Mr Westra van Holthe: I will, do not worry about that.
Ms WALKER: I dare you to bag this organisation and anyone else who has dared to speak out against the CLP’s decision to grant water to a CLP candidate. The CLP way is to create overseas investment opportunities for mates, to make deals in private rooms, indeed, private jets, to provide quick and easy access to community resources, cut what they call green tape and presume, out of all this, there will be more jobs for Territorians and perhaps a few crumbs left for local people if they are lucky.
The Chief Minister says he will remove the red tape to arranging leases and sourcing private investors. The Chief Minister’s office will be the Territory’s new one-stop-shop for all his old CLP mates. He says he will deliver whatever is needed, including access to land to progress economic development. This is on the back of his promise to help communities develop and for the Tiwi Islands to become our own Bali, with all the joys that economic development has brought its citizens in Indonesia.
The Chief Minister has designs on himself; he wants to be a fixer but he cannot even fix gas to Gove. What chance does he have to deliver on any of his big and grandiose promises? The Chief Minister brags about how he has delivered reform to shire councils. He appears to have listened to the local government sector and picked up the ball where Labor left it, giving local people a voice through local boards. However, he believes we are all hicks and he is smarter than all of us. He believes a few name changes and the promise of more reform in the future will wash with the people in the bush. His problem is many people in the bush thought he was serious when he said he would get rid of local government shires, toxic shires as he called them, leading people to believe they were returning to smaller community government councils across the Northern Territory.
Ms Anderson: Not at all.
Ms WALKER: I hear the white noise coming from the member for Namatjira. Why is it the Regional Governance Working Group membership attendance at meetings dropped in the last couple of months? Less than half the people who were part of that group were at the last meeting held ahead of the release of the document with the new vision for the way forward. I have spoken with one of those members who said they did not continue attending those meetings because they were a sham. The CLP government had its own ideas about what it was doing and many individuals said, ‘You promised you would get rid of the shires and we would go back to community government council and now you are not doing that at all’.
The CLP local government reforms and what they promised have been entirely dishonest to people, many of whom voted on the strength of what they said they would do but have not done. Those mixed messages continue through this government at every level every moment of the day.
The Chief Minister says the local government changes follow extensive consultation. He is poorly advised. We know the quality of community consultations from our travels around the bush and what people have told us. They were, at best, a rash of poorly organised, generally poorly attended and poorly advertised meetings. Even his regional government consulting groups withered on the vine.
Why was it they had heard it all before, and it was pretty clear any big reform was a long way off? All they have is rebadging of the shires.
It is interesting to note we are hearing about a First Circles consultative group to advise the government on Indigenous issues. This is an old CLP idea that has been dragged up from the depths.
Perhaps it is the Chief Minister’s way of further diluting the role and voice of the member for Namatjira in his government. He has already stripped away from her the Indigenous Affairs portfolio, citing it is not necessary. There has been outrage over that, and it means there is less work for the member for Namatjira to do. She is becoming more and more irrelevant on that side of the House. We know what a turncoat she is. She is not about loyalty, she is about herself. She called the member for Blain a fantastic Chief Minister, arms around him in a big colour photograph in the Northern Territory News, and a week later she was supporting the man she had called a little boy the week before. Of course, he is a fantastic Chief Minister as well. There are no bounds to the disingenuousness of the member for Namatjira. I tip that her days are probably limited.
As for First Circles, it is likely a case of the Chief Minister following the Tony Abbott model of an inner circle of like-minded voices to give legitimacy to the Chief Minister’s plans for the Territory - the core of mates and people who will say what the government wants to hear. We know how they deal with people whose voices they do not want to hear. Dismissals and the ending of employment contracts with NGO service providers might hobble any capacity for people to say what they think.
How will the members of this group be appointed? The CLP has form here. It is jobs for CLP boys and girls. There are rarely expressions of interest, more a tap on the shoulder to people they know and believe will support them and their views. It is just another dose of window dressing instead of getting on with the job and working honestly with local people and industry to deliver real progress.
The Homelands Policy is a bit of a non-policy, particularly if we talk about the Homelands Extra policy. Let us look at that shallow administrative nightmare. Where are the new houses people thought were possible? Where are the real improvements to homeland schools and the infrastructure for utilities around Power and Water? A Homelands Extra policy, where the member for Namatjira, on 2 May, said, ‘This money is available from today’. She may find it funny, as I hear her laughing, but at estimates the answer to my question on notice was: zero applications received, zero processed, zero pending. Big fat zero. Why was that? It does not start until 1 July, two months after it was announced at GanGan. What a hypocrite you are, now tied up in a system.
People were coming to my office seeking a copy of the form because they had been sent away from the Territory Housing office, sent away from the Local Government office which said, ‘No, you need to go to Laynhapuy Homelands’. A person asked me, ‘How do I get funding for the Laynha homeland where my family lives?’ I showed them the four page form. Like me, they were distressed at how any individual with low levels of literacy could complete that form, all for a meagre $5200.
I can hear the member from Fong Lim laughing; he thinks this is hilarious. He is not interested in homeland communities; he thinks they are hellholes.
The Homelands Extra policy is an administrative nightmare. There is confusion. It has been poorly advertised or not advertised, and in estimates next year we will see that very few organisations, service providers and residents have been able to access this funding. It is a crying shame. Nowhere else in the country would impoverished tenants have to provide the level of detail they are required to, including means testing for an asset they do not own. They, effectively, do all the work for the landlord to fix the place up. Go figure! It is a basket case of a way to make funding available. It is a gammon scheme, a Clayton’s scheme, and funding is not available.
The Chief Minister brags about new structures and management for our health systems, but these are not the things families in the bush worry about. We are talking about people with real health issues, chronic health issues, needing the best support and care the government can provide. They are not doing that in the bush. They have taken away the medi-hotel where patients from out bush would normally be able to stay while in Darwin or Gove. Where are the members opposite from the bush electorates? They are silent. They do not stick up for Gove. They are hypocrites and are not interested in supporting the people who elected them. This will come back to bite them in the next election, even before the next election, I suspect, for some of them, because they have treated people abysmally for a government that claims to be listening to the bush. They are not listening at all. They do not talk to their constituents, do not visit them, and we are picking up that message loud and clear as we make our way around the Territory.
This statement says very little. This statement is filling time on the floor of the House because the government has nothing worthwhile to talk about and no legislation to debate. Whist it may be interesting to fill in a few hours, it is a waste of the House’s time.
Mr Westra van Holthe: Why did you spend 50 minutes talking about it?
Ms WALKER: I took the opportunity to point out your many errors.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): It is with great pleasure that I talk about the wonderful achievements of the new Country Liberals government over the last 12 months. Indeed, what a fantastic year it has been. First, I have to respond to some of the emotional comments made by the member for Nhulunbuy. I feel compelled to do so because her diatribe of vitriol and negativity deserves a response.
The first point I make is that as much as we won the election in August last year, Labor lost the election because of their poor performance. That includes bush areas as well as the urban and metropolitan areas of the Northern Territory. They lost the election because of their very poor management. They became tired, tardy, lazy, and took their eye off the ball. As much as the member for Nhulunbuy and the Leader of the Opposition would have us believe the last 12 months is a story of complete and utter failure and negativity, the former Labor government lost the election on their performance and performance only.
They left a legacy. We inherited a train wreck in some respects, particularly fiscally. We have considerable debt mounting to $5.5bn over the forward estimates at this point in time. Thanks to Labor, we are paying around $600 000 per day every day as a legacy of the debt they amassed during 11 years of government. It is a sad story, because the only thing they were good at was spending a lot of money the Northern Territory could not afford. Having inherited that, we had to go about setting a fairly strict plan which did not involve just spending, spending, spending. It was about good fiscal management, prudence, and good governance. That is what the former Northern Territory government lacked for a long time.
I return to the diatribe of the member for Nhulunbuy we were just privy to …
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Mrs LAMBLEY: Subjected to, as the member for Fong Lim has just corrected me. We were subjected to a barrage of negativity. Let me tell you a story. Several months ago I had the pleasure of visiting Nhulunbuy for the first time in my life. I am a Central Australian; I have lived in Central Australia for the best part of 20 years. I had never ventured to Gove, the Nhulunbuy area, or the Arnhem area.
One of the things that struck me was the fact the member for Nhulunbuy, during my almost three years as a member of parliament, was a silent enigma in this Chamber. She never said boo and, I believe from my colleagues, has not during her career as a member of parliament said boo about any issue pertaining to her electorate, not to mention the developing and potential problems around the Gove refinery which we are confronted with now. She never raised it as an issue, never said anything about it to lead us to believe they were heading to big problems around the future of Nhulunbuy and that area due to problems with the Gove refinery.
I found several months ago, as the new Minister for Health, long-term plans for an aged care facility in Gove. These plans had been in the making for years, including the 11 years of the former NT Labor government and the last six years of the current federal Labor government. The member for Nhulunbuy has sat on and presided over plans to set up an aged care facility in her electorate for five years. She has achieved nothing, despite the fact she, presumably, had the full support of her team when in government, and her federal Labor government team now. She has been completely impotent in providing an aged care nursing home facility in Gove for her people.
I am stunned and appalled at the lack of capability of the member for Nhulunbuy. Whilst on the opposite side of the Chamber she can throw stones at our performance over the last 12 months in everything we have said and done which is, frankly, unfair and misinformed. However, this member of parliament has failed her community and the elderly people of Nhulunbuy and Gove in not providing adequate aged care services when she has been in the prime seat to provide for her community for a long time. Member for Nhulunbuy, if I were you I would hang my head in shame. You have let your people down.
There are plans in place and, as the new Minister for Health, my aim is to assist the Gove community to unravel the mess the member for Nhulunbuy has presided over for a long time and address this important issue. Elderly people who require nursing home placement in the member for Nhulunbuy’s electorate, I presume, have to travel to places like Darwin for long-term important care.
She is a disappointment. No one on this side of the Chamber has failed their electorate like the member for Nhulunbuy. She remained silent on this gas to Gove issue until recently. Now she has found her voice, her legs, and is screaming from the top of the mountains and towers. She has not found her voice around the serious problem of the provision of aged care services in her electorate.
To begin my response to the Chief Minister’s stimulating and positive statement around the negative comments from the member for Nhulunbuy is not how I intended to begin, but I could not let that go without addressing it. It would be hypocrisy, and she used the word hypocrisy many times in her speech, but the hypocrisy lay within her rather than anyone else in this Chamber. She said that gas to Gove issue was a depressing slap in the face. Her lack of performance is a slap in the face for people in her electorate.
I will return to my area of interest, an area I am pleased to be working in, Health. What we inherited in August 2012 from the former Labor government was some serious problems in the Health system. I am gobsmacked and surprised that the opposition alluded to some of the problems we inherited from them 12 months ago. Already they are trying to manufacture a story around us being responsible for these problems rather than their 11 years of taking their eye off the ball.
One of the surprising things I have uncovered during my five or six months as the Minister for Health is the sad state of sections of Royal Darwin Hospital, one being the paediatric wards. I visited the paediatric wards late last week and was stunned. It is a fragmented service, spread across several floors of the hospital. It is very dated. The staff do a remarkable job given their physical surrounds and the space allocated for the most part of the last 12 years of the former Labor government. When the opposition mentioned the paediatric wards, I was surprised they were so thick-skinned as to raise this issue as our responsibility. We will be proceeding with refurbishment and redevelopment of the Paediatric Unit of Royal Darwin Hospital, and plans are well under way to commence that work as soon as possible.
As part of the Health and Hospital Fund commitment to the Paediatric Unit of Royal Darwin Hospital, $38.1m has been allocated to a new wing and the new Country Liberals government is happy to accept that money. We have put to minister Plibersek, the current federal Labor Minister for Health and Ageing, that we be allowed to use that funding to develop a new paediatric wing at the new Palmerston hospital we are planning.
Minister Plibersek, although a very pleasant woman, has been active in her use of our decisions as a new government to play a political football game with us. She likes to send letters to us via the media first. I have become used to that after it occurring three or four times. Minister Plibersek is not inclined to allow us to use the $38.1m towards a paediatric wing in the new Palmerston hospital. I am hoping a new Coalition government will be so inclined, being far more understanding that a new government has new priorities and wants a different vision for health service delivery in the Northern Territory.
The paediatric services in Royal Darwin Hospital are well-delivered considering the constraints of the physical space they have been given over the years. One of a number of serious problems Royal Darwin Hospital inherited from the former Labor government is the practice of double-bunking in the Emergency Department, which is well known to the former Minister for Health, the member for Casuarina. He is well aware that double-bunking occurs when the pressure on beds becomes great in the Emergency Department of Royal Darwin Hospital. For many years a practice has occurred where two beds are put in each cubicle. We have inherited this problem. I have already received a number of letters from people complaining about this practice. It is undesirable. I am assured by the medical practitioners and bureaucracy at Royal Darwin Hospital it is perfectly safe, but it is undesirable and inappropriate, and something we hope to address through the extension and redevelopment of Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department.
A congested, dated, outpatient department is another legacy of the former Labor government. I was stunned when I walked through there a few days ago to see the facilities in which people work. The turnover of the Royal Darwin Hospital outpatient department is huge. It has a massive flow of people coming through every day, and the facilities are antiquated. The former Labor government presided over this for many years, so it is something we have to address. Part of that will be addressed by the development of a new Palmerston hospital.
The opposition is fixated on thinking we are not committed to Palmerston hospital, which is incorrect, misleading, and not resonating with the community. The community realises this government is committed to Palmerston hospital and sees the need for it. The only reason we are not going with Labor’s plan is because it was appalling. It was not visionary, and not in keeping with the 30- 40- or 50-year health needs of the people of the greater Darwin area which it is essential we address.
I will give you a good example of why the site chosen by Labor is completely inappropriate. I do not have the document with me, but the size of the land chosen by the former Labor government as the site for Palmerston hospital is about two-thirds the size of the existing Royal Darwin Hospital campus. It is so small it could never grow to the size of Royal Darwin Hospital. Is that good practice, good planning, is that visionary? No, it is not. The member for Casuarina is screwing his face up, but it is a fact. The size of Royal Darwin Hospital is much bigger than the site designated by the former Labor government for the new Palmerston hospital. There is lack of vision. It is too small, too short-sighted and nothing we would go with.
We are a government of vision, and will ensure the future health needs of the greater Darwin area are serviced properly by a new Palmerston hospital at a site which allows for expansion and development into the decades ahead, not the next few years. The short-sightedness of the former Labor government is astounding.
The other thing we inherited from the former Labor government and their federal Labor colleagues, who you cannot trust, and this is a good example of why, is they provided considerable funds to set up facilities with no operational costs connected to those facilities. That is shameful. No wonder the former Territory Labor government blew the budget, and would have continued to blow the budget to the tune of $5.5bn in the forward estimates because they were going along with federal Labor’s mission to build and build and provide no money for operational costs.
The biggest example was the medi-hotel, now known as the Royal Darwin Hospital Short Term Accommodation Facility. Not one cent was allocated to the Northern Territory government to fund the operational costs associated with this large, beautiful complex. We inherited it. It sat empty, even through the end of the former Labor government’s term. They did not know what to do with it because they had no money to operate it. They had spent every cent in the money box and we inherited that. We did not know what to do with it because we could not stomach the idea of spending the huge amount of money required to commission the new facility, get it up and running, and fill it with 100 beds.
The former Labor government and the existing federal Labor government were in cahoots. They were great at planning facilities which cost a lot of money and underfunding the operational side of them.
The other example is aged care. I highlighted the failure of the member for Nhulunbuy’s commitment to aged care. However, across the Northern Territory I have discovered aged care services and facilities have been underfunded by federal Labor and, coercively and cooperatively, the former Northern Territory Labor government went along with it. We inherited inadequate funds to provide community care for people in Central Australia. It is a huge problem. There is a lack of nursing home beds in Central Australia, and in recent times we have seen three nursing homes penalised because of the federal Labor government’s inability to effectively regulate and monitor nursing homes in the Top End. Their accreditation has been changed and they have been prevented from taking new nursing home patients. This has meant the pressure on beds in Royal Darwin Hospital has gone through the roof.
At the moment, 59 people are waiting for nursing home placement in the Darwin area. That is a huge number. There are only 150 000 or 160 000 people in Darwin alone. Pressure on these services is considerable. The former Labor Northern Territory government allowed this situation to decline to the point it has. When we hear about bed-blocking, double-bunking, pressure on the ED, it is not because we have decided to temporarily use the medi-hotel as an alcohol mandatory treatment centre, it is because of lack of real planning and real vision in managing increasing demands with limited resources. The key is limited resources.
A finite amount of money is available to this government, and was to the former government, to meet the needs of Territorians. You cannot keep spending your way out of problems because it will come back to bite you. Look overseas to America and Greece, look to countries that have faced the consequences of spending without any sense of responsibility and prudence.
I conclude my response to the Chief Minister’s statement by mentioning the vision we have for health services across the Northern Territory. Late last year my colleague, the member for Fong Lim, launched a new Health and Hospital Services framework for the Northern Territory. In 2009, the federal government was given a reform agenda by a group of consultants who had worked long and hard …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request an extension of time for the member to complete her remarks.
Motion agreed to.
Mrs LAMBLEY: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. In 2009, the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission’s final report came down. It took the new Country Liberal government a matter of months after coming to government to embrace these reforms. There are problems in the system that can only be rectified by dramatic and widespread reform. The member for Fong Lim, the former Minister for Health, kicked this process off in a very courageous and bold way, and has set us on a course of reform which will bring amazing results to our health system.
We are regionalising the management by creating two hospital boards: a Top End Health and Hospital Board, and a Central Australian Health and Hospital Board. We are making them statutory bodies with full responsibility for their budgets. Decision-making will not be top down but devolved and, for the first time, people at the coalface providing services will have a say in how those services are provided and resources are allocated. Of course, as Minister for Health, I will have a role as the system manager to ensure the policies and planning are consistent with the political philosophy and agenda of this government. This is a very exciting time. It has been completely embraced by stakeholders across the board, across the width and breadth of the Northern Territory, and we are heading for an exciting time.
Legislation governing the roll-out of this service framework is being drafted and is expected to be released for public consultation later this year. The full financial control given to the new boards will come into effect from 1 July 2014.
It has been an exciting, fulfilling, and successful first 12 months in health for this government, and not just in health, but across the board. We can clearly demonstrate, this evening and beyond, that we have met our election commitments in health around elective surgeries and cardiac services. Within hours we will be announcing the outcomes and commitments we will make to the Patient Assistance Travel Service review, keenly awaited by people across the community. We have met our election commitments and beyond.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I look forward to the next 12 months working with the people of the Northern Territory to improve health services and health outcomes for all Territorians.
Ms ANDERSON (Children and Families): Mr Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the Chief Minister for bringing this statement to the House. It forecasts, for the future of the Northern Territory, positive signs in all our ministries: agriculture, health, regional development, the Office of Children and Families, infrastructure, roads, and housing. It is a clear indication we are a focused government ready to lead Territorians economically, have them involved in dealing with their own issues socially, and ensuring we listen to people.
It is extraordinary to hear the member for Nhulunbuy talk garbage inside this House. When the Chief Minister and I went to GanGan to launch the Homelands Policy, it was evident that in the five years she has been in this Chamber she has not once spoken about upgrading education standards there.
A lady there told the Chief Minister and me that the children go to school two days a week. They said, ‘Chief Minister, can you extend school hours for our children to five days a week and build infrastructure at GanGan so our teachers can live here instead of flying in and out?’ This lady has sat here all this time and said nothing about those issues. She spoke about poor housing on outstations. This government is listening to Aboriginal people on remote Aboriginal communities and homelands. She has not once spoken about poor homeland conditions in remote Aboriginal communities.
For the record I put on Hansard, regarding shires, that the department has conducted 177 community visits and held 279 meetings. We are a government that is listening to Indigenous Territorians. We were voted in because we said we would listen to them. Labor lost sight of voters, lost sight of Aboriginal people, and forgot other parts of the Territory. All they thought about was Darwin, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Katherine. They did not understand Aboriginal homelands or regional towns such as Gove.
Not once did we hear the member for Nhulunbuy talk about gas to Gove. Not once did she open her mouth in this Chamber. She opened it for the first time in opposition, never when in government – a shame. For five years she was silent. We called her the Phantom every time she stood up. She was silent on all issues dealing with Indigenous disadvantage. She did not speak about creating new economic opportunities in Gove. Not once did she open her mouth, and she still does not. She is banging on at a government she knows is getting runs on the board.
Chief Minister, I congratulate you for bringing this statement forward to the House because it is a positive future for all Territorians and one that embraces and allows businesses from outside the Northern Territory, telling them we are open for business and open for development. We are a government that has the foresight to ensure we embrace the different cultures we have in the Northern Territory. We have become a multicultural society. We are interested in our children’s future and the future of all Territorians. That is why we are developing, economically, the Northern Territory to be the best place in Australia and we encourage other Australians living outside the Northern Territory to come to the Northern Territory.
This is a government that is focused on all areas and aspects of our service delivery. Whether it is a social service delivery to the Office of Children and Families or to education and health, we embrace the difference we see and are on a path leading Territorians forward.
I welcome the statement to the House and want to report on my ministries and what we do as ministers on behalf of the Northern Territory.
It has been a fantastic year. We do not just have a plan for this year, we have a plan for the future, and that is the exciting part of being in this government and in the Country Liberal Party. We see things differently, and it is no secret that governing the Northern Territory is one of the hardest jobs in Australia, and we recognise that. We come from diverse electorates and this government understands and recognises that.
Our problems are often more extreme and often very different. If a policy works in Victoria, it is likely it will work in New South Wales too because of the similarities between those places. There is a high chance it will not work in northern Australia because we are different in ways everyone here is familiar with. Much of what we do here in government is new, which means we have to proceed with determination but also great caution. There are no quick fixes. You cannot buy policies and programs for the Northern Territory off the shelf; you have to develop them with care and consultation. That is exactly, member for Nhulunbuy, what this government is doing every day. It is listening to and consulting with people.
The journey for Territorians and the Country Liberal Party is interesting. It is a journey of economic opportunity for anyone, and we encourage Indigenous people in the Northern Territory to come forward. The Chief Minister said he will move heaven and earth to ensure regional and remote Northern Territory is involved in the good future we have.
I sometimes consider this job a bit like building a house: everyone wants to see the walls go up and the roof put on, but before you can do that you need to design it, choose the right site and dig the foundations. There will be many foundations in what I am about to report, and I make no apology for that. In each of my portfolio areas I am doing my best to build something that will last, with the great help of this government. I am the Minister for Regional Development, for Local Government, for Children and Families, and for Women’s Policy. Each of those areas presents a different range of issues; however, I have found some common themes. The big one is what I call the ‘need to listen’. We have certainly done that since taking government. The reason this government was elected was because the previous one had stopped listening, especially to the regions. Not listening is a political problem. Of course, no one wants a government that ignores them and is not respectful, but it is also a practical problem.
One of the persistent problems in the Northern Territory has been the belief of many politicians and public servants that Darwin knows best. This shows faith in centralisation. However, centralisation does not work because the people in the centre can never know enough about the lives of people in other places. Politics around the world shows us the belief in centralisation is particularly foolish in a place like this, as life in Darwin is so different from life in the regions. However, we know the solution to this problem. If you are in government you need to acknowledge you do not know everything. You listen, and that is exactly what this government has been doing.
We have also travelled widely and have consulted with people. One of my proudest achievements of the past year is something quite simple, my travel diary. I have made 25 trips to more than 40 remote communities. I have paid monthly visits to regional centres, visiting communities and staff. I have attended 33 official functions around the Territory. Each of those visits represents much conversation and an expansion of the number of people I know and have given my phone number to.
It also represents a commitment of time, because we are all busy ministers. It is not that I do not have enough work to do back at the office, but if you are building a house in Alice Springs or Tennant Creek there is no point working on the walls in Darwin unless you have found the site and prepared the foundations. I list my travel schedule as my proudest achievement to date, and promise to keep it up over the next year. I will keep listening, and I know that to listen to enough people I have to move around.
The problem of centralisation has been reflected in aspects of the super shires in local government. That was an attempt by the government to keep in touch with the regions while achieving economies of scale but, as we know, it did not work because the shires lost touch with ordinary people and stopped listening. They lost touch with the central government too. That might have been one of their strengths – the government in Darwin keeping in touch with the shires it created, but too often that did not happen. In fact, when it came to infrastructure and development there was no effective way for regional centres to connect with the government in Darwin or Canberra, so the Territory’s political structures at the regional level ended up in a vacuum, too often irrelevant and powerless. We are giving people back their voices. We are allowing the regions to connect with Darwin once again.
This will be done in the next few months with changes to the Local Government Act. We will introduce regional councils, and each will establish multiple local authorities. Anyone can be involved with the local authority, which will pass on local concerns to regional council. The regional council will deal with the Territory government. We are establishing a chain of communication from every family, every resident and every business wherever they are, all the way to Darwin. We are giving people back their voices. This reform is a result of extensive consultation, including much good work by the Regional Governance Working Group set up by the Chief Minister when Minister for Local Government. The municipal governments of Alice Springs, Katherine and Darwin have not been affected by these reforms; however, there will be more change. The issue of local government in the Top End has not been forgotten; it will be addressed.
While nothing has been agreed on yet, it may well be considered as part of the next stage of this major reform. In that stage we will consider more deeply the viability and sustainability of the finances of local government. I understand there is a great hunger in the bush for even more change, but we are proceeding cautiously. As I said, this is not a government of quick fixes, not a government of gestures; it is a government of patient, hard work. The two stage review of local government, which has already involved visits to 177 communities, will be finished by the end of this year. This is not fast enough for some, but you cannot visit 177 communities and listen to everyone you meet overnight.
We have also created four regional development committees in Tennant Creek, Katherine, Nhulunbuy and Alice Springs. Each has one member appointed to Regional Development Australia as part of the same deal. This government also has its own member of Regional Development Australia, so there is a development chain reaching from the regions all the way to Canberra, something Labor never thought of and never did.
One of my challenges in the coming years will be to ensure these communications chains work and there is productive two-way traffic up and down all lines. Positive communication is the only way we can get real outcomes.
I have also been involved directly in some regional development issues. I have attended two Northern Australia Ministerial Forums, biannual meetings of representatives of the Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia and federal governments. We used that forum to talk about live exports, infrastructure projects, and so on. I have also attended the Australia China Minerals Investment Summit and played a role in the development of the Ord River Development Stage 3.
It has been a busy time and it is bearing fruit. It is more likely now other states, other nations, and their companies are prepared to think about the Northern Territory as a place with a responsible government, a place where they can do business and employ people.
The next big change is homelands. We all know what went wrong. They are a great idea connecting people to country but were badly funded and, in many cases, became difficult places to live. The money spent on homelands too often failed to distinguish between occupied and unoccupied homes, how remote a homeland was, or if it had power or other services. Money was spent poorly, inefficiently and ineffectively so people moved to the towns where many were unhappy. They were anxious and upset and all types of trouble occurred.
In 2013, this government introduced a new Homelands Policy which sets out a clear and transparent plan for funding services to homelands. Some homelands will now receive services for the first time under this new policy framework, something Labor and the member for Nhulunbuy never did.
In addition, $14m has been made available by this government, an unprecedented funding boost in this area. Eligible residents can use the funds to improve their housing. This is the first time a Territory government has contributed significantly to the federal funding of homelands. People are moving back and are much happier. That is good for adults, families, and children, to keep their children safe, keep families together, enjoy their homelands again and enjoy their country, and have children involved in hunting and ensuring they understand their traditional ways, language and culture. This government has introduced Homelands Extra, which provides additional money to families where the children go to school and the parents work in paid jobs, are in training, or perform some other important role for the community.
One of the major goals of Homelands Extra is to encourage economic participation. That is a tough one but it has to be tackled. As I have said before, the more independent people can be economically the more choices they have. The Chief Minister has put the offer to people in the Northern Territory who live in remote Aboriginal communities to be part of moving forward economically in the Northern Territory. There are opportunities. If they have choices they can live where they want: on homelands, in Alice Springs, Darwin, and other places. We want to give people the freedom to explore their potential. That is one of the things this government stands for which requires economic independence, but it starts with education and families.
When I became Minister for Children and Families there was a concentration of managers in Darwin who were what I call ‘theoretical’. They were so focused on inquiry recommendations and bureaucratic policies that they were being distracted from their basic role of protecting children. If you keep kids safe, they can be very resilient. Having consistency, getting basic things like food and shelter regularly and reliably, support from family, and a bit of love goes a long way. To really thrive, a good school and good healthcare is also critical. Children are pretty tough as long as they are not abused, are respected, and have their basic needs met. That is my focus as a minister and the focus of this government. I know I cannot do many of the things I would like to for the kids. If I can make them safer by strengthening families we can all sleep a little easier at night.
What have we done? We have redirected $25.1m to frontline child protection and out-of-home care services in 2013-14. We have introduced a new practice framework, Science of Safety. This framework activity requires involvement of the child and the family in case planning. This shifts family involvement from being good theory to a practical part of normal work with families. This is a real example of a policy that ends up being seen, heard, and felt by the child, their family, and their community in a way that keeps children safe. The result will be greater involvement of the family in early stages of investigations and will create better planning and more involvement by the family so intervention is more effective. It will shorten involvement, where possible, and increase the stability of placements in foster care.
The Office of Children and Families has created the Tune into Little Ones Kit to help child protection workers identify which children and young adults are at risk or in trouble and to deal with that.
We have also been recruiting more child protection workers. It is not an easy job, and many child protection agencies around Australia have shortages. We have run a national campaign and early signs are promising, with many positions already filled. We have also created real action in kinship recruitment and in recruitment, assessment and training of foster carers. We have a long way to go, but things are happening in a positive way with real action leading in the direction we have to travel.
When I took over Women’s Policy, I found much theory. It was all caught up in United Nations agreements and other high-level women’s business. There were many proclamations, big words, and fine hopes. However, they did not match up to what was happening on the ground. Ambition is all very well, but it can lead you astray if you try to do too much. If you try to do everything, often you end up doing nothing properly.
We have plenty of women’s policies. There is a risk that policies are developed disconnected from the real world. In the real world I, and many of those policy writers, become frustrated when we see those policies having little or no effect. The challenge is to make good policies generating change in the lives of individuals.
We are encouraging women in the Territory to talk about what matters to them and encouraging men to listen. I am a great believer in the need for victims of both sexes to speak out. Until they start talking and reporting change, it will be very hard. We are encouraging that with series like ‘A Conversation Worth Having’, and ‘Smashing Glass Ceilings’. Sometimes to get action you need to talk first. You need a lot of talk. Fortunately, most women are not too bad at that, but to talk about some things we all need encouragement. Government can help with that …
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! I request the member for Namatjira be given an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms ANDERSON: Thank you, and thank you to my colleague. To find a practical strategy for addressing sexual assault and domestic violence that will work on the ground, I have already announced discussions with Ruby Gaea to help us open a forum for those skilled and motivated agencies and individuals to contribute to a Territory-wide strategy. We will have strong and committed women and skilled professionals from key agencies all over the Territory contributing to make things work. We can then implement a strategy the whole government can get behind, and do this in partnership with the community in a way that will work for women in remote areas as well as the Top End.
I will speak about a general area of reform which cuts across all the policy areas I have been talking about. When we came to office we found a lack of planning. We inherited government agencies suffering from a lack of political direction. The only solution for years had been to pile on the money, hire more public servants, and create more debt for the people of the Northern Territory. Shameful Labor! We have changed that; it is partly a cultural change. We are living within our budget, working smarter and more efficiently. That means working with other departments rather than in competition. This has been a fundamental change for some of our public servants but a welcome one.
This government feels under pressure to make savings and be more effective with less money. That is a good thing. I would like more money, like everyone else. Taxpayers expect us to work with a budget and want a government to acknowledge public finances are not bottomless. We inherited a situation where there seemed to be no bottom to public finances. We are slowly turning this thinking around.
In conclusion, I will say three things. The first is about consistency. This government made promises it is keeping. What I said I would do, I am now doing. We are building the house I mentioned before. The foundations are down and the walls are going up. In the next year, we will put on the roof. This is a government people can trust.
My second point is focus. When I look across my different portfolio areas of Regional Development, Local Government, Children and Families, and Women’s Policy, and I look at what my colleagues are doing in their portfolios, I see focus. We are doing a lot but not trying to do everything. We have done a good job of identifying the important things, real issues such as education, housing and safety, and are concentrating on doing them well.
Finally, we are listening. For communication to occur it is not enough for one person to speak, someone has to listen. By being a government which listens, we are giving the people of the Northern Territory back their voice. This government is determined to move Territorians forward.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement on the Country Liberal government’s significant achievements in the past 12 months and the outline of our future directions.
I want to echo the member for Namatjira’s sentiments about the amount of work being done by her ministerial colleagues on the fifth floor. The Chief Minister is working particularly hard in many areas. He is ably supported by a great number of people on the fifth floor, including his ministers who are doing their utmost to further the objectives and priorities of this government and make a real difference to the lives of Territorians.
I also want to pay respect to the non-ministerial members of this Legislative Assembly who provide a great deal of feedback and information to the ministers. Their role in the scheme of things is extremely important as well. It is comforting to know we are getting feedback from electorates around the Northern Territory so we know what is happening.
It is vitally important that not only ministers talk to people but that our backbenchers support us in our roles and provide us with the means to support them in their electorates. It has been a great team effort.
As my departmental portfolios include Primary Industry and Fisheries, Mines and Energy and Land Resource Management, I have responsibility for many of this government’s big ticket items regarding election commitments. There are also smaller ones which, once fully implemented, will make it easier for Territorians, especially miners, pastoralists, farmers and fishers, to conduct and grow their business in the Territory.
Since becoming a stand-alone department and able to facilitate better investment for industry, Mines and Energy has cut red tape, worked to attract investors to the Territory and implemented new geoscience initiatives to help explorers find new minerals and energy deposits.
In June this year, the government launched a new pre-competitive geoscience initiative to stimulate mineral and petroleum exploration titled Creating Opportunities for Resource Exploration, or the acronym CORE. CORE is a stand-alone and fully funded initiative that will develop new geoscience and exploration stimulus programs designed to accelerate the Territory’s next generation of minerals and petroleum discoveries.
This is opposed to the situation we found under the former Labor government where the Bringing Forward Discovery Program fell in both stature and status from a discretely funded program to one that was being funded from within the department. For us, it ultimately became an unfunded liability which this government, recognising the importance of ongoing geoscience programs, immediately refunded in the mini-budget late last year.
The new CORE initiative includes new programs to assess the gas and minerals potential of our sedimentary basins and surveys that will cover more than 10% of the Northern Territory with high resolution gravity data which will be used to demonstrate prospectivity for onshore petroleum.
We are also co-funding selected exploration drilling and geophysical programs in areas which have seen limited past activity. We are also improving service to the exploration industry by making open file company exploration reports available online.
CORE fulfils an election commitment to continue supporting pre-competitive geoscience initiatives, including onshore petroleum programs. Specifically, CORE will deliver collaborative industry grants for greenfield exploration, improve coverage of the NT with gravity, magnetic and radiometric geophysical surveys to help uncover exploration; fund new geosciences mapping and resource assessment projects, fund digital hyperspectral scanning of drill core, including interpretation and digital delivery, and improve online access to exploration industry technical reports, all of which will help attract explorers and international investors to the Northern Territory. I have almost belaboured the point around CORE, such is the importance of this activity occurring in order to attract new investment to the Northern Territory.
The department is also reviewing administrative arrangements for onshore petroleum, including drafting new regulations for environment management and resource management which complement and further strengthen the current legislation. In May this year, this government announced the establishment of an Energy Directorate within the Department of Mines and Energy. The Energy Directorate will set a path for the long-term strategic development of the energy industry across the Northern Territory. The directorate will bring together a range of energy-related activities from across government, with a particular focus on the potential for energy infrastructure to be linked to regional areas to provide supply options for existing and new developments.
The high-level strategic policy directorate will coordinate and manage our emerging energy industries both upstream and downstream. The team of resource economists and other energy-related experts will inform government on opportunities and priorities for developing future energy policy for the NT.
The Energy Directorate officially came into effect on 1 July 2013, and has already begun reviewing legislation, policy and administrative arrangements supporting the petroleum industry.
On 27 June 2013, the government passed amendments to the Mining Management Act allowing for the introduction of a 1% levy on existing mine securities. Unfortunately, the NT has a significant number of legacy mining sites. As a government, we are neither running away from nor ignoring these major issues which have ongoing negative impacts on the environment. We are prepared to do the right thing and make tough decisions, something which was not the hallmark of the former Labor government. We are assessing these sites to gauge the level and type of environmental impacts they have, and then identify how they can be appropriately remediated over time.
It is anticipated the new 1% levy will generate $6.45m in the first year, with a third of the revenue going directly to a specific mining remediation fund to begin tackling these significant legacy issues. The remainder of the revenue generated will be used to create a dedicated Legacy Mining Unit within the department and to support other key activities which will minimise the environmental impacts of mining and prevent future legacies.
In return for paying the levy, mining operators will receive a 10% reduction in the level of security they need to lodge. I went through those figures in estimates, but government will continue to hold over 100% of the calculated costs for remediating individual sites. This new levy will come into effect on 1 October 2013, as previously mentioned by the Chief Minister. To ensure the cutting edge world-class geological work undertaken by the Mines and Energy staff is realised to its full potential by explorers, major investors need to be attracted to the Territory.
The China, Japan and South Korea Minerals Investment Strategies continue to deliver results to assist explorers in the NT to access capital and drive exploration in mining. The Australia China Minerals Investment Summit, or ACMIS, a joint effort between the NT and South Australian governments, was held for the first time in Darwin earlier this year. The event was a resounding success with 330 delegates registered, including over 80 Chinese officials and investors. This event showcased the vast mineral opportunities of the Territory to an international audience.
Finally, in election commitments for Mines and Energy, work has been achieved in regard to promoting fossicking, including the launch of a new website which provides new information, updated maps, details of potential new fossicking areas, and a range of resources to make fossicking an enjoyable experience.
We have the runs on the board in implementing our election commitment regarding geoscience initiatives, onshore petroleum administration, investment attraction, and fossicking.
This government has also upheld election commitments and made significant progress on many projects handled by the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries. Our election commitments regarding fishing in the Northern Territory, both recreational and commercial, were significant. We recognise the importance of ensuring commercial operations continue with minimal impediments and hurdles to ensure all Territorians and visitors can purchase locally caught fish. We have balanced this against the high importance many Territorians place on recreational fishing. Regardless of whether the fishing is commercial or recreational, this government aims to protect all fisheries to ensure their sustainability and create a certainty that future generations can still land a 1 m barra or get a feed of Spanish mackerel.
Healthy fisheries require careful management and government support. In recognition of the importance of fishing to the economy and Territory lifestyle, this government has supported a number of major initiatives. This government has closed Chambers and Finke Bays to commercial barramundi fishing and set those priority areas aside for the exclusive use of recreation anglers and fishing tour operators. We bought back six commercial licences to provide fair adjustment to the commercial fishery, something the former government seemed to baulk at given a number of those licences bought back were historical ones needing to be bought back from previous closures.
The government has improved information and data collection on recreational fishing by funding an annual recreation fishing survey. This government has implemented a fishing and boating safety education program. We have also established a Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee to provide advice directly to me, as minister, on the management and development of our recreational fisheries. We have committed significant funding to additional fishing infrastructure improvement works.
With these runs already on the board, we have established a task group to develop a new resource-sharing framework to guide all future resource-sharing decisions in the Northern Territory. The framework will recognise the aspirations of specific user groups, put in place guidelines to enable decision-making, and establish principles against which decisions should be assessed for appropriateness. The task group includes representatives from commercial, recreational and fishing tour sectors, and I am anticipating a draft framework will be released for public comment shortly. A new Recreational Fishing Unit has been established within the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries to ensure ongoing sustainable management and enhancement of recreational fishing opportunities.
This government has also committed to resolving issues presented by the High Court decision on Blue Mud Bay. We continue to negotiate with traditional owners and the northern Anindilyakwa councils, and we have recommenced discussions with the Tiwi Land Council, something the former government failed to do, seeking a more balanced outcome in support of their development of successful business enterprises and to provide more practical access opportunities for fishers.
It was a pleasure to have my first meeting with the Tiwi Land Council in December last year. I can confidently report more was achieved in that one-hour meeting than in the years Blue Mud Bay had been in negotiation with the former Labor government. It was a pleasure to have good people discussing things openly and honestly, a method the former government seems to have missed. With final details currently being worked on, arrangements for the Tiwi Islands should be announced soon.
In close consultation with industry, the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries will be reviewing commercial fisheries with the objectives of minimising red tape, increasing investment certainty, and realising the potential of the commercial sector as a food producer, which is very important. We are working with the commercial seafood industry to look at ways to enhance the value and productivity of our commercial fisheries. We have recently committed $300 000 over two years to progress development of our commercial fisheries.
As outlined by the Chief Minister, the extension of the Ord Irrigation Scheme into the Northern Territory in the Keep River and Knox Plains areas was a major election commitment, one I am particularly proud of. In November 2012, this government awarded the Ord Development project major project status, which is the first time an agricultural project has received major project status in the Northern Territory. An Ord Development Unit has been established in the department of Primary Industries and a cross-agency task force has been formed to progress this important project. Native title negotiations are a priority activity with sacred site clearances currently under way.
Knock-on or downstream benefits for the Northern Territory from the Ord Development project include jobs, local business growth, major investment attraction, and industry participation. The former Labor government made no commitment to the Ord whatsoever, with no plans, no strategy, and no attempt. Typical of Kevin Rudd, he announced something none of his ministerial colleagues had knowledge of - the north Australia policy. How can we trust Labor to manage the economy when they cannot coordinate their own policies?
Even the reduced taxation measures announced by Kevin Rudd do not enjoy the support of his own Finance minister, Penny Wong, as we saw recently in the media. Anyway, I digress.
The Northern Territory government is committed to supporting the pastoral industry and the live cattle export industry. This is yet another major policy stuff-up by a bad Labor government which had resounding consequences. How can we trust Labor to not make the same mistakes when they keep making them?
This government is working collaboratively with the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association and the Northern Territory Livestock Exporters Association to rebuild live cattle exports to Southeast Asia. We are actively engaging with Indonesia to re-establish live cattle export numbers to match figures enjoyed by the industry prior to the federal government’s ban on the live cattle trade. As Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, I have travelled to Indonesia three times to build this important relationship. One of those trips was with my Queensland counterpart, Hon Dr John McVeigh, something the former government would never have done. In fact, in a recent conversation I had with the federal shadow minister, John Cobb, we discussed a joint federal ministerial visit to Indonesia with the three northern beef states of Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Again, that is something the former NT Labor government would never have considered and something not even suggested by the current federal minister.
In June this year, in conjunction with Agriculture ministers from Queensland and Western Australia, I hosted the third Beef Industry Round Table in Darwin – something the former Labor government would never have done. Priority actions discussed at this round table included market development and diversification, China market development, and investment attraction and collaboration for research and development. The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries has a collaborative strategy in place with NT Livestock Exporters Association and the NTCA to promote NT cattle to encourage and facilitate market development by providing focus, technical advice, and support to importers.
A recent focus of the department has been to support importers in Vietnam. Already over 13 000 head of NT cattle have been sent to Vietnam this year, making it the Territory’s second largest market. The establishment of a Live Animal Export Market Development Unit with $300 000 of new money to increase the focus on existing and emerging market and develop new live export trade opportunities is under way, with the department currently recruiting to this unit.
Another election commitment we can tick off is a review of export yards to ensure capacity keeps pace with industry growth. This has been done, and the department will continue to work closely with the NTLEA to address future capacity requirements.
We are not sitting on our hands domestically. As much as work needs to be done to find, establish and build international and interstate markets to support our beef industry in the Territory, we are doing things here to help our struggling pastoralists.
Mr HIGGINS: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 77, I seek an extension of time for the member to complete his remarks.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Thank you, member for Daly. The live cattle suspension of 2011, the worst decision ever made by a government in this country, bit hard then and continues to impact heavily on a sector which did not deserve the kicking federal Labor gave it. Pastoralists are going broke and their property values have plunged. Their cash flow has dried up and many do not know what the future holds. It was bad enough that an out of touch federal government dealt this blow to our industry, but what is even worse is the then Labor NT government supported the move. Former Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, speaking on behalf of a lame Labor government, said the suspension of trade was the circuit breaker that was needed. That is shameful, but, again, it is even worse than that.
I recently heard the Opposition Leader talk about our government in the context of introducing sovereign risk. Sovereign risk is the risk that a government will either default on its obligations or impose regulations restricting the ability of issuers in the country to meet their obligations, such as foreign currency restrictions. Another example of sovereign risk in that context would be the decision of the federal Labor government, ably supported by NT Labor government, to suspend the live cattle trade. That is sovereign risk. The scary thing is they did it once and could do it again. A weak government without any political courage took a horrible decision based on a Four Corners report and the loud voices of a number of animal activists. You cannot trust Labor, federally or here. They have shown their true colours.
I said we were doing things domestically to help our pastoral sector. To further the opportunities of our pastoral sector this government is amending the Pastoral Land Act. This will see the current five-year limit on non-pastoral use activities on pastoral land extended to a period sufficient to allow for a project to mature and provide an adequate return on investment for up to 30 years.
Changes to the Pastoral Land Act will go before parliament before the end of the year. Once passed, these changes will have a significant effect on how NT pastoralists do business. Basically, it will pave the way for pastoralists to diversify their land use to take on business activities such as tourism, forestry, agriculture and horticulture; even aquaculture. Also, under the proposed changes, permits will be issued to the lease rather than the lessee. Strong industry support has been received for amendment to the act.
The reason this government has pursued this path is because we get it; we understand business. We understand what it takes to support business in the Northern Territory, and anyone looking at the current situation with any idea of project financing, long-term planning and cash flows, would realise the current system does not cut it for pastoralists. I am proud we will be the government to drive this change for the pastoral industry.
This government has a renewed approach to water allocation planning in the Territory and has developed associated assessment and monitoring programs to improve the understanding and knowledge of water resources and inland aquatic ecosystems, and to guide their management. Unlike the former government, which could not be trusted to undertake due process with development applications and let them pile up on someone’s desk, we are moving through the backlog of water licence applications left over from the former government to provide some certainty to our important primary producers. I will not belabour that now. Plenty will be said about this during General Business Day, where the member for Nightcliff has brought in a repetitive motion, one we saw debated in this House a few months ago, about water planning and allocation in the Mataranka region.
I will get some mileage out of the Opposition Leader’s silly uninformed comments this morning about draining the Roper River. Goodness me, if the Opposition Leader has not made a fool of herself recently, she did today. It shows an Opposition Leader so bound up with Darwin she has no inkling of the way water works in the bush.
In recent months the department has developed a comprehensive monitoring and research plan for the Daly River, and progressed to the development of the Oolloo Water Allocation Plan to ensure the Daly River remains in pristine condition and that development in the region is ecologically sustainable. The Department of Land Resource Management has also implemented high-priority monitoring and research programs in Darwin Harbour and continues to facilitate the Darwin Harbour Integrated Monitoring and Research Program. This included release of the Darwin Harbour region report card in February 2013 which highlighted the excellent health of Darwin Harbour.
In closing, I reiterate that the Country Liberals government has made significant inroads into the election commitments and has driven new priorities over the past 12 months. I would hazard a guess we have achieved more in our first 12 months of government than goodness knows how many years of the lazy moribund Labor government we had from 2001-12.
I take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of my agency chief executives and their staff, and the important roles they play in implementing the policies of this government. Since being in government we have had a busy agenda driving our policies, but also fixing the many mistakes of the former government, the scope and scale of which continues to astound me every day. This work will continue with a refocused public sector and a government willing to drive real growth and real prosperity for all Territorians.
I support the Chief Minister’s statement in this House. We have already had, as has been said by my colleagues today, an amazing 12 months.
I regularly walk through the corridors of the fifth floor. This afternoon I ran into a staffer I have probably not seen for six weeks, perhaps longer. What dawned on me at the time was that I rarely run into ministers. I rarely run into people in the corridors because they have their heads down and their tails up working hard for the Territory and hard to deliver priorities of this government.
It has been an amazing 12 months. I have loved every minute of the last 12 months in government and there is not a single day I have to drag myself out of bed to come to work because I know there are more exciting things coming up. We have an enormous program of work ahead of us. However, we have to contend with the whining, whinging, carping Labor opposition who have nothing better to do than whine, whinge and carp when they reflect on the poor standard of government they provided for the Northern Territory. Contrast that with what is being done currently.
I thank my ministerial colleagues and backbenchers on this side of the House for providing the support they do. We have another amazing three years ahead of us before the next election and there will be more good stuff to come.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I listened intently to the member for Katherine who gave a good summing up of his portfolio. However, I have been around long enough to hear these statements from both sides of parliament. Of course, one side will always show what a wonderful job they are doing and the other side will tell them what a lousy job they are doing. I can remember the now government doing exactly that when in opposition. I can be a little cynical when I see these statements because I have been in this parliament for many years.
Today we heard about Framing the Future, and people roll their eyes because slogans are two a penny when it comes to government programs. It needs to be seen whether slogans can be turned into reality. Again, minister, I enjoyed your comments.
The difficulty with this type of debate is the Chief Minister puts forward a range of ideas, many of which he only touches on. To respond to some of the topics he raises means it is not easy to look at them in any depth, but I will go through some regardless. Some things need to be said, and some things I will say because I support what the government is doing.
The minister praises the INPEX project, something I find a little hard to take. When the government was in opposition it did not give INPEX a great pat on the back. Unfortunately, when Terry Mills was in Japan trying to mend relationships he was, of course, stabbed in the back while away. I do not believe the relationship with Japan has been mended. I have heard comments from people in the know saying it certainly affected our relationship with Japan. Although the Chief Minister has had communications with Japan recently, because of that incident it will take a long time before we gain the trust of our Japanese counterparts.
The minister also talked about the EPA, praising the fact it is now an independent authority. I will never accept it is an independent authority for two reasons. One, it is run by the department of Environment and, therefore, there is no one to check the department of Environment is doing its job. Second, both the Chair of the EPA and the Chair of the Planning Commission are on the EPA, and you have a conflict of interest. Because of that conflict of interest, you do not have the independence required for an independent Environment Protection Authority. No matter how much the government says it is independent, it will be never independent while it has people who have a conflict of interest by being on two boards.
It is good to hear the Chief Minister is expanding our relationship with Indonesia. I praise the member for Katherine because he was one of the first people to go to Indonesia trying to get live cattle exports on the map again. It caused major problems with pastoralists in the Northern Territory, many of whom were struggling to pay their bills. That is one area the government should be congratulated on.
The Chief Minister mentioned a business forum in Bali. I also heard that from members of the Indonesian Consulate in Darwin at a recent dinner I attended at the wharf organised by Charles Darwin University. I thank Barney Glover, Vice-Chancellor, for inviting me to that dinner. It gave me an opportunity to talk to people from Indonesia about matters I do not often get a chance to discuss with people.
It is also good to hear Timor-Leste is opening a consulate in Darwin. That is excellent. I would like to hear more from our government on what importance it believes we should place on our relationship with Timor-Leste; for instance, from an economic point of view. There has been much discussion about the Greater Sunrise gas fields. Where does Timor-Leste stand in relation to opportunities for development of that important gas field?
We also need to develop the area of governance. About two or three years ago, a group from this parliament visited Dili to talk to the government of Timor-Leste. We visited parliament and had an opportunity to give some advice on the way we operate our parliament and to listen to how they operate theirs. From a Territory and a local government point of view - I believe Darwin City Council has been involved in some discussions - this was an opportunity to work with Timor-Leste in strengthening those governance-type issues that need to be developed as a young democracy emerges. It is also for our benefit that we keep up a good working relationship with Timor-Leste.
The Chief Minister also spoke about people in remote communities sharing in the economic growth of the Northern Territory. I have said for many years that unless that happens you are going to have an ‘us and them’ mentality in the Northern Territory. However, I have heard these statements many times before. We should get rid of welfare and use the welfare money for developing basic jobs in remote communities, but nothing seems to happen. We still have welfare and high unemployment. I had some percentages sent to me during estimates and we are looking at 24% unemployment in some communities.
I often hear about so-called job training. Training for what jobs? I hear the government will put another $5m into a program to create jobs. You cannot create jobs out of thin air if you are talking about private industry. You can create jobs in local government, and that is a start and where your welfare money should go. Then, as jobs come online, people are work ready. That area needs to be looked at. The government is saying things will change under its new policies. I have heard it before and will believe it when I see it. Again, these statements have been made many times over many years.
The Chief Minister spoke about regional economic development. If the infrastructure we need to promote regional development is tied up in leases or is very poor, it is hard to have regional development. I recently travelled down the Nathan River Road which runs from the Roper Highway to the Carpentaria Highway. It is a dreadful road, an absolute shocker. Yet, it is called the Savannah Way. It is on our tourist maps as a road we should use as an alternative trip to the Northern Territory. It goes through Limmen National Park and along the Roper River. If we are to promote regional development in those communities, especially from a tourist point of view, they are not on the map when it comes to airlines coming to the Northern Territory; they are on the Grey Nomad trail. If you want regional development and people to visit those areas, infrastructure has to be improved. I would like to talk more about that.
Business people I spoke to when travelling through say business is down this year mainly because of lack of maintenance of roads by the government. They said both the Roper Highway and the Nathan River Road have only been graded once. Unless the infrastructure is up to scratch, you cannot help communities with regional development.
The Minister for Local Government issued a media release today in relation to reform of local government. The media release said, ‘Bill Puts the Local Back in Local Government’. The word ‘regional’ takes local government away from local government. ‘Regional councils’ is a term used for a gathering of local government. The name is not appropriate. If you believe in local government then you call it what it is, and regional councils are a combination of local government. I am yet to be convinced, and am interested in the legislation going through this week, but so far there are no substantial changes to local government.
The real areas we need to look at - the minister said that is stage two - are funding and rates. Unless councils are viable they will not get anywhere and will have to rely on money from the Northern Territory government to keep them going. If they are to be sustainable - that came out in a report last year - rating has to be looked at.
The Chief Minister spoke about the Planning Commission. I was a critic of the commission but have seen it in action. I thank Gary Nairn for the hard work he has put into plans - at least the ones I have seen - for proper planning processes for the Northern Territory. An example is the proposal for the Knuckey Lagoon area. I attended the recent forum at Knuckey Lagoon, have read the reports, and believe Gary Nairn and the commission have done an excellent job in allowing people to understand a range of options, although I do not agree with 4000m2 blocks at Knuckey Lagoon. It is an illegal-sized block in Litchfield Shire because the minimum size for a rural block is 1 ha. Anything smaller belongs in a district centre. Knuckey Lagoon is a special place which needs to be looked at carefully. Do not always listen to developers, because Knuckey Lagoon is special and we should ensure it is protected.
Gary Nairn had two forums. I thank the minister for extending the time for people to respond because it was silly the forums were held the day before submissions closed. The Planning Commission has been busy, but it sent out the wrong message: one day we will tell you what we think, and the next day you have to have your answer in. Many people have put submissions in, which is very good and I thank the Planning Commission.
I am interested in other changes the commission might put forward for the rural area. I know the pressure is on governments to open land for development, but planning is more than someone thinking they can chop their block into smaller ones; planning is about the long-term well-planned structure of an area. It should not be because certain individuals have pressure that planning is allowed here and not there, it should be done in a logical and sustainable way.
The government talks about SIHIP and I become cynical. I listened to the government, when in opposition, clobber the federal government about SIHIP. The Chief Minister now says how great it is the Territory has delivered 942 houses. It is the same program with a different name! I did not mind the government, when in opposition, having a go at SIHIP. The Council of Territory Cooperation had great problems with SIHIP. The sad thing is, we no longer have a committee to see what you are doing with the program. We do not have the Council of Territory Cooperation asking, ‘Are these houses being built correctly? Is money being wasted?’ That was the criticism. It is great we have delivered 942 houses and are faster than Western Australia and Queensland. That is terrific. I am not knocking it, but it is a little hard to get used to after all the criticism of the same program.
I have no problem with government putting money into homelands. The promise of $5200 per house was a winner in the bush for the government. One reason there were problems for the last government was because the minister for Local Government was upset about the amount of money used in administering SIHIP. She said too much money was being spent on that and not enough on building houses. We have $5200 promised for every house on outstations, within a budget of course. That money, I understand, goes to a service provider, who does not do things for nothing. They have to employ people and need to cover their insurance. They will need plans for repairs on identified houses. All that will require administration. It will be interesting to see how much of the $5200 ends up on someone’s house.
The criticism of the federal government’s housing program was that too much money was spent on administration. This government will need to ensure it does not fall into the same trap. This is a small amount of money, and if you have to travel 300 km to a community with three outstations in a four-wheel drive with a pile of materials to fix the house, someone has to camp there for two weeks while they work on the house. What will that cost? The Council of Territory Cooperation was useful because it could see if money was being well spent. I am not saying the money should not be spent, but it should be well spent.
The Chief Minister mentioned Sentenced to a Job, and I support the concept. It is a pity that could not have been developed a little more. The area needs more facts and figures. The Attorney-General has spoken about it a number of times, but I would like to see the numbers. How many people have been kept in work after leaving prison because it is not just about …
Mr HIGGINS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I seek an extension of time for the member for Nelson.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: Thank you member, for Daly, you are becoming a professional time extender.
Sentenced to a Job is a good program. However, like many programs, it needs to be tested to see if it is working. The Attorney-General was talking about accommodation for people when they come out of prison so they could keep their jobs. I would like to see more work on that.
Gonski has been debated many times. I will not go into it today because the Auditor-General is looking at the accuracy of the letter sent by the Chief Minister. I will be interested to see what the Auditor-General comes back with regarding the facts in the letter.
Health is covered. I welcome the government’s promise to spend $5m on a scoping report for Palmerston hospital. I listened to the Chief Minister two weeks ago and was expecting him to make an announcement a day later as to where they might put it. It seems to have been held off. That might be because of the federal election. We might keep the juicy bit until closer to election day. I thought he would make an announcement and am still listening. I have an idea where it might go and that site is pretty good. However, it would be good if the government made an announcement. I am also interested in what comes out of the scoping study because many issues need to be debated before we start pouring concrete - issues of staffing and what the hospital will be for. All those fundamental ideas need to be sorted out before we start building a hospital.
There is mention of alcohol rehabilitation. Again, I become a little cynical. I copped a blast because I would not support the motion on mandatory alcohol rehabilitation the government was putting forward. My concern is that you were not ready for it, and the proof of the pudding is people kept escaping. That was my argument. Do not have it up and running until it is ready to be up and running, otherwise people escape and it defeats the purpose.
The government is saying chronic alcoholics have the right to qualified clinicians and counsellors. It is a little insulting because there are many alcoholics, many people with these problems, who voluntarily go to places like CAAPS, FORWAARD and Amity. They take up the right to have a qualified counsellor and qualified clinician. When you say, ‘We are giving these people the right to clinicians and counsellors’, that is fudging it. They do not want that right. That is the reason you are putting them into mandatory rehabilitation. You make it sound like we are doing them a favour ...
Mr Tollner: We are.
Mr WOOD: Yes, but you are forcing them to do what you want. The right has always been ...
Mr Tollner: Forcing them to do what they need.
Mr WOOD: I understand what you are saying, but what you put in here is semantics. People who have the right are the people who voluntarily go to rehabilitation. You are trying to force the people who do not want it to accept that right. I am not against that, but the statement tries to look good when it is just a play on words.
If you have a mandatory rehabilitation facility you need to ensure it is secure. If you go to the medi-hostel you see a chain mesh fence and some plain wire. If a bloke really wants to get over a chain mesh fence and plain wire, he will. However, if you go to the secure care centre at Holtze, you will see a special type of wire you cannot grab onto with a roll at the top which spins. It does not look prison-like, is not very high, but it is difficult to get over. We need that type of facility so you do not look like a laughing stock when people escape four or five times. Instead of helping people, we concentrate on people who have escaped.
There was not much discussion about the environment. We will probably talk about water licensing tomorrow. I disagree with what the government has done. The process of giving water licences previously may have been slow, but when you work through a water advisory committee you include the community. When you look at some of the documents you will see water was allocated in fairly large amounts, but carefully. I am all for developing the Northern Territory, but if you do not include ‘sustainable’ we will be out of business. What happened was silly. If the government is worried about criticism, they bring it on themselves because they did not do the right thing.
I do not believe the minister said that was what it should be. The government has a policy, ‘We are here for business’, which means many people who work for the government know their masters. Their masters are saying, ‘We are here for the government’. They want to please their masters and, to some extent, will say, ‘The decisions we make will reflect the policy of the government’.
I thank the minister for mentioning national parks and cash for cans today. It needs upgrading. I said in the Estimates Committee last year the government dropped the ball as soon as they introduced the legislation. I have given the minister some contacts in South Australia which I believe can help the government with some of the issues it is working through. That is not to ignore the people of the Northern Territory, but it has been operating in South Australia for a long time and people know what tricks companies like Statewide, which is Coca Cola, are up to; they want to destroy cash for cans.
Regarding industrial development, I thank the minister for Planning for meeting with locals at Humpty Doo. We are starting to see some real things come out of that with expressions of interest to open up industrial land at Humpty Doo. I tried to do that with the previous government. We had discussions and plans, but it never happened and I was disappointed. I am pleased it is happening because it has been a major problem, especially people developing rural land for industrial.
Sport did not get much of a mention. People in government say, ‘We cannot do that because the previous government left us with a deficit’, then the Sports minister said, ‘We are bringing the Eels to the Northern Territory for $4m’. I thank the budget deficit for enabling us to bring the Eels to the Northern Territory. I am happy the Eels are coming to the Northern Territory, but the logic does not sound right if we needed a deficit in the budget to bring them here.
That is the way it is in politics. You lose your swimming pool in the rural area, but you pick up the Eels from a different point of view. Sport should have been given more priority in this statement because a healthy Territory is important, and sport is very much a part of that.
I thank the minister for Primary Industries. There is not much in here regarding primary industry. I suppose you can only put so much in a statement. As I said, I listened carefully to what the minister for Primary Industries said. It has been the poor cousin for many years, and this minister is making a big effort to bring it up from what it used to be. I disagree on the water allocations. We should not be getting rid of our water advisory committees. DRMAC was a good committee. It took a while, but it included the community. Not all agree on everything, and that is one area where I do not agree.
The Leader of the Opposition held the 2030 book up today. When I read this statement I thought, ‘Here we go again, this is 2030’. However, in his conclusion the Chief Minister said:
- … provides the way forward for this government and it sets out what is important for the Territory. Despite differences, many things bind us together as Territorians, and each and every one of us benefits. We benefit from a prosperous economy, a strong society, a balanced environment, …
I would put in there ‘a healthy society’ …
- … and a confident culture.
That sounded like the 2030 document and it is why I say I have heard these things many times and each government does its own thing. This one has a new name. The previous government had a 2030 document with a different name. I hope all these things come to fruition, but sometimes I become a little cynical. I will believe it when I see it.
Mr HIGGINS (Daly): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minster for bringing this statement on today. It is an opportunity for us to reflect on the last 12 months and highlight some of the things happening.
One thing concerning me when I come into this House is the constant criticism from the opposition. I know opposition is needed, but it needs to be constructive rather than just criticising. They do not want to accept any guilt for the situation we are currently in, which is a major problem with the opposition.
I will touch on some of the things said today before I get to the statement itself. Reference was made to the contracts signed in the lead-up to the election. I assure the Opposition Leader they are on walls of offices in Wadeye. Obviously she does not have access to these offices. People do not really want to listen to her.
The Opposition Leader also talks about conventions. The classic is she criticised the Chief Minister for modifying some of his speech. I find that disgusting. I have never criticised previous Chief Ministers for anything they did. Chief Ministers deserve some respect, something the Opposition Leader needs to earn.
The General Business Day convention - my understanding of the Westminster system is that General Business Day can also be used by members for any private issue they want to raise. The hypocrisy of this Opposition Leader has been evident since the first day of this parliament. That is something I will not forget and I have a really good score to settle here.
We need to realise this opposition wants all of us to be in the gutter. On this side of the parliament we are better than that. We want to lift the Territory out of the debt gutter left by the previous government.
I thank the member for Nelson; he is the only person outside of government who has given credit to this government where it is due.
What made me feel good about the statement is that the bush needs to be treated equally in the economic growth available in the Territory. The Chief Minister mentioned the Indigenous Economic Development Strategy currently out for consultation. People need to have a close look at that.
Going to some of the other aspects of the statement - Asian engagement. We are talking about trade and so forth, but I have previously mentioned we have much to learn from our Asian neighbours. If I look at that in an Indigenous sense, it is in agriculture and horticulture. These people can teach us much.
The Chief Minister also spoke about walking with the people, ‘I will walk with you every step of the way.’ The consultation regarding local government and how we have given the voice back to the bush is really good. The changes to be introduced in this parliament this week are the first steps in doing that.
I also note the vision of First Circles. This document encourages the involvement of Aboriginal people, something quite exciting for them. I have spoken to people at Wadeye about this and they are looking forward to it.
Housing has been covered extensively by the Housing minister, but I would also like to point out the new Homelands Policy - how exciting that is for Aboriginal people, or the funding model that goes with it, and we are talking about $5200. I was at Wadeye a week ago, and people there are quite happy about that.
Education and Labor’s Gonski. Gonski is a gonger is it not? All it does is add to our $5.5bn debt, and it is a rudderless bureaucracy to be built in Canberra. I will give you some examples of why Gonski does not help in my electorate. How much extra money will Woodycupaldiya receive? The Leader of the Opposition might supply those figures to me under Gonski. How about Woolianna School? How much extra money will it receive? Both those are zero.
When we go to health, what about all the things that are unfunded? We have spoken about big programs; why not look at some of the little ones. I thank the Treasurer, the Deputy Leader, for helping me open the new facility at Dundee, and I thank the Health minister for providing funding for it. Yes, that is it, provide funding. There was no funding for it so they put up a building and expected volunteers to run it out of their own pocket. We had to find the money to fund it. That money was supplemented by the Coolalinga Bendigo Bank, and I thank them for coming on board. They saw how ridiculous the Labor policy was of building a building with no funding. I would also like to thank St John first aid for support in the same area.
Infrastructure: The Opposition Leader was recently at Wadeye saying there is nothing in the budget. Our budget had $550m in capital works for infrastructure, and $250m in repairs and maintenance, but what about federal Labor? How much money did federal Labor fund for roads maintenance? None! Perhaps they are hoping the carbon tax will be so great it will close all the transport companies down. With the new FBT stuff we will have no cars to drive on the roads so we do not need to maintain our roads. That is the logic the Labor Party would come up with.
Tourism has been neglected for years. I have said in this House before, the first thing the previous Chief Minister did was cut funding to some of the tourist associations in Katherine and Tennant Creek. I am glad to see we are doing something with tourism. It might be our Tourism minister is a bit one-eyed about Parramatta, but good on him. To push something like Parramatta coming to the Northern Territory is good. I am a St George supporter, so am not really keen on Parramatta.
I am proud to facilitate any discussion in my electorate on the Framing the Future document. It is not a motherhood statement, as the member for Nhulunbuy suggested. If you look at the four key areas and the key four words: economy, society, environment and culture - all important things in my electorate. Thank you
Mr KURRUPUWU (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement. The Northern Territory has an economy influenced by major projects and international trade. Our economy is different from other states in Australia.
We have a large mining sector, a large public sector, and a Defence presence. Our economy is growing strongly. Growth in the Territory’s gross state product is expected to continue to strengthen into 2014-15 as a result of major projects in the mining sector. This will lead to strong growth in employment, population and wages growth over this period. Economic and business growth will be driven by the construction activity due to the Ichthys project and residential construction, which is expected to hit a record level. Spending on consumption is also expected to increase as a result of higher population and employment growth and lower interest rates.
Deloitte Access Economics is forecasting average annual economic growth in the Territory of 5% over the next three years. This is the highest growth rate of any state or territory in Australia. International exports are estimated to increase by an average 16% a year through to 2016-17 and annual average employment growth in the Territory is forecast at 3%. Again, this is the highest of any state or territory in Australia and it compares with a five-year employment growth rate for Australia of 1.4%. The Territory’s employment growth rate is therefore substantially above the forecast growth rate for Australia as a whole.
In line with this strong economic growth, the five-year annual population growth in the Territory is expected to be up by 1.7%, which puts the Territory just behind Western Australia and Queensland in population growth.
This rapid increase in economic growth in the Territory has put upward pressure on rents and house prices. This is largely due to a lack of understanding by the previous Labor government of the effects of economic growth. The Territory Labor government did not plan successfully for such growth.
This government is addressing this issue as a matter of urgency, and minister Chandler is to be congratulated on how well he is handling the serious problem passed on by the previous government. There are signs a rapid increase in house prices is coming to an end with real estate data indicating the median house price fell by 3.1% in March 2013 and remained unchanged for home units. Prices are expected to moderate under the policy of this government as more serviced land is released and the supply of housing increases. Dwelling approvals had increased dramatically and were up to 40.9% in the year to February 2013.
There is also a number of potential mining, manufacturing, and large retail projects on the horizon for the Territory. These are likely to further increase economic growth and improve the outlook for business in the Territory under this government. For example, there is a Crux project by Nexus Energy and Shell. At peak production, this project is expected to produce 3000 barrels per day.
There is also the Bonaparte LNG project, a joint venture between GDF Suez and Santos to develop a floating LNG production facility in the Bonaparte Basin in the Timor Sea some 250 km west of Darwin. Sherwin Iron is proposing to develop a large iron ore project along the Roper Highway. This is expected to produce around five million tonnes of iron ore per annum. In addition, Western Desert Resources is looking to commence development of the Roper iron ore project over the coming years, with an expected 10 million tonnes of iron ore per annum.
Minemakers is also proposing to develop the Wonarah phosphate deposit over coming years. In the initial stages, the project is looking to produce one million tonnes of phosphate per year.
There is also the proposed new development of Casuarina Square incorporating a new Myer department store, and the Gateway in Palmerston incorporating a new supermarket, department store, and specialty shops.
In my own country, the Tiwi Islands, construction of Port Melville will enable the Tiwi to export an estimated 300 000 tonne of wood chip per annum. It is also expected it will enable the export of one million tonnes of rutile and zircon to Asian markets over a nine-year period.
Under the good economic and business management of this government, the Territory economy is expected to grow strongly over the next three years. However, we will need to be aware of some risks, which include the potential for shortages of important skills and the impact of high residential prices on real incomes of Territorians. I am confident this government will be able to manage this risk so all Territorians benefit from our exciting future.
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement and thank him for bringing this statement into the House today. As we all know, this sittings marks 12 months since the 2012 general election and celebrates the achievements of our government over that period of time. It also marks an important period of time for me, as it is my first 12 months as an elected representative of the good people of Drysdale. I am grateful to the people of Drysdale for having faith in me, my ability, and my commitment to the community, and to the broader Northern Territory. Not a single day goes by where I do not act in the best interest of our community.
In 12 months I have forged strong relationships with the leaders in the Drysdale community, and have worked hard to build trust between me and my constituents. The Chief Minister’s statement is timely and important. It gives this parliament the opportunity to reflect on the state of the Northern Territory at the time our government took the helm. As the Deputy Chief Minister highlighted in great detail today, much of what our government inherited is regrettable because the state of the Territory was worse than expected. This means Territorians have been put in a position of disadvantage and opportunities that could have been realised were not. It means the cost of living rose so high and housing became so scarce that people could not afford to live here.
In 12 months our government has conducted an audit of the Northern Territory on an unimaginable scale. We have had to take stock of our great Territory and come to terms with the depths of despair Labor left us in. Interestingly, for the entire 12 months we have been reviewing, remodelling, enhancing, innovating and achieving, the miserable soursop, hapless opposition has complained and acted as an impediment at every turn. Instead of participating in the regeneration of our Territory, they have bred misery in this parliament and among Territorians.
The scare tactics employed by Labor on innocent hard-working Territorians have been disgusting beyond belief. This is not the first time I have spoken about Labor’s scaremongering. Every policy, every change, every improvement, was met with a media conference held by the opposition attack dogs spreading hysteria and confusion. The feeding frenzy in our first six months in government was disgusting. You should all be ashamed of yourselves for being involved in the lowest of lows.
Our team has faced an impossible situation left to us to fix. It has faced challenges and significant complexity but we, as a team, have risen above everything thrown at us and have achieved many good things for Territorians.
The future of our Northern Territory is in our sight; it is at the forefront of our mind so our children and their children have the opportunity to live in a place with job opportunities, a vibrant private sector, a strong public service, affordable housing, clean parks, recreational areas which support our love of the unique Territory lifestyle, and a balance sheet that translates to opportunity not unsustainable levels of debt.
What did we achieve in 12 months? We have brought 34 pieces of legislation into this House, passed 33, and there is much more to come in the next two weeks. These items extend far and wide across a breadth of portfolios, including harmonisation with national uniform legislation such as the Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games amendments, the Evidence Bill and the Rail Safety Bill. We have created new laws to deal with serious sex offenders, people who assault workers, and we have reformed the Motor Vehicle Registry.
We have developed strong and courageous policies on fundamental issues affecting Territorians in the pursuit of strengthening our community and culture. These include alcohol mandatory rehabilitation, women’s policy and Sentenced to a Job, just to name a few.
In my maiden speech in this parliament, I expressed issues of great importance to me on which I would like to make a difference. I am proud the unique Territory lifestyle I vowed to protect is being protected by our government.
This government has done amazing things, such as sign an MOU with Four Wheel Drive NT. The MOU encourages greater use and access to four-wheel drive tracks so Territorians can enjoy the outdoors and go camping in our parks and reserves. I have a media release from my colleague, the Minister for Parks and Wildlife, and numerous other releases:
- The Country Liberals government is committed to enhancing our Territory lifestyle for today and tomorrow and this MOU will ensure our parks are enjoyed and well looked after for years to come.
The President of Four Wheel Drive NT said:
- Under the MOU, access will be allowed by permit to many previously closed overgrown 4WD tracks and areas. The clearing of these tracks and keeping them open, with much of the manpower provided by 4WD NT, will also assist in allowing PWCNT to have greater fire control in these areas.
I will also mention what my colleagues have done at Howard Springs Nature Park, with a management plan issued and open for public consultation. That is not only important to people in that area. I am sure the members for Goyder and Nelson can attest to that, but it is important that we open up areas in a responsible and sustainable way so we can enjoy our lifestyle and protect our precious natural areas.
My colleague, minister Westra van Holthe, has created a fishing advisory committee and I have a press release about that dated 22 February 2013:
- The establishment of the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee will provide a forum for discussion and a source of advice to government on matters significant to the recreational fishing community.
These are all core parts of the Territory lifestyle. Not everyone likes fishing, not everyone likes four-wheel driving, but they are iconic to our lifestyle. Whether you fish or four-wheel drive, you like to know that in the Northern Territory we find those activities sacred and, if you wanted to, you could do both things. We are protecting that right and opportunity, and engaging with stakeholders in those fields is critical to everything we do.
In my maiden speech, I also spoke about the importance of ensuring growth does not come at an irreversible cost to our lifestyle. I have faith in my colleagues, particularly minister Chandler. I have faith in the all-important Planning Commission and the Environment Protection Authority which, together, not only ensure we have optimum land use, but our land use is Territorian by its nature.
Our government talks about being a can-do place and our new tourism slogan is ‘Do The NT’. That not only applies to tourism, it applies to business.
In his statement, the Chief Minister said the July 2013 CommSec State of the States report noted we have the fastest annual economic growth rate in the nation, which is up 13.5% from last year. That is not something to shy away from. We should be proud of that achievement, particularly in the face of the adversity I mentioned earlier.
Tiger Brennan Drive is a bugbear of mine, and its comprehensive duplication is of great concern to the people of Palmerston and the rural area. Our government is currently spending $13m to duplicate Tiger Brennan Drive from Dinah Beach Road to Woolner Road, and this duplication is 100% funded by the Northern Territory government. Unfortunately, this is unlike the federal Labor government, which will not contribute a cent to Territory roads until 2016-17 beyond Nation Building 1. This jeopardises the full duplication of Tiger Brennan Drive in the much-needed stretch between Berrimah and Woolner Roads. That came as a shocking and disappointing announcement earlier this year. The Chief Minister and I did some media around that on Tiger Brennan Drive, because it is a huge blow for Palmerston and rural residents. The commute into the city takes long enough on the best of days, and the road blocks we are facing in getting on with the job are pathetic. I am glad our government is putting its shoulder to the wheel and doing what it can. Of course, duplication between Woolner Road and Dinah Beach cannot compensate for the massive lack in funding we receive, and Berrimah to Woolner cannot be completed.
Continuing with transport, our government has made leaps and bounds in this portfolio and has a commitment to ensuring equal access and opportunity to our public transport system. My colleague, minister Chandler, said things are not perfect, but we are forging ahead in many areas. No one expects us to have made things perfect after 12 months, particularly what we inherited such a short time ago.
I speak to many people in my electorate who are mobility impaired, and they always identify footpaths, crossings, or areas that can be improved. That is fantastic and I welcome it. We are listening and doing everything we can to address access issues. Our government is working with the City of Palmerston to enhance some walkways and crossings so we have optimum safety and access for all people.
With respect to our public bus service, we can proudly say all our buses are Disability Discrimination Act compliant, meaning we have 75 disability-compliant buses. Our government has a rigorous program to convert all bus stops to Disability Discrimination Act compliant stops. I particularly want to thank the Chief Minister for escalating redevelopment of a bus stop in Drysdale which is on the side of the road, in the dirt, not connected to any footpaths, and next to a major road. Access and safety are huge issues in that area, and that has made its way onto the priority list to be converted into a full Disability Discrimination Act compliant bus stop. In our time in government we have built 25 Disability Discrimination Act compliant bus stops and that is fantastic.
I also congratulate the Department of Transport for employing a diverse workforce. It has a gender split of 44% female employees to 56% male employees, so we are not doing too badly.
Going back to Labor’s scaremongering, I would like to mention Gonski. The federal Labor government and Territory Labor opposition have done a good job, once again, of scaring parents and teachers. It is such a good job the Chief Minister had to write to Territorians to explain, uninterrupted by scaremongering, why Gonski is a bad deal for our schools and students. Under Gonski, the Northern Territory would have lost control of schools, giving it to Canberra, which may as well be on the other side of the world. A total of 40% of our schools would receive less under Gonski. The Northern Territory government spends an average of $15 649 per student, far above other states and territories which spend, on average, $9466 per student. Despite the scaremongering by Labor, this untrustworthy and dishonest Labor breed of show-pony politicians, the Northern Territory government would have to commit $625m over six years, while the federal Labor government would have contributed only $193m. Someone tell me how that is a good deal and I will put my hand up and surrender. It does not sound good to me, and it did not sound good to the Chief Minister.
With respect to crime, from 2007-12 under a Labor government, alcohol involvement in assaults went from 46.5% to 51.2% at the end of their dismal record. This is a shameful legacy. Add to this the staggering increase in actual assaults. In 2007 there were 288 assaults in Palmerston. At the end of the Labor era and, coincidently, the Delia 2IC era, there were 461 assaults in Palmerston in 2012. That is a whopping 173 more assaults.
There is also the property crime record, and I recall speaking in parliament on this topic. In the last year of the Labor government there was an increase of 14.4% in property crime in Palmerston. Property crime is deeply personal and invasive for victims. It came up again and again during my campaign. Streets, homes and cars were not safe. Labor had failed Palmerston in yet another area, and do not even get me started on that.
Anecdotal evidence shows that Labor’s failed Banned Drinker Register had a large role to play in the increase in property offending: the failed BDR that moved the problem around rather than treated it. There was an 85.4% increase in house break-ins in Palmerston during the BDR and the last year of Labor. No wonder you were not trusted by Palmerston residents. I am pleased the figures are now trending down. The police at Palmerston Police Station are amazing to work with, amazing with Palmerston residents, and I cannot thank OIC Daniel Shean and his team enough for their innovative approach to policing in Palmerston. Constable Kim, I run into you all the time and you are always doing a wonderful job and, hopefully, your positive impact on young Palmerston people will mean in the future we will have less crime and more respect in our community.
I move to housing, which is going gangbusters thank you, minister Chandler. Houses are popping up everywhere. We have Johnston Stage 2 popping up out of nowhere with houses going up every day. The stages in Zuccoli have been brought forward and construction is well and truly under way and changing every day.
There is no question that land release is happening quicker under our government and Territorians are benefiting from the opportunities that presents. The new housing schemes are good and are targeted at encouraging first homebuyers to build or buy a new property. This is to support the growth of new products on the market. An amount of $25 000 for new builds or buys for first homeowners is fantastic. It is a versatile grant which goes a long way to assisting Territorians own their own home, as does the 2.5% interest rate our government offers. Both schemes are not means tested. The schemes support our vision for more Territorians to own their own home and for more products to be developed.
The Labor My New Home debacle, which was reckless in the extreme, would have driven house prices up even further, which is hard to image because things were out of control. Nonetheless, they whacked another ridiculous policy on top of the trouble they had already caused and Bob’s your uncle.
With our government’s $550 000 cap, we have already seen builders develop and design house and land packages which fall under the cap. That has been hugely positive for Territorians and builders alike.
In respect to gas to Gove, I note the member for Nhulunbuy is sitting across the Chamber from me. It is worth remembering Rio Tinto, the mining company often described as one of two Australian whales - the casino term for big money - which owns the Gove refinery and is the major player in the future of Gove, posted a half-year nett profit of US$4.2bn. I support the people of Gove and a strong Northern Territory economy; however, I represent the people of Drysdale and their future energy security. Large corporations who hold figurative guns to government’s head always have the upper hand. It is disappointing the former Labor government dropped the ball on the issue and is now only capable of hysterical repetition of, ‘Give them what they want; give them what they want’.
I am no expert, I have not sat in the boardrooms or the negotiations, and I sympathise entirely with the people of Gove; however, the people of Drysdale and the rest of the Northern Territory should not and cannot be forgotten when negotiating with a multinational beast with the ultimate goal of increasing that $4.2bn next half year at whatever cost.
It is a corporation and its responsibility is to its shareholders. Ours in this parliament is to the people of the Northern Territory. Just as Kevin Rudd, who Territorians cannot trust, should not be chasing big car companies like GM Holden and Toyota down the road with a blank cheque, we, the Northern Territory government, should not chase Rio Tinto with a blank cheque when the consequences could be huge power price implications for all Territorians. I am confident in the Chief Minister and the Energy Security Committee and look forward to sustainable, smart, and good outcomes for all Territorians.
Palmerston hospital is another Labor beauty. We cannot say ‘lies’ in this parliament so I will not, but I am unsure what else to call it. The federal campaign is hanging its hat on saying to Palmerston residents, ‘There will be no Palmerston hospital; Palmerston hospital has been scrapped’, and it is nonsense. How the Leader of the Opposition could sit across this Chamber today and say construction had commenced, is - words cannot describe …
Members interjecting.
Ms FINOCCHIARO: Many words are being thrown at me. They pale into insignificance to the words in my mind because it is rubbish. What we had in Palmerston was an unsuitable piece of land in a ridiculous location. Then we had a temporary fence ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move an extension of time for the member, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms FINOCCHIARO: … go up around the entire site - hundreds of metres of temporary fencing. I do not know how much that cost the taxpayer; I shudder to think. Then we had a sod turn, with the then Chief Minister doing some media around it. That was it. The gate was closed and it sat there and sat there. It sat there a little longer. Oh, wait! During the 2012 general election campaign, the Labor candidate for Brennan was allowed to adorn it with his election posters, something else that boggles the mind.
For Hansard, there were 167 Labor candidate for Brennan election posters on the taxpayer-funded fence surrounding the alleged site where construction was allegedly happening for the alleged Palmerston hospital.
Unlike Labor, we will deliver Palmerston hospital, which will service the needs of Palmerston and the rural area. It will be a hospital with vision and purpose well into the future. It is not a ridiculous election spike of insulin we had, unlike Labor. It is a well-thought-out and developed product we can all be proud of. I would rather have no hospital than the one Labor was proposing. I am proud to be part of a team which recognises taxpayers’ money is important and should be spent well. Sometimes you need to take time, step back and plan properly for the future, which is evidenced in all our achievements, including implementing a Planning Commission and many other mechanisms.
We are not shooting from the hip but setting up for the future. Our children and their children will, hopefully, reap the benefits of the hard and gritty work our government has to do. As my colleague, minister Westra van Holthe, said, ‘We are not scared to make the tough decisions. We are not scared to make unpopular decisions because, at the end of the day, we are here for a reason.’ Territorians knew we would make the right decisions, and that is exactly what we will do.
In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I reiterate I am proud of what we, as a government, have achieved for the Territory in 12 short months, particularly when we inherited such a mess and faced such adversity. I am proud of my commitment to the electorate. I have had such an amazing time representing them with everything I have to offer and, from my experience and the relationships I have built, I have put some runs on the board and made real changes that matter to everyday people. Our government is making huge changes, then there are small things you can do in your own community.
One example is the Territory Housing home with a driveway full of potholes. It is completely ordinary and has been there for 30-odd years. That is being fixed and means the world to that family in Gray. I am proud I delivered that for them. It is important to them and to me. The people in Durack might not care about the person in Gray’s driveway, but that is not what this is about. Small things, generally speaking, mean the most to people.
It is like the bus shelter which will support not only the constituents concerned about that bus stop, but it will increase mobility access for all Territorians. That is critical and important, and I thank the Chief Minister again for realising that bus stop is inappropriate and needs to be changed. It is like the $3000 Community Benefit Grant that will support the Palmerston Football Club to purchase a new ride-on mower. I was proud to support that application.
It is like my steadfast commitment to supporting Palmerston seniors. I spend much time with Palmerston seniors. At first, they probably thought, ‘What is in this for her?’ There is nothing in it for me; it is about creating relationships, spending genuine time and building trust. I feel that in the last 12 months I have made many good friends amongst the Palmerston seniors. I am proud to support them in everyday run-of-the-mill life issues they have. I will continue to do that, and equally support schools in my electorate.
Having said that, there is much to be done and much to learn but, make no mistake, we are the government to do it. My colleagues’ views of the last 12 months show we have, despite all the criticism and scaremongering, achieved wonderful things. I am proud of that, and look forward to my time as a member of parliament representing Drysdale.
Madam Speaker, I commend the Chief Minister for bringing this statement to the House.
Debate adjourned.
TABLED PAPERS
Travel Reports for Members for Stuart and Casuarina
Travel Reports for Members for Stuart and Casuarina
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table travel reports for the members for Stuart and Casuarina, pursuant to clause 4.12 of Remuneration Tribunal Determination No 1 of 2012.
Letter to Their Royal Highnesses,
the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table a letter sent their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on behalf of members of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
On 31 May 2013, I announced two successful organisations to deliver the early intervention boot camps on a trial basis. These are the boot camps we have described on this side of the House as the I camps or intervention camps. Those organisations were Operation Flinders in South Australia and the Tangentyere Council in Alice Springs. I am pleased to say on 6 August, 10 young people left Darwin and flew to the Flinders Ranges to begin the first intervention camp with Operation Flinders.
Ten male youth were identified as suitable to attend due to their risky behaviours. The youth were referred by the Northern Territory Police, the Office of Children and Families, and a range of youth diversion organisations - the department of Education, the Northern Territory Department of Correctional Services, Family Responsibility Centre - through a productive and successful interagency effort. Six of the young people were from Darwin and four from Katherine. The youth were provided with appropriate clothing, boots, etcetera, for the trip which were kindly donated by the corporate sponsors which support Operation Flinders.
They embarked on a 100 km trek through the Flinders Ranges. I can tell you from personal experience, having walked sections of that track personally, I know how difficult that terrain is there. They were physically challenged, emotionally challenged, emotionally engaged, and placed in situations where they had to learn to trust each other, talk to counsellors, and work through their issues and behaviours as part of learning to work as a team.
The 10 youth returned to Darwin on 15 August, and information I have received in relation to the trial of the I camp is heartening, to say the least. All ten completed the 100km trek through the bush. I am told the youth who returned were fundamentally different to the kids that left on 6 August. There were moments of aggression and hostility amongst the group, and they were hardly what you would call united, and there was some deep seated anger.
On their return, I am advised the boys had, in many respects, turned into men. Families were waiting to see them at the airport, and rather than hostility between these young people and their families, I am told there were young men wanting to revisit the relationships they were having with their parents, having learned a lot about themselves and about the concepts of respect, dignity and self-worth. Words like, quote, ‘I didn’t think I could do this’; and quote, ‘I feel like I have grown up and become a man’, are part of the language these kids are now using when they are talking to each other.
Such was the impact, that the four men from Katherine made and decorated a didgeridoo which was presented to the camp’s cultural advisor. The boys saw it as a gift from their people to his people and the staff member was overwhelmed by the gesture, particularly because it was these young men’s own idea.
One of the young men who is currently in foster care, has been identified as a potential peer group mentor and future team leader. The young man in foster care is now identified for his leadership abilities and skills. As part of the debriefing, each young man was able to identify their goals and will continue to be assisted in planning how to achieve those goals into the future; this support will continue for some time.
The first camp to be held by Tangentyere Council will begin on 8 September for 10 days, and I wish Tangentyere Council the best in their endeavours. Ten youth at risk are currently being assessed for suitability to attend the camp, and they are from Alice Springs and communities throughout Central Australia.
Over the coming month the two organisations will be assessed on the delivery of their intervention camp services, and I look forward to being able to announce the successful organisation which will continue to help Northern Territory youth realise their full potential as we work together to divert them away from the criminal justice system. I am enormously heartened by these preliminary results. I certainly hope that Tangentyere are able to produce similar results and, if they are, so much the better.
From the government’s point of view, this policy which was originally mooted by the Member for Blain, Terry Mills, when he was the Leader of the Opposition, was far sighted and I find myself in the privileged position of being the one who oversees its roll-out. I believe that if we can continue to roll-out this policy in a substantial fashion, we will be able to divert hundreds of young men and women away from a life of self-destructing selfishness, and get them to engage with themselves in a way they never dreamt possible.
I remain the eternal optimist, but we cannot fix young people’s lives for them; all we can do is create an environment where they might choose to fix their lives for themselves. If we can do that much, and some of these young people determine to do something about their lives and step away from the folly that comes with self-indulgent behaviour, then it would be worthwhile. I hope and pray that into the future more young Territorians take advantage of the I camp process and see a future for them which will not be reflected in their names appearing on court lists and prison records.
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Mr Deputy Speaker, it has been a long time since we were last in parliament so I am thinking back to what has happened in that time. Much has happened, but most recently I want to talk about Palmerston Seniors Week which concluded last Sunday.
Over the course of the week there were 11 fantastic events for Palmerston and rural seniors. To name a few, Cazalys put on a fantastic seniors lunch. Cazalys, in our Palmerston community, does a fantastic job of supporting our seniors and they also hold a free morning tea once a month. Thank you very much to them for supporting seniors and participating in Palmerston Seniors Week.
We also had mini golf activities at Caddies, at the Palmerston Golf Club. There was a trip to Larrakeyah Barracks, and also a popular motorcycling ride. This happened last year as well and it went off like wildfire; this year they did it again and it is very popular with our seniors. Angie, my electorate officer, could not help herself, she had to get down there and give motorcycle riding a go; she is much braver than I, and she had a great time with everyone there.
In saying that, I would like to thank Marg Lee, Marg Moore, Pam Norman, Pam Smith, Lillian Mann and Betty Chapman for their enormous contribution to Palmerston Seniors Week. They organised the whole thing. In excess of 120 Palmerston and rural seniors attend these events, and it is very well organised. Everyone has a wonderful time, everyone has plenty of food, and there is always plenty of entertainment, including the Groovy Grannies, who are fabulous. Thank you very much to them, and I look forward to Seniors Week next year.
Durack Primary School held its annual wheel-a-thon, another amazing community event. All of Durack rallies behind the primary school and supports this event because it is so much fun. It is for all kids and their families, and you do not have to go to Durack Primary School to participate. Kids get their scooters or rollerblades - I do not know if rollerblades are cool now – bikes, and all those things kids get around on.
They all go down to Flinders Park, there is an enormous barbecue, many fun activities for the kids, and Constable Kim came down with her radar gun and zapped kids as they rode their bikes past to see how fast they were going – and it was an excellent event.
I want to thank everyone on the Durack School Council, and everyone involved in producing the Durack wheel-a-thon. I apologise in advance if I forget anyone. Thank you very much to Gary, Pat, Wally, Lyndell, Richard, Sheila, Heather, Peter, Rebecca, Tracey, Carly, Yvonne, Rachael, Libby, Jackie, Belinda, Melinda and Corinna.
I would also like to thank all the sponsors. I do not have a list of them all but, in particular, to CIC who donated the bicycle, and to Constable Kim for coming down, and the list goes on. Thank you to everyone who was involved. The funds go to the school council which, obviously, spends money upgrading school equipment and providing other resources to the students.
Palmerston Festival is coming up on 30 and 31 August and is organised by the City of Palmerston. On 30 August there will be a bigger and better extraordinary Palmerston markets, and I encourage everyone to come down. On 31 August, a plethora of activities will happen in Goyder Square during the day for the little ones, and a cultural festival in the evening.
I wanted to talk about National Tree Planting Day, which was probably a good month ago now, but the Kids Brigade Childcare Centre in Durack approached me and said, ‘We want to celebrate National Tree Planting Day. The front yard of the childcare centre is really tired; a huge tree has to go, some new plants have to go in, and we want more textures and for it to be more interactive for the kids’. They mentioned they were having trouble getting parents along to help at the working bee, understandably, because it was during the work day. So, I liaised with my good friend, Lieutenant Savannah Moyer, a Marine here, and PR manager for the Marine Rotational Force. Savannah and I do many great things together with the marines in Palmerston, and she was able to provide me with five marines and five ADF soldiers to help transform the garden, and we all went down to the Kids Brigade Childcare Centre, which is Defence affiliated, along with Bunnings, which had staff there with trees and all types of things. I lugged my barbecue down and put on a big sausage sizzle, and it was just amazing - it was like Backyard Blitz in real time - I have never seen anything like it. Vanessa, the manager of the childcare centre was absolutely speechless and blown away. The Marines and the ADF soldiers were wonderful with the kids; who had the best time; the kids loved the sausages and interacting with the soldiers, and getting their hands dirty. The results were beautiful.
I thank Savannah Moyer very much for continuing to partner with me to deliver great community results in Palmerston. Kids Brigade is very happy and has also built very strong and important connections with the ADF, which they can continue to call on in support of their childcare centre, which is very good.
I was also very proud because the photo I took on the day of a gorgeous little blonde, curly-headed girl painting an ADF soldier’s face made the front page of the Palmerston Sun. That was my first front page, so I was pretty happy with that.
We also had the Advance Personal Planning Bill. The Attorney-General has been going around urban centres and also to our regions holding public consultations on the Advance Personal Planning Bill. I was quick to jump on having a public consultation for this bill in Palmerston. I believe the Palmerston consultation I held at Gray Community Hall had the largest turnout of citizens, not medical professionals and lawyers interested in the bill, but people in the community wanting to learn more about it. That was excellent and I was happy to extend that opportunity to everyone in my electorate.
I was also invited to STEPS in Palmerston, to see what everyone was doing. A constituent of mine, Cliff, said, ‘Come on down, see what we are learning about.’ It was great timing, as the teacher invited me to speak about the importance of being on the electoral roll. More importantly for me, I got to see the artwork and hear the stories and the learning journey of the people involved with STEPS. I had an amazing time and I promised I would go back, and I will because it was great, and I am really glad there is a program like that in Palmerston, running out of the library. It is very good.
The show circuit has whipped around for another year, and I was pleased to have been able to attend Alice Springs, Katherine, and the Darwin shows. It was great turn-out, and we had a positive feedback at the stall, and I look forward to doing it all again next year.
Mr Deputy Speaker, that is all I can think of that I have been doing at the moment, so I will let someone else go.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, tonight I speak on the horse and pony activities held recently in the rural area and the hard work that goes into staging these events, and the results of key championships held over the last couple of months.
Horse ownership and horse activities, not including the racing industry in the Territory, are enormous. It is an area and activity in our community that is often overlooked and under-considered when it comes to acknowledgements, grants and proper consideration by governments and local councils. I believe it is my job to change that position.
I have stated previously that I am not a horse person; it is way too big an animal for me, and too complicated in its feeding regimes. Yet, over the last four years, I have witnessed a remarkable group of people across the rural area, and elsewhere in the Territory, continuing to engage in horse activities and, in particular, providing a large range of activities and services and events for young people - children as young as four can be involved in pony club activities and start to learn and be involved in a clean, safe, and enjoyable sport and recreational activity. It can also be an enjoyable activity for people at the other end of the age spectrum and, whilst I do not know anyone over the age of 70 who is riding, I am sure they are out there.
Recently, there was a major event held at Freds Pass Reserve called Horse of the Year, which is organised by the NT branch of Equestrian Australia. The history of the Horse of the Year in the Territory goes back 10 or 15 years, and originally started at the greyhound track. Since that time, has become more formalised and was taken over by the Equestrian Australia NT Branch, and they continue to manage and organise it to this day. Given the size and the standing of the event, many people are needed to put it together and ensure its success. I place on the public …
Mr Deputy Speaker, I might adjourn and finish this another day, because I am missing some documents I require for my adjournment.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, that was a surprise. I was just getting excited about that adjournment debate, member for Goyder, because I was at that event.
Members may have received in their e-mail some correspondence from Clare Hewitt, a registered nurse based in Alice Springs who is employed by the Department of Health on a 457 Visa. In other words, she was invited by the Department of Health to work in the Northern Territory. Unfortunately, she had a serious car accident in 2010 while travelling along the Tanami Highway on her way to conduct trachoma screening at Mt Liebig. She wanted to eventually obtain permanent residency, with her husband, in Australia and was of the belief the Department of Health would support a permanent residency visa. She says the department now says it will not support her permanent visa application.
As we know from legislation passed in this parliament, 457 Visa holders are treated differently to Australian workers because if injured on the job, they are sent home. Although they would have their medical expenses paid, they would only receive two year’s pay unless they win an appeal for a one-off extension, and then they are on their own. The present government, when in opposition, even opposed that crying poor on behalf of the insurance companies.
But this is not a case of permanent disability. Clare Hewitt has made a remarkable recovery and wants to continue her work as a nurse in Australia. In fact, her rehab consultant said the only realistic chance Clare would have of a successful return to work would be in her previous employment, but it seems the department wants to send her home to England.
It also seems in her attempts to gather support for a renewal of her temporary visa, the department no longer supports that and her attempts to renew her nursing registration have run into trouble after APHRA first okayed the renewal but, for some unknown reason, APHRA then placed a restriction on her work.
There are probably some out there who say the law is the law but, in this case, it shows how unjust the law is. The Department of Health employed Clare and invited her to Australia on a 457 Visa. If this case was about an Australian it would be different, but because Clare is a 457 Visa holder for some reason she is discriminated against and, although that maybe legal under the act, it is definitely not moral.
I have not yet heard what the minister has to say on this matter, but I am sure she knows about it as Clare has sent e-mails to every member of this parliament. The bottom line is the department employed her, she was injured on the job, and the department should care for her as if she was a permanent citizen. After all, we are all human beings, not 457 human beings who should be treated differently.
I raise this question tonight, Mr Deputy Speaker, asking the department to show some compassion and support for Clare in her rehabilitation, in her request for permanent residency, and for renewal of her nursing registration. I am also asking that the minister step in to intervene on Clare Hewitt’s behalf because, as I said before, we can stick by the letter of the law, which I do not believe is fair anyway, or we can look at what is fair and reasonable.
I do not know whether the Department of Health has other reasons but, on the surface, they have not treated Clare Hewitt well. I believe when you are working for someone who has invited you to this country to work for them there is an obligation for you to care for that person, especially if that person is injured on the job. In this case, the department should treat this person as if she is a permanent resident, as if she was an Australian they employed. That would be a satisfactory outcome. I ask the minister to look at this case and intervene and, as sometimes said, do the right thing.
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Mr Deputy Speaker:
- Sometimes at night sleep denied
I saddle up old memory and ride
Through laughter and some tears
The bridle paths of yesteryears.
Peter Gunner, Alice Springs 2010.
He had power in speech, in presence, big and strong, not loud, though he could be. He was a huge character whose actions and words always drew the eye and ear and saw people gravitate to him. He had a big and dusty charisma as befits a country boy. He had the same passion for sharing stories, whether it was for a packed room or a solitary guest at the dining table. Ellen, my grandmother, the perfect host, always busy fussing back and forth - you were guaranteed a cuppa and a biscuit in her home.
Dropping around unannounced is one of the great things about growing up in a small town with a big family. Nana and grandad loved visitors, and grandad would have some bacon in the pan or be pulling steaks out of the freezer, or yelling out to Ellen to make some sandwiches.
Grandad was the head of our family, the capstone, he held it all together, carried the weight that a big family has, and it was always a joy to know we were going around. In Tenant Creek, I remember going around after school with Rebecca and Tom; Lucy would not have been at school yet. Grandad would still be at work, and we always watched a video. Grandad had a huge collection of westerns, musicals and black and white classics. I would raid his book library and fell in love with the works of Louis L’amour and Zane Grey.
Grandad was a Territory boy with a huge range of experiences from cattle drives to the first road trains, exploration and mining sites, to owning and running a restaurant and founding the Finke Desert Race. The breadth can be hard to describe, it can be hard to believe, and I want to borrow some words from my father to describe grandad’s life:
- My father arrived in the Northern Territory at a young age, he started work from very early in his life and worked hard his whole life, not retiring till he was 72.
Dad seemed to have done everything from being a telegram boy in Alice Springs to working in the railway in Quorn, South Australia shovelling coal in the engines there. He worked as a stockman in Amaroo and Elkedra in his early teens. He drove road trains throughout the Territory and Australia becoming transport manager, and later a boiler maker in the Tennant Creek mines … receiving great accolades for his work and designs.
Dad was a self-taught man and would draft up drawings of road train trailers and equipment then go out and make them. I was privileged to work alongside him and was also privileged enough to help him construct the Gunner Built that stands today at the Transport Hall of Fame. Dad and I drove it from Alice Springs to Tennant Creek on its maiden voyage, and back. In those days it was a real head-turner and quite modern.
The first car Dad had in the Territory, that I can recall, was one he built himself from the remains of three Willy’s Jeeps discarded on different stations around Tennant Creek, remnants of the war. Not really a family car as such, but a great success and a testament to his ingenuity and resourcefulness, and painted a great shade of green from paint stocks of Kittle Brothers Transport where he worked for the late Len Kittle.
In his early years, Dad had carted water for the Kittles for the town of Tennant Creek before it was piped to the households in the late fifties. We would accompany him on such runs carting water to Nana and Grandad’s, Con and Nell Perry’s homestead at the Tennant Creek Telegraph Station, where I lived as a baby, and the town house which still stands today in Patterson Street.
We have great pride in Dad’s achievements from earliest memories when Dad was head-hunted (to use a modern term) by the O’Neil family of Sydney to head up their cattle carting business at Wave Hill.
There is a famous telegram from the then young Dennis O’Neil to his father, Les O’Neil, in Sydney after Dad had accepted the job in Renner Springs:
She happy! Stop. He happy! Stop. I happy too! Stop.
She, being my mum Ellen Gunner.
Dad’s accomplishments are many and include starting the There and Back Race, which is now known as the Finke Desert Race. Dad’s role included laying out the original race track and, with Barry Taylor, became known as the fathers of the Finke Desert Race. He was a member of Rotary, helped start up the Henley-on-Todd, and the Alice Springs Rodeo.
He will always be remembered fondly, warm-heartedly, and sorely missed by his family and the many, many friends he made throughout his grand life.
Dad has left behind a family of nine children, 34 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, and Mum is still going strong at age 82.
One of the stories he told was his own. I cannot do justice to the tome he left us, but I will, over the course of nights in this Chamber, tell the story of my grandad in Adjournment.
He left his novel drafted but unproofed, and there is a poetry to his story being unvarnished. I will, as often as I can, speak with his voice rather than my own. He opens with an honesty that is clear where he never faulted or failed in talking from the heart and cuff. When it comes to putting a story to paper, pinning it to the page, there is an effect that permanency causes and a loss of nuance that can be carried with inflection. It is also his story, and while he often held me captivated sometimes for hours with stories, they were often not his stories he told.
- I was often told I should write a book and, fool that I was, I took the advice to heart and, after many attempts, it got to the point where I could no longer see, with any clarity, what the hell it was I was trying to say in the first place.
It is extremely difficult to put into written words that which is so easy to convey when speaking. But I did inherit from my mother a stubborn nature and I therefore continued to write, and I trust I am doing it with enough brevity not to be boring, yet with enough meat left on the bones to be of interest to a reader.
I never knowingly killed anyone, but some of the weapons I fired with the elevation high enough could travel over a mile before dropping.
I never cheated anyone, a big claim to make, but one that I can assure you is true.
I was guilty of larceny on many occasions, but only to ensure the comfort of my family. This does not take into account knocking off someone’s cattle. For after all, this was a national sport and, as Nugget Morton used to say, ‘While you’re killing theirs, they’re out there killing yours’.
As for lying, yes, I did now and then tell a few porkies, but mainly to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings and, of course, at times, to avoid serious physical harm to myself.
Now and then I could fall prey to the attractions of a pretty woman. I did only ever truly love one of them, and that was my wife, Ellen.
Mr KURRUPUWU (Arafura): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to speak on Port Melville. On Thursday 11 July 2013 I had the great pleasure to welcome into the Apsley Strait the large vessel bringing important infrastructure to the new port being established at Pirlangimpi, Melville Island.
This port realised the dream of the British when they established Fort Dundas very near this site in 1824. The site was named after Robert Dundas, the First Lord of British Admiralty. The main purpose of this settlement was to start to build trade with Asia, but bad relations with the Tiwi people, tropical storms, large distances from other settlements, and poor food supply led to the failure of Fort Dundas; and the British left in 1829.
This new port sees this old, wise vision of the British renewed; it is a great example of development with cultural integrity, and it is also a great example of what a shared vision in a partnership can achieve. Tiwi landowners need to export wood chips and minerals. Our investment partner, Ezion Holdings Limited, operate many ships across northern Australia, and these ships will work with us to export our product. Port Melville is one of the finest ports in Northern Australia. Most of the coastline of Northern Australia is shallow mangrove country, but Port Melville has deep water and is a sheltered harbour with good tides for light vessels to load and unload.
Port Melville will be very good for Tiwi. We have light timber resources on Melville, and some of these were first planted in the 1960s. This timber plantation is 100% owned by Tiwi and it is expected that around 300 000 tonne of chips per annum will be available for export to Asia. In addition, the Tiwi Islands are rich in minerals such as rutile and zircon and there is a large market for these minerals in Asia, as well.
The port provides us with the means to export our valuable products to Asia, and this market is the most rapidly growing economy in the world. The port will also be a major source of real jobs and real income for Tiwi people. It is expected that the port will lead to approximately 150 new job opportunities for Tiwi people.
Mr Deputy Speaker, in marine and shipping, this wonderful venture is a credit to the Tiwi Land Council, Tiwi landowners and Tiwi enterprise. They deserve our most sincere thanks and congratulations. Such important economic development provides the foundation for our future and more productive and happy lives for Tiwi people.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek indulgence and leave from the parliament to conclude my remarks I started earlier.
Leave granted.
Mr Wood: Should there be a division?
Ms PURICK: No, member for Nelson. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and I thank the parliament.
Recently, there was a major event at Freds Pass Reserve called Horse of the Year which is organised by the NT Branch of Equestrian Australia. The inaugural NT Horse of the Year was held in 1986 at the Darwin Greyhound track, next to the showgrounds in Winnellie. Initially, the showgrounds were booked for the event; however, a rugby game took precedence that weekend, so Horse of the Year had to find an alternative venue just three weeks out from the big day. The greyhound track was happy to oblige and even dropped the fence between the track and the showgrounds so the stabling could be utilised for competitor’s horses.
Well-known local equestrian identity, Jenny Cordingly, came up with the idea of the NT staging its very own Horse of the Year, and with a friend, Cathy Shepherd’s, assistance the two of them started this prestigious equestrian event in Darwin.
Territory Milling and Horse Feed sponsored the first show for the handsome sum of $2000 which, back in 1986, was impressive sponsorship even by today’s standards. Sixty-six horse and rider combinations entered the inaugural event, again another impressive statistic when compared to more recent numbers. All winners who were members of Equestrian Australia were eligible to represent the NT, and then went on to compete south at the National Championships.
Jenny and Cathy continued to run the event for the next five years, by which time the Equestrian Federation of Australia, NT Branch, took over the reins, so to speak, to organise the event and they continue to do so today. Given the size and the standing of this event, many people are needed to put it together and ensure its success. I place on the public record the hard work and commitment of the following people who organised this year’s event but, no doubt, they have organised past events and will organise events into the future.
The Organising Committee was: Sophie Cleveland, Carmen Nowak and Andy Dobson. The Medication Control Officers were Judith Sheldrake and Danila Lochlin. Those are the people who do the swabbing of the animals after events and, yes, swabbing does go on in equestrian events. Chief Steward was Jo Bremner, and Events Stewards were Jo Bremner, Kaye Waldmann, Carmen Nowak and Jo Bensic. The Ground Jury was Karen Ruzsicska and Danila Lochlin. The Event Veterinarian was Dr Suzannah Smith. The Announcer was Cheryl (Chick) Stevens. Judges were Peter Plozza from Victoria. and Paul Austin from Queensland. The music that accompanied these events was provided by Matt Jean and Cary Thomson. The program and all the documentation was designed and provided by Monica Jack.
Despite me trying really hard and talking to many people and undertaking much Google research, much of what happens in the horse world remains a mystery to me. I know there is no such thing as a white horse - it is grey even if it is white - and riders wear different coloured jodhpurs for different events, and there are specific reasons for double bridles; however, I have not found out why events, or perhaps it is the horses, are called hunters or galloways, or what is the exact difference between a warmblood or a thoroughbred. However, I have worked out that regardless of the type of horse or the age of the riders, or whether a person is involved for fun or serious competition, the contribution by this activity, if not an industry in its own right, is enormous. I will leave that for a later time to talk about in this House.
The results from the Horse of the Year are as follows, and I extend my congratulations to them as well for an amazing effort and providing entertainment to the many people who watched the event. The name of the horses and their riders who contested the Grand Champion at the 2013 event were:
Julia Richter on Revelwood Galahad
Helena Walker-Sangster on Glynyarra Park Cinnabarr
Paige Curtain on Leedale Miss Millionaire
Paige Curtin also competed on Leedale Penelope
Sophie Cleveland on Bloomfield Kalinga
Sharon LeMesurier on Sing Me Emily Lacy
The NT Horse of the Year is the state qualifier for the National Show and Rider Championships of our country, which this year is being held in Werribee on 6 and 7 December. Every state and the Territory holds an annual Horse of the Year event, and first and second place in the various rider classes are separated by age, and the show horse classes are separated by a horse’s height, are eligible to participate in the national championships. I do not know who will be attending the national championships at this point in time, but I am sure Territory riders and horses will participate; I wish them well and am sure they will do the Territory proud.
I would like to inform the House also of the recent announcement of the successful riders and people who have been selected to participate in the 2013 National Interschool Championships to be held in Perth in October this year. Interschool is a national junior equestrian sport which serves to promote growth of equestrian sports at the grassroots.
Each year the Territory holds key events where riders are selected on their performance and then are selected for the Territory team to compete at the National Championships in October each year. Students may compete in Dressage, Show Horse, Jumping, Combined Training, and Eventing.
The successful riders for Interschool in the Primary section are:
Molliy Jack on Extravagance, competing in Dressage, Combined Training and Show Horse
In the Secondary category:
Shannah Mudge on Frodo Baggins, competing in Dressage
Many of these riders will also be participating in the National Pony Club Championships which are being held in Perth about the same time.
The Pony Club Territory representatives to go interstate are:
Dressage/Jumping Coach - Lisa Mutimer
Tetrathalon Coach - Vicky Beasy
Team Manager - Michelle Coman
Team Captain - Sarah Lock
Vice Team Captain - Jamee Dean
Team Members are:
Shannah Mudge
Risa Watanabe
Natasha Clayton
Finniss Beasy
MacKinlay Beasy.
Team Manager for Interschool team - Jenny Jones.
I extend my congratulations to all riders, team managers and supporters and wish them well for both events in Perth. I am told the team we have this year is in for a good showing for a medal, and I hope that will be true, if not lots of medals. Even if no medals are won, I know the Territory teams will do well and participate in true Territory style; that is, with determination, fairness and enjoyment.
Ms MANISON (Wanguri): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to raise some points regarding the treatment of our public service by this government and the mixed messages they have received over the last year.
There is a state of confusion amongst public servants regarding the value this government places on them and what lies ahead of them in the future, especially given what they have been through in the last 12 months.
When you run into constituents - old school friends, former work colleagues – or go to the shop and have a chat to people out and about at local sport - everyone has a story to share with you. They all know someone who has lost their job, or has moved away because of the uncertainty, has thrown in the towel because they were sick of the rubbish they were subjected to under this government, or have had to make several moves within the public sector, constantly changing due to restructures of departments or the government has decided to change its mind. It has been a rough 12 months, and the journey forward for many of these hard-working public servants appears to be tougher than ever before.
One of the most astonishing elements of this government is the fact it is consistently happy to deliver inconsistent messages to the value it places on the public service. For example, a year ago during the 2012 Territory election campaign, the members of the CLP opposition at the time, or the candidates, were handing out fliers to public servants stating that their jobs were safe. At the ballot box, again, on election day on 25 August 2012, there were corflute signs by the Country Liberals stating to public servants that their jobs were safe.
The messages could not be any clearer; however, the aftermath of the election was something different. Jobs started disappearing, and they disappeared quickly once the new CLP government started wielding its axe. I remember last Christmas time hearing a story from a friend about the amount of farewells in their work building. They said it was not just the fact that each Friday there was a farewell on each floor of their building; it was the fact that there were multiply farewells each week on each floor of their building. It was something they had never seen before, and they joked it was becoming an issue for their waistline because they had never had to go to so many morning teas before. It was their light-hearted way of dealing with the pretty depressing workplace they had around them.
The ‘Your Job is Safe’ flier was an inconsistent message, to say the least. This was reconfirmed in the mini-budget when the CLP government committed to sacking 600 public servants despite their commitment months before promising public servants their jobs were safe. In the first six months alone of the CLP government, they got rid of 470 public servants.
Probably the most outstanding and disturbing inconsistency of this government’s message to public servants in the ‘Your Job is Safe’ flier, prior to the election, was it stated no frontline services would be cut. In the ‘Your Job is Safe’ flier, and consistently in the lead-up to the election last year, they said that frontline service jobs were safe. Instead, what have we seen? In the first six months of this government, 171 jobs have gone from the Department of Children and Families, and this government has also admitted that approximately 130 teachers are to disappear from our middle and senior schools. That means less subject selection, more numbers in classrooms, and students do not win here.
The numbers state the facts. You did not tell public servants the truth when you asked for their vote last year; you gave them a false promise and you did not deliver. Again today, we see more mixed messages being delivered to the public service. We see a bulletin to public servants with regard to the current EBA negotiations that have arrived at the point where public servants are voting to take action because EBA negotiations have broken down with this government.
Public servants will not accept this government trying to make it easier to sack them; they will not accept an EBA that eats away at their working conditions and makes it harder for them to afford to keep living here. They have gone through hell in their workplaces over the last 12 months, and are carrying the extra weight left as staff around them has disappeared.
Today, the Commissioner of Public Employment has sent a letter to public servants explaining to them how they can vote to take strike action. An hour later, the Chief Minister sent an e-mail to public servants stating things like, ‘We have all achieved a great deal over the past 12 months and this could not have been done without your hard work. Thanks again for all your hard work.
This is not genuine thanks. If you genuinely cared you would never have treated public servants the way you have, and you would be back at the negotiating table.
On one hand, you will not sit down and work through the issues with the public servants to the point where everything has broken down and industrial action could be on the horizon and, on the other hand, you are saying thank you and that you value them. Yet, they can see through it because they have lived through a period where they have not been treated with respect.
I have been told all types of stories about the way the CLP government has made public servants feel, and the reasons why they no longer see the Northern Territory Public Sector as an employer of choice.
I have heard of people leaving because they could see no future in the public service because of the way the CLP government has treated them. I have seen people lose their jobs. I have also seen people leave their jobs as they waited for the government to stop dragging out or continually changing its mind about restructuring to the point they could not stand the insecurity, and they left to give their families a secure future by finding secure jobs.
People are also leaving because they have lost trust in the government and feel they have no job security going forward. People have also told me they have left their jobs because this government is ethically and morally putting them in a professional position they cannot tolerate and they want their professional integrity intact. People have left or are looking to get out because their workloads have gone through the roof due to less staff around them to do the work.
This is the reality of working in the Territory public service today under the CLP government. You have let our hard-working public servants down despite your promise their jobs were safe. Public servants have gone through hell and are continually being put under pressure by this CLP government. They can see through your disingenuous messages.
It is time to start treating our Territory public servants with respect if you want to keep the best and brightest here so Territorians get the service delivery they deserve.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Speaker, I respond to the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, the Honourable Adam Giles, and his signature throwaway lines which are consistently careless with the truth. I would like to give the Chief Minister a synopsis of what a Labor member does in a united Labor team as a local member and also as a minister, over four years of the Henderson government delivering real growth for the Northern Territory.
I was elected as the member for Barkly in 2008, when 70 m of the Barkly highway washed away, Australia’s nuclear waste management facility was nominated at Muckaty Station, and the world economy crashed in the global financial crisis. On reflection, the department of Construction managed rebuilding the national highway, earning an Australian Engineering Award nomination; the protest against Muckaty entered the federal court; and the Labor government introduced an economic stimulus policy to save Territory jobs.
During 2008-12, Tennant Creek saw record infrastructure investment delivering the main street enhancement and stormwater drain upgrades, Peko Road housing subdivision, Barkly Work Camp, new police station, sobering-up shelter, renal dialysis unit, high school gymnasium, and a new accident and emergency department at the hospital. Major road investment included: flood immunity projects like the McArthur River Bridge at Borroloola; Gilbert Swamp upgrade on the Stuart Highway; Carpentaria and Tableland Highways strengthening and widening; 20 km of Barkly Highway rebuild on the Queensland border; beef roads re-sheeting projects, and new national highway pavement and truck parking bays.
Barkly schools saw record infrastructure spending on upgrades and minor new works. In addition to new classrooms at Elliott and Ali Curung Schools, there was a new school at Borroloola, a trade training centre in Tennant Creek, and new teacher housing out bush.
Power, water and sewerage infrastructure saw record investment over forward years, including the Borroloola sewerage project, new solar wind and diesel power generation at Alpurrurulam, water treatment plant at Ali Curung, and $22m budgeted for upgrades to generation and transmission at the Tennant Creek Power Station.
The Northern Territory’s economic stimulus followed the Australian government stimulus plan to save jobs and deliver public infrastructure, now acknowledged by global economic commentators as the envy of the western world, delivering Australia’s immunity to economic recession gripping countries like England, France, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy.
Country Liberal politicians who voted against Labor’s economic stimulus strategy now boast and claim the glory in copious media releases hailing the Territory economy growing from strength to strength, engineering construction work at a record high, business confidence improving, and multibillion mining, oil and gas projects coming online. The Country Liberal government is so confident about the Northern Territory economy the Treasurer recently made a cash withdrawal of $160m, a Treasurer’s Advance, spending five times the normal cash budgeted annually under the previous government.
Governments need to grow the economy and instil business confidence for creating jobs, so the question for Liberal political commentators remains: what would the debt and deficit levels of the Australian economy, the envy of western democracies languishing under the global financial crisis, and the Northern Territory economy, the fastest growing in the nation, be in 2013 if jobs were not saved under Labor’s flexible economic stimulus strategy?
Australian families who endured epic unemployment in the 1970s could comment on the destructive social and economic effects of recession with an inflexible economy causing generational unemployment over decades, where some parents never had a job. Without the four-year economic stimulus spend on infrastructure, Tennant Creek contractors and local businesses would have joined the unemployed on our streets experiencing devastating effects on families, business, and the Northern Territory economy.
Now in government, Country Liberal Party media releases crow about the incredible future of the Territory economy - and so they should - how truly amazing, created in the past 10 months by two CLP Chief Ministers, three CLP Treasurers, and seven CLP Cabinet reshuffles.
Chief Minister, it has been a pleasure to be able to share that story with the parliament and put it on the public record to counter your classic one-line, consistently careless with the truth statements in this House.
Madam Speaker, I conclude by saying that the record of the previous Labor government spend in Tennant Creek and the Barkly links a network and a strategy across the Northern Territory without any jobs for the boys, any water allocations to mates, and without any favours of the good old silver circle backslap and handshake approach to doing business in the Territory. Simply put, it was hard work growing the Territory so we remain the best place on the continent and the best place in Australia to raise a family.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016