2014-08-21
Madam Speaker Purick took the Chair at 10 am.
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I move that leave of absence be granted for the member for Fannie Bay today for personal reasons.
Leave granted.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of Year 6 classes from St Joseph’s Catholic College in Katherine, accompanied by Brad Henry, lys Borlini, Kylie Biddle and Elizabeth Campbell. On behalf of honourable members, welcome to Darwin and I hope you enjoy your time in Parliament House.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, before you leave, I ask that if anyone wants these types of things to be worn in the Chamber, it is more than appreciated, but they should have tripartite support.
If you have this type of thing, get it for everyone. I have acquired some for the crossbenchers, because I saw they did not have them.
If you wish to put things on desks, please go through the Table Office.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): A point of order, Madam Speaker! During Question Time extremely offensive comments were made about me by the Leader of the Opposition. I ask you to ask the Leader of the Opposition to withdraw under Standing Order 62.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, if you wish to make a personal statement you can do that later and talk to me about it.
Mr TOLLNER: I am not interested in personal statements. I am interested in the Leader of the Opposition withdrawing the offensive comments she made directly to me during Question Time.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, if the member feels something was offensive then I ask you to withdraw it.
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Speaking to the point of order, exactly what did you find offensive?
Mr TOLLNER: The Leader of the Opposition knows what I found offensive. She called me homophobic and a range of other things. I ask her to withdraw those comments.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, if he found the comments offensive please withdraw them.
Ms LAWRIE: I seek a ruling on this because, Madam Speaker, you sought advice from the Clerk. The advice from the Clerk was that he was to make a personal statement. What I repeated was factual, concerning the homophobic rant which had occurred.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have intervened under Standing Orders 63 and 64; I believe the words to be offensive. Opposition Leader, if you could withdraw the words that have offended the member for Fong Lim. It is a direction to you as a member.
Ms LAWRIE: Absolutely. I seek clarification.
Madam SPEAKER: You have it, it is Standing Order 64.
Ms LAWRIE: No, I seek clarification on specific words. I referred to a homophobic rant, undisciplined, offensive behaviour and repugnant language
Madam SPEAKER: All of it, Opposition Leader.
Ms LAWRIE: I seek further clarification from you, Madam Speaker. If I do not withdraw what is the penalty?
Madam SPEAKER: If you do not withdraw you are ignoring a direction of the Speaker and will be asked to leave the Chamber.
Ms LAWRIE: I will not dissent from your ruling. I, accordingly, withdraw and will say all of those words to the member for Fong Lim outside in public.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr GILES (Economic Development and Major Projects): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The Land Development Corporation was established in 2003 as a commercially orientated land development agency, with the primary aim of providing strategic industrial land associated with the port, rail and oil and gas industries. The success of the organisation in delivering appropriate land for industry is evidenced by the volume of large-scale development occurring at the Darwin Business Park and surrounding areas. Today we see an impressive array of businesses operating and new businesses becoming established at the business park, with the total value of development at approximately $300m in private development.
The Land Development Corporation currently manages over 180 ha of strategic industrial land at the Darwin Business Park, and is planning an additional 130 ha marine industry park on waterfront land at East Arm and a further 613 ha at Middle Arm.
The corporation's activities are self-funded through land sales and it pays substantial dividends and taxes to the Northern Territory government each year. The current year's capital works program for the corporation exceeds $44m, which will deliver residential land releases in Central Australia and Palmerston, and a continuation of industrial estates at East Arm and Middle Arm, supporting the current growth resulting from a number of large oil and gas projects.
These developments, along with others planned, provide support for major industrial activities, and cement the role of the Land Development Corporation as a central player in the strategic growth of Darwin as a marine and industrial hub.
When the private market has not been in a position to provide residential land, the corporation has had success in the development of affordable residential land and affordable housing projects in urban areas, including releases in the new Alice Springs suburb of Kilgariff. Currently, the corporation consists of a corporation sole who seeks the advice of the advisory board, with members appointed for three-year terms.
The board provides advice on matters relating to the corporation's estate and on the corporation's activities generally.
While the advisory board has been a useful mechanism for the corporation to obtain commercial advice, the cost of the board has steadily increased over the years, and over the last three financial years, the average cost of operation was in the order of $190 000 per year. The corporation has taken active steps to reduce these costs, but board expenses continue to represent a significant overhead for the operation of the organisation. As it is an advisory board, the corporation's board does not make decisions; it simply provides advice. The advice which can be provided by the board is, by necessity, limited to the experience and skill sets of appointed board members.
Further, it has been difficult to find board members locally who are able to be involved in discussions relating to the full breadth of the corporation's activities without potential conflicts of interest. This presents a limitation to the usefulness of the advice the corporation can seek from the advisory board in its current form. The recent resignation of existing board members has created an exceptional circumstance for the corporation to prepare an urgent bill without Cabinet authorisation, to be presented to Cabinet with a rolled up submission, seeking retrospective endorsement for the drafting of the bill, as well as approval to introduce the bill.
Given the cost of operation of the advisory board, and the limitations on the nature and scope of advice which it is able to provide, it is considered timely to review the provisions of the legislation which govern the appointment and operation of the board.
The act already provides the corporation with the ability to employ staff in addition to those employed under the Public Sector Employment and Management Act. It can also procure and obtain specialist advice as required. This means it is able to obtain expert advice in the ordinary course of business. The amendments proposed will provide the minister with the ability to convene an expert advisory board as required in relation to major projects or developments, rather than having the advisory board operating at times when this type of high level advice is not required or can be otherwise obtained.
After more than 10 years of operation, the Land Development Corporation has proven to be an effective land development organisation. These changes will assist to streamline the corporation by reducing the operational costs of the advisory board, and ensuring it is only convened when discussion of key issues by a group of appropriately skilled experts is required.
Madam Speaker, I commend this bill to honourable members and table the explanatory statement to accompany the bill.
Debate adjourned.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that parliament notes that 2014 is the centenary year of the Red Cross in Australia, a significant milestone in the social history of the nation, commemorating 100 years of humanitarian service to the people of Australia and the Northern Territory.
Most Australians have shared a personal connection with the Red Cross, from its humanitarian role during two world wars, to preparing for, responding to and recovering from natural disasters, helping vulnerable people and communities overcome disadvantage and through its world-class National Blood Service.
For 100 years the Australian Red Cross has enjoyed a unique auxiliary status amongst public authorities in the humanitarian field, working in partnership with governments of all political persuasions in Australia and internationally to alleviate suffering in a voluntary aid capacity, whilst adhering to its principles of independence, neutrality and impartiality.
The Australian Red Cross is part of the world's largest humanitarian movement, with tens of millions of volunteers working in 189 countries. They are united by the fundamental principle of preventing and alleviating human suffering without discrimination, wherever it may be found, in times of war, conflict, disaster or personal crisis.
I further move that parliament recognises that the Australian Red Cross today has a network of over one million volunteers, members, staff, donors, aid workers and supporters. Through this network, the Australian Red Cross mobilises the power of humanity to work right across the country in local communities in every state and territory, as well as further afield to help transform the lives of vulnerable people in need, whoever they are.
I call on all honourable members to join the Australian Red Cross in celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding on 13 August 1914, nine days after the outbreak of World War I; congratulate generations of Australians for their extraordinary contributions through the everyday work of the Red Cross; and continue to support the independent and impartial humanitarian mission of the Red Cross to work with and assist the most vulnerable people in need, both in Australia and internationally.
I take this opportunity to recognise the exceptional work the Red Cross does in the Northern Territory.
The Australian Red Cross was formed just nine days after the outbreak of World War I by Lady Helen Munro-Ferguson, the wife of the newly-appointed Governor-General. She began the Australian branch of the British Red Cross Society in August 1914, calling on the wives of state governors to form state committees.
The first meeting at Government House in Darwin was organised by the first Administrator’s wife, Mrs Jeannie Gilruth, and the Red Cross Northern Territory division was officially established in May 1915. Mrs Gilruth joined the wives of state governors as a vice president of the Red Cross.
The Northern Territory division dispatched more than 2500 garments to Egypt for the troops, and free shipping was provided by Burns Philp and P&O. Fundraising events held in Darwin from 1914 to 1919 raised over 13 000, a colossal achievement at that time. The work of the Red Cross then moved from war relief into general disaster relief and support services for civilians. In 1927, the Australian Red Cross was formally recognised as a national society, and the blood transfusion service was founded in Victoria in 1929.
The Darwin Red Cross closed in 1921, but was re-established on 23 September 1937. At the time, the incumbent at Government House was Aubrey Abbott, who had seen active service at Gallipoli, along with his wife Hilda. Hilda Abbott worked tirelessly for the NT division throughout her time in the Territory.
In February 1939 Red Cross NT emergency services commenced in Darwin, and branches were established in Alice Springs and Katherine. This was a very busy time for the Red Cross in Darwin. It included the Bombing of Darwin, when Darwin Red Cross workers Hurtle Bald, his wife Alice and daughter Iris were killed. Following the first Japanese air raid on 19 February 1942, the Red Cross NT division moved to Alice Springs. Hilda Abbott was evacuated there for the duration of the war, but continued her efforts. Members and volunteers played a key role, working tirelessly to raise funds and provide supplies and food parcels. Nursing aid was offered at hospitals, including visits, letter writing, sending parcels, sewing and fundraising.
During World War II, the Red Cross became the largest charitable organisation in Australia. After the war, the Darwin branch supported returning prisoners of war released from camps to our north. The blood transfer service was inaugurated in 1945, swiftly becoming vital to the community.
On 16 August 1946 the divisional headquarters building in Lambell Terrace was opened by the then Duchess of Gloucester. The centre was later named Hilda Abbott Cottage.
During the post-war period, the NT division provided services to hospitals, mission stations and the leprosarium. A convalescent home at Fannie Bay was opened by His Excellency Sir William Slim, Governor-General of Australia, on 17 July 1954. Libraries were set up in all Territory hospitals, the Junior Red Cross was established and a national disaster fund was established in 1959 in aid of International Red Cross relief. Junior Red Cross membership grew though the 1960s, and a hostel for unemployed men was also established.
Support was provided to soldiers and civilians during the Vietnam War, and the Red Cross extended support to migrants arriving in the Northern Territory, providing clothing and essentials.
A shop opened on Cavenagh Street for welfare and the sale of handicrafts. Emergency housekeeping and transport for convalescent patients began in the new headquarters, and the blood transfusion service was officially opened in 1967.
When Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin on Christmas morning 1974, Red Cross volunteers mobilised the biggest relief operation in Australian history. The Red Cross in Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek assisted thousands of refugees who were evacuated or who had travelled out of devastated Darwin. The Red Cross provided emergency relief supplies, recorded the names of victims and managed fundraising efforts across Australia.
The 1970s and 1980s saw the commencement of a number of services, including Meals on Wheels, home help, the SHAK (Safe Haven For All Kids) youth centre and work to reunite Timorese and Vietnamese families.
During the 1990s, the hospital trolley and op shops also provided valuable services to the community. Other landmark events during which the Red Cross has provided assistance include the 1998 Australia Day Katherine flood and the 1999 emergency evacuation from East Timor.
The Australian Red Cross entered the 21st century as a leader in relief and support, raising funds and providing assistance in the aftermath of the 2002 Bali bombing, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.
The list of programs run and supported by the Red Cross in the Northern Territory is extensive. There have been Old Timers’ homes, home care services, youth groups, beauty therapists at our hospitals and the blood bank. The wide range of programs and fundraising activities continues, as the Red Cross contributes to the care of the community.
One hundred years is a significant milestone, and the centenary of the Australian Red Cross is a great Australian story. I thank all volunteers who have given so much of their time over the years and changed the lives of so many.
Madam Speaker, I commend this motion to the House.
Ms MANISON (Wanguri): Madam Speaker, I support this motion celebrating 100 years of the Australian Red Cross.
The Australian Red Cross began as the Australian branch of the British Red Cross Society on 13 August 1914, nine days after the outbreak of World War I, with the wife of the then Governor-General, Lady Helen Munro-Ferguson, calling on the wives of state governors to form state committees.
Internationally, the Red Cross was born out of war in Europe, with the first Red Cross conference in Geneva in October 1863 attended by 36 delegates from 14 European states. From little things, big things grow. It is timely to reflect on those origins of the Red Cross in alleviating pain and suffering as we move closer to remembering the 100th anniversary of the landing of forces at Gallipoli, and the painful and tragic experiences of World War I.
Established to support the sick and wounded in war, including the victims of relentless artillery shelling and horrific gas attacks on the Western Front, the Red Cross has evolved over time. Through high levels of skill and organisation, the Red Cross has provided humanitarian and community services right across the world. What a wonderful brand it has developed over time.
As historian Melanie Oppenheimer has said, the humanitarianism of the Red Cross was one of the grand ideas of the 19th century. Let us recognise that a big part of that success – indeed, a central part of that success – was the work of volunteer women. Melanie Oppenheimer has also noted that during World War I the Australian Red Cross raised almost 5m, and provided millions more through in-kind support, a remarkable achievement from an Australian population at that time of just under five million people.
The Red Cross recognised that the need for its services did not end with the firing of the last bullet in World War I. Australians will forever be grateful for the foresight of the then leadership of the group, leading a brand that by definition embodied the highest standard of trust, compassion, neutrality and service without judgment.
We should also acknowledge the enormously important work of the Red Cross in providing comfort for prisoners of war and their families back home during World War II, through such things as food parcels and letters from home. In 1943, that support included delivering 230 000 letters to and from allied prisoners of war in Japanese detention.
Their wonderful work continued through supporting refugees, people dislocated from their home communities as a result of war, religious persecution and post-war economic circumstances, as well as Australians involved in conflict in Korea, the Malay emergency, Vietnam and East Timor. The NT Red Cross played a key role in supporting Vietnamese and East Timorese refugees fleeing violence and arriving on our shores.
The Australian Red Cross is a great part of an international network. Today, the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies have 185 members. That is almost as many as the UN, which had 192 members in 2012, as current Australian Red Cross CEO Hon Robert Tickner has said.
In Australia the Red Cross has over 30 000 volunteers. It is an organisation that Australians trust and look to in times of distress. For Territorians that has included catastrophic times such as during Cyclone Tracy and the Katherine floods. In the NT the Red Cross has been providing services to Territorians since September 1937. The 1974-75 annual report of the NT branch records the then principles of the Red Cross in the Territory as humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary services, unity and universality.
The same annual report notes that prior to Cyclone Tracy, Red Cross activity in the NT had tended to be uneventful, but that all changed overnight on 24 December 1974. It notes that with thousands of refugees streaming through the towns of Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Gove, branch members rallied to help with clothing, accommodation, car repairs and tracing family members. Speaking of Gove, I note that during the 1975-76 financial year its branch of the NT Red Cross alone had 48 members, which was a good effort.
We should also recall the Red Cross’ work at the time in supporting aged care at the old pioneers’ home in Katherine and the Old Timers’ home in Tennant Creek. More recently, in 1998 we saw the devastating Katherine floods, and a huge effort by the Red Cross to support families and people living in the region.
Who could forget growing up in Australia admiring the hospital trolley service of the Red Cross, with its iconic Meals on Wheels? Today the Red Cross continues to partner with communities outside of hospitals to provide disaster relief and assistance in times of distress. On the Tiwi Islands the Red Cross runs holiday programs with local people, supporting youth in the community. Through its Telecross program Red Cross staff make daily phone calls to the elderly and infirm, reducing their social isolation and providing comfort and support.
Increasingly, the Red Cross is working on the important issue of food security and understanding the fundamental importance of access to food for nutrition and health, especially in early childhood years. This includes the Good Start Breakfast Club, which, in 2012, served over 450 000 meals across Australia.
Recently, the Red Cross has moved to develop community support programs in the mental health area. For example, it operates a program called MATES – Mentally Ill and Their Equal Supporters. This program recruits and trains volunteers to support people living with the burden of mental illness and, importantly, offers respite for families who ordinarily provide the greater part of this support.
The Red Cross is also working to make a real difference in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This work is built on a partnership approach, not intervention, and the group works with communities and governments to address entrenched Indigenous disadvantage. In recent times three Territorians have been key to developing that work. They are Olga Havnen, Marion Scrymgour and, more recently, Kim Hill. This has included the development of a bold reconciliation action plan, and the Red Cross has recently employed more than 100 local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to deliver programs across Australia, including in Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs.
Let us not forget the organisation’s bread and butter work that we too often take for granted. This includes providing a safe and secure supply of blood and blood products through the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, its ongoing role in first aid training and the wonderful op shops.
Proudly, the Australian Red Cross has put as much focus on how it works as what it does. In continuing a great history of volunteerism and grass-roots action, the group continues to place a key emphasis on engagement and working together with local communities.
As stated in its 2015 strategy, the Red Cross aims to:
People put a lot of time and effort into helping the Red Cross and contributing to the community. They do a wonderful job, and we thank them for their hard work and look forward to seeing more Territorians becoming involved.
My colleague, the member for Barkly, put it very nicely in the lobby earlier. He said that from the front lines of Europe to the remote communities of the Northern Territory, the Red Cross has done an amazing job. It has become such a diverse organisation that we all know, love, trust and respect. In the Territory, we have so much to be grateful for with the services of the Red Cross. It has contributed so much in the last 100 years, and I am sure there is much more it will continue to contribute into the future.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): Madam Speaker, I too support this motion, and recognise the humanitarian service to the people of Australia and the Northern Territory. In doing so, I put on the record this parliament’s thanks to the many staff and volunteers who have devoted their time and energy to the most vulnerable in our community.
I also acknowledge all local people throughout the Northern Territory. The member for Wanguri has just acknowledged local volunteers and board members based primarily in Darwin. There are people across the Northern Territory who are involved with the Red Cross, and have been for many years, including from my home town of Alice Springs. We acknowledge your commitment and the effort you have put into helping people, and not only in the Territory, as fundraising often goes nationally and internationally.
The history of the Red Cross Society as an international organisation began in 1859, when Henry Dunant, the son of a Swiss banker, was travelling through Italy on business. He happened to be near Solferino in northern Italy, where the French, Italian and Austrian armies met in what was recorded as one of the bloodiest battles of the ages. Henry Dunant was horrified at the suffering he saw around him and did his best, with the help of local people, to render necessary assistance to the sick and wounded of all three armies.
Greatly moved by the suffering he had seen, Henry Dunant published, in 1862, a book titled A Memory of Solferino, in which he described terrible scenes on the battlefields. He urged countries to set up permanent volunteer aid societies in times of peace. These would be organised and ready to help the wounded in times of war. Dunant’s ideas resulted in the formation of a committee of five to examine them, and eventually, an international conference was called in Geneva in 1863. This led to a diplomatic conference in 1864, and the creation of the well-known and most important international document, the Geneva Convention, about which most people know today.
Founded in 1914 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1941, a branch of the British Red Cross opened from 1914 until 1927. Working as an autonomous society thereafter, the Australian Red Cross Society is representative of all of Australia and the territories, including Papua New Guinea.
The Red Cross Society was authorised by the Commonwealth’s Minister for Defence to use the heraldic emblem of a red cross and white background – formed by reversing the federal colours of Switzerland – and to use the words ‘Red Cross’ to render assistance to medical services constituted under the Defence Act, as well as the medical units and establishments thereof. The society is recognised by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross societies as an autonomous national society.
An inaugural meeting was held at Government House in Darwin on 19 May 1915, when the Northern Territory division was officially formed. Mrs Jeannie Gilruth, the wife of the Administrator, convened the meeting and presided over a large attendance of Territory residents to support fundraising for the British Red Cross.
In October 1921 the Darwin Red Cross met and decided to close. On 23 September 1937 the Red Cross was reformed and Mrs Hilda Abbott, the wife of the then Administrator, worked tirelessly for the division with devotion and loyalty until her departure in 1946.
Like her successor, Mrs Gilruth worked diligently and tirelessly for the division and services of the Red Cross, carrying the burden of wartime service. Much has been accomplished by the Northern Territory division over the past 50 years.
This progress has been made possible by the loyalty, devotion and enthusiasm – often in difficult circumstances – of divisional leaders, counsellors, branches, committees, members, voluntary workers and, in particular, youth. Youth groups, with their contributions and activities, play a very important role, not only today, but as leaders of the future.
At no time should we forget the outstanding results of the blood transfusion service. Again, the medical directors, sisters and staff have provided a much appreciated service in the community.
The Red Cross has undertaken a range of programs since its inception. These have touched the lives of the most vulnerable people in our community, including young people, the aged, the homeless, those who are socially disadvantaged, Aboriginal people, immigration detainees, new migrants and the mentally ill.
During emergencies and disasters, whether in the Territory during times of floods – in Katherine, for example – at times of cyclones along our northern coast line or at times of many national and international disasters, the first people you see are those proudly wearing the international emblem of the Red Cross. The Red Cross is committed to assisting Territorians prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies.
Being prepared for an emergency can save lives and help people to recover and get back on their feet more quickly. The Red Cross assists people to be better prepared, better connected to each other and more resilient when emergencies happen.
During an emergency, Red Cross volunteers and staff work alongside police, fire and other emergency services, government and community partners to help people affected by the emergency to ensure they are treated with dignity, and that their basic human rights are met.
After an emergency the Red Cross is still there; recovery from an emergency can be a long, tiring and complex process, and the Red Cross works with individuals and communities on their journey to recovery.
Telecross provides peace of mind to people who are isolated through a daily call to check on their wellbeing and safety. Trained and friendly volunteers make calls each morning, 365 days a year. In the event of three unanswered calls in one day, the Red Cross begins an emergency activation procedure to make sure the person is okay. The details of the activation are pre-arranged with each person registered for Telecross. Generally, the Red Cross gets in touch with a participant’s emergency contact, and that person makes sure the client is okay. If the Red Cross cannot get in touch with the emergency contact, they then contact police to request that they conduct a welfare check. This surely puts some real meaning into the term ‘the power of humanity’, when you consider the lives which are saved by the wonderful volunteers who work with vulnerable people every day.
On a personal note, I remember raising money all through primary school for the Red Cross during the 1970s. As a child, I lived in a small country town in New South Wales, and I am not sure I ever understood exactly where that money went and what the Red Cross did, but I knew it was a good thing. I looked forward to putting my money into that tiny envelope given to us every year; I am not sure if other people have a similar memory.
The Red Cross has been a part of most of our lives, and provides a valuable service. I thank the Red Cross for the difference it makes to the lives of vulnerable Territorians.
Ms ANDERSON (Namatjira): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for bringing on this motion. It is very important that we talk about organisations like the Red Cross, as they have done so much. The Red Cross does not only work in the Northern Territory or other jurisdictions in Australia; it is across the world. If there are cyclones, fires or other emergencies the Red Cross is there to connect people.
It has been 100 years of love, compassion and respect. The Red Cross has provided a hand on the shoulder to say to people, ‘You are safe. It is okay, someone is here to pick you up, feed you and give you advice.’ It is very important that people like us, as representatives of constituents, take time to stand in this parliament – or it could be done anywhere across the nation or the world – to formally thank these people.
It is all too often that we do not say thank you and do not appreciate the hard work these people do. They are marriage counsellors. They deal with homeless people, our most vulnerable Territorians. Whether they are black or white, live in a home, have a fridge, have supper at night, their children have clothes to wear to school the next day or if there is someone who wants advice on how to operate in society, they can talk to and trust the Red Cross.
I thank the Red Cross for coming into Aboriginal communities and the lives of Aboriginal people, the most vulnerable of our Territorians, and who are affected so much by poverty, alcoholism, drugs and gambling. These people never test anybody, never play people against each other and respect and help everybody, no matter who they are.
It is time for people like us to say thank you and support great motions like this one, which outline the importance of people who work for organisations such as the Red Cross.
I heard the member for Wanguri talk about two great Indigenous women, Marion Scrymgour and Olga Havnen, who have been part of working at the Red Cross. They are people with aspirations who are concerned about how to make the lives of vulnerable Aboriginal people better. Overcoming communication barriers, they want to link people to the best opportunities and help them work out their lives. These people are the saddest people in our communities. I am grateful, as is this House, that we have organisations such as the Red Cross to help us.
The Red Cross does not only help our people and our children, it assists people from other countries as well. When people come to our country, the Red Cross is there to help, to understand how they operate, how they live, and if they have a small income, advise how to spread it out for more benefit. Red Cross staff talk to young people who are on drugs and drinking alcohol or thinking about suicide, and link them to programs they might know of. They are the connection, the heart and soul of our vulnerable Territorians. I take this great opportunity to say thank you, and to put our thoughts on the public record.
Ms FYLES (Nightcliff): Madam Speaker, I support this motion, and am thankful for the opportunity to put on the public record my gratitude for the work of the Red Cross.
Growing up, whenever there was a humanitarian disaster, images of Red Cross bibs would always be on television, with its staff providing aid to those most in need. It is an organisation that everyone respects, and we understand the important role it plays in the community. It is important, in its centenary year in Australia, that we acknowledge and pay tribute to the work the Red Cross has done.
In 2014 the Australian Red Cross celebrates 100 years of people helping in Australia and overseas, with a proud history stretching from the trenches of the Western Front to the remotest parts of Australia. The centenary of the Australian Red Cross is a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of the thousands of members over the past 100 years.
The Australian Red Cross began as the Australian branch of the British Red Cross on 13 August 1914, nine days after the outbreak of World War I.
The International Committee of the Red Cross was recognised when it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1944 for the crucial role it played in assisting veterans, prisoners of war and refugees during World War II.
When I was in Switzerland travelling – many years ago, it seems – through Geneva I was privileged to visit the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum. It is a beautiful building which sits above the city, and it explains the work of the Red Cross internationally and how important it is in our society.
Closer to home, the Red Cross has been involved in many tragedies and disasters in the Territory, none more so than in 1974 when Cyclone Tracy destroyed Darwin. The Red Cross was on the ground helping us rebuild our lives.
The Red Cross was also heavily involved in the Territory after the Bombing of Darwin. I was privileged to attend the ceremony and function at Government House about a week ago to celebrate and acknowledge 100 years of the Red Cross, particularly its efforts in the Territory.
The welcome to country was beautiful, and it acknowledged the Red Cross; the mother of the young lady giving the welcome to country was involved in the Bombing of Darwin when Red Cross people were evacuated. The Red Cross provided her mother with her first pair of shoes; that story symbolises how important the organisation is during disasters. The person who delivered the welcome to country explained that her mother was so pleased to have a pair of shoes that were not her sister’s, so it helped ease her pain at that time.
Without the Red Cross those lives devastated by Cyclone Tracy and the Bombing of Darwin would have been all the harder.
The Red Cross has provided logistical support – in the days before smartphones and communications – between the Territory and the rest of the country during times of disaster. The Red Cross was instrumental in taking the records of every person leaving planes at Mascot in Sydney – as well as, I am sure, at other centres – after Cyclone Tracy. Hundreds of people were evacuated, and I think the Qantas plane that left Darwin still holds the record for the largest number of people travelling on a commercial plane. The Red Cross played such an important role in making sure people left the plane, their records were kept and that they had a safe place to go, although you hear stories of a few people who did not want to hand over their records, as it was their chance to escape their past.
During the Katherine floods, the Red Cross provided vital support to Territorians at their most vulnerable.
One of the important services in the Territory to acknowledge is that of the blood bank. The Australian Red Cross blood bank collects, tests, processes and distributes all blood in Australia. It has over 3800 workers, with 1970 volunteers in 83 fixed donor centres. It has 38 mobile units which visit over 1000 sites annually across Australia, and in the Territory it plays a very important role.
I have donated blood many times, and the volunteers are always lovely. They call you the day before an appointment to ensure you are still available; the best thing about it is the snack you get afterwards. I have not donated lately for various reasons, but my father donates every fortnight …
Mr Elferink: Every fortnight?
Ms FYLES: Yes, he donates his platelets or something - please do not quote me on that. Those Red Cross ladies know him well.
Mr Elferink: I thought he must be on the anaemic side.
Ms FYLES: No. He is there Wednesday mornings, so you can never ask Poppy to do the school run because he has the Red Cross people visiting. But for him, and many people, it is not only that he is giving to our community; he is being involved in our community, and that is one of the important services the Red Cross provides in the Territory.
As I said, the Red Cross operates the blood service, which involves processing centres throughout Australia, as well as performs research. It is one of the important divisions of the organisation. I acknowledge and recognise all those involved in that area of the Red Cross.
In the Territory, one of the other important services the Red Cross provides is the SHAK youth recreation and development centre at Casuarina, which was established to provide young people with a place where they could have fun and be safe.
Growing up, I remember hearing at school that if you were looking for an activity to do at the end of the day, it was supervised, and they could help you with your homework. It was a safe environment. This program is managed by the Red Cross, and it runs a variety of activities inside and outside the centre. The SHAK works closely with the community and young people to ensure its services are relevant and appropriate. This is highlighted when you hear young people talk about wanting to go there.
The SHAK is one of the largest youth recreation centres in the Territory, and more than 200 people a week from all over the Top End, as well as a variety of youth groups, attend. There is a music room where young people can use a variety of instruments and have time to tune their musical skills with youth arts officers there. Some of our up and coming bands began their careers in that music room. It is just one of the vibrant activities the Red Cross provides.
At the SHAK there is a canteen, pool table, table tennis, a sports area – it is an important part of the community.
My colleagues in the Chamber have spoken of the service the Red Cross provides in the Territory. Phone calls to some of our most vulnerable and elderly people are important, as is Meals on Wheels, and it provides breakfast clubs in all communities across the Territory.
A Red Cross representative made an interesting point recently. They explained that they work in partnership with the community, and wait for a community to approach them. They will not try to impart their program on a community without it wanting to play a part. That is what is so important about its success.
The NT branch of the Red Cross has played a key role in supporting Vietnamese and East Timorese refugees fleeing violence and arriving on our shores; there are stories from the 1970s and 1980s. In 1994, I was at early morning swimming training, and we noticed the lights; a boat had arrived at Nightcliff jetty, and the Red Cross would have been there to provide support to those people.
The Red Cross in the Territory provides support to young people who may have come into contact with police and need support. It is about protecting the most vulnerable in the community.
In 2002 after the tragic Bali bombing, the Red Cross was at the forefront of fundraising. It raised $15m, a huge amount of money which was directly spent on providing assistance for victims of that tragedy.
The Minister for Health spoke about collecting through Red Cross door appeals; they have the Big Cake Bake and a number of programs through which to fundraise. Australians and Territorians look at the Red Cross as a respected NGO, and provide what support they can.
The Australian Red Cross is part of a great international team. I spoke about its beginnings in Geneva, where the museum is, and today’s motion has provided this Assembly with an opportunity to pay tribute to all involved in this great organisation.
In the Territory there are so many people involved, and those who have been over the years, so it is important that we place that on the record. It is an NGO which continues to make our Territory a better place because of the hard work and commitment of its staff and volunteers. Working in an NGO is very hard; it takes such dedication, and our hats go off to those volunteers. The services that it provides, whether they be for youth with breakfast clubs or the trolley service in hospitals – at some stage in our lives all of us would have come into contact with the Red Cross. That takes place when we are at our most vulnerable, so it is very important.
To all in the Red Cross in the Territory, thank you and congratulations. You have been there for our community, and now it is our chance to acknowledge your efforts. Thank you.
Mr STYLES (Transport): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for bringing on this motion.
I, like a number of others here, attended the reception at Government House to celebrate 100 years of magnificent work by the Red Cross and, in particular, those people who have contributed
From memory, the Productivity Commission put a figure of about $115bn on the value of volunteering in this country. The contribution volunteers make to our community is astronomical, and the Red Cross is one of the major contributors. We have heard about the history of the Red Cross, so I will not labour on that, but I will talk about some of the things it does and acknowledge them.
Firstly, I encourage anyone who reads this, or who is listening, to visit the Red Cross website. When I thought my turn to speak was coming, I believed everyone else in the Chamber would talk about the history, so I looked at the Red Cross website to discover some of the things it does.
By the end of this debate, it is essential that we acknowledge what the Red Cross does, as well as the fantastic contribution of those who not only work for the group, but those magnificent people who give their time and volunteer.
I will talk about the emergency services in Australia that the Red Cross provides. Of course, we have raging floods and fierce fires, cyclones, natural disasters and earthquakes, but it is people like those who work for the Red Cross who are there, and we have heard from other members who have experienced that. It is an essential part of what the Red Cross does. It has a magnificent network to mobilise, and so many volunteers who sit on their books waiting to give back to their community.
If you have ever had an operation, you can thank the Red Cross for the blood transfusion service it provides. I have been a blood donor for many years, and I thank the volunteers who phone me on a regular basis to harass me with, ‘Can you come in and do this and can you do that?’ If you have one of the rarer types of blood in the population they are on your case on a regular basis, and I do not think anyone can complain that the Red Cross tries to persuade you to donate blood so you can save a life.
We look at the history of the blood transfusion service during wartime, when we had to send blood to war theatres.
At the response to the Victorian fires, the Newcastle earthquake and fires and floods in Queensland, the Red Cross was there. Sadly in some of those disasters people are fatally injured. The Red Cross is there not only to help record what happened so authorities and the Australian people fully understand the extent of injuries and fatalities, but to comfort families as well. It will pull people in from all over Australia to to help people in dire straits.
I move to international programs. The Red Cross is involved in numerous projects throughout the world. The organisation sends hundreds of volunteers from Australia – I think some are paid, but generally they are volunteers – who will travel overseas and provide aid to others in desperate need. One example of this is the Red Cross’ work in Timor-Leste. Whenever there is a human tragedy in the world, be it cyclones, typhoons, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, the Red Cross is ready to send whatever resources it can muster from Australia.
This is, generally, a volunteer organisation. The Red Cross has to do a lot of fundraising, but it also relies on government grants to keep permanently employed staff as coordinators of the many thousands of volunteers.
I move on to the service provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the north. It is a part of the Red Cross’s ongoing commitment to support people. I will quote some of the fantastic information from the Red Cross website:
One of the great things the Red Cross works on – if you live in Darwin you see it on a daily basis – is social inclusion. The organisation has a team that ensures people are included in something. Someone may make a telephone call to a senior or young person living alone, someone recuperating from an illness or somebody convalescing in another way. Those phone calls are essential, and in some instances they even arrange to visit those people.
I do not know if everyone in this Chamber has spent time in hospital after an accident or illness, but it becomes lonely. I have been there, and it is not pleasant. You sit around all day, and you cannot do anything. To have someone visit to talk to you is reassuring and comforting. There are times when people are distressed as a result of what has happened to them, and someone can be there to hold their hand and tell them it is okay.
During the youth suicide inquiry that we held, we found that way too many young people take their own lives ...
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, would you like to finish your comments at a later time?
Mr STYLES: I will conclude my comments at a later time.
Debate suspended.
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
Hon Robert Tickner
Sandra Cannon
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to people from Red Cross Australia in the gallery. There is Hon Robert Tickner, Chief Executive Officer and the former member for Hughes, as well as Sandra Cannon, the Executive Director of the Northern Territory Red Cross. Welcome to the Northern Territory parliament.
Members: Hear, hear!
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr STYLES (Transport): Madam Speaker, before the lunch adjournment I was talking about social inclusion and some of the work the Red Cross does. I chose to talk about what is happening now and into the future, as opposed to history. Other members have given us a great record of the history, particularly what has happened in the Northern Territory. I want to put on the public record – especially for young people who read this and those who are listening – some of the great things happening in the Territory, and across Australia and the world.
For people who, sadly, find themselves homeless for any number of reasons, the Red Cross is always there to help. I was discussing youth suicide before the lunch break and how sometimes people need to be there to help those in need overcome hurdles. As we all know, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. It is those people from the Red Cross, the volunteers and those in the community who help these people through some of their struggles.
We all know, sadly, that too many people in their lifetime will experience mental health issues and require counselling. I have been through tragedies in my life where I have needed counselling to get through. Organisations like the Red Cross provide that much needed assistance to get people and families back on track after suffering tragedies.
In my role as a school-based police officer I came across way too many people who, for family reasons, were committing offences such as stealing to get a feed. It is people like those from the Red Cross, and the programs they run, that can assist young people to stay on the straight and narrow without having to resort to other means to get shelter, food, etcetera.
As the Minister for Senior Territorians, I find that many people do not understand how many seniors take their own life. My mother said, ‘You should always look after the old folks because they once looked after you’. Some seniors, for many reasons such as loneliness or depression, decide to take their own lives. During the celebration at Government House, we heard some of the fantastic stories of volunteers who spend their days phoning people to chat so they do not feel isolated and still feel part of the community.
That brings me to the next part of what the Red Cross does so well, that being work on stronger communities. For people in difficult circumstances, whether they are worried about their future or financial future, there is a number of organisations, one being the Red Cross, that provide services such as financial assistance and counselling to young people trying to find their way in the world, and to seniors in tough circumstances.
It is with that in mind that they make sure people feel like somebody cares. As the member for Namatjira so eloquently put it, it is nice to have someone put their hand on your shoulder and say, ‘It is okay’. There are times in our lives when we all need that.
Looking at the stronger communities aspect, without people like those at the Red Cross and the volunteers who provide home visits, deliver meals to people and genuinely help in so many different ways, we would live in a lesser community. We all like to say what a great place the Northern Territory is. Even in great places we sometimes struggle with the challenges that present themselves, not only to us as a government, but to us as a community. As I said earlier, the Productivity Commission puts the value of volunteering in Australia at about $115bn; I am happy to be corrected on that, but I would not be surprised if that is the value of volunteering. You only have to look at the number of people in Darwin who volunteer their time to help their fellow man; it is wonderful. It is great to support people who have given all that effort.
Protecting people in war and international aid: the Red Cross has moved nearly 400 people, 369 in fact, overseas in the past four years. Why do that? Because there are a number of people who want to help their fellow man and, if they have the time and the inclination, the Red Cross can facilitate that. It is a fantastic effort.
This morning we heard many accounts of the work of the Red Cross. I spoke earlier about the post-war period, which focused on social welfare, national emergencies, natural disasters, the blood bank – I have donated blood - and first aid programs. It is great that young people especially can receive first aid training so they can save a life. There is nothing more rewarding than being in a position to step in during an emergency and save someone’s life. Fortunately, because of the training I received as a young person, I have been able to do this on a number of occasions. It is very rewarding for young people, and it is also good for character building, to know that you can do it.
It is about training and providing leadership to our young people so we can have a stronger, improved community, sustained by a band of thousands of volunteers through an extensive branch network. I am sure many of you here have been involved with the Red Cross at some stage, be it through a door knock appeal or volunteering in some emergency or situation where you did not know how to help. You could ring the Red Cross and say, ‘I have a few hours to spare to give you a hand’.
The culture of community engagement has been part of Australian society for 100 years now, and those who have volunteered so generously, who have devoted themselves to the cause and to the wellbeing of others and the greater good of humanity - what a great cause. We have heard about the history of the Red Cross, but people who respond to human suffering – the Red Cross became a symbol of assistance to people no matter where you were or what sort of issues you had.
The framework of the Red Cross has taken a new form, as opposed to what has been done in the last 100 years. It has evolved with the times, as well as with people’s needs and communities, whilst continuing to work for some of the most vulnerable people in our community. As its capacity to work for humanity has increased we have seen eight separate state and territory-based organisations move to a more cohesive national structure. This new framework has taken Red Cross services in a strategic direction, setting out priority areas and new ways of working within our community.
Today, as always, the Red Cross is making long-term impacts on society, and this positive effect has come through building an entrepreneurial, outward looking and comprehensive organisation. The organisation that is the Red Cross today, with nearly a million people, was mostly formed by women, and continues to strive for the culture of collaboration and community engagement.
The Red Cross has always quickly adapted to change and whatever disaster confronts people; it has operated efficiently in times of need, and has been the go-to for assistance in this complex world. In modern times it is sad to know that we need an organisation to take us through hard times, but we are very grateful for a group that is as focused and community-minded as the Red Cross, which is dedicated to the greater good of humanity.
I have spoken about emergency services in Australia, the international program, what is happening in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; social inclusion; building stronger communities; protecting people in war overseas, as well as those who come home; and support for migration. When you look at tracing and restoring family links, people who migrate out of war zones …
Mrs FINOCCHIARO: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I seek an extension of time for the minister.
Motion agreed to.
Mr STYLES: In regard to migration services and tracking family members, so many people I talk to as the Minister for Multicultural Affairs tell me about lost family connections, and it is through groups like the Red Cross and its world network that they track down family members. I have heard some amazing stories of the Red Cross keeping these people on their books and finding their relatives seven, eight or 10 years later. I have never been in the position of not having contact with relatives for that many years; it is bad enough when you do not have contact with relatives down south for a while. The elation of those family reunions, when people who have brothers and sisters they have not seen, and who they thought had passed away or been casualties of war – it must be a fantastic thing to watch people being reunited, and for people to know that family members are still alive.
Immigration detention monitoring: the Red Cross does so much for people moving around the place. There are many different aspects such as community detention programs, community assistance support programs, emergency relief, support for victims of people trafficking and bicultural health. When I started today I told people if they wanted to know a bit more, they should go to the website. I went to the website, and I have so much information about so many things the Red Cross does that I do not have time to cover them all.
Talk about how the Red Cross functions and the great things it does for our community, I encourage anyone who has a bit of time to get on board and get involved. One-hundred-and-fifteen billion dollars’ worth of time is given by volunteers across this country every year. That is an enormous amount of giving by Australians. There are many benefits.
I will relate a quick story which occurred last year, to do with volunteering. I was on a school council, and another member was the chief executive officer of a well-known organisation; he is in Darwin and was the Northern Territory CEO of this group. He had worked for a boss who was not very nice, and one day he and that company parted. At the school council meeting, I asked, ‘How are you going?’ He replied that he had finished his job, because he could not stand that person; he told me the rest of the story, and that was great.
Anyway, the next school council meeting came along, and I asked him how he was. He said, ‘I am fantastic’. I replied that he had thrown his job in and did not have another one; he said, ‘No, I have found volunteering’, and he told me the story of how by his second week off he was bored out of his brain, so he found somewhere to volunteer – I will not mention the organisation. After that, he realised why people volunteer. In his heart he found the joy and reward of giving back to his community.
He was a man of some means and I believe he volunteered for a number of months. He did not tell people what he used to do; he worked every day and gave some of his time. Out of that he virtually became a new person. After a few months he went back to work, but he is now seriously involved in volunteering because of the wonderful feeling it gives him. All of us would agree that when you give back to society, your community or your family you get a joyous feeling.
I encourage anyone feeling a bit down and who needs a bit of a boost to volunteer. How do we become involved with the Red Cross, a fantastic organisation that can facilitate that joyous feeling? It does not happen without a few donations and some support from the corporate world and government. If you are listening to these sittings and are in the corporate world, think about donating to the Red Cross, because it facilitates other members of our community to feel elated and joyous, and helps people in need.
Most people I know who have found themselves in that position do not want a handout, they want a hand up. It is organisations and volunteers from organisations like the Red Cross who put that hand out and provide a hand up to restore them to where we would all like to be, that is being happy, healthy and in a joyous place, not only physically, but mentally. Get involved, visit the website, call them; if you can donate a few dollars or some of your time, go and see them.
Having said that, to celebrate the 100th year of the Red Cross there is a massive cake bake-off, which I believe is on Monday 25 August. I encourage everyone to get on the phone, get online, find out where it is and be part of the big bake-off, because it is a good thing to do.
I sincerely thank any volunteers who are here, and our representatives from the Red Cross. We are all supportive of what you do. I ask you to keep doing it because it is desperately needed in our community.
Mr KURRUPUWU (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I congratulate the Red Cross on its 100 years of service. I am a great believer in the work the Red Cross does for Australia, especially in Northern Territory communities.
The Red Cross mission statement is something I strongly support in my day-to-day life:
This requires an organisation to work hard in helping those in need.
The Red Cross is a leading voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who may experience dislocation and disadvantage. For example, it has expanded Good Start Breakfast Clubs in Aboriginal communities from 20 to 96 Australia-wide, meaning thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have a better start to their school day, a greater chance to do well and the opportunity of a better future.
I applaud the hard work of the Red Cross, and I thank it for its amazing contribution to the Northern Territory.
Mr VOWLES (Johnston): Madam Speaker, first of all I thank the Chief Minister for bringing this motion forward and, secondly, I congratulate the Red Cross on its 100th anniversary.
For me it is a personal story as well. When we first met, my wife talked about her work with the Red Cross in war-torn countries and cities like Chechnya, Rwanda and Sarajevo. As she is a born and bred Darwin girl, I was very interested in that work, and her commitment to the cause of the Red Cross. She still lives with those stories and some of that trauma from working in those environments. However, a real positive is that she has also maintained many friendships around the world, which I respect her for. It is probably why she is my wife – part of the reason – but for me it brings it home.
Wherever we are in the world, not only in Darwin, we can make a change and a difference to other people’s lives. That is what the Red Cross does around the world. Volunteers in communities, in Darwin, in regional centres and people who work overseas all come from a home, and have decided they believe in this movement and in helping people, which are the fundamentals of the Red Cross. Humanity, impartiality, being neutral, independence, volunteer service, unity and universality are all things that we can be a part of.
I am a part of it because we are teaching our children there is a good feeling in helping others. That is why most of us are in this room, as we believe we can make a difference. Having said that, we are paid well to do that. Many Red Cross volunteers provide a lot of time and service free of charge, and I respect those who do it.
My wife is a former board member of the NT Red Cross. She tells many stories of the great people she has met over time. It has severely impacted on her life and views about how she can help. The member for Blain has a long history with my wife’s family around helping other people as well, and that is what we all need to do.
On the international scene, the Red Cross has worked in East Timor, China and PNG, as well as from the communities to the regional centres in the Northern Territory, and around the rest of the country. My mum recently mentioned Cyclone Tracy in 1974. I was raised in Darwin, and without the help of the Red Cross after Cyclone Tracy, we would have struggled to survive; it was a desperate time for many people. We were air-lifted out, and the Red Cross gave us a lot of assistance, which my mum is forever grateful for.
I thank the Chief Minister for bringing this forward. Congratulations to Red Cross; you do not look for thanks, but you are getting it today. On behalf of my family and I, thank you.
Mrs FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I support the motion put forward by the Chief Minister.
I congratulate the Red Cross in Australia for 100 years of outstanding humanitarian work. This is truly a service that has made a great contribution to our nation over the last century. As the Chief Minister stated, many Australians have been touched by Red Cross’ work, whether through its wartime service, relief provided when a disaster hits or helping the disadvantaged in our community. We also cannot forget the blood donor service, which offers many people a second chance at life or a better quality of life if they are struck with illness. Members of my own family have utilised this service, for which I am eternally grateful.
Without a doubt, the Red Cross is also an integral part of the Northern Territory community, and has been an organisation that we have relied on during some of our darkest days.
I am fortunate to have a Red Cross shop in my electorate. Lisa Aladin steers the ship at the Red Cross shop in Gray, and is a much loved and well-known person in our community. Last year I had the privilege of helping the Red Cross shop in Gray celebrate its 15th birthday. For 15 years the Red Cross has had a local connection, which has attracted numerous volunteers and supporters over that time.
It is amazing to think how much assistance the Red Cross shop has been able to provide to the people of Palmerston. A special thank you goes to volunteers Po Chin, who has volunteered for the Red Cross at Gray for eight years; and Mary Oliffe, who has volunteered for five years. Also, a big thanks to Larry Chin, who volunteers every Saturday. There is a long list of volunteers at the Red Cross in Gray including Janette, Gerry and Graeme.
I would also like to thank the CEO of Red Cross Northern Territory, Sandra Cannon, who joins us in the gallery, and her team for the wonderful job they do in continuing the strong and proud legacy of the NT Red Cross.
I have been fortunate enough to have participated in some Red Cross programs over the years, including its door knock appeals. My most memorable occasions include volunteering for the breakfast club at Ludmilla Primary School, but mainly participating in its school holiday program in Pirlangimpi. The love and respect the Red Cross has in our remote areas is unmistakable, and it was a true pleasure to take part in that program.
Next Monday the members for Brennan and Blain and Natasha Griggs, the federal member for Solomon, will be holding a giant cake bake in support of the Red Cross. We will be at Palmerston Shopping Centre from 8 am to 12 pm selling cakes we have made ourselves, which could be a challenge. I apologise to Sandra in advance if it goes badly, but we will certainly be baking our hearts out for the Red Cross. We hope the community will get behind us and buy as many cakes as possible, so we can donate a large sum to the Red Cross. Our target is $1000, so hopefully we will be writing a $1000 cheque to you next week. Please support us on Monday.
I wish the Red Cross a very happy centenary year, and hope its place in our local, national and international community continues for many years to come. Congratulations.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I do not know whether to be wary or encouraged by the advertisement that three members of parliament will be cooking. I want to know what time the hospital will be built, as we might need it after that; I say that in jest.
I undertook some research; I did not realise that the Red Cross went back to 1859 and a battle in a little Italian town called Solferino, witnessed by a Swiss banker, Henry Dunant. I will not go through the entire history, but after seeing the death, destruction and suffering of many of those involved in that war, and watching some of the Italian women of that time who volunteered to look after the wounded in a local church – they were basically the first Red Cross volunteers. It was not until 22 September 1864 – I hope I am right – when the first country to ratify the convention was France, and the first to adopt the title of Red Cross Society was the Netherlands organisation in 1867.
Importantly, article 7 of the first Geneva Conference extended the use of the Red Cross beyond voluntary relief societies. I will read that out, because every time we see the Red Cross we all believe it is someplace safe from some of the destruction around it. Article 7 says:
Everyone recognises that red cross. I quote from a book by Melanie Oppenheimer:
What a contrast to the battle in 1959.
One of the great things I see in the Red Cross is the volunteers. I am one who rocks up to the Red Cross blood bank every now and then, when I do not forget my appointments. I used to go when it was in Larrakeyah. I always thought it was great because it gave me a couple of hours off work to sit in a very comfortable chair, and have a cup of tea and a fruit cake. What more could encourage people to have their blood taken? The people at the blood bank always look after you well. You are treated professionally and courteously, and that reflects what a wonderful organisation the blood bank is.
I do not want to get too involved in this area, but many people might remember the lady who used to work with me in the Assembly, Michelle. She used to frequent an op shop in the mall where she believed you could buy better clothes than Target or any of the fancy places at Casuarina Square. That was one of her favourite places, and she was not the only one. Those op shops are great. They raise money for the Red Cross, but are run by volunteers. The member for Drysdale mentioned Larry Chin, who I know well. I also know his wife, Po Chin, who works in the mall as well, or she has done. I am not sure whether she is there at the moment because I do not frequent the op shop that much.
Mr Chandler: Oh, come on.
Mr WOOD: I am sorry, this is a new tie. I know people like Po and Larry are typical of those who work in such places which help raise funds for worthy causes the Red Cross undertakes locally.
As the member for Sanderson said, they look after locals – not only areas of war and famine – as well as families, people who have problems in their lives, seniors, younger people, and even if you do not know them very well, you know the Red Cross. You have seen it on a flag or someone’s shirt, and you know it represents helping people. It does not matter whether you have been touched directly by it or not, it is a wonderful organisation which does wonderful things for the community.
Even this little celebration today, if you can call it that, recognising its 100th birthday, is important in saying thanks to the Red Cross for all of its work, not only locally but worldwide, where many Red Cross people have lost their lives for the benefit of other people. We should remember those who have lost their lives working for better outcomes in society. Thank you.
Mr HIGGINS (Daly): Madam Speaker, I congratulate the Red Cross on its anniversary, and I hope it has another 150 successful years from here.
I have never volunteered with the Australian Red Cross, but I have worked for about 10 or 11 years with emergency services. I know how much work is involved in volunteering, and that people get a lot of pleasure from it.
People would say to me, ‘Why in the hell did you want to work with emergency services?’ but it is rewarding, and I imagine it is the same with the Red Cross. I am talking today because the member for Nelson reminded me of something. I must be one of the only people in Australia who received a letter from the Red Cross which said, ‘Thank you very much for attempting to donate blood, Mr Higgins, on three occasions, but please do not come back. You are too much trouble.’
I have not been back because, as you have probably worked out, I do not like needles and the sight of blood. Anyway, I tried, and I have worked as a volunteer. The Red Cross is a fantastic organisation, and people should not take my experience as a guide. I recommend it as a terrific organisation to anyone thinking of volunteering. Thank you.
Ms LEE (Arnhem): Madam Speaker, I also support this motion celebrating 100 years of love and kindness from the Red Cross, which I grew up around. When we were in a poverty crisis – we must remember that poverty is man-made. In community life, growing up in the bush, you do not have many options of shops like Target, etcetera. The Red Cross shop is always the first place where you want to shop. They are not very expensive, but at least you are contributing back to the community and giving back to those who are less fortunate than you.
Growing up, I worked in remote health, and I have dedicated my life to emergency services in such work as driving ambulances. There have been many deaths in my close family, and I have talked people in my family out of suicide, but at least there was always someone I could talk to.
I always found staff at the Red Cross shop in Katherine to be the most loving people I could talk to. The majority of them are Christians. My grandmother was a deacon, so I have grown up with a church influence. I have always been very kind to those people who give back to others. A few of my family members donate to the Red Cross every year; we all still shop there, and I still take my kids as well. We do not like going to Target; as much as they say that Target clothes do not rip, they do. I prefer to buy second-hand clothes so I am always giving back to the community. My mum will always put the Red Cross before Target ...
Mr Wood: Sometimes it is new at the Red Cross.
Ms LEE: Yes, and you find many good clothes for good value. That is what it is all about, giving back to a cause.
As those of us who work here are paid well, we are more fortunate than others. I am probably more fortunate than all the people in my community, but the money I make in this House every year always goes back to my community. If there is a family member who wants a power card or they have run out of milk, etcetera, I always help out. If my other family members’ kids are hungry, they can always eat in my home. My home is always open to everybody. It is what we do.
That is the same initiative the Red Cross carries at its heart, as well as its volunteers. We always give back to the community, regardless of where we stand or who we are. It is our heart that defines us.
The Red Cross has always been part of a thread in our society, binding us together with much love, respect, wisdom and plenty of goodies we can buy from its shop.
My mob falls down so many times, mainly to grog, drugs and gambling, but they find support and love when they go to the Red Cross for breakfast meals, or a cup of tea and a biscuit. They hold us up by talking to us, especially the long grassers in just about every town. It is not only for Aboriginal people, it is everybody.
The Red Cross works with us, and its staff cry and laugh with us. The staff and those in need share many joys together, and build friendships through working together for many years. The roads and nights can be lonely and scary, but that fear is always taken away by the Red Cross. The Red Cross is a bridge builder for all of us, no matter where we are.
I thank the Red Cross for all the support it has given to the community, for always having good clothes for my kids, and for its kindness and joy. Many of my family have moved out of the community and are now homeless in town; they do not have anywhere to go and do not have food, but at least they find security with the Red Cross.
Mr BARRETT (Blain): Madam Speaker, I also congratulate the Chief Minister for bringing this motion to the House. The Red Cross has had a big impact in our family. My parents were here during the cyclone just before I was born; I am a little younger than KV. It was very instrumental in putting Darwin back together after Cyclone Tracy, along with many other groups. My father, as a police officer, worked hand-in-hand with the Red Cross and the services it provided for a long time after Cyclone Tracy, as the people who were here worked through the devastation.
I have a treasure box at home where I keep random things. One thing I have is a little pin that I received from the Red Cross when I was in primary school. It used to run school programs which encouraged kids to do volunteer work and to help each other. There was a Red Cross fire escape area at Casuarina where kids would go; it was like a drop-in centre, and we would do things there such as hang out and help to mentor them. Through my primary school years I also had a lot of contact with that.
When I went to university I had the pleasure of being at the Myilly Point campus, and I began giving blood at the Red Cross blood bank. I always enjoyed, much like Gerry Wood, going there for a cup of tea. I would rifle through the bowl until I found the biscuits I liked; that is probably really bad, but everyone does it. Again, we see the Red Cross impacting not only on my life, but the lives of so many Territorians through the blood bank and many other services.
Much like the member for Daly, I am sure I am a constant source of irritation to the people at the blood bank because I have terrible veins. I recall one visit; the time before this visit staff had said, ‘Next time you come make sure you drink lots of water because you do not bleed enough. You have to drink lots of water to get really hydrated.’ I did that, and was stuck in a chair, desperate to go to the bathroom. I had to stop giving blood to go to the bathroom, but they were very kind to me and let me off anyway.
East Timor was another place where I saw the Red Cross work hard. Having been to East Timor and seen much of the devastation, it was interesting talking to the people about the impact the Red Cross had. I started to realise the professionalism and high-end work the Red Cross performs. It had forensic experts working through some horrific instances that had occurred in East Timor, and it was dealing with the social and other damage that happened in the lives of so many people in that country. It brought a tear to my eye looking at the work the Red Cross did, and how much that must have cost the people in emotional stress because of the things they were working through. Yet many staff were volunteers out of the goodness of their heart, and did it selflessly for the benefit of other people.
I remember how the tsunami impacted all of Southeast Asia. The Red Cross was one of the most prominent organisations and did an awful lot, as well as in Haiti.
I was recently at the world YMCA conference, and we were talking about all the things the YMCA has done for refugees. I was looking at some very old photos, and wherever there was a photo showing things the YMCA had done with refugees, right there would be the Red Cross. It sparked my interest.
I am not sure if many people in the House would know this, but the Red Cross has a vote in the United Nations. I believe it was the first non-government organisation to receive one. It is a testament to the global work it does in helping other people; in this case I believe it was in relation to its work with refugees.
The Red Cross was there during the wars, putting people’s lives back together; this continued afterwards when the armies had left. The Red Cross was there with people every step of the way for many years after those terrible events. For that the organisation deserved the Nobel Prize it received. The Red Cross deserves the authority and global voice it has through receiving that vote in the United Nations.
I congratulate the Red Cross for all of the fantastic work it has done in Australia, globally and in the Northern Territory. It would be wonderful to see it continue that work, and I look forward to seeing many wonderful things happen through the Red Cross in the future.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Continued from 15 May 2014.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Madam Speaker, as members are aware, our shadow Attorney-General, the member for Fannie Bay, is not in parliament today, so I am speaking on his behalf.
Whilst I held the Justice portfolio as one of my shadow responsibilities, I welcomed a briefing from the department about the intention of the government to move forward with the Civil and Administrative Tribunal Bill, so it is not entirely foreign to me.
We support the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal Bill, and the establishment of a new civil and administrative tribunal in the Northern Territory. The bill is essentially a shell; it provides a framework for the many commissions, tribunals, committees and boards to be merged into one big tribunal, but it does not yet merge any; that will come later. I am aware that a bill was introduced yesterday which, no doubt, builds on this.
There are currently over 35 commissions, tribunals and a number of other bodies constituted under Territory legislation which could be merged into this new body. The Attorney-General has indicated that the administrative law reforms will require amendments to an estimated 117 acts, to be completed carefully and gradually with such a huge volume of legislation.
Additionally, the 54 acts which include an appeals mechanism through the Supreme Court and Local Court will be assessed to identify suitability for the tribunal. This bill only sets up the framework; it does not confer any jurisdiction to the tribunal at this stage. That will happen and, as I just said, the Attorney-General introduced a bill during this week; the first of many, I am sure.
That is where the devil in the detail will be in which powers, processes and procedures will change in relation to each body as it is brought into this new mega tribunal. This is where the essence of the changes will occur; powers and processes may be strengthened, weakened or changed as they are incorporated.
The bill sets out the structure, membership and other provisions, such as appeal processes required to facilitate the establishment of the tribunal. The benefit of the tribunal is not financial, although saving money is always to be applauded. It is not even about administrative efficiency, although that is also helpful. The real benefit of these reforms is in more people being able to have more matters heard by a tribunal. They could have their appeals heard by an independent judicial body empowered to resolve complaints.
For these reasons the opposition will be supporting the bill. The tribunal can provide a more efficient, simplified and user-friendly system. However, we caution against an appeal body in the Territory becoming the cause of original decision-making bodies losing their independence, experience, breadth of knowledge or capacity to make decisions.
This could happen on the altar of savings or the misinterpretation of red tape. What protection is there for Territorians to ensure good, sensible decisions are made as early and as well as possible?
These are concerns we raised when we heard the Liquor Commission, as a consequence of having a civil and administrative tribunal, will be changed. How we manage liquor in the Territory will significantly change.
The government will lose the commission’s expertise and independence, and instead rely on people in the department to oversee changes. As a Labor government, we knew the importance of a competent, professional public service, and relied on frank and fearless advice. We still have a professional and competent public service, but we do not have a government that wants to hear frank and fearless advice.
We have a government that makes partisan appointments, we have seen it interfere with the proper decision-making process and it lacks transparency. We have a government that requires oversight.
As an opposition, we are concerned about the CLP government’s decision to lift the moratorium on new liquor licences, and the scrapping of the Liquor Commission. When alcohol-related violence remains at record levels, now is not the time to make alcohol more readily available. There has been no community consultation on this issue. Where is the impact analysis? Opening up new liquor licences after scrapping the Licensing Commission is a dangerous move and counterproductive to harm minimisation.
It is time for the Attorney-General to be up front with Territorians about what it will mean on the ground. He said in his second reading speech that the tribunal will:
We support this, but not at the cost of independent, original decision-making bodies. We are not opposed to the creation of a civil and administrative tribunal, as they operate in most other jurisdictions. It is only Tasmania and the Northern Territory that are without one.
We are aware that a huge amount of work has been done over the years by law reform committees to assess the best model for the Northern Territory. We support providing Territorians with avenues where they can pursue any grievances with a government service or decision. It is about providing for checks and balances within our system of government, and there has probably never been a more important time to have checks and balances on government decisions.
A series of government decisions which could be examined under the good-for-all test is those made to award water extraction licences to the former CLP candidate for Lingiari and the former CLP member for Goyder, former director of Foundation 51 and current magistrate, Peter Maley. The decision to award those licences has been to the exclusion of the substantial rights of other Territorians.
The rights of amateur fishers have been ignored, the rights of Indigenous Territorians to have strategic water reserves allocated for their use have been ignored and the rights of ordinary Territorians who value our unique environment and ecosystems have been dismissed.
Through freedom of information evidence we have been made aware of the minister involving himself in the administrative process. During estimates questioning in June we became aware of the minister inappropriately meeting with magistrate Maley and Ms MacFarlane to discuss their water licence applications and commercial interests.
When stakeholders objected to these licences, the minister declined to refer their objections to the independent review panel established under the Water Act. This appears to be an example of an administrative decision which requires transparency, and something we know affected parties would be keen to appeal. We seek an assurance from the Attorney-General that this bill will protect and enhance the rights of Territorians, rather than hinder or diminish them.
As local members, and especially being in opposition, we are required to interact with many people who have had difficulties dealing with government. They may have been the aggrieved party or had issues with how decisions were made, and on what information and basis. They may not have had opportunities to provide more information or, alternatively, received no information. They may have had to wait for months for a decision, with their lives held up in an in-tray somewhere. These are the aggrieved. These are often Territorians who deserve better.
Having an administrative appeals process can provide them with recourse to have their voice heard in a way that allows for a second chance for a better outcome. They are also people deserving of a better government.
The Attorney-General has served in opposition, so he would be aware of the concerns we frequently deal with around matters like housing, particularly public housing. The CLP is not replenishing our public housing stock; it would rather sell it or demolish it for private use.
Development issues tend to attract all types of views. This is a government that rezones community purpose land for medium density in our suburbs; that was described by the member for Nelson as doing a ‘Putin’ in the rural area. There are significant concerns from people living in the rural area that proper processes are being ignored by this government.
The decision to again allow open speed limits in the Territory should have been reviewable. The police certainly do not support this decision. Can an agency appeal a decision of a minister? They should not have to. If the police say open speed limits are dangerous, surely that should be enough. To quote outgoing president Vince Kelly, who speaks with the voice of around 1400 police officers, ‘I do not believe a responsible organisation representing operational police officers could support any government reintroducing unrestricted speed limits on a trial or permanent basis. Dealing with the carnage on our roads is one of the most personally and professionally damaging elements of police work for our members. How could we possibly support such a measure?’
Yet today we have a stretch of the Stuart Highway where anyone can drive as fast as they like. Yesterday’s media release from the Transport minister announced that there is now an extra 72 km along the Stuart Highway where people can drive as fast as they like.
As bad as this government is, as bad as the decisions it makes are, there are other good reasons to support a civil and administrative tribunal. The member for Wanguri spoke to a debate on this policy area much earlier in this term. She put it very well when she said:
On 13 May 2014 the Attorney-General told parliament:
Changes to the operation of these judicial functions will need security. Will the minister guarantee consultation, and how widespread will this consultation be? Further, can the Attorney-General provide assurance that the government will not be moving future bills which refer existing powers to the tribunal on urgency? Can he also provide a time line of how and when he anticipates the 35 tribunals and commissions, and 117 acts being referred?
That may be too broad. Of more specific interest, what considerations will he make in prioritising various acts? For example, will he bring forward the relevant amendments to the Liquor Act or the Water Act, both of which, particularly the latter, have been quite controversial? Can the Attorney-General advise if he envisages all acts being captured by the new tribunal, with decisions being reviewable where the decision-maker is a minister? For example, does the Attorney-General intend to confer certain powers under the Magistrates Act to the tribunal? As the Attorney-General would be aware, the Territory currently does not have a judicial commission. Will the Civil and Administrative Tribunal be able to hear matters that would rightly go there in other states?
In his policy statement on the Civil and Administrative Tribunal, the Attorney-General said:
Mrs FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I support this very important and significant reform in administrative law in the Northern Territory. Let me begin with a quote from an eminent Australian jurist, Hon Justice Peter McClellan AM, a judge of the New South Wales Court of Appeal and currently Chief Royal Commissioner of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. He said:
Administrative review is therefore an integral part of the framework of government accountability. As the Territory has grown and developed, successive Northern Territory governments have legislated for the development of a number of separate bodies to resolve a wide range of disputes that can arise when officials make decisions. These bodies usually deal with separate areas of law, and have separate membership and administrative structures.
Today, there are numerous tribunals, boards, councils, panels and committees that do not form part of the judicial system, as well as ministers and public officials empowered by statute to make administrative decisions affecting a range of personal, professional, occupational, trade, industry and commercial activities.
Additionally, the courts too have various roles in decision-making that could be characterised as administrative rather than judicial. In many instances the courts are authorised by statute to hear appeals against a variety of administrative decisions, sometimes where the appeal is not limited merely to questions of law.
The current arrangements for the review of administrative decision-making in the Territory have evolved in an ad hoc manner, with significant periods of time between various developments. Equal access to justice is of fundamental importance in a democracy. The Giles government is committed to establishing modern, efficient and accessible systems of criminal, civil and administrative justice for Territorians through its Pillars of Justice framework. The new Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal will add a new pillar to our system of justice, enhancing both its strength and capacity. When the new NTCAT commences it will provide a streamlined framework for administrative and civil justice. It will be able to incorporate new and emerging jurisdictions in the future, avoiding the further ad hoc proliferation of tribunals.
By providing a single gateway, it will also prevent confusion among members of the public about where to go for help. Tribunals are an essential component of Australia’s justice system. They provide timely, efficient and flexible points of access for citizens seeking review of executive actions or to resolve disputes.
For over 40 years, there has been progressive reform of the proliferation of small specialist tribunals and other decision-makers outside of the courts system. This centralisation of review tribunals commenced with the establishment at the Commonwealth level of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in 1975.
At the state and territory level, reform commenced with the establishment of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in 1998, and has since been followed by the establishment of similar tribunals in Western Australia in 2004, the Australian Capital Territory in 2009, Queensland also in 2009 and, more recently, South Australia in 2013 and New South Wales in 2014.
The Northern Territory Law Reform Committee has reviewed this issue on two separate occasions – in 1991 and 2004 - and in both instances recommended that the Northern Territory government pursue the establishment of a general administrative tribunal to exercise original and review jurisdiction.
The Northern Territory and Tasmania remain the last two jurisdictions in Australia to maintain the plethora of specialist tribunals. This legislation establishing the new tribunal follows the well-established distinction between tribunals and courts. NTCAT will provide greater access and more flexible procedures than are used in the courts, and will have a more inquisitorial approach compared with the traditional adversarial court-based processes.
One of the most significant reforms contained in this legislation is that it now consistently applies the right to obtain reasons for decisions made by government agencies, enhancing public accountability of official decision-making.
Matters in the review jurisdiction will generally be dealt with by way of a fresh hearing. This means the tribunal will not be confined to matters that were before the decision-maker, and may consider new material, whether or not it existed at the time the original decision was made. This is the current approach taken in most existing tribunals and similar tribunals in other jurisdictions.
NTCAT will also have an internal appeal jurisdiction, enabling parties to appeal from an original decision of the tribunal in its review jurisdiction. NTCAT will be led by a president and deputy president who are magistrates. The presence of judicial members will enhance public confidence in the integrity of NTCAT and ensure its independence and impartiality. It will also promote decision-making of the highest quality.
NTCAT will also have ordinary members who will either be legally qualified or have expertise in areas within NTCAT’s jurisdiction. Subject to specific provisions in any act granting jurisdiction to the tribunal, the president will decide which members and the number of members who will hear matters. No more than three members may hear a matter.
The rules of evidence do not apply. NTCAT must, however, observe natural justice and act fairly and in accordance with the substantial merits of the case. As part of its objective to deliver quick and effective justice, alternative dispute resolution will form part of the fabric of NTCAT. Mediation and compulsory conferences may be held at any stage, with the aim of settling a dispute.
To ensure NTCAT remains as informal and economical as possible, parties may represent themselves. However, a party may choose to be represented by a legal practitioner if they so desire. To ensure NTCAT is a low-cost jurisdiction, parties must generally bear their own costs unless the tribunal considers it is appropriate in the interests of justice to award costs.
Another reform contained in this legislation is a requirement for NTCAT to give reasons, in writing, for its decisions within 28 days after the hearing of a proceeding. Decisions of NTCAT may be appealed to the Northern Territory Supreme Court on questions of law.
Territorians will benefit from the establishment of this new single tribunal through:
improved access to justice through a ‘one-stop shop’ location
the lowering of barriers to justice through simpler and consistent processes, with less formality than a potentially daunting court setting
a tailoring of services to promote an environment for the public to represent themselves, without the expense of costly representation
faster and more consistent decision-making – the correct or preferable outcome without regard to legal technicalities
an emphasis on alternative dispute resolution leading to the quick, cheap, fair and efficient resolution of matters
the establishment of a venue with a consumer focus and a welcoming environment.
This bill gives effect to a major commitment of this government to cut red tape by providing Territorians with a simple, quick and effective process for resolving disputes and reviewing administrative decisions.
I am privileged to be a member of a parliament which passes legislation to create a new landscape for administrative review in the Northern Territory. As a lawyer, I am particularly excited by these changes, as they provide a justice system that is fair and accessible, and meets the needs of Territorians in the 21st century. I commend the bill to the House.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I also support this bill. It makes a lot of sense to combine many of the tribunals we have into one, as it would create a more efficient system. Whether it makes a better system, only time will tell, because the proof in the pudding will be in how these tribunals work in reality, not whether you have a heap of them. I understand you will have, in some cases, a number of tribunals operating at once. If there are many things to be dealt with there will be several tribunals operating at the same time.
I thank the minister for allowing officers to brief me on some of the issues I raised with them yesterday. They covered pretty much everything I had a concern about or needed clarification on. One of the areas I had issues with was uniform procedures. If you had existing tribunals amalgamated into one, and they were representing, for example, planning or the Mental Health Act, I wanted to know if there would be a uniform process to add to the efficiency of the tribunal system.
I also raised issues about mediation and compulsory conferencing. I think the only appeals tribunal I have ever dealt with was in relation to the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal, and I may have attended it once. I know of its existence because having commented on planning issues for many years I have seen matters go to that tribunal. I had concerns; it was explained to me that maybe they were to do with the rules of the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment, and that I may have to try to have them changed.
If you had submitted an objection to a planning application, and the Development Consent Authority decided to reject the application, the developer could go to the tribunal. Before going to the tribunal he could be asked to mediate.
As an objector you are not involved in mediation. The department might be involved in mediation, but those who object do not have a say, and it leaves you out of that decision-making process. The DCA allows people who object or support to state their views about a development, but when it comes to mediation, for some reason applicants can be represented by the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment, and there is a process which does not give objectors a chance to put their point of view.
I raise this issue because if you live in the rural area you have no right of appeal; that is third-party appeal. Once you move into Palmerston and Darwin you have the right to appeal against certain developments, but for some reason rural people – I brought a motion to parliament several years ago to change it, and I received no support – do not have those rights of appeal. That may require some changes in the planning scheme or the Planning Act. I am highlighting a system for rural people where they are not involved in mediation or compulsory conferencing and, on top of that, they are not even given the right of appeal. There must be some adjustment so the ordinary person has that right of appeal.
I am also concerned that there does not seem to be an appeal mechanism against the minister’s decision. The government might say that is the power of the minister, but I will give you a classic example of the minister deciding to overturn a decision of the DCA, in relation to a matter at Humpty Doo.
In the Humpty Doo case, the DCA outlined its reasons why it would not support the rezoning of this parcel of land; it set out A, B, C, D and E. Under a freedom of information request, some local residents found that the minister had decided to override the DCA’s decision, and did not base that on any of its concerns. It was a generic reason, which was about affordability and the choice of housing. Those people have no right of appeal. The rezoning has been set. In fact, the development application for all the blocks in that area is now on the way to being heard by the Development Consent Authority.
People must have some way of asking for a decision to be reviewed. Just because it is the minister’s decision does not necessarily mean it cannot be looked at by an administrative tribunal to see whether reasons given are fair. In the case of the Humpty Doo development, the reasons given by the DCA as to why the area should not be rezoned bore no resemblance to the reasons provided by the minister for overriding that decision. It is an area where I have some concerns regarding fairness for the average Joe Blow when it comes to decisions by government that will affect those people for a long time.
I have been looking through the amendments, and am interested to hear the minister give his reasons for some of the changes he is putting forward in the committee stage. I am interested to know how tribunals will work in relation to the entire Territory. Will they be centralised or will they move around? Will people have to go to them or will they move? It may depend, of course, on the particular tribunal ...
Mr Elferink: Yes.
Mr WOOD: Okay, that has fixed that. I also listened to the member for Nhulunbuy, who gave a very detailed summary of the proposed changes to the tribunal system. It makes a lot of sense. The minister ought to come back in a certain time to let us know where we are with this. I have forgotten how many tribunals there are which must have their legislation changed. We will have many amendments to legislation coming through the House. Even when they have all been brought together and we have this system operating, it would be good to occasionally hear a report of how it is all working …
Mr Elferink: It will be annually.
Mr WOOD: It will be annually. Something which should always be in a report is a judgment of how a system is working, if the government is proclaiming it to be a better way of doing business, with efficiencies.
One judgment is fairness. The member for Drysdale quoted somebody talking about equal access to justice. We must ensure this system does not lower the bar, but raises it so justice is the primary reason for these changes.
There is an economic change in that this will hopefully save money, which is fair enough. Would it be possible to see the cost of all these tribunals beforehand, and what the savings will be? People might think these are irrelevant, but it is not if the government claims this new legislation will work in a certain way. Somewhere along the line we must say, ‘You said that 12 months ago or two years ago, so has it done what you said it would do?’ That is a reasonable approach to take.
I support the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal Bill.
Mr BARRETT (Blain): Madam Speaker, I also support this bill. Transparency in government is very important; decisions made by government representatives and administrators have win/loss outcomes for different individuals.
Loss outcomes often result in legal proceedings which seek to alter the decision or at least explain the reasoning for it. This causes a workload for the many tribunals, panels, committees, etcetera, that is complex to access and creates an impediment to receiving feedback or presenting matters for a decision.
This legislation for the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal is excellent policy. It allows for cases to be heard in an inquisitive rather than adversarial manner, it lessens the costs to parties seeking clarification or changes to decisions and it undoes the complexity around finding clear decisions or presenting a case to alter that.
One of the features of the legislation is that it constantly applies the right to obtain reasons for decisions made by government agencies, which is very important for transparency for those who have had decisions handed down. It also protects the decision-makers from accusations of inappropriate dealings, as the tribunal can provide a forum for open discussions. That is just as important as giving people the right of reply.
Matters in the review jurisdiction will generally be dealt with by way of a fresh hearing, and new information that was not part of the original decision-making process may be included in that hearing.
Internal appeals may occur as part of the process, which applies another layer of transparency to the tribunal and its operation. Having judicial members comprising the tribunal will ensure public confidence, its independence and impartiality. This is due to the fact that competent, unbiased individuals skilled in justice matters will be hearing matters.
The NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal will observe natural justice, and be efficient and effective in decision-making dispute resolutions, mediation and compulsory conferences, making the scope of the tribunal broad enough to encompass different types of matters that may arise.
Parties may represent themselves, if they wish, and must cover their own expenses, which should keep costs down. The NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal will give reasons for decisions within 28 days, providing quick closure for individuals looking to get on with business. This is very important, and part of the Northern Territory government’s policy of reducing red tape and making things easier for people to get on with business and do what they need to.
This is great policy and makes doing business in the Northern Territory more transparent and efficient. It will have scope for improvement, which is also important, and I congratulate the Attorney-General on his work in this area. He does fantastic work, and is very passionate about his portfolios. The quality of this and other legislation coming from government is brilliant; it moves the Territory forward, making systems and processes more efficient and effective, and I am very happy to support this bill. Thank you
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): Madam Speaker, I support the Attorney-General bringing forward this bill. This is yet another example of the bold reforms taking place throughout government, thanks to the hard work of my colleagues and me.
NTCAT will provide a single, easy to find, easy to use, non-judicial body for fair and independent resolutions of disputes relating to administrative decisions. It will improve the quality of decision-making across government agencies and significantly cut red tape.
Instead of a plethora of single-focus tribunals, there will be a single tribunal able to address a range of issues across a range of portfolios. Initially, this bill has little direct effect on my portfolios of Health and Disability Services.
When creating a consolidated tribunal was proposed, a number of tribunals were noted as potential entities that could transfer jurisdiction to the proposed NTCAT. Adult guardianship reviews and the Mental Health Review Tribunal were noted at the time. However, the bill before the Assembly only deals with the establishment of NTCAT and the transfer of jurisdiction for three existing tribunals that fall under the Department of Attorney-General and Justice. The only health entity is the Health Professional Review Tribunal, which is established under Part 3 of the Health Practitioners Act. In early 2013 this tribunal was transferred to the Attorney-General’s department.
As a former part of the Health portfolio, I remained interested in the Health Professional Review Tribunal, and made sure to receive briefings on how it would be affected by the bill. I was told that extensive consultations had occurred between the Attorney-General and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to improve operational provisions, given the specific nature of the tribunal. The NT manager and legal officer of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, known as AHPRA, liaised extensively with the Attorney-General, and has confirmed its agreement with the revised provisions. Consequently, the only involvement from a health perspective is if a notification is made against a registered health practitioner employed in the Department of Health who might require or seek legal representation from the department’s legal services section.
Because the government is a self-insurer we provide professional indemnity cover for our registered health practitioners. This may involve representation for an employee at a hearing before NTCAT. While the change does not have a huge, immediate impact on my portfolio, I want to make a brief statement in support of this policy direction.
Tribunals provide a more informal and flexible approach to hearings. For example, a tribunal environment can be controlled to provide the necessary support mechanisms for a person with a disability to maximise their involvement in the process. It is also more conducive to providing a narrative that is understood by all parties to explain a decision made by the tribunal. This will hopefully be in the not too distant future, as we review all areas where NTCAT may be useful. In the meantime this legislation establishes NTCAT, but does not confer any jurisdiction onto the tribunal. Conferral of jurisdiction will be the subject of a series of separate bills which will amend other laws to authorise NTCAT to exercise jurisdiction in specific matters.
Once established, NTCAT will become a useful tool for many areas of government. I will take full advantage of this facility in pieces of legislation that I am in the process of developing in the areas of disability, medical reviews and other areas that need similar quasi-judicial reviews. This is what NTCAT is all about, making this process simple, responsive and cost-effective. There is, and always will be, a place for the courts, as they are a backbone of civil society. However, in today’s complex community there is an urgent need for more flexibility, greater simplicity and recourse for justice for all at a reasonable cost.
I applaud the Attorney-General for this legislation, thank him for his briefing and commend his bill to the House.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I thank all honourable members for their support. At the risk of feeling triumphant, this is something I really wanted to pursue as the Attorney-General.
From memory, I mentioned this matter on a couple of occasions whilst in opposition, often with the blank looks of government members at that time. That is not meant to be a negative comment, as it was not on anybody’s radar.
When I studied law I was always struck by one component of it, that being the accessibility of justice.
Anybody who enters the court system outside of the small claims jurisdiction, and being the accused, stands to part with a lot of dough just for the privilege of being there, and there are no guarantees in the court system as a general principle.
Secondly, in spite of members opposite trying to give me a draconian air, I very much believe in the principles of justice and democracy in our society, and will always be a strident defender of what is correct and upright.
It is about creating a system of review of bureaucratic decisions and making it available to the public, as well as incorporating the small claims jurisdiction so many of those small arguments that exist in our lower courts can find their way into the tribunal in an affordable way.
The tribunal will allow the principles of natural justice to guide it. It is, by its nature – this has been mentioned by several people today – an inquisitorial body, which sets it aside from an adversarial body in which the judge – I use that term in the small ‘j’ version of the word – sits almost in a passive role.
A judge may occasionally look over the top of their glasses and ask a question of a representative of the Bar, but essentially the fight is had, and the judge is nothing but a spectator.
The only place that immediately springs to mind where the lower courts engage in an inquisitorial role is in the coroners’ court. A coroner actively seeks information, makes comment from the bench, and counsel assists the coroner in his or her investigation of a death.
By allowing the principles of natural justice to operate in an inquisitorial environment, a tribunal is far more capable of being flexible than, necessarily, a court. It is flexibility that pursues the equitable flavour an inquisitorial tribunal brings forward.
A number of members talked about the range and breadth of this tribunal, and they clearly understand that this act does nothing but take us beyond the point of no return in creating NTCAT. But like any house that you build, before you furnish each of its rooms, you must construct it, which is what we are doing today.
As time passes – it will not take long – we will furnish each of the rooms in that house with increasing amounts of adornments, so its presence becomes more substantial to the public. That presence will reach into the public domain, and make justice available, particularly in relation to government decision-making processes, in a way that it has not been made available in the past here. That is why I am proud of what we are doing.
The principles we are pursuing, particularly in the area of natural justice and procedural fairness, can be captured in the idea of bias. I draw members’ attention to page 450 of Federal Administrative Law by Enright, Federation Press 2001, where they use the Latin maxim nemo debet esse judex in propria sua causa which literally translates as ‘no one should be a judge in their own case’.
If you think about the tribunal process, for example, in the Northern Territory’s revenue collection processes, someone in the department makes a determination in a tax case. A person may feel aggrieved as a result of that determination, so it is then referred to a review panel inside the department. For the uninitiated at the side of that department, with their nose pressed up to the glass, it looks like a department investigating the rightness or wrongness of one of its decisions. This is unsatisfactory in the mind of the common man or woman. I can well understand why people would simply say, ‘What is the point of appealing a decision when the decision-maker will be reviewed by their peers?’ That is part of the problem of the apprehension of bias that this process seeks to address.
I picked up on a number of questions from the person representing the shadow Attorney-General here today, and I will address them. In regard to establishment, we think it will cost $3.36m to set up.
How many cases will there be? I do not know. One could knock on the doors of each of the tribunals in the Northern Territory and say, ‘How many cases have you dealt with?’ However, that would give you no successful indication as to the number of cases which would come before the tribunal. The very nature of its accessibility suggests it would have an increased caseload as time goes by, and from its initial steps forward. That is why I am unable to answer that question. I hope there are not too many cases. I hope the decision-making processes of government and the small claims jurisdiction do not generate that many cases, because that means there is less conflict in our community. However, the very existence of a court or tribunal system is a public acknowledgement of conflict in any community. The question is by how much and to what degree that conflict will exist.
Training for public servants: the member for Nhulunbuy will note that the quote she referred to in her speech basically enshrined the concept that the quality of decision-making is directly proportional to the quality of the policing of the decision-maker. For that reason alone, one would expect public servants to act with a greater alertness to fairness, because their decisions will be externally reviewable as a consequence of these legislative instruments operating.
The member for Nhulunbuy also asked if future legislative instruments would be passed on urgency. I will not commit to that, but I would hope not. It is conceivable that at some point or another there may be cause to pass a conferral of power on to the tribunal through the urgency process, but only if it passes the requisite tests in standing orders to show that some hardship would occur. Should I bring a conferral power in on urgency, advice would be given well in advance to members opposite, and the hardship argument would be made out to the satisfaction of this parliament.
The next question was about how quick the referral process will be. It will be as quick as possible.
Time lines: The time lines process will be as quick as possible, but I do not wish to rush this. I wish to achieve the conferral of powers in a timely and effective fashion, so the objects of this legislation can be attended to.
The member for Nhulunbuy also asked about reviewable ministerial decisions. I draw her attention to a general principle in Douglas and Jones’s Administrative Law by Roger Douglas, Federation Press, which dates back to 2002, of how a minister is exposed to the decision-making process, and their responsibility to a parliament:
Even in this wise tome on administrative law there is an acknowledgement at page 28 of a boundary between what a minister is responsible for and what the bureaucratic decision-maker is responsible for. That is a line often blurred in this House, but it is something we must turn our minds to.
In paragraph 104 of the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Jia Legeng [2001] 178 ALR 421, Gleeson CJ and Gummow J note that:
It is being argued that ministers are not subject to the same rules as a judge in the concept of apprehended bias. That is because we are elected, if you think about it, because of our bias. We go into the public domain regularly and, on a four-year cycle, say, ‘These are our biases, this is what we believe, this is what we think’, and if the majority of the people in that jurisdiction agree with us, they install sufficient numbers of members into that parliament so they can form a government and pursue those biases. That is how our system works.
Consequently, I suggest - it is largely reflected in administrative lawmaking regimes in other jurisdictions, but not exclusively – that the minister’s decision is outside the boundaries of the contemplation of the tribunal. Any person elevated to ministerial office through their election would stand in a difficult position conceptually if their election was subordinated to an unelected tribunal.
That is a general principle I would struggle with, in terms of a minister’s decision - certainly a parliament’s - being reviewable by an unelected body. If you think about the consequences of that I suspect most members would agree that the elected should remain answerable to the public, not unelected tribunal members.
When it comes to the operation of this system, because a tribunal is not bound in the same ways as the courts, there are some other impacts of this. Concepts of natural justice have a much greater presence, and the remedies available to a court, especially when you think about the nature of an application brought before it, are quite different. Perhaps I can explain it in the following terms. If a person goes to a court and is the subject of a lawful administrative decision which is somehow inherently unfair, the limited judicial remedies available to the court mean it will probably uphold the lawful decision, in spite of it being unfair. This is unless there is some sort of intervention from the equitable environment.
However, having made that observation, a jurisdiction such as a tribunal, which is essentially still an extension of the executive arm of government, is not bound by such matters. Concepts such as the hearing rule in Bond’s case mean those particular tribunals can cast a wider and more benevolent eye upon applicants who come before them pursuing an equitable remedy, rather than necessarily black letter law. Most reasonable and right thinking people would embrace that in a community.
I hope that answers the member for Nhulunbuy’s questions. In some instances they are not answers because I am not yet in a position to answer those questions. I ask the member for Nhulunbuy to keep an eye out for the annual report of the tribunal, which will be delivered here. This will, in time, more fulsomely answer the questions she has put.
She also raised a number of issues that have been topical in this House, and whilst she knows I will not agree with her on those issues, some of the matters she raised will be examined independently through further conferral legislation into the future. She is critical, on one hand, of the processes, but then inexorably drawn to the realisation that her criticism provides support of this bill, because it is exactly the sort of good governance she advocates for.
Ms Walker: What about prioritising various acts of the 117?
Mr ELFERINK: Once we have the shell together, we will start aiming – I will pick up on the interjection; the question was in relation to prioritising. The first conferral bill was simple because it was within the boundaries of my ministerial domain. Legislation like the Fences Act is about as politically sexy as a sock in a tumble dryer, but it was easy to get at. Once this tribunal is established, we will be looking at those instruments which are attractive, either through their frequency of use or the seriousness of their decision-making function. That would be a fair way to describe it.
I pick up on some of the things the member for Nelson said. Clearly the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal is one of those bodies which will move over very quickly.
I also thank members from my side of the House, particularly the Minister for Health, but also the members for Blain and Drysdale for their support. I wholeheartedly concur with the observations they made about the importance of this fundamental change to the accessibility of justice for Territorians.
As I said before, this is not the sort of thing which fills the bleachers of this House, and many people will not even notice when this bill has passed into law. However, I take heart from knowing that once this bill has passed into law and conferral legislation is in place, people will seek redress for small claims or administrative decisions before the tribunal along a much more accessible path than it ever would have been prior to today. In short, we will collect all of the cupcakes of tribunals across government, and create one very large sponge cake.
This will take pressure off our lower courts and tribunals. We expect to see less expenditure on tribunals that no longer exist; whether or not it saves money or takes us to the break-even point, time will tell. The provision of good systems interwoven with integrity and a judicial flavour is something all Territorians would embrace. That truism is reflected in the fact that all who have spoken today have also embraced the concept. To that end, I have a number of small consequential amendments that require the committee of the whole. Having made that observation, I thank honourable members for their contributions.
I also place on the record my gratitude to members of the department, with particular acknowledgement to Andrew Macrides, who has done a monumental job in this space – for their work, and I look forward to what will seem like a small change – it is actually monumental – becoming the law of the Northern Territory.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Clauses 1 to 12, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 13:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.1. Clause 13(3) is to be omitted and replaced with the following:
The Remuneration Tribunal conducts annual reviews of the entitlements of Northern Territory magistrates, and makes determinations or recommendations about those entitlements.
Entitlements were received from the last determination on 23 April 2014, resulting in the issuing of Determination 1 of 2014 on 23 April 2014. The determination also prescribes any additional remuneration and conditions payable to magistrates who perform duties additional to those of a magistrate.
The new Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal will not be considered by the Remuneration Tribunal until the next annual review, which will be after the tribunal commences operation. The remuneration level for the president has, therefore, been set at the same level as prescribed in the current determination – Determination 1 of 2014 – for the Chair of the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal.
Amendment agreed to.
Ms WALKER: Mr Chair, I have a general question, and this is probably the section of the bill where I should ask it. It is to do with the membership of the tribunal. Could the Attorney-General explain to the House what the selection process will be? There have been far too many mates given jobs since the CLP came to power. Territorians need to have confidence that there is an open and transparent process without any affiliation to members of the government. I would be grateful if the Attorney-General could talk us through the selection process.
Mr ELFERINK: The selection process will be the same that apply to the selection process for the appointment of judicial officers. The only …
Ms WALKER: That does not fill us with confidence.
Mr ELFERINK: I pick up on what you are doing. The only time I have stepped away from that selection process, as the Attorney-General, was when applications were taken for the number of vacancies left behind by a neglectful former Labor government. I worked very closely with the profession in relation to making a number of appointments.
We will appoint in accordance with a system that I am confident will produce non-controversial selections.
Clause 13, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 14 to 52, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 53:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.2. For clause 53(2)(b), after the word ‘appropriate’ insert ‘and is not bound by the rules of evidence’.
This is a simple amendment which clarifies that the tribunal is not bound by the rules of evidence, and enhances the probative and equitable flavours I referred to during my second reading reply.
There is no intention for a radical departure from the rules of evidence per se, and I do not doubt that the rules of evidence will guide the tribunal’s deliberations. However, from time to time, rules of evidence prevent things, for example hearsay evidence, from being heard in a court. These things may be heard by the tribunal. However, it will be up to the discretion of the tribunal to give what probative weight it considers sufficient in cases where it hears evidence outside the general principles of the rules of evidence.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 53, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 54 to 87, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 88:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.3 and invite defeat of clause 88. This defeated clause must be considered in conjunction with amendment 23.4. Therefore, this clause is essentially surplus to requirements.
Clause 88 defeated.
New clause 88:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.4, that new clause 88 entitled ‘Person engaging in contempt’ be inserted after clause 87 as follows:
New clause 88 agreed to.
Clause 89 to 137, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 138:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.5, that clause 138(1) be omitted and the following inserted:
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 138, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 139 to 140, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 141:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.6, that clause 141(3)(c) be omitted and the following subclause inserted in its place:
Briefly, what we are seeking to achieve is common practice in many other jurisdictions and courts where a matter of law is sent to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court then rules on that matter of law and sends a decision back to the inferior court or, in this case, the tribunal. This mirrors common practice and this amendment makes that capacity clear.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 141, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 142 to 155, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
New Part 8:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.7 for the sake of completeness. I move that a new Part 8 be inserted after section 155 as follows:
Amendment agreed to.
Remainder of the bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Whilst it does not quite agree with standing orders, I take the chance to say I am grateful to all members for their support. As I said during my second reading wrap, I was anxious to ensure this legislation became part of the jurisprudence of the Northern Territory. It has been very gratifying for me to have this legislation not only pass the House today, and soon come before the Administrator to be passed into law, but it will do so with the acquiescence and support of the House in toto. This reassures me that the pathway we have set is the right one. Many a critical eye will have been cast across this legislative instrument, and many will have asked questions of what we are doing here today.
I met with a collection of judges, magistrates, lawyers and other interested parties from the profession only what seems like a few short months ago; I am sure for the likes of Mr Macrides it is a much longer time. There was strong support from the profession and the judiciary, which gave me the confidence to embark on this process, and we have now reached this point. We are now in a position to create this legislative instrument, and we have done so with a consistent process of consultation with as many affected parties as possible.
We now have a legislative instrument that brings us, in a substantial way, forward in the Northern Territory, and to have it pass without resistance and with the acclamation of all members is satisfying. I again place on the record my gratitude for the enormous work done by Mr Macrides and other people in the department. It has brought this legislative instrument to fruition very quickly indeed.
Long live the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, Francis Gerard McGuiness’ term of appointment as the Northern Territory Auditor-General expires on 12 September 2014. Frank McGuiness was appointed as the Northern Territory Auditor-General on 13 September 2004.
Mr McGuiness personifies excellence in public service. With a long and distinguished career spanning over four decades, he has earned a reputation as a man of integrity, intelligence, determination and imagination. His distinguished career has been almost exclusively in the public sector, including executive level positions held in the Northern Territory and South Australia.
Today I acknowledge and recognise Frank McGuiness’ commitment to the Northern Territory over the last 10 years as the Auditor-General, and his broader commitment to public services in South Australia and the Northern Territory.
On 5 July 1978, following the conferral of self-government, the Auditor-General for the Commonwealth of Australia was appointed as the Auditor-General for the Northern Territory. A branch of the Commonwealth Audit Office was maintained in Darwin with an average of 16 staff, including 12 professional auditors who were fully engaged in field audits.
In 1982, the Northern Territory government established its own Office of the Auditor-General. Graham Carpenter (1982-84) was the first, followed by Elliott Isaacson (1984-94); Iain Summers (1994-02); Otto Alder, who was Acting AG (April-July 2002); Mike Blake (2002-04); Ken Simpson, who was Acting AG (May-September 04); and Frank McGuiness (2004-14).
I will honour Frank McGuiness today. As a child of South Australia, Frank’s public service career began in the South Australia Auditor-General’s department in 1981, where he held the role of senior auditor until 1987. Between 1987 and 2002, Frank went on to hold senior roles in the South Australian Department of Treasury and Finance, and the Department of Justice.
In 2002, Frank saw the light and moved to the Territory with his wife Pat. He held the position of Assistant Under Treasurer for just over a year. Frank worked in the Northern Territory Treasury as a valued member of the senior management team from March 2002 to April 2003. In that time, he played a key role in the implementation of the Territory’s new accrual framework and the development of the Territory’s first accrual budget in 2002.
During his time as Auditor-General, Frank lifted the status of the role, and has shown himself to be a completely independent office holder, committed to ensuring the best outcomes for the Northern Territory at all times. In his role as Auditor-General he has expanded the scope of works and the number of audits undertaken across government and introduced performance audits, and he has managed to do all this, largely, within his existing budget.
Fulfilling the functions of the Auditor-General is a difficult balancing act which involves safeguarding the financial integrity of the Northern Territory public sector, coupled with establishing a program of financial statements, internal controls and performance management system audits. This is so the Legislative Assembly is able to effectively scrutinise the performance of government administration.
Frank McGuiness has managed to build a strong rapport with chief executives and members of parliament, while at the same time being clear on their roles and responsibilities. Everyone who has worked with Mr McGuiness has developed a deep and abiding respect for his honesty and judgment.
The role of Auditor-General today is very different to when Frank took on the position 10 years ago, and he has played a major role in its transformation. He has elevated the standing of the Auditor-General to one that is regarded as crucial by my fellow ministers and chief executives alike. It is worth noting that he acted as the Chair of the Financial Reporting Advisory Committee of the Australasian Council of Auditors-General (ACAG) from 2006-09, during a time of significant major reform.
Frank’s reputation is one of a tireless, selfless but extremely modest public servant, who does his best to avoid any limelight. Anyone who works with him knows his exceptional work ethic, but his quietly assuming nature means he rarely discusses his achievements.
During the 10 years he has served as Auditor-General in the Northern Territory, Frank has overseen the implementation of major reforms. These include the implementation of a new financial management system; the delivery of the first NT budget based on outcomes-output methodology and accrual accounting; the introduction of Australian equivalents to International Financial Reporting Standards; and the introduction of a whole-of-government reporting standard that harmonises economic-based principles with those of generally accepted accounting codes.
Frank has always made himself available to public servants at all levels across government who have an interest in the Auditor-General’s audit and reviews or when seeking guidance or advice on audits or the NT Public Information Act. Frank does not dwell on formalities, and has always been willing to share his experience to provide frank – please excuse the pun – and pragmatic advice.
Frank has shown an outstanding commitment to this work, and has earned the respect of not only his peers and work colleagues, but those who have been subjected to his auditory prowess. He has also built a reputation of fairness and integrity in his approach to auditing. Frank’s colleagues are always in awe of his knowledge, and his pragmatic solutions to vexing and challenging scenarios show one of his great traits. His stewardship of the financial governance and integrity of the Northern Territory public sector is without equal.
Frank has established the highest standards for Auditor-Generals that will set the benchmark for years to come.
Frank was also a member of the Augmented Redistribution Committee for the last two Legislative Assembly redistributions. Frank’s commitment to the Territory has also gone beyond his role as a senior public servant. He has volunteered his time as a judge on the NT Institute of Public Administration Australia Annual Report Awards judging panel. Frank also has an association with the Territory civil construction industry through his role as a long-term judge of the prestigious Earth Awards for Excellence in Civil Construction, run locally by the Civil Contractors Federation. As an accountant by profession, the connection is not immediately obvious. The Civil Contractors Federation views accountants as people who count things that other people build, whereas civil contractors and engineers build things for accountants to count. Over the years the judging panel has come to recognise that while Frank holds formal qualifications as an accountant and the position of Northern Territory Auditor-General, his true, if somewhat frustrated, vocation is surely that of an engineer.
With a penchant for sophisticated bridge and transport infrastructure rather than more mundane roadworks projects, Frank still delivered unquestionable decisions on the merit of engineering projects. He ably reflected the reality that an accountant can operate with credibility in the volatile world of construction. The CCF and the Territory’s civil construction industry have valued the contribution made by Frank over a considerable period of time, and sincerely wish him well in his retirement.
Frank has had enduring commitment to service to the public, an impressive capacity for lateral thinking, an abiding commitment to building leadership capability and confidence, and a steadfast resilience that has allowed him to navigate through the most challenging, wicked problems of government.
On a more personal note, Frank is, as many of us would know, a passionate bikie – the cycling kind – and I am told that the team in the Auditor-General’s office was never surprised when a new ‘toy’ appeared there. The team looked forward to seeing a never-ending supply of new and sometimes very expensive bikes appear. The common question from his team was, ‘Does Pat know about this one?’
Frank was also known for some spectacular spills from his bikes over the years, and when seen limping into NT House on the odd occasion those in the know would nod wisely and declare, ‘Frank’s had another fall’. I know that scenario only too well.
Needless to say, Frank always recovered and got back on his sturdy two-wheel steeds. He continued to join a certain lycra-clad group that rides long distances every Sunday morning, and then congregates at the Cool Spot for a cappuccino and breakfast. Frank’s only known failing is his undying fervour for Collingwood, but, like most Collingwood supporters, we may forgive him for that on this occasion.
I have also received some messages to include in this statement. Firstly, from the Department of the Legislative Assembly, ‘The Assembly has benefited from Frank’s wisdom and professionalism from day one of his appointment to the role. In addition to assisting the Public Accounts Committee while Auditor-General, he has been the volunteer auditor of the Northern Territory branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, examining the accounts annually on behalf of the branch president – the Speaker – and all Northern Territory branch members – all members of the Assembly.’
In his role with the Public Accounts Committee Frank has consistently assisted members in understanding the mysteries of accounting, and decoding the sometimes cryptic answers provided by chief executives to committee questions.
He is pragmatic, engaging and works collaboratively with his clients – agency CEOs, senior executives and chief financial officers – to clearly articulate audit issues and potential responses to enhance current systems and practices.
Frank was instrumental in influencing the establishment of the internal controls steering committee, led by the then Under Treasurer – with CFOs represented – who provided resources with technical capacity for the development of a centralised internal control tool kit. This was a key project that all agencies collaborated on to enhance the consistency of understanding and improve the internal control environment across government.
This toolkit was created and is now maintained by the Department of Treasury and Finance. It is a valuable resource for accountable officers and delegated staff to discharge their responsibilities under the Financial Management Act and the Treasurer’s Directions.
In addition to briefing the internal controls steering committee on his audits, he supported the Public Accounts Committee through its inquiries into the management of ICT projects by government agencies. These included the previous government’s appallingly managed and financially disastrous $70m Asset Management System (AMS), which still does not work, or the public private partnership arrangement for the Darwin Correctional Centre, another financial disaster left as a legacy of the previous government and NT government agencies’ internal controls.
He was always willing to follow up any questions or issues of concern raised by committee members, and earned a high level of confidence from them. More recently, the Auditor-General’s office undertook an assessment of fuel card use in a number of agencies, including the Department of the Legislative Assembly. He was consultative and fair, offering constructive criticism to allow agencies opportunities to put in place better and more transparent systems.
Frank also showed no fear or favour when investigating some of the more interesting publications and e-mails distributed by the current Leader of the Opposition at taxpayers’ expense. The Speaker and members of the Assembly will always value Frank’s contribution, and wish him well. Several Northern Territory public service CEOs have also provided comment and, while they shall remain nameless, the message from them is clear. I will read some of them.
‘Frank has been an integral part of the Territory for the past 10 years and we will all be sorry to see him go, but we also want to wish him well and all the best for his very well-deserved retirement’.
‘The only thing I can offer is that Frank has been a pragmatic and approachable Auditor-General, willing to assist departments to comply with government’s requirements’.
‘He has always been happy to answer questions and provide advice. He will be missed’.
‘Frank is a keen cyclist who collected an envious array of quality cycles over a number of years’.
‘He was known to ride on weekends with a group of keen riders that included a number of chief executives and senior Darwin community members who were always interested in seeing Frank’s latest acquisition’.
On behalf of the Northern Territory government, colleagues in the Northern Territory public sector and the wider community I wish Frank McGuiness and Pat all the best for their future. We trust they will return to the Territory at some stage and, once again, we provide sincere thanks for their hard efforts in representing the Northern Territory in the past.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for bringing this statement to the House, because it is an honour to talk about an excellent servant of the Northern Territory public. I was privileged to meet and work with Frank McGuiness. For me, it started when I was elected into parliament in 2008 and nominated as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.
It was great that Frank sought me out. He knew that he had another elected community member to train and prepare for an important job in chairing the Public Accounts Committee. Frank took me under his wing, as he had done with the previous member for Barkly, Elliott McAdam. He trained him, and he was always available to give advice. He was welcoming, a true professional and helped educate me in terms of the Public Accounts Committee and the broader opportunities represented within the Legislative Assembly and this House.
The Chief Minister provided a great story of Frank and his career. It is always interesting to listen to good historical statements like this one, where you learn other elements of a person’s life and career. Frank had a very good career through a couple of states, and was appointed as the Auditor-General of the Northern Territory in 2004. It was good to hear the Chief Minister define Frank’s career as excellence in the public service, with an outstanding commitment to his work and engendering the respect and admiration of his peers.
It was interesting to listen to that chronology and brief history that represents an extensive period, not only in terms of Frank’s work, but also the nature of it. One can reflect on the major changes to the function and operation of an auditor’s role and office over that period of his career. There have been extraordinary innovations which relate directly to communication and information technology.
Those aspects of growth and development reflect massive increases in work for an auditor and an auditor’s office, and pacing with that new age of ICT obviously brought incredible challenges and innovations. In keeping up with those developments, I imagine it was very rewarding for the department, those staff and our Auditor-General.
In terms of the Public Accounts Committee, it was great to understand that true bipartisan support. Frank, as a public servant of excellence, supported the government of the day, no matter which party was in power, and it was about support and doing the job to the best of your ability; he was certainly a great teacher.
I remember a discussion with Frank about his work on the redistribution committees. We were travelling to Tennant Creek and the Barkly, swapping a few yarns about witnesses who appeared before those committees. It was obvious that Frank had a very good knowledge of the Northern Territory and a great love for the bush and its people. Those discussions about the challenges of those committees and their work, the characters who appeared before them and their presentations were inspiring. They were good yarns and reflected Frank’s very broad understanding and background within the Northern Territory.
As a minister it was also an honour to bump into Frank not only in Parliament House but around Darwin. Once again, he was always willing to impart good knowledge and information and support me and anybody who was interested. He was certainly a great influence on me.
I experienced something about Frank that I was not aware of, that being his great intellect transferring into great humour. I was privileged to attend the retirement dinner for the former Clerk, Ian McNeill, and Frank was the keynote speaker; he delivered an address that had the place rolling with laughter and enjoyment. His intellect was one that can be applied to various social and cultural settings, because he used an AFL analogy. I picked up that he must have been a strong supporter of Collingwood – everybody knows of Ian McNeill being an Essendon fanatic – and the story unfolded, comparisons were made and challenges were put. It was a speech and some entertainment that I will never forget, as it was phenomenal.
It was after that event that I also witnessed Frank present to the Northern Territory public service leadership group. Not only was the humour and creative approach there, but it was also very interesting to hear that incredible knowledge and advice that he provided for the emerging young public sector leaders, who will be leaders for years to come.
With fond memories and best wishes, I say, Frank, enjoy your retirement and the road ahead. The last time I spoke with you was in the Smith Street Mall in Darwin. You told me about another interesting facet of your life; I did not know that you were into cycling, and have planned a great cycling trip in Europe. You then finished with the perfect edge that it is not all about cycling, it is about cafs, pubs, great food and wine, and basically enjoying and celebrating life.
Go well and enjoy those road miles throughout Europe. I hope to bump into you again around the Northern Territory. I look forward to any opportunities for conversing with you, as I like people I learn from and, Frank McGuiness, you have taught me a lot. Thank you very much.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for bringing forward this statement. The Territory will miss Frank greatly as a wonderful person and Auditor-General. I will miss him; when parliament is on I always eat at Melissa’s under the West Lane car park, and I would see Frank and Pat go past on their way to having breakfast somewhere, or I would go past them having breakfast at about 7.30 am each morning. Frank would either be limping or walking.
The member for Barkly mentioned that Frank liked cycling. Some might describe it as Frank liking falling, because he fell off his bike occasionally. It did not do his lycra or knees any good, but he still managed to get to work, a little bit worse for wear, and always had a bit of a chuckle about it. His wife, Pat, wondered why he did it. He was a keen cyclist and always tried to keep as fit as possible.
I always enjoyed Frank’s company, not only on a professional basis but socially as well. He loved his football. I do not know how he ended up barracking for Collingwood; I used to say the only good thing about Collingwood is the last five letters, which he did not agree with. As the member for Barkly recalled, he gave that great speech at the farewell for Ian McNeill. It was a battle between two football teams, Collingwood and Essendon, and Frank came off better than Ian McNeill did in that debate.
He was a person who, when you needed advice, you could go to. I struggled many times with matters related to the budget, estimates or some of the inquiries we were holding, and I could talk with Frank about those issues. He did not talk about politics, only about the matters as if they were simply issues that needed to be talked through. As a member, his advice has helped me enormously. If he did not have the advice he would tell me where I could find more information to help me in my work, especially through the Public Accounts Committee.
The Chief Minister mentioned a huge range of things that Frank did in his time as Auditor-General, including audits and annual reports. He made sure there was plenty of fodder for the Public Accounts Committee to look at; even the inquiry we have just finished came to us because of the Auditor-General. He was always willing to attend Public Accounts Committee meetings, discuss matters and talk us through some of the issues we could look at. His work to keep the Northern Territory financially in line was fantastic, and he will be sorely missed.
I will miss him, his sense of humour and his advice. His second name is Gerard, which makes him a good bloke.
The Territory will be much worse off without him, although I have no doubt the new Auditor-General will do just as good a job, because I understand she has worked closely with Frank for a long time. She knows about the work he has done before. He set the bar, and she will do a very good job as well.
I appreciate the Chief Minister bringing this statement forward today. It will be my last opportunity to say goodbye to Frank. He had a long and distinguished career, and I hope that does not sound like a condolence motion because I think we will still see him. When I read this statement I started to feel as if I was reading a condolence motion. Frank still has a fair number of years left in him, as long as he does not fall off that bike too many more times. He served the Territory well, for which we should be very thankful.
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I congratulate Frank McGuiness on his distinguished career. Whilst he has retired as the Auditor-General, I daresay he will pop up in some role assisting the Territory with some great service, once he has finished cavorting around Europe on his bike. I have it on good authority that his wife has the better task of driving the car with all Frank’s belongings in it.
Frank is one of the most extraordinarily intelligent, charming and generous men I have ever met. I first encountered him when I was a backbencher for the government, during my first term in parliament as a new member of the Public Accounts Committee. I was somewhat bewildered by what I had gotten myself into, but Frank was always on hand to provide gentle guidance and sound advice to the committee as a whole, or any member of it. You quickly learned your straps. Of the fine things in the Territory, we have the nation’s best Auditor-General.
He was generous in imparting knowledge in a way that was completely understandable. He broke highly complex audit issues into digestible chunks for politicians to – as lay people, not auditors by profession – genuinely understand. Not only would we understand, but he would teach us in a way that we, over time through each interaction with him, became better as functioning members of the Public Accounts Committee, and were able to inquire into audit scenarios.
Frank McGuiness is irrepressible and irreplaceable. That being said, I welcome Julie Chrisp as the newly appointed Auditor-General. I note in Question Time today that the Chief Minister acknowledged that Julie’s appointment is bipartisan. She comes with an extremely valuable knowledge of auditing, and I do not doubt that the Territory is still in a good set of hands with our newly-appointed Auditor-General.
After he was appointed in 2004, Frank probably thought, ‘I will give this a go for a term or so’. Consistent urging kept him going on a bit longer. He has served the Territory for many years from afar, through 12 years with the Treasury and then, as I said, as the Auditor-General.
He is highly respected around our nation. He is the quintessential professional. For decades he has been regarded as a national leader within the public sector, and helped to improve and modernise government accounting measures throughout the 1990s.
From 2006 to 2009, Frank chaired the National Financial Reporting Advisory Committee of the Australasian Council of Auditors-General. Frank had a long association with the Territory while working in the South Australian Treasury and the Department of Justice. Over that time he developed a strong relationship with the Territory and our Treasury officials.
Through the 1990s he worked closely with Kathleen Robinson at NT Treasury to improve accounting measures. He arrived in the Territory in 2002 to work as Assistant Under Treasurer. He formed part of a new Treasury team, and new leadership tasks were brought in to introduce accrual accounting into the Territory. The first accrual budget was released later that year.
For a short time, Frank left the Territory to work elsewhere, but was recruited by then Under Treasurer Jennifer Prince to take on the role of Auditor-General in 2004. I am proud of the work Labor did, working tirelessly to ensure the Territory moved to meet national accounting standards.
We introduced the Fiscal Integrity and Transparency Act, and accrual accounting before then. It seems somewhat inconceivable today, when you look back on it, that there was cash accounting.
The role of the Auditor-General was integral to the best practice operations of government. Frank’s significant responsibility was oversighting and reporting to this parliament on the administration and financial integrity of government services, which he carried out with distinction.
Frank lifted the performance of the Auditor-General’s office, and expanded its suite of audit work. He introduced performance audits and established internal controls and performance audit systems to support more stringent auditing. As the Chief Minister mentioned, he also introduced the Australian equivalent to the International Financial Reporting Standards, as well as whole-of-government reporting standards.
He contributed to the Treasury and developed the centralised internal control tool kit, a highly valued and now integral tool for budget managers across government.
In his role, Frank advised hundreds of public servants on accounting standards and obligations under the Public Information Act. He has also supported this House, providing invaluable advice to the Public Accounts Committee and members of the Legislative Assembly, as well as work on redistributions and auditing the NT branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Frank McGuiness is warmly regarded within the public service, his profession and in some unusual quarters as well. He has supported the Civil Contractors Federation as a longstanding judge for its annual awards.
Over the years, government’s construction program has provided some exceptional projects for our industry to build and be judged upon. For example, a number of bridges, the Victoria Highway, Tiger Brennan Drive and the Daly River bridge come to mind as award winners. Frank’s enquiring mind was well suited to examining engineering design and these great building feats.
I wish Frank and his wife Pat well. I hope they enjoy many years of relaxed retirement, sprinkled with a bit of work. I hope Frank continues to serve the Territory however he is given the opportunity to. I hope they go with the knowledge that Frank’s expertise, sound guidance, collaboration and contribution will be sorely missed. Frank McGuiness is an exceptional Territorian. I am humbled and proud to have worked and served with him as a member of the Public Accounts Committee. I then had the privilege of being the Treasurer for five years, and got to know the skills and experience of the Auditor-General very well.
The Territory has been well served by Frank McGuiness. He is a gem of a gentleman, and I find it rare for someone with all those skills and that capacity to also have an exceptional wit and humour; he is one of the funniest people I have met.
Frank McGuiness, do not fall off that bike and come back healthy, sound and happy. I look forward to seeing him on his return to our great Territory.
Mrs FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to support the Chief Minister’s statement acknowledging the great contribution that Frank McGuiness has made to the Northern Territory.
As the Chief Minister has acknowledged, Frank has been of great assistance to the Public Accounts Committee throughout his period as Auditor-General.
During the time I have been with the committee, Frank has been of great assistance with our inquiries into public private partnership arrangements for the Darwin Correctional Precinct, and agencies’ management of ICT projects. Frank took time to explain the implications of his audit findings to the committee, and assisted us with analysis and advice regarding the inquiries that were undertaken.
Not every member of parliament comes with a rigorous understanding of accounting standards, capitalisation and the appropriate discount rate to use when determining the net present value of a transferable risk. Bridging the gap between accounting and representing the public interest is one of the unpublicised functions of an Auditor-General. Frank has an enviable ability to explain the essence of complex technical matters, and convey their real world implications. This ability to interpret the implications of financial reports for the delivery of services for Territorians has been vital for the committee.
Frank is also conversant in ‘public service speak’. He often decoded chief executives’ answers to the committee, and highlighted some of the heroic assumptions underlying the statements they made. The committee also appreciated Frank’s consistent impartiality. The committee was always confident it could raise an issue with Frank, and he would give a balanced assessment of the matter.
He would treat all questions seriously, clarify misunderstandings and follow up on any matter which required further explanation. While always willing to assist members, Frank also had an acute sense of what was beyond the role of an Auditor-General.
Acute observers will note that I did not mention the committee’s inquiry into the structural separation of the Power and Water Corporation among those where Frank provided direct assistance. While Frank explained a number of technical issues to members, he steered well clear of offering advice on policy matters, and therefore declined to take an active role in that inquiry. This mix of professional expertise, engagement and impartiality made Frank a great support to my colleagues and me.
Frank was of tremendous value and importance to committees’ staff. Whilst they cannot speak in parliament, I will speak for them to say that everyone in the committees’ office very much enjoyed working with Frank, relied on him tremendously and built some very strong relationships. They too wish him well in his retirement. On behalf of the PAC, I wish him well for his planned personal Tour de France, and for the rest of his retirement. We look forward to seeing you around Darwin sometime in the future. Congratulations, Frank.
Mr STYLES (Transport): Mr Deputy Speaker, it is refreshing to hear all the wonderful things about Frank McGuiness, who is obviously respected by not only both sides of politics, but around the country as well. It is very interesting when you come into this House as a newbie, as you do not know exactly what you are doing; you have a fair idea, but it is a learning curve. Trying to understand the role of the Auditor-General was something I found challenging on the first day.
Frank McGuiness could impart knowledge to people in such a wonderful way that you did not even realise he was doing it, such was his expertise and understanding of what Auditor-Generals do. Over the four years that I was in opposition, I had great interactions with Frank, always very positive, and it was great that he would pass his knowledge on to someone. He had the patience of a saint, because some of the stuff he talks about is quite technical, and to understand what he is talking about sometimes takes a bit of effort. That being the case, when we came into government I was the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee for a while, which I found challenging because, again, you are on a learning curve.
The role of the Auditor-General involves contributing to and advising on a range of issues that the Public Accounts Committee deals with; it was such a pleasure to take information from Frank, before putting it into practice. Never a harsh word was said. If you did not understand something the first time, he would tell you again. The man has a great nature and a great way of expressing what can be very technical issues. Other colleagues say they found him to be the same.
Although we all like to think we have left a great impression, these speeches today indicate that Frank McGuiness left a very good impression on all those who met and dealt with him.
The person following Frank has some big shoes to fill, but I am sure she will. May Frank enjoy whatever he chooses to do in the coming years as much as he appeared to enjoy his role as the Auditor-General.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Mr Deputy Speaker, I will not labour on, as there is nothing much I can add to what has already been said. I think I met Frank when I was a backbencher in the CLP Stone government in 1997 or early 1998. Over time, I have had many opportunities to deal with him.
I first met Frank when he briefed the CLP parliamentary wing on roads. I learned more in that 20 minutes about roads, road construction, the expense of roads, etcetera, than I could have possibly, or have, learned since then. Frank has been a diligent, faithful, loyal and impartial servant of the people of the Northern Territory, which is the highest accolade you could possibly give this man, but for one other.
I cannot recall – I could stand corrected – any time that we have ever suspended the business of the House to make a ministerial statement to give somebody a send-off. This is the parliamentary equivalent of a 21-gun salute. It is a salute that is well, truly and richly deserved.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move, pursuant to Standing Order 89, that Government Business Order of the Day No 7 be called on, followed by Order of the Day No 12 and Order of the Day No 18.
Motion agreed to.
Continued from 15 October 2013.
Mr STYLES (Multicultural Affairs): Mr Deputy Speaker, this is another piece of wonderful news, brought on earlier than the statement I made last Tuesday. I would like to wrap both statements, having waited to make my comments.
Firstly, youth make up 20% of our population and 100% of our future, something I have mentioned many times in this House because it is true. It behoves any government and community to do the very best they can for our youth, because at some stage they will be in charge. One day some of them will be here making the laws and policy that will hopefully see the Territory continue to advance. It behoves us to make sure we provide the best opportunities.
The Giles government is contributing to our youth in many different ways. When we were in opposition, I mentioned where youth affairs fit in the Territory, and some of the issues they had. Last Tuesday the member for Wanguri made a number of comments in relation to youth housing. She went across a broad spectrum of areas such as education, housing and sports vouchers, all matters I raised in opposition. We are moving to address these matters, as opposed to what the ALP government did.
In regard to land release, I have produced a graph in this House before of the blocks of land released over the last three or four years of the previous government. The numbers were going down, and I saw some figures which showed there were, at one point, 1100 blocks of land. That went down to 900, and about 500 at one stage. As a result we saw increases in house and land prices, and the pressure cooker effect of a supply and demand economy. We had enormous demand and insufficient supply.
We have talked about issues in relation to land release. The Minister for Lands, Planning and the Environment has released record numbers of blocks for young people to take advantage of. We have seen a change in the marketplace; where developers were once building three-bedroom units we now see an increasing number of one- and two-bedroom apartments designed for people on smaller incomes, and those who perhaps do not need a larger space at the beginning of their working life. An old adage says that it is not about when you enter the market, it is the length of time you are in it.
If we can get young people into newer accommodation where maintenance is not an issue, they start to appreciate being in the market, and can follow whatever inflation there is. In relation to what the member for Wanguri said about youth housing, there are many initiatives I will not dwell on because I want to talk about many other issues.
I have been very impressed with what the Minister for Education has said about youth. A range of other issues have been raised, but I will move on to seniors.
Seniors hold the corporate knowledge in our community. They are also the people who built the Territory, and many have come here later in life, some to retire. Given the fact that we have a booming economy led by the Giles government, we are doing things that are bringing people to the Northern Territory. I recently read that many people who were to be fly-in, fly-out workers with INPEX have decided to move their families here. They see a bright future in the Northern Territory; some of them are bringing their parents with them, so we have a range of new seniors coming to town. We have a generous system, and we look after seniors.
A friend of mine who is a number of years older than me - seriously older than me – and his wife both grew up in Darwin, and thought they would move to Adelaide when they retired. They thought, ‘This will be great, we will go down there for a bit of a change’.
It was very interesting because within six months we were receiving letters, text messages and e-mails suggesting they were not happy for various reasons. It was cold, they did not know anyone, and they had thought the grass was greener on the other side. One of the e-mails was about the Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme; my friend was saying how little they receive in South Australia compared with the Northern Territory. He said they had a great time up here, and wished they could come back because of the benefits, the lifestyle and everything that probably attracted those of us not born in the Northern Territory to come here.
He now wishes to come back. Sadly, he sold his house and bought another home in Adelaide. He was unable to get back into the market, so it is sad for them, but we still correspond and they still visit Darwin, especially during winter, to have a great time in our weather and catch up with their numerous friends.
That demonstrates how this government - I give some credit to the previous government for the Pensioner Carer Concession Scheme – would like to be more generous, but with a projected debt of $5.5bn we have had to constrain much of the spending of the previous government. My favourite saying is that they threw money around like fairy dust and hoped it would fix everything. Sadly, it did not.
I move on to Multicultural Affairs. We have possibly one of the most multicultural cities in the world, which I am very proud of. Since making the statement I have had a number of people contact me from different community and multicultural organisations to say, ‘Thank you very much for the job you are doing’. I hear that on a regular basis when I travel around on weekends to the numerous events my wife and I attend, enjoying the very best of what the Territory has to offer.
There are events such as the recent Pesona Indonesia. My wife and I attended to watch the Indonesian performances, and people from all over the world were there. It is not only for Indonesian people, it is for Darwin and our visitors. What a fantastic event that was, and I give credit to those who organised it. The Indonesian consul, Ade Padmo Sarwono, was there with his wife. The event entertained a number of people, with some there for a new experience. Others who have been around Darwin for a while were treated to another fantastic display of Indonesian culture in Australia, a mixture of both cultures.
I had to laugh, as they asked me on stage to perform the welcome dance. The music went for about 10 or 15 minutes, and it was challenging to dance for that long, but because of the courtesy of other people who showed me some moves prior to the event I was able to remain there and keep the performance going.
Indonesians are very proud of Pesona Indonesia, and as a near neighbour, trading and cultural exchange partner we are very pleased, as a government, to financially support the event.
India@Mindil was a fantastic event. If members did not attend, I highly recommend that, at some stage, everyone does to enjoy some of the fantastic Bollywood productions we have in Darwin. This year, the Indian Cultural Society brought out some professional dancers from India, along with a couple of professional musicians. It was interesting that as the evening progressed, one struggled to pick the amateur from the professional.
There is an array of people from the Indian subcontinent, along with Sri Lankans and Tamils, in the Territory, and they all come together to put on this performance. I was struggling to pick the professional dancers from India from our local people, such was their talent. They train and practice hard, and there is a bunch of dedicated mothers who are serious Indian dancers. They had trained the young people to put on a performance equal to that of some of the professionals. It was a fantastic night of Bollywood.
We also had Year 2 and 3 classes from Wagaman Primary School involved in this performance, and they received the loudest applause during the evening. One had to witness what they did as Year 2 and 3 students from all walks of life; I think there were 17 different nationalities in the troupe, such as from Europe – I think there was someone from Russia – and Aboriginal students as well, the whole gambit of what you would find in most classrooms across the Territory. There was someone from everywhere, probably including Katherine, Alice Springs and other places.
What we saw and what we were treated to was something these young people had been practising for only eight weeks. It was awesome, and the crowd gave them the accolades they thoroughly deserved. We saw so many little faces proud to be on stage in front of an enormous crowd to give their performance. Congratulations to those young people and Michele Cody, the school principal, who had organised to have the children and their parents there. She orchestrated a fantastic performance.
When talking about multiculturalism in Darwin, we must mention the Glenti as one of the things the city thrives on. I remember attending the first Glenti at the Nightcliff school, which consisted of a couple of blue tarps; in those days they were pretty new as well. We had only blue tarps and, I think, in those days, about 200 kg of octopus, a number of kilograms of dolmades, a few honey puffs and the Greek desserts such as baklava, vanilla slices and other low calorie sweets that they give you.
The original Glenti festivals were a great day out for families, and it has become about 100 times bigger. It is still a great day out for families, and one of the icons of the Territory, along with the Mindil Beach Markets. The Glenti is a great celebration of everything Greek and of Greek-Australian relationships. In Darwin it is great when you talk to someone on the phone, as you never know their origin. Irrespective of what they look like, they all talk with a Darwin accent; we all sound the same. It was with great pride that I was able to dance, smash a few plates and do all the good things Greeks do, not to mention eat the baklava and vanilla slices, along with some souvlaki, octopus and a range of Greek delights.
We had the Governor of Pella, which is in the Macedonia region of Greece, attend the Glenti. Pella was the birthplace of Alexander the Great. It was nice to have the governor and his wife here; he was a thorough gentleman, and his wife was a magnificent lady who spoke English quite fluently. Although the governor struggled with English, his English was far better than my Greek. We were able to host them in our city; the mayor and I and other members of our community received invitations to visit Pella at any time in the future. It is something I hope to take up, given we have a strong Macedonian association here, along with a very strong Greek community.
The organisers of the Glenti fly up the Zorba Brothers, who provide great entertainment. If you have never seen them, it is worth doing so. It is the same with the Aboriginal Chooky Dancers, who perform their version of Zorba the Greek. It is a little different to the Greek version of Zorba the Greek; it is the same music, and both are spectacles when you have people dancing to that music. If anyone ever has the chance to attend the Glenti, it is fantastic.
Last Saturday night, I was at the Cyprus foods and wine festival held at the Cypriot community hall on McMillans Road at Marrara. What a fantastic night. The organisers told me they were very glad to have their event at the end of what is considered to be the festival season. They had thousands of people attend, and the Greek dancing is fantastic. The food was the next round of souvlaki, honey puffs, baklava and vanilla slices all over again. That means I have to keep walking in the morning to ensure I keep the weight off. Those people are very proud of their heritage.
We have been to numerous other multicultural events around town, such as the Sri Lankan dance show. There is also the Darwin Community Arts group, where the multicultural community is alive. It is about ensuring all multicultural groups are encouraged to join the community. That builds harmony and stronger cultures within our community.
I could probably talk about a number of other things, but time is of the essence. I thank all of those people in the multicultural community and those on committees who put the time in, and who are part of the $115bn worth of volunteering. Without those volunteers, communities and hard-working committees, we would not have such a vibrant multicultural community.
I also make special mention of MYNT which is an acronym for Multicultural Youth NT. Kevin Kardigamar and his crew are fantastic young people who are very proud of their cultural history. They make sure other youth feel engaged in what is available around this community, and do a fantastic job.
I will talk about the seniors. Later in this sittings period I will make an adjournment speech about the former CEO of COTA, Robyn Lesley. To all of those seniors’ organisations – National Seniors, the Council of the Ageing, seniors groups in Alice Springs and in Katherine, there is a whole …
Mr CHANDLER: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I ask for an extension of time for the member.
Motion agreed to.
Mr STYLES: A number of people around the Territory work for seniors, our multicultural community and our youth. They do a great job. Any visitors to our city who see what happens here, as well as our lifestyle, are truly amazed.
I was talking to some people this morning from Maryborough. They said they could not believe what happens here, and that a town of a similar size to Darwin has about one or two of these events a year; we have about 10 or 12 on a weekend. Every weekend we are exposed to the vibrancy of the Northern Territory.
We hope those visitors from Maryborough and other places take festival stories home with them. There are so many events, because the Giles government is committed to our festival season. We are very proud to support as many functions as we can, given our financial situation. Without these functions, we would have a less vibrant city and a less attractive place for our visitors, and we would struggle to market it. Given that we have a festival season, promotions by the Ministers for Tourism and Parks and Wildlife – we have a vibrant capital city, territory and population which can get on with the job and create a lot of prosperity and joy for our community.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MOTION
Note Statement – Assistance for Nhulunbuy Businesses
Continued from 27 March 2014.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Mr Deputy Speaker, it is an interesting chronology when I am able to talk about Nhulunbuy, after this statement was delivered around March. There is some very good analysis around what the CLP government has been doing. To put some context into the chronology, on 11 February 2013 then Chief Minister, Terry Mills, said in a media release:
Locals and international visitors were dancing at the Darwin Festival during that fabulous Tracks community theatre performance, and there was a number called ‘Pull the Big Boy Pants Up and Stab, Stab, Stab’. The audience went wild, and I have it on good authority that it was a highlight of the dancing during the show, You Dance Funny. The artists were not afraid to make comment.
The story unfolded and the statement arrived, which was about the CLP government and what it is doing for Nhulunbuy businesses.
I can tell you, minister, on good authority, that we are now talking about local businesses closing; the IGA supermarket and Mitre 10 store in Nhulunbuy have closed. The remaining businesses facing uncertainty are the butchers, the bakery, the tackle shop and the newsagency. They face losing customers, their economic base, and are now considering closing their doors.
The business consultancy provided there is acknowledged, but it can never replace customers. When families are packing up and leaving Nhulunbuy in the numbers we are seeing under Adam Giles’ watch, all the consultancies under the great Nhulunbuy sun will not help.
There are things that can be done. There is plenty to be done, but we are not seeing any leadership or tangible evidence of what the Chief Minister started with - the big talk.
I attended a forum when this whole challenge started. The Chief Minister turned up – he was on the stage, I was in the audience – and I then went to an economic development committee meeting to support the member for Nhulunbuy. She is very well connected in that part of the Northern Territory, and she was guiding me through, introducing me to many of her contacts and stakeholders, and I followed and listened.
The Chief Minister talked up some big ideas. I have been waiting to hear about the real application of resources, energy and leadership that would deliver for the people of Nhulunbuy. However, we are seeing the families, community and economy start to decay, and people are leaving town.
One can only imagine the psychological issues of that community, as opposed to the physical, tangible elements that we can analyse and assess. I immediately point the finger at the Chief Minister, the complete absence of leadership and almost no recognition of Nhulunbuy, except to be told that the statement will come back on to clean up the Notice Paper. We are here to clean up the Notice Paper, when people are leaving Nhulunbuy.
Families are losing their livelihoods and future in what is a major economic driver for the Northern Territory; the Treasurer will be aware of the $500m from Nhulunbuy that goes into the Northern Territory’s gross state product every year. This will be absent as we go down the road, because there is nothing tangible happening. The CLP government is allowing Nhulunbuy to dissolve.
There are many opportunities. One opportunity the member for Nhulunbuy is continually asking about is an infrastructure stimulus project to deliver health outcomes. What happened to the $13m for the hospital emergency department upgrade? The Chief Minister said, ‘We will fast-track it’. There are 16 000 Indigenous residents in that region, plus the township, that utilise the services of a hospital and allied health. They need a major upgrade to their emergency department, which was planned by the previous government, pulled by the CLP, promised by Adam Giles, and still there is nothing.
Not only are we talking about the health needs of Territorians and families, but the possibility of a logical economic stimulus project – $13m – for the town and the region, yet we hear nothing. I am sure the minister will announce that when he wraps this statement to clear up the Notice Paper. I am sure that will be a given because it is do-able. It is real and it will support the community of Nhulunbuy and the East Arnhem region.
There is a lot of controversy around the prison work camp, and people in Nhulunbuy are searching for answers. They are desperate. They want to see leadership and tangible projects. They are not knocking a work camp in Labor’s new era of Corrections, but they are very concerned. They are upset about the lack of consultation and the ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ strategy the CLP government is using.
There is $2.5m in the budget for this Nhulunbuy work camp, so let us give credit where credit is due. However, it is for the upgrade of an existing residential rehabilitation centre. It is at the expense of the sobering-up shelter. Where will these recognised and acknowledged community services now be delivered? It looks like the police station and the hospital may have to take up the slack on those services.
It seems illogical to evict an existing community service, something that is valued and acknowledged, which has been operating and delivering important services in terms of residential rehabilitation – a sobering-up shelter, community safety – and replace it with a work camp with a budget of $2.5m. Can we not do both? The minister probably has some notes from the Minister for Correctional Services to announce today. What are we doing for Nhulunbuy businesses? We will inject another $2.5m into the economy to create a purpose-built work camp. We have a model to work from because we built one in Tennant Creek that has 74 beds and a defined budget.
I am sure Nhulunbuy will welcome the opportunity to be engaged in consultation, planning and the delivery of a work camp to benefit the town, community and region. I hope we hear that these will be tangible projects to support Nhulunbuy, and will be announced by the minister when he wraps.
There are other concerns in a community that is not seeing ministers and not being consulted, and the work camp highlighted that. Anybody who was at the estimates hearing where the Minister for Correctional Services was challenged about simple common courtesy, good manners and common sense regarding consultation would have realised that Nhulunbuy is being ignored and neglected by the government. Ministers are not travelling, listening or showing care and compassion, if nothing else. Therefore, this economic powerhouse on the northeast Arnhem peninsula is sitting and wondering.
The Minister for Education is being discussed at the moment, because it looks like the plan for a residential boarding facility for Nhulunbuy is to go ahead, yet the government has not talked to the people, particularly the Indigenous community that lives in the wider northeast Arnhem region. The CLP, with the good intention to try to help the businesses of Nhulunbuy with a stimulus project – one of the minister’s objectives in terms of improving Indigenous education – could create the classic white elephant.
Those people on outstations are not confident about sending their students away from homelands and into town. If nobody is willing to talk to them or negotiate, and if nobody is educating and delivering awareness, they are left in a quandary as to what it is all about. They are not confident, and they are not happy that a new policy has been launched on top of them. It says that if their kids want a secondary education, they must go to Nhulunbuy. Is the boarding facility in the best interests of children’s education or is it a pure economic driver? That is the question which hangs, because nobody is sure. Nobody is visiting Nhulunbuy to talk to the community, businesses or to present the face of government.
It is not so much the opposition continually attacking government; it is about the opposition raising the government’s behaviour. That is something the government needs to take ownership for. We do not dictate your behaviour. You guys are taking full credit, and one principle of good governance is travelling to meet with and talk to the people.
If there is one thing that gets me a little kudos when I visit a community, it comes from the first question: ‘Hey, mate, did you fly in here?’ ‘No, I drove. I am in that motor car over there.’ ‘Oh, how long are you sticking around?’ ‘I can stick around a night if you like because I am driving. I do not have a pilot waiting for me on the strip.’ Government members know about this, because they are all MLAs and understand the nature of politics and that important communication factor. Yet we have a town of 3500 people rapidly declining in population, and asking questions such as: who is in charge? Where is the government? Where are the ministers? This is basic common sense.
We will take that to a higher level. The Chief Minister is leading a major initiative in developing the north. On the northeast Arnhem peninsula, we have a major economic driver, the service centre to a region that would support over 20 000 people. As people watch, read and hear the $33m glossy campaign of television, newspaper, pamphlet and radio advertisements, they expect Nhulunbuy to feature.
This is an example of Chief Minister Adam Giles’ advertising for developing the north that went national. On this lovely glossy, there are various regional areas and cities listed, but there is no Nhulunbuy. There is no Nhulunbuy on the advertising and promotion of a major initiative for the Northern Territory and northern Australia that is going national and whittling away a $33m budget.
We will go to another opportunity for the government to support the businesses and community of Nhulunbuy – Developing the North Regional Summits. I will read from this nice glossy pamphlet and the ‘Developing the North Regional Summits Timetable’, which has great pictures. It says ‘Let’s talk about it today’. Under the heading ‘Developing the North Regional Summits’, it goes on to say:
Let us talk about the government’s opportunities in this area. The Central Arnhem Road was another promise from the Chief Minister; I was at that economic development committee meeting with high profile people and community leaders, where the Chief Minister was putting out the throwaway lines such as, ‘We could lay bitumen on the Central Arnhem Road’.
I was in the Labor government that was building bridges, providing flood immunity projects, upgrading the Central Arnhem Road and talking to traditional owners about new corridors and realignments. This was so we could develop the road transport industry and open up the opportunities of the northeast Arnhem peninsula, so I had an idea of what was being talked about at the meeting. However, I did not say anything, as I was sitting in the audience. The Chief Minister used the throwaway line, ‘We will lay bitumen on the Central Arnhem Road’.
I understood how to do that and the logistics of it. That is okay, so I give credit where credit is due. However, I have heard nothing since. There was even a question today in the House, and the Minister for Infrastructure did the best side step and soft shoe shuffle to move right away from having to talk about the Central Arnhem Road in Nhulunbuy, the Wilton and Roper River flood immunity projects or any maintenance on the road between Ngukurr and Numbulwar. He did not want to go anywhere near those projects, and had nothing to offer on the Central Arnhem Road.
Once again, throwaway lines will not save family livelihoods. They will not keep people in Nhulunbuy, and they are seriously disadvantaging what is a major part of the Northern Territory. Chief Minister, you can wear this fair and square. You changed the game plan, you made your promises, you used your throwaway lines and now we are a year out from when that gas project was turned off. There was no gas; the project was turned off, and we are now faced with a major challenge, which is the government’s responsibility fair and square. It comes down to leadership.
Mr VOWLES: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request an extension of time for the member for Barkly.
Motion agreed to.
Mr McCARTHY: I will finish my contribution to this debate, 12 months down the track, with a couple of points.
One thing I learned from the Committee on the Northern Territory’s Energy Future, when we were researching at the big end of town in Perth – there were two companies and some very learned players, and I asked a direct question about the decision to scrap a gas pipeline that would link the central part of the Top End to the northeast Arnhem peninsula. Both comments were very similar. If you do something like that, you not only knock out Nhulunbuy and create some serious economic, social and cultural problems for yourselves as a government, but you send the message globally to explorers that there are no customers and there is no reason to invest, therefore they look for other opportunities. The risk for the Northern Territory is within third world countries, within Africa; explorers will look for investment programs there.
I understood that pipeline project represented a stimulus for exploration, and the opportunity to bring on new customers across that sector of the Northern Territory, as well as links with other areas down into the Katherine region. That was a major mistake by the Chief Minister, who was out of his depth. He did not understand what he was doing. He is good on spin, he can play the political media games, but in that instance he was faced with real decision-making on behalf of all Territorians, and he blew it. He did not have the knowledge or background, and he did not base his decision-making processes on good logic and research.
The Chief Minister has now created some serious challenges, not only for people in Nhulunbuy and the northeast Arnhem region, but for all Territorians, when $500m per annum in the Northern Territory economy starts to wane and drop off in terms of that critical revenue injection.
Chief Minister, I am very disappointed when I look at the national scene and learn of the support from the federal government going into other regional areas like Geelong or those manufacturing sectors within South Australia and Victoria. I have heard nothing about Nhulunbuy, and I often wonder, because you stand up there as the big politician with the big spin and the aggressive, condescending, attacking style – you load negatives onto everything.
You spend more time attacking the opposition than telling us about your plans and new ideas. That is the situation. I expect you to be shoulder to shoulder with your Liberal National mates in Canberra, but I get the impression that you might not be so popular. Where is your grunt? Where is your influence? Where are the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, and where is the conversation about Nhulunbuy?
This is not a small town. This is not a backwater; this is a major economic player, not only for the Northern Territory, but for the country. Yet there is the absence of any federal support from Canberra. There has been some rhetoric and spin, but as the local member will inform the House, businesses are closing, families are leaving, skilled workers are taking up positions elsewhere and there is no real plan to replace them.
Chief Minister, let me give you a couple of ideas, because I want to put the word ‘rehabilitation’ in your head. You must call your mates in Canberra and bring Rio Tinto to the table. You must hold a discussion and show some leadership, which should be focused on the concept of rehabilitation. I do not want to frighten anybody off; I want to give you a couple of ideas.
Bauxite exports from the northeast Arnhem peninsula will be the way of the future. The deep water port at Nhulunbuy would be an extremely valuable asset in a plan that you could put together. A refinery that is closed and at the mercy of earth, wind, salt and sea spray is potentially an asset now, but could be a real liability in the near future. Those at the hungry steel blast furnaces of China - which likes a nice mix of healthy iron ore and scrap iron - would be very interested in doing business. If we have ships, a deep water port and the drive, determination and leadership to create a project, let us talk about the refinery being used as scrap metal and sold to Chinese markets.
This might be pie in the sky, but I am thinking and talking, yet hearing nothing from Chief Minister Giles. What do I have to lose? Having been to Nhulunbuy a few times, I believe the logistics we are talking about would take a minimum of two or three years to complete, which would accommodate a workforce of maybe 500 or more. Those logistics must be worked out, and we have the experts who can do that. Rio Tinto should be leading this, and then comes the rehabilitation; we will never see the pristine Yolngu coast that was there before the mine and refinery were set up.
Let us be realistic and look at rehabilitation on that peninsula to a bulk export commodity port. Let us talk about where bauxite is live stockpiled and exported through the port of Nhulunbuy for a 40-year future. It seems to me that is where the company wants to be and is the space it is in. Rehabilitation would create an industrial site over what is a massive mine and refinery, as well as associated infrastructure.
There is a little plan, Chief Minister, for your imagination, because I am hearing and seeing nothing from you. Maybe if your friends Mr Abbott, Mr Truss, Mr MacFarlane, the Rio Tinto executives and you, as the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, discussed that, maybe it would grow some legs – who knows?
It is better than nothing, because if we continue to do nothing we will see some serious negative outcomes, not only for Territory families, but for that region, which depends on Nhulunbuy as a service centre.
This story will not go away, and unless we start to see and hear some pragmatic solutions, it will become worse. I come from Tennant Creek, and can tell the same story about the CLP government in the 1990s; I will not go into it because I have run out of time, but think about it.
I lived in a community where the policy of the CLP, when the mines started to close and the skilled workforce left, was to close primary schools, sell public housing, regionalise health and education services and basically abandon us. They were a my-all mob back in the 1990s. I am sure the CLP of the new millennium has learned some lessons. You can seriously learn some lessons from Tennant Creek, because it is a disgrace that I see the same thing happening 25 years later in Nhulunbuy and on the northeast Arnhem peninsula. Thank you.
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Mr Deputy Speaker, despite only receiving notice this afternoon about this statement being brought on, I look forward to contributing to debate. It speaks volumes that so far we have only had one speaker from government. This was the Treasurer and Minister for Business, the person who introduced the ministerial statement outlining assistance for Nhulunbuy businesses. Yet there has been deafening silence from other members of Cabinet. Is that how little you care about Nhulunbuy and the northeast Arnhem region?
We were told that we are clearing statements off the Notice Paper. There is a bit of a cleaning off/sweeping off to the side exercise in the Chamber by the government. We have ministers appearing in the Chamber to wrap the statement, in the hope that no one will contribute because they did not provide much notice. It is a disgrace. We are talking about the livelihoods of thousands of Territorians that you have trashed because of the rank incompetence of Chief Minister Adam Giles.
When he reneged on the gas to Gove deal – which, as we have heard from the shadow Treasurer, was one of the greatest mistakes made in terms of economic growth opportunities for the Territory – he started a chain of events that has been crashing through the lives and livelihoods of Territorians in Nhulunbuy and the northeast Arnhem region. When a statement is introduced, you hope for energy, ideas and action from government to say, ‘These are the things we will do now that we see the consequences of a gross mistake’. But there is only the Minister for Business, waiting for his time. We might hear a few time filler comments from the Leader of Government Business, who has been left to clear Notice Paper statements. Where is the Minister for Tourism?
As you heard from the shadow Treasurer, when the Chief Minister appeared after his gross abandonment of the gas to Gove pipeline opportunity, which would have meant an enormous number of construction jobs, the doubling of the domestic gas market in the Northern Territory through the delivery of gas, and spurred a significant exploration to production opportunity through Santos and Eni, two major companies that were very excited about the prospects and opportunities – all of that came to a crashing halt when the Chief Minister showed the rank incompetence that he has continued to display as the hallmark of his government.
We do not hear the promises he made at the forum in Nhulunbuy that the shadow Treasurer referred to, with the grand ideas of tourism, roads and infrastructure. Where is the Tourism minister, talking about tourism investment? There is a bit of a fit-out happening on a barge. You can put your car on, stay in a cabin and take the barge to Nhulunbuy. That has occurred before; Perkins did it years ago. At best, that is niche. You cannot fish off the barge, as it travels too fast.
How many tourists will you get in and out of Nhulunbuy for that $100 000 spend? Have you undertaken assessments on that? Do you understand what traffic usage was before with Perkins? Do you know the value for money you will receive for that $100 000 spend? Could you or should you not have invested in the plan that Lirrwi wrote and advocated across the homelands to bring in corporate tourists who want the fantastic Yolngu experience of northeast Arnhem Land? They have a plan. Is the government doing anything about it? No. Is the Minister for Tourism flying to Nhulunbuy and engaging with anyone? No. He has not been sighted. Could even the Minister for Infrastructure travel to Nhulunbuy, engage with people and identify priority infrastructure projects or talk about them in the Chamber today? No.
The Chief Minister talked about the Central Arnhem Road, and not a cracker has been forthcoming since. With a large community at Gapuwiyak, should we not be looking at the priority of the road from Nhulunbuy to Gapuwiyak, which would create that all-important service hub that Nhulunbuy needs to be for the communities along that Central Arnhem route to Gapuwiyak? There is none of that, only empty, hollow words from the Chief Minister. There has been no subsequent action nearly a year on, and only an empty, hollow attitude in this Chamber today from the government. At best, we might hear a small contribution from the Leader of Government Business, who is left to clear up the Notice Paper.
Come on in, Minister for Tourism, and tell us what action you are taking to support Nhulunbuy and the region of northeast Arnhem Land. We are very interested, as it needs to occur. It would be part of a structural adjustment package that should have been nailed and delivered by now, and which is still not happening.
Come on in, Minister for Infrastructure, and tell us what the infrastructure priorities are today, through the next six months, and what the program design is for the next three years. Instead we hear deafening silence. Minister for Education, come in and explain what consultation has occurred across the educators of Nhulunbuy and the northeast Arnhem Land homelands and outstations. Explain what consultation you have performed with the families, parents of the children …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! I ask you to remind the member that she cannot refer to the absence or otherwise of a member in this House.
Ms Lawrie: I understand that is a convention, not a standing order.
Mr ELFERINK: Oh, okay, so you are now going to ignore conventions? All right.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have the call, Opposition Leader.
Ms LAWRIE: That is the pot calling the kettle black. ‘You are going to ignore conventions’. How many conventions do you break during a sittings fortnight? Is it every day, every morning or was it today or last night? Is it constantly? Are you serious?
Come in, Minister for Infrastructure, and let us know the program. Which Infrastructure minister would allow a decision to delay a capital spend on a desperately needed emergency department in a hospital? It would be a good construction stimulus in a town that desperately needs it right now – ‘we need to reassess how many people will need those ED services.’ Following that decision, the Chief Minister was spruiking a vibrant population growth, and that things would be rosy.
Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing? It does not.
Which Health minister worth their salt would delay an already federally-funded emergency department upgrade? That was what I described as low-hanging fruit; it should have occurred. Look at the emergency department at Gove hospital; the upgrade is needed. Every other ED across our hospitals has been upgraded. Thank you, Commonwealth, for that funding. It is no skin off the Territory’s back, and is the right thing to do. It is desperately needed, and you have stopped it.
After all the hollow rhetoric and promises, action has not occurred. What about the assistance for business? Thank you, Graeme Kevern, for being energetic in your Business department role in Nhulunbuy, helping businesses with those consultancies. That has happened, but what has not happened, as we heard the shadow Treasurer and the member for Nhulunbuy point out, is that it has not saved businesses. Customers are packing up and leaving town because the government reneged on the gas to Gove deal, which saw the curtailment of the refinery and jobs lost.
Qantas has stopped its flights. Thank you, Airnorth, for stepping in with daily flights, but for how long? What is the commitment? Is it a year, maybe two? How long will we have daily flights for? Can the Minister for Transport, who looks after aviation, tell us? What has been agreed with Airnorth, what guarantees of daily flights exist and for how long? While you are offering subsidies to start flights to other regional areas, will you subsidise daily flights on that route? These are unanswered questions, because the contributions to this statement are not occurring from the government that abandoned Nhulunbuy and the northeast Arnhem region.
You hear tangible expressions of hope and opportunity when you visit Nhulunbuy and the region. It is my privilege to travel there as the Leader of the Opposition; I was in Nhulunbuy a couple of weeks ago. Do not fly in and fly out on your charter, travel on the air service, stay overnight and spend a bit of time on the ground. Do not charter in and out at great cost to taxpayers – a few hours on the ground, in and out you go – a select few. Look out! You might have to hear what people have to say. Careful, Chief Minister, as that would not be good form for you, sneaking in and out.
If you line up at the airport with people and spend some time chatting before you hear what is happening from people trying to work in the town, and then spend some time venturing into small businesses whose owners have invested their livelihoods in that town, listen to them.
They have suggestions, they are locals to their boot heels and have a passion for the town and region. They understand what can be made to work, but they do not understand why there is a government that is not engaging or listening, and which does not seem to care. It has abrogated its responsibility to Territorians, and locals do not understand that.
People say to me, ‘Hey, I have always been a CLP voter – never again’, because they feel utterly abandoned. Spending a bit of time with them would not go astray, ministers of the Crown. All of you have a shared responsibility to this town and region. When you listen to them, their ideas are not pie in the sky. There are some sound, sensible, small things that would go a long way. There are your medium-sized projects, which take a bit more effort; much more organising would go a significant way. There is then what I call the major project opportunity, which the shadow Treasurer talked about.
This government has let Rio Tinto off the hook in dealing with rehabilitation. It is not curtailment. Spend some time on the ground with people whose livelihoods it has been to maintain the plant. It will not be able to fire up and function again in the time frames of closure. It will need to be dismantled; that would provide hundreds of jobs. The red mud ponds are an environmental disaster that would also provide jobs and appropriate rehabilitation. Construction of a multipurpose facility to provide respite and support accommodation, and healthcare services for Machado-Joseph Disease sufferers and renal patients, as well as building an aged-care facility for the first time in Nhulunbuy and the region, would provide construction jobs and recurrent work. I will give you a tip: Miwatj would be eminently capably of operating it.
These things would require a bit of effort from the Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments, with Rio Tinto at the table. In the parlance of industrial downturns, which the Nhulunbuy refinery curtailment is, it is called a structural adjustment package, and that does not exist. That has not been delivered by this Northern Territory government, as every other state government in our nation has provided for their regional towns affected by an industrial downturn. It is a combination of responsibility and funding from the company and the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments.
The Northern Territory would be the smaller contributor to that package, with the Commonwealth and Rio as the larger ones. It could be done front and centre within the northern Australia development agenda, within the committee chaired by Warren Entsch and within the body of work regarding north Australia development. It could be a shining example of how you get north Australia development right, but instead, what has happened? Nhulunbuy has been left off the map by the Northern Territory government. It does not even exist on the glossy brochure maps that have been distributed nationally and around the Territory.
Nhulunbuy has been left off the regional forums itinerary. There is Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Darwin, but not Nhulunbuy. What conceivable reason do you have for ignoring Nhulunbuy and the northeast Arnhem region in the north Australia development agenda? I simply cannot fathom why you are doing this, because these are hard-working, salt of the earth Territorians who are not asking for any more than any other regional city in an industrial downturn receives. In fact, they would settle for a lot less than everyone else because they are such hard-working, decent, salt of the earth people.
There are exciting opportunities, and I have mentioned a few around tourism. The shadow Treasurer talked astutely about the bulk cargo export of minerals and what could occur, but we understand. What we will receive instead is scathing vitriol from a person who has shown himself to be a disgrace to the Northern Territory.
I hope someone on the government benches takes some interest and pursues the interests of the people of Nhulunbuy and northeast Arnhem Land. They are Territorians who deserve no less.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank other members for their contributions. It is a hard thing cleaning up Labor’s mess, and circumstances in Nhulunbuy are another example of that.
We would have a refinery in Nhulunbuy if the previous government had not let Rio Tinto off the hook. It is sad but true that the retiring member for Casuarina, lovely man that he is, let Rio Tinto off the hook in relation to operating a refinery in Nhulunbuy. It is obvious that the previous government had no intention of doing anything for Rio Tinto, not trying to get gas and not trying to help the situation. It ignored the situation.
In the lead up to the last election I visited Nhulunbuy to talk to constituents; I asked a number of people about energy requirements, and the cost of using bunker oil, which is extraordinarily expensive. I saw blank stares, and people looked at me as though I had come from another planet. It was obvious to some of us, prior to the last election, that there were real problems with that refinery in Nhulunbuy, yet the former government ignored it. When we came to government, our first priority was to try to find a solution for Nhulunbuy to see whether we could assist in any way.
The former Chief Minister, Terry Mills, was an advocate for assisting Nhulunbuy as well as possible. Similarly, current Chief Minister Adam Giles has worked extensively on trying to find a solution for Rio Tinto and its refinery. That was something the Labor government never did. It abandoned the Nhulunbuy community long before any discussions got under way about energy requirements.
Having said that, the refinery is closed and government is doing everything in its power to ensure that residents of Nhulunbuy are transitioned into the new circumstances as well as possible. We understand many of those people will be upset by Rio Tinto’s decision to curtail that refinery, and some people will have to leave. The beauty about the Territory, however, is that we have an extraordinarily low unemployment rate, particularly in the Top End, where it sits at about 2%. We desperately need workers here. People should not fear for jobs; there is plenty of work in the Territory, although I understand that no one wants to leave the community they are established in, even if work dries up.
In relation to this statement, I am aware that it was brought on in March, and it is a great opportunity. I thank the Leader of Government Business for ensuring this debate was brought on today, because it allows me to provide a further update on the Gove business assistance package that we are putting in place.
The Department of Business has been very active and highly responsive in providing assistance and support to the community of Nhulunbuy and the broader East Arnhem Land business community. Since 29 November 2013, when Rio announced it was curtailing its refinery operation at Gove, the Department of Business has positioned a full-time senior client manager there. The department has been highly visible and proactive in contacting businesses to determine their needs and concerns resulting from the expected business downturn. It has offered a range of assistance programs to consider their future viability.
To date, over 119 businesses have been contacted by the Department of Business, with 69 businesses that annually turn over more than $98m and employ some 626 people being supported through programs valued at about $900 000. A further 10 businesses are expected to be approved for support programs in the next few weeks.
The Business Growth program is the primary business support package being offered to date, and has been well received by the Nhulunbuy business community. The Business Growth program is a Giles government initiative designed to enhance business operations by subsidising professional consultants to engage with companies to implement improvement strategies. The department has adopted much greater flexibility with the Business Growth program criteria to ensure meaningful and effective support packages are delivered to businesses in Nhulunbuy.
In addition to the senior client manager we have rotated specialist support through the region, including a childcare operations specialist; a workforce employment specialist; tourism development officers; Indigenous business support officers; ecoBIZ NT; and an additional client manager, when required, to address the higher level of business inquiries.
In January this year, senior officers from the department accompanied Tourism NT’s chief executive and executive director of marketing on a five-day visit to the region. This has resulted in a collaborative commitment between the Department of Business and Tourism NT to deliver individual business support and a focused marketing campaign designed to increase and maximise tourism opportunities in the region. I thank the Minister for Tourism for his active involvement in making sure that collaboration works, and for driving his department to do more in the region.
In conjunction with the marketing activities being rolled out by Tourism NT, Department of Business officers are doing their bit in assisting Gove region tourism businesses with initiatives to reinvigorate tourism in the region. This includes funding for a number of projects. A recent photo shoot of the area was commissioned by the Department of Business to provide refreshed images of the experiences on offer, which has allowed the Tourism minister, Tourism NT and regional marketing activities to much better showcase the region.
The Department of Business has committed to assist in the redevelopment of the East Arnhem Land Tourism Association and its website to provide the best possible information and booking services for visitors to the region. The new website will include the ability to book and pay for tours online, as well as provide a central portal for information and applications for access permits. The Department of Business recently hosted Darwin and Katherine visitor information staff on a familiarisation tour of the East Arnhem region. The purpose of the visit was to educate staff on access and the tourism product in the region, so they can confidently sell it as a destination. We are also assisting relevant tourism operators to achieve relevant industry accreditation.
I again put on the record my thanks to the Minister for Tourism and to Tourism NT for the way they have worked collaboratively with the Department of Business. It is through their strong marketing of the region, and the Tourism minister’s commitment to it, that those things are occurring. The Tourism minister informed me earlier that he not only pushed many of these projects through his department, but also had the entire board of Tourism NT complete a familiarisation tour through the Nhulunbuy region. They met with local tourism operators and looked at current and possible attractions in working out how best to market the region.
When you listen to those opposite, you would swear that nothing was happening. You would swear the Tourism minister could not give a hoot about anything outside of Alice Springs. That is not the case, because I know firsthand that the Tourism minister is driving a tourism agenda in Nhulunbuy. He sees enormous potential in that region. He is doing everything he can to excite locals, to put a bounce in the step of tourism operators and to get in there and try to bring visitors to the region. There is much to see in the area. It is so good that we have a Tourism minister so committed to that.
It is not only tourism that the government is focusing on. All DoB support is delivered in close consultation with Jim Rogers, the Regional Executive Director for the Department of the Chief Minister in East Arnhem, who assists the community support operation. The Business Growth program engages highly skilled, professional consultants to work with Nhulunbuy businesses to improve their business practices. There is an enormous amount of work going into that region.
It is not only the Department of Business; this statement is about the Department of Business’ effort. As I have already outlined, there is an enormous contribution being made by Tourism NT. The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure has visited Nhulunbuy on a number of occasions, and the Minister for Mines and Energy is focused on the Nhulunbuy region.
The mine at Nhulunbuy is one of the world-class mines in the Territory, and we have a Minister for Mines and Energy completely engaged in his portfolio. He takes a real interest in what happens in Nhulunbuy, and is doing everything he can to assist Rio Tinto to make that operation more profitable in order to employ more people in the region.
The Minister for Mines and Energy is also very interested in that workforce, because there are places, he informs me, around the Territory still struggling to employ workers. That community has the ability to provide workers, whether they fly in and fly out from Nhulunbuy to wherever the mine site is, or relocate to it. The Minister for Mines and Energy has good things going on there, so people should not be too concerned about their jobs; there are plenty of employment opportunities in the Top End.
The Minister for Correctional Services has been to Nhulunbuy in regard to the Sentenced to a Job program and to talk to locals. I have never seen a person more passionate about a policy than our Corrections minister. The vigour and enthusiasm with which he throws himself into that job is something to behold. It is not the fact that he is throwing himself into it; it is that he is achieving results. That is what this is all about. He was looking at Garma and how prisoners might assist over there …
Mr Elferink: They did the security.
Mr TOLLNER: They did the security, he informs me. He is looking at workers’ camps; he has a big commitment.
Interestingly, if you listened to members opposite you would swear that nothing was happening, and Gove had been cut adrift. That is clearly not the case. We are focused on that region, and it is an important part of the Northern Territory. It is an important part of our economy, and should be much more so. That is what we aim to make it.
I see a bright future for Nhulunbuy. Townships like it are matter of fact; mines open and close and refineries open and close. Nothing is infinite when it comes to mining. Eventually, everything runs out, and the place will turn from a mining community into another community. In the case of Nhulunbuy we fully expected the refinery to stay open a bit longer. It probably would have remained open if the member for Casuarina had not let them off the hook. The company may well have persevered for a few more years. In any case we do not want to complain too much about the previous government and all of its failures. This is just another one of them.
We are getting on with the job, and doing what is right in providing valuable assistance to the people of Nhulunbuy. I commend this statement to the House.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Continued from 8 May 2014.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Mr Deputy Speaker, it is a great honour to speak about Central Australia and Alice Springs. Two of my boys were born in Alice Springs. I first went there in 1980; I remember travelling through Alice Springs, on route to Tennant Creek and the Barkly, and since then we have had a very strong family relationship with Alice Springs. It is an amazing part of the Territory, and I love visiting it. I especially love visiting in this job; in government it was quite amazing, but in opposition many people want to talk. They want to engage in a good dialogue about Alice Springs, with their ideas and what they want for the future. I use that opportunity to get into the Central Australia region as much as possible.
This statement talks about what the government has done, and the government has delivered a report card during this sittings period. I look forward to speaking on the report card too, being a teacher of 34 years. The government has talked about – it has been on the Notice Paper for a while - the great things it has done, which is good, and they should let us hear about them. The minister will wrap, and I am sure there are more things to be talked about. The psychology in this one will be interesting, because after the diatribe I have listened to in the last couple of days - ‘the opposition dares to challenge us, it dares to have a voice and hold us to account! Get in your box, be nice and go away’ – it will be interesting to hear how the government tells the story of the great things it is doing, and paint the picture that there was nothing there before.
Will we get that litany of newspaper front pages to go back through, the rot that was trotted out when you were in opposition? It went on and on, and led into the Action for Alice campaign, which sent the message globally to not visit Alice Springs and Central Australia because it was too dangerous. It is ironic that the same gentleman who preached that message and put that campaign into motion is now the Minister for Tourism. Everything has now turned around, and Alice Springs is fabulous. There was nothing there before the CLP returned to power.
What I enjoy about Alice Springs and Central Australia is sport. There was obviously nothing there, but it is interesting to reflect about the sports mad Central Australia and its great facilities, clubs and activities. Traeger Park, for instance, is the jewel in the Central Australian sporting crown. I am really talking about Labor’s investment in Traeger Park, and some of the amazing projects I saw which have supported AFL, cricket and many other sporting and community events. We cannot look past the Alice Springs Aquatic and Leisure Centre; I think it cost about $16m. That project has had benefits for Alice Springs and the region. I was a schoolteacher for many years, and we used to take kids to Alice Springs to use many of those sporting facilities. The Alice Springs Town Council is doing a great job of running that centre, and it is a real bonus for the town and the region.
I remember the investment in the drag strip and the outcomes for motor enthusiasts. In the Finke Desert Race, I never used the Corrections buggy, as I always had to be at estimates; I received invitations every year. I was always interested in what community work parties did and the work Corrections undertook in supporting events in Alice Springs, particularly around the Finke Desert Race and the entry of a buggy. I remember the investment from Labor around the start-finish line at Finke that kept moving it forward from strength to strength.
There are many other opportunities just in the sport and rec area, such as lights at Ross Park, new turf and wickets for cricket, and investment across bush communities. It was great to hear the member for Stuart talking about two investments in sporting ovals at Yuendumu and Lajamanu. I am sure it will not be too long before she is announcing to the House the same projects at Borroloola, Elliott and Ali Curung, so she is definitely on the right track.
I am sure we will hear more announcements about regional sporting facilities across the Territory, as Labor was rolling them out. There has been a lot of investment in grassroots sport, and it is certainly paying dividends. From the last two years, I am sure the minister will be able to highlight how the CLP government has taken that on and continued to develop it, as it should.
The region is now looking for some new economic stimulus and meaningful investment, and that is what I hear from many people in Alice Springs when I visit, as well as around Central Australia. There are concerns about the cost of living and the need for some new thinking and projects. One presented to me by the member for Johnston, who is a great sportsperson himself, was for development at Blatherskite Park. I am interested to hear from the government about whether there are plans to start developments there that will not only add to that powerful base of sport and rec infrastructure, but also provide some stimulus to the Alice Springs economy.
In Alice Springs, 120 businesses have closed in the last couple of years. One thing people talk about when I visit Alice Springs and Central Australia is the closed shops and the economic slump. It is real, visible and of great concern to not only town residents, but the business community as well.
There is a need for some new economic stimulus in the place, and I am sure we will hear about it from the government. If you do not stabilise the economy, as we know in any regional centre or town, people will leave. The risk in the Territory, particularly with Alice Springs being that gateway to South Australia, is people packing up their families to move interstate. We could see a cross-border migration, and we lose families. If there is not that continual foot on the pedal with economic stimulus, we risk losing good citizens across the border, many back into South Australia.
There have been some serious policy changes, as one would expect with a new government. Some of those have had a big impact on Indigenous economic development in the bush. I am watching the housing area closely, because with the changes there have been opportunities for some, but unfortunately many have gone missing. Central Australia and Indigenous communities are saying this new policy around remote housing repairs and maintenance, and a reduction in the budget – which we heard about during estimates – has had an impact on jobs. In the remote communities we must have people engaged, up early, at work and feeling good about themselves and their participation in their own community. There is concern, and it is a conversation that has been held. It will be interesting to hear the minister’s comments on that.
There is a big discussion going on in the arts community, which is very powerful in Central Australia and the Barkly. The current Desert Harmony Festival, the 25th anniversary of Desert Harmony, is taking place as we speak. I opened the festival and experienced the events on the first night, but I then had to come to parliament to represent the people of the Barkly, so I am missing out on our own festival.
However, the arts community is very concerned. The conversation is around that $1.5m cut from the arts budget; this goes back-to-back with federal cuts. There are many arts centres in Central Australia in a holding pattern. They have not been given federal funding, and are looking down the barrel of serious cuts by the CLP government, so they are very concerned. It is not about the big end of town; it is about grassroots community arts organisations. I am sure the minister, being the Minister for Arts and Museums, as well as a Central Australian, would be well aware of this. He will be able to articulate the change in policy, and how that $1.5m in cuts will not disadvantage our community arts organisations and incredible energy and creativity that exists in Central Australia.
There is an economic stimulus plan on the move. I speak with great authority; after a seven-year campaign against Australia’s first nuclear waste dump, it looks like you guys will promote it for Central Australia. I immediately advise you to come to Tennant Creek and sit down with Warlmanpa traditional owners. They were opposed to Muckaty being the site of Australia’s first purpose-built nuclear waste dump. With the knowledge base they have created around them, talk this through with community members before making any knee-jerk reaction decisions to have Australia’s first nuclear waste dump in Central Australia and Alice Springs. There are all sorts of reasons why.
You can create some serious trouble among traditional owners if you fool around on the phone and talk about stuff you do not know about. You will create some serious situations if you are not careful. The other side of the coin is that you must come clean with the communities, because a nuclear waste dump is not exactly a McDonalds. It is not a transformation plan for the Alice Springs town living areas that we saw stimulate the economy. It is not a Kilgariff land release, which commenced under Labor. It is another journey that you would need to be very careful of before you embark on it, because there are many traps for young players. If you are not wised up you might make a decision that you will regret, and maybe your children and grandchildren too. You would seriously go down in Territory history, that is for sure.
I have heard a very energetic and articulate community in Central Australia talking about this issue. It has moved from the Barkly rhetoric, and the lonely spot defined as Muckaty. This conversation is now well and truly entrenched in the electorates of Braitling, Greatorex and Araluen. Many in Alice Springs have been on that seven-year journey, which the Warlmanpa traditional owners opposed, along with others who have joined – the trade union movement, God forbid them. The trade union movement, particularly the MUA and Transport Workers’ Union, joined Territorians and stood side by side with their support. They said, ‘Put the brakes on. Let us bring some sanity into this.’
The union said, basically, what we have been saying. It is a simple lesson, because I do not think I have too many sympathetic ears, but I will give you the short version. It is that my-all politicians should not be making this decision. It is not about a cash register, it is about the safe and secure management of Australia’s nuclear waste. It is as simple as that, and there are highly qualified people able to advise Australians on this. It is very disturbing that politicians in silver suits, who think they know everything about everything, will go down this road and tell Central Australia what is good for it.
If you go down that road, you will learn, and you may learn the hard way, because this must be open and transparent. It must be accountable, and if you want to listen to the scientists, they will tell the federal government where this should go. It was obvious that it should not go over the Wiso Basin, the most substantial aquifer supporting the majority of the Barkly Tablelands. The developing northern Australia plan would definitely support that. That water is too valuable to put at risk. Let us talk about Central Australia and the same scientific challenges, not cheap politics. Let us try to get rid of that cash register mentality, because when you start researching the story you will find severe limitations in your cash register as well.
It is interesting that the story will unfold in Central Australia. As I said, people are most welcome in Tennant Creek. People at home ask me about ministers coming and going, and I welcome the ministers. I know enough about this business to understand that if we have ministers on the ground in Tennant Creek and the Barkly, we have an opportunity to influence them and get things done. I support that and tell people that, and I encourage them to invite you. I also extend that invitation to visit and learn from a large sector of the community that walked side by side for seven years. If you want to take the facility to Central Australia, that is fine; it is your decision. I will be in this space, because a nuclear waste dump for Aboriginal self-determination and economic development is a bit limited. As I said, it is cheap and nasty. We can do so much more with Indigenous economic development on Aboriginal land and in partnership with traditional owners than Australia’s first purpose-built nuclear waste dump, where you can be taken for a serious ride.
I offer that opportunity, learning and knowledge in good faith. If this conversation continues in Central Australia, and the politicians continue to lobby and facilitate what could be Australia’s first nuclear waste dump, I will be the first one there to tell the story. I will call you out and be the first one to tell people to put the brakes on and discuss this rationally. Some of the best scientists in the world can be there. They came to Tennant Creek and the Barkly, they taught us and rationalised the debate. That is what we will take to Central Australia.
It will be very interesting to see this new chapter in the nuclear story. The federal government is front and centre in this debate, as is the Northern Territory government. Traditional owners have an opportunity, as do other landholders, but this debate is about all Australians and our future. This is about the safe and secure management of Australia’s nuclear waste. It is an economic development plan I will be watching very closely.
Central Australia is a great place with great opportunities, a wonderful place to live. I have spent more than half of my life there, and I plan on spending much more. I thank the minister for bringing a statement like this to the House so we can speak on very important aspects and debate them. I have my ideas and you have yours. I am willing to share my learning, the same as I will listen to yours, but it is about common sense and good manners. The ‘holier than thou minister’ syndrome can get us into a lot more trouble than it is worth.
That is my contribution, as the clock runs down, but I am sticking around. I do not plan on going anywhere. I hope to participate in many more debates like this.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, we all lost a bit of intelligence listening to that drivel for the last 20 minutes, but that is another point.
Congratulations to the member for Barkly; he fought off the nuclear waste repository at Muckaty. He worked so hard when he was in government, and has done as the local member, to drive out any economic opportunity for future growth, prosperity, jobs or otherwise. He reached the last bastion of hope, where traditional owners had specified that they wanted the nuclear waste repository at Muckaty, and he fought that off too. What a success for the member for Barkly, fighting off economic opportunity.
We came into government on 25 August 2012, and thought, ‘What we can do? In all parts of the Territory, how can we achieve the balance between the four Framing the Future principles of social, cultural, economic and environmental?’
Let us not only focus on social. Let us focus on economics across the Territory; we have put that in place in all parts. When we reach the Barkly we find the roadblocks and principles of economic advancement so challenging. Why are they challenging? What has been the core element behind the Barkly for such a long time? I can tell you what it is at its heart: Labor.
The Barkly has been Labor through and through for such a long time. We had Maggie there for a while, as well as Elliott. They were the sort of people who had some sort of economic approach. With the current member for Barkly, there is no economic understanding at all. We now turn up to the Barkly to think how to drive the economy there, because Gerry has driven everything out. How can we drive growth, jobs and economic prosperity? We are starting from scratch. Every time I meet with the people of the Barkly, those who are positive and who want to drive reform, future opportunities and growth, there has not been any inkling of opportunity or anything started for us to start driving forward.
In other parts of the Northern Territory, there is an element, something where we can move from a heartbeat and where there is transition across government. However, if you go to the Barkly, the local member has killed it all. There has been no investment in anything. We are starting from scratch, with a blank whiteboard. When you talk about a statement on Central Australia, which includes the Barkly, we are starting from scratch. It is a huge disappointment for you. You spent over $30m on a housing program in town camps, and did not build a single house. Economic advancement – Gerry, you have done a great job, mate.
Let us look at how the economic framework, through Framing the Future, works in Central Australia, based on Alice Springs. No one would deny that two or three years ago, under the previous Labor government, Alice Springs was a dangerous place in terms of crime. Crime was through the roof, and it was not safe to walk the streets at night. Up to 300 kids were on the street at night, and it was a bad place.
Look where we are today. I was at the casino in Alice Springs last Saturday afternoon talking to some friends, and people were saying, ‘Thank you very much for the work you have done with the TBLs, the police and mandatory alcohol treatment’. Crime has dropped, the streets are safe, and it is wonderful to be there.
Crime has not been that low in Alice Springs since the 1990s. There is a funny thing about 2004 and a comparison to the 1990s; the core element in the comparison is that they were both times of Country Liberals governments.
We are releasing housing like never before, in terms of land. Advancing Kilgariff is not only a pipe dream, like Weddell and all these other navel gazing ideas about land release under Labor were. We have Kilgariff on the map and blocks are being sold. We are looking forward to Stage 1B of Kilgariff, and getting a new housing estate, supporting local construction activity, the banking, finance and retail industries, and getting people into new homes. That is what it is about, driving down the cost of living at the end of it.
With economic opportunities in Central Australia, it is about supporting people and creating jobs. Mining, tourism, cattle, gas, oil in terms of petroleum – look at what we are doing with the sports sector. We return to gas and oil; in the Northern Territory a new production licence for petroleum had not been issued in 32 years. After being in government for two years, two production licences have already been issued for the Surprise and Dingo fields. The Surprise licence is for oil and Dingo is for gas.
It is amazing what you can do when you provide a bit of oomph and ingenuity, get things happening and try to drive the economy. When the economy is strong, society is strong. You do not create success without having a strong economy. That is one of the challenges we face in driving economic reform when starting with a blank whiteboard in the Barkly. I have no doubt that we will do it successfully. My point is that the local member has left Tennant Creek and the Barkly without that economic opportunity.
People in the cattle industry know that the support provided by the Northern Territory CLP government has been successful and resounding. We did not turn our back on any of the cattle industry, live export or otherwise, unlike Labor when it was in government in the Territory and federally. When former Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, was in Nhulunbuy, she put a knife through the heart of the live cattle trade, and former Chief Minister Paul Henderson stood with her like a little nodding dog, saying, ‘Yes, thanks, we will have that. Just cancel the economic opportunities of the Northern Territory.’ We are driving forward with the cattle industry.
In terms of tourism, it has never been stronger, particularly because crime is down and tourists now feel safe in Alice Springs. We are also starting to receive new investment in tourism products. We are starting to see a rebound in tourism numbers. It is a slow burn, but the opportunities are fantastic. It was great to see Tigerair come back. That provided a substantial opportunity for more bottoms on seats and tourist numbers. We have seen Tigerair go away to make more money in other sectors, which is unfortunate. However, in coming months, people will see the results of some of the work I am doing with the Minister for Tourism and Minister for Central Australia on attracting new airlines to town, which will be exciting.
There are many economic opportunities around mining, which we are advancing all the time. I spoke in the Chamber recently about what is happening to make Tellus Holdings’ potential salt mine to the south of Alice Springs near Titjikala Maryvale Station a major project. I think it is the 16th major project we have. That will also provide economic opportunities and advancement into Central Australia, which grows our economy. People will have opportunities for jobs and to get off welfare and into work, which is the same core message we talk about all the time.
I told the Minister for Central Australia that I would not mind saying a few words on this statement, because the future is rosy and bright. I could talk for 24 hours on this. I see Alice Springs moving forward in leaps and bounds. In two, three, eight and 10 years, people will be reaping the rewards of the investments and policy decisions we are making now. These will see more people move to Central Australia and the economy and competition grow, which will provide many more jobs across a range of industry sectors for the population and future kids of the region.
Mr CONLAN (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, I thank everyone who contributed to the statement on Central Australia. It came on in May, so there have been even more developments since then. Over the last three months even more resources and effort have been put into Central Australia, but we might bring that back in another statement down the track.
I made a claim, which I did not get around to checking the facts of. I said this is one of the most significant statements on Central Australia ever presented in this parliament. I touched based with Kaye at the Parliamentary Library – hats off to her, as she is extraordinarily helpful; if you send her an e-mail she is quick with a response. She provided me with all the statements that have been presented specifically on Central Australia or at least with some Central Australia focus. From memory, there might have been about six or seven. None had anywhere near the significance or weight of this statement.
This one took 50 minutes to deliver to the House, and I cannot remember how many words it was, but it was somewhere along the lines of 5000 or 6000. This was a serious commitment and demonstration of this Giles Country Liberal government’s particular focus on Central Australia. I say ‘particular’ because we came to government with an objective to restore Alice Springs to the great iconic heartland town it once was. After 11 years of Labor, everyone realised something needed to happen. This statement essentially identified what this government has done in two short years, compared to the previous government over 11 long years.
It has me stumped why the member for Barkly is not the shadow Minister for Central Australia these days. He is not any better than anyone else over there, but he is the one who is closest to and actually lives in the Centre. The Leader of the Opposition is the shadow Minister for Central Australia, which is a frightening prospect. She was the architect of those 11 long years of deprivation in Central Australia. She presided over the budgetary position, and was the Deputy Chief Minister, the Treasurer, the Attorney-General – all those key portfolios that could have seen Alice Springs rise to the top. Instead she drove it to the very bottom, and is now the shadow Minister for Central Australia. That concept is completely lost on me, but maybe someone can explain it to me one day.
The member for Barkly tried to suggest there was nothing there before we were elected in 2012. Those were his words, not mine; I stuck around in Alice Springs. I stayed in the Centre because there was plenty there. I witnessed firsthand what the previous government was doing to Central Australia, particularly our great regional towns, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, and we have already heard the Chief Minister articulate Tennant Creek’s scenario.
My wife and I were married in Alice Springs, and our children, I am proud to say, were born in Central Australia. My son now attends school in Alice Springs, so we are committed to the place. Part of the reason I stuck around was not because I loved Alice. It is a wonderful town; I came from east of the Great Dividing Range and landed in Alice Springs. I never thought I would fall in love with the desert, but I did. My wife and I love it, and it is our home. I came from Brisbane, my wife came from Perth, we met in Alice and we have stayed there ever since.
Part of the reason I stayed, apart from loving the place, was because I was determined to do everything I possibly could to rid the Northern Territory of that wretched Labor government.
Mr Giles: Keep going.
Mr CONLAN: Do not worry, I will. I could see firsthand what it was doing to regional centres around the Northern Territory. I did not think for a minute that there was nothing there, member for Barkly. There was heaps there. As I said, I love the place and I could see its potential. They are your words, not mine.
He talked about Traeger Park, the aquatic centre and the drag strip; these were all things supported by the opposition at the time. No one in their right mind every campaigned against an aquatic centre, for crying out loud. We were cheering, saying, ‘Well done, about time’. I think Traeger Park was opened by the Minister for Sport and Recreation at the time, the member for Karama; her name is on the plaque there.
We were more than happy to receive the aquatic centre, no doubt about it, as well as the upgrades at Traeger Park, so hats off to you. It was a great, quaint country grandstand, but you invested in it and transformed it into what is stage one of a world-class grandstand. I hope as the years go by we can appropriate money to continue investment into Traeger Park. I have already, as Sports minister, allocated money towards Traeger Park to continue its growth and create one of the great regional sports grounds in the country. I do not know what the member for Barkly is talking about; we support Traeger Park and the aquatic centre developments. We do now and we did then, the same as for the drag strip.
He mentioned Action for Alice. That was a bizarre rant, as I do not know what that has to do with anything. He talked about the newspaper headlines; again, they were your headlines. They did not happen under us; they happened under the previous Labor government.
On Tuesdays and Friday, in every edition of the Centralian Advocate for at least four or five years, there was a shocking headline, and they seemed to get worse and worse. The joke was, ‘Can this headline outdo the previous edition’s headline?’ On many occasions it did. You might find it offensive that I have presented those headlines on a number of occasions. I did it in opposition times because that is what you do; I understand, as I have been there. I do it now to demonstrate how far we have come as a government.
Let us address some of the body of the statement. I have some information here on Tennant Creek for the member for Barkly, but the Chief Minister has articulated some of it. If I have time I will come back to it.
I am delighted to report back to the House and clear this statement from the Notice Paper; there is nothing wrong with doing that. The member for Barkly speaks as if it is some sort of travesty, and that we should be ashamed of ourselves for clearing the Notice Paper.
For five long years I watched the previous Labor government do nothing but clear the Notice Paper. In fact all you did was load the Notice Paper with puff pieces, and then spend the next half of the sittings year clearing it. It happens to the very best of us and certainly to the worst of us, which was you. I am delighted to clear this from the Notice Paper, as it is overdue. Unfortunately, we introduced it in May, and with the way the sittings calendar rolls, it is not until now that I am able to respond and make closing remarks on the statement.
Despite the doom and gloom of those opposite, Central Australia has a very bright future, and I take the opportunity to refute some of the slanderous comments. If Alice Springs was a person she would be mortified and feel slandered by the member for Karama, the shadow Minister for Central Australia. I refer to the Hansard of 8 May this year, when I delivered this statement to the House. The member for Karama, on that date and in response to the statement, said:
It is a very firm Country Liberals policy not to underwrite airlines with any financial contributions. Apart from that, all we can do is continue our effort with marketing our jurisdiction as a preferred holiday and business events destination above all others. If we create that demand, we will see increased air traffic. Business cases have been presented to other airlines based on that demand, but as you can appreciate, discussions with airlines are commercial-in-confidence. I will not expand on those, but unlike the previous government we will not be underwriting this airline with any financial contribution.
We will support airlines by entering into cooperative marketing partnerships. We did that with Tigerair. Tourism NT’s investment into building the demand for Tigerair through corporate marketing partnerships was around $700 000. It is no mean feat. It was a lot of cooperative marketing dollars, and it paid off. Tigerair was well patronised; it experienced and enjoyed healthy loads into Alice Springs, no doubt about it. If you want to debate aviation economics and how a 1 c per kilometre revenue on one route over another route - that is a very detailed, technical and long conversation we can have at another time. That is exactly how Tigerair saw it; if you can raise 0.5 c per person, per kilometre on another route, you will. That is exactly how aviation economics works and, in this case, that is what happened with Tigerair.
It is very difficult to operate a budget airline. I say budget as opposed to the crass comment by the member for Karama about ‘cheap airlines’. It is a budget carrier; there is nothing cheap about an airline. It is very hard to operate a budget airline with discounted fares over such a long sector.
Melbourne to Alice Springs is two-and-a-half or two-and-three-quarter hours one way, with three hours the other. You have a number of take off/landing cycles, and it is very hard to maximise your profits. That is just the way airlines work.
The way Tourism NT will approach discussions with future airlines is through cooperative marketing agreements; of course, they expect that and we deliver. As I said, we saw $700 000 invested in Tigerair. It is very sad that it left, as Alice Springs was certainly the beneficiary of that service.
I congratulate and thank Qantas for being so responsive in releasing its new sale fares on the day Tigerair pulled out. On July 22 we saw a range of discounted airfares by Qantas from most of its destinations and, in this case, from destinations Tigerair was servicing. It has always puzzled me that when one carrier pulls out it is usually the one left servicing the destination that receives all the criticism. Why would we pick on the one still servicing the destination? Qantas is no different to any other airline; it has a business to operate, one consistently running on very small margins.
I have a couple of pages regarding the member for Karama’s assertions about airlines such as Tigerair. The announcement about Qantas’ airfares demonstrated the goodwill, as well as the landmark $7m cooperative marketing agreement we signed last year, the biggest ever partnership between this jurisdiction and an airline. I am very pleased with what we have received from the existing carrier, in light of the former carrier departing.
A number of discussions are continuing with other airlines, so watch this space. It is all we can do, and we will continually work overtime to market the Northern Territory to demonstrate that it is a destination worth flying to.
On 8 May the member for Karama also said:
Uluru has had a remarkable transformation, thanks to the introduction of Jetstar, so good in fact that it has added an additional flight into Yulara. While Yulara has a unique set of circumstances, the Barkly is one of those areas where we are trying to encourage dispersal, as are Litchfield, Kakadu, Katherine and the Arnhem region, all through our gateway in Darwin
We support all operators, especially Indigenous businesses in remote areas which may not have seen that approach in the past; it is very much a priority for this government. I thank the Minister for Business; the Department of Business has a tourism business development unit, and is working in a number of key regions within Central Australia to provide a great opportunity for the development of Indigenous tourism.
Some current initiatives include providing support and facilitation for a joint venture partnership between Uluru family tours and AAT Kings to operate south of Uluru; assisting Umpiyara Aboriginal EcoTourism, west of Yulara, through mentoring to expand its tourism product range; assistance to the Hermannsburg Historic Precinct regarding the tourism requirements of the MOU between the Hermannsburg Historical Society, Kasey Pty Ltd and the new managers, Finke River Mission services; and mentoring support at Tinkerbee Art and Culture in Alice Springs, which is developing a Welcome to Country product and increasing its business capacity.
The Department of Business is working with three Indigenous communities within Watarrka National Park to expand their tourism products to meet the demands of the expanding education market. Also …
Mr BARRETT: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request an extension of time for the minister.
Motion agreed to.
Mr CONLAN: The Department of Business’ tourism business development unit works closely with Tourism NT to design programs around all tourism businesses and ventures to ensure outcomes of the two agencies are in line with Tourism Vision 2020. There is a lot of work happening in this space.
Work with the Papunya Boards is certainly worth mentioning. This is in response to the Opposition Leader’s claims that we are not doing too much in the space of arts tourism. It is a great opportunity to educate her. Research is under way to develop a major exhibition of the MAGNT Papunya Boards, which is to open in 2016. It is a fantastic selection of eight of the MAGNT Papunya Boards, which were displayed at the Araluen Arts Centre from March 2013 to February 2014. Reproductions of the works were also displayed at Ayers Rock Resort in the main foyer.
The tourism information centre in the Todd Mall creates huge interest in the area, and tourists are using the visitors’ centre there like never before. Labor has whinged about that move, but it has been an extraordinary initiative. We are seeing the likes of between 500 …
Ms Fyles: How much on travel each week? Table those documents.
Mr CONLAN: Sorry, what was that?
Ms Fyles: Travel each week.
Mr CONLAN: Travel each week? I am not sure what you are saying. It is just a bizarre rant over there. If you are going to say something, can you project it so we can hear it?
Tourism Central Australia is conducting daily tours around town promoting history and background on historic buildings in the town, which is fantastic. Again, Labor has whinged, moaned, carped and sulked about what has happened with Tourism NT, particularly the move to Alice Springs. It has been a great success and has exceeded everyone’s expectations. It has not affected tourism administration one iota. If anything, it has enhanced it.
Jalistan House – the old Qantas, TAA and Q restaurant building – is now the headquarters of Tourism NT and Tourism Central Australia. As I said, numbers through those doors were anywhere between 500, and when Tigerair was on the ground, up to 700 or 800. Obviously, some of those numbers have dropped back, but we are seeing about 500 people a day throughout the season, which is still double, and in some cases treble, the traffic we saw previously in the old building. There was nothing wrong with the old building, as it served its purpose, but it was time to move into the 21st century. We did it. We had the vision, and Labor whinged, moaned and carped about it. It is now time to accept that it was a productive move for Tourism NT and tourism across the Northern Territory.
On 8 May the member for Karama also said – this is a good one:
Many parts of the CBD are now full of thriving, brand-new businesses. To name a few, there is Sweet Heaven on Gregory Terrace; the Happy Herb Shop; Outback Cycling; Uncle Edy’s Ice Cream; and a new martial arts fitness centre on Smith Street. There is also the Evolution nightclub; the Memo Club has reopened; Bunnings hardware; a recycling depot, Envirobank; Page 27 Caf has opened Epilogue across the road where the old lane was; Mix It Up Frozen Yoghurt; Nails by Phuong; the Afor fashion group; Jetcor Yamaha; Beat Keller has reopened a shop in the industrial area of all places, but that is Beat for you; GT Lock & Key; Feed the Mob; Bohemian Bazaar; Loco Burrito Mexican takeaway in Todd Street; and Kafe Gonzo, a new caf in the Alice Springs cinema.
That is a list of businesses that have opened in less than the last 12 months. It has been extraordinary. We have seen expansions to the Lone Dingo; it has taken the shop next door and expanded its enterprise. Emu Run Tours has expanded its shop front in Todd Street, and Mixed Lollies has expanded its premises. Rocky’s Pizza has also expanded, with another outlet in Larapinta, whilst Uncles Tavern has expanded into the old Keller’s restaurant on Gregory Terrace. Central Comms has expanded into a new premises on Whittaker Street, and the Gap View Hotel has also expanded its premises; I think it is continuing to invest in the town. That does not include the brand new gym that has just opened, as well as a huge investment of more than $30m by the Alice Springs casino.
It is an incredible list of new businesses. Yes, some businesses have closed. Murray Neck Leading Edge Music closed, as, unfortunately, people do not buy CDs like they used to. I am not sure what you expect the government to do about that; it is the way of the world. All record bars and CD shops around the world are experiencing the same problem. Dymocks in Alice Plaza closed – Bev Ellis retired, for crying out loud. At Don Thomas’, Pam Hooper also retired; the store opened in, I think, 1935. Pam was not working there in 1935, but the place has been around for a long time, and she has been a great slave to that business for a number of years. She wanted to retire, it is as simple as that.
Businesses come and go, but the list I have demonstrates that many are still showing confidence in Alice Springs and in what this government is trying to deliver.
On 8 May the member for Karama also said:
I have just dismissed this as a false argument.
My sympathies go out to Nick and Sheila, but the facts do remain, which the Chief Minister articulated in his response to this statement, that latest crime statistics show total property offences, house break-ins, theft and property damage are at their lowest in the NT for 14 years.
These figures coincide with the last time the CLP was in government. The Giles Country Liberal government is tackling crime head on by targeting repeat property offences, and police have been given tools to prevent, detect and investigate crime. It is as simple as that. Unlawful entries in Alice Springs are at a four-year low.
Ms Walker interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: I am sorry, member for Nhulunbuy, but that is the way it is in Alice Springs. If you do not like it, I am sorry. I am not surprised you do not like it because we have been able to turn this around.
Ms Walker: Except what you have done to Nhulunbuy.
Mr CONLAN: This is a statement about Central Australia. I know you do not like Central Australia - none of you do - and you, member for Nhulunbuy, especially do not like it. In fact you never mentioned Central Australia, from memory, once in your four years in government, let alone visited the place. I understand why you are jumping up and down and feeling very miffed that I am not talking about Nhulunbuy.
This statement celebrates the government’s achievements in Central Australia, especially when it comes to law and order, an issue you guys dropped the ball on. You were bereft of any ideas, and Alice Springs suffered. In two short years, this government has been able to create a 14-year low in property damage, house break-ins and total property offences, as well as a four-year low in unlawful entries.
Wait and see what happens in the next two years. It is staggering to think about, with this momentum and these initiatives, the way we can turn this place around. Turning off the grog tap, Alcohol Protection Orders, alcohol mandatory treatment and temporary beat locations are results. We are seeing these on the ground because of the Giles Country Liberal government initiatives. Law and order is now off the agenda.
The member for Karama …
Ms Fyles: Your time is up, sit down.
Mr CONLAN: Oh, my time is up. Too bad; there is much more to say.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
For the past three weeks, 110 military aircraft and more than 2300 personnel have been taking part in Exercise Pitch Black. It is a large-scale field training exercise involving the RAAF, the Australian Army and international participants from the United States, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, and, for the first time, the United Arab Emirates and French armed forces from New Caledonia.
We are fortunate that the Darwin and Tindal Air Force bases have facilities that allow them to host visiting aircraft. The air space surrounding Delamere and Bradshaw is among the world’s largest training areas, and its close proximity to our regional neighbours makes it easy and convenient for other air forces to use. Exercise Pitch Black is a critical part of training air combat personnel to develop and practice new strategies and tactics, and meet operational readiness requirements for the security of Australia.
The exercise is focused on the tactical execution of counter-offensive operations, interdiction and land counter operations. It also recognises the strong relationship that Australia has with other participating nations, and the high value placed on fostering closer ties throughout the Asia Pacific region.
The exercise includes an international planning group, with representatives from countries such as Japan, China and Malaysia, taking the total number of countries involved in the exercise to 23. It is a truly international event which gives us a good indication of the Northern Territory’s future role in supporting defence.
The Northern Territory has grown to become an important strategic hub for Australia, and the Defence presence here is growing all the time. The Northern Territory has just 1% of Australia’s population, but almost 10% of its permanent Defence personnel. That is more than 6500 Defence personnel in total. Add Defence families to the equation, and we estimate that Defence makes up more than 6% of the Northern Territory’s population. That is a significant part of our society and local economy.
Defence is one of the biggest contributors to the local economy after gas and mining, with Exercise Pitch Black expected to inject more than $25m into the Northern Territory economy alone. In total, the Australian Defence Force spends over $1.4bn in the Northern Territory each year, and that has been growing by an average of 11% per year over the past decade.
We expect increased operations at Tindal and a squadron of the new Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to be based in the Top End. New Rheinmetall MAN heavy vehicles will begin arriving in Australia in 2016, with many destined for Darwin, creating new opportunities for business to service and support those vehicles.
New wharf facilities for HMAS Coonawarra are currently under consideration by Defence. The United States Marines’ presence is also increasing in the Top End, with 1150 marines and four heavy lift helicopters currently on rotation through Darwin. The new Force Posture Agreement with the United States sets out a legal framework for those numbers to grow to a full Marine Air-Ground Task Force of 2500 personnel into the future.
Our growing role as a defence training area for the greater Asia Pacific region is an important component of our greater plan to develop the north and attract new business to the Territory. This government’s position is that the marines should utilise local industry to support the marine rotational force in Darwin wherever practical and possible, including the supply of rations and the warehousing and maintenance of equipment.
We recognise the contribution Defence personnel and their families make to our local community, and the Northern Territory government is committed to supporting those families and the Defence community. I thank the participants of Exercise Pitch Black for their contribution to the Territory, as well as our international contingent for allowing their aircraft and personnel to take part in an open day at Darwin airport last week. Territorians love to get up close and personal to the aircraft, rather than watching them from the road, and it was a great chance for people to see different aircraft from all over the world.
We expect the number of international training exercises to increase in the Northern Territory over the coming years, as Australia builds its defence ties in the Asia Pacific region and beyond. Our large training areas and strategic position in the region make the Territory an ideal location for joint exercises with the world’s army, navy and air forces. That is good news for Australia and the Territory.
I also wish to congratulate the YMCA for staging a very successful youth parliament and leadership camp, held here during the July school holidays.
The camp brought together a group of young people from across the Territory, who spent two weeks debating six bills and two matters of public importance in the Chamber, as well as holding two spirited Question Times. The participants, who ranged from 14 to 24 years old, were from a diverse group of geographical areas, including Darwin, Palmerston, Tennant Creek, Galiwinku and Kununurra. Almost half of the group was Indigenous, and three were former African refugees referred to the program through the Melaleuca Refugee Centre.
The ingenuity of the group was remarkable, and they created several new portfolios that we should perhaps consider for ourselves. Andrew O’Keefe held the portfolio of the minister for common sense; I should point out he was also the Deputy Chief Minister. There was the minister for wisdom, Cindy Um, the shadow minister for common sense and marriage, Tarazita Johnston, and the shadow minister for online protection Domino Bidwee, among them. This was all cast under the watchful eye of Speaker Dion Dodd and several YMCA volunteers.
The participants agreed on bills and MPI topics, and then researched their debating positions in the NT library. The two matters of public importance discussed were the cost of living in the NT, driven up highly by the former Labor government, and free education for all young people. Six bills were debated: the Reduce Substance Misuse and Abuse Bill; the Harsher Penalties for Cyber Bullying Bill; a Media and Communication Standards Review Bill; a Sex Education in Schools Bill; the Mental Health Early Intervention and Prevention Bill; and a Parental Licencing and Regulation Bill. All six bills went to the committee stage, where participants made a number of amendments to each one. Five of the bills were passed with bipartisan support; only the parental licence bill, a private member’s bill from the opposition, was narrowly defeated in division.
The young people came to the House with varying amounts of experience in public speaking in youth parliaments. Many of them came with no experience at all. It was clear that by the end of the second sitting day all participants had developed and improved their speaking and debating skills considerably. It is people like this group who will be the leaders of tomorrow, and I was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm and wit they brought to this House.
I sat in the gallery and watched much of the debate. I have already mentioned some of the participants, but I would also like to thank Sarah Edgington, Tyaan Tuckey, Shania Holt, Jack Callaghan, Anthony Gaykamangu, Zelda Dhamarrandji, Euphraise Camille and Joyce Hakim, who occupied this side of the House, and Rebekah Hallett, Laurence Jinyola, Jermaine Campbell, Jessica Burrarrwanga and Siobhan Tonks, who took on the role of opposition.
If these young people become our future members of parliament, I suspect the Territory will be in extremely good hands.
Thank you to members who were involved and who addressed the participants: Deputy Speaker Gary Higgins; the Minister for Young Territorians, Peter Styles; and, of course, minister Elferink.
Thank you also to those members who came to watch part of the proceedings. I also thank the Manager of Parliamentary Education Services, Karen Parker, who does a tremendous job in Parliament House; Director of Procedural Support and Education Services, Ben Harris; and 2014 YMCA Youth Parliament Program Coordinator Gemma Benn.
Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you to you and Madam Speaker for making the House available for this very important educational event. Involving young people in this process can only make this parliament stronger and improve the future of the Territory through a democratic framework.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, I will talk about two recent areas of activity in my electorate. Firstly, I compliment and congratulate those involved with the Northern Territory Polocrosse Association for being the host jurisdiction for the recent national championships, held from 7 to 13 July.
Many people would not realise, but polocrosse was developed in Australia in 1938 by Australians, Mr and Mrs Hirst of Sydney. It was inspired by an indoor exercise from England which used old polo sticks with squash racquet heads, and a shallow string net to replace the mallet on the end of a stick. Polocrosse is a combination of polo, which is a very English game, lacrosse, which I used to play and which is a good game, and netball. It is played on horseback, with each rider using a cane stick made up of a polo stick shaft attached to a squash racquet head, complete with a loose twisted thread net which carries the ball. It has come a long way since 1938.
From the outset, it was intended to be a game which allowed the inexpensive enjoyment of one’s horse. There is still the rule today of one horse, one player, and the playing of alternative chukkas so a horse can rest while another takes the field.
A team of six could travel in one cattle truck in those days. Petrol was rationed, and people did not travel far as the game progressed in 1945. Trains and single floats were also a popular way to transport horses to carnivals during the early days. The first official polocrosse club was formed in Ingleburn, New South Wales in 1939, with the second club at Burradoo formed in 1946. The first interclub competition was held in that year.
The game quickly spread because of its popularity. It combines not only robust activity of an athletic nature, but also horses, which are very popular around the country. Today there are over 250 clubs throughout Australia. The game is now played across the globe in New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, USA, Canada, England, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Uruguay, Vanuatu and Argentina.
We were fortunate in the Northern Territory to host the national championships in July. The last time the championships were here was about 10 years ago. Paul Myburgh, who is the President of the NT Polocrosse Association, and his organising team did a wonderful job hosting the championships. I compliment and congratulate the Northern Territory organisation and the team, which included Brenton Ascoli; Norm Woo; Shae Cooper; Rob Wait; Paul Myburgh, the president; Vicki Mayne; Travis McMahon; John Piening and Leanne Piening.
I went to watch championship games over the week. I thought I knew a little about polocrosse, but after watching the national titles I learned much more. I learned that at national level it is an incredibly fast, hard and very robust game. Without a doubt, Australians are at the top of the game. The national team has been selected – I do not know who is in it – to play in South Africa.
I congratulate the organising committee. They pulled the national championships together in a very short period of time, and it was a wonderful event held at Freds Pass. Not only were there approximately 400 to 500 horses that came to Darwin from around Australia, but there was upwards of 1000, if not 1500, people as well. It was not only competitors, but their families and friends, vets and all sorts of people in support crews.
It was a 40th year milestone in the Territory; much hard work was put in to hold this prestigious event. The Northern Territory government sponsored the event quite substantially; rightly so, given the contribution it made not only to the community and the sport, but also the economy. I am not sure how much a horse eats per day, but the organisers and businesses that provide fodder and feed for horses had to stockpile months in advance to make sure they had enough in stock.
I congratulate all Territory teams. We did not make the finals, but we certainly played some very strong matches. We had under-12s exhibition, under-21 and masters mixed teams. The coach was sometimes also a player.
I want to put the Northern Territory teams – who played and who coached them – on the record because it was a very enjoyable week. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we might have some good news about hosting another major polocrosse event in the near future.
There was the Northern Territory under-12s exhibition team, coached by Marg Walkin and managed by Fiona Webster. In that team – these players were under-12s, sometimes on a horse of 16 hands. We had Abby Finlayson, Tallara Forbes, Tyla Maguire, Sharia Piening, Angus Knight, Clancy Martin and Billy May.
We had the under-21 men’s team, which was coached by Noel Hassall and managed by Gianna Douglas. There was Isaak Bradford, who I have known, as well as his family, for a while. He is a lovely young man who went to Taminmin College. Also in the team was Jake Burgdorf, Rupet Trembath, captain Ben Hart, Joseph Hazelbane Jr, John Piening and Gary Trembath.
The under-21 women’s team was coached by Wayne Taylor and, again, managed by Margaret Walkin. Players were Nadine Parsons; Simone Connolly; captain Georgina Davies; Chelsea Golder; Rosie Stewart-Boon; Jesse-Lee Taylor, who is Wayne Taylor’s daughter; and Lorin Ascoli. They played exceptionally well, as did the under-21 men’s team.
The Northern Territory mixed open team was coached by Matt Deveraux and managed by Karen Were. Players were Michelle Angel; Rebecca Ascoli; Cathy Clarke; Elsie Hassall; Daniel Clark; Grant Clarke; Benjamin Guest; and Robert Wait.
The Northern Territory senior men’s team, which many people went to the competition to watch, was coached by Ray Cook and managed by Grant Hamilton. The team was captain Steven Boulton, Sam Cook, Zac Gleeson, Gerard Maley, his brother Peter Maley, Stephen Nolan, and Larry Phillips. I watched some of the senior men’s games, along with the women’s matches. I did not always get to see the under-21s. There is no way I would get on a horse the size of some of those at the event.
I watched the Northern Territory men play the Western Australia team, and I have never seen such big men and horses. When they did, unfortunately, come off a horse, they are so well disciplined to roll into a little ball so the horse does not trample them. Miraculously they would get up, hop back on the horse and return to play.
There was a Northern Territory masters mixed team, which was managed by Leanne Piening and coached by Allan McGill. Allan McGill also had to play in that team because someone was unable to compete. One player was Vicki Mayne, who was one of the main organisers, so not only was she running around the grounds sorting things out, she was also playing - a terrific person and a good advocate for the sport. Other players on the team were Donna Simms, Suzannah Smith, Isabel Stewart, captain Brett Pen-Dennis, Greg Thompson and Peter Trembath.
The national championships were wonderful, and I wish them well. The Darwin competition is still going; it is on this weekend and next weekend. If people want to see a fast and furious sport, I recommend they go to the back fields at Freds Pass Reserve. You will have a lovely time, and they are more than welcoming.
I enjoyed watching the competition, and I have learned a lot, not only about the comradeship but also about the rules, which I did not fully understand before. However, I understood the nationals. They bring in many competition people, such as coaches, adjudicators, referees and the national people were also there; they spoke highly of the organisation of the competition. I think the expression is ‘to punch well above your weight’, and we certainly did that by hosting the Australian national championships.
Ms MANISON (Wanguri): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to ask the government more important questions about when it will allow more scrutiny of the Power and Water Corporation and the new government owned corporations.
During estimates in June we were unable to ask questions about government owned corporations, which is usually part of the process. Given the size of Power and Water, the new government owned corporations and the impact power, water and sewerage costs have on every Territorian, it is important that we get to ask questions about their finances, the cost to Territorians and their operations.
The government, through the Treasurer and shareholding minister, gave some firm commitments about when we would be able to scrutinise the Power and Water Corporation, Jacana Energy and Territory Generation. The Treasurer said the statement of corporate intent would not be ready until these sittings, due to structural separation. The government rammed through structural separation and needed more time to prepare the statements. Territorians were reassured that the Estimates Committee process for government owned corporations would happen this month. I remind the Treasurer about the commitments he has given to parliament.
On 15 May, during debate on the motion to establish the Estimates Committee, he said:
He went on to say:
Can the shareholding and Essential Services ministers confirm that the statements of corporate intent will be tabled during these sittings? Why has the government failed to set dates for estimates around the Power and Water Corporation, Jacana Energy and Territory Generation?
There have been some firm commitments made around this process, and now the government has gone silent. Why is that? Why is it avoiding scrutiny of the operations of the government owned corporations and the impacts of structural separation? Are you hiding the real cost of the split of Power and Water from Territorians? Is it because during Public Accounts Committee public hearings it was made very clear that the estimates of the cost of separation were based on best case scenarios at the time, would be re-examined post-separation and that they were grossly underestimated?
It makes sense that the split of the Power and Water Corporation to create these three new government owned corporations would only drive up the operational cost by replicating existing functions around the three entities. A clear example could be found in the jobs section of last Saturday’s NT News.
Jacana Energy, the new energy retailer and former retail section of Power and Water, advertised four executive positions. There are jobs as a company secretary/general counsel – $195 000 a year; an executive manager, sales and strategy – $213 000 a year; a corporate services manager – $185 000 a year; and an executive manager, transitional services – $195 000 a year. That equates to almost $800 000 worth of new jobs alone for one of the government owned corporations.
These costs are just the tip of the iceberg of a broader range of expenditure that will hit taxpayers due to the split of the Power and Water Corporation, in addition to the millions of dollars already spent on consultants.
Other examples of costs include the splitting of service contracts; separate billing systems; splitting legal instruments; new IT systems; the replication of back office functions; and new accounting systems. Let us not forget the shiny new rebranding and massive advertising campaign that we have seen on TV, heard on radio and read in the newspapers, explaining to people what Jacana Energy and Territory Generation are, and how on earth people can go about paying their power and water bill. There has been a massive spend.
When will we get a chance to scrutinise the government’s split of Power and Water, or are you trying to hide the real cost from Territorians? Why are you avoiding scrutiny, and when will you commit to allowing parliament to appropriately scrutinise the split of Power and Water?
Territorians are aware that this agenda has been about the privatisation of Power and Water. You rammed this split through with no evidence to show any cost benefits to Territorians. They have already suffered enough at the hands of your government’s brutal power and water price increases.
Territorians expect the split and performance of the Power and Water Corporation, Jacana Energy and Territory Generation to be scrutinised by this parliament. When will we have that opportunity? Will the government continue to dodge, duck and weave to avoid scrutiny, so it can continue to leave Territorians in the dark about their vital power, water and sewerage services? Thank you.
Ms FYLES (Nightcliff): Mr Deputy Speaker, as shadow minister for the arts, I will talk about some important events and happenings within the Northern Territory arts industry. As we all know, it is a very important time, and I have been engaging with the local arts community.
I have been hugely impressed with the work of our local artists and art organisations, which has been contributing immeasurably to the cultural fabric of the Northern Territory. This contribution is essential to the Northern Territory’s social and economic future – in particular our tourism sector – but it is also a huge part of our lifestyle.
This year the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory Act has been introduced. Labor was looking into this kind of reform when in government, and this legislation was supported by my colleagues and me. However, I will be watching with interest to see how this new act works in practical terms, and whether it has positive or negative effects on facilities under the purview of MAGNT.
I recently visited the Frogshollow Centre for the Arts on Wood Street. Many organisations are based there, and I was extremely impressed with the work they are doing. Artback NT, ANKAAA, Tracks Dance, the Darwin Festival, the NT Writers’ Centre and the Darwin Visual Arts Association all do superb work with local artists in Darwin and remote areas.
At the centre I was told about different programs, and I was presented with a map showing all the communities that organisations have visited, and where they have run programs. It was very interesting and opened my eyes. I was given a road safety CD, which contains different ways of delivering messages to people through artistic and musical expression. My four-year old is quite taken with the CD, and it plays constantly in my car.
Meeting these local arts organisations revealed more than just the talent. There are funding concerns in the NT’s artistic community. Earlier this year the Minister for Arts and Museums confirmed that $1.3m would be cut from local arts organisations. However, we still do not know which organisations will be hit, and the arts community is extremely concerned as a result.
Many arts bodies rely almost solely on NT government funding – it is base funding – and what they do with it is amazing. They provide so many services and opportunities, and it would be extremely disappointing to see any of these groups have to stop their great work as a result of funding cuts. The Top End arts community and I would be appreciative if the minister could outline which arts bodies will lose money, and how much funding they will lose.
It has not gone unnoticed by the community that in the same breath as announcing these cuts, the Country Liberals announced $300 000 of increased funding for the Darwin Festival’s Asian engagement program, as part of the Festivals NT initiative. Whilst this is important, people are concerned; we must provide as much funding as possible to our biggest artistic event, but it should not be at the expense of our locally-staffed, locally-funded and locally-based arts organisations. Without these groups larger events such as the Darwin Festival would not be possible.
Part of the Darwin Festival’s strength is that it involves locally-based, talented artists who have the opportunity to perform. We want to ensure that in future years the festival still has that locally-based content. It is a great festival in beautiful weather at that time of year, but if it was all interstate and international acts – it is important that we strengthen and grow our local arts community. We need to allow people the opportunity to explore their talents and present them to the community.
The Darwin Festival is in full swing, and artists from the Territory, interstate and overseas have all made a significant contribution. I congratulate artistic director Edwina Lunn and her team for their efforts in putting together yet another sensational program and festival. I have thoroughly enjoyed heading to Festival Park with my kids for some dinner and a show; it is beautiful. I notice photos on Facebook every night taken by friends and family loving the festival and its atmosphere.
Darwin Festival has international acts like the Dynamic Duo and the Vietnamese Water Puppets, to local performers such as the Choir of Man and Gurrumul. The festival has also included some big name Australian acts like Tina Arena, Dan Sultan and Adalita. To its credit, the festival has become a huge event, drawing high-profile artists each year.
My favourite event has to be the wonderful Teddy Bears’ Picnic, which I attended a couple of Sundays ago. There were so many families there; it was based around children, but there were also great art activities, dancing and music. My two-year-old had a great time, as did many Territory families.
It is great that the festival brings together a huge range of events. It is important that we ensure funding to locally-based arts organisations, so that can continue for years to come.
The Darwin Fringe Festival has also returned this year, taking place from 17 July to 10 August. Shows included Robbie Mills and Green Stone Garden, as well as comedy performances. It had a local feel, with events held at Happy Yess, Browns Mart and the Darwin Railway Club, as well as other locations around Darwin.
I am continually impressed with the work of our amazing arts community. It contributes immeasurably to the cultural fabric of the Northern Territory, but it is concerned that CLP government funding cuts could spell the end for some of our local groups. It is a genuine concern in our community. I hope the minister and CLP government see the light on this issue, and reconsider these funding cuts. I would like them to explain the cuts to the House, because the arts community is most concerned.
On 1 July our local police station was closed permanently, devastating my community of Nightcliff, Rapid Creek and Coconut Grove. Soon after coming to government in 2012 the CLP removed the police beat from Nightcliff. It was an active patrol, based within our community, and it worked with retailers, community stakeholders and residents.
We have seen an increase in antisocial behaviour incidents. As part of the budget, the Chief Minister announced that the Nightcliff police station would be closed, which is absurd. The CLP promised a 24/7 police station, yet it has given the exact opposite to our community. People are very upset by the CLP taking away the police beat and closing our police station.
Antisocial behaviour and crime are issues every day in our community. My office is based at the Nightcliff shopping village, where the markets are held. There are incidents there day in and day out, and we often have to call police. Nightcliff will always be a hot spot. We are close to the airport, and the hospital, and we have the foreshore area and high-density living. It attracts issues, so removing a police station is not the right thing to do.
Since the CLP won government we have seen assault cases rise by 12.5%, domestic violence incidents have increased by 33.5% and alcohol-related violence cases have increased by 18%. This represents a broken promise, after the CLP said it would reduce crime by 10%, as well as have a 24/7 police station in Nightcliff.
I have written to the Chief Minister, advising him that it is the wrong decision. Our community is upset. I have been busy doorknocking in this lovely weather, and we have a petition circulating around all the shops. I am regularly at Nightcliff Woolworths collecting signatures; I will continue to do this because it is something my community has asked me to campaign for. It is bizarre that the police station has closed, yet a mobile station has arrived. That is causing some curiosity.
The community wants the BDR back, as people felt it was a tool to help deal with alcohol-based issues. They feel that it was not an inconvenience; it was a tool that helped police and the Night Patrol service, for which you also cut funding. We need these tools in our community. People are experiencing antisocial behaviour, such as signs being kicked over outside their shops and windows being broken. However, they are also experiencing violent incidents next to the children’s playground. That is something I will continue to talk about.
The Chief Minister needs to put political gain aside and put in place effective policies; the police station in our community should be reopened.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Mr Deputy Speaker, I place on the record my serious concerns about the CLP’s blatant political involvement in the decision-making processes of school councils, particularly Nhulunbuy High School council. At the last Nhulunbuy High School council meeting I attended on Tuesday 13 August, council members discussed an agenda item about a nomination being sought for an education representative on the newly-formed Gove transition task force, to which the Northern Territory government supplies the secretariat.
The first meeting of the task force was held the night before on Monday 12 August. The Gove transition task force is the new and expanded body, replacing the Gove task force created last year. Membership encompasses Northern Territory and Australian government public servants, a traditional owner representative, a Northern Land Council representative, Rio Tinto and, importantly, two local people elected from the Gove Community Advisory Committee.
I was also a member of the Gove Community Advisory Committee, and still am. Even though this community reference group is experiencing some changes, it will continue to be an important advocate group at a grassroots level.
Nhulunbuy High School Council members were invited to consider if they wished to nominate someone for the Gove transition task force to represent the interests of local education, given that a representative had not been found through the Nhulunbuy Primary School Council. I acknowledge the contribution that Nhulunbuy Primary School Council Secretary Paul Mery has made to the Gove Community Advisory Committee.
At the council meeting on 13 August we discussed what the Gove transition task force was about. People were asking me questions about it because they were not very familiar with the new proposal. As far as some were concerned it was a bit like moving the deckchairs on the Titanic, but council members were willing to nominate members to be part of this task force.
The principal of the high school was viewed as a good advocate, and I supported her nomination. She is a dedicated, professional educator, and the school community has the utmost admiration for her.
In the midst of discussion, one of the councillors asked me if I was interested in nominating. She pointed out that I am a schoolteacher, currently registered in the Northern Territory, I have two children at the high school and that I have lived in Nhulunbuy for almost 25 years. Further, council recognised that I was a local member in touch with schools across the electorate. It was thought that I could represent the education sector on the Gove transition task force.
I did not seek nomination and I did not lobby council members, but I was pleased to discover that I had the unanimous support and confidence of the entire council at Nhulunbuy High School to represent education interests on the new task force.
Having thanked council members, I assured them that I would do my very best to represent their interests on the task force, as well all local government schools in the Nhulunbuy electorate, and those schools – we have three – under the banner of the Northern Territory Christian Schools Association.
The CLP is not interested in engaging with me as the elected representative. It is only interested in attacking me, and this shows how desperate it is in the absence of any meaningful engagement with the Nhulunbuy community. But I did not expect it to sink so low as to step in and overturn the council’s democratic decision, made by its duly elected representatives, to say that the local member cannot have a seat on the Gove transition task force.
A message was left on my mobile phone on Monday night of this week at 8.39pm. Its tone was apologetic and uncomfortable, telling me that as an opposition member I could not be on the task force and could not represent Nhulunbuy High School or the education sector. Instead, two government-appointed officers from the Department of Education will be on the task force.
I bear no grudges against local hard-working public servants in Nhulunbuy, but it is entirely unacceptable that some poor bureaucrat – who I have known for several years – was tapped on the shoulder to pass a message down the conga line of political minders and spin doctors from the fifth floor. They were given the most uncomfortable task of having to telephone the local member, and member of all government school councils in the Nhulunbuy electorate, to say, ‘Sorry Lynne, even though you were unanimously supported by members of Nhulunbuy High School Council, you cannot have a seat on the Gove transition task force’.
It is shameful. It is a farce that the CLP can dictate to a school council who it can and cannot appoint to a task force.
To date, I have been unable to contact the chair of the high school council because she is on leave. I am not bothering members of the council; they can make these decisions themselves. This is how the CLP does business; it is how it governs. Its blatant political interference in the processes of Nhulunbuy High School Council - or any school council for that matter - are shameful. What faith can the people of Nhulunbuy and Territorians have in our schools and school councils going about their work and democratic processes with the shameless interference of the CLP government?
To say I am disgusted is an understatement.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Member for Fannie Bay
Member for Fannie Bay
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I move that leave of absence be granted for the member for Fannie Bay today for personal reasons.
Leave granted.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of Year 6 classes from St Joseph’s Catholic College in Katherine, accompanied by Brad Henry, lys Borlini, Kylie Biddle and Elizabeth Campbell. On behalf of honourable members, welcome to Darwin and I hope you enjoy your time in Parliament House.
Members: Hear, hear!
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Wearing of Charity Badges
Wearing of Charity Badges
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, before you leave, I ask that if anyone wants these types of things to be worn in the Chamber, it is more than appreciated, but they should have tripartite support.
If you have this type of thing, get it for everyone. I have acquired some for the crossbenchers, because I saw they did not have them.
If you wish to put things on desks, please go through the Table Office.
WITHDRAWAL OF COMMENTS
Member for Karama to Member for Fong Lim
Member for Karama to Member for Fong Lim
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): A point of order, Madam Speaker! During Question Time extremely offensive comments were made about me by the Leader of the Opposition. I ask you to ask the Leader of the Opposition to withdraw under Standing Order 62.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, if you wish to make a personal statement you can do that later and talk to me about it.
Mr TOLLNER: I am not interested in personal statements. I am interested in the Leader of the Opposition withdrawing the offensive comments she made directly to me during Question Time.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, if the member feels something was offensive then I ask you to withdraw it.
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Speaking to the point of order, exactly what did you find offensive?
Mr TOLLNER: The Leader of the Opposition knows what I found offensive. She called me homophobic and a range of other things. I ask her to withdraw those comments.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, if he found the comments offensive please withdraw them.
Ms LAWRIE: I seek a ruling on this because, Madam Speaker, you sought advice from the Clerk. The advice from the Clerk was that he was to make a personal statement. What I repeated was factual, concerning the homophobic rant which had occurred.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have intervened under Standing Orders 63 and 64; I believe the words to be offensive. Opposition Leader, if you could withdraw the words that have offended the member for Fong Lim. It is a direction to you as a member.
Ms LAWRIE: Absolutely. I seek clarification.
Madam SPEAKER: You have it, it is Standing Order 64.
Ms LAWRIE: No, I seek clarification on specific words. I referred to a homophobic rant, undisciplined, offensive behaviour and repugnant language
Madam SPEAKER: All of it, Opposition Leader.
Ms LAWRIE: I seek further clarification from you, Madam Speaker. If I do not withdraw what is the penalty?
Madam SPEAKER: If you do not withdraw you are ignoring a direction of the Speaker and will be asked to leave the Chamber.
Ms LAWRIE: I will not dissent from your ruling. I, accordingly, withdraw and will say all of those words to the member for Fong Lim outside in public.
LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 90)
(Serial 90)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr GILES (Economic Development and Major Projects): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The Land Development Corporation was established in 2003 as a commercially orientated land development agency, with the primary aim of providing strategic industrial land associated with the port, rail and oil and gas industries. The success of the organisation in delivering appropriate land for industry is evidenced by the volume of large-scale development occurring at the Darwin Business Park and surrounding areas. Today we see an impressive array of businesses operating and new businesses becoming established at the business park, with the total value of development at approximately $300m in private development.
The Land Development Corporation currently manages over 180 ha of strategic industrial land at the Darwin Business Park, and is planning an additional 130 ha marine industry park on waterfront land at East Arm and a further 613 ha at Middle Arm.
The corporation's activities are self-funded through land sales and it pays substantial dividends and taxes to the Northern Territory government each year. The current year's capital works program for the corporation exceeds $44m, which will deliver residential land releases in Central Australia and Palmerston, and a continuation of industrial estates at East Arm and Middle Arm, supporting the current growth resulting from a number of large oil and gas projects.
These developments, along with others planned, provide support for major industrial activities, and cement the role of the Land Development Corporation as a central player in the strategic growth of Darwin as a marine and industrial hub.
When the private market has not been in a position to provide residential land, the corporation has had success in the development of affordable residential land and affordable housing projects in urban areas, including releases in the new Alice Springs suburb of Kilgariff. Currently, the corporation consists of a corporation sole who seeks the advice of the advisory board, with members appointed for three-year terms.
The board provides advice on matters relating to the corporation's estate and on the corporation's activities generally.
While the advisory board has been a useful mechanism for the corporation to obtain commercial advice, the cost of the board has steadily increased over the years, and over the last three financial years, the average cost of operation was in the order of $190 000 per year. The corporation has taken active steps to reduce these costs, but board expenses continue to represent a significant overhead for the operation of the organisation. As it is an advisory board, the corporation's board does not make decisions; it simply provides advice. The advice which can be provided by the board is, by necessity, limited to the experience and skill sets of appointed board members.
Further, it has been difficult to find board members locally who are able to be involved in discussions relating to the full breadth of the corporation's activities without potential conflicts of interest. This presents a limitation to the usefulness of the advice the corporation can seek from the advisory board in its current form. The recent resignation of existing board members has created an exceptional circumstance for the corporation to prepare an urgent bill without Cabinet authorisation, to be presented to Cabinet with a rolled up submission, seeking retrospective endorsement for the drafting of the bill, as well as approval to introduce the bill.
Given the cost of operation of the advisory board, and the limitations on the nature and scope of advice which it is able to provide, it is considered timely to review the provisions of the legislation which govern the appointment and operation of the board.
The act already provides the corporation with the ability to employ staff in addition to those employed under the Public Sector Employment and Management Act. It can also procure and obtain specialist advice as required. This means it is able to obtain expert advice in the ordinary course of business. The amendments proposed will provide the minister with the ability to convene an expert advisory board as required in relation to major projects or developments, rather than having the advisory board operating at times when this type of high level advice is not required or can be otherwise obtained.
After more than 10 years of operation, the Land Development Corporation has proven to be an effective land development organisation. These changes will assist to streamline the corporation by reducing the operational costs of the advisory board, and ensuring it is only convened when discussion of key issues by a group of appropriately skilled experts is required.
Madam Speaker, I commend this bill to honourable members and table the explanatory statement to accompany the bill.
Debate adjourned.
MOTION
Centenary Year of the Red Cross in Australia
Centenary Year of the Red Cross in Australia
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that parliament notes that 2014 is the centenary year of the Red Cross in Australia, a significant milestone in the social history of the nation, commemorating 100 years of humanitarian service to the people of Australia and the Northern Territory.
Most Australians have shared a personal connection with the Red Cross, from its humanitarian role during two world wars, to preparing for, responding to and recovering from natural disasters, helping vulnerable people and communities overcome disadvantage and through its world-class National Blood Service.
For 100 years the Australian Red Cross has enjoyed a unique auxiliary status amongst public authorities in the humanitarian field, working in partnership with governments of all political persuasions in Australia and internationally to alleviate suffering in a voluntary aid capacity, whilst adhering to its principles of independence, neutrality and impartiality.
The Australian Red Cross is part of the world's largest humanitarian movement, with tens of millions of volunteers working in 189 countries. They are united by the fundamental principle of preventing and alleviating human suffering without discrimination, wherever it may be found, in times of war, conflict, disaster or personal crisis.
I further move that parliament recognises that the Australian Red Cross today has a network of over one million volunteers, members, staff, donors, aid workers and supporters. Through this network, the Australian Red Cross mobilises the power of humanity to work right across the country in local communities in every state and territory, as well as further afield to help transform the lives of vulnerable people in need, whoever they are.
I call on all honourable members to join the Australian Red Cross in celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding on 13 August 1914, nine days after the outbreak of World War I; congratulate generations of Australians for their extraordinary contributions through the everyday work of the Red Cross; and continue to support the independent and impartial humanitarian mission of the Red Cross to work with and assist the most vulnerable people in need, both in Australia and internationally.
I take this opportunity to recognise the exceptional work the Red Cross does in the Northern Territory.
The Australian Red Cross was formed just nine days after the outbreak of World War I by Lady Helen Munro-Ferguson, the wife of the newly-appointed Governor-General. She began the Australian branch of the British Red Cross Society in August 1914, calling on the wives of state governors to form state committees.
The first meeting at Government House in Darwin was organised by the first Administrator’s wife, Mrs Jeannie Gilruth, and the Red Cross Northern Territory division was officially established in May 1915. Mrs Gilruth joined the wives of state governors as a vice president of the Red Cross.
The Northern Territory division dispatched more than 2500 garments to Egypt for the troops, and free shipping was provided by Burns Philp and P&O. Fundraising events held in Darwin from 1914 to 1919 raised over 13 000, a colossal achievement at that time. The work of the Red Cross then moved from war relief into general disaster relief and support services for civilians. In 1927, the Australian Red Cross was formally recognised as a national society, and the blood transfusion service was founded in Victoria in 1929.
The Darwin Red Cross closed in 1921, but was re-established on 23 September 1937. At the time, the incumbent at Government House was Aubrey Abbott, who had seen active service at Gallipoli, along with his wife Hilda. Hilda Abbott worked tirelessly for the NT division throughout her time in the Territory.
In February 1939 Red Cross NT emergency services commenced in Darwin, and branches were established in Alice Springs and Katherine. This was a very busy time for the Red Cross in Darwin. It included the Bombing of Darwin, when Darwin Red Cross workers Hurtle Bald, his wife Alice and daughter Iris were killed. Following the first Japanese air raid on 19 February 1942, the Red Cross NT division moved to Alice Springs. Hilda Abbott was evacuated there for the duration of the war, but continued her efforts. Members and volunteers played a key role, working tirelessly to raise funds and provide supplies and food parcels. Nursing aid was offered at hospitals, including visits, letter writing, sending parcels, sewing and fundraising.
During World War II, the Red Cross became the largest charitable organisation in Australia. After the war, the Darwin branch supported returning prisoners of war released from camps to our north. The blood transfer service was inaugurated in 1945, swiftly becoming vital to the community.
On 16 August 1946 the divisional headquarters building in Lambell Terrace was opened by the then Duchess of Gloucester. The centre was later named Hilda Abbott Cottage.
During the post-war period, the NT division provided services to hospitals, mission stations and the leprosarium. A convalescent home at Fannie Bay was opened by His Excellency Sir William Slim, Governor-General of Australia, on 17 July 1954. Libraries were set up in all Territory hospitals, the Junior Red Cross was established and a national disaster fund was established in 1959 in aid of International Red Cross relief. Junior Red Cross membership grew though the 1960s, and a hostel for unemployed men was also established.
Support was provided to soldiers and civilians during the Vietnam War, and the Red Cross extended support to migrants arriving in the Northern Territory, providing clothing and essentials.
A shop opened on Cavenagh Street for welfare and the sale of handicrafts. Emergency housekeeping and transport for convalescent patients began in the new headquarters, and the blood transfusion service was officially opened in 1967.
When Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin on Christmas morning 1974, Red Cross volunteers mobilised the biggest relief operation in Australian history. The Red Cross in Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek assisted thousands of refugees who were evacuated or who had travelled out of devastated Darwin. The Red Cross provided emergency relief supplies, recorded the names of victims and managed fundraising efforts across Australia.
The 1970s and 1980s saw the commencement of a number of services, including Meals on Wheels, home help, the SHAK (Safe Haven For All Kids) youth centre and work to reunite Timorese and Vietnamese families.
During the 1990s, the hospital trolley and op shops also provided valuable services to the community. Other landmark events during which the Red Cross has provided assistance include the 1998 Australia Day Katherine flood and the 1999 emergency evacuation from East Timor.
The Australian Red Cross entered the 21st century as a leader in relief and support, raising funds and providing assistance in the aftermath of the 2002 Bali bombing, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.
The list of programs run and supported by the Red Cross in the Northern Territory is extensive. There have been Old Timers’ homes, home care services, youth groups, beauty therapists at our hospitals and the blood bank. The wide range of programs and fundraising activities continues, as the Red Cross contributes to the care of the community.
One hundred years is a significant milestone, and the centenary of the Australian Red Cross is a great Australian story. I thank all volunteers who have given so much of their time over the years and changed the lives of so many.
Madam Speaker, I commend this motion to the House.
Ms MANISON (Wanguri): Madam Speaker, I support this motion celebrating 100 years of the Australian Red Cross.
The Australian Red Cross began as the Australian branch of the British Red Cross Society on 13 August 1914, nine days after the outbreak of World War I, with the wife of the then Governor-General, Lady Helen Munro-Ferguson, calling on the wives of state governors to form state committees.
Internationally, the Red Cross was born out of war in Europe, with the first Red Cross conference in Geneva in October 1863 attended by 36 delegates from 14 European states. From little things, big things grow. It is timely to reflect on those origins of the Red Cross in alleviating pain and suffering as we move closer to remembering the 100th anniversary of the landing of forces at Gallipoli, and the painful and tragic experiences of World War I.
Established to support the sick and wounded in war, including the victims of relentless artillery shelling and horrific gas attacks on the Western Front, the Red Cross has evolved over time. Through high levels of skill and organisation, the Red Cross has provided humanitarian and community services right across the world. What a wonderful brand it has developed over time.
As historian Melanie Oppenheimer has said, the humanitarianism of the Red Cross was one of the grand ideas of the 19th century. Let us recognise that a big part of that success – indeed, a central part of that success – was the work of volunteer women. Melanie Oppenheimer has also noted that during World War I the Australian Red Cross raised almost 5m, and provided millions more through in-kind support, a remarkable achievement from an Australian population at that time of just under five million people.
The Red Cross recognised that the need for its services did not end with the firing of the last bullet in World War I. Australians will forever be grateful for the foresight of the then leadership of the group, leading a brand that by definition embodied the highest standard of trust, compassion, neutrality and service without judgment.
We should also acknowledge the enormously important work of the Red Cross in providing comfort for prisoners of war and their families back home during World War II, through such things as food parcels and letters from home. In 1943, that support included delivering 230 000 letters to and from allied prisoners of war in Japanese detention.
Their wonderful work continued through supporting refugees, people dislocated from their home communities as a result of war, religious persecution and post-war economic circumstances, as well as Australians involved in conflict in Korea, the Malay emergency, Vietnam and East Timor. The NT Red Cross played a key role in supporting Vietnamese and East Timorese refugees fleeing violence and arriving on our shores.
The Australian Red Cross is a great part of an international network. Today, the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies have 185 members. That is almost as many as the UN, which had 192 members in 2012, as current Australian Red Cross CEO Hon Robert Tickner has said.
In Australia the Red Cross has over 30 000 volunteers. It is an organisation that Australians trust and look to in times of distress. For Territorians that has included catastrophic times such as during Cyclone Tracy and the Katherine floods. In the NT the Red Cross has been providing services to Territorians since September 1937. The 1974-75 annual report of the NT branch records the then principles of the Red Cross in the Territory as humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary services, unity and universality.
The same annual report notes that prior to Cyclone Tracy, Red Cross activity in the NT had tended to be uneventful, but that all changed overnight on 24 December 1974. It notes that with thousands of refugees streaming through the towns of Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Gove, branch members rallied to help with clothing, accommodation, car repairs and tracing family members. Speaking of Gove, I note that during the 1975-76 financial year its branch of the NT Red Cross alone had 48 members, which was a good effort.
We should also recall the Red Cross’ work at the time in supporting aged care at the old pioneers’ home in Katherine and the Old Timers’ home in Tennant Creek. More recently, in 1998 we saw the devastating Katherine floods, and a huge effort by the Red Cross to support families and people living in the region.
Who could forget growing up in Australia admiring the hospital trolley service of the Red Cross, with its iconic Meals on Wheels? Today the Red Cross continues to partner with communities outside of hospitals to provide disaster relief and assistance in times of distress. On the Tiwi Islands the Red Cross runs holiday programs with local people, supporting youth in the community. Through its Telecross program Red Cross staff make daily phone calls to the elderly and infirm, reducing their social isolation and providing comfort and support.
Increasingly, the Red Cross is working on the important issue of food security and understanding the fundamental importance of access to food for nutrition and health, especially in early childhood years. This includes the Good Start Breakfast Club, which, in 2012, served over 450 000 meals across Australia.
Recently, the Red Cross has moved to develop community support programs in the mental health area. For example, it operates a program called MATES – Mentally Ill and Their Equal Supporters. This program recruits and trains volunteers to support people living with the burden of mental illness and, importantly, offers respite for families who ordinarily provide the greater part of this support.
The Red Cross is also working to make a real difference in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This work is built on a partnership approach, not intervention, and the group works with communities and governments to address entrenched Indigenous disadvantage. In recent times three Territorians have been key to developing that work. They are Olga Havnen, Marion Scrymgour and, more recently, Kim Hill. This has included the development of a bold reconciliation action plan, and the Red Cross has recently employed more than 100 local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to deliver programs across Australia, including in Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs.
Let us not forget the organisation’s bread and butter work that we too often take for granted. This includes providing a safe and secure supply of blood and blood products through the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, its ongoing role in first aid training and the wonderful op shops.
Proudly, the Australian Red Cross has put as much focus on how it works as what it does. In continuing a great history of volunteerism and grass-roots action, the group continues to place a key emphasis on engagement and working together with local communities.
As stated in its 2015 strategy, the Red Cross aims to:
- engage, partner and influence to promote humanitarian values and prevent and reduce vulnerability
work together to engage, value and enable our people
build a sustainable organisation consistent with our Fundamental Principles.
- 1. strengthening national emergency preparedness, response and recovery
2. increasing international aid and development
3. championing international humanitarian law
4. addressing the impact of migration
5. working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
6. overcoming social exclusion by providing bridges back into the community
7. tackling entrenched locational disadvantage.
People put a lot of time and effort into helping the Red Cross and contributing to the community. They do a wonderful job, and we thank them for their hard work and look forward to seeing more Territorians becoming involved.
My colleague, the member for Barkly, put it very nicely in the lobby earlier. He said that from the front lines of Europe to the remote communities of the Northern Territory, the Red Cross has done an amazing job. It has become such a diverse organisation that we all know, love, trust and respect. In the Territory, we have so much to be grateful for with the services of the Red Cross. It has contributed so much in the last 100 years, and I am sure there is much more it will continue to contribute into the future.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): Madam Speaker, I too support this motion, and recognise the humanitarian service to the people of Australia and the Northern Territory. In doing so, I put on the record this parliament’s thanks to the many staff and volunteers who have devoted their time and energy to the most vulnerable in our community.
I also acknowledge all local people throughout the Northern Territory. The member for Wanguri has just acknowledged local volunteers and board members based primarily in Darwin. There are people across the Northern Territory who are involved with the Red Cross, and have been for many years, including from my home town of Alice Springs. We acknowledge your commitment and the effort you have put into helping people, and not only in the Territory, as fundraising often goes nationally and internationally.
The history of the Red Cross Society as an international organisation began in 1859, when Henry Dunant, the son of a Swiss banker, was travelling through Italy on business. He happened to be near Solferino in northern Italy, where the French, Italian and Austrian armies met in what was recorded as one of the bloodiest battles of the ages. Henry Dunant was horrified at the suffering he saw around him and did his best, with the help of local people, to render necessary assistance to the sick and wounded of all three armies.
Greatly moved by the suffering he had seen, Henry Dunant published, in 1862, a book titled A Memory of Solferino, in which he described terrible scenes on the battlefields. He urged countries to set up permanent volunteer aid societies in times of peace. These would be organised and ready to help the wounded in times of war. Dunant’s ideas resulted in the formation of a committee of five to examine them, and eventually, an international conference was called in Geneva in 1863. This led to a diplomatic conference in 1864, and the creation of the well-known and most important international document, the Geneva Convention, about which most people know today.
Founded in 1914 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1941, a branch of the British Red Cross opened from 1914 until 1927. Working as an autonomous society thereafter, the Australian Red Cross Society is representative of all of Australia and the territories, including Papua New Guinea.
The Red Cross Society was authorised by the Commonwealth’s Minister for Defence to use the heraldic emblem of a red cross and white background – formed by reversing the federal colours of Switzerland – and to use the words ‘Red Cross’ to render assistance to medical services constituted under the Defence Act, as well as the medical units and establishments thereof. The society is recognised by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross societies as an autonomous national society.
An inaugural meeting was held at Government House in Darwin on 19 May 1915, when the Northern Territory division was officially formed. Mrs Jeannie Gilruth, the wife of the Administrator, convened the meeting and presided over a large attendance of Territory residents to support fundraising for the British Red Cross.
In October 1921 the Darwin Red Cross met and decided to close. On 23 September 1937 the Red Cross was reformed and Mrs Hilda Abbott, the wife of the then Administrator, worked tirelessly for the division with devotion and loyalty until her departure in 1946.
Like her successor, Mrs Gilruth worked diligently and tirelessly for the division and services of the Red Cross, carrying the burden of wartime service. Much has been accomplished by the Northern Territory division over the past 50 years.
This progress has been made possible by the loyalty, devotion and enthusiasm – often in difficult circumstances – of divisional leaders, counsellors, branches, committees, members, voluntary workers and, in particular, youth. Youth groups, with their contributions and activities, play a very important role, not only today, but as leaders of the future.
At no time should we forget the outstanding results of the blood transfusion service. Again, the medical directors, sisters and staff have provided a much appreciated service in the community.
The Red Cross has undertaken a range of programs since its inception. These have touched the lives of the most vulnerable people in our community, including young people, the aged, the homeless, those who are socially disadvantaged, Aboriginal people, immigration detainees, new migrants and the mentally ill.
During emergencies and disasters, whether in the Territory during times of floods – in Katherine, for example – at times of cyclones along our northern coast line or at times of many national and international disasters, the first people you see are those proudly wearing the international emblem of the Red Cross. The Red Cross is committed to assisting Territorians prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies.
Being prepared for an emergency can save lives and help people to recover and get back on their feet more quickly. The Red Cross assists people to be better prepared, better connected to each other and more resilient when emergencies happen.
During an emergency, Red Cross volunteers and staff work alongside police, fire and other emergency services, government and community partners to help people affected by the emergency to ensure they are treated with dignity, and that their basic human rights are met.
After an emergency the Red Cross is still there; recovery from an emergency can be a long, tiring and complex process, and the Red Cross works with individuals and communities on their journey to recovery.
Telecross provides peace of mind to people who are isolated through a daily call to check on their wellbeing and safety. Trained and friendly volunteers make calls each morning, 365 days a year. In the event of three unanswered calls in one day, the Red Cross begins an emergency activation procedure to make sure the person is okay. The details of the activation are pre-arranged with each person registered for Telecross. Generally, the Red Cross gets in touch with a participant’s emergency contact, and that person makes sure the client is okay. If the Red Cross cannot get in touch with the emergency contact, they then contact police to request that they conduct a welfare check. This surely puts some real meaning into the term ‘the power of humanity’, when you consider the lives which are saved by the wonderful volunteers who work with vulnerable people every day.
On a personal note, I remember raising money all through primary school for the Red Cross during the 1970s. As a child, I lived in a small country town in New South Wales, and I am not sure I ever understood exactly where that money went and what the Red Cross did, but I knew it was a good thing. I looked forward to putting my money into that tiny envelope given to us every year; I am not sure if other people have a similar memory.
The Red Cross has been a part of most of our lives, and provides a valuable service. I thank the Red Cross for the difference it makes to the lives of vulnerable Territorians.
Ms ANDERSON (Namatjira): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for bringing on this motion. It is very important that we talk about organisations like the Red Cross, as they have done so much. The Red Cross does not only work in the Northern Territory or other jurisdictions in Australia; it is across the world. If there are cyclones, fires or other emergencies the Red Cross is there to connect people.
It has been 100 years of love, compassion and respect. The Red Cross has provided a hand on the shoulder to say to people, ‘You are safe. It is okay, someone is here to pick you up, feed you and give you advice.’ It is very important that people like us, as representatives of constituents, take time to stand in this parliament – or it could be done anywhere across the nation or the world – to formally thank these people.
It is all too often that we do not say thank you and do not appreciate the hard work these people do. They are marriage counsellors. They deal with homeless people, our most vulnerable Territorians. Whether they are black or white, live in a home, have a fridge, have supper at night, their children have clothes to wear to school the next day or if there is someone who wants advice on how to operate in society, they can talk to and trust the Red Cross.
I thank the Red Cross for coming into Aboriginal communities and the lives of Aboriginal people, the most vulnerable of our Territorians, and who are affected so much by poverty, alcoholism, drugs and gambling. These people never test anybody, never play people against each other and respect and help everybody, no matter who they are.
It is time for people like us to say thank you and support great motions like this one, which outline the importance of people who work for organisations such as the Red Cross.
I heard the member for Wanguri talk about two great Indigenous women, Marion Scrymgour and Olga Havnen, who have been part of working at the Red Cross. They are people with aspirations who are concerned about how to make the lives of vulnerable Aboriginal people better. Overcoming communication barriers, they want to link people to the best opportunities and help them work out their lives. These people are the saddest people in our communities. I am grateful, as is this House, that we have organisations such as the Red Cross to help us.
The Red Cross does not only help our people and our children, it assists people from other countries as well. When people come to our country, the Red Cross is there to help, to understand how they operate, how they live, and if they have a small income, advise how to spread it out for more benefit. Red Cross staff talk to young people who are on drugs and drinking alcohol or thinking about suicide, and link them to programs they might know of. They are the connection, the heart and soul of our vulnerable Territorians. I take this great opportunity to say thank you, and to put our thoughts on the public record.
Ms FYLES (Nightcliff): Madam Speaker, I support this motion, and am thankful for the opportunity to put on the public record my gratitude for the work of the Red Cross.
Growing up, whenever there was a humanitarian disaster, images of Red Cross bibs would always be on television, with its staff providing aid to those most in need. It is an organisation that everyone respects, and we understand the important role it plays in the community. It is important, in its centenary year in Australia, that we acknowledge and pay tribute to the work the Red Cross has done.
In 2014 the Australian Red Cross celebrates 100 years of people helping in Australia and overseas, with a proud history stretching from the trenches of the Western Front to the remotest parts of Australia. The centenary of the Australian Red Cross is a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of the thousands of members over the past 100 years.
The Australian Red Cross began as the Australian branch of the British Red Cross on 13 August 1914, nine days after the outbreak of World War I.
The International Committee of the Red Cross was recognised when it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1944 for the crucial role it played in assisting veterans, prisoners of war and refugees during World War II.
When I was in Switzerland travelling – many years ago, it seems – through Geneva I was privileged to visit the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum. It is a beautiful building which sits above the city, and it explains the work of the Red Cross internationally and how important it is in our society.
Closer to home, the Red Cross has been involved in many tragedies and disasters in the Territory, none more so than in 1974 when Cyclone Tracy destroyed Darwin. The Red Cross was on the ground helping us rebuild our lives.
The Red Cross was also heavily involved in the Territory after the Bombing of Darwin. I was privileged to attend the ceremony and function at Government House about a week ago to celebrate and acknowledge 100 years of the Red Cross, particularly its efforts in the Territory.
The welcome to country was beautiful, and it acknowledged the Red Cross; the mother of the young lady giving the welcome to country was involved in the Bombing of Darwin when Red Cross people were evacuated. The Red Cross provided her mother with her first pair of shoes; that story symbolises how important the organisation is during disasters. The person who delivered the welcome to country explained that her mother was so pleased to have a pair of shoes that were not her sister’s, so it helped ease her pain at that time.
Without the Red Cross those lives devastated by Cyclone Tracy and the Bombing of Darwin would have been all the harder.
The Red Cross has provided logistical support – in the days before smartphones and communications – between the Territory and the rest of the country during times of disaster. The Red Cross was instrumental in taking the records of every person leaving planes at Mascot in Sydney – as well as, I am sure, at other centres – after Cyclone Tracy. Hundreds of people were evacuated, and I think the Qantas plane that left Darwin still holds the record for the largest number of people travelling on a commercial plane. The Red Cross played such an important role in making sure people left the plane, their records were kept and that they had a safe place to go, although you hear stories of a few people who did not want to hand over their records, as it was their chance to escape their past.
During the Katherine floods, the Red Cross provided vital support to Territorians at their most vulnerable.
One of the important services in the Territory to acknowledge is that of the blood bank. The Australian Red Cross blood bank collects, tests, processes and distributes all blood in Australia. It has over 3800 workers, with 1970 volunteers in 83 fixed donor centres. It has 38 mobile units which visit over 1000 sites annually across Australia, and in the Territory it plays a very important role.
I have donated blood many times, and the volunteers are always lovely. They call you the day before an appointment to ensure you are still available; the best thing about it is the snack you get afterwards. I have not donated lately for various reasons, but my father donates every fortnight …
Mr Elferink: Every fortnight?
Ms FYLES: Yes, he donates his platelets or something - please do not quote me on that. Those Red Cross ladies know him well.
Mr Elferink: I thought he must be on the anaemic side.
Ms FYLES: No. He is there Wednesday mornings, so you can never ask Poppy to do the school run because he has the Red Cross people visiting. But for him, and many people, it is not only that he is giving to our community; he is being involved in our community, and that is one of the important services the Red Cross provides in the Territory.
As I said, the Red Cross operates the blood service, which involves processing centres throughout Australia, as well as performs research. It is one of the important divisions of the organisation. I acknowledge and recognise all those involved in that area of the Red Cross.
In the Territory, one of the other important services the Red Cross provides is the SHAK youth recreation and development centre at Casuarina, which was established to provide young people with a place where they could have fun and be safe.
Growing up, I remember hearing at school that if you were looking for an activity to do at the end of the day, it was supervised, and they could help you with your homework. It was a safe environment. This program is managed by the Red Cross, and it runs a variety of activities inside and outside the centre. The SHAK works closely with the community and young people to ensure its services are relevant and appropriate. This is highlighted when you hear young people talk about wanting to go there.
The SHAK is one of the largest youth recreation centres in the Territory, and more than 200 people a week from all over the Top End, as well as a variety of youth groups, attend. There is a music room where young people can use a variety of instruments and have time to tune their musical skills with youth arts officers there. Some of our up and coming bands began their careers in that music room. It is just one of the vibrant activities the Red Cross provides.
At the SHAK there is a canteen, pool table, table tennis, a sports area – it is an important part of the community.
My colleagues in the Chamber have spoken of the service the Red Cross provides in the Territory. Phone calls to some of our most vulnerable and elderly people are important, as is Meals on Wheels, and it provides breakfast clubs in all communities across the Territory.
A Red Cross representative made an interesting point recently. They explained that they work in partnership with the community, and wait for a community to approach them. They will not try to impart their program on a community without it wanting to play a part. That is what is so important about its success.
The NT branch of the Red Cross has played a key role in supporting Vietnamese and East Timorese refugees fleeing violence and arriving on our shores; there are stories from the 1970s and 1980s. In 1994, I was at early morning swimming training, and we noticed the lights; a boat had arrived at Nightcliff jetty, and the Red Cross would have been there to provide support to those people.
The Red Cross in the Territory provides support to young people who may have come into contact with police and need support. It is about protecting the most vulnerable in the community.
In 2002 after the tragic Bali bombing, the Red Cross was at the forefront of fundraising. It raised $15m, a huge amount of money which was directly spent on providing assistance for victims of that tragedy.
The Minister for Health spoke about collecting through Red Cross door appeals; they have the Big Cake Bake and a number of programs through which to fundraise. Australians and Territorians look at the Red Cross as a respected NGO, and provide what support they can.
The Australian Red Cross is part of a great international team. I spoke about its beginnings in Geneva, where the museum is, and today’s motion has provided this Assembly with an opportunity to pay tribute to all involved in this great organisation.
In the Territory there are so many people involved, and those who have been over the years, so it is important that we place that on the record. It is an NGO which continues to make our Territory a better place because of the hard work and commitment of its staff and volunteers. Working in an NGO is very hard; it takes such dedication, and our hats go off to those volunteers. The services that it provides, whether they be for youth with breakfast clubs or the trolley service in hospitals – at some stage in our lives all of us would have come into contact with the Red Cross. That takes place when we are at our most vulnerable, so it is very important.
To all in the Red Cross in the Territory, thank you and congratulations. You have been there for our community, and now it is our chance to acknowledge your efforts. Thank you.
Mr STYLES (Transport): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for bringing on this motion.
I, like a number of others here, attended the reception at Government House to celebrate 100 years of magnificent work by the Red Cross and, in particular, those people who have contributed
From memory, the Productivity Commission put a figure of about $115bn on the value of volunteering in this country. The contribution volunteers make to our community is astronomical, and the Red Cross is one of the major contributors. We have heard about the history of the Red Cross, so I will not labour on that, but I will talk about some of the things it does and acknowledge them.
Firstly, I encourage anyone who reads this, or who is listening, to visit the Red Cross website. When I thought my turn to speak was coming, I believed everyone else in the Chamber would talk about the history, so I looked at the Red Cross website to discover some of the things it does.
By the end of this debate, it is essential that we acknowledge what the Red Cross does, as well as the fantastic contribution of those who not only work for the group, but those magnificent people who give their time and volunteer.
I will talk about the emergency services in Australia that the Red Cross provides. Of course, we have raging floods and fierce fires, cyclones, natural disasters and earthquakes, but it is people like those who work for the Red Cross who are there, and we have heard from other members who have experienced that. It is an essential part of what the Red Cross does. It has a magnificent network to mobilise, and so many volunteers who sit on their books waiting to give back to their community.
If you have ever had an operation, you can thank the Red Cross for the blood transfusion service it provides. I have been a blood donor for many years, and I thank the volunteers who phone me on a regular basis to harass me with, ‘Can you come in and do this and can you do that?’ If you have one of the rarer types of blood in the population they are on your case on a regular basis, and I do not think anyone can complain that the Red Cross tries to persuade you to donate blood so you can save a life.
We look at the history of the blood transfusion service during wartime, when we had to send blood to war theatres.
At the response to the Victorian fires, the Newcastle earthquake and fires and floods in Queensland, the Red Cross was there. Sadly in some of those disasters people are fatally injured. The Red Cross is there not only to help record what happened so authorities and the Australian people fully understand the extent of injuries and fatalities, but to comfort families as well. It will pull people in from all over Australia to to help people in dire straits.
I move to international programs. The Red Cross is involved in numerous projects throughout the world. The organisation sends hundreds of volunteers from Australia – I think some are paid, but generally they are volunteers – who will travel overseas and provide aid to others in desperate need. One example of this is the Red Cross’ work in Timor-Leste. Whenever there is a human tragedy in the world, be it cyclones, typhoons, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, the Red Cross is ready to send whatever resources it can muster from Australia.
This is, generally, a volunteer organisation. The Red Cross has to do a lot of fundraising, but it also relies on government grants to keep permanently employed staff as coordinators of the many thousands of volunteers.
I move on to the service provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the north. It is a part of the Red Cross’s ongoing commitment to support people. I will quote some of the fantastic information from the Red Cross website:
- As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting people in most need, Australian Red Cross is increasing our work with Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples. We aim to support families and communities as they determine and lead their own solutions to achieve positive change. This means we are guided by, and answerable to, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations we work with.
Red Cross does not compete with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations and their services, or seek to replace them. Our ways of working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is focused on:
‘Together as partners’: building long-term and respectful partnerships by working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations to determine and lead their own solutions.
- ‘Culturally accessible’: working with the most vulnerable people is the responsibility of the whole organisation and as such we aim to ensure that every part of Red Cross is culturally accessible to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment’: employing local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who understand their communities, and help us work best together.
One of the great things the Red Cross works on – if you live in Darwin you see it on a daily basis – is social inclusion. The organisation has a team that ensures people are included in something. Someone may make a telephone call to a senior or young person living alone, someone recuperating from an illness or somebody convalescing in another way. Those phone calls are essential, and in some instances they even arrange to visit those people.
I do not know if everyone in this Chamber has spent time in hospital after an accident or illness, but it becomes lonely. I have been there, and it is not pleasant. You sit around all day, and you cannot do anything. To have someone visit to talk to you is reassuring and comforting. There are times when people are distressed as a result of what has happened to them, and someone can be there to hold their hand and tell them it is okay.
During the youth suicide inquiry that we held, we found that way too many young people take their own lives ...
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, would you like to finish your comments at a later time?
Mr STYLES: I will conclude my comments at a later time.
Debate suspended.
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
Hon Robert Tickner
Sandra Cannon
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to people from Red Cross Australia in the gallery. There is Hon Robert Tickner, Chief Executive Officer and the former member for Hughes, as well as Sandra Cannon, the Executive Director of the Northern Territory Red Cross. Welcome to the Northern Territory parliament.
Members: Hear, hear!
MOTION
Centenary Year of the Red Cross in Australia
Centenary Year of the Red Cross in Australia
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr STYLES (Transport): Madam Speaker, before the lunch adjournment I was talking about social inclusion and some of the work the Red Cross does. I chose to talk about what is happening now and into the future, as opposed to history. Other members have given us a great record of the history, particularly what has happened in the Northern Territory. I want to put on the public record – especially for young people who read this and those who are listening – some of the great things happening in the Territory, and across Australia and the world.
For people who, sadly, find themselves homeless for any number of reasons, the Red Cross is always there to help. I was discussing youth suicide before the lunch break and how sometimes people need to be there to help those in need overcome hurdles. As we all know, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. It is those people from the Red Cross, the volunteers and those in the community who help these people through some of their struggles.
We all know, sadly, that too many people in their lifetime will experience mental health issues and require counselling. I have been through tragedies in my life where I have needed counselling to get through. Organisations like the Red Cross provide that much needed assistance to get people and families back on track after suffering tragedies.
In my role as a school-based police officer I came across way too many people who, for family reasons, were committing offences such as stealing to get a feed. It is people like those from the Red Cross, and the programs they run, that can assist young people to stay on the straight and narrow without having to resort to other means to get shelter, food, etcetera.
As the Minister for Senior Territorians, I find that many people do not understand how many seniors take their own life. My mother said, ‘You should always look after the old folks because they once looked after you’. Some seniors, for many reasons such as loneliness or depression, decide to take their own lives. During the celebration at Government House, we heard some of the fantastic stories of volunteers who spend their days phoning people to chat so they do not feel isolated and still feel part of the community.
That brings me to the next part of what the Red Cross does so well, that being work on stronger communities. For people in difficult circumstances, whether they are worried about their future or financial future, there is a number of organisations, one being the Red Cross, that provide services such as financial assistance and counselling to young people trying to find their way in the world, and to seniors in tough circumstances.
It is with that in mind that they make sure people feel like somebody cares. As the member for Namatjira so eloquently put it, it is nice to have someone put their hand on your shoulder and say, ‘It is okay’. There are times in our lives when we all need that.
Looking at the stronger communities aspect, without people like those at the Red Cross and the volunteers who provide home visits, deliver meals to people and genuinely help in so many different ways, we would live in a lesser community. We all like to say what a great place the Northern Territory is. Even in great places we sometimes struggle with the challenges that present themselves, not only to us as a government, but to us as a community. As I said earlier, the Productivity Commission puts the value of volunteering in Australia at about $115bn; I am happy to be corrected on that, but I would not be surprised if that is the value of volunteering. You only have to look at the number of people in Darwin who volunteer their time to help their fellow man; it is wonderful. It is great to support people who have given all that effort.
Protecting people in war and international aid: the Red Cross has moved nearly 400 people, 369 in fact, overseas in the past four years. Why do that? Because there are a number of people who want to help their fellow man and, if they have the time and the inclination, the Red Cross can facilitate that. It is a fantastic effort.
This morning we heard many accounts of the work of the Red Cross. I spoke earlier about the post-war period, which focused on social welfare, national emergencies, natural disasters, the blood bank – I have donated blood - and first aid programs. It is great that young people especially can receive first aid training so they can save a life. There is nothing more rewarding than being in a position to step in during an emergency and save someone’s life. Fortunately, because of the training I received as a young person, I have been able to do this on a number of occasions. It is very rewarding for young people, and it is also good for character building, to know that you can do it.
It is about training and providing leadership to our young people so we can have a stronger, improved community, sustained by a band of thousands of volunteers through an extensive branch network. I am sure many of you here have been involved with the Red Cross at some stage, be it through a door knock appeal or volunteering in some emergency or situation where you did not know how to help. You could ring the Red Cross and say, ‘I have a few hours to spare to give you a hand’.
The culture of community engagement has been part of Australian society for 100 years now, and those who have volunteered so generously, who have devoted themselves to the cause and to the wellbeing of others and the greater good of humanity - what a great cause. We have heard about the history of the Red Cross, but people who respond to human suffering – the Red Cross became a symbol of assistance to people no matter where you were or what sort of issues you had.
The framework of the Red Cross has taken a new form, as opposed to what has been done in the last 100 years. It has evolved with the times, as well as with people’s needs and communities, whilst continuing to work for some of the most vulnerable people in our community. As its capacity to work for humanity has increased we have seen eight separate state and territory-based organisations move to a more cohesive national structure. This new framework has taken Red Cross services in a strategic direction, setting out priority areas and new ways of working within our community.
Today, as always, the Red Cross is making long-term impacts on society, and this positive effect has come through building an entrepreneurial, outward looking and comprehensive organisation. The organisation that is the Red Cross today, with nearly a million people, was mostly formed by women, and continues to strive for the culture of collaboration and community engagement.
The Red Cross has always quickly adapted to change and whatever disaster confronts people; it has operated efficiently in times of need, and has been the go-to for assistance in this complex world. In modern times it is sad to know that we need an organisation to take us through hard times, but we are very grateful for a group that is as focused and community-minded as the Red Cross, which is dedicated to the greater good of humanity.
I have spoken about emergency services in Australia, the international program, what is happening in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; social inclusion; building stronger communities; protecting people in war overseas, as well as those who come home; and support for migration. When you look at tracing and restoring family links, people who migrate out of war zones …
Mrs FINOCCHIARO: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I seek an extension of time for the minister.
Motion agreed to.
Mr STYLES: In regard to migration services and tracking family members, so many people I talk to as the Minister for Multicultural Affairs tell me about lost family connections, and it is through groups like the Red Cross and its world network that they track down family members. I have heard some amazing stories of the Red Cross keeping these people on their books and finding their relatives seven, eight or 10 years later. I have never been in the position of not having contact with relatives for that many years; it is bad enough when you do not have contact with relatives down south for a while. The elation of those family reunions, when people who have brothers and sisters they have not seen, and who they thought had passed away or been casualties of war – it must be a fantastic thing to watch people being reunited, and for people to know that family members are still alive.
Immigration detention monitoring: the Red Cross does so much for people moving around the place. There are many different aspects such as community detention programs, community assistance support programs, emergency relief, support for victims of people trafficking and bicultural health. When I started today I told people if they wanted to know a bit more, they should go to the website. I went to the website, and I have so much information about so many things the Red Cross does that I do not have time to cover them all.
Talk about how the Red Cross functions and the great things it does for our community, I encourage anyone who has a bit of time to get on board and get involved. One-hundred-and-fifteen billion dollars’ worth of time is given by volunteers across this country every year. That is an enormous amount of giving by Australians. There are many benefits.
I will relate a quick story which occurred last year, to do with volunteering. I was on a school council, and another member was the chief executive officer of a well-known organisation; he is in Darwin and was the Northern Territory CEO of this group. He had worked for a boss who was not very nice, and one day he and that company parted. At the school council meeting, I asked, ‘How are you going?’ He replied that he had finished his job, because he could not stand that person; he told me the rest of the story, and that was great.
Anyway, the next school council meeting came along, and I asked him how he was. He said, ‘I am fantastic’. I replied that he had thrown his job in and did not have another one; he said, ‘No, I have found volunteering’, and he told me the story of how by his second week off he was bored out of his brain, so he found somewhere to volunteer – I will not mention the organisation. After that, he realised why people volunteer. In his heart he found the joy and reward of giving back to his community.
He was a man of some means and I believe he volunteered for a number of months. He did not tell people what he used to do; he worked every day and gave some of his time. Out of that he virtually became a new person. After a few months he went back to work, but he is now seriously involved in volunteering because of the wonderful feeling it gives him. All of us would agree that when you give back to society, your community or your family you get a joyous feeling.
I encourage anyone feeling a bit down and who needs a bit of a boost to volunteer. How do we become involved with the Red Cross, a fantastic organisation that can facilitate that joyous feeling? It does not happen without a few donations and some support from the corporate world and government. If you are listening to these sittings and are in the corporate world, think about donating to the Red Cross, because it facilitates other members of our community to feel elated and joyous, and helps people in need.
Most people I know who have found themselves in that position do not want a handout, they want a hand up. It is organisations and volunteers from organisations like the Red Cross who put that hand out and provide a hand up to restore them to where we would all like to be, that is being happy, healthy and in a joyous place, not only physically, but mentally. Get involved, visit the website, call them; if you can donate a few dollars or some of your time, go and see them.
Having said that, to celebrate the 100th year of the Red Cross there is a massive cake bake-off, which I believe is on Monday 25 August. I encourage everyone to get on the phone, get online, find out where it is and be part of the big bake-off, because it is a good thing to do.
I sincerely thank any volunteers who are here, and our representatives from the Red Cross. We are all supportive of what you do. I ask you to keep doing it because it is desperately needed in our community.
Mr KURRUPUWU (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I congratulate the Red Cross on its 100 years of service. I am a great believer in the work the Red Cross does for Australia, especially in Northern Territory communities.
The Red Cross mission statement is something I strongly support in my day-to-day life:
- To improve the lives of vulnerable people in Australia and internationally by mobilising the power of humanity.
This requires an organisation to work hard in helping those in need.
The Red Cross is a leading voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who may experience dislocation and disadvantage. For example, it has expanded Good Start Breakfast Clubs in Aboriginal communities from 20 to 96 Australia-wide, meaning thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have a better start to their school day, a greater chance to do well and the opportunity of a better future.
I applaud the hard work of the Red Cross, and I thank it for its amazing contribution to the Northern Territory.
Mr VOWLES (Johnston): Madam Speaker, first of all I thank the Chief Minister for bringing this motion forward and, secondly, I congratulate the Red Cross on its 100th anniversary.
For me it is a personal story as well. When we first met, my wife talked about her work with the Red Cross in war-torn countries and cities like Chechnya, Rwanda and Sarajevo. As she is a born and bred Darwin girl, I was very interested in that work, and her commitment to the cause of the Red Cross. She still lives with those stories and some of that trauma from working in those environments. However, a real positive is that she has also maintained many friendships around the world, which I respect her for. It is probably why she is my wife – part of the reason – but for me it brings it home.
Wherever we are in the world, not only in Darwin, we can make a change and a difference to other people’s lives. That is what the Red Cross does around the world. Volunteers in communities, in Darwin, in regional centres and people who work overseas all come from a home, and have decided they believe in this movement and in helping people, which are the fundamentals of the Red Cross. Humanity, impartiality, being neutral, independence, volunteer service, unity and universality are all things that we can be a part of.
I am a part of it because we are teaching our children there is a good feeling in helping others. That is why most of us are in this room, as we believe we can make a difference. Having said that, we are paid well to do that. Many Red Cross volunteers provide a lot of time and service free of charge, and I respect those who do it.
My wife is a former board member of the NT Red Cross. She tells many stories of the great people she has met over time. It has severely impacted on her life and views about how she can help. The member for Blain has a long history with my wife’s family around helping other people as well, and that is what we all need to do.
On the international scene, the Red Cross has worked in East Timor, China and PNG, as well as from the communities to the regional centres in the Northern Territory, and around the rest of the country. My mum recently mentioned Cyclone Tracy in 1974. I was raised in Darwin, and without the help of the Red Cross after Cyclone Tracy, we would have struggled to survive; it was a desperate time for many people. We were air-lifted out, and the Red Cross gave us a lot of assistance, which my mum is forever grateful for.
I thank the Chief Minister for bringing this forward. Congratulations to Red Cross; you do not look for thanks, but you are getting it today. On behalf of my family and I, thank you.
Mrs FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I support the motion put forward by the Chief Minister.
I congratulate the Red Cross in Australia for 100 years of outstanding humanitarian work. This is truly a service that has made a great contribution to our nation over the last century. As the Chief Minister stated, many Australians have been touched by Red Cross’ work, whether through its wartime service, relief provided when a disaster hits or helping the disadvantaged in our community. We also cannot forget the blood donor service, which offers many people a second chance at life or a better quality of life if they are struck with illness. Members of my own family have utilised this service, for which I am eternally grateful.
Without a doubt, the Red Cross is also an integral part of the Northern Territory community, and has been an organisation that we have relied on during some of our darkest days.
I am fortunate to have a Red Cross shop in my electorate. Lisa Aladin steers the ship at the Red Cross shop in Gray, and is a much loved and well-known person in our community. Last year I had the privilege of helping the Red Cross shop in Gray celebrate its 15th birthday. For 15 years the Red Cross has had a local connection, which has attracted numerous volunteers and supporters over that time.
It is amazing to think how much assistance the Red Cross shop has been able to provide to the people of Palmerston. A special thank you goes to volunteers Po Chin, who has volunteered for the Red Cross at Gray for eight years; and Mary Oliffe, who has volunteered for five years. Also, a big thanks to Larry Chin, who volunteers every Saturday. There is a long list of volunteers at the Red Cross in Gray including Janette, Gerry and Graeme.
I would also like to thank the CEO of Red Cross Northern Territory, Sandra Cannon, who joins us in the gallery, and her team for the wonderful job they do in continuing the strong and proud legacy of the NT Red Cross.
I have been fortunate enough to have participated in some Red Cross programs over the years, including its door knock appeals. My most memorable occasions include volunteering for the breakfast club at Ludmilla Primary School, but mainly participating in its school holiday program in Pirlangimpi. The love and respect the Red Cross has in our remote areas is unmistakable, and it was a true pleasure to take part in that program.
Next Monday the members for Brennan and Blain and Natasha Griggs, the federal member for Solomon, will be holding a giant cake bake in support of the Red Cross. We will be at Palmerston Shopping Centre from 8 am to 12 pm selling cakes we have made ourselves, which could be a challenge. I apologise to Sandra in advance if it goes badly, but we will certainly be baking our hearts out for the Red Cross. We hope the community will get behind us and buy as many cakes as possible, so we can donate a large sum to the Red Cross. Our target is $1000, so hopefully we will be writing a $1000 cheque to you next week. Please support us on Monday.
I wish the Red Cross a very happy centenary year, and hope its place in our local, national and international community continues for many years to come. Congratulations.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I do not know whether to be wary or encouraged by the advertisement that three members of parliament will be cooking. I want to know what time the hospital will be built, as we might need it after that; I say that in jest.
I undertook some research; I did not realise that the Red Cross went back to 1859 and a battle in a little Italian town called Solferino, witnessed by a Swiss banker, Henry Dunant. I will not go through the entire history, but after seeing the death, destruction and suffering of many of those involved in that war, and watching some of the Italian women of that time who volunteered to look after the wounded in a local church – they were basically the first Red Cross volunteers. It was not until 22 September 1864 – I hope I am right – when the first country to ratify the convention was France, and the first to adopt the title of Red Cross Society was the Netherlands organisation in 1867.
Importantly, article 7 of the first Geneva Conference extended the use of the Red Cross beyond voluntary relief societies. I will read that out, because every time we see the Red Cross we all believe it is someplace safe from some of the destruction around it. Article 7 says:
- A distinctive and uniform flag shall be adopted for hospitals, ambulances and evacuation parties.
…
An armlet may also be worn by personnel enjoying neutrality but its issue shall be left to the military authorities. Both flag and armlet shall bear a red cross on a white ground.
Everyone recognises that red cross. I quote from a book by Melanie Oppenheimer:
- The Anzac Legend and the Australian Red Cross share their origins in World War I. Officially established as an Australian branch of the British Red Cross Society, but always colloquially known as the Australian Red Cross, it was officially formed on 13 August 1914 when Lady Helen Munro Ferguson, wife of the Governor-General Ronald Munro Ferguson, called together a group of distinguished individuals in the grand state drawing room of Government House in Melbourne.
What a contrast to the battle in 1959.
Within weeks the Australian Red Cross became a household name across the country, attracting the support of thousands of Australians, especially an army of women, so-called ‘patriotic women’ who flocked to the organisation and became active members through its extensive branch network.
One of the great things I see in the Red Cross is the volunteers. I am one who rocks up to the Red Cross blood bank every now and then, when I do not forget my appointments. I used to go when it was in Larrakeyah. I always thought it was great because it gave me a couple of hours off work to sit in a very comfortable chair, and have a cup of tea and a fruit cake. What more could encourage people to have their blood taken? The people at the blood bank always look after you well. You are treated professionally and courteously, and that reflects what a wonderful organisation the blood bank is.
I do not want to get too involved in this area, but many people might remember the lady who used to work with me in the Assembly, Michelle. She used to frequent an op shop in the mall where she believed you could buy better clothes than Target or any of the fancy places at Casuarina Square. That was one of her favourite places, and she was not the only one. Those op shops are great. They raise money for the Red Cross, but are run by volunteers. The member for Drysdale mentioned Larry Chin, who I know well. I also know his wife, Po Chin, who works in the mall as well, or she has done. I am not sure whether she is there at the moment because I do not frequent the op shop that much.
Mr Chandler: Oh, come on.
Mr WOOD: I am sorry, this is a new tie. I know people like Po and Larry are typical of those who work in such places which help raise funds for worthy causes the Red Cross undertakes locally.
As the member for Sanderson said, they look after locals – not only areas of war and famine – as well as families, people who have problems in their lives, seniors, younger people, and even if you do not know them very well, you know the Red Cross. You have seen it on a flag or someone’s shirt, and you know it represents helping people. It does not matter whether you have been touched directly by it or not, it is a wonderful organisation which does wonderful things for the community.
Even this little celebration today, if you can call it that, recognising its 100th birthday, is important in saying thanks to the Red Cross for all of its work, not only locally but worldwide, where many Red Cross people have lost their lives for the benefit of other people. We should remember those who have lost their lives working for better outcomes in society. Thank you.
Mr HIGGINS (Daly): Madam Speaker, I congratulate the Red Cross on its anniversary, and I hope it has another 150 successful years from here.
I have never volunteered with the Australian Red Cross, but I have worked for about 10 or 11 years with emergency services. I know how much work is involved in volunteering, and that people get a lot of pleasure from it.
People would say to me, ‘Why in the hell did you want to work with emergency services?’ but it is rewarding, and I imagine it is the same with the Red Cross. I am talking today because the member for Nelson reminded me of something. I must be one of the only people in Australia who received a letter from the Red Cross which said, ‘Thank you very much for attempting to donate blood, Mr Higgins, on three occasions, but please do not come back. You are too much trouble.’
I have not been back because, as you have probably worked out, I do not like needles and the sight of blood. Anyway, I tried, and I have worked as a volunteer. The Red Cross is a fantastic organisation, and people should not take my experience as a guide. I recommend it as a terrific organisation to anyone thinking of volunteering. Thank you.
Ms LEE (Arnhem): Madam Speaker, I also support this motion celebrating 100 years of love and kindness from the Red Cross, which I grew up around. When we were in a poverty crisis – we must remember that poverty is man-made. In community life, growing up in the bush, you do not have many options of shops like Target, etcetera. The Red Cross shop is always the first place where you want to shop. They are not very expensive, but at least you are contributing back to the community and giving back to those who are less fortunate than you.
Growing up, I worked in remote health, and I have dedicated my life to emergency services in such work as driving ambulances. There have been many deaths in my close family, and I have talked people in my family out of suicide, but at least there was always someone I could talk to.
I always found staff at the Red Cross shop in Katherine to be the most loving people I could talk to. The majority of them are Christians. My grandmother was a deacon, so I have grown up with a church influence. I have always been very kind to those people who give back to others. A few of my family members donate to the Red Cross every year; we all still shop there, and I still take my kids as well. We do not like going to Target; as much as they say that Target clothes do not rip, they do. I prefer to buy second-hand clothes so I am always giving back to the community. My mum will always put the Red Cross before Target ...
Mr Wood: Sometimes it is new at the Red Cross.
Ms LEE: Yes, and you find many good clothes for good value. That is what it is all about, giving back to a cause.
As those of us who work here are paid well, we are more fortunate than others. I am probably more fortunate than all the people in my community, but the money I make in this House every year always goes back to my community. If there is a family member who wants a power card or they have run out of milk, etcetera, I always help out. If my other family members’ kids are hungry, they can always eat in my home. My home is always open to everybody. It is what we do.
That is the same initiative the Red Cross carries at its heart, as well as its volunteers. We always give back to the community, regardless of where we stand or who we are. It is our heart that defines us.
The Red Cross has always been part of a thread in our society, binding us together with much love, respect, wisdom and plenty of goodies we can buy from its shop.
My mob falls down so many times, mainly to grog, drugs and gambling, but they find support and love when they go to the Red Cross for breakfast meals, or a cup of tea and a biscuit. They hold us up by talking to us, especially the long grassers in just about every town. It is not only for Aboriginal people, it is everybody.
The Red Cross works with us, and its staff cry and laugh with us. The staff and those in need share many joys together, and build friendships through working together for many years. The roads and nights can be lonely and scary, but that fear is always taken away by the Red Cross. The Red Cross is a bridge builder for all of us, no matter where we are.
I thank the Red Cross for all the support it has given to the community, for always having good clothes for my kids, and for its kindness and joy. Many of my family have moved out of the community and are now homeless in town; they do not have anywhere to go and do not have food, but at least they find security with the Red Cross.
Mr BARRETT (Blain): Madam Speaker, I also congratulate the Chief Minister for bringing this motion to the House. The Red Cross has had a big impact in our family. My parents were here during the cyclone just before I was born; I am a little younger than KV. It was very instrumental in putting Darwin back together after Cyclone Tracy, along with many other groups. My father, as a police officer, worked hand-in-hand with the Red Cross and the services it provided for a long time after Cyclone Tracy, as the people who were here worked through the devastation.
I have a treasure box at home where I keep random things. One thing I have is a little pin that I received from the Red Cross when I was in primary school. It used to run school programs which encouraged kids to do volunteer work and to help each other. There was a Red Cross fire escape area at Casuarina where kids would go; it was like a drop-in centre, and we would do things there such as hang out and help to mentor them. Through my primary school years I also had a lot of contact with that.
When I went to university I had the pleasure of being at the Myilly Point campus, and I began giving blood at the Red Cross blood bank. I always enjoyed, much like Gerry Wood, going there for a cup of tea. I would rifle through the bowl until I found the biscuits I liked; that is probably really bad, but everyone does it. Again, we see the Red Cross impacting not only on my life, but the lives of so many Territorians through the blood bank and many other services.
Much like the member for Daly, I am sure I am a constant source of irritation to the people at the blood bank because I have terrible veins. I recall one visit; the time before this visit staff had said, ‘Next time you come make sure you drink lots of water because you do not bleed enough. You have to drink lots of water to get really hydrated.’ I did that, and was stuck in a chair, desperate to go to the bathroom. I had to stop giving blood to go to the bathroom, but they were very kind to me and let me off anyway.
East Timor was another place where I saw the Red Cross work hard. Having been to East Timor and seen much of the devastation, it was interesting talking to the people about the impact the Red Cross had. I started to realise the professionalism and high-end work the Red Cross performs. It had forensic experts working through some horrific instances that had occurred in East Timor, and it was dealing with the social and other damage that happened in the lives of so many people in that country. It brought a tear to my eye looking at the work the Red Cross did, and how much that must have cost the people in emotional stress because of the things they were working through. Yet many staff were volunteers out of the goodness of their heart, and did it selflessly for the benefit of other people.
I remember how the tsunami impacted all of Southeast Asia. The Red Cross was one of the most prominent organisations and did an awful lot, as well as in Haiti.
I was recently at the world YMCA conference, and we were talking about all the things the YMCA has done for refugees. I was looking at some very old photos, and wherever there was a photo showing things the YMCA had done with refugees, right there would be the Red Cross. It sparked my interest.
I am not sure if many people in the House would know this, but the Red Cross has a vote in the United Nations. I believe it was the first non-government organisation to receive one. It is a testament to the global work it does in helping other people; in this case I believe it was in relation to its work with refugees.
The Red Cross was there during the wars, putting people’s lives back together; this continued afterwards when the armies had left. The Red Cross was there with people every step of the way for many years after those terrible events. For that the organisation deserved the Nobel Prize it received. The Red Cross deserves the authority and global voice it has through receiving that vote in the United Nations.
I congratulate the Red Cross for all of the fantastic work it has done in Australia, globally and in the Northern Territory. It would be wonderful to see it continue that work, and I look forward to seeing many wonderful things happen through the Red Cross in the future.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
NORTHERN TERRITORY CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL BILL
(Serial 81)
(Serial 81)
Continued from 15 May 2014.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Madam Speaker, as members are aware, our shadow Attorney-General, the member for Fannie Bay, is not in parliament today, so I am speaking on his behalf.
Whilst I held the Justice portfolio as one of my shadow responsibilities, I welcomed a briefing from the department about the intention of the government to move forward with the Civil and Administrative Tribunal Bill, so it is not entirely foreign to me.
We support the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal Bill, and the establishment of a new civil and administrative tribunal in the Northern Territory. The bill is essentially a shell; it provides a framework for the many commissions, tribunals, committees and boards to be merged into one big tribunal, but it does not yet merge any; that will come later. I am aware that a bill was introduced yesterday which, no doubt, builds on this.
There are currently over 35 commissions, tribunals and a number of other bodies constituted under Territory legislation which could be merged into this new body. The Attorney-General has indicated that the administrative law reforms will require amendments to an estimated 117 acts, to be completed carefully and gradually with such a huge volume of legislation.
Additionally, the 54 acts which include an appeals mechanism through the Supreme Court and Local Court will be assessed to identify suitability for the tribunal. This bill only sets up the framework; it does not confer any jurisdiction to the tribunal at this stage. That will happen and, as I just said, the Attorney-General introduced a bill during this week; the first of many, I am sure.
That is where the devil in the detail will be in which powers, processes and procedures will change in relation to each body as it is brought into this new mega tribunal. This is where the essence of the changes will occur; powers and processes may be strengthened, weakened or changed as they are incorporated.
The bill sets out the structure, membership and other provisions, such as appeal processes required to facilitate the establishment of the tribunal. The benefit of the tribunal is not financial, although saving money is always to be applauded. It is not even about administrative efficiency, although that is also helpful. The real benefit of these reforms is in more people being able to have more matters heard by a tribunal. They could have their appeals heard by an independent judicial body empowered to resolve complaints.
For these reasons the opposition will be supporting the bill. The tribunal can provide a more efficient, simplified and user-friendly system. However, we caution against an appeal body in the Territory becoming the cause of original decision-making bodies losing their independence, experience, breadth of knowledge or capacity to make decisions.
This could happen on the altar of savings or the misinterpretation of red tape. What protection is there for Territorians to ensure good, sensible decisions are made as early and as well as possible?
These are concerns we raised when we heard the Liquor Commission, as a consequence of having a civil and administrative tribunal, will be changed. How we manage liquor in the Territory will significantly change.
The government will lose the commission’s expertise and independence, and instead rely on people in the department to oversee changes. As a Labor government, we knew the importance of a competent, professional public service, and relied on frank and fearless advice. We still have a professional and competent public service, but we do not have a government that wants to hear frank and fearless advice.
We have a government that makes partisan appointments, we have seen it interfere with the proper decision-making process and it lacks transparency. We have a government that requires oversight.
As an opposition, we are concerned about the CLP government’s decision to lift the moratorium on new liquor licences, and the scrapping of the Liquor Commission. When alcohol-related violence remains at record levels, now is not the time to make alcohol more readily available. There has been no community consultation on this issue. Where is the impact analysis? Opening up new liquor licences after scrapping the Licensing Commission is a dangerous move and counterproductive to harm minimisation.
It is time for the Attorney-General to be up front with Territorians about what it will mean on the ground. He said in his second reading speech that the tribunal will:
- … provide a single, easy to find, easy to use, non-judicial body for a fair and independent resolution of disputes relating to administrative decisions, and will result in the abolition of many of the stand-alone bodies that currently exist.
We support this, but not at the cost of independent, original decision-making bodies. We are not opposed to the creation of a civil and administrative tribunal, as they operate in most other jurisdictions. It is only Tasmania and the Northern Territory that are without one.
We are aware that a huge amount of work has been done over the years by law reform committees to assess the best model for the Northern Territory. We support providing Territorians with avenues where they can pursue any grievances with a government service or decision. It is about providing for checks and balances within our system of government, and there has probably never been a more important time to have checks and balances on government decisions.
A series of government decisions which could be examined under the good-for-all test is those made to award water extraction licences to the former CLP candidate for Lingiari and the former CLP member for Goyder, former director of Foundation 51 and current magistrate, Peter Maley. The decision to award those licences has been to the exclusion of the substantial rights of other Territorians.
The rights of amateur fishers have been ignored, the rights of Indigenous Territorians to have strategic water reserves allocated for their use have been ignored and the rights of ordinary Territorians who value our unique environment and ecosystems have been dismissed.
Through freedom of information evidence we have been made aware of the minister involving himself in the administrative process. During estimates questioning in June we became aware of the minister inappropriately meeting with magistrate Maley and Ms MacFarlane to discuss their water licence applications and commercial interests.
When stakeholders objected to these licences, the minister declined to refer their objections to the independent review panel established under the Water Act. This appears to be an example of an administrative decision which requires transparency, and something we know affected parties would be keen to appeal. We seek an assurance from the Attorney-General that this bill will protect and enhance the rights of Territorians, rather than hinder or diminish them.
As local members, and especially being in opposition, we are required to interact with many people who have had difficulties dealing with government. They may have been the aggrieved party or had issues with how decisions were made, and on what information and basis. They may not have had opportunities to provide more information or, alternatively, received no information. They may have had to wait for months for a decision, with their lives held up in an in-tray somewhere. These are the aggrieved. These are often Territorians who deserve better.
Having an administrative appeals process can provide them with recourse to have their voice heard in a way that allows for a second chance for a better outcome. They are also people deserving of a better government.
The Attorney-General has served in opposition, so he would be aware of the concerns we frequently deal with around matters like housing, particularly public housing. The CLP is not replenishing our public housing stock; it would rather sell it or demolish it for private use.
Development issues tend to attract all types of views. This is a government that rezones community purpose land for medium density in our suburbs; that was described by the member for Nelson as doing a ‘Putin’ in the rural area. There are significant concerns from people living in the rural area that proper processes are being ignored by this government.
The decision to again allow open speed limits in the Territory should have been reviewable. The police certainly do not support this decision. Can an agency appeal a decision of a minister? They should not have to. If the police say open speed limits are dangerous, surely that should be enough. To quote outgoing president Vince Kelly, who speaks with the voice of around 1400 police officers, ‘I do not believe a responsible organisation representing operational police officers could support any government reintroducing unrestricted speed limits on a trial or permanent basis. Dealing with the carnage on our roads is one of the most personally and professionally damaging elements of police work for our members. How could we possibly support such a measure?’
Yet today we have a stretch of the Stuart Highway where anyone can drive as fast as they like. Yesterday’s media release from the Transport minister announced that there is now an extra 72 km along the Stuart Highway where people can drive as fast as they like.
As bad as this government is, as bad as the decisions it makes are, there are other good reasons to support a civil and administrative tribunal. The member for Wanguri spoke to a debate on this policy area much earlier in this term. She put it very well when she said:
- When things do not go people’s way it can have profound impacts on their personal and professional lives. When that happens and people generally feel emotions such as anger, frustration, sadness and disenchantment, as well as high levels of stress, it is important that appeals mechanisms are in place and are accessible.
- We would all agree we have a terrific public service with many hard-working people who take a great deal of pride in their work delivering the best possible services to Territorians every day. They take their duties very seriously and understand the responsibilities they have and some of the powers that come with those responsibilities and duties. As we can all appreciate, from time to time things can go wrong in decision-making processes, despite peoples’ best efforts. People are not perfect, and sometimes do not see eye-to-eye. There are a range of reasons why this happens, but it is just another fact of life.
- … I should emphasise that, in its twenty years of adjudication, the AAT has not only afforded justice to thousands of applicants by providing review on the merits of administrative decisions which have affected them, but it has also played a significant role in improving administrative decision-making throughout the bureaucracy … By enunciating the principles which have guided it in its decision-making, by analysing which are the relevant factors to be taken into account and by making findings of fact in a rational way, basing them upon sufficient evidence, the AAT has led the way. Fair and well-balanced decision-making has been promoted. Idiosyncratic and arbitrary decision-making has been discouraged. These are all outcomes for which the Commonwealth Administrative Review committee aimed. The community is the better for it.
- This budget provides additional support for the justice system through an additional $3.36m to establish and operate the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
On 13 May 2014 the Attorney-General told parliament:
- It is almost certain we will also collapse the Local Court’s Small Claims Jurisdiction into the Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Changes to the operation of these judicial functions will need security. Will the minister guarantee consultation, and how widespread will this consultation be? Further, can the Attorney-General provide assurance that the government will not be moving future bills which refer existing powers to the tribunal on urgency? Can he also provide a time line of how and when he anticipates the 35 tribunals and commissions, and 117 acts being referred?
That may be too broad. Of more specific interest, what considerations will he make in prioritising various acts? For example, will he bring forward the relevant amendments to the Liquor Act or the Water Act, both of which, particularly the latter, have been quite controversial? Can the Attorney-General advise if he envisages all acts being captured by the new tribunal, with decisions being reviewable where the decision-maker is a minister? For example, does the Attorney-General intend to confer certain powers under the Magistrates Act to the tribunal? As the Attorney-General would be aware, the Territory currently does not have a judicial commission. Will the Civil and Administrative Tribunal be able to hear matters that would rightly go there in other states?
In his policy statement on the Civil and Administrative Tribunal, the Attorney-General said:
- Societies cannot function in a state of everyone having unfettered freedoms and governments will always legislate for the balance in the best interests of the good of all. These decisions surrounding what constitutes the good of all can and should be tested, and a tribunal provides a simple capability to do just that.
Mrs FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I support this very important and significant reform in administrative law in the Northern Territory. Let me begin with a quote from an eminent Australian jurist, Hon Justice Peter McClellan AM, a judge of the New South Wales Court of Appeal and currently Chief Royal Commissioner of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. He said:
- No matter how fair and efficient a bureaucracy is, it will always require supervision. Abuses of power can never be entirely eliminated. Legitimate differences of opinion are bound to arise between honest bureaucrats and honest citizens. Moreover, the mere possibility of review helps ensure that first-instance decisions are considered and rational.
Administrative review is therefore an integral part of the framework of government accountability. As the Territory has grown and developed, successive Northern Territory governments have legislated for the development of a number of separate bodies to resolve a wide range of disputes that can arise when officials make decisions. These bodies usually deal with separate areas of law, and have separate membership and administrative structures.
Today, there are numerous tribunals, boards, councils, panels and committees that do not form part of the judicial system, as well as ministers and public officials empowered by statute to make administrative decisions affecting a range of personal, professional, occupational, trade, industry and commercial activities.
Additionally, the courts too have various roles in decision-making that could be characterised as administrative rather than judicial. In many instances the courts are authorised by statute to hear appeals against a variety of administrative decisions, sometimes where the appeal is not limited merely to questions of law.
The current arrangements for the review of administrative decision-making in the Territory have evolved in an ad hoc manner, with significant periods of time between various developments. Equal access to justice is of fundamental importance in a democracy. The Giles government is committed to establishing modern, efficient and accessible systems of criminal, civil and administrative justice for Territorians through its Pillars of Justice framework. The new Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal will add a new pillar to our system of justice, enhancing both its strength and capacity. When the new NTCAT commences it will provide a streamlined framework for administrative and civil justice. It will be able to incorporate new and emerging jurisdictions in the future, avoiding the further ad hoc proliferation of tribunals.
By providing a single gateway, it will also prevent confusion among members of the public about where to go for help. Tribunals are an essential component of Australia’s justice system. They provide timely, efficient and flexible points of access for citizens seeking review of executive actions or to resolve disputes.
For over 40 years, there has been progressive reform of the proliferation of small specialist tribunals and other decision-makers outside of the courts system. This centralisation of review tribunals commenced with the establishment at the Commonwealth level of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in 1975.
At the state and territory level, reform commenced with the establishment of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in 1998, and has since been followed by the establishment of similar tribunals in Western Australia in 2004, the Australian Capital Territory in 2009, Queensland also in 2009 and, more recently, South Australia in 2013 and New South Wales in 2014.
The Northern Territory Law Reform Committee has reviewed this issue on two separate occasions – in 1991 and 2004 - and in both instances recommended that the Northern Territory government pursue the establishment of a general administrative tribunal to exercise original and review jurisdiction.
The Northern Territory and Tasmania remain the last two jurisdictions in Australia to maintain the plethora of specialist tribunals. This legislation establishing the new tribunal follows the well-established distinction between tribunals and courts. NTCAT will provide greater access and more flexible procedures than are used in the courts, and will have a more inquisitorial approach compared with the traditional adversarial court-based processes.
One of the most significant reforms contained in this legislation is that it now consistently applies the right to obtain reasons for decisions made by government agencies, enhancing public accountability of official decision-making.
Matters in the review jurisdiction will generally be dealt with by way of a fresh hearing. This means the tribunal will not be confined to matters that were before the decision-maker, and may consider new material, whether or not it existed at the time the original decision was made. This is the current approach taken in most existing tribunals and similar tribunals in other jurisdictions.
NTCAT will also have an internal appeal jurisdiction, enabling parties to appeal from an original decision of the tribunal in its review jurisdiction. NTCAT will be led by a president and deputy president who are magistrates. The presence of judicial members will enhance public confidence in the integrity of NTCAT and ensure its independence and impartiality. It will also promote decision-making of the highest quality.
NTCAT will also have ordinary members who will either be legally qualified or have expertise in areas within NTCAT’s jurisdiction. Subject to specific provisions in any act granting jurisdiction to the tribunal, the president will decide which members and the number of members who will hear matters. No more than three members may hear a matter.
The rules of evidence do not apply. NTCAT must, however, observe natural justice and act fairly and in accordance with the substantial merits of the case. As part of its objective to deliver quick and effective justice, alternative dispute resolution will form part of the fabric of NTCAT. Mediation and compulsory conferences may be held at any stage, with the aim of settling a dispute.
To ensure NTCAT remains as informal and economical as possible, parties may represent themselves. However, a party may choose to be represented by a legal practitioner if they so desire. To ensure NTCAT is a low-cost jurisdiction, parties must generally bear their own costs unless the tribunal considers it is appropriate in the interests of justice to award costs.
Another reform contained in this legislation is a requirement for NTCAT to give reasons, in writing, for its decisions within 28 days after the hearing of a proceeding. Decisions of NTCAT may be appealed to the Northern Territory Supreme Court on questions of law.
Territorians will benefit from the establishment of this new single tribunal through:
improved access to justice through a ‘one-stop shop’ location
the lowering of barriers to justice through simpler and consistent processes, with less formality than a potentially daunting court setting
a tailoring of services to promote an environment for the public to represent themselves, without the expense of costly representation
faster and more consistent decision-making – the correct or preferable outcome without regard to legal technicalities
an emphasis on alternative dispute resolution leading to the quick, cheap, fair and efficient resolution of matters
the establishment of a venue with a consumer focus and a welcoming environment.
This bill gives effect to a major commitment of this government to cut red tape by providing Territorians with a simple, quick and effective process for resolving disputes and reviewing administrative decisions.
I am privileged to be a member of a parliament which passes legislation to create a new landscape for administrative review in the Northern Territory. As a lawyer, I am particularly excited by these changes, as they provide a justice system that is fair and accessible, and meets the needs of Territorians in the 21st century. I commend the bill to the House.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I also support this bill. It makes a lot of sense to combine many of the tribunals we have into one, as it would create a more efficient system. Whether it makes a better system, only time will tell, because the proof in the pudding will be in how these tribunals work in reality, not whether you have a heap of them. I understand you will have, in some cases, a number of tribunals operating at once. If there are many things to be dealt with there will be several tribunals operating at the same time.
I thank the minister for allowing officers to brief me on some of the issues I raised with them yesterday. They covered pretty much everything I had a concern about or needed clarification on. One of the areas I had issues with was uniform procedures. If you had existing tribunals amalgamated into one, and they were representing, for example, planning or the Mental Health Act, I wanted to know if there would be a uniform process to add to the efficiency of the tribunal system.
I also raised issues about mediation and compulsory conferencing. I think the only appeals tribunal I have ever dealt with was in relation to the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal, and I may have attended it once. I know of its existence because having commented on planning issues for many years I have seen matters go to that tribunal. I had concerns; it was explained to me that maybe they were to do with the rules of the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment, and that I may have to try to have them changed.
If you had submitted an objection to a planning application, and the Development Consent Authority decided to reject the application, the developer could go to the tribunal. Before going to the tribunal he could be asked to mediate.
As an objector you are not involved in mediation. The department might be involved in mediation, but those who object do not have a say, and it leaves you out of that decision-making process. The DCA allows people who object or support to state their views about a development, but when it comes to mediation, for some reason applicants can be represented by the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment, and there is a process which does not give objectors a chance to put their point of view.
I raise this issue because if you live in the rural area you have no right of appeal; that is third-party appeal. Once you move into Palmerston and Darwin you have the right to appeal against certain developments, but for some reason rural people – I brought a motion to parliament several years ago to change it, and I received no support – do not have those rights of appeal. That may require some changes in the planning scheme or the Planning Act. I am highlighting a system for rural people where they are not involved in mediation or compulsory conferencing and, on top of that, they are not even given the right of appeal. There must be some adjustment so the ordinary person has that right of appeal.
I am also concerned that there does not seem to be an appeal mechanism against the minister’s decision. The government might say that is the power of the minister, but I will give you a classic example of the minister deciding to overturn a decision of the DCA, in relation to a matter at Humpty Doo.
In the Humpty Doo case, the DCA outlined its reasons why it would not support the rezoning of this parcel of land; it set out A, B, C, D and E. Under a freedom of information request, some local residents found that the minister had decided to override the DCA’s decision, and did not base that on any of its concerns. It was a generic reason, which was about affordability and the choice of housing. Those people have no right of appeal. The rezoning has been set. In fact, the development application for all the blocks in that area is now on the way to being heard by the Development Consent Authority.
People must have some way of asking for a decision to be reviewed. Just because it is the minister’s decision does not necessarily mean it cannot be looked at by an administrative tribunal to see whether reasons given are fair. In the case of the Humpty Doo development, the reasons given by the DCA as to why the area should not be rezoned bore no resemblance to the reasons provided by the minister for overriding that decision. It is an area where I have some concerns regarding fairness for the average Joe Blow when it comes to decisions by government that will affect those people for a long time.
I have been looking through the amendments, and am interested to hear the minister give his reasons for some of the changes he is putting forward in the committee stage. I am interested to know how tribunals will work in relation to the entire Territory. Will they be centralised or will they move around? Will people have to go to them or will they move? It may depend, of course, on the particular tribunal ...
Mr Elferink: Yes.
Mr WOOD: Okay, that has fixed that. I also listened to the member for Nhulunbuy, who gave a very detailed summary of the proposed changes to the tribunal system. It makes a lot of sense. The minister ought to come back in a certain time to let us know where we are with this. I have forgotten how many tribunals there are which must have their legislation changed. We will have many amendments to legislation coming through the House. Even when they have all been brought together and we have this system operating, it would be good to occasionally hear a report of how it is all working …
Mr Elferink: It will be annually.
Mr WOOD: It will be annually. Something which should always be in a report is a judgment of how a system is working, if the government is proclaiming it to be a better way of doing business, with efficiencies.
One judgment is fairness. The member for Drysdale quoted somebody talking about equal access to justice. We must ensure this system does not lower the bar, but raises it so justice is the primary reason for these changes.
There is an economic change in that this will hopefully save money, which is fair enough. Would it be possible to see the cost of all these tribunals beforehand, and what the savings will be? People might think these are irrelevant, but it is not if the government claims this new legislation will work in a certain way. Somewhere along the line we must say, ‘You said that 12 months ago or two years ago, so has it done what you said it would do?’ That is a reasonable approach to take.
I support the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal Bill.
Mr BARRETT (Blain): Madam Speaker, I also support this bill. Transparency in government is very important; decisions made by government representatives and administrators have win/loss outcomes for different individuals.
Loss outcomes often result in legal proceedings which seek to alter the decision or at least explain the reasoning for it. This causes a workload for the many tribunals, panels, committees, etcetera, that is complex to access and creates an impediment to receiving feedback or presenting matters for a decision.
This legislation for the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal is excellent policy. It allows for cases to be heard in an inquisitive rather than adversarial manner, it lessens the costs to parties seeking clarification or changes to decisions and it undoes the complexity around finding clear decisions or presenting a case to alter that.
One of the features of the legislation is that it constantly applies the right to obtain reasons for decisions made by government agencies, which is very important for transparency for those who have had decisions handed down. It also protects the decision-makers from accusations of inappropriate dealings, as the tribunal can provide a forum for open discussions. That is just as important as giving people the right of reply.
Matters in the review jurisdiction will generally be dealt with by way of a fresh hearing, and new information that was not part of the original decision-making process may be included in that hearing.
Internal appeals may occur as part of the process, which applies another layer of transparency to the tribunal and its operation. Having judicial members comprising the tribunal will ensure public confidence, its independence and impartiality. This is due to the fact that competent, unbiased individuals skilled in justice matters will be hearing matters.
The NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal will observe natural justice, and be efficient and effective in decision-making dispute resolutions, mediation and compulsory conferences, making the scope of the tribunal broad enough to encompass different types of matters that may arise.
Parties may represent themselves, if they wish, and must cover their own expenses, which should keep costs down. The NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal will give reasons for decisions within 28 days, providing quick closure for individuals looking to get on with business. This is very important, and part of the Northern Territory government’s policy of reducing red tape and making things easier for people to get on with business and do what they need to.
This is great policy and makes doing business in the Northern Territory more transparent and efficient. It will have scope for improvement, which is also important, and I congratulate the Attorney-General on his work in this area. He does fantastic work, and is very passionate about his portfolios. The quality of this and other legislation coming from government is brilliant; it moves the Territory forward, making systems and processes more efficient and effective, and I am very happy to support this bill. Thank you
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): Madam Speaker, I support the Attorney-General bringing forward this bill. This is yet another example of the bold reforms taking place throughout government, thanks to the hard work of my colleagues and me.
NTCAT will provide a single, easy to find, easy to use, non-judicial body for fair and independent resolutions of disputes relating to administrative decisions. It will improve the quality of decision-making across government agencies and significantly cut red tape.
Instead of a plethora of single-focus tribunals, there will be a single tribunal able to address a range of issues across a range of portfolios. Initially, this bill has little direct effect on my portfolios of Health and Disability Services.
When creating a consolidated tribunal was proposed, a number of tribunals were noted as potential entities that could transfer jurisdiction to the proposed NTCAT. Adult guardianship reviews and the Mental Health Review Tribunal were noted at the time. However, the bill before the Assembly only deals with the establishment of NTCAT and the transfer of jurisdiction for three existing tribunals that fall under the Department of Attorney-General and Justice. The only health entity is the Health Professional Review Tribunal, which is established under Part 3 of the Health Practitioners Act. In early 2013 this tribunal was transferred to the Attorney-General’s department.
As a former part of the Health portfolio, I remained interested in the Health Professional Review Tribunal, and made sure to receive briefings on how it would be affected by the bill. I was told that extensive consultations had occurred between the Attorney-General and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to improve operational provisions, given the specific nature of the tribunal. The NT manager and legal officer of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, known as AHPRA, liaised extensively with the Attorney-General, and has confirmed its agreement with the revised provisions. Consequently, the only involvement from a health perspective is if a notification is made against a registered health practitioner employed in the Department of Health who might require or seek legal representation from the department’s legal services section.
Because the government is a self-insurer we provide professional indemnity cover for our registered health practitioners. This may involve representation for an employee at a hearing before NTCAT. While the change does not have a huge, immediate impact on my portfolio, I want to make a brief statement in support of this policy direction.
Tribunals provide a more informal and flexible approach to hearings. For example, a tribunal environment can be controlled to provide the necessary support mechanisms for a person with a disability to maximise their involvement in the process. It is also more conducive to providing a narrative that is understood by all parties to explain a decision made by the tribunal. This will hopefully be in the not too distant future, as we review all areas where NTCAT may be useful. In the meantime this legislation establishes NTCAT, but does not confer any jurisdiction onto the tribunal. Conferral of jurisdiction will be the subject of a series of separate bills which will amend other laws to authorise NTCAT to exercise jurisdiction in specific matters.
Once established, NTCAT will become a useful tool for many areas of government. I will take full advantage of this facility in pieces of legislation that I am in the process of developing in the areas of disability, medical reviews and other areas that need similar quasi-judicial reviews. This is what NTCAT is all about, making this process simple, responsive and cost-effective. There is, and always will be, a place for the courts, as they are a backbone of civil society. However, in today’s complex community there is an urgent need for more flexibility, greater simplicity and recourse for justice for all at a reasonable cost.
I applaud the Attorney-General for this legislation, thank him for his briefing and commend his bill to the House.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I thank all honourable members for their support. At the risk of feeling triumphant, this is something I really wanted to pursue as the Attorney-General.
From memory, I mentioned this matter on a couple of occasions whilst in opposition, often with the blank looks of government members at that time. That is not meant to be a negative comment, as it was not on anybody’s radar.
When I studied law I was always struck by one component of it, that being the accessibility of justice.
Anybody who enters the court system outside of the small claims jurisdiction, and being the accused, stands to part with a lot of dough just for the privilege of being there, and there are no guarantees in the court system as a general principle.
Secondly, in spite of members opposite trying to give me a draconian air, I very much believe in the principles of justice and democracy in our society, and will always be a strident defender of what is correct and upright.
It is about creating a system of review of bureaucratic decisions and making it available to the public, as well as incorporating the small claims jurisdiction so many of those small arguments that exist in our lower courts can find their way into the tribunal in an affordable way.
The tribunal will allow the principles of natural justice to guide it. It is, by its nature – this has been mentioned by several people today – an inquisitorial body, which sets it aside from an adversarial body in which the judge – I use that term in the small ‘j’ version of the word – sits almost in a passive role.
A judge may occasionally look over the top of their glasses and ask a question of a representative of the Bar, but essentially the fight is had, and the judge is nothing but a spectator.
The only place that immediately springs to mind where the lower courts engage in an inquisitorial role is in the coroners’ court. A coroner actively seeks information, makes comment from the bench, and counsel assists the coroner in his or her investigation of a death.
By allowing the principles of natural justice to operate in an inquisitorial environment, a tribunal is far more capable of being flexible than, necessarily, a court. It is flexibility that pursues the equitable flavour an inquisitorial tribunal brings forward.
A number of members talked about the range and breadth of this tribunal, and they clearly understand that this act does nothing but take us beyond the point of no return in creating NTCAT. But like any house that you build, before you furnish each of its rooms, you must construct it, which is what we are doing today.
As time passes – it will not take long – we will furnish each of the rooms in that house with increasing amounts of adornments, so its presence becomes more substantial to the public. That presence will reach into the public domain, and make justice available, particularly in relation to government decision-making processes, in a way that it has not been made available in the past here. That is why I am proud of what we are doing.
The principles we are pursuing, particularly in the area of natural justice and procedural fairness, can be captured in the idea of bias. I draw members’ attention to page 450 of Federal Administrative Law by Enright, Federation Press 2001, where they use the Latin maxim nemo debet esse judex in propria sua causa which literally translates as ‘no one should be a judge in their own case’.
If you think about the tribunal process, for example, in the Northern Territory’s revenue collection processes, someone in the department makes a determination in a tax case. A person may feel aggrieved as a result of that determination, so it is then referred to a review panel inside the department. For the uninitiated at the side of that department, with their nose pressed up to the glass, it looks like a department investigating the rightness or wrongness of one of its decisions. This is unsatisfactory in the mind of the common man or woman. I can well understand why people would simply say, ‘What is the point of appealing a decision when the decision-maker will be reviewed by their peers?’ That is part of the problem of the apprehension of bias that this process seeks to address.
I picked up on a number of questions from the person representing the shadow Attorney-General here today, and I will address them. In regard to establishment, we think it will cost $3.36m to set up.
How many cases will there be? I do not know. One could knock on the doors of each of the tribunals in the Northern Territory and say, ‘How many cases have you dealt with?’ However, that would give you no successful indication as to the number of cases which would come before the tribunal. The very nature of its accessibility suggests it would have an increased caseload as time goes by, and from its initial steps forward. That is why I am unable to answer that question. I hope there are not too many cases. I hope the decision-making processes of government and the small claims jurisdiction do not generate that many cases, because that means there is less conflict in our community. However, the very existence of a court or tribunal system is a public acknowledgement of conflict in any community. The question is by how much and to what degree that conflict will exist.
Training for public servants: the member for Nhulunbuy will note that the quote she referred to in her speech basically enshrined the concept that the quality of decision-making is directly proportional to the quality of the policing of the decision-maker. For that reason alone, one would expect public servants to act with a greater alertness to fairness, because their decisions will be externally reviewable as a consequence of these legislative instruments operating.
The member for Nhulunbuy also asked if future legislative instruments would be passed on urgency. I will not commit to that, but I would hope not. It is conceivable that at some point or another there may be cause to pass a conferral of power on to the tribunal through the urgency process, but only if it passes the requisite tests in standing orders to show that some hardship would occur. Should I bring a conferral power in on urgency, advice would be given well in advance to members opposite, and the hardship argument would be made out to the satisfaction of this parliament.
The next question was about how quick the referral process will be. It will be as quick as possible.
Time lines: The time lines process will be as quick as possible, but I do not wish to rush this. I wish to achieve the conferral of powers in a timely and effective fashion, so the objects of this legislation can be attended to.
The member for Nhulunbuy also asked about reviewable ministerial decisions. I draw her attention to a general principle in Douglas and Jones’s Administrative Law by Roger Douglas, Federation Press, which dates back to 2002, of how a minister is exposed to the decision-making process, and their responsibility to a parliament:
- Ministers are, however, answerable only for what they can be reasonably expected to answer. Ministers for Education are not expected to resign because somewhere, somehow, a student has managed to fail the Year 12 assessment requirements. However, ministers may be held answerable for the pursuit of misguided policies. Moreover, inability to exercise direct supervision does not mean non-answerability: the minister can be held responsible for failure to ensure that there are systems in force to minimise mistakes by subordinates. The test may be a political test rather than a moral test, but the two are not unrelated. But even putting as favourable a gloss as possible on a minister’s answerability to parliament, and on governments’ responsibility to the electorate, it is clear that ministers and government are effectively responsible only for those decisions which have – or appear to have – a significant impact. Responsibility of ministers and governments to parliament and the electorate will not be sufficient to ensure the elimination of bureaucratic error.
Even in this wise tome on administrative law there is an acknowledgement at page 28 of a boundary between what a minister is responsible for and what the bureaucratic decision-maker is responsible for. That is a line often blurred in this House, but it is something we must turn our minds to.
In paragraph 104 of the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Jia Legeng [2001] 178 ALR 421, Gleeson CJ and Gummow J note that:
- There was a measure of artificiality about categorising the complaint against the Minister as bias. There is an even greater measure of artificiality about treating the rules of natural justice, and the legislation, as requiring the Minister in exercising his powers …
- … to avoid doing or saying anything that would create an appearance of a kind which, in the case of a judge, would lead to an apprehension the subject of the apprehended bias rule.
It is being argued that ministers are not subject to the same rules as a judge in the concept of apprehended bias. That is because we are elected, if you think about it, because of our bias. We go into the public domain regularly and, on a four-year cycle, say, ‘These are our biases, this is what we believe, this is what we think’, and if the majority of the people in that jurisdiction agree with us, they install sufficient numbers of members into that parliament so they can form a government and pursue those biases. That is how our system works.
Consequently, I suggest - it is largely reflected in administrative lawmaking regimes in other jurisdictions, but not exclusively – that the minister’s decision is outside the boundaries of the contemplation of the tribunal. Any person elevated to ministerial office through their election would stand in a difficult position conceptually if their election was subordinated to an unelected tribunal.
That is a general principle I would struggle with, in terms of a minister’s decision - certainly a parliament’s - being reviewable by an unelected body. If you think about the consequences of that I suspect most members would agree that the elected should remain answerable to the public, not unelected tribunal members.
When it comes to the operation of this system, because a tribunal is not bound in the same ways as the courts, there are some other impacts of this. Concepts of natural justice have a much greater presence, and the remedies available to a court, especially when you think about the nature of an application brought before it, are quite different. Perhaps I can explain it in the following terms. If a person goes to a court and is the subject of a lawful administrative decision which is somehow inherently unfair, the limited judicial remedies available to the court mean it will probably uphold the lawful decision, in spite of it being unfair. This is unless there is some sort of intervention from the equitable environment.
However, having made that observation, a jurisdiction such as a tribunal, which is essentially still an extension of the executive arm of government, is not bound by such matters. Concepts such as the hearing rule in Bond’s case mean those particular tribunals can cast a wider and more benevolent eye upon applicants who come before them pursuing an equitable remedy, rather than necessarily black letter law. Most reasonable and right thinking people would embrace that in a community.
I hope that answers the member for Nhulunbuy’s questions. In some instances they are not answers because I am not yet in a position to answer those questions. I ask the member for Nhulunbuy to keep an eye out for the annual report of the tribunal, which will be delivered here. This will, in time, more fulsomely answer the questions she has put.
She also raised a number of issues that have been topical in this House, and whilst she knows I will not agree with her on those issues, some of the matters she raised will be examined independently through further conferral legislation into the future. She is critical, on one hand, of the processes, but then inexorably drawn to the realisation that her criticism provides support of this bill, because it is exactly the sort of good governance she advocates for.
Ms Walker: What about prioritising various acts of the 117?
Mr ELFERINK: Once we have the shell together, we will start aiming – I will pick up on the interjection; the question was in relation to prioritising. The first conferral bill was simple because it was within the boundaries of my ministerial domain. Legislation like the Fences Act is about as politically sexy as a sock in a tumble dryer, but it was easy to get at. Once this tribunal is established, we will be looking at those instruments which are attractive, either through their frequency of use or the seriousness of their decision-making function. That would be a fair way to describe it.
I pick up on some of the things the member for Nelson said. Clearly the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal is one of those bodies which will move over very quickly.
I also thank members from my side of the House, particularly the Minister for Health, but also the members for Blain and Drysdale for their support. I wholeheartedly concur with the observations they made about the importance of this fundamental change to the accessibility of justice for Territorians.
As I said before, this is not the sort of thing which fills the bleachers of this House, and many people will not even notice when this bill has passed into law. However, I take heart from knowing that once this bill has passed into law and conferral legislation is in place, people will seek redress for small claims or administrative decisions before the tribunal along a much more accessible path than it ever would have been prior to today. In short, we will collect all of the cupcakes of tribunals across government, and create one very large sponge cake.
This will take pressure off our lower courts and tribunals. We expect to see less expenditure on tribunals that no longer exist; whether or not it saves money or takes us to the break-even point, time will tell. The provision of good systems interwoven with integrity and a judicial flavour is something all Territorians would embrace. That truism is reflected in the fact that all who have spoken today have also embraced the concept. To that end, I have a number of small consequential amendments that require the committee of the whole. Having made that observation, I thank honourable members for their contributions.
I also place on the record my gratitude to members of the department, with particular acknowledgement to Andrew Macrides, who has done a monumental job in this space – for their work, and I look forward to what will seem like a small change – it is actually monumental – becoming the law of the Northern Territory.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Clauses 1 to 12, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 13:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.1. Clause 13(3) is to be omitted and replaced with the following:
- (3) The appointment of a magistrate as the President does not affect the magistrate’s tenure of office or status as a magistrate.
(3A) The President is entitled to the same salary and allowance as the Deputy Chief Magistrate.
The Remuneration Tribunal conducts annual reviews of the entitlements of Northern Territory magistrates, and makes determinations or recommendations about those entitlements.
Entitlements were received from the last determination on 23 April 2014, resulting in the issuing of Determination 1 of 2014 on 23 April 2014. The determination also prescribes any additional remuneration and conditions payable to magistrates who perform duties additional to those of a magistrate.
The new Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal will not be considered by the Remuneration Tribunal until the next annual review, which will be after the tribunal commences operation. The remuneration level for the president has, therefore, been set at the same level as prescribed in the current determination – Determination 1 of 2014 – for the Chair of the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal.
Amendment agreed to.
Ms WALKER: Mr Chair, I have a general question, and this is probably the section of the bill where I should ask it. It is to do with the membership of the tribunal. Could the Attorney-General explain to the House what the selection process will be? There have been far too many mates given jobs since the CLP came to power. Territorians need to have confidence that there is an open and transparent process without any affiliation to members of the government. I would be grateful if the Attorney-General could talk us through the selection process.
Mr ELFERINK: The selection process will be the same that apply to the selection process for the appointment of judicial officers. The only …
Ms WALKER: That does not fill us with confidence.
Mr ELFERINK: I pick up on what you are doing. The only time I have stepped away from that selection process, as the Attorney-General, was when applications were taken for the number of vacancies left behind by a neglectful former Labor government. I worked very closely with the profession in relation to making a number of appointments.
We will appoint in accordance with a system that I am confident will produce non-controversial selections.
Clause 13, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 14 to 52, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 53:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.2. For clause 53(2)(b), after the word ‘appropriate’ insert ‘and is not bound by the rules of evidence’.
This is a simple amendment which clarifies that the tribunal is not bound by the rules of evidence, and enhances the probative and equitable flavours I referred to during my second reading reply.
There is no intention for a radical departure from the rules of evidence per se, and I do not doubt that the rules of evidence will guide the tribunal’s deliberations. However, from time to time, rules of evidence prevent things, for example hearsay evidence, from being heard in a court. These things may be heard by the tribunal. However, it will be up to the discretion of the tribunal to give what probative weight it considers sufficient in cases where it hears evidence outside the general principles of the rules of evidence.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 53, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 54 to 87, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 88:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.3 and invite defeat of clause 88. This defeated clause must be considered in conjunction with amendment 23.4. Therefore, this clause is essentially surplus to requirements.
Clause 88 defeated.
New clause 88:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.4, that new clause 88 entitled ‘Person engaging in contempt’ be inserted after clause 87 as follows:
- If a person is engaging in conduct that the Tribunal considers constitutes contempt, the Tribunal may order the person to leave the place where the Tribunal is sitting and may continue the proceeding in the person’s absence.
New clause 88 agreed to.
Clause 89 to 137, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 138:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.5, that clause 138(1) be omitted and the following inserted:
- (1) The President must establish a rules committee consisting of the President and one other member.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 138, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 139 to 140, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 141:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.6, that clause 141(3)(c) be omitted and the following subclause inserted in its place:
- (c) set aside the decision and:
- (i) substitute its own decision; or
(ii) send the matter back to the Tribunal for reconsideration in accordance with any recommendations the Supreme Court considers appropriate;
Briefly, what we are seeking to achieve is common practice in many other jurisdictions and courts where a matter of law is sent to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court then rules on that matter of law and sends a decision back to the inferior court or, in this case, the tribunal. This mirrors common practice and this amendment makes that capacity clear.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 141, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 142 to 155, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
New Part 8:
Mr ELFERINK: Mr Chair, I move amendment 23.7 for the sake of completeness. I move that a new Part 8 be inserted after section 155 as follows:
- Part 8 Amendment of Assembly Members and Statutory Officers (Remuneration and Other Entitlements) Act’
156 Act amended’
- This Part amends the Assembly Members and Statutory Officers (Remuneration and Other Entitlements) Act.
Amendment agreed to.
Remainder of the bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Whilst it does not quite agree with standing orders, I take the chance to say I am grateful to all members for their support. As I said during my second reading wrap, I was anxious to ensure this legislation became part of the jurisprudence of the Northern Territory. It has been very gratifying for me to have this legislation not only pass the House today, and soon come before the Administrator to be passed into law, but it will do so with the acquiescence and support of the House in toto. This reassures me that the pathway we have set is the right one. Many a critical eye will have been cast across this legislative instrument, and many will have asked questions of what we are doing here today.
I met with a collection of judges, magistrates, lawyers and other interested parties from the profession only what seems like a few short months ago; I am sure for the likes of Mr Macrides it is a much longer time. There was strong support from the profession and the judiciary, which gave me the confidence to embark on this process, and we have now reached this point. We are now in a position to create this legislative instrument, and we have done so with a consistent process of consultation with as many affected parties as possible.
We now have a legislative instrument that brings us, in a substantial way, forward in the Northern Territory, and to have it pass without resistance and with the acclamation of all members is satisfying. I again place on the record my gratitude for the enormous work done by Mr Macrides and other people in the department. It has brought this legislative instrument to fruition very quickly indeed.
Long live the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Retirement of Northern Territory Auditor-General – Francis (Frank) Gerard McGuiness
Retirement of Northern Territory Auditor-General – Francis (Frank) Gerard McGuiness
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, Francis Gerard McGuiness’ term of appointment as the Northern Territory Auditor-General expires on 12 September 2014. Frank McGuiness was appointed as the Northern Territory Auditor-General on 13 September 2004.
Mr McGuiness personifies excellence in public service. With a long and distinguished career spanning over four decades, he has earned a reputation as a man of integrity, intelligence, determination and imagination. His distinguished career has been almost exclusively in the public sector, including executive level positions held in the Northern Territory and South Australia.
Today I acknowledge and recognise Frank McGuiness’ commitment to the Northern Territory over the last 10 years as the Auditor-General, and his broader commitment to public services in South Australia and the Northern Territory.
On 5 July 1978, following the conferral of self-government, the Auditor-General for the Commonwealth of Australia was appointed as the Auditor-General for the Northern Territory. A branch of the Commonwealth Audit Office was maintained in Darwin with an average of 16 staff, including 12 professional auditors who were fully engaged in field audits.
In 1982, the Northern Territory government established its own Office of the Auditor-General. Graham Carpenter (1982-84) was the first, followed by Elliott Isaacson (1984-94); Iain Summers (1994-02); Otto Alder, who was Acting AG (April-July 2002); Mike Blake (2002-04); Ken Simpson, who was Acting AG (May-September 04); and Frank McGuiness (2004-14).
I will honour Frank McGuiness today. As a child of South Australia, Frank’s public service career began in the South Australia Auditor-General’s department in 1981, where he held the role of senior auditor until 1987. Between 1987 and 2002, Frank went on to hold senior roles in the South Australian Department of Treasury and Finance, and the Department of Justice.
In 2002, Frank saw the light and moved to the Territory with his wife Pat. He held the position of Assistant Under Treasurer for just over a year. Frank worked in the Northern Territory Treasury as a valued member of the senior management team from March 2002 to April 2003. In that time, he played a key role in the implementation of the Territory’s new accrual framework and the development of the Territory’s first accrual budget in 2002.
During his time as Auditor-General, Frank lifted the status of the role, and has shown himself to be a completely independent office holder, committed to ensuring the best outcomes for the Northern Territory at all times. In his role as Auditor-General he has expanded the scope of works and the number of audits undertaken across government and introduced performance audits, and he has managed to do all this, largely, within his existing budget.
Fulfilling the functions of the Auditor-General is a difficult balancing act which involves safeguarding the financial integrity of the Northern Territory public sector, coupled with establishing a program of financial statements, internal controls and performance management system audits. This is so the Legislative Assembly is able to effectively scrutinise the performance of government administration.
Frank McGuiness has managed to build a strong rapport with chief executives and members of parliament, while at the same time being clear on their roles and responsibilities. Everyone who has worked with Mr McGuiness has developed a deep and abiding respect for his honesty and judgment.
The role of Auditor-General today is very different to when Frank took on the position 10 years ago, and he has played a major role in its transformation. He has elevated the standing of the Auditor-General to one that is regarded as crucial by my fellow ministers and chief executives alike. It is worth noting that he acted as the Chair of the Financial Reporting Advisory Committee of the Australasian Council of Auditors-General (ACAG) from 2006-09, during a time of significant major reform.
Frank’s reputation is one of a tireless, selfless but extremely modest public servant, who does his best to avoid any limelight. Anyone who works with him knows his exceptional work ethic, but his quietly assuming nature means he rarely discusses his achievements.
During the 10 years he has served as Auditor-General in the Northern Territory, Frank has overseen the implementation of major reforms. These include the implementation of a new financial management system; the delivery of the first NT budget based on outcomes-output methodology and accrual accounting; the introduction of Australian equivalents to International Financial Reporting Standards; and the introduction of a whole-of-government reporting standard that harmonises economic-based principles with those of generally accepted accounting codes.
Frank has always made himself available to public servants at all levels across government who have an interest in the Auditor-General’s audit and reviews or when seeking guidance or advice on audits or the NT Public Information Act. Frank does not dwell on formalities, and has always been willing to share his experience to provide frank – please excuse the pun – and pragmatic advice.
Frank has shown an outstanding commitment to this work, and has earned the respect of not only his peers and work colleagues, but those who have been subjected to his auditory prowess. He has also built a reputation of fairness and integrity in his approach to auditing. Frank’s colleagues are always in awe of his knowledge, and his pragmatic solutions to vexing and challenging scenarios show one of his great traits. His stewardship of the financial governance and integrity of the Northern Territory public sector is without equal.
Frank has established the highest standards for Auditor-Generals that will set the benchmark for years to come.
Frank was also a member of the Augmented Redistribution Committee for the last two Legislative Assembly redistributions. Frank’s commitment to the Territory has also gone beyond his role as a senior public servant. He has volunteered his time as a judge on the NT Institute of Public Administration Australia Annual Report Awards judging panel. Frank also has an association with the Territory civil construction industry through his role as a long-term judge of the prestigious Earth Awards for Excellence in Civil Construction, run locally by the Civil Contractors Federation. As an accountant by profession, the connection is not immediately obvious. The Civil Contractors Federation views accountants as people who count things that other people build, whereas civil contractors and engineers build things for accountants to count. Over the years the judging panel has come to recognise that while Frank holds formal qualifications as an accountant and the position of Northern Territory Auditor-General, his true, if somewhat frustrated, vocation is surely that of an engineer.
With a penchant for sophisticated bridge and transport infrastructure rather than more mundane roadworks projects, Frank still delivered unquestionable decisions on the merit of engineering projects. He ably reflected the reality that an accountant can operate with credibility in the volatile world of construction. The CCF and the Territory’s civil construction industry have valued the contribution made by Frank over a considerable period of time, and sincerely wish him well in his retirement.
Frank has had enduring commitment to service to the public, an impressive capacity for lateral thinking, an abiding commitment to building leadership capability and confidence, and a steadfast resilience that has allowed him to navigate through the most challenging, wicked problems of government.
On a more personal note, Frank is, as many of us would know, a passionate bikie – the cycling kind – and I am told that the team in the Auditor-General’s office was never surprised when a new ‘toy’ appeared there. The team looked forward to seeing a never-ending supply of new and sometimes very expensive bikes appear. The common question from his team was, ‘Does Pat know about this one?’
Frank was also known for some spectacular spills from his bikes over the years, and when seen limping into NT House on the odd occasion those in the know would nod wisely and declare, ‘Frank’s had another fall’. I know that scenario only too well.
Needless to say, Frank always recovered and got back on his sturdy two-wheel steeds. He continued to join a certain lycra-clad group that rides long distances every Sunday morning, and then congregates at the Cool Spot for a cappuccino and breakfast. Frank’s only known failing is his undying fervour for Collingwood, but, like most Collingwood supporters, we may forgive him for that on this occasion.
I have also received some messages to include in this statement. Firstly, from the Department of the Legislative Assembly, ‘The Assembly has benefited from Frank’s wisdom and professionalism from day one of his appointment to the role. In addition to assisting the Public Accounts Committee while Auditor-General, he has been the volunteer auditor of the Northern Territory branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, examining the accounts annually on behalf of the branch president – the Speaker – and all Northern Territory branch members – all members of the Assembly.’
In his role with the Public Accounts Committee Frank has consistently assisted members in understanding the mysteries of accounting, and decoding the sometimes cryptic answers provided by chief executives to committee questions.
He is pragmatic, engaging and works collaboratively with his clients – agency CEOs, senior executives and chief financial officers – to clearly articulate audit issues and potential responses to enhance current systems and practices.
Frank was instrumental in influencing the establishment of the internal controls steering committee, led by the then Under Treasurer – with CFOs represented – who provided resources with technical capacity for the development of a centralised internal control tool kit. This was a key project that all agencies collaborated on to enhance the consistency of understanding and improve the internal control environment across government.
This toolkit was created and is now maintained by the Department of Treasury and Finance. It is a valuable resource for accountable officers and delegated staff to discharge their responsibilities under the Financial Management Act and the Treasurer’s Directions.
In addition to briefing the internal controls steering committee on his audits, he supported the Public Accounts Committee through its inquiries into the management of ICT projects by government agencies. These included the previous government’s appallingly managed and financially disastrous $70m Asset Management System (AMS), which still does not work, or the public private partnership arrangement for the Darwin Correctional Centre, another financial disaster left as a legacy of the previous government and NT government agencies’ internal controls.
He was always willing to follow up any questions or issues of concern raised by committee members, and earned a high level of confidence from them. More recently, the Auditor-General’s office undertook an assessment of fuel card use in a number of agencies, including the Department of the Legislative Assembly. He was consultative and fair, offering constructive criticism to allow agencies opportunities to put in place better and more transparent systems.
Frank also showed no fear or favour when investigating some of the more interesting publications and e-mails distributed by the current Leader of the Opposition at taxpayers’ expense. The Speaker and members of the Assembly will always value Frank’s contribution, and wish him well. Several Northern Territory public service CEOs have also provided comment and, while they shall remain nameless, the message from them is clear. I will read some of them.
‘Frank has been an integral part of the Territory for the past 10 years and we will all be sorry to see him go, but we also want to wish him well and all the best for his very well-deserved retirement’.
‘The only thing I can offer is that Frank has been a pragmatic and approachable Auditor-General, willing to assist departments to comply with government’s requirements’.
‘He has always been happy to answer questions and provide advice. He will be missed’.
‘Frank is a keen cyclist who collected an envious array of quality cycles over a number of years’.
‘He was known to ride on weekends with a group of keen riders that included a number of chief executives and senior Darwin community members who were always interested in seeing Frank’s latest acquisition’.
On behalf of the Northern Territory government, colleagues in the Northern Territory public sector and the wider community I wish Frank McGuiness and Pat all the best for their future. We trust they will return to the Territory at some stage and, once again, we provide sincere thanks for their hard efforts in representing the Northern Territory in the past.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for bringing this statement to the House, because it is an honour to talk about an excellent servant of the Northern Territory public. I was privileged to meet and work with Frank McGuiness. For me, it started when I was elected into parliament in 2008 and nominated as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.
It was great that Frank sought me out. He knew that he had another elected community member to train and prepare for an important job in chairing the Public Accounts Committee. Frank took me under his wing, as he had done with the previous member for Barkly, Elliott McAdam. He trained him, and he was always available to give advice. He was welcoming, a true professional and helped educate me in terms of the Public Accounts Committee and the broader opportunities represented within the Legislative Assembly and this House.
The Chief Minister provided a great story of Frank and his career. It is always interesting to listen to good historical statements like this one, where you learn other elements of a person’s life and career. Frank had a very good career through a couple of states, and was appointed as the Auditor-General of the Northern Territory in 2004. It was good to hear the Chief Minister define Frank’s career as excellence in the public service, with an outstanding commitment to his work and engendering the respect and admiration of his peers.
It was interesting to listen to that chronology and brief history that represents an extensive period, not only in terms of Frank’s work, but also the nature of it. One can reflect on the major changes to the function and operation of an auditor’s role and office over that period of his career. There have been extraordinary innovations which relate directly to communication and information technology.
Those aspects of growth and development reflect massive increases in work for an auditor and an auditor’s office, and pacing with that new age of ICT obviously brought incredible challenges and innovations. In keeping up with those developments, I imagine it was very rewarding for the department, those staff and our Auditor-General.
In terms of the Public Accounts Committee, it was great to understand that true bipartisan support. Frank, as a public servant of excellence, supported the government of the day, no matter which party was in power, and it was about support and doing the job to the best of your ability; he was certainly a great teacher.
I remember a discussion with Frank about his work on the redistribution committees. We were travelling to Tennant Creek and the Barkly, swapping a few yarns about witnesses who appeared before those committees. It was obvious that Frank had a very good knowledge of the Northern Territory and a great love for the bush and its people. Those discussions about the challenges of those committees and their work, the characters who appeared before them and their presentations were inspiring. They were good yarns and reflected Frank’s very broad understanding and background within the Northern Territory.
As a minister it was also an honour to bump into Frank not only in Parliament House but around Darwin. Once again, he was always willing to impart good knowledge and information and support me and anybody who was interested. He was certainly a great influence on me.
I experienced something about Frank that I was not aware of, that being his great intellect transferring into great humour. I was privileged to attend the retirement dinner for the former Clerk, Ian McNeill, and Frank was the keynote speaker; he delivered an address that had the place rolling with laughter and enjoyment. His intellect was one that can be applied to various social and cultural settings, because he used an AFL analogy. I picked up that he must have been a strong supporter of Collingwood – everybody knows of Ian McNeill being an Essendon fanatic – and the story unfolded, comparisons were made and challenges were put. It was a speech and some entertainment that I will never forget, as it was phenomenal.
It was after that event that I also witnessed Frank present to the Northern Territory public service leadership group. Not only was the humour and creative approach there, but it was also very interesting to hear that incredible knowledge and advice that he provided for the emerging young public sector leaders, who will be leaders for years to come.
With fond memories and best wishes, I say, Frank, enjoy your retirement and the road ahead. The last time I spoke with you was in the Smith Street Mall in Darwin. You told me about another interesting facet of your life; I did not know that you were into cycling, and have planned a great cycling trip in Europe. You then finished with the perfect edge that it is not all about cycling, it is about cafs, pubs, great food and wine, and basically enjoying and celebrating life.
Go well and enjoy those road miles throughout Europe. I hope to bump into you again around the Northern Territory. I look forward to any opportunities for conversing with you, as I like people I learn from and, Frank McGuiness, you have taught me a lot. Thank you very much.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for bringing forward this statement. The Territory will miss Frank greatly as a wonderful person and Auditor-General. I will miss him; when parliament is on I always eat at Melissa’s under the West Lane car park, and I would see Frank and Pat go past on their way to having breakfast somewhere, or I would go past them having breakfast at about 7.30 am each morning. Frank would either be limping or walking.
The member for Barkly mentioned that Frank liked cycling. Some might describe it as Frank liking falling, because he fell off his bike occasionally. It did not do his lycra or knees any good, but he still managed to get to work, a little bit worse for wear, and always had a bit of a chuckle about it. His wife, Pat, wondered why he did it. He was a keen cyclist and always tried to keep as fit as possible.
I always enjoyed Frank’s company, not only on a professional basis but socially as well. He loved his football. I do not know how he ended up barracking for Collingwood; I used to say the only good thing about Collingwood is the last five letters, which he did not agree with. As the member for Barkly recalled, he gave that great speech at the farewell for Ian McNeill. It was a battle between two football teams, Collingwood and Essendon, and Frank came off better than Ian McNeill did in that debate.
He was a person who, when you needed advice, you could go to. I struggled many times with matters related to the budget, estimates or some of the inquiries we were holding, and I could talk with Frank about those issues. He did not talk about politics, only about the matters as if they were simply issues that needed to be talked through. As a member, his advice has helped me enormously. If he did not have the advice he would tell me where I could find more information to help me in my work, especially through the Public Accounts Committee.
The Chief Minister mentioned a huge range of things that Frank did in his time as Auditor-General, including audits and annual reports. He made sure there was plenty of fodder for the Public Accounts Committee to look at; even the inquiry we have just finished came to us because of the Auditor-General. He was always willing to attend Public Accounts Committee meetings, discuss matters and talk us through some of the issues we could look at. His work to keep the Northern Territory financially in line was fantastic, and he will be sorely missed.
I will miss him, his sense of humour and his advice. His second name is Gerard, which makes him a good bloke.
The Territory will be much worse off without him, although I have no doubt the new Auditor-General will do just as good a job, because I understand she has worked closely with Frank for a long time. She knows about the work he has done before. He set the bar, and she will do a very good job as well.
I appreciate the Chief Minister bringing this statement forward today. It will be my last opportunity to say goodbye to Frank. He had a long and distinguished career, and I hope that does not sound like a condolence motion because I think we will still see him. When I read this statement I started to feel as if I was reading a condolence motion. Frank still has a fair number of years left in him, as long as he does not fall off that bike too many more times. He served the Territory well, for which we should be very thankful.
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I congratulate Frank McGuiness on his distinguished career. Whilst he has retired as the Auditor-General, I daresay he will pop up in some role assisting the Territory with some great service, once he has finished cavorting around Europe on his bike. I have it on good authority that his wife has the better task of driving the car with all Frank’s belongings in it.
Frank is one of the most extraordinarily intelligent, charming and generous men I have ever met. I first encountered him when I was a backbencher for the government, during my first term in parliament as a new member of the Public Accounts Committee. I was somewhat bewildered by what I had gotten myself into, but Frank was always on hand to provide gentle guidance and sound advice to the committee as a whole, or any member of it. You quickly learned your straps. Of the fine things in the Territory, we have the nation’s best Auditor-General.
He was generous in imparting knowledge in a way that was completely understandable. He broke highly complex audit issues into digestible chunks for politicians to – as lay people, not auditors by profession – genuinely understand. Not only would we understand, but he would teach us in a way that we, over time through each interaction with him, became better as functioning members of the Public Accounts Committee, and were able to inquire into audit scenarios.
Frank McGuiness is irrepressible and irreplaceable. That being said, I welcome Julie Chrisp as the newly appointed Auditor-General. I note in Question Time today that the Chief Minister acknowledged that Julie’s appointment is bipartisan. She comes with an extremely valuable knowledge of auditing, and I do not doubt that the Territory is still in a good set of hands with our newly-appointed Auditor-General.
After he was appointed in 2004, Frank probably thought, ‘I will give this a go for a term or so’. Consistent urging kept him going on a bit longer. He has served the Territory for many years from afar, through 12 years with the Treasury and then, as I said, as the Auditor-General.
He is highly respected around our nation. He is the quintessential professional. For decades he has been regarded as a national leader within the public sector, and helped to improve and modernise government accounting measures throughout the 1990s.
From 2006 to 2009, Frank chaired the National Financial Reporting Advisory Committee of the Australasian Council of Auditors-General. Frank had a long association with the Territory while working in the South Australian Treasury and the Department of Justice. Over that time he developed a strong relationship with the Territory and our Treasury officials.
Through the 1990s he worked closely with Kathleen Robinson at NT Treasury to improve accounting measures. He arrived in the Territory in 2002 to work as Assistant Under Treasurer. He formed part of a new Treasury team, and new leadership tasks were brought in to introduce accrual accounting into the Territory. The first accrual budget was released later that year.
For a short time, Frank left the Territory to work elsewhere, but was recruited by then Under Treasurer Jennifer Prince to take on the role of Auditor-General in 2004. I am proud of the work Labor did, working tirelessly to ensure the Territory moved to meet national accounting standards.
We introduced the Fiscal Integrity and Transparency Act, and accrual accounting before then. It seems somewhat inconceivable today, when you look back on it, that there was cash accounting.
The role of the Auditor-General was integral to the best practice operations of government. Frank’s significant responsibility was oversighting and reporting to this parliament on the administration and financial integrity of government services, which he carried out with distinction.
Frank lifted the performance of the Auditor-General’s office, and expanded its suite of audit work. He introduced performance audits and established internal controls and performance audit systems to support more stringent auditing. As the Chief Minister mentioned, he also introduced the Australian equivalent to the International Financial Reporting Standards, as well as whole-of-government reporting standards.
He contributed to the Treasury and developed the centralised internal control tool kit, a highly valued and now integral tool for budget managers across government.
In his role, Frank advised hundreds of public servants on accounting standards and obligations under the Public Information Act. He has also supported this House, providing invaluable advice to the Public Accounts Committee and members of the Legislative Assembly, as well as work on redistributions and auditing the NT branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Frank McGuiness is warmly regarded within the public service, his profession and in some unusual quarters as well. He has supported the Civil Contractors Federation as a longstanding judge for its annual awards.
Over the years, government’s construction program has provided some exceptional projects for our industry to build and be judged upon. For example, a number of bridges, the Victoria Highway, Tiger Brennan Drive and the Daly River bridge come to mind as award winners. Frank’s enquiring mind was well suited to examining engineering design and these great building feats.
I wish Frank and his wife Pat well. I hope they enjoy many years of relaxed retirement, sprinkled with a bit of work. I hope Frank continues to serve the Territory however he is given the opportunity to. I hope they go with the knowledge that Frank’s expertise, sound guidance, collaboration and contribution will be sorely missed. Frank McGuiness is an exceptional Territorian. I am humbled and proud to have worked and served with him as a member of the Public Accounts Committee. I then had the privilege of being the Treasurer for five years, and got to know the skills and experience of the Auditor-General very well.
The Territory has been well served by Frank McGuiness. He is a gem of a gentleman, and I find it rare for someone with all those skills and that capacity to also have an exceptional wit and humour; he is one of the funniest people I have met.
Frank McGuiness, do not fall off that bike and come back healthy, sound and happy. I look forward to seeing him on his return to our great Territory.
Mrs FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to support the Chief Minister’s statement acknowledging the great contribution that Frank McGuiness has made to the Northern Territory.
As the Chief Minister has acknowledged, Frank has been of great assistance to the Public Accounts Committee throughout his period as Auditor-General.
During the time I have been with the committee, Frank has been of great assistance with our inquiries into public private partnership arrangements for the Darwin Correctional Precinct, and agencies’ management of ICT projects. Frank took time to explain the implications of his audit findings to the committee, and assisted us with analysis and advice regarding the inquiries that were undertaken.
Not every member of parliament comes with a rigorous understanding of accounting standards, capitalisation and the appropriate discount rate to use when determining the net present value of a transferable risk. Bridging the gap between accounting and representing the public interest is one of the unpublicised functions of an Auditor-General. Frank has an enviable ability to explain the essence of complex technical matters, and convey their real world implications. This ability to interpret the implications of financial reports for the delivery of services for Territorians has been vital for the committee.
Frank is also conversant in ‘public service speak’. He often decoded chief executives’ answers to the committee, and highlighted some of the heroic assumptions underlying the statements they made. The committee also appreciated Frank’s consistent impartiality. The committee was always confident it could raise an issue with Frank, and he would give a balanced assessment of the matter.
He would treat all questions seriously, clarify misunderstandings and follow up on any matter which required further explanation. While always willing to assist members, Frank also had an acute sense of what was beyond the role of an Auditor-General.
Acute observers will note that I did not mention the committee’s inquiry into the structural separation of the Power and Water Corporation among those where Frank provided direct assistance. While Frank explained a number of technical issues to members, he steered well clear of offering advice on policy matters, and therefore declined to take an active role in that inquiry. This mix of professional expertise, engagement and impartiality made Frank a great support to my colleagues and me.
Frank was of tremendous value and importance to committees’ staff. Whilst they cannot speak in parliament, I will speak for them to say that everyone in the committees’ office very much enjoyed working with Frank, relied on him tremendously and built some very strong relationships. They too wish him well in his retirement. On behalf of the PAC, I wish him well for his planned personal Tour de France, and for the rest of his retirement. We look forward to seeing you around Darwin sometime in the future. Congratulations, Frank.
Mr STYLES (Transport): Mr Deputy Speaker, it is refreshing to hear all the wonderful things about Frank McGuiness, who is obviously respected by not only both sides of politics, but around the country as well. It is very interesting when you come into this House as a newbie, as you do not know exactly what you are doing; you have a fair idea, but it is a learning curve. Trying to understand the role of the Auditor-General was something I found challenging on the first day.
Frank McGuiness could impart knowledge to people in such a wonderful way that you did not even realise he was doing it, such was his expertise and understanding of what Auditor-Generals do. Over the four years that I was in opposition, I had great interactions with Frank, always very positive, and it was great that he would pass his knowledge on to someone. He had the patience of a saint, because some of the stuff he talks about is quite technical, and to understand what he is talking about sometimes takes a bit of effort. That being the case, when we came into government I was the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee for a while, which I found challenging because, again, you are on a learning curve.
The role of the Auditor-General involves contributing to and advising on a range of issues that the Public Accounts Committee deals with; it was such a pleasure to take information from Frank, before putting it into practice. Never a harsh word was said. If you did not understand something the first time, he would tell you again. The man has a great nature and a great way of expressing what can be very technical issues. Other colleagues say they found him to be the same.
Although we all like to think we have left a great impression, these speeches today indicate that Frank McGuiness left a very good impression on all those who met and dealt with him.
The person following Frank has some big shoes to fill, but I am sure she will. May Frank enjoy whatever he chooses to do in the coming years as much as he appeared to enjoy his role as the Auditor-General.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Mr Deputy Speaker, I will not labour on, as there is nothing much I can add to what has already been said. I think I met Frank when I was a backbencher in the CLP Stone government in 1997 or early 1998. Over time, I have had many opportunities to deal with him.
I first met Frank when he briefed the CLP parliamentary wing on roads. I learned more in that 20 minutes about roads, road construction, the expense of roads, etcetera, than I could have possibly, or have, learned since then. Frank has been a diligent, faithful, loyal and impartial servant of the people of the Northern Territory, which is the highest accolade you could possibly give this man, but for one other.
I cannot recall – I could stand corrected – any time that we have ever suspended the business of the House to make a ministerial statement to give somebody a send-off. This is the parliamentary equivalent of a 21-gun salute. It is a salute that is well, truly and richly deserved.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
REORDER OF BUSINESS
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move, pursuant to Standing Order 89, that Government Business Order of the Day No 7 be called on, followed by Order of the Day No 12 and Order of the Day No 18.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Note Statement – Multicultural Affairs, Seniors and Young Territorians
Note Statement – Multicultural Affairs, Seniors and Young Territorians
Continued from 15 October 2013.
Mr STYLES (Multicultural Affairs): Mr Deputy Speaker, this is another piece of wonderful news, brought on earlier than the statement I made last Tuesday. I would like to wrap both statements, having waited to make my comments.
Firstly, youth make up 20% of our population and 100% of our future, something I have mentioned many times in this House because it is true. It behoves any government and community to do the very best they can for our youth, because at some stage they will be in charge. One day some of them will be here making the laws and policy that will hopefully see the Territory continue to advance. It behoves us to make sure we provide the best opportunities.
The Giles government is contributing to our youth in many different ways. When we were in opposition, I mentioned where youth affairs fit in the Territory, and some of the issues they had. Last Tuesday the member for Wanguri made a number of comments in relation to youth housing. She went across a broad spectrum of areas such as education, housing and sports vouchers, all matters I raised in opposition. We are moving to address these matters, as opposed to what the ALP government did.
In regard to land release, I have produced a graph in this House before of the blocks of land released over the last three or four years of the previous government. The numbers were going down, and I saw some figures which showed there were, at one point, 1100 blocks of land. That went down to 900, and about 500 at one stage. As a result we saw increases in house and land prices, and the pressure cooker effect of a supply and demand economy. We had enormous demand and insufficient supply.
We have talked about issues in relation to land release. The Minister for Lands, Planning and the Environment has released record numbers of blocks for young people to take advantage of. We have seen a change in the marketplace; where developers were once building three-bedroom units we now see an increasing number of one- and two-bedroom apartments designed for people on smaller incomes, and those who perhaps do not need a larger space at the beginning of their working life. An old adage says that it is not about when you enter the market, it is the length of time you are in it.
If we can get young people into newer accommodation where maintenance is not an issue, they start to appreciate being in the market, and can follow whatever inflation there is. In relation to what the member for Wanguri said about youth housing, there are many initiatives I will not dwell on because I want to talk about many other issues.
I have been very impressed with what the Minister for Education has said about youth. A range of other issues have been raised, but I will move on to seniors.
Seniors hold the corporate knowledge in our community. They are also the people who built the Territory, and many have come here later in life, some to retire. Given the fact that we have a booming economy led by the Giles government, we are doing things that are bringing people to the Northern Territory. I recently read that many people who were to be fly-in, fly-out workers with INPEX have decided to move their families here. They see a bright future in the Northern Territory; some of them are bringing their parents with them, so we have a range of new seniors coming to town. We have a generous system, and we look after seniors.
A friend of mine who is a number of years older than me - seriously older than me – and his wife both grew up in Darwin, and thought they would move to Adelaide when they retired. They thought, ‘This will be great, we will go down there for a bit of a change’.
It was very interesting because within six months we were receiving letters, text messages and e-mails suggesting they were not happy for various reasons. It was cold, they did not know anyone, and they had thought the grass was greener on the other side. One of the e-mails was about the Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme; my friend was saying how little they receive in South Australia compared with the Northern Territory. He said they had a great time up here, and wished they could come back because of the benefits, the lifestyle and everything that probably attracted those of us not born in the Northern Territory to come here.
He now wishes to come back. Sadly, he sold his house and bought another home in Adelaide. He was unable to get back into the market, so it is sad for them, but we still correspond and they still visit Darwin, especially during winter, to have a great time in our weather and catch up with their numerous friends.
That demonstrates how this government - I give some credit to the previous government for the Pensioner Carer Concession Scheme – would like to be more generous, but with a projected debt of $5.5bn we have had to constrain much of the spending of the previous government. My favourite saying is that they threw money around like fairy dust and hoped it would fix everything. Sadly, it did not.
I move on to Multicultural Affairs. We have possibly one of the most multicultural cities in the world, which I am very proud of. Since making the statement I have had a number of people contact me from different community and multicultural organisations to say, ‘Thank you very much for the job you are doing’. I hear that on a regular basis when I travel around on weekends to the numerous events my wife and I attend, enjoying the very best of what the Territory has to offer.
There are events such as the recent Pesona Indonesia. My wife and I attended to watch the Indonesian performances, and people from all over the world were there. It is not only for Indonesian people, it is for Darwin and our visitors. What a fantastic event that was, and I give credit to those who organised it. The Indonesian consul, Ade Padmo Sarwono, was there with his wife. The event entertained a number of people, with some there for a new experience. Others who have been around Darwin for a while were treated to another fantastic display of Indonesian culture in Australia, a mixture of both cultures.
I had to laugh, as they asked me on stage to perform the welcome dance. The music went for about 10 or 15 minutes, and it was challenging to dance for that long, but because of the courtesy of other people who showed me some moves prior to the event I was able to remain there and keep the performance going.
Indonesians are very proud of Pesona Indonesia, and as a near neighbour, trading and cultural exchange partner we are very pleased, as a government, to financially support the event.
India@Mindil was a fantastic event. If members did not attend, I highly recommend that, at some stage, everyone does to enjoy some of the fantastic Bollywood productions we have in Darwin. This year, the Indian Cultural Society brought out some professional dancers from India, along with a couple of professional musicians. It was interesting that as the evening progressed, one struggled to pick the amateur from the professional.
There is an array of people from the Indian subcontinent, along with Sri Lankans and Tamils, in the Territory, and they all come together to put on this performance. I was struggling to pick the professional dancers from India from our local people, such was their talent. They train and practice hard, and there is a bunch of dedicated mothers who are serious Indian dancers. They had trained the young people to put on a performance equal to that of some of the professionals. It was a fantastic night of Bollywood.
We also had Year 2 and 3 classes from Wagaman Primary School involved in this performance, and they received the loudest applause during the evening. One had to witness what they did as Year 2 and 3 students from all walks of life; I think there were 17 different nationalities in the troupe, such as from Europe – I think there was someone from Russia – and Aboriginal students as well, the whole gambit of what you would find in most classrooms across the Territory. There was someone from everywhere, probably including Katherine, Alice Springs and other places.
What we saw and what we were treated to was something these young people had been practising for only eight weeks. It was awesome, and the crowd gave them the accolades they thoroughly deserved. We saw so many little faces proud to be on stage in front of an enormous crowd to give their performance. Congratulations to those young people and Michele Cody, the school principal, who had organised to have the children and their parents there. She orchestrated a fantastic performance.
When talking about multiculturalism in Darwin, we must mention the Glenti as one of the things the city thrives on. I remember attending the first Glenti at the Nightcliff school, which consisted of a couple of blue tarps; in those days they were pretty new as well. We had only blue tarps and, I think, in those days, about 200 kg of octopus, a number of kilograms of dolmades, a few honey puffs and the Greek desserts such as baklava, vanilla slices and other low calorie sweets that they give you.
The original Glenti festivals were a great day out for families, and it has become about 100 times bigger. It is still a great day out for families, and one of the icons of the Territory, along with the Mindil Beach Markets. The Glenti is a great celebration of everything Greek and of Greek-Australian relationships. In Darwin it is great when you talk to someone on the phone, as you never know their origin. Irrespective of what they look like, they all talk with a Darwin accent; we all sound the same. It was with great pride that I was able to dance, smash a few plates and do all the good things Greeks do, not to mention eat the baklava and vanilla slices, along with some souvlaki, octopus and a range of Greek delights.
We had the Governor of Pella, which is in the Macedonia region of Greece, attend the Glenti. Pella was the birthplace of Alexander the Great. It was nice to have the governor and his wife here; he was a thorough gentleman, and his wife was a magnificent lady who spoke English quite fluently. Although the governor struggled with English, his English was far better than my Greek. We were able to host them in our city; the mayor and I and other members of our community received invitations to visit Pella at any time in the future. It is something I hope to take up, given we have a strong Macedonian association here, along with a very strong Greek community.
The organisers of the Glenti fly up the Zorba Brothers, who provide great entertainment. If you have never seen them, it is worth doing so. It is the same with the Aboriginal Chooky Dancers, who perform their version of Zorba the Greek. It is a little different to the Greek version of Zorba the Greek; it is the same music, and both are spectacles when you have people dancing to that music. If anyone ever has the chance to attend the Glenti, it is fantastic.
Last Saturday night, I was at the Cyprus foods and wine festival held at the Cypriot community hall on McMillans Road at Marrara. What a fantastic night. The organisers told me they were very glad to have their event at the end of what is considered to be the festival season. They had thousands of people attend, and the Greek dancing is fantastic. The food was the next round of souvlaki, honey puffs, baklava and vanilla slices all over again. That means I have to keep walking in the morning to ensure I keep the weight off. Those people are very proud of their heritage.
We have been to numerous other multicultural events around town, such as the Sri Lankan dance show. There is also the Darwin Community Arts group, where the multicultural community is alive. It is about ensuring all multicultural groups are encouraged to join the community. That builds harmony and stronger cultures within our community.
I could probably talk about a number of other things, but time is of the essence. I thank all of those people in the multicultural community and those on committees who put the time in, and who are part of the $115bn worth of volunteering. Without those volunteers, communities and hard-working committees, we would not have such a vibrant multicultural community.
I also make special mention of MYNT which is an acronym for Multicultural Youth NT. Kevin Kardigamar and his crew are fantastic young people who are very proud of their cultural history. They make sure other youth feel engaged in what is available around this community, and do a fantastic job.
I will talk about the seniors. Later in this sittings period I will make an adjournment speech about the former CEO of COTA, Robyn Lesley. To all of those seniors’ organisations – National Seniors, the Council of the Ageing, seniors groups in Alice Springs and in Katherine, there is a whole …
Mr CHANDLER: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I ask for an extension of time for the member.
Motion agreed to.
Mr STYLES: A number of people around the Territory work for seniors, our multicultural community and our youth. They do a great job. Any visitors to our city who see what happens here, as well as our lifestyle, are truly amazed.
I was talking to some people this morning from Maryborough. They said they could not believe what happens here, and that a town of a similar size to Darwin has about one or two of these events a year; we have about 10 or 12 on a weekend. Every weekend we are exposed to the vibrancy of the Northern Territory.
We hope those visitors from Maryborough and other places take festival stories home with them. There are so many events, because the Giles government is committed to our festival season. We are very proud to support as many functions as we can, given our financial situation. Without these functions, we would have a less vibrant city and a less attractive place for our visitors, and we would struggle to market it. Given that we have a festival season, promotions by the Ministers for Tourism and Parks and Wildlife – we have a vibrant capital city, territory and population which can get on with the job and create a lot of prosperity and joy for our community.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MOTION
Note Statement – Assistance for Nhulunbuy Businesses
Continued from 27 March 2014.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Mr Deputy Speaker, it is an interesting chronology when I am able to talk about Nhulunbuy, after this statement was delivered around March. There is some very good analysis around what the CLP government has been doing. To put some context into the chronology, on 11 February 2013 then Chief Minister, Terry Mills, said in a media release:
- The Northern Territory government has agreed to release enough gas to keep the Gove alumina refinery open for the next ten years.
Locals and international visitors were dancing at the Darwin Festival during that fabulous Tracks community theatre performance, and there was a number called ‘Pull the Big Boy Pants Up and Stab, Stab, Stab’. The audience went wild, and I have it on good authority that it was a highlight of the dancing during the show, You Dance Funny. The artists were not afraid to make comment.
The story unfolded and the statement arrived, which was about the CLP government and what it is doing for Nhulunbuy businesses.
I can tell you, minister, on good authority, that we are now talking about local businesses closing; the IGA supermarket and Mitre 10 store in Nhulunbuy have closed. The remaining businesses facing uncertainty are the butchers, the bakery, the tackle shop and the newsagency. They face losing customers, their economic base, and are now considering closing their doors.
The business consultancy provided there is acknowledged, but it can never replace customers. When families are packing up and leaving Nhulunbuy in the numbers we are seeing under Adam Giles’ watch, all the consultancies under the great Nhulunbuy sun will not help.
There are things that can be done. There is plenty to be done, but we are not seeing any leadership or tangible evidence of what the Chief Minister started with - the big talk.
I attended a forum when this whole challenge started. The Chief Minister turned up – he was on the stage, I was in the audience – and I then went to an economic development committee meeting to support the member for Nhulunbuy. She is very well connected in that part of the Northern Territory, and she was guiding me through, introducing me to many of her contacts and stakeholders, and I followed and listened.
The Chief Minister talked up some big ideas. I have been waiting to hear about the real application of resources, energy and leadership that would deliver for the people of Nhulunbuy. However, we are seeing the families, community and economy start to decay, and people are leaving town.
One can only imagine the psychological issues of that community, as opposed to the physical, tangible elements that we can analyse and assess. I immediately point the finger at the Chief Minister, the complete absence of leadership and almost no recognition of Nhulunbuy, except to be told that the statement will come back on to clean up the Notice Paper. We are here to clean up the Notice Paper, when people are leaving Nhulunbuy.
Families are losing their livelihoods and future in what is a major economic driver for the Northern Territory; the Treasurer will be aware of the $500m from Nhulunbuy that goes into the Northern Territory’s gross state product every year. This will be absent as we go down the road, because there is nothing tangible happening. The CLP government is allowing Nhulunbuy to dissolve.
There are many opportunities. One opportunity the member for Nhulunbuy is continually asking about is an infrastructure stimulus project to deliver health outcomes. What happened to the $13m for the hospital emergency department upgrade? The Chief Minister said, ‘We will fast-track it’. There are 16 000 Indigenous residents in that region, plus the township, that utilise the services of a hospital and allied health. They need a major upgrade to their emergency department, which was planned by the previous government, pulled by the CLP, promised by Adam Giles, and still there is nothing.
Not only are we talking about the health needs of Territorians and families, but the possibility of a logical economic stimulus project – $13m – for the town and the region, yet we hear nothing. I am sure the minister will announce that when he wraps this statement to clear up the Notice Paper. I am sure that will be a given because it is do-able. It is real and it will support the community of Nhulunbuy and the East Arnhem region.
There is a lot of controversy around the prison work camp, and people in Nhulunbuy are searching for answers. They are desperate. They want to see leadership and tangible projects. They are not knocking a work camp in Labor’s new era of Corrections, but they are very concerned. They are upset about the lack of consultation and the ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ strategy the CLP government is using.
There is $2.5m in the budget for this Nhulunbuy work camp, so let us give credit where credit is due. However, it is for the upgrade of an existing residential rehabilitation centre. It is at the expense of the sobering-up shelter. Where will these recognised and acknowledged community services now be delivered? It looks like the police station and the hospital may have to take up the slack on those services.
It seems illogical to evict an existing community service, something that is valued and acknowledged, which has been operating and delivering important services in terms of residential rehabilitation – a sobering-up shelter, community safety – and replace it with a work camp with a budget of $2.5m. Can we not do both? The minister probably has some notes from the Minister for Correctional Services to announce today. What are we doing for Nhulunbuy businesses? We will inject another $2.5m into the economy to create a purpose-built work camp. We have a model to work from because we built one in Tennant Creek that has 74 beds and a defined budget.
I am sure Nhulunbuy will welcome the opportunity to be engaged in consultation, planning and the delivery of a work camp to benefit the town, community and region. I hope we hear that these will be tangible projects to support Nhulunbuy, and will be announced by the minister when he wraps.
There are other concerns in a community that is not seeing ministers and not being consulted, and the work camp highlighted that. Anybody who was at the estimates hearing where the Minister for Correctional Services was challenged about simple common courtesy, good manners and common sense regarding consultation would have realised that Nhulunbuy is being ignored and neglected by the government. Ministers are not travelling, listening or showing care and compassion, if nothing else. Therefore, this economic powerhouse on the northeast Arnhem peninsula is sitting and wondering.
The Minister for Education is being discussed at the moment, because it looks like the plan for a residential boarding facility for Nhulunbuy is to go ahead, yet the government has not talked to the people, particularly the Indigenous community that lives in the wider northeast Arnhem region. The CLP, with the good intention to try to help the businesses of Nhulunbuy with a stimulus project – one of the minister’s objectives in terms of improving Indigenous education – could create the classic white elephant.
Those people on outstations are not confident about sending their students away from homelands and into town. If nobody is willing to talk to them or negotiate, and if nobody is educating and delivering awareness, they are left in a quandary as to what it is all about. They are not confident, and they are not happy that a new policy has been launched on top of them. It says that if their kids want a secondary education, they must go to Nhulunbuy. Is the boarding facility in the best interests of children’s education or is it a pure economic driver? That is the question which hangs, because nobody is sure. Nobody is visiting Nhulunbuy to talk to the community, businesses or to present the face of government.
It is not so much the opposition continually attacking government; it is about the opposition raising the government’s behaviour. That is something the government needs to take ownership for. We do not dictate your behaviour. You guys are taking full credit, and one principle of good governance is travelling to meet with and talk to the people.
If there is one thing that gets me a little kudos when I visit a community, it comes from the first question: ‘Hey, mate, did you fly in here?’ ‘No, I drove. I am in that motor car over there.’ ‘Oh, how long are you sticking around?’ ‘I can stick around a night if you like because I am driving. I do not have a pilot waiting for me on the strip.’ Government members know about this, because they are all MLAs and understand the nature of politics and that important communication factor. Yet we have a town of 3500 people rapidly declining in population, and asking questions such as: who is in charge? Where is the government? Where are the ministers? This is basic common sense.
We will take that to a higher level. The Chief Minister is leading a major initiative in developing the north. On the northeast Arnhem peninsula, we have a major economic driver, the service centre to a region that would support over 20 000 people. As people watch, read and hear the $33m glossy campaign of television, newspaper, pamphlet and radio advertisements, they expect Nhulunbuy to feature.
This is an example of Chief Minister Adam Giles’ advertising for developing the north that went national. On this lovely glossy, there are various regional areas and cities listed, but there is no Nhulunbuy. There is no Nhulunbuy on the advertising and promotion of a major initiative for the Northern Territory and northern Australia that is going national and whittling away a $33m budget.
We will go to another opportunity for the government to support the businesses and community of Nhulunbuy – Developing the North Regional Summits. I will read from this nice glossy pamphlet and the ‘Developing the North Regional Summits Timetable’, which has great pictures. It says ‘Let’s talk about it today’. Under the heading ‘Developing the North Regional Summits’, it goes on to say:
- You are invited to attend the Developing the North Regional Summits that are being held in Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, and Darwin*.
Let us talk about the government’s opportunities in this area. The Central Arnhem Road was another promise from the Chief Minister; I was at that economic development committee meeting with high profile people and community leaders, where the Chief Minister was putting out the throwaway lines such as, ‘We could lay bitumen on the Central Arnhem Road’.
I was in the Labor government that was building bridges, providing flood immunity projects, upgrading the Central Arnhem Road and talking to traditional owners about new corridors and realignments. This was so we could develop the road transport industry and open up the opportunities of the northeast Arnhem peninsula, so I had an idea of what was being talked about at the meeting. However, I did not say anything, as I was sitting in the audience. The Chief Minister used the throwaway line, ‘We will lay bitumen on the Central Arnhem Road’.
I understood how to do that and the logistics of it. That is okay, so I give credit where credit is due. However, I have heard nothing since. There was even a question today in the House, and the Minister for Infrastructure did the best side step and soft shoe shuffle to move right away from having to talk about the Central Arnhem Road in Nhulunbuy, the Wilton and Roper River flood immunity projects or any maintenance on the road between Ngukurr and Numbulwar. He did not want to go anywhere near those projects, and had nothing to offer on the Central Arnhem Road.
Once again, throwaway lines will not save family livelihoods. They will not keep people in Nhulunbuy, and they are seriously disadvantaging what is a major part of the Northern Territory. Chief Minister, you can wear this fair and square. You changed the game plan, you made your promises, you used your throwaway lines and now we are a year out from when that gas project was turned off. There was no gas; the project was turned off, and we are now faced with a major challenge, which is the government’s responsibility fair and square. It comes down to leadership.
Mr VOWLES: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request an extension of time for the member for Barkly.
Motion agreed to.
Mr McCARTHY: I will finish my contribution to this debate, 12 months down the track, with a couple of points.
One thing I learned from the Committee on the Northern Territory’s Energy Future, when we were researching at the big end of town in Perth – there were two companies and some very learned players, and I asked a direct question about the decision to scrap a gas pipeline that would link the central part of the Top End to the northeast Arnhem peninsula. Both comments were very similar. If you do something like that, you not only knock out Nhulunbuy and create some serious economic, social and cultural problems for yourselves as a government, but you send the message globally to explorers that there are no customers and there is no reason to invest, therefore they look for other opportunities. The risk for the Northern Territory is within third world countries, within Africa; explorers will look for investment programs there.
I understood that pipeline project represented a stimulus for exploration, and the opportunity to bring on new customers across that sector of the Northern Territory, as well as links with other areas down into the Katherine region. That was a major mistake by the Chief Minister, who was out of his depth. He did not understand what he was doing. He is good on spin, he can play the political media games, but in that instance he was faced with real decision-making on behalf of all Territorians, and he blew it. He did not have the knowledge or background, and he did not base his decision-making processes on good logic and research.
The Chief Minister has now created some serious challenges, not only for people in Nhulunbuy and the northeast Arnhem region, but for all Territorians, when $500m per annum in the Northern Territory economy starts to wane and drop off in terms of that critical revenue injection.
Chief Minister, I am very disappointed when I look at the national scene and learn of the support from the federal government going into other regional areas like Geelong or those manufacturing sectors within South Australia and Victoria. I have heard nothing about Nhulunbuy, and I often wonder, because you stand up there as the big politician with the big spin and the aggressive, condescending, attacking style – you load negatives onto everything.
You spend more time attacking the opposition than telling us about your plans and new ideas. That is the situation. I expect you to be shoulder to shoulder with your Liberal National mates in Canberra, but I get the impression that you might not be so popular. Where is your grunt? Where is your influence? Where are the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, and where is the conversation about Nhulunbuy?
This is not a small town. This is not a backwater; this is a major economic player, not only for the Northern Territory, but for the country. Yet there is the absence of any federal support from Canberra. There has been some rhetoric and spin, but as the local member will inform the House, businesses are closing, families are leaving, skilled workers are taking up positions elsewhere and there is no real plan to replace them.
Chief Minister, let me give you a couple of ideas, because I want to put the word ‘rehabilitation’ in your head. You must call your mates in Canberra and bring Rio Tinto to the table. You must hold a discussion and show some leadership, which should be focused on the concept of rehabilitation. I do not want to frighten anybody off; I want to give you a couple of ideas.
Bauxite exports from the northeast Arnhem peninsula will be the way of the future. The deep water port at Nhulunbuy would be an extremely valuable asset in a plan that you could put together. A refinery that is closed and at the mercy of earth, wind, salt and sea spray is potentially an asset now, but could be a real liability in the near future. Those at the hungry steel blast furnaces of China - which likes a nice mix of healthy iron ore and scrap iron - would be very interested in doing business. If we have ships, a deep water port and the drive, determination and leadership to create a project, let us talk about the refinery being used as scrap metal and sold to Chinese markets.
This might be pie in the sky, but I am thinking and talking, yet hearing nothing from Chief Minister Giles. What do I have to lose? Having been to Nhulunbuy a few times, I believe the logistics we are talking about would take a minimum of two or three years to complete, which would accommodate a workforce of maybe 500 or more. Those logistics must be worked out, and we have the experts who can do that. Rio Tinto should be leading this, and then comes the rehabilitation; we will never see the pristine Yolngu coast that was there before the mine and refinery were set up.
Let us be realistic and look at rehabilitation on that peninsula to a bulk export commodity port. Let us talk about where bauxite is live stockpiled and exported through the port of Nhulunbuy for a 40-year future. It seems to me that is where the company wants to be and is the space it is in. Rehabilitation would create an industrial site over what is a massive mine and refinery, as well as associated infrastructure.
There is a little plan, Chief Minister, for your imagination, because I am hearing and seeing nothing from you. Maybe if your friends Mr Abbott, Mr Truss, Mr MacFarlane, the Rio Tinto executives and you, as the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, discussed that, maybe it would grow some legs – who knows?
It is better than nothing, because if we continue to do nothing we will see some serious negative outcomes, not only for Territory families, but for that region, which depends on Nhulunbuy as a service centre.
This story will not go away, and unless we start to see and hear some pragmatic solutions, it will become worse. I come from Tennant Creek, and can tell the same story about the CLP government in the 1990s; I will not go into it because I have run out of time, but think about it.
I lived in a community where the policy of the CLP, when the mines started to close and the skilled workforce left, was to close primary schools, sell public housing, regionalise health and education services and basically abandon us. They were a my-all mob back in the 1990s. I am sure the CLP of the new millennium has learned some lessons. You can seriously learn some lessons from Tennant Creek, because it is a disgrace that I see the same thing happening 25 years later in Nhulunbuy and on the northeast Arnhem peninsula. Thank you.
Ms LAWRIE (Opposition Leader): Mr Deputy Speaker, despite only receiving notice this afternoon about this statement being brought on, I look forward to contributing to debate. It speaks volumes that so far we have only had one speaker from government. This was the Treasurer and Minister for Business, the person who introduced the ministerial statement outlining assistance for Nhulunbuy businesses. Yet there has been deafening silence from other members of Cabinet. Is that how little you care about Nhulunbuy and the northeast Arnhem region?
We were told that we are clearing statements off the Notice Paper. There is a bit of a cleaning off/sweeping off to the side exercise in the Chamber by the government. We have ministers appearing in the Chamber to wrap the statement, in the hope that no one will contribute because they did not provide much notice. It is a disgrace. We are talking about the livelihoods of thousands of Territorians that you have trashed because of the rank incompetence of Chief Minister Adam Giles.
When he reneged on the gas to Gove deal – which, as we have heard from the shadow Treasurer, was one of the greatest mistakes made in terms of economic growth opportunities for the Territory – he started a chain of events that has been crashing through the lives and livelihoods of Territorians in Nhulunbuy and the northeast Arnhem region. When a statement is introduced, you hope for energy, ideas and action from government to say, ‘These are the things we will do now that we see the consequences of a gross mistake’. But there is only the Minister for Business, waiting for his time. We might hear a few time filler comments from the Leader of Government Business, who has been left to clear Notice Paper statements. Where is the Minister for Tourism?
As you heard from the shadow Treasurer, when the Chief Minister appeared after his gross abandonment of the gas to Gove pipeline opportunity, which would have meant an enormous number of construction jobs, the doubling of the domestic gas market in the Northern Territory through the delivery of gas, and spurred a significant exploration to production opportunity through Santos and Eni, two major companies that were very excited about the prospects and opportunities – all of that came to a crashing halt when the Chief Minister showed the rank incompetence that he has continued to display as the hallmark of his government.
We do not hear the promises he made at the forum in Nhulunbuy that the shadow Treasurer referred to, with the grand ideas of tourism, roads and infrastructure. Where is the Tourism minister, talking about tourism investment? There is a bit of a fit-out happening on a barge. You can put your car on, stay in a cabin and take the barge to Nhulunbuy. That has occurred before; Perkins did it years ago. At best, that is niche. You cannot fish off the barge, as it travels too fast.
How many tourists will you get in and out of Nhulunbuy for that $100 000 spend? Have you undertaken assessments on that? Do you understand what traffic usage was before with Perkins? Do you know the value for money you will receive for that $100 000 spend? Could you or should you not have invested in the plan that Lirrwi wrote and advocated across the homelands to bring in corporate tourists who want the fantastic Yolngu experience of northeast Arnhem Land? They have a plan. Is the government doing anything about it? No. Is the Minister for Tourism flying to Nhulunbuy and engaging with anyone? No. He has not been sighted. Could even the Minister for Infrastructure travel to Nhulunbuy, engage with people and identify priority infrastructure projects or talk about them in the Chamber today? No.
The Chief Minister talked about the Central Arnhem Road, and not a cracker has been forthcoming since. With a large community at Gapuwiyak, should we not be looking at the priority of the road from Nhulunbuy to Gapuwiyak, which would create that all-important service hub that Nhulunbuy needs to be for the communities along that Central Arnhem route to Gapuwiyak? There is none of that, only empty, hollow words from the Chief Minister. There has been no subsequent action nearly a year on, and only an empty, hollow attitude in this Chamber today from the government. At best, we might hear a small contribution from the Leader of Government Business, who is left to clear up the Notice Paper.
Come on in, Minister for Tourism, and tell us what action you are taking to support Nhulunbuy and the region of northeast Arnhem Land. We are very interested, as it needs to occur. It would be part of a structural adjustment package that should have been nailed and delivered by now, and which is still not happening.
Come on in, Minister for Infrastructure, and tell us what the infrastructure priorities are today, through the next six months, and what the program design is for the next three years. Instead we hear deafening silence. Minister for Education, come in and explain what consultation has occurred across the educators of Nhulunbuy and the northeast Arnhem Land homelands and outstations. Explain what consultation you have performed with the families, parents of the children …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! I ask you to remind the member that she cannot refer to the absence or otherwise of a member in this House.
Ms Lawrie: I understand that is a convention, not a standing order.
Mr ELFERINK: Oh, okay, so you are now going to ignore conventions? All right.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have the call, Opposition Leader.
Ms LAWRIE: That is the pot calling the kettle black. ‘You are going to ignore conventions’. How many conventions do you break during a sittings fortnight? Is it every day, every morning or was it today or last night? Is it constantly? Are you serious?
Come in, Minister for Infrastructure, and let us know the program. Which Infrastructure minister would allow a decision to delay a capital spend on a desperately needed emergency department in a hospital? It would be a good construction stimulus in a town that desperately needs it right now – ‘we need to reassess how many people will need those ED services.’ Following that decision, the Chief Minister was spruiking a vibrant population growth, and that things would be rosy.
Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing? It does not.
Which Health minister worth their salt would delay an already federally-funded emergency department upgrade? That was what I described as low-hanging fruit; it should have occurred. Look at the emergency department at Gove hospital; the upgrade is needed. Every other ED across our hospitals has been upgraded. Thank you, Commonwealth, for that funding. It is no skin off the Territory’s back, and is the right thing to do. It is desperately needed, and you have stopped it.
After all the hollow rhetoric and promises, action has not occurred. What about the assistance for business? Thank you, Graeme Kevern, for being energetic in your Business department role in Nhulunbuy, helping businesses with those consultancies. That has happened, but what has not happened, as we heard the shadow Treasurer and the member for Nhulunbuy point out, is that it has not saved businesses. Customers are packing up and leaving town because the government reneged on the gas to Gove deal, which saw the curtailment of the refinery and jobs lost.
Qantas has stopped its flights. Thank you, Airnorth, for stepping in with daily flights, but for how long? What is the commitment? Is it a year, maybe two? How long will we have daily flights for? Can the Minister for Transport, who looks after aviation, tell us? What has been agreed with Airnorth, what guarantees of daily flights exist and for how long? While you are offering subsidies to start flights to other regional areas, will you subsidise daily flights on that route? These are unanswered questions, because the contributions to this statement are not occurring from the government that abandoned Nhulunbuy and the northeast Arnhem region.
You hear tangible expressions of hope and opportunity when you visit Nhulunbuy and the region. It is my privilege to travel there as the Leader of the Opposition; I was in Nhulunbuy a couple of weeks ago. Do not fly in and fly out on your charter, travel on the air service, stay overnight and spend a bit of time on the ground. Do not charter in and out at great cost to taxpayers – a few hours on the ground, in and out you go – a select few. Look out! You might have to hear what people have to say. Careful, Chief Minister, as that would not be good form for you, sneaking in and out.
If you line up at the airport with people and spend some time chatting before you hear what is happening from people trying to work in the town, and then spend some time venturing into small businesses whose owners have invested their livelihoods in that town, listen to them.
They have suggestions, they are locals to their boot heels and have a passion for the town and region. They understand what can be made to work, but they do not understand why there is a government that is not engaging or listening, and which does not seem to care. It has abrogated its responsibility to Territorians, and locals do not understand that.
People say to me, ‘Hey, I have always been a CLP voter – never again’, because they feel utterly abandoned. Spending a bit of time with them would not go astray, ministers of the Crown. All of you have a shared responsibility to this town and region. When you listen to them, their ideas are not pie in the sky. There are some sound, sensible, small things that would go a long way. There are your medium-sized projects, which take a bit more effort; much more organising would go a significant way. There is then what I call the major project opportunity, which the shadow Treasurer talked about.
This government has let Rio Tinto off the hook in dealing with rehabilitation. It is not curtailment. Spend some time on the ground with people whose livelihoods it has been to maintain the plant. It will not be able to fire up and function again in the time frames of closure. It will need to be dismantled; that would provide hundreds of jobs. The red mud ponds are an environmental disaster that would also provide jobs and appropriate rehabilitation. Construction of a multipurpose facility to provide respite and support accommodation, and healthcare services for Machado-Joseph Disease sufferers and renal patients, as well as building an aged-care facility for the first time in Nhulunbuy and the region, would provide construction jobs and recurrent work. I will give you a tip: Miwatj would be eminently capably of operating it.
These things would require a bit of effort from the Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments, with Rio Tinto at the table. In the parlance of industrial downturns, which the Nhulunbuy refinery curtailment is, it is called a structural adjustment package, and that does not exist. That has not been delivered by this Northern Territory government, as every other state government in our nation has provided for their regional towns affected by an industrial downturn. It is a combination of responsibility and funding from the company and the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments.
The Northern Territory would be the smaller contributor to that package, with the Commonwealth and Rio as the larger ones. It could be done front and centre within the northern Australia development agenda, within the committee chaired by Warren Entsch and within the body of work regarding north Australia development. It could be a shining example of how you get north Australia development right, but instead, what has happened? Nhulunbuy has been left off the map by the Northern Territory government. It does not even exist on the glossy brochure maps that have been distributed nationally and around the Territory.
Nhulunbuy has been left off the regional forums itinerary. There is Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Darwin, but not Nhulunbuy. What conceivable reason do you have for ignoring Nhulunbuy and the northeast Arnhem region in the north Australia development agenda? I simply cannot fathom why you are doing this, because these are hard-working, salt of the earth Territorians who are not asking for any more than any other regional city in an industrial downturn receives. In fact, they would settle for a lot less than everyone else because they are such hard-working, decent, salt of the earth people.
There are exciting opportunities, and I have mentioned a few around tourism. The shadow Treasurer talked astutely about the bulk cargo export of minerals and what could occur, but we understand. What we will receive instead is scathing vitriol from a person who has shown himself to be a disgrace to the Northern Territory.
I hope someone on the government benches takes some interest and pursues the interests of the people of Nhulunbuy and northeast Arnhem Land. They are Territorians who deserve no less.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank other members for their contributions. It is a hard thing cleaning up Labor’s mess, and circumstances in Nhulunbuy are another example of that.
We would have a refinery in Nhulunbuy if the previous government had not let Rio Tinto off the hook. It is sad but true that the retiring member for Casuarina, lovely man that he is, let Rio Tinto off the hook in relation to operating a refinery in Nhulunbuy. It is obvious that the previous government had no intention of doing anything for Rio Tinto, not trying to get gas and not trying to help the situation. It ignored the situation.
In the lead up to the last election I visited Nhulunbuy to talk to constituents; I asked a number of people about energy requirements, and the cost of using bunker oil, which is extraordinarily expensive. I saw blank stares, and people looked at me as though I had come from another planet. It was obvious to some of us, prior to the last election, that there were real problems with that refinery in Nhulunbuy, yet the former government ignored it. When we came to government, our first priority was to try to find a solution for Nhulunbuy to see whether we could assist in any way.
The former Chief Minister, Terry Mills, was an advocate for assisting Nhulunbuy as well as possible. Similarly, current Chief Minister Adam Giles has worked extensively on trying to find a solution for Rio Tinto and its refinery. That was something the Labor government never did. It abandoned the Nhulunbuy community long before any discussions got under way about energy requirements.
Having said that, the refinery is closed and government is doing everything in its power to ensure that residents of Nhulunbuy are transitioned into the new circumstances as well as possible. We understand many of those people will be upset by Rio Tinto’s decision to curtail that refinery, and some people will have to leave. The beauty about the Territory, however, is that we have an extraordinarily low unemployment rate, particularly in the Top End, where it sits at about 2%. We desperately need workers here. People should not fear for jobs; there is plenty of work in the Territory, although I understand that no one wants to leave the community they are established in, even if work dries up.
In relation to this statement, I am aware that it was brought on in March, and it is a great opportunity. I thank the Leader of Government Business for ensuring this debate was brought on today, because it allows me to provide a further update on the Gove business assistance package that we are putting in place.
The Department of Business has been very active and highly responsive in providing assistance and support to the community of Nhulunbuy and the broader East Arnhem Land business community. Since 29 November 2013, when Rio announced it was curtailing its refinery operation at Gove, the Department of Business has positioned a full-time senior client manager there. The department has been highly visible and proactive in contacting businesses to determine their needs and concerns resulting from the expected business downturn. It has offered a range of assistance programs to consider their future viability.
To date, over 119 businesses have been contacted by the Department of Business, with 69 businesses that annually turn over more than $98m and employ some 626 people being supported through programs valued at about $900 000. A further 10 businesses are expected to be approved for support programs in the next few weeks.
The Business Growth program is the primary business support package being offered to date, and has been well received by the Nhulunbuy business community. The Business Growth program is a Giles government initiative designed to enhance business operations by subsidising professional consultants to engage with companies to implement improvement strategies. The department has adopted much greater flexibility with the Business Growth program criteria to ensure meaningful and effective support packages are delivered to businesses in Nhulunbuy.
In addition to the senior client manager we have rotated specialist support through the region, including a childcare operations specialist; a workforce employment specialist; tourism development officers; Indigenous business support officers; ecoBIZ NT; and an additional client manager, when required, to address the higher level of business inquiries.
In January this year, senior officers from the department accompanied Tourism NT’s chief executive and executive director of marketing on a five-day visit to the region. This has resulted in a collaborative commitment between the Department of Business and Tourism NT to deliver individual business support and a focused marketing campaign designed to increase and maximise tourism opportunities in the region. I thank the Minister for Tourism for his active involvement in making sure that collaboration works, and for driving his department to do more in the region.
In conjunction with the marketing activities being rolled out by Tourism NT, Department of Business officers are doing their bit in assisting Gove region tourism businesses with initiatives to reinvigorate tourism in the region. This includes funding for a number of projects. A recent photo shoot of the area was commissioned by the Department of Business to provide refreshed images of the experiences on offer, which has allowed the Tourism minister, Tourism NT and regional marketing activities to much better showcase the region.
The Department of Business has committed to assist in the redevelopment of the East Arnhem Land Tourism Association and its website to provide the best possible information and booking services for visitors to the region. The new website will include the ability to book and pay for tours online, as well as provide a central portal for information and applications for access permits. The Department of Business recently hosted Darwin and Katherine visitor information staff on a familiarisation tour of the East Arnhem region. The purpose of the visit was to educate staff on access and the tourism product in the region, so they can confidently sell it as a destination. We are also assisting relevant tourism operators to achieve relevant industry accreditation.
I again put on the record my thanks to the Minister for Tourism and to Tourism NT for the way they have worked collaboratively with the Department of Business. It is through their strong marketing of the region, and the Tourism minister’s commitment to it, that those things are occurring. The Tourism minister informed me earlier that he not only pushed many of these projects through his department, but also had the entire board of Tourism NT complete a familiarisation tour through the Nhulunbuy region. They met with local tourism operators and looked at current and possible attractions in working out how best to market the region.
When you listen to those opposite, you would swear that nothing was happening. You would swear the Tourism minister could not give a hoot about anything outside of Alice Springs. That is not the case, because I know firsthand that the Tourism minister is driving a tourism agenda in Nhulunbuy. He sees enormous potential in that region. He is doing everything he can to excite locals, to put a bounce in the step of tourism operators and to get in there and try to bring visitors to the region. There is much to see in the area. It is so good that we have a Tourism minister so committed to that.
It is not only tourism that the government is focusing on. All DoB support is delivered in close consultation with Jim Rogers, the Regional Executive Director for the Department of the Chief Minister in East Arnhem, who assists the community support operation. The Business Growth program engages highly skilled, professional consultants to work with Nhulunbuy businesses to improve their business practices. There is an enormous amount of work going into that region.
It is not only the Department of Business; this statement is about the Department of Business’ effort. As I have already outlined, there is an enormous contribution being made by Tourism NT. The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure has visited Nhulunbuy on a number of occasions, and the Minister for Mines and Energy is focused on the Nhulunbuy region.
The mine at Nhulunbuy is one of the world-class mines in the Territory, and we have a Minister for Mines and Energy completely engaged in his portfolio. He takes a real interest in what happens in Nhulunbuy, and is doing everything he can to assist Rio Tinto to make that operation more profitable in order to employ more people in the region.
The Minister for Mines and Energy is also very interested in that workforce, because there are places, he informs me, around the Territory still struggling to employ workers. That community has the ability to provide workers, whether they fly in and fly out from Nhulunbuy to wherever the mine site is, or relocate to it. The Minister for Mines and Energy has good things going on there, so people should not be too concerned about their jobs; there are plenty of employment opportunities in the Top End.
The Minister for Correctional Services has been to Nhulunbuy in regard to the Sentenced to a Job program and to talk to locals. I have never seen a person more passionate about a policy than our Corrections minister. The vigour and enthusiasm with which he throws himself into that job is something to behold. It is not the fact that he is throwing himself into it; it is that he is achieving results. That is what this is all about. He was looking at Garma and how prisoners might assist over there …
Mr Elferink: They did the security.
Mr TOLLNER: They did the security, he informs me. He is looking at workers’ camps; he has a big commitment.
Interestingly, if you listened to members opposite you would swear that nothing was happening, and Gove had been cut adrift. That is clearly not the case. We are focused on that region, and it is an important part of the Northern Territory. It is an important part of our economy, and should be much more so. That is what we aim to make it.
I see a bright future for Nhulunbuy. Townships like it are matter of fact; mines open and close and refineries open and close. Nothing is infinite when it comes to mining. Eventually, everything runs out, and the place will turn from a mining community into another community. In the case of Nhulunbuy we fully expected the refinery to stay open a bit longer. It probably would have remained open if the member for Casuarina had not let them off the hook. The company may well have persevered for a few more years. In any case we do not want to complain too much about the previous government and all of its failures. This is just another one of them.
We are getting on with the job, and doing what is right in providing valuable assistance to the people of Nhulunbuy. I commend this statement to the House.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
MOTION
Note Statement – Northern Territory Government’s Achievements and Current Efforts in Central Australia to Date
Note Statement – Northern Territory Government’s Achievements and Current Efforts in Central Australia to Date
Continued from 8 May 2014.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Mr Deputy Speaker, it is a great honour to speak about Central Australia and Alice Springs. Two of my boys were born in Alice Springs. I first went there in 1980; I remember travelling through Alice Springs, on route to Tennant Creek and the Barkly, and since then we have had a very strong family relationship with Alice Springs. It is an amazing part of the Territory, and I love visiting it. I especially love visiting in this job; in government it was quite amazing, but in opposition many people want to talk. They want to engage in a good dialogue about Alice Springs, with their ideas and what they want for the future. I use that opportunity to get into the Central Australia region as much as possible.
This statement talks about what the government has done, and the government has delivered a report card during this sittings period. I look forward to speaking on the report card too, being a teacher of 34 years. The government has talked about – it has been on the Notice Paper for a while - the great things it has done, which is good, and they should let us hear about them. The minister will wrap, and I am sure there are more things to be talked about. The psychology in this one will be interesting, because after the diatribe I have listened to in the last couple of days - ‘the opposition dares to challenge us, it dares to have a voice and hold us to account! Get in your box, be nice and go away’ – it will be interesting to hear how the government tells the story of the great things it is doing, and paint the picture that there was nothing there before.
Will we get that litany of newspaper front pages to go back through, the rot that was trotted out when you were in opposition? It went on and on, and led into the Action for Alice campaign, which sent the message globally to not visit Alice Springs and Central Australia because it was too dangerous. It is ironic that the same gentleman who preached that message and put that campaign into motion is now the Minister for Tourism. Everything has now turned around, and Alice Springs is fabulous. There was nothing there before the CLP returned to power.
What I enjoy about Alice Springs and Central Australia is sport. There was obviously nothing there, but it is interesting to reflect about the sports mad Central Australia and its great facilities, clubs and activities. Traeger Park, for instance, is the jewel in the Central Australian sporting crown. I am really talking about Labor’s investment in Traeger Park, and some of the amazing projects I saw which have supported AFL, cricket and many other sporting and community events. We cannot look past the Alice Springs Aquatic and Leisure Centre; I think it cost about $16m. That project has had benefits for Alice Springs and the region. I was a schoolteacher for many years, and we used to take kids to Alice Springs to use many of those sporting facilities. The Alice Springs Town Council is doing a great job of running that centre, and it is a real bonus for the town and the region.
I remember the investment in the drag strip and the outcomes for motor enthusiasts. In the Finke Desert Race, I never used the Corrections buggy, as I always had to be at estimates; I received invitations every year. I was always interested in what community work parties did and the work Corrections undertook in supporting events in Alice Springs, particularly around the Finke Desert Race and the entry of a buggy. I remember the investment from Labor around the start-finish line at Finke that kept moving it forward from strength to strength.
There are many other opportunities just in the sport and rec area, such as lights at Ross Park, new turf and wickets for cricket, and investment across bush communities. It was great to hear the member for Stuart talking about two investments in sporting ovals at Yuendumu and Lajamanu. I am sure it will not be too long before she is announcing to the House the same projects at Borroloola, Elliott and Ali Curung, so she is definitely on the right track.
I am sure we will hear more announcements about regional sporting facilities across the Territory, as Labor was rolling them out. There has been a lot of investment in grassroots sport, and it is certainly paying dividends. From the last two years, I am sure the minister will be able to highlight how the CLP government has taken that on and continued to develop it, as it should.
The region is now looking for some new economic stimulus and meaningful investment, and that is what I hear from many people in Alice Springs when I visit, as well as around Central Australia. There are concerns about the cost of living and the need for some new thinking and projects. One presented to me by the member for Johnston, who is a great sportsperson himself, was for development at Blatherskite Park. I am interested to hear from the government about whether there are plans to start developments there that will not only add to that powerful base of sport and rec infrastructure, but also provide some stimulus to the Alice Springs economy.
In Alice Springs, 120 businesses have closed in the last couple of years. One thing people talk about when I visit Alice Springs and Central Australia is the closed shops and the economic slump. It is real, visible and of great concern to not only town residents, but the business community as well.
There is a need for some new economic stimulus in the place, and I am sure we will hear about it from the government. If you do not stabilise the economy, as we know in any regional centre or town, people will leave. The risk in the Territory, particularly with Alice Springs being that gateway to South Australia, is people packing up their families to move interstate. We could see a cross-border migration, and we lose families. If there is not that continual foot on the pedal with economic stimulus, we risk losing good citizens across the border, many back into South Australia.
There have been some serious policy changes, as one would expect with a new government. Some of those have had a big impact on Indigenous economic development in the bush. I am watching the housing area closely, because with the changes there have been opportunities for some, but unfortunately many have gone missing. Central Australia and Indigenous communities are saying this new policy around remote housing repairs and maintenance, and a reduction in the budget – which we heard about during estimates – has had an impact on jobs. In the remote communities we must have people engaged, up early, at work and feeling good about themselves and their participation in their own community. There is concern, and it is a conversation that has been held. It will be interesting to hear the minister’s comments on that.
There is a big discussion going on in the arts community, which is very powerful in Central Australia and the Barkly. The current Desert Harmony Festival, the 25th anniversary of Desert Harmony, is taking place as we speak. I opened the festival and experienced the events on the first night, but I then had to come to parliament to represent the people of the Barkly, so I am missing out on our own festival.
However, the arts community is very concerned. The conversation is around that $1.5m cut from the arts budget; this goes back-to-back with federal cuts. There are many arts centres in Central Australia in a holding pattern. They have not been given federal funding, and are looking down the barrel of serious cuts by the CLP government, so they are very concerned. It is not about the big end of town; it is about grassroots community arts organisations. I am sure the minister, being the Minister for Arts and Museums, as well as a Central Australian, would be well aware of this. He will be able to articulate the change in policy, and how that $1.5m in cuts will not disadvantage our community arts organisations and incredible energy and creativity that exists in Central Australia.
There is an economic stimulus plan on the move. I speak with great authority; after a seven-year campaign against Australia’s first nuclear waste dump, it looks like you guys will promote it for Central Australia. I immediately advise you to come to Tennant Creek and sit down with Warlmanpa traditional owners. They were opposed to Muckaty being the site of Australia’s first purpose-built nuclear waste dump. With the knowledge base they have created around them, talk this through with community members before making any knee-jerk reaction decisions to have Australia’s first nuclear waste dump in Central Australia and Alice Springs. There are all sorts of reasons why.
You can create some serious trouble among traditional owners if you fool around on the phone and talk about stuff you do not know about. You will create some serious situations if you are not careful. The other side of the coin is that you must come clean with the communities, because a nuclear waste dump is not exactly a McDonalds. It is not a transformation plan for the Alice Springs town living areas that we saw stimulate the economy. It is not a Kilgariff land release, which commenced under Labor. It is another journey that you would need to be very careful of before you embark on it, because there are many traps for young players. If you are not wised up you might make a decision that you will regret, and maybe your children and grandchildren too. You would seriously go down in Territory history, that is for sure.
I have heard a very energetic and articulate community in Central Australia talking about this issue. It has moved from the Barkly rhetoric, and the lonely spot defined as Muckaty. This conversation is now well and truly entrenched in the electorates of Braitling, Greatorex and Araluen. Many in Alice Springs have been on that seven-year journey, which the Warlmanpa traditional owners opposed, along with others who have joined – the trade union movement, God forbid them. The trade union movement, particularly the MUA and Transport Workers’ Union, joined Territorians and stood side by side with their support. They said, ‘Put the brakes on. Let us bring some sanity into this.’
The union said, basically, what we have been saying. It is a simple lesson, because I do not think I have too many sympathetic ears, but I will give you the short version. It is that my-all politicians should not be making this decision. It is not about a cash register, it is about the safe and secure management of Australia’s nuclear waste. It is as simple as that, and there are highly qualified people able to advise Australians on this. It is very disturbing that politicians in silver suits, who think they know everything about everything, will go down this road and tell Central Australia what is good for it.
If you go down that road, you will learn, and you may learn the hard way, because this must be open and transparent. It must be accountable, and if you want to listen to the scientists, they will tell the federal government where this should go. It was obvious that it should not go over the Wiso Basin, the most substantial aquifer supporting the majority of the Barkly Tablelands. The developing northern Australia plan would definitely support that. That water is too valuable to put at risk. Let us talk about Central Australia and the same scientific challenges, not cheap politics. Let us try to get rid of that cash register mentality, because when you start researching the story you will find severe limitations in your cash register as well.
It is interesting that the story will unfold in Central Australia. As I said, people are most welcome in Tennant Creek. People at home ask me about ministers coming and going, and I welcome the ministers. I know enough about this business to understand that if we have ministers on the ground in Tennant Creek and the Barkly, we have an opportunity to influence them and get things done. I support that and tell people that, and I encourage them to invite you. I also extend that invitation to visit and learn from a large sector of the community that walked side by side for seven years. If you want to take the facility to Central Australia, that is fine; it is your decision. I will be in this space, because a nuclear waste dump for Aboriginal self-determination and economic development is a bit limited. As I said, it is cheap and nasty. We can do so much more with Indigenous economic development on Aboriginal land and in partnership with traditional owners than Australia’s first purpose-built nuclear waste dump, where you can be taken for a serious ride.
I offer that opportunity, learning and knowledge in good faith. If this conversation continues in Central Australia, and the politicians continue to lobby and facilitate what could be Australia’s first nuclear waste dump, I will be the first one there to tell the story. I will call you out and be the first one to tell people to put the brakes on and discuss this rationally. Some of the best scientists in the world can be there. They came to Tennant Creek and the Barkly, they taught us and rationalised the debate. That is what we will take to Central Australia.
It will be very interesting to see this new chapter in the nuclear story. The federal government is front and centre in this debate, as is the Northern Territory government. Traditional owners have an opportunity, as do other landholders, but this debate is about all Australians and our future. This is about the safe and secure management of Australia’s nuclear waste. It is an economic development plan I will be watching very closely.
Central Australia is a great place with great opportunities, a wonderful place to live. I have spent more than half of my life there, and I plan on spending much more. I thank the minister for bringing a statement like this to the House so we can speak on very important aspects and debate them. I have my ideas and you have yours. I am willing to share my learning, the same as I will listen to yours, but it is about common sense and good manners. The ‘holier than thou minister’ syndrome can get us into a lot more trouble than it is worth.
That is my contribution, as the clock runs down, but I am sticking around. I do not plan on going anywhere. I hope to participate in many more debates like this.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, we all lost a bit of intelligence listening to that drivel for the last 20 minutes, but that is another point.
Congratulations to the member for Barkly; he fought off the nuclear waste repository at Muckaty. He worked so hard when he was in government, and has done as the local member, to drive out any economic opportunity for future growth, prosperity, jobs or otherwise. He reached the last bastion of hope, where traditional owners had specified that they wanted the nuclear waste repository at Muckaty, and he fought that off too. What a success for the member for Barkly, fighting off economic opportunity.
We came into government on 25 August 2012, and thought, ‘What we can do? In all parts of the Territory, how can we achieve the balance between the four Framing the Future principles of social, cultural, economic and environmental?’
Let us not only focus on social. Let us focus on economics across the Territory; we have put that in place in all parts. When we reach the Barkly we find the roadblocks and principles of economic advancement so challenging. Why are they challenging? What has been the core element behind the Barkly for such a long time? I can tell you what it is at its heart: Labor.
The Barkly has been Labor through and through for such a long time. We had Maggie there for a while, as well as Elliott. They were the sort of people who had some sort of economic approach. With the current member for Barkly, there is no economic understanding at all. We now turn up to the Barkly to think how to drive the economy there, because Gerry has driven everything out. How can we drive growth, jobs and economic prosperity? We are starting from scratch. Every time I meet with the people of the Barkly, those who are positive and who want to drive reform, future opportunities and growth, there has not been any inkling of opportunity or anything started for us to start driving forward.
In other parts of the Northern Territory, there is an element, something where we can move from a heartbeat and where there is transition across government. However, if you go to the Barkly, the local member has killed it all. There has been no investment in anything. We are starting from scratch, with a blank whiteboard. When you talk about a statement on Central Australia, which includes the Barkly, we are starting from scratch. It is a huge disappointment for you. You spent over $30m on a housing program in town camps, and did not build a single house. Economic advancement – Gerry, you have done a great job, mate.
Let us look at how the economic framework, through Framing the Future, works in Central Australia, based on Alice Springs. No one would deny that two or three years ago, under the previous Labor government, Alice Springs was a dangerous place in terms of crime. Crime was through the roof, and it was not safe to walk the streets at night. Up to 300 kids were on the street at night, and it was a bad place.
Look where we are today. I was at the casino in Alice Springs last Saturday afternoon talking to some friends, and people were saying, ‘Thank you very much for the work you have done with the TBLs, the police and mandatory alcohol treatment’. Crime has dropped, the streets are safe, and it is wonderful to be there.
Crime has not been that low in Alice Springs since the 1990s. There is a funny thing about 2004 and a comparison to the 1990s; the core element in the comparison is that they were both times of Country Liberals governments.
We are releasing housing like never before, in terms of land. Advancing Kilgariff is not only a pipe dream, like Weddell and all these other navel gazing ideas about land release under Labor were. We have Kilgariff on the map and blocks are being sold. We are looking forward to Stage 1B of Kilgariff, and getting a new housing estate, supporting local construction activity, the banking, finance and retail industries, and getting people into new homes. That is what it is about, driving down the cost of living at the end of it.
With economic opportunities in Central Australia, it is about supporting people and creating jobs. Mining, tourism, cattle, gas, oil in terms of petroleum – look at what we are doing with the sports sector. We return to gas and oil; in the Northern Territory a new production licence for petroleum had not been issued in 32 years. After being in government for two years, two production licences have already been issued for the Surprise and Dingo fields. The Surprise licence is for oil and Dingo is for gas.
It is amazing what you can do when you provide a bit of oomph and ingenuity, get things happening and try to drive the economy. When the economy is strong, society is strong. You do not create success without having a strong economy. That is one of the challenges we face in driving economic reform when starting with a blank whiteboard in the Barkly. I have no doubt that we will do it successfully. My point is that the local member has left Tennant Creek and the Barkly without that economic opportunity.
People in the cattle industry know that the support provided by the Northern Territory CLP government has been successful and resounding. We did not turn our back on any of the cattle industry, live export or otherwise, unlike Labor when it was in government in the Territory and federally. When former Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, was in Nhulunbuy, she put a knife through the heart of the live cattle trade, and former Chief Minister Paul Henderson stood with her like a little nodding dog, saying, ‘Yes, thanks, we will have that. Just cancel the economic opportunities of the Northern Territory.’ We are driving forward with the cattle industry.
In terms of tourism, it has never been stronger, particularly because crime is down and tourists now feel safe in Alice Springs. We are also starting to receive new investment in tourism products. We are starting to see a rebound in tourism numbers. It is a slow burn, but the opportunities are fantastic. It was great to see Tigerair come back. That provided a substantial opportunity for more bottoms on seats and tourist numbers. We have seen Tigerair go away to make more money in other sectors, which is unfortunate. However, in coming months, people will see the results of some of the work I am doing with the Minister for Tourism and Minister for Central Australia on attracting new airlines to town, which will be exciting.
There are many economic opportunities around mining, which we are advancing all the time. I spoke in the Chamber recently about what is happening to make Tellus Holdings’ potential salt mine to the south of Alice Springs near Titjikala Maryvale Station a major project. I think it is the 16th major project we have. That will also provide economic opportunities and advancement into Central Australia, which grows our economy. People will have opportunities for jobs and to get off welfare and into work, which is the same core message we talk about all the time.
I told the Minister for Central Australia that I would not mind saying a few words on this statement, because the future is rosy and bright. I could talk for 24 hours on this. I see Alice Springs moving forward in leaps and bounds. In two, three, eight and 10 years, people will be reaping the rewards of the investments and policy decisions we are making now. These will see more people move to Central Australia and the economy and competition grow, which will provide many more jobs across a range of industry sectors for the population and future kids of the region.
Mr CONLAN (Central Australia): Madam Speaker, I thank everyone who contributed to the statement on Central Australia. It came on in May, so there have been even more developments since then. Over the last three months even more resources and effort have been put into Central Australia, but we might bring that back in another statement down the track.
I made a claim, which I did not get around to checking the facts of. I said this is one of the most significant statements on Central Australia ever presented in this parliament. I touched based with Kaye at the Parliamentary Library – hats off to her, as she is extraordinarily helpful; if you send her an e-mail she is quick with a response. She provided me with all the statements that have been presented specifically on Central Australia or at least with some Central Australia focus. From memory, there might have been about six or seven. None had anywhere near the significance or weight of this statement.
This one took 50 minutes to deliver to the House, and I cannot remember how many words it was, but it was somewhere along the lines of 5000 or 6000. This was a serious commitment and demonstration of this Giles Country Liberal government’s particular focus on Central Australia. I say ‘particular’ because we came to government with an objective to restore Alice Springs to the great iconic heartland town it once was. After 11 years of Labor, everyone realised something needed to happen. This statement essentially identified what this government has done in two short years, compared to the previous government over 11 long years.
It has me stumped why the member for Barkly is not the shadow Minister for Central Australia these days. He is not any better than anyone else over there, but he is the one who is closest to and actually lives in the Centre. The Leader of the Opposition is the shadow Minister for Central Australia, which is a frightening prospect. She was the architect of those 11 long years of deprivation in Central Australia. She presided over the budgetary position, and was the Deputy Chief Minister, the Treasurer, the Attorney-General – all those key portfolios that could have seen Alice Springs rise to the top. Instead she drove it to the very bottom, and is now the shadow Minister for Central Australia. That concept is completely lost on me, but maybe someone can explain it to me one day.
The member for Barkly tried to suggest there was nothing there before we were elected in 2012. Those were his words, not mine; I stuck around in Alice Springs. I stayed in the Centre because there was plenty there. I witnessed firsthand what the previous government was doing to Central Australia, particularly our great regional towns, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, and we have already heard the Chief Minister articulate Tennant Creek’s scenario.
My wife and I were married in Alice Springs, and our children, I am proud to say, were born in Central Australia. My son now attends school in Alice Springs, so we are committed to the place. Part of the reason I stuck around was not because I loved Alice. It is a wonderful town; I came from east of the Great Dividing Range and landed in Alice Springs. I never thought I would fall in love with the desert, but I did. My wife and I love it, and it is our home. I came from Brisbane, my wife came from Perth, we met in Alice and we have stayed there ever since.
Part of the reason I stayed, apart from loving the place, was because I was determined to do everything I possibly could to rid the Northern Territory of that wretched Labor government.
Mr Giles: Keep going.
Mr CONLAN: Do not worry, I will. I could see firsthand what it was doing to regional centres around the Northern Territory. I did not think for a minute that there was nothing there, member for Barkly. There was heaps there. As I said, I love the place and I could see its potential. They are your words, not mine.
He talked about Traeger Park, the aquatic centre and the drag strip; these were all things supported by the opposition at the time. No one in their right mind every campaigned against an aquatic centre, for crying out loud. We were cheering, saying, ‘Well done, about time’. I think Traeger Park was opened by the Minister for Sport and Recreation at the time, the member for Karama; her name is on the plaque there.
We were more than happy to receive the aquatic centre, no doubt about it, as well as the upgrades at Traeger Park, so hats off to you. It was a great, quaint country grandstand, but you invested in it and transformed it into what is stage one of a world-class grandstand. I hope as the years go by we can appropriate money to continue investment into Traeger Park. I have already, as Sports minister, allocated money towards Traeger Park to continue its growth and create one of the great regional sports grounds in the country. I do not know what the member for Barkly is talking about; we support Traeger Park and the aquatic centre developments. We do now and we did then, the same as for the drag strip.
He mentioned Action for Alice. That was a bizarre rant, as I do not know what that has to do with anything. He talked about the newspaper headlines; again, they were your headlines. They did not happen under us; they happened under the previous Labor government.
On Tuesdays and Friday, in every edition of the Centralian Advocate for at least four or five years, there was a shocking headline, and they seemed to get worse and worse. The joke was, ‘Can this headline outdo the previous edition’s headline?’ On many occasions it did. You might find it offensive that I have presented those headlines on a number of occasions. I did it in opposition times because that is what you do; I understand, as I have been there. I do it now to demonstrate how far we have come as a government.
Let us address some of the body of the statement. I have some information here on Tennant Creek for the member for Barkly, but the Chief Minister has articulated some of it. If I have time I will come back to it.
I am delighted to report back to the House and clear this statement from the Notice Paper; there is nothing wrong with doing that. The member for Barkly speaks as if it is some sort of travesty, and that we should be ashamed of ourselves for clearing the Notice Paper.
For five long years I watched the previous Labor government do nothing but clear the Notice Paper. In fact all you did was load the Notice Paper with puff pieces, and then spend the next half of the sittings year clearing it. It happens to the very best of us and certainly to the worst of us, which was you. I am delighted to clear this from the Notice Paper, as it is overdue. Unfortunately, we introduced it in May, and with the way the sittings calendar rolls, it is not until now that I am able to respond and make closing remarks on the statement.
Despite the doom and gloom of those opposite, Central Australia has a very bright future, and I take the opportunity to refute some of the slanderous comments. If Alice Springs was a person she would be mortified and feel slandered by the member for Karama, the shadow Minister for Central Australia. I refer to the Hansard of 8 May this year, when I delivered this statement to the House. The member for Karama, on that date and in response to the statement, said:
- Towards the end there was a classic moment for me when the minister was talking about the Jetstar flights, and what a great thing they are. Of course, he would not mention the fact that Tiger has just stopped flying there. Put your head in the sand and ignore that rather than tip your hat to the fact Tiger is not flying anymore, talking about what you will do and whether you will aggressively go after cheap carrier airlines or have further talks with Qantas.
It is a very firm Country Liberals policy not to underwrite airlines with any financial contributions. Apart from that, all we can do is continue our effort with marketing our jurisdiction as a preferred holiday and business events destination above all others. If we create that demand, we will see increased air traffic. Business cases have been presented to other airlines based on that demand, but as you can appreciate, discussions with airlines are commercial-in-confidence. I will not expand on those, but unlike the previous government we will not be underwriting this airline with any financial contribution.
We will support airlines by entering into cooperative marketing partnerships. We did that with Tigerair. Tourism NT’s investment into building the demand for Tigerair through corporate marketing partnerships was around $700 000. It is no mean feat. It was a lot of cooperative marketing dollars, and it paid off. Tigerair was well patronised; it experienced and enjoyed healthy loads into Alice Springs, no doubt about it. If you want to debate aviation economics and how a 1 c per kilometre revenue on one route over another route - that is a very detailed, technical and long conversation we can have at another time. That is exactly how Tigerair saw it; if you can raise 0.5 c per person, per kilometre on another route, you will. That is exactly how aviation economics works and, in this case, that is what happened with Tigerair.
It is very difficult to operate a budget airline. I say budget as opposed to the crass comment by the member for Karama about ‘cheap airlines’. It is a budget carrier; there is nothing cheap about an airline. It is very hard to operate a budget airline with discounted fares over such a long sector.
Melbourne to Alice Springs is two-and-a-half or two-and-three-quarter hours one way, with three hours the other. You have a number of take off/landing cycles, and it is very hard to maximise your profits. That is just the way airlines work.
The way Tourism NT will approach discussions with future airlines is through cooperative marketing agreements; of course, they expect that and we deliver. As I said, we saw $700 000 invested in Tigerair. It is very sad that it left, as Alice Springs was certainly the beneficiary of that service.
I congratulate and thank Qantas for being so responsive in releasing its new sale fares on the day Tigerair pulled out. On July 22 we saw a range of discounted airfares by Qantas from most of its destinations and, in this case, from destinations Tigerair was servicing. It has always puzzled me that when one carrier pulls out it is usually the one left servicing the destination that receives all the criticism. Why would we pick on the one still servicing the destination? Qantas is no different to any other airline; it has a business to operate, one consistently running on very small margins.
I have a couple of pages regarding the member for Karama’s assertions about airlines such as Tigerair. The announcement about Qantas’ airfares demonstrated the goodwill, as well as the landmark $7m cooperative marketing agreement we signed last year, the biggest ever partnership between this jurisdiction and an airline. I am very pleased with what we have received from the existing carrier, in light of the former carrier departing.
A number of discussions are continuing with other airlines, so watch this space. It is all we can do, and we will continually work overtime to market the Northern Territory to demonstrate that it is a destination worth flying to.
On 8 May the member for Karama also said:
- … I am interested in hearing your response about whether there is any opportunity in tourism marketing to really work with people in the Indigenous art industry in Alice Springs and say, ‘If you had some suggestions to give us around the domestic marketing program, what would that look like?’
Uluru has had a remarkable transformation, thanks to the introduction of Jetstar, so good in fact that it has added an additional flight into Yulara. While Yulara has a unique set of circumstances, the Barkly is one of those areas where we are trying to encourage dispersal, as are Litchfield, Kakadu, Katherine and the Arnhem region, all through our gateway in Darwin
We support all operators, especially Indigenous businesses in remote areas which may not have seen that approach in the past; it is very much a priority for this government. I thank the Minister for Business; the Department of Business has a tourism business development unit, and is working in a number of key regions within Central Australia to provide a great opportunity for the development of Indigenous tourism.
Some current initiatives include providing support and facilitation for a joint venture partnership between Uluru family tours and AAT Kings to operate south of Uluru; assisting Umpiyara Aboriginal EcoTourism, west of Yulara, through mentoring to expand its tourism product range; assistance to the Hermannsburg Historic Precinct regarding the tourism requirements of the MOU between the Hermannsburg Historical Society, Kasey Pty Ltd and the new managers, Finke River Mission services; and mentoring support at Tinkerbee Art and Culture in Alice Springs, which is developing a Welcome to Country product and increasing its business capacity.
The Department of Business is working with three Indigenous communities within Watarrka National Park to expand their tourism products to meet the demands of the expanding education market. Also …
Mr BARRETT: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I request an extension of time for the minister.
Motion agreed to.
Mr CONLAN: The Department of Business’ tourism business development unit works closely with Tourism NT to design programs around all tourism businesses and ventures to ensure outcomes of the two agencies are in line with Tourism Vision 2020. There is a lot of work happening in this space.
Work with the Papunya Boards is certainly worth mentioning. This is in response to the Opposition Leader’s claims that we are not doing too much in the space of arts tourism. It is a great opportunity to educate her. Research is under way to develop a major exhibition of the MAGNT Papunya Boards, which is to open in 2016. It is a fantastic selection of eight of the MAGNT Papunya Boards, which were displayed at the Araluen Arts Centre from March 2013 to February 2014. Reproductions of the works were also displayed at Ayers Rock Resort in the main foyer.
The tourism information centre in the Todd Mall creates huge interest in the area, and tourists are using the visitors’ centre there like never before. Labor has whinged about that move, but it has been an extraordinary initiative. We are seeing the likes of between 500 …
Ms Fyles: How much on travel each week? Table those documents.
Mr CONLAN: Sorry, what was that?
Ms Fyles: Travel each week.
Mr CONLAN: Travel each week? I am not sure what you are saying. It is just a bizarre rant over there. If you are going to say something, can you project it so we can hear it?
Tourism Central Australia is conducting daily tours around town promoting history and background on historic buildings in the town, which is fantastic. Again, Labor has whinged, moaned, carped and sulked about what has happened with Tourism NT, particularly the move to Alice Springs. It has been a great success and has exceeded everyone’s expectations. It has not affected tourism administration one iota. If anything, it has enhanced it.
Jalistan House – the old Qantas, TAA and Q restaurant building – is now the headquarters of Tourism NT and Tourism Central Australia. As I said, numbers through those doors were anywhere between 500, and when Tigerair was on the ground, up to 700 or 800. Obviously, some of those numbers have dropped back, but we are seeing about 500 people a day throughout the season, which is still double, and in some cases treble, the traffic we saw previously in the old building. There was nothing wrong with the old building, as it served its purpose, but it was time to move into the 21st century. We did it. We had the vision, and Labor whinged, moaned and carped about it. It is now time to accept that it was a productive move for Tourism NT and tourism across the Northern Territory.
On 8 May the member for Karama also said – this is a good one:
- There is an ever-growing list of businesses closing their doors, and they are not being replaced by new enterprises. This is the worry; they are staying as vacant shopfronts. Many of the businesses have been in town for many years. Businesses like Don Thomas Stockman Outfitters, Bojangles just off the mall, cafs, clothing shops – all closed. The southern part of the mall is desperate for revitalising. As I said, we put a $5m investment into revitalisation of the northern part of the mall, a decision made through the master plan created by Alice Springs Town Council.
Many parts of the CBD are now full of thriving, brand-new businesses. To name a few, there is Sweet Heaven on Gregory Terrace; the Happy Herb Shop; Outback Cycling; Uncle Edy’s Ice Cream; and a new martial arts fitness centre on Smith Street. There is also the Evolution nightclub; the Memo Club has reopened; Bunnings hardware; a recycling depot, Envirobank; Page 27 Caf has opened Epilogue across the road where the old lane was; Mix It Up Frozen Yoghurt; Nails by Phuong; the Afor fashion group; Jetcor Yamaha; Beat Keller has reopened a shop in the industrial area of all places, but that is Beat for you; GT Lock & Key; Feed the Mob; Bohemian Bazaar; Loco Burrito Mexican takeaway in Todd Street; and Kafe Gonzo, a new caf in the Alice Springs cinema.
That is a list of businesses that have opened in less than the last 12 months. It has been extraordinary. We have seen expansions to the Lone Dingo; it has taken the shop next door and expanded its enterprise. Emu Run Tours has expanded its shop front in Todd Street, and Mixed Lollies has expanded its premises. Rocky’s Pizza has also expanded, with another outlet in Larapinta, whilst Uncles Tavern has expanded into the old Keller’s restaurant on Gregory Terrace. Central Comms has expanded into a new premises on Whittaker Street, and the Gap View Hotel has also expanded its premises; I think it is continuing to invest in the town. That does not include the brand new gym that has just opened, as well as a huge investment of more than $30m by the Alice Springs casino.
It is an incredible list of new businesses. Yes, some businesses have closed. Murray Neck Leading Edge Music closed, as, unfortunately, people do not buy CDs like they used to. I am not sure what you expect the government to do about that; it is the way of the world. All record bars and CD shops around the world are experiencing the same problem. Dymocks in Alice Plaza closed – Bev Ellis retired, for crying out loud. At Don Thomas’, Pam Hooper also retired; the store opened in, I think, 1935. Pam was not working there in 1935, but the place has been around for a long time, and she has been a great slave to that business for a number of years. She wanted to retire, it is as simple as that.
Businesses come and go, but the list I have demonstrates that many are still showing confidence in Alice Springs and in what this government is trying to deliver.
On 8 May the member for Karama also said:
- Nick and Sheila Hill. Like many other businesses though, as well as dealing with an economic downturn …
I have just dismissed this as a false argument.
- … they have had to cope with the rise in crime and antisocial behaviour. Recently Nick was attacked in his shop, highlighting the unacceptable situation with rising youth issues.
My sympathies go out to Nick and Sheila, but the facts do remain, which the Chief Minister articulated in his response to this statement, that latest crime statistics show total property offences, house break-ins, theft and property damage are at their lowest in the NT for 14 years.
These figures coincide with the last time the CLP was in government. The Giles Country Liberal government is tackling crime head on by targeting repeat property offences, and police have been given tools to prevent, detect and investigate crime. It is as simple as that. Unlawful entries in Alice Springs are at a four-year low.
Ms Walker interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: I am sorry, member for Nhulunbuy, but that is the way it is in Alice Springs. If you do not like it, I am sorry. I am not surprised you do not like it because we have been able to turn this around.
Ms Walker: Except what you have done to Nhulunbuy.
Mr CONLAN: This is a statement about Central Australia. I know you do not like Central Australia - none of you do - and you, member for Nhulunbuy, especially do not like it. In fact you never mentioned Central Australia, from memory, once in your four years in government, let alone visited the place. I understand why you are jumping up and down and feeling very miffed that I am not talking about Nhulunbuy.
This statement celebrates the government’s achievements in Central Australia, especially when it comes to law and order, an issue you guys dropped the ball on. You were bereft of any ideas, and Alice Springs suffered. In two short years, this government has been able to create a 14-year low in property damage, house break-ins and total property offences, as well as a four-year low in unlawful entries.
Wait and see what happens in the next two years. It is staggering to think about, with this momentum and these initiatives, the way we can turn this place around. Turning off the grog tap, Alcohol Protection Orders, alcohol mandatory treatment and temporary beat locations are results. We are seeing these on the ground because of the Giles Country Liberal government initiatives. Law and order is now off the agenda.
The member for Karama …
Ms Fyles: Your time is up, sit down.
Mr CONLAN: Oh, my time is up. Too bad; there is much more to say.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr GILES (Braitling): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
For the past three weeks, 110 military aircraft and more than 2300 personnel have been taking part in Exercise Pitch Black. It is a large-scale field training exercise involving the RAAF, the Australian Army and international participants from the United States, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, and, for the first time, the United Arab Emirates and French armed forces from New Caledonia.
We are fortunate that the Darwin and Tindal Air Force bases have facilities that allow them to host visiting aircraft. The air space surrounding Delamere and Bradshaw is among the world’s largest training areas, and its close proximity to our regional neighbours makes it easy and convenient for other air forces to use. Exercise Pitch Black is a critical part of training air combat personnel to develop and practice new strategies and tactics, and meet operational readiness requirements for the security of Australia.
The exercise is focused on the tactical execution of counter-offensive operations, interdiction and land counter operations. It also recognises the strong relationship that Australia has with other participating nations, and the high value placed on fostering closer ties throughout the Asia Pacific region.
The exercise includes an international planning group, with representatives from countries such as Japan, China and Malaysia, taking the total number of countries involved in the exercise to 23. It is a truly international event which gives us a good indication of the Northern Territory’s future role in supporting defence.
The Northern Territory has grown to become an important strategic hub for Australia, and the Defence presence here is growing all the time. The Northern Territory has just 1% of Australia’s population, but almost 10% of its permanent Defence personnel. That is more than 6500 Defence personnel in total. Add Defence families to the equation, and we estimate that Defence makes up more than 6% of the Northern Territory’s population. That is a significant part of our society and local economy.
Defence is one of the biggest contributors to the local economy after gas and mining, with Exercise Pitch Black expected to inject more than $25m into the Northern Territory economy alone. In total, the Australian Defence Force spends over $1.4bn in the Northern Territory each year, and that has been growing by an average of 11% per year over the past decade.
We expect increased operations at Tindal and a squadron of the new Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to be based in the Top End. New Rheinmetall MAN heavy vehicles will begin arriving in Australia in 2016, with many destined for Darwin, creating new opportunities for business to service and support those vehicles.
New wharf facilities for HMAS Coonawarra are currently under consideration by Defence. The United States Marines’ presence is also increasing in the Top End, with 1150 marines and four heavy lift helicopters currently on rotation through Darwin. The new Force Posture Agreement with the United States sets out a legal framework for those numbers to grow to a full Marine Air-Ground Task Force of 2500 personnel into the future.
Our growing role as a defence training area for the greater Asia Pacific region is an important component of our greater plan to develop the north and attract new business to the Territory. This government’s position is that the marines should utilise local industry to support the marine rotational force in Darwin wherever practical and possible, including the supply of rations and the warehousing and maintenance of equipment.
We recognise the contribution Defence personnel and their families make to our local community, and the Northern Territory government is committed to supporting those families and the Defence community. I thank the participants of Exercise Pitch Black for their contribution to the Territory, as well as our international contingent for allowing their aircraft and personnel to take part in an open day at Darwin airport last week. Territorians love to get up close and personal to the aircraft, rather than watching them from the road, and it was a great chance for people to see different aircraft from all over the world.
We expect the number of international training exercises to increase in the Northern Territory over the coming years, as Australia builds its defence ties in the Asia Pacific region and beyond. Our large training areas and strategic position in the region make the Territory an ideal location for joint exercises with the world’s army, navy and air forces. That is good news for Australia and the Territory.
I also wish to congratulate the YMCA for staging a very successful youth parliament and leadership camp, held here during the July school holidays.
The camp brought together a group of young people from across the Territory, who spent two weeks debating six bills and two matters of public importance in the Chamber, as well as holding two spirited Question Times. The participants, who ranged from 14 to 24 years old, were from a diverse group of geographical areas, including Darwin, Palmerston, Tennant Creek, Galiwinku and Kununurra. Almost half of the group was Indigenous, and three were former African refugees referred to the program through the Melaleuca Refugee Centre.
The ingenuity of the group was remarkable, and they created several new portfolios that we should perhaps consider for ourselves. Andrew O’Keefe held the portfolio of the minister for common sense; I should point out he was also the Deputy Chief Minister. There was the minister for wisdom, Cindy Um, the shadow minister for common sense and marriage, Tarazita Johnston, and the shadow minister for online protection Domino Bidwee, among them. This was all cast under the watchful eye of Speaker Dion Dodd and several YMCA volunteers.
The participants agreed on bills and MPI topics, and then researched their debating positions in the NT library. The two matters of public importance discussed were the cost of living in the NT, driven up highly by the former Labor government, and free education for all young people. Six bills were debated: the Reduce Substance Misuse and Abuse Bill; the Harsher Penalties for Cyber Bullying Bill; a Media and Communication Standards Review Bill; a Sex Education in Schools Bill; the Mental Health Early Intervention and Prevention Bill; and a Parental Licencing and Regulation Bill. All six bills went to the committee stage, where participants made a number of amendments to each one. Five of the bills were passed with bipartisan support; only the parental licence bill, a private member’s bill from the opposition, was narrowly defeated in division.
The young people came to the House with varying amounts of experience in public speaking in youth parliaments. Many of them came with no experience at all. It was clear that by the end of the second sitting day all participants had developed and improved their speaking and debating skills considerably. It is people like this group who will be the leaders of tomorrow, and I was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm and wit they brought to this House.
I sat in the gallery and watched much of the debate. I have already mentioned some of the participants, but I would also like to thank Sarah Edgington, Tyaan Tuckey, Shania Holt, Jack Callaghan, Anthony Gaykamangu, Zelda Dhamarrandji, Euphraise Camille and Joyce Hakim, who occupied this side of the House, and Rebekah Hallett, Laurence Jinyola, Jermaine Campbell, Jessica Burrarrwanga and Siobhan Tonks, who took on the role of opposition.
If these young people become our future members of parliament, I suspect the Territory will be in extremely good hands.
Thank you to members who were involved and who addressed the participants: Deputy Speaker Gary Higgins; the Minister for Young Territorians, Peter Styles; and, of course, minister Elferink.
Thank you also to those members who came to watch part of the proceedings. I also thank the Manager of Parliamentary Education Services, Karen Parker, who does a tremendous job in Parliament House; Director of Procedural Support and Education Services, Ben Harris; and 2014 YMCA Youth Parliament Program Coordinator Gemma Benn.
Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you to you and Madam Speaker for making the House available for this very important educational event. Involving young people in this process can only make this parliament stronger and improve the future of the Territory through a democratic framework.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Mr Deputy Speaker, I will talk about two recent areas of activity in my electorate. Firstly, I compliment and congratulate those involved with the Northern Territory Polocrosse Association for being the host jurisdiction for the recent national championships, held from 7 to 13 July.
Many people would not realise, but polocrosse was developed in Australia in 1938 by Australians, Mr and Mrs Hirst of Sydney. It was inspired by an indoor exercise from England which used old polo sticks with squash racquet heads, and a shallow string net to replace the mallet on the end of a stick. Polocrosse is a combination of polo, which is a very English game, lacrosse, which I used to play and which is a good game, and netball. It is played on horseback, with each rider using a cane stick made up of a polo stick shaft attached to a squash racquet head, complete with a loose twisted thread net which carries the ball. It has come a long way since 1938.
From the outset, it was intended to be a game which allowed the inexpensive enjoyment of one’s horse. There is still the rule today of one horse, one player, and the playing of alternative chukkas so a horse can rest while another takes the field.
A team of six could travel in one cattle truck in those days. Petrol was rationed, and people did not travel far as the game progressed in 1945. Trains and single floats were also a popular way to transport horses to carnivals during the early days. The first official polocrosse club was formed in Ingleburn, New South Wales in 1939, with the second club at Burradoo formed in 1946. The first interclub competition was held in that year.
The game quickly spread because of its popularity. It combines not only robust activity of an athletic nature, but also horses, which are very popular around the country. Today there are over 250 clubs throughout Australia. The game is now played across the globe in New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, USA, Canada, England, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Uruguay, Vanuatu and Argentina.
We were fortunate in the Northern Territory to host the national championships in July. The last time the championships were here was about 10 years ago. Paul Myburgh, who is the President of the NT Polocrosse Association, and his organising team did a wonderful job hosting the championships. I compliment and congratulate the Northern Territory organisation and the team, which included Brenton Ascoli; Norm Woo; Shae Cooper; Rob Wait; Paul Myburgh, the president; Vicki Mayne; Travis McMahon; John Piening and Leanne Piening.
I went to watch championship games over the week. I thought I knew a little about polocrosse, but after watching the national titles I learned much more. I learned that at national level it is an incredibly fast, hard and very robust game. Without a doubt, Australians are at the top of the game. The national team has been selected – I do not know who is in it – to play in South Africa.
I congratulate the organising committee. They pulled the national championships together in a very short period of time, and it was a wonderful event held at Freds Pass. Not only were there approximately 400 to 500 horses that came to Darwin from around Australia, but there was upwards of 1000, if not 1500, people as well. It was not only competitors, but their families and friends, vets and all sorts of people in support crews.
It was a 40th year milestone in the Territory; much hard work was put in to hold this prestigious event. The Northern Territory government sponsored the event quite substantially; rightly so, given the contribution it made not only to the community and the sport, but also the economy. I am not sure how much a horse eats per day, but the organisers and businesses that provide fodder and feed for horses had to stockpile months in advance to make sure they had enough in stock.
I congratulate all Territory teams. We did not make the finals, but we certainly played some very strong matches. We had under-12s exhibition, under-21 and masters mixed teams. The coach was sometimes also a player.
I want to put the Northern Territory teams – who played and who coached them – on the record because it was a very enjoyable week. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we might have some good news about hosting another major polocrosse event in the near future.
There was the Northern Territory under-12s exhibition team, coached by Marg Walkin and managed by Fiona Webster. In that team – these players were under-12s, sometimes on a horse of 16 hands. We had Abby Finlayson, Tallara Forbes, Tyla Maguire, Sharia Piening, Angus Knight, Clancy Martin and Billy May.
We had the under-21 men’s team, which was coached by Noel Hassall and managed by Gianna Douglas. There was Isaak Bradford, who I have known, as well as his family, for a while. He is a lovely young man who went to Taminmin College. Also in the team was Jake Burgdorf, Rupet Trembath, captain Ben Hart, Joseph Hazelbane Jr, John Piening and Gary Trembath.
The under-21 women’s team was coached by Wayne Taylor and, again, managed by Margaret Walkin. Players were Nadine Parsons; Simone Connolly; captain Georgina Davies; Chelsea Golder; Rosie Stewart-Boon; Jesse-Lee Taylor, who is Wayne Taylor’s daughter; and Lorin Ascoli. They played exceptionally well, as did the under-21 men’s team.
The Northern Territory mixed open team was coached by Matt Deveraux and managed by Karen Were. Players were Michelle Angel; Rebecca Ascoli; Cathy Clarke; Elsie Hassall; Daniel Clark; Grant Clarke; Benjamin Guest; and Robert Wait.
The Northern Territory senior men’s team, which many people went to the competition to watch, was coached by Ray Cook and managed by Grant Hamilton. The team was captain Steven Boulton, Sam Cook, Zac Gleeson, Gerard Maley, his brother Peter Maley, Stephen Nolan, and Larry Phillips. I watched some of the senior men’s games, along with the women’s matches. I did not always get to see the under-21s. There is no way I would get on a horse the size of some of those at the event.
I watched the Northern Territory men play the Western Australia team, and I have never seen such big men and horses. When they did, unfortunately, come off a horse, they are so well disciplined to roll into a little ball so the horse does not trample them. Miraculously they would get up, hop back on the horse and return to play.
There was a Northern Territory masters mixed team, which was managed by Leanne Piening and coached by Allan McGill. Allan McGill also had to play in that team because someone was unable to compete. One player was Vicki Mayne, who was one of the main organisers, so not only was she running around the grounds sorting things out, she was also playing - a terrific person and a good advocate for the sport. Other players on the team were Donna Simms, Suzannah Smith, Isabel Stewart, captain Brett Pen-Dennis, Greg Thompson and Peter Trembath.
The national championships were wonderful, and I wish them well. The Darwin competition is still going; it is on this weekend and next weekend. If people want to see a fast and furious sport, I recommend they go to the back fields at Freds Pass Reserve. You will have a lovely time, and they are more than welcoming.
I enjoyed watching the competition, and I have learned a lot, not only about the comradeship but also about the rules, which I did not fully understand before. However, I understood the nationals. They bring in many competition people, such as coaches, adjudicators, referees and the national people were also there; they spoke highly of the organisation of the competition. I think the expression is ‘to punch well above your weight’, and we certainly did that by hosting the Australian national championships.
Ms MANISON (Wanguri): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to ask the government more important questions about when it will allow more scrutiny of the Power and Water Corporation and the new government owned corporations.
During estimates in June we were unable to ask questions about government owned corporations, which is usually part of the process. Given the size of Power and Water, the new government owned corporations and the impact power, water and sewerage costs have on every Territorian, it is important that we get to ask questions about their finances, the cost to Territorians and their operations.
The government, through the Treasurer and shareholding minister, gave some firm commitments about when we would be able to scrutinise the Power and Water Corporation, Jacana Energy and Territory Generation. The Treasurer said the statement of corporate intent would not be ready until these sittings, due to structural separation. The government rammed through structural separation and needed more time to prepare the statements. Territorians were reassured that the Estimates Committee process for government owned corporations would happen this month. I remind the Treasurer about the commitments he has given to parliament.
On 15 May, during debate on the motion to establish the Estimates Committee, he said:
- With regard to the Power and Water Corporation, the issue is in relation to the Statement of Corporate Intent. It has not been done yet and Power and Water is currently going through a transition period. It is right in the middle of the structural separation and, for that reason, we have asked for that part of the estimates process to happen in August.
He went on to say:
- We are doing the right thing, are proud of it and keen to, in any forum, bang the drum and explain to Territorians – particularly parliamentarians – what is going on with the Power and Water Corporation and answer any questions the Public Accounts Committee or Estimates Committee have in relation to Power and Water.
Can the shareholding and Essential Services ministers confirm that the statements of corporate intent will be tabled during these sittings? Why has the government failed to set dates for estimates around the Power and Water Corporation, Jacana Energy and Territory Generation?
There have been some firm commitments made around this process, and now the government has gone silent. Why is that? Why is it avoiding scrutiny of the operations of the government owned corporations and the impacts of structural separation? Are you hiding the real cost of the split of Power and Water from Territorians? Is it because during Public Accounts Committee public hearings it was made very clear that the estimates of the cost of separation were based on best case scenarios at the time, would be re-examined post-separation and that they were grossly underestimated?
It makes sense that the split of the Power and Water Corporation to create these three new government owned corporations would only drive up the operational cost by replicating existing functions around the three entities. A clear example could be found in the jobs section of last Saturday’s NT News.
Jacana Energy, the new energy retailer and former retail section of Power and Water, advertised four executive positions. There are jobs as a company secretary/general counsel – $195 000 a year; an executive manager, sales and strategy – $213 000 a year; a corporate services manager – $185 000 a year; and an executive manager, transitional services – $195 000 a year. That equates to almost $800 000 worth of new jobs alone for one of the government owned corporations.
These costs are just the tip of the iceberg of a broader range of expenditure that will hit taxpayers due to the split of the Power and Water Corporation, in addition to the millions of dollars already spent on consultants.
Other examples of costs include the splitting of service contracts; separate billing systems; splitting legal instruments; new IT systems; the replication of back office functions; and new accounting systems. Let us not forget the shiny new rebranding and massive advertising campaign that we have seen on TV, heard on radio and read in the newspapers, explaining to people what Jacana Energy and Territory Generation are, and how on earth people can go about paying their power and water bill. There has been a massive spend.
When will we get a chance to scrutinise the government’s split of Power and Water, or are you trying to hide the real cost from Territorians? Why are you avoiding scrutiny, and when will you commit to allowing parliament to appropriately scrutinise the split of Power and Water?
Territorians are aware that this agenda has been about the privatisation of Power and Water. You rammed this split through with no evidence to show any cost benefits to Territorians. They have already suffered enough at the hands of your government’s brutal power and water price increases.
Territorians expect the split and performance of the Power and Water Corporation, Jacana Energy and Territory Generation to be scrutinised by this parliament. When will we have that opportunity? Will the government continue to dodge, duck and weave to avoid scrutiny, so it can continue to leave Territorians in the dark about their vital power, water and sewerage services? Thank you.
Ms FYLES (Nightcliff): Mr Deputy Speaker, as shadow minister for the arts, I will talk about some important events and happenings within the Northern Territory arts industry. As we all know, it is a very important time, and I have been engaging with the local arts community.
I have been hugely impressed with the work of our local artists and art organisations, which has been contributing immeasurably to the cultural fabric of the Northern Territory. This contribution is essential to the Northern Territory’s social and economic future – in particular our tourism sector – but it is also a huge part of our lifestyle.
This year the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory Act has been introduced. Labor was looking into this kind of reform when in government, and this legislation was supported by my colleagues and me. However, I will be watching with interest to see how this new act works in practical terms, and whether it has positive or negative effects on facilities under the purview of MAGNT.
I recently visited the Frogshollow Centre for the Arts on Wood Street. Many organisations are based there, and I was extremely impressed with the work they are doing. Artback NT, ANKAAA, Tracks Dance, the Darwin Festival, the NT Writers’ Centre and the Darwin Visual Arts Association all do superb work with local artists in Darwin and remote areas.
At the centre I was told about different programs, and I was presented with a map showing all the communities that organisations have visited, and where they have run programs. It was very interesting and opened my eyes. I was given a road safety CD, which contains different ways of delivering messages to people through artistic and musical expression. My four-year old is quite taken with the CD, and it plays constantly in my car.
Meeting these local arts organisations revealed more than just the talent. There are funding concerns in the NT’s artistic community. Earlier this year the Minister for Arts and Museums confirmed that $1.3m would be cut from local arts organisations. However, we still do not know which organisations will be hit, and the arts community is extremely concerned as a result.
Many arts bodies rely almost solely on NT government funding – it is base funding – and what they do with it is amazing. They provide so many services and opportunities, and it would be extremely disappointing to see any of these groups have to stop their great work as a result of funding cuts. The Top End arts community and I would be appreciative if the minister could outline which arts bodies will lose money, and how much funding they will lose.
It has not gone unnoticed by the community that in the same breath as announcing these cuts, the Country Liberals announced $300 000 of increased funding for the Darwin Festival’s Asian engagement program, as part of the Festivals NT initiative. Whilst this is important, people are concerned; we must provide as much funding as possible to our biggest artistic event, but it should not be at the expense of our locally-staffed, locally-funded and locally-based arts organisations. Without these groups larger events such as the Darwin Festival would not be possible.
Part of the Darwin Festival’s strength is that it involves locally-based, talented artists who have the opportunity to perform. We want to ensure that in future years the festival still has that locally-based content. It is a great festival in beautiful weather at that time of year, but if it was all interstate and international acts – it is important that we strengthen and grow our local arts community. We need to allow people the opportunity to explore their talents and present them to the community.
The Darwin Festival is in full swing, and artists from the Territory, interstate and overseas have all made a significant contribution. I congratulate artistic director Edwina Lunn and her team for their efforts in putting together yet another sensational program and festival. I have thoroughly enjoyed heading to Festival Park with my kids for some dinner and a show; it is beautiful. I notice photos on Facebook every night taken by friends and family loving the festival and its atmosphere.
Darwin Festival has international acts like the Dynamic Duo and the Vietnamese Water Puppets, to local performers such as the Choir of Man and Gurrumul. The festival has also included some big name Australian acts like Tina Arena, Dan Sultan and Adalita. To its credit, the festival has become a huge event, drawing high-profile artists each year.
My favourite event has to be the wonderful Teddy Bears’ Picnic, which I attended a couple of Sundays ago. There were so many families there; it was based around children, but there were also great art activities, dancing and music. My two-year-old had a great time, as did many Territory families.
It is great that the festival brings together a huge range of events. It is important that we ensure funding to locally-based arts organisations, so that can continue for years to come.
The Darwin Fringe Festival has also returned this year, taking place from 17 July to 10 August. Shows included Robbie Mills and Green Stone Garden, as well as comedy performances. It had a local feel, with events held at Happy Yess, Browns Mart and the Darwin Railway Club, as well as other locations around Darwin.
I am continually impressed with the work of our amazing arts community. It contributes immeasurably to the cultural fabric of the Northern Territory, but it is concerned that CLP government funding cuts could spell the end for some of our local groups. It is a genuine concern in our community. I hope the minister and CLP government see the light on this issue, and reconsider these funding cuts. I would like them to explain the cuts to the House, because the arts community is most concerned.
On 1 July our local police station was closed permanently, devastating my community of Nightcliff, Rapid Creek and Coconut Grove. Soon after coming to government in 2012 the CLP removed the police beat from Nightcliff. It was an active patrol, based within our community, and it worked with retailers, community stakeholders and residents.
We have seen an increase in antisocial behaviour incidents. As part of the budget, the Chief Minister announced that the Nightcliff police station would be closed, which is absurd. The CLP promised a 24/7 police station, yet it has given the exact opposite to our community. People are very upset by the CLP taking away the police beat and closing our police station.
Antisocial behaviour and crime are issues every day in our community. My office is based at the Nightcliff shopping village, where the markets are held. There are incidents there day in and day out, and we often have to call police. Nightcliff will always be a hot spot. We are close to the airport, and the hospital, and we have the foreshore area and high-density living. It attracts issues, so removing a police station is not the right thing to do.
Since the CLP won government we have seen assault cases rise by 12.5%, domestic violence incidents have increased by 33.5% and alcohol-related violence cases have increased by 18%. This represents a broken promise, after the CLP said it would reduce crime by 10%, as well as have a 24/7 police station in Nightcliff.
I have written to the Chief Minister, advising him that it is the wrong decision. Our community is upset. I have been busy doorknocking in this lovely weather, and we have a petition circulating around all the shops. I am regularly at Nightcliff Woolworths collecting signatures; I will continue to do this because it is something my community has asked me to campaign for. It is bizarre that the police station has closed, yet a mobile station has arrived. That is causing some curiosity.
The community wants the BDR back, as people felt it was a tool to help deal with alcohol-based issues. They feel that it was not an inconvenience; it was a tool that helped police and the Night Patrol service, for which you also cut funding. We need these tools in our community. People are experiencing antisocial behaviour, such as signs being kicked over outside their shops and windows being broken. However, they are also experiencing violent incidents next to the children’s playground. That is something I will continue to talk about.
The Chief Minister needs to put political gain aside and put in place effective policies; the police station in our community should be reopened.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Mr Deputy Speaker, I place on the record my serious concerns about the CLP’s blatant political involvement in the decision-making processes of school councils, particularly Nhulunbuy High School council. At the last Nhulunbuy High School council meeting I attended on Tuesday 13 August, council members discussed an agenda item about a nomination being sought for an education representative on the newly-formed Gove transition task force, to which the Northern Territory government supplies the secretariat.
The first meeting of the task force was held the night before on Monday 12 August. The Gove transition task force is the new and expanded body, replacing the Gove task force created last year. Membership encompasses Northern Territory and Australian government public servants, a traditional owner representative, a Northern Land Council representative, Rio Tinto and, importantly, two local people elected from the Gove Community Advisory Committee.
I was also a member of the Gove Community Advisory Committee, and still am. Even though this community reference group is experiencing some changes, it will continue to be an important advocate group at a grassroots level.
Nhulunbuy High School Council members were invited to consider if they wished to nominate someone for the Gove transition task force to represent the interests of local education, given that a representative had not been found through the Nhulunbuy Primary School Council. I acknowledge the contribution that Nhulunbuy Primary School Council Secretary Paul Mery has made to the Gove Community Advisory Committee.
At the council meeting on 13 August we discussed what the Gove transition task force was about. People were asking me questions about it because they were not very familiar with the new proposal. As far as some were concerned it was a bit like moving the deckchairs on the Titanic, but council members were willing to nominate members to be part of this task force.
The principal of the high school was viewed as a good advocate, and I supported her nomination. She is a dedicated, professional educator, and the school community has the utmost admiration for her.
In the midst of discussion, one of the councillors asked me if I was interested in nominating. She pointed out that I am a schoolteacher, currently registered in the Northern Territory, I have two children at the high school and that I have lived in Nhulunbuy for almost 25 years. Further, council recognised that I was a local member in touch with schools across the electorate. It was thought that I could represent the education sector on the Gove transition task force.
I did not seek nomination and I did not lobby council members, but I was pleased to discover that I had the unanimous support and confidence of the entire council at Nhulunbuy High School to represent education interests on the new task force.
Having thanked council members, I assured them that I would do my very best to represent their interests on the task force, as well all local government schools in the Nhulunbuy electorate, and those schools – we have three – under the banner of the Northern Territory Christian Schools Association.
The CLP is not interested in engaging with me as the elected representative. It is only interested in attacking me, and this shows how desperate it is in the absence of any meaningful engagement with the Nhulunbuy community. But I did not expect it to sink so low as to step in and overturn the council’s democratic decision, made by its duly elected representatives, to say that the local member cannot have a seat on the Gove transition task force.
A message was left on my mobile phone on Monday night of this week at 8.39pm. Its tone was apologetic and uncomfortable, telling me that as an opposition member I could not be on the task force and could not represent Nhulunbuy High School or the education sector. Instead, two government-appointed officers from the Department of Education will be on the task force.
I bear no grudges against local hard-working public servants in Nhulunbuy, but it is entirely unacceptable that some poor bureaucrat – who I have known for several years – was tapped on the shoulder to pass a message down the conga line of political minders and spin doctors from the fifth floor. They were given the most uncomfortable task of having to telephone the local member, and member of all government school councils in the Nhulunbuy electorate, to say, ‘Sorry Lynne, even though you were unanimously supported by members of Nhulunbuy High School Council, you cannot have a seat on the Gove transition task force’.
It is shameful. It is a farce that the CLP can dictate to a school council who it can and cannot appoint to a task force.
To date, I have been unable to contact the chair of the high school council because she is on leave. I am not bothering members of the council; they can make these decisions themselves. This is how the CLP does business; it is how it governs. Its blatant political interference in the processes of Nhulunbuy High School Council - or any school council for that matter - are shameful. What faith can the people of Nhulunbuy and Territorians have in our schools and school councils going about their work and democratic processes with the shameless interference of the CLP government?
To say I am disgusted is an understatement.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016