2013-08-29
Madam Speaker Purick took the Chair at 10 am.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of Hon Neville Perkins, a previous member of the Legislative Assembly. On behalf of honourable members, welcome again, Mr Perkins.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence also in the gallery of Year 3, 4 and 5 students from Holy Family Catholic Primary School, accompanied by their teacher Racheal Joyce. On behalf of honourable members, welcome to Parliament House.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: I understand there is a special person in the Holy Family group called Zac.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Welcome, Zac Lawrie.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, with regard to Question Time yesterday, this week and last week, it has been robust, which is okay. However, standing orders are specifically there for a purpose: enforcement first and foremost, and guidance second. If you are using standing orders, please be specific how you use them. Standing Order 113 might relate to relevance, but you need to specify how it relates to relevance in regard to the minister answering the question.
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I table the 2012-13 Annual Report of the Public Accounts Committee.
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I move that the paper be printed.
Motion agreed to.
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the paper.
Prior to reviewing the work of the Public Accounts Committee in 2012-13, I would like to acknowledge the contribution of Hon Peter Styles MLA, Chair of the committee from the beginning of the Twelfth Assembly until discharged on his appointment to the ministry in March 2013. In particular, I acknowledge Peter’s excellent work in progressing the Darwin Correctional Precinct inquiry.
A key role of the Public Accounts Committee is to examine the expenditure of public money and to ensure government agencies are managed efficiently and effectively. This regular oversight of public expenditure is largely undertaken by considering the findings in the Auditor-General’s reports and following up on issues of particular concern.
Although the committee has followed up on a number of matters raised by the Auditor-General, the Department of Infrastructure’s Asset Management System and the Department of Health’s Grant Management System have been given more intensive consideration. The extensive delays and escalating costs associated with both these projects has had a considerable impact on government business and services.
Over the course of the year, the committee has held three public hearings in order to further explore the issues associated with these projects with the relevant agencies. This week, the committee held a further public hearing on the asset management system and is considering options for ensuring lessons are learnt from these projects.
On 5 December 2012, the committee accepted an inquiry referral from the Attorney-General regarding the public private partnership arrangements for the Darwin Correctional Precinct. This inquiry has been a major focus of the committee for much of the year, with the final report being tabled in May.
The committee found procurement and management of the Darwin Correctional Precinct largely conformed to the national PPP guidelines, and was satisfied PPP procurement offered the best value for money. However, the committee also found guidelines for public disclosure of the cost in contractual terms of the public private partnership projects were inadequate and, consequently, recommended ways in which this could be remedied.
Additional activities of the Public Accounts Committee included a briefing from the Auditor-General on the strategic review of the NT Auditor-General’s Office undertaken by Bentleys (SA) Pty Ltd, and the attendance of me, Mr Gerry Wood MLA, and the Clerk Assistant of Committees at the Australian Council of Public Accounts Committees Conference held in Sydney in May 2013. The conference was very informative and we were impressed with the substantial role committees play in many jurisdictions, particularly in relation to the legislative process, policy development, and scrutiny of government administration.
In this respect, the committee considers there is significant potential for the Northern Territory’s committee system to be expanded. An expanded committee system would facilitate a more thorough consideration of bills and provide greater opportunities to engage the community on some of the policy challenges facing the Northern Territory.
The outcomes documented in this annual report highlight the important role the Public Accounts Committee plays in monitoring government expenditure and in identifying strategies for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of government agencies.
Much thanks goes to the Auditor-General, Frank McGuiness, for the assistance he has provided to the committee. Frank regularly outlines to the committee the significant issues raised in his audits, and appears as a very helpful witness at most hearings the committee holds. His professional advice is invaluable to the work of the committee.
I thank the agencies involved for the assistance provided in clarifying issues of concern or interest to the committee. My thanks also go to committee members for their cooperative and bipartisan approach to the conduct of the committee’s activities, and to the secretariat staff for their support.
Madam Speaker, I seek leave to continue my remarks at a later date.
Leave granted.
Debate adjourned.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery, also the gallery on the ground floor, of Year 10 students from Casuarina Senior College. On behalf of honourable members, I extend a warm welcome to you. Welcome to Parliament House and I hope you enjoy your stay here.
Members: Hear, hear!
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The Northern Territory does not currently have legislation allowing a person to appoint a medical attorney. The Powers of Attorney Act is limited to financial and property matters. Issues of health and welfare decisions can only be dealt with by appointment of a guardian under the Adult Guardianship Act. No Territory legislation allows competent individuals to make future binding decisions about their health, or to appoint substitute decision-makers of their own choice in case they lose decision-making capacity in the future.
The Advance Personal Planning Bill 2013 will address these gaps in law. The bill is based on the consultation bill released for public comment in June 2013, with a range of improvements made as a result of this consultation.
The bill I am introducing today will provide Territorians with modern legislation for the making of advance health directives and appointing medical powers of attorney. It will bring the Northern Territory into line with all other jurisdictions in Australia, some of which have had similar legislation in place for 20 years.
This bill has been a long time coming and I am very proud to be introducing it today.
The underlying purpose of this bill is providing autonomy and comfort to people when it comes to decisions about their future. It will give people the ability to make their own decisions for their future healthcare and lifestyle arrangements.
Essentially, the bill will allow people to make documents commonly called living wills. With the increase in mortality rates, these days many people’s bodies are outlasting their brains. However, the bill is not just aimed at the older generation; it is there for all Territorians. For example, a young healthy man could receive a shock to the head in a sporting accident, robbing him of his decision-making ability.
The bill is about empowering a person to make their own decisions. If a person does not wish to make provision for their future and rely on the existing role of family, they do not have to do anything. However, if, for example, a person values quality of life over longevity or wishes to nominate a specific person to make decisions for them, Territorians will now have the ability to provide for their future.
The advance personal plan is the vehicle under the bill which allows a person with the relevant planning capacity to provide for that future. An advance personal plan can contain one or all of the three following elements:
advance consent decisions - commonly referred to as advance health directives
advance care statements
the appointment of one or more persons to make decisions for the person.
I will now go through each of these elements in more detail.
Advance consent decisions are legally binding documents for the making of decisions relating to future healthcare. For example, a person may make an advance consent decision refusing to have certain treatments such as blood transfusions, chemotherapy, radiation or antibiotics. An advance consent decision has the effect as if the person makes the decision at the time it is proposed to take the healthcare action. A person may make multiple advance consent decisions.
It should also be noted that advance consent decisions can be made in respect of a person by their appointed decision-maker or adult guardian. Such decisions can only be made where there is no inconsistency with an advance consent decision in an advance personal plan.
However, there are some limited circumstances when a court can order that a consent decision in an advance personal plan be disregarded, such as where the court determines there was no reasonable possibility the adult would have intended the consent decision to apply or it would cause the adult unacceptable pain and suffering.
There are a number of restricted matters under the bill decision-makers cannot make decisions about, including termination of pregnancy, sterilisation and the removal of non-regenerative tissue, for example, kidney donation. If it is considered necessary to take these actions, family or the decision-maker will need to seek a court order. These restrictions were inserted as a result of consultation with the community. It is accepted that these types of medical procedures are of such a serious and sensitive nature that a court order is appropriate.
Advance care statements are written statements containing the person’s views, wishes and beliefs as the basis on which he or she wants anyone to act if they make decisions for him or her in the future. Advance care statements may be made in relation to a range of matters including accommodation, day-to-day living matters (such as diet and dress), healthcare, relationships with other people, employment, education, banking, property ownership, management of assets, carrying on a trade or business, insurance or legal matters.
If an advance consent statement is made it must be followed by all decision-makers. If there are no decision-makers appointed, then the statement will simply apply as a general statement to the world, their carer and health providers as to how the person wishes to live their life.
The bill provides competent adults can appoint one or more decision-makers of their own choosing who they trust to make decisions for them when they have impaired decision-making capacity. A decision-maker can be any person who is 18 or more years of age, a licensed trustee company, the Public Trustee or the Public Guardian. When making a decision, a decision-maker must essentially stand in the shoes of the person and they must exercise their decision-making power in a way the person would have wanted. A decision of a decision-maker has the same legal effect as if it were a decision of the person themselves.
The bill sets out a number of decision-making principles which must be followed and which assist decision-makers in carrying out the wishes of the person. As mentioned above, a decision-maker must exercise their authority so as to give effect to any relevant advance care statement.
Decision-makers can be appointed based on any terms the person wants, including by way of appointment of alternate or serial decision-makers. For example, an adult may appoint his wife while she is alive, then his daughter on his wife’s death or incapacity. Alternatively, an adult who has a son who works away may appoint her son as a primary decision-maker and a friend as a secondary decision-maker when the son is unavailable.
A decision-maker can also be appointed generally or for specific matters. If appointed generally, a decision-maker could make all the healthcare, residential accommodation, personal and financial decisions the person could lawfully make if they had decision-making capacity. Alternatively, a person could appoint a decision-maker for only specific matters, for example, for end of life decisions.
It would also be possible under the bill to appoint different decision-makers for different matters. For example, a person may want to appoint one decision-maker for financial and legal matters, and another person for their health and lifestyle matters.
It should be noted there are a number of matters a decision-maker will always be excluded from making decisions on. These matters include the power to vote, consent to adoption, and to marry or divorce.
I will now go through some of the supporting provisions of the bill.
To make an advance personal plan, the bill requires an adult must have planning capacity. As a legal document, an adult completing the form must understand what an advance personal plan is, and the effect of it, and make the plan without coercion or other undue influence.
The plan must be witnessed by an authorised witness. In the original bill this was limited to persons appointed under the Oaths, Affidavits and Declarations Act, for example, a Justice of the Peace or Commissioners for Oaths. However, the concern was not all Territorians have easy access to such officers. The bill now provides for the prescribing of other persons as authorised witnesses, and it is intended to also prescribe other suitable persons such as medical practitioners and nurses.
The bill provides for the minister to approve the form of the advance personal plan. A person must use the approved form if it appoints a decision-maker with financial powers. Any other plans may be in the approved form or in writing in accordance with the prescribed requirements.
The public will be encouraged to use the forms, but the bill does allow the flexibility for people to prepare their own plans, including legibly handwritten plans. A range of comprehensive forms will be prepared and will be available online and from the department.
Although the bill provides for the establishment of a central register, registration will not be mandatory except where a decision-maker needs to deal with a land transfer. However, it is strongly recommended that adults who make an advance personal plan register it to ensure it is kept in a central place which will be easily located.
Having a central repository will also make it easier for healthcare professionals to access the most up-to-date plans and make them more willing to rely on them when providing medical treatment to the person.
The bill contains a clear description of what is decision-making capacity and what is not deemed impaired decision-making capacity. This definition is important as it is the basis on when an advance personal plan will be relied upon.
A decision-maker can only make decisions and an advance consent decision will only be relied on for a person where the person does not have decision-making capacity for the relevant matter.
The bill provides that decision-making capacity relates to the ability to understand information, weigh the information in order to make a decision and communicate thoughts about that in some way.
An adult is presumed to have decision-making capacity until the contrary is shown. The bill, however, accommodates temporary and fluctuating decision-making capacity. In particular it accommodates the needs of people with a dementia whose capacity to make decisions may fluctuate daily.
The bill will also accommodate situations where a person may have decision-making capacity for some matters, for example, their level of comfort and eating needs, but not others, for example complex financial and legal matters.
The Local Court will have the role of resolving disputes and uncertainties in relation to advance personal plans. The Local Court will have power to make a range of declarations, including whether an adult has impaired decision-making capacity for a matter, whether an advance personal plan is valid, whether a consent decision or advance care statement is applicable, the scope and authority of decision-makers, and any other matters relating to the validity, effect or meaning of an advance personal plan.
The Local Court has the power to make necessary orders in relation to decision-makers, amend or revoke advance personal plans, and hear urgent applications for consent decisions. Appeals from decisions of the Local Court are to be made to the Supreme Court.
The bill also provides enforcement and compliance provisions. A number of offences are created, including falsely representing to be a decision-maker, improperly inducing another to make an advance personal plan, improper exercise of authority by a decision-maker, and providing misleading information.
Concerns were raised by the health professions as to protections for medical providers if they rely on the contents of an advance personal plan to take healthcare action, including not taking healthcare action. Division 3 of Part 4 of the bill provides that protection. Healthcare providers, including nurses and paramedics, will be protected if they reasonably rely on a decision made in an advance consent decision or under a decision of a decision-maker if they do so reasonably. For example, if they rely on an advance consent decision that has been overridden by a court or subsequent document, but they reasonably believe the decision is still in effect, they will be protected. However, if a healthcare provider takes healthcare action for an adult knowing it is contrary to the advance consent decision then that healthcare provider’s conduct could possibly constitute unprofessional conduct.
It is recognised people now move across jurisdictions so much more easily than they did in the past. The Territory is also home to many people whose extended families live outside the Territory. It is essential any legislation that allows for the making of living wills will operate to recognise plans made in other Australian jurisdictions. If a person makes a valid living will or advance health directive under the Victorian legislation and later develops dementia and moves to the Territory to be cared for by relatives, it is important that the Victorian document should also be able to be relied upon.
To enable the legal recognition of similar interstate documents, the bill provides that a similar document made in another jurisdiction has effect in the Northern Territory as if it were an advance personal plan. However, a provision of an interstate document that could not be made in this jurisdiction, for example a provision requesting the administration of euthanasia or other unlawful healthcare, is void and has no effect.
It may also be possible to make an advance directive refusing medical treatment at common law, but the legal effect of such directives in the Northern Territory is unclear. The New South Wales Supreme Court decision in Hunter and New England Area Health Service v A (2009) 74 NSWLR 88 appears to the be the first occasion in which an Australian superior court has directly considered the effect of an advance directive at common law. In this case, Justice McDougall determined that the common law allows a competent adult to make an advance directive refusing life-sustaining medical treatment.
The position adopted elsewhere is the legislation does not affect documents that lawfully operate in accordance with common law principles outlined in the decision in Hunter. Similarly, the bill recognises advance personal plans, for example, advance consent decisions, made under the common law and will continue to recognise them. The effect of preserving the common law also means many documents will be valid despite not complying with the technical requirements of the Northern Territory legislation.
Specifically in respect to property and financial affairs, the bill covers areas covered by enduring powers of attorney under the Powers of Attorney Act. In a subsequent bill dealing with consequential and transitional provisions, it is proposed the ability to make an enduring power of attorney under the Powers of Attorneys Act will be closed off and such documents made through advance personal plans in the future.
The bill will also affect a number of other acts including the Adult Guardianship Act, Aged and Infirmed Persons’ Property Act, Emergency Medical Operations Act, the Mental Health and Related Services Act, Disability Services Act, Public Trustee Act, and a consequential amendment bill will be prepared for introduction in October 2013.
This important bill was developed after a comprehensive consultation process. The Department of the Attorney-General and Justice released an issues paper and consultation draft of the bill in June 2013. During the consultation period, departmental staff conducted a number of public presentations and consultation sessions in Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, and Gove on the consultation draft. As Attorney-General, I attended sessions in Darwin, Palmerston, and a further session in Alice Springs. In particular, I thank the Council of the Ageing and Alzheimer’s Australia for hosting the advance personal planning workshop in Darwin.
There were 12 formals submissions received and a number of comments provided at the public presentations. Almost all of the written submissions were supportive of the consultation bill and acknowledged the need to legislate in this area. I recognise the valuable input received from the health profession, the aged care and community sector, and the public generally. I thank everyone for their submissions and comments on this bill and believe we have a much better product as a result of their contributions. I also thank the department for their hard work and effort in preparing this bill.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
MISUSE OF DRUGS AMENDMENT (METHAMPHETAMINE) BILL
(Serial 42)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The Misuse of Drugs Act criminalises the manufacture of, the possession of, and the supply of a number of drugs of dependence, synthetic drug chemicals, precursor chemicals and other illegal substances such as steroids, stimulants, and a number of pain killers. These substances are collectively referred to in the act as ‘dangerous drugs’.
The dangerous drugs to which the offence provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act apply are prescribed in Schedules 1 and 2 of the act. Columns 2 and 3 of the schedules prescribe the traffickable and commercial quantities for each individual substance.
The maximum penalties for offences involving dangerous drugs are dependent on the schedule the drugs are prescribe in. The maximum penalties for Schedule 1 drugs are the highest available in the Misuse of Drugs Act, and all maximum penalties for offences involving Schedule 2 drugs are lower and, in some instances appreciably lower, than the corresponding penalties for a Schedule 1 dangerous drug. Currently, Schedule 1 dangerous drugs include cocaine, heroin, and lysergic acid (commonly referred to as LSD). Methamphetamine is currently prescribed as a Schedule 2 dangerous drug.
The Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction in Australia where the highest available maximum penalties for the supply and manufacture of a dangerous drug do not apply to offences involving methamphetamine. Offences involving methamphetamine have the same maximum penalties as those penalties for heroin and cocaine offences in all jurisdictions in Australia except the Northern Territory.
Methamphetamine is an insidious drug, highly addictive, and its use results in the well-documented adverse physical and mental health outcomes for users. The manufacture of methamphetamine is also dangerous due to the cocktail of volatile chemicals required to cook the drug.
Currently, methamphetamine has a far greater negative impact on society than heroin or cocaine, and its use is escalating in the Northern Territory. This is being fuelled by increased manufacture and supply, led by criminal syndicates.
Organised crime groups are focusing on the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine rather than heroin and cocaine, given how profitable methamphetamine is to supply and how comparatively simply it is to cook or manufacture.
In the Northern Territory methamphetamine is sold for $1000 to $1800 a gram, which equates to $1m to $1.8m a kilogram. It is therefore essential that people who seek to profit from the manufacture and supply of this drug face the highest penalties available under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
The bill prescribes methamphetamine with a trafficable quantity of 2 g and a commercial quantity of 40 g in Schedule 1 of the act. To avoid duplication, methamphetamine and the references to methamphetamine and levomethamphetamine will be omitted from Schedule 2 of the act. As a result of the bill, the maximum penalties available for all offences involving methamphetamine will increase.
The primary targets of this bill are persons who manufacture and/or supply methamphetamine and persons found in possession of ‘commercial’ quantities of the drug. The maximum penalties for offences involving the manufacture, supply and the commercial possession of Schedule 1 drugs are appreciably higher than the corresponding Schedule 2 maximum penalties.
For example, as a result of this bill:
the maximum penalty for the commercial possession of methamphetamine will increase from 14 years imprisonment to 25 years imprisonment
the maximum penalty for supplying methamphetamine will increase from five years imprisonment to 14 years imprisonment. The offence of supply to a child will increase from 14 years imprisonment to life imprisonment
the maximum penalty for commercial supply of methamphetamine will increase from 14 years imprisonment to 25 years imprisonment. The offence of commercial supply to a child will increase from 25 years imprisonment to life imprisonment
the maximum penalty for non-commercial manufacture will increase from seven years imprisonment to 25 years imprisonment
the maximum penalty for commercial manufacture will increase from 25 years imprisonment to life imprisonment.
Clause 4 of this bill contains detailed transitional provisions. In summary, this clause clarifies the following matters:
1. Schedules 1 and 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, as in force prior to the commencement of this bill, will continue to apply to offences committed prior to the commencement of this bill.
2. Schedules 1 and 2 as amended by this bill, will only apply to offences committed, in their entirety, after the commencement of this bill.
3. Where a charge alleges a course of conduct occurred both before and after the commencement of this bill, such as a between dates charge of drug manufacturing, the offence, for the purpose of determining what maximum penalty applies, is deemed to have been committed prior to commencement of this bill.
This government is firmly of the view that prescribing methamphetamine in Schedule 2 does not provide a sufficient deterrent for commercial enterprises manufacturing and supplying this drug and may result in the Northern Territory becoming perceived as a haven for methamphetamine drug manufacturing and supply.
This bill will ensure maximum penalties for methamphetamine offences in the Northern Territory are consistent with those prescribed in all other jurisdictions in Australia. It will assist in ensuring the Northern Territory does not become a target for organised crime or a centre for methamphetamine possession, supply or manufacture.
Madam Speaker, I commend this bill to the honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that pursuant to Standing Order 301, the Assembly resolves to express its congratulations to their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their son, His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, and send a message of congratulations to Her Majesty the Queen through Her Honour the Administrator.
Members would be aware of this eagerly awaited birth due to the hundreds of media outlets sitting for weeks in expectation outside the hospital and conveying every nuance to millions of well-wishers around the world. Through media hype, anticipation was heightened and interest in the Royal birth was sparked in all corners of the globe.
The birth represents not only the birth of a future king, but the dawn of a new era for the Royal Family. I am sure it augers well for this child that there is so much normalcy surrounding his birth, notwithstanding the enormous historical and ceremonial precedents which attend on such a moment. The new dad proudly showed his son to the world and demonstrated his care and respect for his wife after having strapped his new baby into the approved safety capsule to drive them both home. This scene is repeated throughout the world many times every day.
We all know, however, that life for this small passenger will be vastly different from those of his twins born around the world. Prince George is the only child of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. He is the only grandchild of Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. He is the third in line to succeed his great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, after his grandfather and father. Interestingly, this House will shortly pass legislation about changes to succession to the Crown which abandons some ancient protocols regarding gender and religion.
There is a strong connection between the Royal Family and the Northern Territory, with numerous Royal visits over the years. Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1963 and not just Darwin, but Katherine and Alice Springs, where she toured the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia base - I have now had the privilege of meeting Her Majesty on three occasions in the Northern Territory. This trip was on the occasion of the Canberra Jubilee and celebrations were commemorated on the 50th anniversary of the naming of the capital. Prince Charles has been a frequent visitor to Australia and attended school at Timbertop. His son, Harry, has also worked in Australia as a jackeroo.
Alice Springs gained some worldwide notoriety when it was discovered a number of attendees at a function for the Royal visit by Prince Charles fell ill due to food poisoning. The culprit apparently had been a seafood dish which the Prince enjoyed a good share of. So popular was it the authorities were unable to obtain even a small sample as it was totally devoured. It was never divulged if the Prince suffered any effects, although Darwin’s then Mayor, Dr Ella Stack, fulsomely described the effects of the dish in colourful medical jargon.
Prince Charles’ love for Australia and Alice Springs remains as intact as when he visited with his new wife. This visit, in 1983, with his 21-year old wife, Princess Diana, caused the greatest sensation for Territorians as they were accompanied by their first son, a young Prince William.
Further demonstrating our affection for the Royal Family, we now have a Royal crocodile at Crocosaurus Cove. Upon the announcement of Prince George’s arrival, the Chief Minister, Adam Giles, gave a unique Territory gift to the Prince of Cambridge, his very own crocodile, Crocodile George. With this official gift was also the invitation to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to bring their son to visit the Northern Territory and see his crocodile. The Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who met George and even kissed him, has solemnly undertaken to deliver this invitation in person.
As a parent, I know raising a child is one of the toughest but most rewarding jobs anyone can have. This will be made all the more difficult with the eyes of the world upon them. However, what I have seen and heard of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is that they are well-prepared and dedicated to raising their son in an environment that is as normal as possible. With Prince William capable of flying rescue helicopters, I am sure he can operate a baby capsule and change a nappy or two. Undoubtedly, they will still be adjusting to their new lives as parents with all the attendant responsibilities and sleepless nights a new baby brings.
I, like many Territorians, look forward to seeing Prince George grow into a fine young man, just as his father, Prince William, and his uncle, Prince Harry, have done. There is an inevitability that Prince George will one day be known as King George VII, and today, with this motion, we join with leaders across the Commonwealth in congratulating the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Madam Speaker, I commend this motion to the House and am certain all members of this House will share their best wishes and pass on their congratulations to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Territory Labor opposition and all members on this side, I support this motion and congratulate the proud parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton, on registering the birth of their first born son, Prince George, on 22 July. Prince George holds the official title His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. Not only does the Territory Labor opposition support this motion and offer kind words and congratulations, it also comes from constituents across the Northern Territory.
I remember my wife taking great delight in this story, following the story, and reporting to me that it was important in the electorate and the Northern Territory.
I ask the parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton, to consider a visit to Tennant Creek. We would love to meet the parents and to meet Prince George. Queen Elizabeth II herself came to Tennant Creek. It was a famous visit and the locals still talk about it.
The story was told by the first Mayor of Tennant Creek, the late Alf Chittock, who took great delight in telling how the Queen landed at Tennant Creek Airport and was greeted by an official party of administrators of the town and invited guests. The Queen took great interest in the people of Tennant Creek and the region, was particularly interested in gold mining in the area, and showed a very special interest in Nobles Knob, which was under the Corporation of Australian Development Ltd and held the title of the richest gold mine in Australia at that time. The Queen was particularly interested in gentleman Jack Noble who discovered that deposit. It is a great pioneering story.
It was not long after, in Tennant Creek terms, but a number of decades later, that Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited Tennant Creek. Once again, the town turned out in its finery to not only welcome Prince Charles and Princess Diana, but also to make them feel welcome and to continue providing the important information Queen Elizabeth was interested in: the nature of the gold and copper mining industry and, particularly, how Nobles Knob was progressing. That was a very direct link.
Legend has it that our first mayor, the late Alf Chittock, met the Queen again at Buckingham Palace. The Queen remembered our first mayor and asked him about Tennant Creek, the people of Tennant Creek, and the mining industry and that fascinating part of the Northern Territory.
Here we are celebrating the birth of Prince George. We acknowledge and congratulate the government on the gift of a crocodile because it represents a Territory icon. I am sure Prince George, when he is older and learns he has a pet crocodile in the Northern Territory, will be interested to meet him.
We know the life span of estuarine crocodiles, so the Prince has a great opportunity in his lifetime to meet the crocodile presented to him as a gift. I encourage his parents to visit Tennant Creek and keep that Royal Family tradition alive. The people of Tennant Creek and the Barkly, I am sure, would be honoured and excited to receive guests from the Royal Family, particularly the new prince and his parents.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of Year 5/6 students from Rosebery Primary School accompanied by their teacher, Nicole Reeves. On behalf of honourable members, I welcome you to Parliament House and hope you have a nice time here.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr McCARTHY: It is wonderful to acknowledge the government’s motion congratulating the parents of new Prince George. I have ensured the residents of Tennant Creek and the Barkly, who have a special relationship with the Royal Family, will be included in the congratulations in this motion.
Madam Speaker, it has been an honour to represent members on this side of the House, and to join with government in a bipartisan way to celebrate with the parents of Prince George, Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I thank all honourable members for their support in this debate. It is nice, from time to time, to have something furiously agreed upon.
The arrival of Prince George is something the whole world has welcomed. Whilst many people will look at the Royal Family as some form of anachronism, in truth, Her Majesty in particular, has demonstrated herself for well over 60 years now to be a very astute head of government, head of state, and head of a Commonwealth through her actions and dedicated service to the people of not only England, but the Commonwealth.
There are few monarchs today who would be as easily recognisable as she. Her Majesty has served the people of the Commonwealth with distinction and a forbearance which we can only but admire.
Madam Speaker, I look forward to having this message conveyed through the Administrator to Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace and, in turn, the Duke and Duchess at Kensington.
Motion agreed to.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Delivery of Election Commitment for Patient Assistance Travel Scheme
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): Madam Speaker, today I report on yet another election commitment delivered by the Country Liberals government.
The Northern Territory has one of the most geographically disperse populations in Australia and this presents challenges in the delivery of specialist health services. The Patient Assistance Travel Scheme provides financial subsides for the out-of-pocket expenses incurred by residents who need to travel long distances to access specialist medical services.
The Country Liberals made a clear commitment to the people of the Northern Territory to review the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme prior to the last election. We did this because we knew under Labor the scheme had failed to keep pace with rising costs. Under Labor, the PATS guidelines had not been updated since 2008 and, even then, they only managed to increase the overnight commercial accommodation support from $33 a night to $35 a night. Hardly generous!
I am happy to outline to the House the changes that will take place from 1 September 2013. The Country Liberals government will make it easier and fairer for Territorians who travel to receive specialist medical care.
First, we are introducing funding assistance for people who, while living within the 200 km exclusion zone, have to travel frequently for specialist treatment; for example, cancer or renal patients. Under this addition to the scheme, people who have to travel more than 400 km a week to access specialist treatment will be eligible for funding assistance.
Importantly, we are also increasing several subsidies which I will now outline. The commercial accommodation subsidy will be increased from $35 per night per person to $60, available from the first night. For example, if someone is travelling to Darwin from Katherine for medical treatment and has an escort, they will be eligible for $120 per night financial assistance towards their accommodation.
The private accommodation subsidy will be raised from $10 to $20 per person per night. This $10 a night has not changed since 2006, and the Country Liberals have now doubled it.
The fuel subsidy level for those travelling by car will be increased from 15 per kilometre to 20 per kilometre, and the ground transport subsidy previously available only for interstate travel is now available for travel within the Northern Territory and is being increased from $40 per trip to $50 per trip.
The resources required to fund these changes were provided for by the government when it allocated an additional $7.5m per year in the 2013-14 budget. As part of the PATS review, we also considered how to streamline and simplify the scheme. For the first time, the PATS guidelines will be publicly available and up on the Department of Health’s website. This will make it easier for patients and their families to work out exactly what support is available prior to travel. Unfortunately, up until now, people have undertaken travel only to find they were not eligible for support for a range of reasons. They could always check with travel coordinators and the PATS team, but confusion did occur. Now the guidelines will be clear and available to decrease the chances of this happening.
We have also made improvements to escort eligibility to allow more parents to travel with their children. We will allow claims to be lodged up to three months after travel instead of the current 28 days. This means once a patient and their family is aware of the support available they can focus on what is happening, that is, treatment and recovery of the patient and worry about submitting the paperwork later. When these changes are coupled with the new online booking system, the Country Liberals will deliver a fairer, more generous and easier Patient Assistance Travel Scheme.
Another important initiative that will help patients receive treatment in their communities is tele-health. Tele-health aims to remove some of the barriers to accessing medical services for people living in rural and remote areas or who have difficulty getting to specialists. A range of health professionals can participate in tele-health including specialists, consultant physicians and psychiatrists, medical practitioners, nurse practitioners, midwives, practice nurses and Aboriginal health workers. Tele-health provides financial incentives to eligible health professionals and aged-care services that help patients have a video consultation with a specialist, consultant physician or consultant psychiatrist.
The provision of tele-health is gaining prominence in the Northern Territory. The Territory now has over 50 tele-health enabled centres in major cities and remote locations. The utilisation of tele-health in the Territory will allow patients to reduce the amount of travel they need and will improve the patient journey through, and experience of, the Northern Territory health system.
The Department of Health is working on a pilot which aligns tele-health with PATS to ensure the best patient outcome is achieved. The Country Liberals are committed to improving the health system in the Territory to the benefit of all, and the honouring of our election commitment to improve PATS will assist in this objective.
I move that the Assembly take note of this statement.
Mr VATSKALIS (Casuarina): Madam Speaker, what can I say? It was a seven-minute speech by the Minister for Health for a seven-page ministerial statement. Why not do an adjournment? You spoke about the changes made to PATS, and I have no problem with that; they are really good. It is not even seven pages; it is six pages and four lines on the seventh page. The first page-and-a-half is about changes to PATS, then you talk about tele-health.
I do not have a problem with the member talking about changes to PATS. It is good to make changes to PATS for the benefit of people who have to travel. However, should we focus on paying people to travel interstate, or should we focus on bringing experts from interstate to Darwin, Katherine, and Alice Springs so people can remain in the Territory close to their families and be treated here?
Let us not forget the Territory has different people from different places. Many people who come here have families down south and have no problem going south. However, 30% of Territorians are Indigenous and when they need treatment they would rather stay in the Territory close to their families than go to Sydney, Perth or Adelaide. That is what we are really focused on.
Let me start from the beginning. When we came into government, the PATS rates were very low. We reviewed them twice, with the last review being in 2008. It was time for another review, which happen every five years. I am glad you reviewed it and brought some of the issues to the forefront. However, is it better to pay people to go to Adelaide or to facilitate a better registry in the Territory? We brought the oncology unit to Darwin because people were travelling outside the Territory for cancer treatment. Everybody knows how stressful a cancer diagnosis is, and then you have to be away from your family.
We did not believe the best way to deal with it was by paying people to go south. We brought the oncology unit here and, on top of that, built the Barbara James facility where people can live at no cost because PATS covers it. The Barbara James facility - if you have not visited it I encourage you to - has single rooms for people on their own, and family rooms. If you are sick and want your family with you, you can come from anywhere in the Territory and stay in the family room at the Barbara James facility while being treated for cancer.
I support increasing the rate per kilometre; it is a good idea. We were looking to do that at the change of government. I am pleased the new government has increased it as the price of fuel has gone through the roof. If people have to travel from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs, from Barunga to Katherine, they should be compensated to cover at least part of their expenses. I do not have a problem with that; it is a good idea.
Increasing the rate for travelling interstate is fine; however, the focus should be on how we can bring interstate experts to Darwin. It is cheaper, easier and more efficient to bring a neurologist from down south to see 100 patients than to send 100 patients to Adelaide. If we continue with that we will never attract personnel and never persuade people there is a workload in the Territory.
Experts have told me they will not come to the Territory because we do not have the volume of patients to enable them to maintain their competencies. Every expert must undertake a certain amount of work per year to maintain competencies in their field, be they a neurologist, an obstetrician or something else. We had a problem with obstetricians in Gove. People resigned and nobody would go there because there were not enough births to maintain their competencies. We found an alternative way to educate and train people in Darwin and then rotate them through Gove, Katherine and other places to maintain their competencies.
The second part of the statement is really good. It talks about tele-health, a fantastic initiative the previous government put in place. It was interesting to hear the member opposite talk about the provision of tele-health and the benefits to Territorians. You cannot have adequate and efficient tele-health unless you have adequate and efficient Internet provision - which optic fibre would provide - which the Australian Labor government advocated for many years and now talks about the NBN. The NBN, as proposed by the federal Australian government, will enable tele-health throughout the Territory. Copper wire will not do it, satellite will not do it. It is not quick or efficient. Optic fibre does it. If you visit the oncology centre in Darwin and see the teleconferencing facilities you will find a person can have X-rays taken in Darwin which are transmitted by the Internet through optic fibre to Adelaide for experts to look at, diagnose the cancer, and work out how to remove it. You need very fast Internet transmission lines which only optic fibre can provide.
Madam Speaker, while this is a good statement because it talks about increasing PATS - good on you, Minister for Health. It is good you have persuaded your colleagues in Cabinet to provide the money; I am pleased about that. It was time for review and I am glad you did it. However, it could be put with another statement because it looks more like an adjournment than a statement.
I thank you for giving the thumbs up to the NBN as proposed by the Australian Labor government. Only the Australian Labor government’s NBN will provide efficient, quick and proper tele-health in the Territory.
Debate suspended.
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for her statement on the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme. I will read a letter sent to Hon Robyn Lambley when she was Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Central Australia:
Dear Minister,
Yours sincerely
Lesley Riley
President
Bosom Buddies NT
Alice Springs
12 February 2013
Madam Speaker, I read that letter out because it covers two issues which need to be debated today. One is it is great to see the minister has brought forward upgrading of the PATS scheme. I do not have a problem with that, and it is very much a welcomed move by the government.
I have a similar concern as Ms Riley about the 200 km distance. My understanding is we are introducing funding assistance for people who, while living within the 200 km exclusion zone, have to travel frequently for specialist treatment. Under this addition to the scheme, people who have to travel more than 400 km in a week to access specialist treatment will be eligible for funding.
That may have covered what Ms Riley was raising, but even if you are not frequently attending for specialist treatment, if you are 180 km out and have to go there and back a couple of times during the week, it is still a fair distance. I hope there is some …
Mrs Lambley: That person would be eligible.
Mr WOOD: They would be eligible, okay. Even if there are cases where they do not quite fit the guidelines, I hope there is room within the system to look at a case on its merits if someone applied. If I live 180 km out and travel once a week to Darwin is there any chance of a subsidy for the cost of driving?’
The other side, which Ms Riley talked about, is the closing down of the short-term medical accommodation in Darwin. I am on the record saying it should not have been used as a mandatory alcohol rehabilitation centre because - you can look back with hindsight - if I had known the Darwin secure care centre at Holtze was to have a different use, I would have suggested using it. If I had known it would not be used because of lack of need - that is where you should have started the program because it is a far more suitable site.
The member for Fong Lim says we cannot afford to run it. Next door to the medi-hostel - I call it hostel because hotel is not the right name for an alcohol mandatory rehabilitation centre and hostel is more appropriate - is the Aboriginal mothers’ accommodation.
Looking at the website, this hostel, which is located next to Darwin Hospital, provides exactly what the other hostel was to provide: short-term accommodation, in this case for Indigenous mothers and their babies. This is run by Aboriginal Hostels Limited, and my understanding is they are paid from PATS. The money the government is talking about today, in relation to how Aboriginal mothers’ accommodation is paid for, is through PATS. Why would that not have applied to the short-term accommodation facility in Darwin?
Obviously not everybody would be eligible for PATS. In the case of escorts, you have to fit within certain guidelines before you can receive the money. If you are bringing someone up who is 18 years and under, there are certain allowances for an escort to be paid under PATS. The escort is automatically approved where the patient is 18 years or under, or if a patient has a child under the age of two travelling with them, or is travelling interstate for surgery or intensive treatments. There are other circumstances where escorts are approved and you can discuss it with the practitioner.
People coming to Darwin from out bush will receive a patient assistance allowance which could be used to help run the short-term accommodation. It would not cover the whole cost. The Treasurer mentioned a figure of about $5m. You could not cover all that, but if people were paying to stay there and PATS is the method of paying for accommodation, that would go some way to counteracting the argument the Territory government cannot afford to run it.
We need to look at why the building was put there. I looked at the implementation plan for short-term patient accommodation at Royal Darwin Hospital under the National Partnership Agreement on Health Infrastructure. Number 3 under Preliminaries says:
What Ms Riley is getting at is yes, you will get some PATS money, but most of the time that will not cover the cost of accommodation, especially in Darwin when there is a shortage of accommodation, which makes it expensive. That is the reason for an alternative place. This is not for anyone wanting a bed for the night. You have to have a bona fide reason for wanting accommodation whether you are entitled to PATS or not. You might be a spouse, a partner, and your husband, wife, or partner is sick. They might be old and may never have been to Darwin before. Also, there is the stress of going through treatment or an operation. People ring me about these things when they go to Adelaide, not as much now as before because we have facilities in Darwin, but they are important considerations.
If we ignore this building saying we cannot afford to run it, we are doing our citizens a disservice. As Bosom Buddies said, this is an essential requirement. Added to that, the government has stated it does not want these facilities in the Territory. Why not let the Commonwealth build the facilities and operate them like Aboriginal Hostels does? You have the PATS money; you will receive some income. It might not be all the income required, but it will be a subsidised service to the community. People would understand there are cases where taxpayers have to pay for some of the services. It is no different than the bus service. We pay for buses but never enough. We have the service because we know it is a benefit to the whole community. It is the same with short-term accommodation at hospitals.
I thank the government for bringing forward this statement. It is more an announcement, if anything. I will not comment on tele-health because I do not know enough about it. I researched it last night and would have to talk to the people involved. If it can reduce the need for people to travel, which is a cost to the Health department - as the ex-minister for Health said, it is easier to take a doctor to 100 people than 100 people to a doctor. It is easier if you can, through a tele-health method, get the information to where it is needed without the cost of travelling. That also reduces costs.
Minister, I thank you for your statement and support what you are doing. No sensible person in the Northern Territory would say it is not a good thing. The scheme needed updating, and will probably need updating in a couple of years. This scheme and the short-term accommodation issue in the Northern Territory go hand in hand. You need go no further than to look at the Aboriginal mothers’ accommodation next door. It provides short-term accommodation and is run by Aboriginal Hostels, which receives money through PATS so money is coming back into the system.
You should rethink the secure care centre at Holtze. If it is not being used for people with cognitive problems, which it was originally designed for - the ex-minister for Health and I visited and it is a secure site. It has facilities where people cannot self-harm because it has been designed specifically to reduce self-harm. That would be the perfect place to take people involved in the alcohol mandatory rehabilitation process and would free up accommodation at Royal Darwin Hospital.
I ask the minister to look at that. I know this is a temporary site and you are looking at the Berrimah prison site, but that is still 12 months off. If your numbers are quite small, as we hear at the moment, why not use the secure care centre? I presume children are in the secure care centre at Holtze at the moment. Why not look for another facility for them? The secure care facility was specifically designed for people who could not be moved and so there could be no self-harm.
Twelve months is too long to leave that short-term accommodation under the umbrella of the alcohol mandatory rehabilitation legislation. The points Ms Lesley Riley has made on behalf of Bosom Buddies are relevant and show the government’s decision to not use the facility and not support more facilities to be short-sighted. If there are issues about maintenance and the cost of running them, talk about it.
If Aboriginal Hostels or PATS money is not enough, surely there are other avenues. You could chat to the Commonwealth about it. It seems a decision was made that we are in budget deficit and cannot afford to do it. It is cutting off your nose to spite your face. The community needs it and there are ways around it. We need to try harder because these facilities are really important, especially for people who live outside the Darwin area and need them.
Mr VOWLES (Johnston): Madam Speaker, I contribute to the statement as the local member for Johnston. I thank the minister for bringing the statement to the House and welcome the changes to the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme and the extra $7.5m.
Beyond the politics, the right of all Territorians to seek medical care interstate should always be a priority, especially if we cannot provide it here.
I have personal experience, with my late father using PATS to travel to Adelaide to fight cancer. He eventually returned sick of being away and being cold in a home he did not know anything about. He came home to die. My sisters and I cared for him until he passed away. That is why I am a supporter and will always welcome any extra money which assists sick people.
I am proud our party delivered the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre, which allows people to receive treatment without leaving friends, family, their support and their loved ones.
The minister may be aware I have written to her a few times about a constituent who has several serious conditions which require her to travel to Perth and Melbourne for treatment. She also has two young daughters aged eight and 12. Sadly, in 2008, my constituent was diagnosed with neurogenic sarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in her hip bone and the nerves in that area. The sarcoma specialist she needs to see is at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne. She informs me neurogenic sarcoma is an extremely aggressive cancer with 50% of people who get it dying, and it is resistant to chemotherapy and radiation.
The constituent had surgery and, thankfully, is now in remission. However, she must visit the specialist every year for eight years to get the all-clear. She said it was an extremely aggressive cancer. The PET scan goes down to the cell level and, if the cancer grows back, they must get at it urgently and early. She informs me they have dealt with only two cases of this cancer in 22 years. If the cancer were to grow back she would need surgery but, because of the location, in the best case she would be paralysed on the left side, and the worst case she would be paralysed on the right side with a bag for her bowel and bladder.
The mother also suffers from rectal prolapse. She had an idea things were not working too well in 2008, but once they found the cancer sorting the bowel prolapse was put on hold. This condition is the reason she is currently unable to work. It gets her down; she is quite depressed. Surgery is the best option for severe rectal prolapse but they cannot do the procedure at Royal Darwin Hospital.
The mother is covered by the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme, or PATS, for her travel to Melbourne for her yearly cancer check-up, and to Perth for the surgery for her bowel prolapse. However, her daughters are not, and she has no one to care for her eight-year-old and 11-year-old daughters. For past treatment and appointments for her cancer in Melbourne, the mother has taken her children with her. At the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, they understand the effect of cancer on families. They have social workers and volunteers who look after her daughters, and there is also accommodation for them.
The mother is on Centrelink and every dollar is used wisely. She has been unable to save the money for airfares for her daughters. Centrelink has contacted me to discuss this issue and has raised serious concerns that the long-term effects are simple: the mother cannot work and her daughters’ future will be to look after their sick mother. Again, if she could work she would, but her bowel prolapse prevents her from doing so.
The mother had been able to take her daughters with her through PATS under the previous Labor government. Her mother, who is a pensioner, once paid the airfares but cannot afford to do it again. Her sister’s ex-husband generously, after selling a house, paid for the fares but is now unable to do so.
The mother was due to have surgery in March this year in Perth for her bowel prolapse. The surgery would mean she could work again and, potentially, afford future airfares for her daughters when she attends further check-ups in Melbourne for her neurogenic sarcoma. The mother was having the surgery in Perth because her daughters’ father lives there and he can look after them while she is undergoing surgery.
However, while she was told PATS would cover her daughters’ flights to Perth one way, they told her she needed to pay for the return flight by saving money and keeping an eye out for cheap fares. Due to the mother being on Centrelink and not able to save for airfares for her daughters, she missed her March surgery date in Perth.
The mother is becoming very frustrated and, as I said, depressed with this situation. She is due to have another yearly check-up for the cancer in October. Again, she cannot afford the flights. Perhaps if the mother had surgery for her bowel prolapse in March as scheduled, she could afford the flights for her cancer check-up.
I read with interest the media announcement on improvements to escort eligibility to allow more parents to travel with their children. I ask the Minister for Health to show some compassion, as I have asked in a number of letters to her. She has discretion, as the minister, to approve this. Yes, it does not fit completely into the guidelines to pay for her daughters to accompany her, but it was done before. We are talking about life-threatening cancer treatment she requires: a mum trying to survive for her children. If you do not approve this, minister, I hope you will donate to the fundraising efforts I will be conducting over the next few months to allow the mother to travel with her daughters to receive the treatment that will save her life.
Mr HIGGINS (Daly): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for bringing this statement on today. I welcome the increases in monies paid to people who need treatment. The member for Casuarina mentioned we should be bringing people from interstate as a preference to flying people interstate, and we could save some money. While I agree with that, there are instances where people have to travel interstate urgently.
About 15 years ago my wife had a melanoma. She had about eight operations in Darwin over an 18-month period, then they decided she needed plastic surgery. The melanoma had advanced and they needed to operate immediately. On one occasion she had to be flown interstate at very short notice. If we are bringing specialists up from interstate, we need to take things like that into account. During the time we were in Adelaide our allowance was $10 - I would have to check that.
Also, some people who need urgent medical procedures are in regional and remote areas. The cost of flying from Wadeye to Darwin is almost the same as flying interstate. The alternative is to take the specialist to Wadeye, which I do not believe would work.
I recall the previous Minister for Health, who is now Treasurer, talking about a review of the hospital system. One of his suggestions was taking specialists to places like Katherine to undergo a week of specialist treatment, also to other hospitals. That is also a way to save some money.
Also, many remote areas are outside 200 km. The number of people benefitting from this increase in funding is quite high, and they are probably the most disadvantaged in the Territory. Therefore, I commend the government for putting in the extra $7.5m.
There are reasons for people going interstate urgently, and I thank the minister for bringing the statement on today.
Ms ANDERSON (Children and Families): Madam Speaker, I congratulate my colleague, the Minister for Health, for bringing this statement forward. This is something the Country Liberal Party, in opposition, hammered to the previous Labor government. They did nothing with PATS for 11 years. I want to commend my colleague, minister Conlan, when shadow health minister in opposition, for continually using parliamentary opportunity to ridicule and hold Labor to account for its failures in this area.
It was vital, not just for remote Aboriginal communities, but for regional towns like Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Katherine and Gove, that there be an increase. We promised, when in opposition, and I will quote from the minister’s speech:
We had to fight for 11 years in opposition to hold Labor to account, to have sympathy for individual cases - renal patients, people with cancer, people traumatised and their families not able to travel with them.
Do you believe these people did anything in the 11 years they were in power? They did nothing …
Mr McCarthy: How many years were you part of it?
Ms ANDERSON: The Barkly clown has come back to make a performance in the Chamber. Perhaps it would be better if you stayed out there trying to get your federal member elected.
It is vital in this area because, as you know, for renal patients and people with cancer, they need family support. It is important for every renal patient who travels, whether it is to Adelaide from the Northern Territory or to Darwin, and cancer patients, especially Indigenous people. Their grandchildren or children want to go with them to look after them. It is a time of huge distress for families when their loved ones are diagnosed with renal failure or with cancer.
For 11 years nothing happened. That is the reason we saw Territorians, a year ago, put Labor where they deserve to be - in opposition. It will be fantastic, next Saturday, to see federal Labor thrown into opposition as well because these people deserve to sit in opposition. They have no remorse, no sympathy. They cannot embrace the hardship people go through with sickness. We saw it in the Northern Territory for 11 years. The Country Liberal Party committed, before coming into power, to $7.5m in resources to fund these vital areas.
Minister for Health, thank you, because it is the hard work of our government - I want to thank the minister for her courageous efforts in this area because she has a background of social work. She knows how important it is for every sick person to take their family with them. We have seen this time and time again, and we now have great opportunities in the Northern Territory with a conservative government. A conservative government is ridiculed for not sympathising in those areas, but the socialists sitting opposite did not sympathise in this area. It is fantastic to see a Country Liberal Party committing so much money and understanding how important it is for people with renal failure and cancer to have stability and take their family along so they will be beside them.
As I said, these are traumatising times for families and communities. It is so hard when you have to travel from a remote Aboriginal community to Alice Springs and are then transferred to Adelaide or Darwin.
Families like to be together. I have said many times before that we are different people. People who live on outstations are different to people who live on settlements, and we are different to people who live in towns and cities. It is the responsibility of government to ensure we keep families together at such a hard time, and you have seen the Country Liberal Party do that.
It is a pity we had to fight for 11 years. Sick people waited for 11 years hoping something would change. Do you know what? We could not do much except debate every time we met in parliament in an attempt to get people sitting opposite to take these things seriously, which they did not. A year ago Territorians punished them. Territorians put them where they deserve to be for the next 20 years. We will see the federal Labor Party out of power, hopefully for the next 20 years, because these people deserve to sit in opposition.
You have, in parliament, niggly debates and uneducated, uninformed debates from the opposite side. They did not do anything in 11 years, and it is fantastic to see the Country Liberal Party commit so much money to look after sick people and their families. We will drive the Territory together.
This is not about a program in Darwin, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs or Katherine. We are about the regions as well. We are about the small communities and the outstations. We will drive Territorians forward. We will ensure Territorians are looked after not just in the area of health, but in the areas of education, economic development, and the economic opportunities we have in the Northern Territory.
We have these benefits and are talking to Aboriginal people. We are saying, ‘You have this land mass. Come with government. Let’s travel down this interesting journey with the County Liberal Party to make your lives prosper. Get involved in economic opportunities.’ It is all there for Territorians.
The Chief Minister has put things on a silver platter for people living in the Northern Territory. Economic opportunities are there if you want them; education opportunities are there if you want them. We will look after you in every aspect of health and housing.
This is unlike the Labor Party and SIHIP, with millions of dollars wasted and 26 fewer beds across the Northern Territory. What a shame! That is why they were put on the other side.
Madam Speaker, I commend this important statement to the House and thank the minister for bringing it the House. Thank you.
Ms LEE (Arnhem): Madam Speaker, I contribute to the statement on the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme and congratulate the Minister for Health for fulfilling another County Liberal election commitment. My electorate is almost 100 000 km wide so many people have to travel to access specialist services. Communities in my electorate benefitting from patient travel include Numbulwar, Bickerton Island, Angurugu, Alyangula, Umbakumba, Gapuwiyak, Milingimbi, Ramingining, Bulman, Wemool Urapunga and a few outstations, but it is mainly remote areas from the Central Arnhem Highway and the Roper Highway. Many stations and communities in isolated areas really benefit from this.
I have worked in the health system for over 10 years and to come into this House and hear there has been no change since 2006 - the former Minister for Health …
Mr McCarthy: That is rubbish.
Ms LEE: If you were the former Health minister I did not see you in my community because I was an Aboriginal Health Worker for 10 years. I started from the lowest point and worked up to the top. I did not see one minister visit any of the communities I worked in for all those years. Ten years and I was always around. I only had three kids during that time and was still in my community. I did not see one minister visit. That is appalling, and you say you consult with people in remote communities. No one spoke to me. Staff in the clinics I worked at have not been considered. We have run into so many problems with the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme in the past while assisting families coming to Darwin. Some have to fly to Adelaide for serious problems, but the main point was the minute they got there and the person died in hospital that was it. The funding was cut and there was no way to get back.
We were lucky in our region to have an Aboriginal organisation which helped those people get back to the Northern Territory. If a partner died in hospital there was no way they were getting back because from the moment they died that was it, the funding was cut. That was a heartache for us. The Aboriginal Health Workers in the community had to cop much of this because they were the first response and it was our job to explain it. This is a failure of the previous Labor government and it made my people feel so isolated it was not funny. Every time something went wrong it was on our back not yours; we had to face the families. We did not see you out there. No one came to the funeral of people who died from cancer down south. My father died of cancer and now my father’s little brother is dying of cancer.
I am glad the minister has made a difference in the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme, which supports people who travel to receive treatment, such as chemotherapy and everything else. It is long; everybody knows how bad it is. They are away from time to time. You need your partner there sometimes because you are so frail and upset you are away from family a long time. You need someone to interpret for you, calm you down, and bring you back down to earth. You always need somebody, especially if you are a community person going to the big smoke. It is hard for them, but none of you can relate to that.
It is difficult for somebody from the community going to the big smoke and being left there. The minute the partner dies that is it. The widow is left there with no support, nothing. That is the worst position you can be in, especially if that was your first time in that place. Where is the heart in those people because I cannot see it? You wonder why I have never voted Labor my whole life. My whole family was never Labor. You never knew there was a Liberal black family out there. Well, hello, we are.
I will get back to my point. PATS is used by communities in my electorate to travel to Katherine Hospital, Gove, and to see specialists in Darwin and down south - the big smoke. The Country Liberal government is delivering the following key improvements to the scheme: updated PATS guidelines available online for the first time; introduction of fuel subsidies for patients travelling 400 km or more per week for treatment who live inside the 200 km exclusion zone; making the ground transport subsidy available for intrastate travel; and increasing the commercial accommodation subsidy from $35 to $60 per person per night.
Patients on renal dialysis travel twice a week from communities to town to undergo treatment. Pressure is put on staff at remote health clinics - not Darwin hospital, not Katherine hospital - which are the first point of contact. Even to be trained for a facility in the community, they have to live in Darwin for two years. They still need their family around them. It is like taking somebody from the city to the bush, dropping them there and saying, ‘Okay, here is your learning experience. Learn it out here for two years.’ Do you think that would backfire on you? It is the same position you are putting an Aboriginal person in when you put them in the city. Of course, they need support like any human being would.
I am not saying we are different in different ways; we are still human. The gesture, our responsibility, our dedication to everyone as equals should be the same. It has never been the same. Our attitude needs to change and it has to start in this House. We are leaders elected into parliament to show that dedication.
We are doubling the private accommodation subsidy from $10 to $20 per person per night, increasing the fuel subsidy from 15 per kilometre to 20 per kilometre, and improving escort eligibility to allow more patients to travel with their children. PATS claims can now be lodged up to three months after travel instead of the current 28 days, which was impossible. Not everyone can read and write.
The government has boosted funding to the scheme by an additional $7.5m per year and accounted for this in the 2013-14 budget. When coupled with the new online booking system, the Country Liberals are delivering a fairer, more generous, and easier patient travel subsidy scheme. This is yet another example of this government delivering on its commitment to Territorians within the first 12 months of government.
If you had been talking to people in remote clinics in the last 11 years you would understand why the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme was such a failure and why it put so much pressure on staff in clinics. I was working there then and can say half the time remote clinics were understaffed. We only ever had a maximum of three RNs at a time. The pressure was on the Aboriginal Health Workers to provide the services, and the senior health workers were designated to do patient travel for all in conjunction with the doctor. That is how it was done.
I was one of the senior health workers who did this and it was a pain. It always came back to someone - especially when you have an elderly person who is dying of cancer; my poor cousin died recently. Three people in that house died because it was filled with asbestos for years and they still live in it today. Three people have died of cancer from living in a house with asbestos, and that is a shame.
I do not know how many times we have raised that problem. Are there solutions to where you put asbestos in the future? There are sites for it instead of leaving it at the dump. It is appalling the state these people have to live in, and it is heartbreaking to listen to the different arguments. At the end of the day, nobody can speak from the heart about how they really see it if they have not experienced it firsthand.
Patient travel was always the biggest issue, but I am appalled nothing has been done, even reviewed, such as the education system, since 1999 and health since 2006.
I still have 10 minutes, member for Casuarina, you are checking the time. It is appalling that since 2006 the system has not been updated, checked or reviewed. How do you know a system is not working if you do not check it? There has to be a review. Health workers have to do an audit every year. It is like being in this House, you have to have it audited every year and private business has to be audited every year. How can you not audit PATS?
Now it has been audited and there is a difference - something the people wanted. Was everyone walking around with earplugs then and forgot about the people on the ground, or was it supposed to work when it did not? It is terribly disturbing.
It is wrong because 10 years of my life were on the line trying to explain to people why the system was as bad as it was. Finally, after 10 years as an Aboriginal Health Worker, starting as a receptionist and working my way up, I can now say there is a difference.
You can travel with your partner to Adelaide and not get stuck. PATS will pay for your return. You will not be deserted; you will not be left there in isolation.
What a wonderful thing tele-health is. I am glad the minister came up with financial assistance for tele-health. Not everybody can make it to appointments so it will be good to link up with your doctor.
That goes back to the current funding. Yes, the federal Labor government has looked at NBN, but it is not what Northern Territory remote communities want. With the amount of money they are throwing out they will not only service Northern Territory remote people, they will service the whole of Territory. If you drive from the Central Arnhem Highway to Gove you cannot get mobile coverage three-quarters of the way there.
It is appalling. These communities are left for dust; there has been no improvement at all. The health centre in Numbulwar is a container and has been for 30 years. The opposition is jumping up and down about Palmerston hospital, the medi-hotel and other things. Hello NT! Let me show you what a container that 300 or 400 people have to sit in to see a doctor look like. You wonder why everybody walks out, it is terrible. We are dying so fast because nothing has been provided properly.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mrs PRICE (Stuart): Madam Speaker, I support the statement made by the Minister for Health about important changes to the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme that will make the scheme easier and fairer for Territorians.
The Patient Assistance Travel Scheme helps Territorians who need to travel away from home to access specialist medical services. Two of the changes the Country Liberals government is introducing from 1 September will see increases to the subsidies for accommodation and fuel.
This is fantastic news for all Territorians, including the people of Stuart who might be living on pastoral stations like Waterloo Station, Sunday Creek Station, Murranji, Scott Creek, Wave Hill, Camp Field or Kalala, or even communities like Nyirripi, Yuendumu, Willowra, Lajamanu, Daguragu, Yarralin, Bulla and Amanbidji.
As the second largest electorate in the Territory, Stuart covers a vast area of 383 000 km2, including some of the most remote areas of the Territory. It can be very difficult for remote people to access the specialist medical care they need, and these two subsidy increases - the fuel subsidy increase from 15 per kilometre to 20 per kilometre, and the commercial accommodation subsidy increase from $35 to $60 per person per night - will help offset the out-of-pocket cost for people and their families who need to travel and stay away from their homes.
The people of Stuart will also welcome the news of a pilot program to align tele-health with PATS. The ability to use tele-health technology will not only cut down expenses for community people having to travel back and forth to hospital for specialists reviews, it will also cut down the amount of time these people will need to spend away from the support of their families and communities.
Under the former Labor government, the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme had not been reviewed or updated since 2008. The Giles government has injected an additional $7.5m per year into the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme, improving the scheme and making it easier and fairer for Territorians.
I have seen how frustrating it is for families to support each other once they are diagnosed with breast cancer. I had sisters who were and when they found out they were too scared because they thought they would be travelling by themselves without family to accompany them. The bush is so remote; it is really hard to convince them there is assistance available because they are too scared to travel.
Many times I have seen how this affected families, how this should have happened years ago and these families should have been supported, and how important it is for families to accompany each other and support one another where they need specialists to look after them. They need to see if they are well enough to travel and go back to see their families and be with their families.
Many remote people rely on this scheme, and the increases we, as the Country Liberal government, are intending to give will provide the necessary costs these people need when travelling and give confidence to the families to see there is support. This is yet another example of the Country Liberals delivering on their commitments to Territorians within our first 12 months of government.
Madam Speaker, I commend this statement to the House.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure I support this statement on the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme being delivered by the Health minister.
I stand to be corrected, but I understand over 11 years of the Labor government overnight accommodation under PATS increased from $33 per night to $35 per night. I am getting a nod from the Health minister that is correct.
I found it a little disingenuous of the former Health minister to wax lyrical about the support the former Labor government gave this scheme. He was highly critical of the work done by the current Health minister and, given we are only 12 months into government, we have managed to have PATS reviewed, accept nearly all the recommendations from the review, and to implement them. I found it interesting the former Labor government, which traditionally supports the social service sector, including health, was critical of something we have done in 12 months they could not do in 11 years. It was quite extraordinary. We are becoming used to that type of diatribe in the House. Of course, the extension of that is the penchant of the opposition to rewrite history and tell us how it would look if they had done something. However, we know they did very little in this area over the last 11 years.
It has been five years since the last review of the PATS guidelines, five years since the former Labor government reviewed the provision of financial support for Territorians travelling for specialist medical care, five years of rising costs and increased financial strain on some of the Territory’s most needy, and five years of patients losing out on the financial cover needed for out-of-pocket expenses associated with their need to travel for medical treatment. This is because the former Labor government failed to recognise the need for realistic financial support of the Territory’s sick and vulnerable.
Territorians deserve to feel supported by government in their hour of need, especially those who need to seek specialist healthcare. Subsidising a reasonable amount of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Territorians who need to travel long distances to access specialist medical services is something our sick and needy deserve.
The Country Liberals government has recognised the need to provide appropriate financial support to those facing health problems and assist in alleviating some of the stress illness brings to patients and their families. In saying that, we recognise when people are sick the last thing they need is to worry about the financial burden of the illness they have. The Country Liberals is stepping up now to provide some level of comfort and support to people who do not need the additional burden of worrying about finances. Many of those people I am referring to are people and families living in remote and regional areas across the Northern Territory.
Within 12 months of coming to government, the County Liberals have reviewed the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme as committed - we said we would do it and we have - and taken on many of the recommendations to update the scheme for the benefit of all Territorians.
To put into context the significance of some of the changes to levels of subsidies, a patient driving from my electorate of Katherine to Darwin for specialist treatment can now expect to receive 5 more per kilometre as part of their fuel subsidy. That means on the usual 320 km drive between Katherine and Darwin they previously would have received $48, now they receive $64. That does not sound like much money, but for people who are sick and needy, every dollar counts. This is a terrific step in the right direction for people who live in my electorate, not to mention people who live in other regional and remote parts of the Territory.
The commercial accommodation rate has been increased from $35 to $60 per night, as well as doubling the private accommodation rate from $10 to $20.
At the moment, residents of my electorate of Katherine have to travel to Darwin for cancer treatment. Should the Coalition win government on 7 September, Tina MacFarlane has committed to deliver $500 000 towards a treatment centre at Katherine Hospital. This means people and their families will not have to make the four-hour trip to Darwin every time they need treatment. However, until this treatment centre is established, people in pain who are scared and need specialist treatment will have their financial burden eased with the new PATS subsidises introduced by this government.
It was heartening to hear the Health minister say, in particular, there will now be funding assistance for people who live within the 200 km exclusion zone. For residents within the Katherine electorate, people who have to travel more than 400 km a week to access specialist treatment will be eligible for funding assistance, which is a great boon as well.
Also, claims for accommodation can be lodged up to three months after travel, as opposed to the previous 28 days, and a new online booking system has been introduced making it easier to claim, as well as reducing red tape and reimbursement times. One of the mantras from the Country Liberals government - we have been talking about it for a long time - is about reducing red tape. It is something we take seriously, and this is another example of a commitment to reduce red tape, particularly for those who are sick and in need.
These changes to the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme are yet another example of this government identifying ways to improve outcomes for all Territorians, delivering on the commitments we have made. The Country Liberals government is making it easier and fairer for Territorians who have to travel to receive specialist medical care.
Madam Speaker, I support this statement and the work the Minister for Health has done. Katherine residents are big beneficiaries of the changes to PATS. Each and every one of the people who have to access this facility will be grateful, not only the County Liberals government, but also the Minister for Health. They will feel they have been listened to and heard.
There has been talk over many years, and I have received complaint after complaint about the level of PATS funding under the former government. It is almost a breath of fresh air to be part of a government doing something to assist people in this area.
I congratulate the Health minister on the work she has done with PATS. I am sure Territorians will join me in expressing our appreciation to the Minister for Health and this government for those changes.
Mr CHANDLER (Education): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the Health minister’s statement. Dealing with the issue in the last five years as a local member, I can assure you I had many people come into my office to complain about PATS. It was not so much about the good work the staff do within the system, but the system they had been given to manage by the former Labor government.
It was a government, by the way, which spoke about supporting the average Joe, supporting people in need. In this regard, the former Health minister was missing in action because it is something they talked about for a long time. After sitting in this House for the last two weeks listening to nothing but bitterness and vitriol from the other side about how, in 12 months, this government has delivered nothing for Territorians, here is clear evidence the Health Minister has delivered for Territorians.
The Country Liberals made a clear commitment to the people of the Northern Territory and went to the last election saying we would improve PATS. It has been delivered even though the Labor Party would try to tell you we have done nothing in the last 12 months.
The last 12 months is like a teenager who has been eating chocolates for 11 years and has a face covered with pimples. They expect us to have some magical cream to clear the face and they would all go away. We have had 11 years of pimples and are doing our best. We are looking for the cream and will clear up the mess you guys left us.
We delivered on this and it is spectacular. Under Labor, PATS guidelines had not been upgraded since 2008. Even then it went from $33 to $35 a night. They make much fanfare about things we may or may not have done since taking office, but in 11 years they increased the overnight rate from $33 to $35.
The commercial accommodation subsidy will be increased from $35 to $60, available from the first night. Thank you, Health minister. That is a $25 increase per night and we did that in 12 months. If you listen to the other side we have done nothing in the last 12 months. The private accommodation subsidy will be raised from $10 to $20. That is a 100% increase achieved in 12 months. This could not be done in 11 years under Labor; they could not help the average Joe in 11 years in office.
In five years of being the local member for Brennan, many people came into my office. I would have meetings week in week out with people struggling to understand PATS and how they were supposed to make do on the small amount. Even the increases the Health minister has been able to deliver will not cover everyone’s expenses, but they will mitigate them more than the scheme under the previous Labor government.
In a perfect world we would be looking at a system which could provide similar accommodation rates as public servants receive when they travel interstate, but at what cost? How much would that cost a government in the fiscal position the former Labor government left the Northern Territory in? By the way, it is about three times as bad as the federal level, and we all know how bad that is. It is three times as bad per population because the former government failed to live within its means. They were stealing our children’s future because they went further and further into debt.
These increases, which will go a long way to help, will not cover 100% of expenses. On this side, we hope it will provide a bit more support and a genuine understanding of the hardships Territorians face in a time of need.
I was told stories of people facing open heart surgery, cancer treatment, and other issues they were dealing with when they had to travel south. Let us be honest, it will be many years before our major hospitals in the Northern Territory can provide services similar to those of major hospitals in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Adelaide.
Until the Northern Territory reaches that scale there will always be a need to send people interstate and for our government to support Territorians as much as possible when they travel interstate to deal with health issues.
Over the years this government, and future governments, will continue to invest heavily in health. We have a new hospital to be built in Palmerston on a site which will allow it to grow. Services will increase with the doctors and specialists a growing city will need. Of course, doctors will come when the number of people substantiates the need, and services will continue to grow. As those services grow in the Northern Territory, fewer people will need to leave the Territory for medical treatment.
The one thing we will always have - it does not matter about spin from either side of politics – is smaller towns, communities, and remote locations not able to provide the medical services you can get in our major hospitals. People will always need to travel. There is a responsibility for government to support these people in whatever way it can.
When you hear what people are going through at the toughest time in their lives, to think we can go a little further to support them is heartening. In this time of fiscal restraint so many tough decisions had to be made, none with any sense of joy. It is with a sense of responsibility we make the tough fiscal decisions.
The way the former government spent money like it was going out of fashion with no regard for the future provides a legacy for our children; they will be paying that debt off for many years. We have been able to support Territorians in this area, even in an environment of fiscal restraint, which has meant other areas have had services looked at closely.
It would have been lovely to have money in the bank when we took government in August last year to act on policies we had worked on for many years knowing they would make the Northern Territory a better place. However, when you are on this side of the House and open the Treasury books you understand not only what money has been spent, but what has been locked away for years to come. It is sad. Heading towards a debt of $5.5bn, nearly more than three times that of the Commonwealth government, means nearly $1m a day to cover interest payments.
We are not a big jurisdiction compared to New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia or Western Australia, and are paying $1m a day for interest on the loans taken out by the former Labor government. That is not paying off the capital; that is $1m a day in interest. Would you not rather be attending a school? Schools have often been mentioned over the last few of weeks, particularly this week, but we know what that is about.
I would love to be at Bakewell Primary School handing Principal Paul Nyhuis a cheque for $1m saying, ‘There you go, Paul, invest that into your school’. The next day I could go to Gray Primary School, a great primary school in Palmerston, and hand the principal a $1m cheque. Let us go to Woodroofe, across to Rosebery, perhaps to Palmerston Senior College, and not just for a week or two but 365 days a year. When we run out of schools we could go to the RSPCA, perhaps one of the NGOs providing valuable services to Territorians, and hand cheques out for $1m every day, 365 days a year.
What a difference that could make. However, we are paying the bank. Bankers are making nearly $1m a day because of the debt the former Labor government left. Imagine, Minister for Health, if we had that money today what we could have done for PATS. We could have gone further, and many of the savings measures we were forced to make - the blame we are wearing for making them should be borne by the former Labor government.
Those 11 years took us further and further into debt. In this time of fiscal restraint, I take my hat off to the Minister for Health for introducing such an important initiative to improve PATS in the Northern Territory and provide that bit more support for Territorians in their time of need.
I commend this statement to the House.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I support this statement by the Health minister presented today on the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme. I do not wish to speak for long, but want to commend the minister for fighting for the changes to the scheme.
A review was undertaken, being a commitment by the Country Liberals coming into government in August last year. It has been a long-standing issue for many of us as local members and campaigners throughout the Territory. Working towards a review to identify some of the issues and concerns has been at the forefront of our minds for a long period of time.
Over the last four years in opposition, the member for Greatorex, the former shadow minister for Health, campaigned up hill and down dale for changes. That landed on the deaf ears of the previous government, but, fortunately, we have had the opportunity to conduct a review. The Health minister presented to Budget Cabinet changes she wanted to this initiative some time ago.
The Health minister was successful in her campaign to receive additional funds. As such, there is an additional $7.5m per year in the 2013-14 budget. That is a great amount of new money going forward. We often see money go towards social and community benefit, some towards economic change, some towards cultural investment, but the $7.5m a year for PATS will help provide support to a range of people who use the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme.
I am impressed by the level of increase. In 2008, under the former Labor government, there was a $2 increase in the nightly commercial accommodation rate, which allowed someone to make four additional 50 phone calls. To see it go from $35 a night to $60, available from the first night, is a significant investment and significant announcement. Also, the private accommodation subsidy going from $10 to $20, a 100% increase, is another great initiative.
Something I heard many times in my electorate of Braitling was the subsidy provided for fuel for people driving between Alice Springs and Adelaide did not sufficiently recoup expenses. That has now gone from 15 to 20 a kilometre, another great initiative.
The other component in the statement that is quite exciting is the movement towards tele-health and its roll out, particularly the 50 sites which have been identified. The CEO of Health, Mr Jeff Moffet, and a team of staff provided me with a presentation on how tele-health operates. We had live streaming into several communities investigating what could be seen from the computer in our office upstairs into the surgery or health centre on the community. Fifty sites is fantastic and, I presume, it will get bigger and bigger. That presents a real opportunity for better services for patients in inaccessible or remote areas across the Northern Territory. It is an opportunity for nurses or clinical staff on the ground to tap into specialist expertise anywhere in the world, should it be required.
I congratulate the Health minister. In this job you have some achievements and some stand out more than others. I have not spoken to the Health minister about this, but I believe the announcement is something she will mark down as an achievement in her ministerial role, much the same as some of the things I have done, particularly around the Telstra mobile phone service deal, which will change people’s lives. This will also definitely change people’s lives.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the minister and commend the statement and the minister to the House.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, this is a government of action. We have acted quickly on this, as my colleagues have stated. We worked on this project from opposition and, 12 months into government, have reviewed PATS and have good news stories coming out about substantial increases in subsidies for people who have to travel intrastate and interstate to seek specialist treatment.
This government is about representing all Territorians, including Territorians who live in regional centres. Unlike the former Labor government that was Darwin-centric, we represent all regions of the Northern Territory. It surprises me the two regional members, the members for Nhulunbuy and Barkly, have not chosen to comment on the new PATS announcements; this good news story about benefits to improve the quality of life of their constituents.
In particular, I am surprised the member for Barkly, who has been missing for most of the week because of his prior commitment to hand out how-to-vote cards for the failed member for Lingiari, Warren Snowdon, has not made the effort to represent his constituents. I know a little about the Barkly, as a resident of Alice Springs, and someone who has worked in the health system on and off for many years. People from Tennant Creek and the Barkly area struggle to get to specialist appointments. The member for Barkly would know only too well this will benefit his constituents.
The increase, particularly in the fuel subsidy, will mean people undertaking that 500 km trip from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs to seek medical attention will be much more comfortable, given the subsidy has increased by 25%. The member for Barkly is distracted by his different priorities, campaigning for the Labor member for Lingiari. It is a sad state of affairs because it would have been a good opportunity for him to speak on behalf of his constituents.
The member for Nhulunbuy, who spent the last two weeks screaming across the Chamber in an hysterical fashion, stunning people on the government side, cannot be bothered speaking on behalf of her constituents doing it tough in Gove for many different reasons, but doing it tough because they also have to travel substantial distances to seek specialist treatments. I am astounded.
I am always astounded by the poor performance of the former Labor government and the current opposition who do not give a toss about the regions. They do not practice what they preach; they do not put their rhetoric into action and could not be bothered speaking on behalf of their constituents about one of the best pieces of news this Chamber has heard for a long time: the substantial improvements and changes in the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme.
The former Labor government, as has been stated by my colleagues, failed to do anything for 11 years. They increased one part of PATS by $2. They increased the commercial accommodation rate from $33 to $35 years ago. It was interesting to hear the former Health minister, the member for Casuarina, say the announcement today was good. He basically admitted they achieved nothing in the last 11 years but were intending to get to it. It was an admission of failure by the member for Casuarina, the former Minister for Health, of their inability to make substantial changes to an important scheme within government which provides basic assistance to people who have to travel intrastate or interstate to seek medical treatment.
He spoke about tele-health, something we inherited from the former Labor government, one of their better legacies. There are not too many good ones and, in my mind, this is towards the top of the list. Tele-health will be rolled out and used more extensively as time goes on. It will, eventually, save much heartache, a lot of effort in travelling and, hopefully, save money which we can reinvest into frontline health services in the Northern Territory.
The member for Nelson made some interesting comments. He admitted Labor’s effort around the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme was woefully inadequate, and I agree with him. He also read a letter from a lady from Alice Springs I know reasonably well, expressing dissatisfaction with the current PATS and our decision to use the short-term accommodation facility at Royal Darwin Hospital as an alcohol mandatory treatment facility.
I emphasise, member for Nelson, it is only temporary use and I am endeavouring to take mandatory alcohol treatment out of that facility as soon as possible. It is not ideal and we have a better site in mind. There is pressure throughout the health system for that facility to be used for its original purpose, particularly in the next 12 to 18 months. The member for Nelson gave an honest and personal appraisal of his experience of PATS in his electorate, and I appreciate that.
As someone who has worked in the health system in the Northern Territory on and off for the best part of 20 years, PATS was always a part of what we did, particularly at Alice Springs Hospital. People are constantly moving in and out of the Alice Springs Hospital via the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme. It is a critical part of the operation of treating people in Central Australia. People come into Alice Springs Hospital and are sent in all directions, mainly north or south, but the flow is constant. I remember years ago the PATS officer was completely overburdened. I have not worked in the hospital since having my first child in 2000, but I remember an overburdened system needing major reform. A year later the Labor government came to power in the Northern Territory and nothing happened for all those years.
From a personal perspective, I am so proud to announce today these significant reforms and improvements in how we deliver the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme.
I want to note a few things before I wind up. The rates and subsidies commencing on 1 September compare with other jurisdictions around Australia. For example, our fuel subsidy will be the second highest in the country. A small increase you might say, from 15 to 20 per kilometre, but it will be the second highest in the country. Queensland offers the highest rate. The commercial accommodation, increased from $35 per person to $60 per person per night, is equal highest in the country.
We have made generous improvements and increases to subsidies; however, some people might say there is a long way to go. I recently heard someone responding to the planned increases saying, ‘You still cannot get a hotel in Darwin for $60 per person per night’. That is true. With Darwin being one of the most expensive metropolitan centres in the country for commercial accommodation, that it is a challenge. However, we have come a long way. It is around an 80% increase and we are proud of it. I am sure this news will be well received by people who use the system.
We have allocated $7.5m in the 2013-14 financial year. I am appreciative of my colleagues, the members for Namatjira, Stuart, Arnhem, Brennan, and the Chief Minister, for their contributions today. I am grateful to the member for Greatorex, who was shadow minister for Health for a number of years. He plugged away at this issue for a long time and much of this has come about due to his hard work over that period.
Motion agreed to, statement noted.
Continued from 20 August 2013.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, it is a pleasure to comment on the Chief Minister’s statement about 12 months in government and the future directions of the government. The Chief Minister delivered a fantastic statement. I said to my colleague recently, at times you become so caught up in this job you fail to look in the rear vision mirror to see what has occurred.
I was stunned when I thought about what has happened in 12 months. I had to pinch myself because I thought, ‘Goodness me, we have not done such a bad job at all’. Generally, day to day, there are so many things going on you lose sight of what is being achieved.
To reflect on the past 12 months, it is important to know where we have come from. Twelve months ago coming into government we inherited a basket case. The debt and fiscal mismanagement of the previous government is now laid bare for all to see. There is a projected $5.5bn debt, the highest debt per capita of any jurisdiction in the country, and a $900m budget deficit. Spending $900m more than you have to is an alarming situation in itself and, by the previous government’s own reckoning, there was no end in sight for the accumulation of debt; it would have kept going.
There was the debt problem. We have talked so much about debt it hardly needs more explanation. However, there are other areas: the failing education system, the worst results, the worst outcomes in education of any jurisdiction in the country. Child protection was really the hallmark of the previous government. Its failure in child protection led to the Northern Territory intervention, trying to sweep the evidence under the carpet and hide things away. Eventually, it became too big to hide and, suddenly, the nation took notice and the Northern Territory intervention was born.
We inherited a failing health system. I listened to my colleague in relation to PATS and the changes she has made. She can only too well explain the dire straits health was in when we came to government and, in many ways, still is: failing infrastructure, a workforce which felt undervalued and was never consulted, many silos of power within a department, the left hand rarely knew what the right hand was doing, and all that type of turmoil. The Health minister has done a damned good job of clearing that up.
The housing crisis: the highest rents, the highest house prices in the country. At the moment our hotels are not full of tourists as we would like them to be, they are full of people who are living and working here. The reason is lack of housing accommodation. We have had to deal with that.
If the Power and Water Corporation had been let go for another six months it would almost certainly have had to close its doors. The power was about to be turned off across the Northern Territory.
Of course, how can you talk about what life was like 12 months ago without mentioning problem drunks all over our streets. It seemed you could not walk out your front door without falling over problem drunks. It did not matter whether you lived in Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Katherine, Darwin or a remote community, the place was crawling with drunks.
We had that ridiculous scheme, the Banned Drinker Register, where the previous government believed by putting someone’s name on a list they would automatically stop drinking - how bizarre. The whole idea was not about making people stop drinking, it was about punishing Territorians and people who are responsible with alcohol.
These are things we had to deal with and are still dealing with. You cannot solve these endemic problems overnight. After 11 years of a Labor government which did not care about money, spent on needless bureaucracy, was quite happy to see the education system failing, where child protection was failing, where health was failing, when housing was not available for people to live in, their own utility falling to pieces at the seams and about to wind up, problem drunks all over the streets, you know you are in for a tough time and some tough decisions have to be made.
I pay tribute to our original leadership team, the members for Blain and Araluen. The member for Araluen, in her role as Treasurer, had the lion’s share of lifting to do. What a dreadful situation to see that level of debt and have to make some of the decisions she did. However, she made those tough decisions. The mini-budget was a difficult thing for everyone in the Cabinet, but the Treasurer had to deliver the news. I pay tribute to her for the work she did in that role; it was a tough job.
Since coming to government we have put in place belt-tightening measures. We have been very particular about how we tighten the belt. We have kept our election commitment not to lay off frontline workers. As such, we have had to be quite creative in relation to belt-tightening because we do not want to cut spending with a cut in services. We tried to maintain services while tightening our belt. We have done a fairly good job in that regard.
However, with a looming debt of $5.5bn, which would have equated to 98% of debt-to-revenue ratio, virtually 100% of everything we received would have gone to pay interest on the debt. You hear them in opposition saying, ‘Why not do this program, why not do that program?’ Every day they have another reason to spend more money. They do not seem to get that, even after it has been explained to them, we are living beyond our means.
A $900m budget deficit is living beyond your means and something we are desperate to fix. We originally wanted to keep our election commitment to balance the books by 2015-16. but in February/March this year, when the Commonwealth Grants Commission made a determination to strip another $100m out of our GST money, it left us no option but to bite the bullet and do what we thought was a reasonably responsible thing, breach that election commitment and put off our return to surplus by two years to 2017-18.
Stripping $100m out of the Northern Territory government budget is akin to stripping $3bn out of the New South Wales budget. If a federal government tried to strip $3bn out of the New South Wales budget we would still be hearing about it. However, being the Northern Territory, no one seems to care too much about it taking $100m off us. As a government, it is a dreadful thing for us to deal with. How do we reduce spending further to live within our means? However, we have.
We have put together a responsible budget which includes every emerging cost we can think of, something the previous government never did. When we came into government we found more than $100m of unfunded liabilities. These were liabilities that occur every year; spending that was never accounted for in previous budgets. They said, ‘You knew about the debt levels’. Of course, we knew about the debt levels; they were in the pre-election fiscal outlook which had been published. We did not know there was $100m of other things not included. The budget handed down in May was about adding all those things up, accounting for them and saying, ‘We have to meet these commitments as well’.
There are things like police housing. You cannot just walk away from that, you have to fund it and we have. We funded the growth factor in health. We know demand pressures in health occur every year: ageing population and new technology, all of which puts pressures on the health system and means we know there will be growing costs every year. The health budget grows by 7% to 8% because of demand pressures.
I recently met with people in Canberra from the Commonwealth Grants Commission about what providing equal service means, new technology, for instance. It is now possible to put renal dialysis machines into remote communities, something not available a few years ago. I said, ‘If we are to provide like services we need to do that’. This is not about closing the gap; it is providing equal services across Australia no matter where you live. We cannot turn our back on renal dialysis. We will embrace the new technology, spend the money, and do what we can to save or extend lives in remote communities. There are enormous pressures there, but we put all that in the budget. We know it is looming and have budgeted for it. Consequently, we have a much more transparent and honest budget than in the previous 11 years.
There are changes to the health system: the new services framework and the way we have devolved decision-making into the regions. This gives remote doctors and nurses - not just government employees, but those from the NGO sector and from private practice - the ability to make decisions on the ground rather than working their way through a range of different silos and through a centralised, typically Labor-style bureaucracy.
That has been welcomed and is something health workers across the Territory have been wanting for years. Clearly, a nurse working in a remote clinic has a good idea of what services a patient in the waiting room needs, as opposed to someone sitting in an office in Darwin.
I was stunned this week to hear the opposition carping about education. We have had the worst education system in the country with the lowest attendance rates, the poorest outcomes, people finishing Year 12 who cannot read or write and, for some reason, the opposition believes that is fine. They believe they had it worked out and cannot understand why we want to reform education. After 11 years of failure you might think, ‘We give up, we are out of ideas. It is time you guys had a go. We will give you some latitude and see how things work out.’ Not these guys. They want us to stick with a failing system and keep doling out money to every harebrained scheme they come up with. It is madness.
On the housing crisis side, you can almost singularly lay the blame for our accommodation and housing crisis at the feet of the previous government. The failure to release land, the failure to approve developments and the failure to plan properly for the future are all from the previous government.
Since coming to government in the last 12 months we look behind and see we have had the fastest land release program in Australia and the highest construction rate in the country. We are leading the country in relation to construction of new houses. We are still not meeting demand, but are making a damn good start of it and are doing everything we can to grease the skids and get more land, more properties developed, more units developed and more houses developed. That seemed to be something the previous government could not give two hoots about.
Then you look at the great achievements we have made in our three-hub economy: mining, tourism and agriculture. I pay tribute to our Tourism minister and our Primary Industry and Mines minister. In the time I have lived in the Northern Territory I have never seen so many mines approved in such a short time.
Sherwin Iron’s major project status, Western Desert Resources, Australian Ilmenite, the list goes on, Crocodile Gold, Vista Gold - all these projects have come on in the last 12 months and we are riding companies to bring their projects forward and get them working now.
Not only has the minister worked hard in the mining area, he has been incredibly proactive in agriculture. The first thing he said was we were not putting in place Labor’s native vegetation legislation. You would have needed a full-blown EIS to prune a tree in your back yard. That is out the window. We now encourage people to clear and work the land, and we make water available. The previous government’s view was you would drain the Daly if you gave anyone water. I have never heard such mindless logic in my life. I believe the line was we would drain the Roper because one person accessed water. We would drain the entire river and there would be nothing left. That is the way they think ...
Mr Chandler: Like Victoria.
Mr TOLLNER: Yes. I remember in opposition, they would say, ‘We will not have another Murray-Darling in the Northern Territory’. Goodness me, there are 64 000 farms on the Murray-Darling producing over half of Australia’s food. No, the previous government would not have a bar of that. They did not want 64 000 farms in the Northern Territory or to produce half of Australia’s food. Goodness me, want a crime that is! No, we would not have a Murray-Darling in the Northern Territory.
We probably do not have 64 farms on the Daly River. We would not have 64 farms on the Roper River, or any other major river. There is no way known the previous government would have approved anyone growing anything.
Since coming to government we have eased many of those restrictions, made water available …
Mr Chandler: You needed a permit to cut a tree.
Mr TOLLNER: Yes, a full-blown EIS to prune a tree in your back yard. It became ridiculous.
Regarding the pastoral industry, I remember when that crazy senator and Julia Gillard - what was his name? The nong who banned …
A member: Heffernan.
Mr TOLLNER: No, Joe Ludwig. He decided to ban live cattle export …
Ms FINOCCHIARO: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I move an extension of time for the member for Fong Lim.
Motion agreed to.
Mr TOLLNER: Yes, the crazy senator, Joe Ludwig, and Julia Gillard decided to ban live cattle exports. It is easy to say that in Canberra, but if you live in the Northern Territory where live cattle export is the lifeblood of so many communities, you would hope the Northern Territory government might stand up for Northern Territorians. Not the mob on the other side. The Labor Chief Minister at the time welcomed the announcement. He said it was the circuit breaker we needed to have. Can you believe that? They put out of business half the grazing families in the Northern Territory and he welcomed the decision. You wonder what sort of representative body we had in the Northern Territory over those 11 years. He welcomed that decision.
Since coming to government the Chief Minister and the minister for Primary Industry have worked relentlessly, travelling to Indonesia, working with cattlemen, working with holding and finishing yards in Indonesia, visiting Vietnam, the Philippines and other potential customers and very quickly bringing our live export markets back on track. That is an amazing achievement considering the damage the previous government, in conjunction with their masters in Canberra, did to that industry.
The decision they made and the way they did it was akin to saying, ‘We know you are our nearest neighbour, but as far as we are concerned you are nothing but a pack of monkeys and we do not trust you with our cows’. What a message to send to you nearest neighbour! It is ridiculous. They could not even be bothered phoning the Indonesian President to say, ‘This is what we are considering doing’. The minister failed to understand what was occurring there was against their law. However, instead of us as Australians saying, ‘Let us try to fix this trouble. Do you need some assistance with policing, inspectors or something?’, we accused them of being a bunch of cruel monkeys we do not trust with our cows. It was a horrific decision to make.
The minister for Tourism has worked overtime in his portfolio to drive tourism and the knowledge of the Northern Territory across the globe. In the last 12 months we have seen SilkAir and Philippine Airlines arrive in the Northern Territory for the first time, Air Asia and Tigerair come back to the Territory, and in November this year we will see Malaysia Airlines flying into Darwin for the first time.
I cannot remember more airlines flying into Darwin in the last 20 years. That is at least 10 years of County Liberal government as well as 11 years of Labor government. These successes have happened in the last 12 months and you would have to ask why? How can one man get off his hind legs to visit a few countries, drive the Northern Territory brand throughout Europe and attract airlines the way he has, and the previous government could not? We have a costly debt to clean up from the debacle with Jetstar. Where is the famed Jetstar hub? They were singing from the rooftops, ‘We have Jetstar. They are building a hub and we will have planes coming and going all the time.’ Where are they? It was never going to happen. Jetstar did not build a hub and the government is enormously out of pocket. This was the decision-making of the previous government.
In a nutshell, in 12 months we have come to government and inherited a basket case from a government that could not make a decision, was compromised by a deal with a single member splinter group - splinter person, I believe, pardon the pun. We have come from that. You stop, you pull up, you think, and you see what has happened in 12 months. We have new mines, new airlines, increased trade and increased opportunity. There is talk about a second port, a second railway line and, suddenly, an air of enthusiasm is back in Darwin. There is optimism and the place is pumping again all in 12 months.
When this motion was brought on I had to think about what I might say. I pinched myself thinking, ‘Is this really what we have done in 12 months?’ It is incredible and, far from saying we have solved all the problems of the world, which clearly we have not, there is a hell of a lot more to do. We have been diligent and hard-working and see results of a new enthused government hard at work. It is a magnificent achievement and I pay tribute to each and every one of my colleagues and the many hundreds, if not thousands, of public servants who have all banded together behind the government and are all interested in working for the Territory. It has been a hell of a roller coaster ride. While every day we are faced with a new controversy or new issue to deal with and get caught up with that type of stuff, it pays every now and then to park the car, look in the rear view mirror, and see where we have come from.
Madam Speaker, I congratulate the Chief Minister on the statement. It is worthwhile, every now and then, to think about where we have come from as well as where we are going. The future looks bright. I am thrilled to be part of this government, and I believe in the next 12 months, two years, five years, 10 years great things will be achieved for the Northern Territory.
Debate adjourned.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of Mr Ian and Mrs Kit McNeill, Mr Scott McNeill, Mr Ray and Mrs Kerry Bloom, and Ms Jan Sporn. On behalf of honourable members, I extend a warm welcome to you and hope you enjoy your visit and time at Parliament House to view these proceedings.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Speaker, welcome to Ian and Kit. I hope you provide some flexibility on the 10-minute allowance at this point.
Madam SPEAKER: I am sure it can be accommodated, Chief Minister.
Mr GILES: Thank you. I put on the public record this tribute to …
Mr Wood: I believe we need a suspension of standing orders for that.
Mr GILES: Standing orders; we should talk to someone about that.
I put on record this tribute to Ian Bruce McNeill. In June this year, Ian retired from his position as Clerk of the Legislative Assembly following 28 years of dedicated service.
Born in Melbourne on 28 February 1947, Ian was educated at Essendon Grammar School. He graduated from the Australian National University with Bachelor of Arts. Then, from 1966 to 1985, Ian was an officer of the Australian Senate where he served in the Senate Records Office, the Table Office, the Procedure Office, and the Office of the Usher of the Black Rod. He also served in the Committee Office, which included duties such as Secretary of the Joint Publications Committee and the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs in Defence, Middle East and Africa Subcommittee.
During his time in Canberra, he witnessed the fall-out of the disappearance of a Prime Minister, Harold Holt, on 17 December 1967, and what has been described as the most traumatic and significant event in the first 100 years of the Australian Federation - the dramatic 11 November 1975 Whitlam government dismissal.
Ten years later, in 1985, the then Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Horace Guy Smith, a former officer of the Senate and Usher of the Black Rod, convinced Ian and wife, Kit, to venture north with their children, Scott, Beau and Jessica. The McNeills arrived in Darwin and Ian took up the position of Deputy Clerk.
At the time, the Legislative Assembly was a ramshackle group of buildings, some of which had been repaired following Cyclone Tracy. Members’ offices and lounges were in a series of demountables in the back yard of the Legislative Assembly precinct.
Following Guy Smith’s retirement on 24 May 1993, Ian was appointed Clerk of the Legislative Assembly by His Honour the Administrator, Honourable Austin Asche AC QC. The appointment was made pursuant to section 18A(4)(a) of the then Public Service Act, and on the recommendation of the Speaker at the time, Honourable Nick Dondas MLA.
In May 1999, Ian went on attachment to the House of Commons and the Scottish parliament.
Back in the Territory in 2001, in addition to being Clerk and Chief Executive of the Legislative Assembly, Ian, along with Clerks from other jurisdictions, played a key role in establishing the Australian and New Zealand Association of Clerks at the Table as a training vehicle in what was a very specialised area of public administration. He served on the Case Law Subcommittee for several years, and regularly presented papers at the association’s annual professional development seminar.
I note that as part of the activities, and in the spirit of rendering assistance to developing countries, the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly is twinned with the parliament of Timor-Leste, Norfolk Island and Niue, with other less formal arrangements with the parliament of Papua New Guinea. Under these arrangements, the Legislative Assembly provides mentoring and other assistance in respect of parliamentary procedure and administration.
During his tenure in the Northern Territory, Ian has presided over parliamentary committees including the committee that oversaw the design of this magnificent building, Parliament House, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year.
As Clerk, Ian has been Secretary to the Standing Orders Committee, Secretary to the Committee of Privileges and, more recently, Secretary to the Committee of Members’ Interests in respect of which he also acted as Registrar.
Ian has served, or suffered, depending on how one looks at it, nine Speakers, nine Chief Ministers and 12 Leaders of the Opposition. During his time there have been eight general elections and 16 by-elections and a marathon debate about the rights of Terminally Ill Bill, a bill Ian described as the Northern Territory Parliament coming of age, the disappointing overturning of that legislation by the federal parliament at the time and a formal remonstration with the same federal parliament.
Minority government came with some challenges, most notably the introduction of a select committee known as the Council of Territory Cooperation. Another variation of parliamentary committees was the Statehood Steering Committee. Whilst this committee had very specific terms of reference, the majority of its members were not members of the Assembly itself which is something of a deviation from the Westminster Convention.
In 2005, unsurprisingly and most deservedly, Ian was awarded the Public Service Medal for his services to this parliament. There is no doubt that Ian McNeill’s vast experience has been invaluable to the Assembly over many years. His laconic sense of humour has also being appreciated on many occasions. Ian has a love of history and theatre, thoroughbred horse racing, cricket and some would say Aussie Rules. One of his greatest loves of his life has been the Essendon Bombers, which may provide challenges over the next couple of years. His impressive collection of lanyards, all in black and red, leave you in no doubt about which club his allegiance lies.
I am convinced that Ian’s life in retirement will continue to be active. Travel will feature as he continues to support the talents of his landscape artist and photographer wife, Kit.
I know I speak for all members and former members of this Assembly as well as the many parliamentary officers Ian has mentored over many years, when I extend our sincere gratitude for his outstanding contribution. We give our best wishes for a long and happy retirement. I know Ian has received those wishes from as far away as the House of Commons and, most importantly, from his friend, Kevin Sheedy, at Essendon.
I hope we continue to see Ian, not only in red and black, but around the precincts of the Assembly from time to time.
I sincerely thank Ian McNeill for his many years of service to this House, and I look forward to catching up with Ian for a beer at the front bar of the casino should he not be travelling around the country participating in fantastic retirement events.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Speaker, I speak on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition, the Honourable Delia Lawrie, member for Karama, who sends her apologies as she is outside meeting with Northern Territory teachers who are exercising their democratic right to protest against the Northern Territory government.
I was privileged to attend the farewell dinner for Mr Ian McNeill and I ask that some of the quotes be put on to the public record about his school days and about the formative years, in particular from Dr Peter White, who was obviously an acknowledged teacher at the school Ian attended, which was Essendon Grammar School in Melbourne, and Dr Peter White said of Ian McNeill:
He also said:
Well, there may be a genetic link here. Ian’s father was Jack Thomas McNeill and, apart from his military record which describes his complexion as ‘fresh’, he was assessed on his discharge on 26 March 1946 as being of ‘very good’ character but ‘moderate’ efficiency in the naval mechanical environment. In determining Ian’s prospects the good Dr White said:
He continued:
I am sure Dr White was an excellent teacher because his assessment seemed to well and truly fit the bill, and Mr McNeill’s career, spanning 47 years of service to Australian parliaments and the people of Australia, including 28 years as Clerk of this Assembly, certainly did testimony to Dr White’s assessment of a young Ian McNeill.
His is truly a distinguished career, and I also note that Ian McNeill was awarded a Public Service Medal in 2005, which certainly testifies to outstanding service.
What I can say in relation to myself as a new member of this House is Ian, the former Clerk, always made new members feel very welcome, and I am very grateful for the guidance and support that Ian provided me, and I am sure my colleagues, when I started in 2008. There would be many members of this House who could testify to the same support and guidance of a man very well versed in the democratic system, in parliamentary procedures, and very willing to help.
There are some anecdotes which were heard at the dinner and around the halls of parliament about Ian’s interest in football, I was not able to participate in many of those discussions because I do not know much about Australian Rules football, but I did learn that Ian is very interested in AFL football and about his own career playing AFL football, with some very funny anecdotes about a player. I understand his fanaticism about the Essendon Football Club and, when you link all those together, there are certainly some interesting anecdotes.
As the member for Barkly I found it very interesting, and I may be able to claim I was the only member who exchanged cash with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, because annually Mr McNeill used to turn over some cash to me which, as a member, I thought was very interesting but, as a minister, I got a little nervous. However, this was his contribution to the famous Rossie Williams’ Julalikari tipping competition in Tennant Creek, and I used to take down the $50 and ensure Ian’s entry was received. I hope you did well because there was some significant prize money in that competition. It has not run since Rossie left Julalikari and left town and, consequently, the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly refrained from exchanging cash with the member for Barkly from that day on.
It is people like Ian McNeill who are the lifeblood of our strong democratic institutions and his expertise, impartiality, great humour and leadership are essential for that role. Ian also loves sport. He is a great Territorian, and he certainly is a gregarious character who is inspirational to other Territorians, and to members of parliament.
So, on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition, on behalf of myself and colleagues on this side of the House, I would like to wish Ian and Kit, and the family all the best in your retirement.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would also like to say a few words on behalf of our past Clerk - I will use the correct pronunciation.
Everyone knows Ian McNeill is a fanatical Essendon supporter, but he is not only that, he is someone who has a great knowledge of the tradition of the Westminster system. He understands the symbolism we see before us here today: where the Speaker sits, where the Chair of Committee sits, the distance across the table which, I am told, two swords could not quite reach, and all those things we have when we have an opposition and a government.
Ian would understand today the government has brought in some more symbolism especially for him due to his strong relationship with Essendon.
On the Notice Paper today there are two items, the first is the Advance Personal Planning Bill, and the symbolism here is not about Ian, but about James Hird, who obviously needs to look ahead because he does not have a job. The government obviously brought this bill on to help him consider his future. The second one is the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill.
Government, how did you think of that? The symbolism is there. Obviously, there was something in the three-quarter time oranges at Essendon that caused the problem, and the government has brought forward this bill to ensure it does not happen again.
I thank the government for bringing on these notices; they are symbolic, and they have true practical application. I hope Essendon is listening because I am speaking as a true Hawthorn supporter. Unfortunately, I did not bring my scarf today.
The former Clerk of this House is a down-to-earth person; he is a great supporter of a football team - whether it is AFL or what does not matter - but he also conscientiously ensured this House ran as it should.
He is extremely knowledgeable about the Westminster system, and he is extremely knowledgeable - when I was Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees - about all those aspects a new person in this House has no idea about. Anyone who sits in that Chair knows when you have tricky people, like the member for Port Darwin, on either side, questions are put to the Speaker they do not have the knowledge to answer. Who do they go to? They go to the Clerk, because the Clerk has that knowledge. He has an enormous amount of knowledge.
I relied on his advice, as well. When I had to make a decision about supporting a minority government, the Clerk was there to give me advice. Not advice to say what I should do, but advice as to what I should be looking at when I making my decision. I appreciated that advice very much because it was a very difficult time.
He also helped set up some of the committees. The Chief Minister mentioned the Council of Territory Cooperation, which was different, but it was set up with the Clerk’s advice and help. I am not saying it did not have its problems, but it was something very few other governments have had, probably no other government has had, in that format. Much of the way it was constructed was, thankfully, due to Ian’s knowledge and advice.
He also has a great sense of humour; it is a dry sense of humour but, again, it shows you he was a man for this parliament. There were times we had serious moments here, but there were also times when Ian could crack a joke and enjoy a joke, and that is what made him special.
Yes, he had a good knowledge of football. Yes, he had a good knowledge of racing. Do they have a Clerk’s Association? Some of those Clerk’s Association meetings were held awfully close to certain racing events, I gather, but I am sure that was purely coincidental. However, stories about certain major racing events did come back to the 3rd floor after a trip to an Association meeting. And that is part of what Mr Ian McNeill is about.
I am just trying to think of the name of the film which is named after the patron saint of politics, I know it is called A Man for All Seasons …
Madam SPEAKER: Sir Thomas More.
Mr WOOD: Yes, Thomas More. I believe we had a man for all seasons with Ian McNeill, because he is someone who has that touch of the ordinary person, but also the ability to rise above that when the occasion required it. When this parliament needed a strong Clerk to ensure the traditions of this House remained strong, and the parliamentary process continued as it has done for hundreds of years, I believe Mr Ian McNeill is someone who was able to do that.
I thank Ian for his friendship, his humour, and his advice. I would like to tell him there are other football teams out there which are much better, with much nicer colours - preferably brown and gold.
All the best in the future, and I suppose I have to say the good old Bombers will be back in next year, anyway. Thank you.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I too would like to put on the record a tribute to Ian Bruce McNeill. I first met Ian a few years before I was a member of the Legislative Assembly. In fact, I went for a job in Legies, and he did not give it to me. I do not think it was Ian. I am, perhaps, fortunate he did not give me the job because I reckon somewhere along the line I would have been tricked into running for Labor. It was probably a good thing it did not work out. That was around about 2003.
Some years later coming into this House, one of the very first things I learnt was that our Clerk is a man who played with a straight bat. In this game, things are said in the heat of the moment, many things are put on the record, and many claims are made from both sides of politics. However, when you find someone who genuinely plays with a straight bat, you do not let them go. This House recognised that many years ago; when someone does play with a straight bat, you do not let them go.
It is really sad that you got old! However, no one has the pill, and I am looking at others here; there are a few people getting old. However, I digress.
I pay tribute to a man who, on numerous occasions, has helped me out since becoming a member of the Legislative Assembly. Each time, that advice was down the line. There would not be a person in this House who has not, from time to time, gone to Ian for advice, and other staff within Legies as well, but particularly Ian for his advice.
I was looking through some of the notes that have been put together and found some things Ian has been involved in. I now have a clear understanding of why some people in the general population are confused about politics and bureaucracy. When you see things written about the Table Office - there is a Table Office? What would an outsider think of that? What is a Table Office, do they have an office for a table? What the hell is government all about? They have a Procedures Office - an office for procedure? And then there is the Office of the Usher of the Black Rod. Now, come on! That sounds like Baldrick out of Blackadder. There are some unusual names here. There is a Committee Office, Joint Publications Committee, Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs - all these different committees we have with strange names. Now I understand it is not politicians who confuse the general population; it is the Clerks.
I reckon, like the Masons, they have a secret handshake and all these things when they meet. We heard the member for Nelson say they meet around times of racing carnivals and things like that ...
Mr Wood: Accidental.
Mr CHANDLER: Accidental, right. They must have these secrets that are only known to Clerks around the world. However, we have had a Clerk in this place for so long who has provided help to so many MLAs over the years. As the Chief Minister said before, you have suffered – or served – through nine Speakers, nine Chief Ministers, 12 Leaders of the Opposition, eight general elections, and 16 by-elections.
That is a hell of an achievement to have gone through and to have seen the changes in this place. I am certain governments of different persuasions, whether they are Labor or conservative, would have different philosophies and different ways of operating. When you have someone in the middle providing a rudder to ensure this place runs smoothly and we, on both sides of the House, do not get too far out of kilter; to know someone is there with a steady hand at the wheel keeping this wonderful building and the system of government we have in the Northern Territory going is something we desperately needed, and I know it will continue.
We have a great new Clerk, and I am absolutely certain Michael has learnt a great deal from you over the last few years, and I am sure he will also play with a straight bat. So, if we get the same service out of Michael, who cannot go anywhere now for 28 years, he better bed down and set his roots right here because we want someone for the long term.
I note you were awarded the Public Service Medal for service to this parliament, and that is something that you should be immensely proud of. Learning you are an Essendon Bombers fan, that is obviously your Achilles heel, even after the tragic events of recent days and, as the member for Nelson says, there are other teams out there if you should need to change course and support another club – Carlton would be a good choice – and if you wanted to go one step further, and I know this is a big call, you could always swap to rugby league – a man’s game, rugby league – it will be there waiting for you.
I sincerely want to pay a debt of gratitude for your outstanding contribution to this House. Thank you for your personal help in assisting me in the last five years I have been in this House. You will be missed, certainly not forgotten, and I am sure plenty of others have learnt from your attributes. Thank you. Ian.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms MANISON (Wanguri): Madam Speaker, I wish to pay tribute and acknowledge the work of Ian McNeill, the man most in this House know as the recently retired Clerk of the Assembly, but to me he is first and foremost my father-in-law. We would all agree that behind every great man there is an amazing woman, and in this case it is my mother-in-law, Kit McNeill. She has always wholeheartedly supported Ian’s career and been there for him through the good and the bad and, with that in mind, I asked Kit to share her reflections on Ian’s career and the pathway it has taken their family during this time.
Kit said:
Ian’s daughter, Jess Herraman, also wanted to place the following on the record.
Thank you for your contribution Kit and Jess.
Madam Speaker, it has always been very clear to me that the team at the Legislative Assembly is a close one. There is no doubt, as members and staffers in this building, we always appreciate the hard work and effort the team put in to running the parliament and the long hours they serve. It is also clear the staff of the Department of the Legislative Assembly loved Lumpy and had a great deal of respect for their boss.
This was reflected in the recent tribute dinner you and the staff of the Assembly organised for him as his official farewell. From that evening I would like to take some of the highlights from one of the many wonderful speeches delivered on the night. It included:
We acknowledge the service of Ian McNeill PSM, a man who was described by one of his own parliamentary officers as a ‘rare beast’. In fact, in the acknowledgements in her Ph.D. thesis, she said:
That was from Dr Robyn Smith, the Clerk’s Executive Officer, who captured the respect and esteem in which Ian is held by his colleagues.
They pay tribute to someone who, if you live under a rock you have not heard, is a Bombers zealot, a racing man, a family man, a Creedence and Otis Redding man.
On the topic of football, Clerk McNeill had occasion to make a sympathy call to Clerk Wright from the House of Representatives who had suffered a broken sternum. Clerk McNeill informed Clerk Wright that it was a common football injury. Clerk Wright asked Clerk McNeill if it had ever happened to him. Clerk McNeill responded, I’ve never had a broken sternum, but I might have caused one or two’.
A studious fellow, Ian McNeill is a man of few words. Former member, for Macdonnell, Neil Bell, recorded it was impossible for a zealous opposition member to get past him various terms of abuse. Bell was pretty sure there was no one on the government benches who would pick up ‘meretricious’ which means lying, and is therefore only acceptable by way of substantive motion. Bell said he can still see Lumpy leaning back advising Speaker McCarthy it would have to be withdrawn.
Madam Speaker, these are just a few of many stories told on the evening. I would also like to add a few of the highlight tributes from the evening for the Hansard record. The first one reads:
The next tribute reads:
To Ian (Lumpy)
Another tribute read:
Madam Speaker, there were more tributes as well and I know that Ian really appreciated the effort people made to include the reflections on the evening.
I would also like to make mention of the Auditor-General’s Report presented at the retirement dinner titled The Bombers are Rubbish, Collingwood Rules. The Auditor-General went into considerable detail about the history of one of Australia’s greatest rivalries. On the motion that those assembled take note of the report, the dinner divided and the motion was negatived.
In his address-in-reply, Ian pointed out that at least with the Bombers the drugs go into the athletes and not onto the streets, when it came to Essendon versus Collingwood.
Also on the evening a tribute was screened. The tribute was put together by Franco Tistillo of ABC Television and was very well received. The ABC’s Murray McLaughlin pointed out he had to pay $10 for the Network Against Prohibition footage of the Chamber invasion in 2002 because Speaker Braham refused to release it and he had to buy it from an NAP stall at the Nightcliff markets. They sought to have the footage for their defence in court and value-added by using it to raise funds for their case.
Another item presented on the evening was a photographic tribute to Ian which was on display at the dinner, and also there were the tributes.
Madam Speaker, I seek leave to table those documents as well as the minutes taken from that evening.
Leave granted.
Ms MANISON: I would also like to thank Robyn Smith for her work in providing much of this information for this adjournment tonight. I would also like to thank Kit and Jess for their contributions.
On a personal note from my husband, Scott, and me, I would like to put our love and best wishes for Ian on the record. To us he is Lumpy, the man who is a parliamentary standing orders and historical extraordinaire. He is a man who always has a good story about his life encounters, whether they be some of the more humorous, bizarre or controversial moments about being involved in parliament, to the old stories about the glory days as a football player.
To me, a relatively newcomer to the family, he is a man of many stories about the McNeill family adventures and the many comical mishaps they have had over the years which, I might add, never seem to stop. I like to use the term ‘doing a McNeill’ to describe these situations they seem to find themselves in. Some of these stories have left me wondering at times how the McNeills always seem to land on their feet, but they always do, and they certainly have many good laughs whenever they look back. That is what Ian and his family are all about, living each day to the full, never taking what you have for granted, and always making sure you see the good humour in life.
On behalf of the McNeill family, Ian, we are very proud of you and the contribution you have made to the Territory. We look forward to seeing you around much more and sharing many more stories over the years. We wish you well in your new adventures in retirement.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, tonight I contribute to this adjournment debate and congratulate the former Clerk on his contribution to this parliament. Obviously, as a new member, I do not know the Clerk very well, but I had heard many good things about you before I got to sit in this chair. All our encounters have been wonderful and, by all accounts, you are a remarkable individual with a very loving family.
Tonight, I am speaking on behalf of my future father-in-law, former Chief Minister Denis Burke, who cannot be here tonight:
I do not understand what that means, but I am sure you do! When I first read that paragraph I thought, holy geez, what is this about, Denis?
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I certainly do not propose to know the former Clerk personally, like some members here, particularly the member for Wanguri and many others. But, I have certainly developed a great professional relationship with the Clerk. I was upstairs thinking: I am the longest serving consecutive Country Liberal member in this House, apart from Terry Mills, and that is a frightening prospect for many. I thought it has been six years since I came to this parliament through a by-election at the time of the retirement of Dr Richard Lim, and as the member for Wanguri and member for Blain would know, when you enter parliament through a by-election you tend to get special treatment. You are not one of a whole pack that enter parliament at the same time, you are a one-off case, and you get pretty good treatment; and I certainly received that from the Legislative Assembly as a whole.
At the time, it was Brian Cook who came down to Alice Springs to take me through the induction process, and then we came up here for the full induction which was led by the Clerk and Captain David Horton, at the time.
Ian, I really want to thank you for the personal attention you provided me as a new member of parliament. It is very difficult when you enter a job like this, particularly if you come from the outside world. Some people have had a taste of what it is like to be in politics, they might have been an advisor or what have you, but I came from the private sector, I had no idea about parliament or politics or how it worked. When you come from one environment to this, you really are very fresh and a real cleanskin, and unaware of what lies ahead.
To have the guidance provided to you by the Legislative Assembly – and you really were the Legislative Assembly. You provided that leadership to all the staff in this building, not only personally, but through them - they were able to offer such wonderful service.
I am very grateful for that because if we look back to that period of 2007-08 there was only four of us in opposition, so it pretty difficult. At the time we thought we did a pretty good job, having about 15 or 16 portfolios each but, really, at the end of the day, we were just getting smashed. That is all it was. We could barely keep the parliament open until about 3 pm; it was hard work.
You were there and you provided that guidance to all of us; we could pick up the phone, if you were not available, you would ring straight back. That is the calibre of guy you were, and still are. Like the member for Nelson, we talk about you as you were in your capacity as Clerk of this parliament.
I thank you for that, and I really will remember you fondly as a result of the way you conducted yourself professionally. I believe you are a great role model for all of us in this parliament. I also know that many of the staff will miss you; we will all miss having you around.
You were not very good at whispering. I do not know if you remember sitting over there when the former Speaker would be looking for some advice and we could all hear what you were saying to her. You walked up there and put your ear down, and we could certainly hear what was going on.
There are very fond memories, and I really wanted to add my personal vote of gratitude and thanks to you, and I really wish you and your family all the very best in your future endeavours. Thanks very much.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I would like to pay compliments and tribute to the former Clerk, Mr Ian McNeill. I thought I would refresh Mr McNeill’s memory in regard to a former member of this parliament, my mother, Noel Padgham Purich. Noel Padgham has asked me to pass on her very best wishes to you and I know that she and you have shared many a telephone call discussing merits of certain things and definitions of words. So, I wanted to remind you of how it was, and I can put on the record: thankfully, I am not quite like this previous member.
Adjournment, 13 August 1992, the issue was the hoary old one of Planning:
Then we had another one. Adjournment, 24 August 1992, Planning again. This is Mr Bailey in continuance:
This one is probably very memorable for you. Adjournment: 13 May 1992, on the topic of agile wallabies at East Point:
Mrs Padgham Purich continues:
But there was more following further interjections and, not to be put off at the time, Mrs Padgham Purich said:
Further, she said:
And further on:
On 30 April 1991, Mrs Padgham Purich:
Then there was a question by Mrs Padgham Purich to Chief Minister Perron on 12 May 1992:
It makes you wonder, does it not, what they did in those days.
Then on to firearms, which you know are very popular in the rural area, from Mrs Padgham Purich, member for Nelson, on 19 October 1993:
On that note, I will conclude the comments from the former member for Nelson. She sends her best wishes to you, Mr McNeill.
I also pay a personal tribute, too. During my short time in parliament - four years in opposition and, of course, one year as Speaker - I have always appreciated your guidance and assistance in some of the more technical aspects of the job, of which there are many, which not all people, even in this Chamber, realise.
I know your retirement will never be retirement. You are not retiring, you just moving from one phase to another phase in your life with Kit and your family.
I wish you the very best in your travels and make sure, Mrs McNeill, that your luxury indoor/outdoor camping always involves a motel room and never have a swag on the ground.
I wish you the very best, and congratulations on your long, meritorious and esteemed career.
Members: Hear, hear!
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
DISTINGUISHED VISITOR
Hon Neville Perkins
Hon Neville Perkins
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of Hon Neville Perkins, a previous member of the Legislative Assembly. On behalf of honourable members, welcome again, Mr Perkins.
Members: Hear, hear!
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence also in the gallery of Year 3, 4 and 5 students from Holy Family Catholic Primary School, accompanied by their teacher Racheal Joyce. On behalf of honourable members, welcome to Parliament House.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: I understand there is a special person in the Holy Family group called Zac.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Welcome, Zac Lawrie.
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Use of Standing Orders during Question Time
Use of Standing Orders during Question Time
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, with regard to Question Time yesterday, this week and last week, it has been robust, which is okay. However, standing orders are specifically there for a purpose: enforcement first and foremost, and guidance second. If you are using standing orders, please be specific how you use them. Standing Order 113 might relate to relevance, but you need to specify how it relates to relevance in regard to the minister answering the question.
TABLED PAPER
Public Accounts Committee
2012-13 Annual Report
Public Accounts Committee
2012-13 Annual Report
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I table the 2012-13 Annual Report of the Public Accounts Committee.
MOTION
Print Paper - Public Accounts Committee 2012-13 Annual Report
Print Paper - Public Accounts Committee 2012-13 Annual Report
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I move that the paper be printed.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Note Paper - Public Accounts Committee 2012-13 Annual Report
Note Paper - Public Accounts Committee 2012-13 Annual Report
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the paper.
Prior to reviewing the work of the Public Accounts Committee in 2012-13, I would like to acknowledge the contribution of Hon Peter Styles MLA, Chair of the committee from the beginning of the Twelfth Assembly until discharged on his appointment to the ministry in March 2013. In particular, I acknowledge Peter’s excellent work in progressing the Darwin Correctional Precinct inquiry.
A key role of the Public Accounts Committee is to examine the expenditure of public money and to ensure government agencies are managed efficiently and effectively. This regular oversight of public expenditure is largely undertaken by considering the findings in the Auditor-General’s reports and following up on issues of particular concern.
Although the committee has followed up on a number of matters raised by the Auditor-General, the Department of Infrastructure’s Asset Management System and the Department of Health’s Grant Management System have been given more intensive consideration. The extensive delays and escalating costs associated with both these projects has had a considerable impact on government business and services.
Over the course of the year, the committee has held three public hearings in order to further explore the issues associated with these projects with the relevant agencies. This week, the committee held a further public hearing on the asset management system and is considering options for ensuring lessons are learnt from these projects.
On 5 December 2012, the committee accepted an inquiry referral from the Attorney-General regarding the public private partnership arrangements for the Darwin Correctional Precinct. This inquiry has been a major focus of the committee for much of the year, with the final report being tabled in May.
The committee found procurement and management of the Darwin Correctional Precinct largely conformed to the national PPP guidelines, and was satisfied PPP procurement offered the best value for money. However, the committee also found guidelines for public disclosure of the cost in contractual terms of the public private partnership projects were inadequate and, consequently, recommended ways in which this could be remedied.
Additional activities of the Public Accounts Committee included a briefing from the Auditor-General on the strategic review of the NT Auditor-General’s Office undertaken by Bentleys (SA) Pty Ltd, and the attendance of me, Mr Gerry Wood MLA, and the Clerk Assistant of Committees at the Australian Council of Public Accounts Committees Conference held in Sydney in May 2013. The conference was very informative and we were impressed with the substantial role committees play in many jurisdictions, particularly in relation to the legislative process, policy development, and scrutiny of government administration.
In this respect, the committee considers there is significant potential for the Northern Territory’s committee system to be expanded. An expanded committee system would facilitate a more thorough consideration of bills and provide greater opportunities to engage the community on some of the policy challenges facing the Northern Territory.
The outcomes documented in this annual report highlight the important role the Public Accounts Committee plays in monitoring government expenditure and in identifying strategies for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of government agencies.
Much thanks goes to the Auditor-General, Frank McGuiness, for the assistance he has provided to the committee. Frank regularly outlines to the committee the significant issues raised in his audits, and appears as a very helpful witness at most hearings the committee holds. His professional advice is invaluable to the work of the committee.
I thank the agencies involved for the assistance provided in clarifying issues of concern or interest to the committee. My thanks also go to committee members for their cooperative and bipartisan approach to the conduct of the committee’s activities, and to the secretariat staff for their support.
Madam Speaker, I seek leave to continue my remarks at a later date.
Leave granted.
Debate adjourned.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery, also the gallery on the ground floor, of Year 10 students from Casuarina Senior College. On behalf of honourable members, I extend a warm welcome to you. Welcome to Parliament House and I hope you enjoy your stay here.
Members: Hear, hear!
ADVANCE PERSONAL PLANNING BILL
(Serial 41)
(Serial 41)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The Northern Territory does not currently have legislation allowing a person to appoint a medical attorney. The Powers of Attorney Act is limited to financial and property matters. Issues of health and welfare decisions can only be dealt with by appointment of a guardian under the Adult Guardianship Act. No Territory legislation allows competent individuals to make future binding decisions about their health, or to appoint substitute decision-makers of their own choice in case they lose decision-making capacity in the future.
The Advance Personal Planning Bill 2013 will address these gaps in law. The bill is based on the consultation bill released for public comment in June 2013, with a range of improvements made as a result of this consultation.
The bill I am introducing today will provide Territorians with modern legislation for the making of advance health directives and appointing medical powers of attorney. It will bring the Northern Territory into line with all other jurisdictions in Australia, some of which have had similar legislation in place for 20 years.
This bill has been a long time coming and I am very proud to be introducing it today.
The underlying purpose of this bill is providing autonomy and comfort to people when it comes to decisions about their future. It will give people the ability to make their own decisions for their future healthcare and lifestyle arrangements.
Essentially, the bill will allow people to make documents commonly called living wills. With the increase in mortality rates, these days many people’s bodies are outlasting their brains. However, the bill is not just aimed at the older generation; it is there for all Territorians. For example, a young healthy man could receive a shock to the head in a sporting accident, robbing him of his decision-making ability.
The bill is about empowering a person to make their own decisions. If a person does not wish to make provision for their future and rely on the existing role of family, they do not have to do anything. However, if, for example, a person values quality of life over longevity or wishes to nominate a specific person to make decisions for them, Territorians will now have the ability to provide for their future.
The advance personal plan is the vehicle under the bill which allows a person with the relevant planning capacity to provide for that future. An advance personal plan can contain one or all of the three following elements:
advance consent decisions - commonly referred to as advance health directives
advance care statements
the appointment of one or more persons to make decisions for the person.
I will now go through each of these elements in more detail.
Advance consent decisions are legally binding documents for the making of decisions relating to future healthcare. For example, a person may make an advance consent decision refusing to have certain treatments such as blood transfusions, chemotherapy, radiation or antibiotics. An advance consent decision has the effect as if the person makes the decision at the time it is proposed to take the healthcare action. A person may make multiple advance consent decisions.
It should also be noted that advance consent decisions can be made in respect of a person by their appointed decision-maker or adult guardian. Such decisions can only be made where there is no inconsistency with an advance consent decision in an advance personal plan.
However, there are some limited circumstances when a court can order that a consent decision in an advance personal plan be disregarded, such as where the court determines there was no reasonable possibility the adult would have intended the consent decision to apply or it would cause the adult unacceptable pain and suffering.
There are a number of restricted matters under the bill decision-makers cannot make decisions about, including termination of pregnancy, sterilisation and the removal of non-regenerative tissue, for example, kidney donation. If it is considered necessary to take these actions, family or the decision-maker will need to seek a court order. These restrictions were inserted as a result of consultation with the community. It is accepted that these types of medical procedures are of such a serious and sensitive nature that a court order is appropriate.
Advance care statements are written statements containing the person’s views, wishes and beliefs as the basis on which he or she wants anyone to act if they make decisions for him or her in the future. Advance care statements may be made in relation to a range of matters including accommodation, day-to-day living matters (such as diet and dress), healthcare, relationships with other people, employment, education, banking, property ownership, management of assets, carrying on a trade or business, insurance or legal matters.
If an advance consent statement is made it must be followed by all decision-makers. If there are no decision-makers appointed, then the statement will simply apply as a general statement to the world, their carer and health providers as to how the person wishes to live their life.
The bill provides competent adults can appoint one or more decision-makers of their own choosing who they trust to make decisions for them when they have impaired decision-making capacity. A decision-maker can be any person who is 18 or more years of age, a licensed trustee company, the Public Trustee or the Public Guardian. When making a decision, a decision-maker must essentially stand in the shoes of the person and they must exercise their decision-making power in a way the person would have wanted. A decision of a decision-maker has the same legal effect as if it were a decision of the person themselves.
The bill sets out a number of decision-making principles which must be followed and which assist decision-makers in carrying out the wishes of the person. As mentioned above, a decision-maker must exercise their authority so as to give effect to any relevant advance care statement.
Decision-makers can be appointed based on any terms the person wants, including by way of appointment of alternate or serial decision-makers. For example, an adult may appoint his wife while she is alive, then his daughter on his wife’s death or incapacity. Alternatively, an adult who has a son who works away may appoint her son as a primary decision-maker and a friend as a secondary decision-maker when the son is unavailable.
A decision-maker can also be appointed generally or for specific matters. If appointed generally, a decision-maker could make all the healthcare, residential accommodation, personal and financial decisions the person could lawfully make if they had decision-making capacity. Alternatively, a person could appoint a decision-maker for only specific matters, for example, for end of life decisions.
It would also be possible under the bill to appoint different decision-makers for different matters. For example, a person may want to appoint one decision-maker for financial and legal matters, and another person for their health and lifestyle matters.
It should be noted there are a number of matters a decision-maker will always be excluded from making decisions on. These matters include the power to vote, consent to adoption, and to marry or divorce.
I will now go through some of the supporting provisions of the bill.
To make an advance personal plan, the bill requires an adult must have planning capacity. As a legal document, an adult completing the form must understand what an advance personal plan is, and the effect of it, and make the plan without coercion or other undue influence.
The plan must be witnessed by an authorised witness. In the original bill this was limited to persons appointed under the Oaths, Affidavits and Declarations Act, for example, a Justice of the Peace or Commissioners for Oaths. However, the concern was not all Territorians have easy access to such officers. The bill now provides for the prescribing of other persons as authorised witnesses, and it is intended to also prescribe other suitable persons such as medical practitioners and nurses.
The bill provides for the minister to approve the form of the advance personal plan. A person must use the approved form if it appoints a decision-maker with financial powers. Any other plans may be in the approved form or in writing in accordance with the prescribed requirements.
The public will be encouraged to use the forms, but the bill does allow the flexibility for people to prepare their own plans, including legibly handwritten plans. A range of comprehensive forms will be prepared and will be available online and from the department.
Although the bill provides for the establishment of a central register, registration will not be mandatory except where a decision-maker needs to deal with a land transfer. However, it is strongly recommended that adults who make an advance personal plan register it to ensure it is kept in a central place which will be easily located.
Having a central repository will also make it easier for healthcare professionals to access the most up-to-date plans and make them more willing to rely on them when providing medical treatment to the person.
The bill contains a clear description of what is decision-making capacity and what is not deemed impaired decision-making capacity. This definition is important as it is the basis on when an advance personal plan will be relied upon.
A decision-maker can only make decisions and an advance consent decision will only be relied on for a person where the person does not have decision-making capacity for the relevant matter.
The bill provides that decision-making capacity relates to the ability to understand information, weigh the information in order to make a decision and communicate thoughts about that in some way.
An adult is presumed to have decision-making capacity until the contrary is shown. The bill, however, accommodates temporary and fluctuating decision-making capacity. In particular it accommodates the needs of people with a dementia whose capacity to make decisions may fluctuate daily.
The bill will also accommodate situations where a person may have decision-making capacity for some matters, for example, their level of comfort and eating needs, but not others, for example complex financial and legal matters.
The Local Court will have the role of resolving disputes and uncertainties in relation to advance personal plans. The Local Court will have power to make a range of declarations, including whether an adult has impaired decision-making capacity for a matter, whether an advance personal plan is valid, whether a consent decision or advance care statement is applicable, the scope and authority of decision-makers, and any other matters relating to the validity, effect or meaning of an advance personal plan.
The Local Court has the power to make necessary orders in relation to decision-makers, amend or revoke advance personal plans, and hear urgent applications for consent decisions. Appeals from decisions of the Local Court are to be made to the Supreme Court.
The bill also provides enforcement and compliance provisions. A number of offences are created, including falsely representing to be a decision-maker, improperly inducing another to make an advance personal plan, improper exercise of authority by a decision-maker, and providing misleading information.
Concerns were raised by the health professions as to protections for medical providers if they rely on the contents of an advance personal plan to take healthcare action, including not taking healthcare action. Division 3 of Part 4 of the bill provides that protection. Healthcare providers, including nurses and paramedics, will be protected if they reasonably rely on a decision made in an advance consent decision or under a decision of a decision-maker if they do so reasonably. For example, if they rely on an advance consent decision that has been overridden by a court or subsequent document, but they reasonably believe the decision is still in effect, they will be protected. However, if a healthcare provider takes healthcare action for an adult knowing it is contrary to the advance consent decision then that healthcare provider’s conduct could possibly constitute unprofessional conduct.
It is recognised people now move across jurisdictions so much more easily than they did in the past. The Territory is also home to many people whose extended families live outside the Territory. It is essential any legislation that allows for the making of living wills will operate to recognise plans made in other Australian jurisdictions. If a person makes a valid living will or advance health directive under the Victorian legislation and later develops dementia and moves to the Territory to be cared for by relatives, it is important that the Victorian document should also be able to be relied upon.
To enable the legal recognition of similar interstate documents, the bill provides that a similar document made in another jurisdiction has effect in the Northern Territory as if it were an advance personal plan. However, a provision of an interstate document that could not be made in this jurisdiction, for example a provision requesting the administration of euthanasia or other unlawful healthcare, is void and has no effect.
It may also be possible to make an advance directive refusing medical treatment at common law, but the legal effect of such directives in the Northern Territory is unclear. The New South Wales Supreme Court decision in Hunter and New England Area Health Service v A (2009) 74 NSWLR 88 appears to the be the first occasion in which an Australian superior court has directly considered the effect of an advance directive at common law. In this case, Justice McDougall determined that the common law allows a competent adult to make an advance directive refusing life-sustaining medical treatment.
The position adopted elsewhere is the legislation does not affect documents that lawfully operate in accordance with common law principles outlined in the decision in Hunter. Similarly, the bill recognises advance personal plans, for example, advance consent decisions, made under the common law and will continue to recognise them. The effect of preserving the common law also means many documents will be valid despite not complying with the technical requirements of the Northern Territory legislation.
Specifically in respect to property and financial affairs, the bill covers areas covered by enduring powers of attorney under the Powers of Attorney Act. In a subsequent bill dealing with consequential and transitional provisions, it is proposed the ability to make an enduring power of attorney under the Powers of Attorneys Act will be closed off and such documents made through advance personal plans in the future.
The bill will also affect a number of other acts including the Adult Guardianship Act, Aged and Infirmed Persons’ Property Act, Emergency Medical Operations Act, the Mental Health and Related Services Act, Disability Services Act, Public Trustee Act, and a consequential amendment bill will be prepared for introduction in October 2013.
This important bill was developed after a comprehensive consultation process. The Department of the Attorney-General and Justice released an issues paper and consultation draft of the bill in June 2013. During the consultation period, departmental staff conducted a number of public presentations and consultation sessions in Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, and Gove on the consultation draft. As Attorney-General, I attended sessions in Darwin, Palmerston, and a further session in Alice Springs. In particular, I thank the Council of the Ageing and Alzheimer’s Australia for hosting the advance personal planning workshop in Darwin.
There were 12 formals submissions received and a number of comments provided at the public presentations. Almost all of the written submissions were supportive of the consultation bill and acknowledged the need to legislate in this area. I recognise the valuable input received from the health profession, the aged care and community sector, and the public generally. I thank everyone for their submissions and comments on this bill and believe we have a much better product as a result of their contributions. I also thank the department for their hard work and effort in preparing this bill.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
MISUSE OF DRUGS AMENDMENT (METHAMPHETAMINE) BILL
(Serial 42)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The Misuse of Drugs Act criminalises the manufacture of, the possession of, and the supply of a number of drugs of dependence, synthetic drug chemicals, precursor chemicals and other illegal substances such as steroids, stimulants, and a number of pain killers. These substances are collectively referred to in the act as ‘dangerous drugs’.
The dangerous drugs to which the offence provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act apply are prescribed in Schedules 1 and 2 of the act. Columns 2 and 3 of the schedules prescribe the traffickable and commercial quantities for each individual substance.
The maximum penalties for offences involving dangerous drugs are dependent on the schedule the drugs are prescribe in. The maximum penalties for Schedule 1 drugs are the highest available in the Misuse of Drugs Act, and all maximum penalties for offences involving Schedule 2 drugs are lower and, in some instances appreciably lower, than the corresponding penalties for a Schedule 1 dangerous drug. Currently, Schedule 1 dangerous drugs include cocaine, heroin, and lysergic acid (commonly referred to as LSD). Methamphetamine is currently prescribed as a Schedule 2 dangerous drug.
The Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction in Australia where the highest available maximum penalties for the supply and manufacture of a dangerous drug do not apply to offences involving methamphetamine. Offences involving methamphetamine have the same maximum penalties as those penalties for heroin and cocaine offences in all jurisdictions in Australia except the Northern Territory.
Methamphetamine is an insidious drug, highly addictive, and its use results in the well-documented adverse physical and mental health outcomes for users. The manufacture of methamphetamine is also dangerous due to the cocktail of volatile chemicals required to cook the drug.
Currently, methamphetamine has a far greater negative impact on society than heroin or cocaine, and its use is escalating in the Northern Territory. This is being fuelled by increased manufacture and supply, led by criminal syndicates.
Organised crime groups are focusing on the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine rather than heroin and cocaine, given how profitable methamphetamine is to supply and how comparatively simply it is to cook or manufacture.
In the Northern Territory methamphetamine is sold for $1000 to $1800 a gram, which equates to $1m to $1.8m a kilogram. It is therefore essential that people who seek to profit from the manufacture and supply of this drug face the highest penalties available under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
The bill prescribes methamphetamine with a trafficable quantity of 2 g and a commercial quantity of 40 g in Schedule 1 of the act. To avoid duplication, methamphetamine and the references to methamphetamine and levomethamphetamine will be omitted from Schedule 2 of the act. As a result of the bill, the maximum penalties available for all offences involving methamphetamine will increase.
The primary targets of this bill are persons who manufacture and/or supply methamphetamine and persons found in possession of ‘commercial’ quantities of the drug. The maximum penalties for offences involving the manufacture, supply and the commercial possession of Schedule 1 drugs are appreciably higher than the corresponding Schedule 2 maximum penalties.
For example, as a result of this bill:
the maximum penalty for the commercial possession of methamphetamine will increase from 14 years imprisonment to 25 years imprisonment
the maximum penalty for supplying methamphetamine will increase from five years imprisonment to 14 years imprisonment. The offence of supply to a child will increase from 14 years imprisonment to life imprisonment
the maximum penalty for commercial supply of methamphetamine will increase from 14 years imprisonment to 25 years imprisonment. The offence of commercial supply to a child will increase from 25 years imprisonment to life imprisonment
the maximum penalty for non-commercial manufacture will increase from seven years imprisonment to 25 years imprisonment
the maximum penalty for commercial manufacture will increase from 25 years imprisonment to life imprisonment.
Clause 4 of this bill contains detailed transitional provisions. In summary, this clause clarifies the following matters:
1. Schedules 1 and 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, as in force prior to the commencement of this bill, will continue to apply to offences committed prior to the commencement of this bill.
2. Schedules 1 and 2 as amended by this bill, will only apply to offences committed, in their entirety, after the commencement of this bill.
3. Where a charge alleges a course of conduct occurred both before and after the commencement of this bill, such as a between dates charge of drug manufacturing, the offence, for the purpose of determining what maximum penalty applies, is deemed to have been committed prior to commencement of this bill.
This government is firmly of the view that prescribing methamphetamine in Schedule 2 does not provide a sufficient deterrent for commercial enterprises manufacturing and supplying this drug and may result in the Northern Territory becoming perceived as a haven for methamphetamine drug manufacturing and supply.
This bill will ensure maximum penalties for methamphetamine offences in the Northern Territory are consistent with those prescribed in all other jurisdictions in Australia. It will assist in ensuring the Northern Territory does not become a target for organised crime or a centre for methamphetamine possession, supply or manufacture.
Madam Speaker, I commend this bill to the honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
MOTION
Address to Royal Family
Address to Royal Family
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I move that pursuant to Standing Order 301, the Assembly resolves to express its congratulations to their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their son, His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, and send a message of congratulations to Her Majesty the Queen through Her Honour the Administrator.
Members would be aware of this eagerly awaited birth due to the hundreds of media outlets sitting for weeks in expectation outside the hospital and conveying every nuance to millions of well-wishers around the world. Through media hype, anticipation was heightened and interest in the Royal birth was sparked in all corners of the globe.
The birth represents not only the birth of a future king, but the dawn of a new era for the Royal Family. I am sure it augers well for this child that there is so much normalcy surrounding his birth, notwithstanding the enormous historical and ceremonial precedents which attend on such a moment. The new dad proudly showed his son to the world and demonstrated his care and respect for his wife after having strapped his new baby into the approved safety capsule to drive them both home. This scene is repeated throughout the world many times every day.
We all know, however, that life for this small passenger will be vastly different from those of his twins born around the world. Prince George is the only child of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. He is the only grandchild of Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. He is the third in line to succeed his great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, after his grandfather and father. Interestingly, this House will shortly pass legislation about changes to succession to the Crown which abandons some ancient protocols regarding gender and religion.
There is a strong connection between the Royal Family and the Northern Territory, with numerous Royal visits over the years. Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1963 and not just Darwin, but Katherine and Alice Springs, where she toured the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia base - I have now had the privilege of meeting Her Majesty on three occasions in the Northern Territory. This trip was on the occasion of the Canberra Jubilee and celebrations were commemorated on the 50th anniversary of the naming of the capital. Prince Charles has been a frequent visitor to Australia and attended school at Timbertop. His son, Harry, has also worked in Australia as a jackeroo.
Alice Springs gained some worldwide notoriety when it was discovered a number of attendees at a function for the Royal visit by Prince Charles fell ill due to food poisoning. The culprit apparently had been a seafood dish which the Prince enjoyed a good share of. So popular was it the authorities were unable to obtain even a small sample as it was totally devoured. It was never divulged if the Prince suffered any effects, although Darwin’s then Mayor, Dr Ella Stack, fulsomely described the effects of the dish in colourful medical jargon.
Prince Charles’ love for Australia and Alice Springs remains as intact as when he visited with his new wife. This visit, in 1983, with his 21-year old wife, Princess Diana, caused the greatest sensation for Territorians as they were accompanied by their first son, a young Prince William.
Further demonstrating our affection for the Royal Family, we now have a Royal crocodile at Crocosaurus Cove. Upon the announcement of Prince George’s arrival, the Chief Minister, Adam Giles, gave a unique Territory gift to the Prince of Cambridge, his very own crocodile, Crocodile George. With this official gift was also the invitation to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to bring their son to visit the Northern Territory and see his crocodile. The Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who met George and even kissed him, has solemnly undertaken to deliver this invitation in person.
As a parent, I know raising a child is one of the toughest but most rewarding jobs anyone can have. This will be made all the more difficult with the eyes of the world upon them. However, what I have seen and heard of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is that they are well-prepared and dedicated to raising their son in an environment that is as normal as possible. With Prince William capable of flying rescue helicopters, I am sure he can operate a baby capsule and change a nappy or two. Undoubtedly, they will still be adjusting to their new lives as parents with all the attendant responsibilities and sleepless nights a new baby brings.
I, like many Territorians, look forward to seeing Prince George grow into a fine young man, just as his father, Prince William, and his uncle, Prince Harry, have done. There is an inevitability that Prince George will one day be known as King George VII, and today, with this motion, we join with leaders across the Commonwealth in congratulating the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Madam Speaker, I commend this motion to the House and am certain all members of this House will share their best wishes and pass on their congratulations to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Territory Labor opposition and all members on this side, I support this motion and congratulate the proud parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton, on registering the birth of their first born son, Prince George, on 22 July. Prince George holds the official title His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. Not only does the Territory Labor opposition support this motion and offer kind words and congratulations, it also comes from constituents across the Northern Territory.
I remember my wife taking great delight in this story, following the story, and reporting to me that it was important in the electorate and the Northern Territory.
I ask the parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton, to consider a visit to Tennant Creek. We would love to meet the parents and to meet Prince George. Queen Elizabeth II herself came to Tennant Creek. It was a famous visit and the locals still talk about it.
The story was told by the first Mayor of Tennant Creek, the late Alf Chittock, who took great delight in telling how the Queen landed at Tennant Creek Airport and was greeted by an official party of administrators of the town and invited guests. The Queen took great interest in the people of Tennant Creek and the region, was particularly interested in gold mining in the area, and showed a very special interest in Nobles Knob, which was under the Corporation of Australian Development Ltd and held the title of the richest gold mine in Australia at that time. The Queen was particularly interested in gentleman Jack Noble who discovered that deposit. It is a great pioneering story.
It was not long after, in Tennant Creek terms, but a number of decades later, that Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited Tennant Creek. Once again, the town turned out in its finery to not only welcome Prince Charles and Princess Diana, but also to make them feel welcome and to continue providing the important information Queen Elizabeth was interested in: the nature of the gold and copper mining industry and, particularly, how Nobles Knob was progressing. That was a very direct link.
Legend has it that our first mayor, the late Alf Chittock, met the Queen again at Buckingham Palace. The Queen remembered our first mayor and asked him about Tennant Creek, the people of Tennant Creek, and the mining industry and that fascinating part of the Northern Territory.
Here we are celebrating the birth of Prince George. We acknowledge and congratulate the government on the gift of a crocodile because it represents a Territory icon. I am sure Prince George, when he is older and learns he has a pet crocodile in the Northern Territory, will be interested to meet him.
We know the life span of estuarine crocodiles, so the Prince has a great opportunity in his lifetime to meet the crocodile presented to him as a gift. I encourage his parents to visit Tennant Creek and keep that Royal Family tradition alive. The people of Tennant Creek and the Barkly, I am sure, would be honoured and excited to receive guests from the Royal Family, particularly the new prince and his parents.
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Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of Year 5/6 students from Rosebery Primary School accompanied by their teacher, Nicole Reeves. On behalf of honourable members, I welcome you to Parliament House and hope you have a nice time here.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Mr McCARTHY: It is wonderful to acknowledge the government’s motion congratulating the parents of new Prince George. I have ensured the residents of Tennant Creek and the Barkly, who have a special relationship with the Royal Family, will be included in the congratulations in this motion.
Madam Speaker, it has been an honour to represent members on this side of the House, and to join with government in a bipartisan way to celebrate with the parents of Prince George, Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I thank all honourable members for their support in this debate. It is nice, from time to time, to have something furiously agreed upon.
The arrival of Prince George is something the whole world has welcomed. Whilst many people will look at the Royal Family as some form of anachronism, in truth, Her Majesty in particular, has demonstrated herself for well over 60 years now to be a very astute head of government, head of state, and head of a Commonwealth through her actions and dedicated service to the people of not only England, but the Commonwealth.
There are few monarchs today who would be as easily recognisable as she. Her Majesty has served the people of the Commonwealth with distinction and a forbearance which we can only but admire.
Madam Speaker, I look forward to having this message conveyed through the Administrator to Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace and, in turn, the Duke and Duchess at Kensington.
Motion agreed to.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Delivery of Election Commitment for Patient Assistance Travel Scheme
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): Madam Speaker, today I report on yet another election commitment delivered by the Country Liberals government.
The Northern Territory has one of the most geographically disperse populations in Australia and this presents challenges in the delivery of specialist health services. The Patient Assistance Travel Scheme provides financial subsides for the out-of-pocket expenses incurred by residents who need to travel long distances to access specialist medical services.
The Country Liberals made a clear commitment to the people of the Northern Territory to review the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme prior to the last election. We did this because we knew under Labor the scheme had failed to keep pace with rising costs. Under Labor, the PATS guidelines had not been updated since 2008 and, even then, they only managed to increase the overnight commercial accommodation support from $33 a night to $35 a night. Hardly generous!
I am happy to outline to the House the changes that will take place from 1 September 2013. The Country Liberals government will make it easier and fairer for Territorians who travel to receive specialist medical care.
First, we are introducing funding assistance for people who, while living within the 200 km exclusion zone, have to travel frequently for specialist treatment; for example, cancer or renal patients. Under this addition to the scheme, people who have to travel more than 400 km a week to access specialist treatment will be eligible for funding assistance.
Importantly, we are also increasing several subsidies which I will now outline. The commercial accommodation subsidy will be increased from $35 per night per person to $60, available from the first night. For example, if someone is travelling to Darwin from Katherine for medical treatment and has an escort, they will be eligible for $120 per night financial assistance towards their accommodation.
The private accommodation subsidy will be raised from $10 to $20 per person per night. This $10 a night has not changed since 2006, and the Country Liberals have now doubled it.
The fuel subsidy level for those travelling by car will be increased from 15 per kilometre to 20 per kilometre, and the ground transport subsidy previously available only for interstate travel is now available for travel within the Northern Territory and is being increased from $40 per trip to $50 per trip.
The resources required to fund these changes were provided for by the government when it allocated an additional $7.5m per year in the 2013-14 budget. As part of the PATS review, we also considered how to streamline and simplify the scheme. For the first time, the PATS guidelines will be publicly available and up on the Department of Health’s website. This will make it easier for patients and their families to work out exactly what support is available prior to travel. Unfortunately, up until now, people have undertaken travel only to find they were not eligible for support for a range of reasons. They could always check with travel coordinators and the PATS team, but confusion did occur. Now the guidelines will be clear and available to decrease the chances of this happening.
We have also made improvements to escort eligibility to allow more parents to travel with their children. We will allow claims to be lodged up to three months after travel instead of the current 28 days. This means once a patient and their family is aware of the support available they can focus on what is happening, that is, treatment and recovery of the patient and worry about submitting the paperwork later. When these changes are coupled with the new online booking system, the Country Liberals will deliver a fairer, more generous and easier Patient Assistance Travel Scheme.
Another important initiative that will help patients receive treatment in their communities is tele-health. Tele-health aims to remove some of the barriers to accessing medical services for people living in rural and remote areas or who have difficulty getting to specialists. A range of health professionals can participate in tele-health including specialists, consultant physicians and psychiatrists, medical practitioners, nurse practitioners, midwives, practice nurses and Aboriginal health workers. Tele-health provides financial incentives to eligible health professionals and aged-care services that help patients have a video consultation with a specialist, consultant physician or consultant psychiatrist.
The provision of tele-health is gaining prominence in the Northern Territory. The Territory now has over 50 tele-health enabled centres in major cities and remote locations. The utilisation of tele-health in the Territory will allow patients to reduce the amount of travel they need and will improve the patient journey through, and experience of, the Northern Territory health system.
The Department of Health is working on a pilot which aligns tele-health with PATS to ensure the best patient outcome is achieved. The Country Liberals are committed to improving the health system in the Territory to the benefit of all, and the honouring of our election commitment to improve PATS will assist in this objective.
I move that the Assembly take note of this statement.
Mr VATSKALIS (Casuarina): Madam Speaker, what can I say? It was a seven-minute speech by the Minister for Health for a seven-page ministerial statement. Why not do an adjournment? You spoke about the changes made to PATS, and I have no problem with that; they are really good. It is not even seven pages; it is six pages and four lines on the seventh page. The first page-and-a-half is about changes to PATS, then you talk about tele-health.
I do not have a problem with the member talking about changes to PATS. It is good to make changes to PATS for the benefit of people who have to travel. However, should we focus on paying people to travel interstate, or should we focus on bringing experts from interstate to Darwin, Katherine, and Alice Springs so people can remain in the Territory close to their families and be treated here?
Let us not forget the Territory has different people from different places. Many people who come here have families down south and have no problem going south. However, 30% of Territorians are Indigenous and when they need treatment they would rather stay in the Territory close to their families than go to Sydney, Perth or Adelaide. That is what we are really focused on.
Let me start from the beginning. When we came into government, the PATS rates were very low. We reviewed them twice, with the last review being in 2008. It was time for another review, which happen every five years. I am glad you reviewed it and brought some of the issues to the forefront. However, is it better to pay people to go to Adelaide or to facilitate a better registry in the Territory? We brought the oncology unit to Darwin because people were travelling outside the Territory for cancer treatment. Everybody knows how stressful a cancer diagnosis is, and then you have to be away from your family.
We did not believe the best way to deal with it was by paying people to go south. We brought the oncology unit here and, on top of that, built the Barbara James facility where people can live at no cost because PATS covers it. The Barbara James facility - if you have not visited it I encourage you to - has single rooms for people on their own, and family rooms. If you are sick and want your family with you, you can come from anywhere in the Territory and stay in the family room at the Barbara James facility while being treated for cancer.
I support increasing the rate per kilometre; it is a good idea. We were looking to do that at the change of government. I am pleased the new government has increased it as the price of fuel has gone through the roof. If people have to travel from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs, from Barunga to Katherine, they should be compensated to cover at least part of their expenses. I do not have a problem with that; it is a good idea.
Increasing the rate for travelling interstate is fine; however, the focus should be on how we can bring interstate experts to Darwin. It is cheaper, easier and more efficient to bring a neurologist from down south to see 100 patients than to send 100 patients to Adelaide. If we continue with that we will never attract personnel and never persuade people there is a workload in the Territory.
Experts have told me they will not come to the Territory because we do not have the volume of patients to enable them to maintain their competencies. Every expert must undertake a certain amount of work per year to maintain competencies in their field, be they a neurologist, an obstetrician or something else. We had a problem with obstetricians in Gove. People resigned and nobody would go there because there were not enough births to maintain their competencies. We found an alternative way to educate and train people in Darwin and then rotate them through Gove, Katherine and other places to maintain their competencies.
The second part of the statement is really good. It talks about tele-health, a fantastic initiative the previous government put in place. It was interesting to hear the member opposite talk about the provision of tele-health and the benefits to Territorians. You cannot have adequate and efficient tele-health unless you have adequate and efficient Internet provision - which optic fibre would provide - which the Australian Labor government advocated for many years and now talks about the NBN. The NBN, as proposed by the federal Australian government, will enable tele-health throughout the Territory. Copper wire will not do it, satellite will not do it. It is not quick or efficient. Optic fibre does it. If you visit the oncology centre in Darwin and see the teleconferencing facilities you will find a person can have X-rays taken in Darwin which are transmitted by the Internet through optic fibre to Adelaide for experts to look at, diagnose the cancer, and work out how to remove it. You need very fast Internet transmission lines which only optic fibre can provide.
Madam Speaker, while this is a good statement because it talks about increasing PATS - good on you, Minister for Health. It is good you have persuaded your colleagues in Cabinet to provide the money; I am pleased about that. It was time for review and I am glad you did it. However, it could be put with another statement because it looks more like an adjournment than a statement.
I thank you for giving the thumbs up to the NBN as proposed by the Australian Labor government. Only the Australian Labor government’s NBN will provide efficient, quick and proper tele-health in the Territory.
Debate suspended.
MOTION
Note Statement - Delivery of Election Commitment for Patient Assistance Travel Scheme
Note Statement - Delivery of Election Commitment for Patient Assistance Travel Scheme
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for her statement on the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme. I will read a letter sent to Hon Robyn Lambley when she was Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Central Australia:
Dear Minister,
- Please find enclosed a copy of our letter of 7 February 2013 to minister Dave Tollner asking that he reconsider his refusal to provide operational costs for the 100-bed short-term patient accommodation facility built on the grounds of the Royal Darwin Hospital with Commonwealth funding in 2012.
Over many years our support group has lobbied for short-term medical accommodation to be built close to the Alice Springs Hospital, the treating hub for the region of Central Australia.
- Many of our members have lived in remote locations and value highly the concept of such a facility which would ease the burden of high-cost motel accommodation during time of illness and having to be away from home. The lack of supported accommodation, aside from Aboriginal hostels for Indigenous patients, exacerbates the stress on patients and carers who need to attend Northern Territory hospitals.
To access health services not available at home communities, such as surgery, oncology, scans, diagnostic and special appointments, etcetera, can mean travelling hundreds of kilometres, often on dirt roads or where transport infrastructure is minimalist.
- Having lived for 14 years in remote communities, I have experienced what it is like to have a drive of nine or 10 hours to reach hospital, whether it be for antenatal care, births, emergency situations and the like.
Since moving in from the bush in late 1987, members of our family have required medical treatment interstate, in one case through evacuation on the RFDS. A crucial element was having accommodation in Adelaide, in one instance at the nurses quarters at the RAH. Without access to supported accommodation it would have been difficult to stay the full time necessary for post-treatment recovery.
- With our connection with breast and other cancer patients, Bosom Buddies has encountered instances where the health and wellbeing of such patients was compromised due to no availability of appropriate accommodation in Alice Springs. A complicating factor in two or three instances that we know of was a lack of eligibility of the PATS support due to the patients residing within 200 km of Alice Springs.
The Northern Territory has the toughest eligibility criteria of any jurisdiction, where one must live beyond 200 km of a treating hospital before being eligible for PATS. The $35 a day reimbursement has barely changed in over 20-plus years and is woefully inadequate.
- At times hotels and motels are completely booked out and there is nowhere to go. Quite often the only commercial accommodation available is prohibitive in cost, so we find the decision by the Northern Territory to not fund operational costs for the short-term medical accommodation built in Darwin with Commonwealth funds sad and very disappointing, and with negative impact for all of us who live outside of Darwin.
- To add to this the fact that the minister has also asked the Commonwealth to withdraw funding offers for further such facilities in other Northern Territory regions shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the needs of non-metropolitan health consumers.
Yours sincerely
Lesley Riley
President
Bosom Buddies NT
Alice Springs
12 February 2013
Madam Speaker, I read that letter out because it covers two issues which need to be debated today. One is it is great to see the minister has brought forward upgrading of the PATS scheme. I do not have a problem with that, and it is very much a welcomed move by the government.
I have a similar concern as Ms Riley about the 200 km distance. My understanding is we are introducing funding assistance for people who, while living within the 200 km exclusion zone, have to travel frequently for specialist treatment. Under this addition to the scheme, people who have to travel more than 400 km in a week to access specialist treatment will be eligible for funding.
That may have covered what Ms Riley was raising, but even if you are not frequently attending for specialist treatment, if you are 180 km out and have to go there and back a couple of times during the week, it is still a fair distance. I hope there is some …
Mrs Lambley: That person would be eligible.
Mr WOOD: They would be eligible, okay. Even if there are cases where they do not quite fit the guidelines, I hope there is room within the system to look at a case on its merits if someone applied. If I live 180 km out and travel once a week to Darwin is there any chance of a subsidy for the cost of driving?’
The other side, which Ms Riley talked about, is the closing down of the short-term medical accommodation in Darwin. I am on the record saying it should not have been used as a mandatory alcohol rehabilitation centre because - you can look back with hindsight - if I had known the Darwin secure care centre at Holtze was to have a different use, I would have suggested using it. If I had known it would not be used because of lack of need - that is where you should have started the program because it is a far more suitable site.
The member for Fong Lim says we cannot afford to run it. Next door to the medi-hostel - I call it hostel because hotel is not the right name for an alcohol mandatory rehabilitation centre and hostel is more appropriate - is the Aboriginal mothers’ accommodation.
Looking at the website, this hostel, which is located next to Darwin Hospital, provides exactly what the other hostel was to provide: short-term accommodation, in this case for Indigenous mothers and their babies. This is run by Aboriginal Hostels Limited, and my understanding is they are paid from PATS. The money the government is talking about today, in relation to how Aboriginal mothers’ accommodation is paid for, is through PATS. Why would that not have applied to the short-term accommodation facility in Darwin?
Obviously not everybody would be eligible for PATS. In the case of escorts, you have to fit within certain guidelines before you can receive the money. If you are bringing someone up who is 18 years and under, there are certain allowances for an escort to be paid under PATS. The escort is automatically approved where the patient is 18 years or under, or if a patient has a child under the age of two travelling with them, or is travelling interstate for surgery or intensive treatments. There are other circumstances where escorts are approved and you can discuss it with the practitioner.
People coming to Darwin from out bush will receive a patient assistance allowance which could be used to help run the short-term accommodation. It would not cover the whole cost. The Treasurer mentioned a figure of about $5m. You could not cover all that, but if people were paying to stay there and PATS is the method of paying for accommodation, that would go some way to counteracting the argument the Territory government cannot afford to run it.
We need to look at why the building was put there. I looked at the implementation plan for short-term patient accommodation at Royal Darwin Hospital under the National Partnership Agreement on Health Infrastructure. Number 3 under Preliminaries says:
- This project is to build an accommodation complex for clients and their carers on the grounds of the Royal Darwin Hospital.
The objective in this project is to construct a purpose-built, safe, culturally appropriate, short-term accommodation at Royal Darwin Hospital.
- The short term accommodation at Royal Darwin Hospital will comprise of 50 units for clients and their carers.
- all aspects of the delivery, management performance of the Short term patient accommodation at the Royal Darwin Hospital, including the management of all risks; …
What Ms Riley is getting at is yes, you will get some PATS money, but most of the time that will not cover the cost of accommodation, especially in Darwin when there is a shortage of accommodation, which makes it expensive. That is the reason for an alternative place. This is not for anyone wanting a bed for the night. You have to have a bona fide reason for wanting accommodation whether you are entitled to PATS or not. You might be a spouse, a partner, and your husband, wife, or partner is sick. They might be old and may never have been to Darwin before. Also, there is the stress of going through treatment or an operation. People ring me about these things when they go to Adelaide, not as much now as before because we have facilities in Darwin, but they are important considerations.
If we ignore this building saying we cannot afford to run it, we are doing our citizens a disservice. As Bosom Buddies said, this is an essential requirement. Added to that, the government has stated it does not want these facilities in the Territory. Why not let the Commonwealth build the facilities and operate them like Aboriginal Hostels does? You have the PATS money; you will receive some income. It might not be all the income required, but it will be a subsidised service to the community. People would understand there are cases where taxpayers have to pay for some of the services. It is no different than the bus service. We pay for buses but never enough. We have the service because we know it is a benefit to the whole community. It is the same with short-term accommodation at hospitals.
I thank the government for bringing forward this statement. It is more an announcement, if anything. I will not comment on tele-health because I do not know enough about it. I researched it last night and would have to talk to the people involved. If it can reduce the need for people to travel, which is a cost to the Health department - as the ex-minister for Health said, it is easier to take a doctor to 100 people than 100 people to a doctor. It is easier if you can, through a tele-health method, get the information to where it is needed without the cost of travelling. That also reduces costs.
Minister, I thank you for your statement and support what you are doing. No sensible person in the Northern Territory would say it is not a good thing. The scheme needed updating, and will probably need updating in a couple of years. This scheme and the short-term accommodation issue in the Northern Territory go hand in hand. You need go no further than to look at the Aboriginal mothers’ accommodation next door. It provides short-term accommodation and is run by Aboriginal Hostels, which receives money through PATS so money is coming back into the system.
You should rethink the secure care centre at Holtze. If it is not being used for people with cognitive problems, which it was originally designed for - the ex-minister for Health and I visited and it is a secure site. It has facilities where people cannot self-harm because it has been designed specifically to reduce self-harm. That would be the perfect place to take people involved in the alcohol mandatory rehabilitation process and would free up accommodation at Royal Darwin Hospital.
I ask the minister to look at that. I know this is a temporary site and you are looking at the Berrimah prison site, but that is still 12 months off. If your numbers are quite small, as we hear at the moment, why not use the secure care centre? I presume children are in the secure care centre at Holtze at the moment. Why not look for another facility for them? The secure care facility was specifically designed for people who could not be moved and so there could be no self-harm.
Twelve months is too long to leave that short-term accommodation under the umbrella of the alcohol mandatory rehabilitation legislation. The points Ms Lesley Riley has made on behalf of Bosom Buddies are relevant and show the government’s decision to not use the facility and not support more facilities to be short-sighted. If there are issues about maintenance and the cost of running them, talk about it.
If Aboriginal Hostels or PATS money is not enough, surely there are other avenues. You could chat to the Commonwealth about it. It seems a decision was made that we are in budget deficit and cannot afford to do it. It is cutting off your nose to spite your face. The community needs it and there are ways around it. We need to try harder because these facilities are really important, especially for people who live outside the Darwin area and need them.
Mr VOWLES (Johnston): Madam Speaker, I contribute to the statement as the local member for Johnston. I thank the minister for bringing the statement to the House and welcome the changes to the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme and the extra $7.5m.
Beyond the politics, the right of all Territorians to seek medical care interstate should always be a priority, especially if we cannot provide it here.
I have personal experience, with my late father using PATS to travel to Adelaide to fight cancer. He eventually returned sick of being away and being cold in a home he did not know anything about. He came home to die. My sisters and I cared for him until he passed away. That is why I am a supporter and will always welcome any extra money which assists sick people.
I am proud our party delivered the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre, which allows people to receive treatment without leaving friends, family, their support and their loved ones.
The minister may be aware I have written to her a few times about a constituent who has several serious conditions which require her to travel to Perth and Melbourne for treatment. She also has two young daughters aged eight and 12. Sadly, in 2008, my constituent was diagnosed with neurogenic sarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in her hip bone and the nerves in that area. The sarcoma specialist she needs to see is at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne. She informs me neurogenic sarcoma is an extremely aggressive cancer with 50% of people who get it dying, and it is resistant to chemotherapy and radiation.
The constituent had surgery and, thankfully, is now in remission. However, she must visit the specialist every year for eight years to get the all-clear. She said it was an extremely aggressive cancer. The PET scan goes down to the cell level and, if the cancer grows back, they must get at it urgently and early. She informs me they have dealt with only two cases of this cancer in 22 years. If the cancer were to grow back she would need surgery but, because of the location, in the best case she would be paralysed on the left side, and the worst case she would be paralysed on the right side with a bag for her bowel and bladder.
The mother also suffers from rectal prolapse. She had an idea things were not working too well in 2008, but once they found the cancer sorting the bowel prolapse was put on hold. This condition is the reason she is currently unable to work. It gets her down; she is quite depressed. Surgery is the best option for severe rectal prolapse but they cannot do the procedure at Royal Darwin Hospital.
The mother is covered by the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme, or PATS, for her travel to Melbourne for her yearly cancer check-up, and to Perth for the surgery for her bowel prolapse. However, her daughters are not, and she has no one to care for her eight-year-old and 11-year-old daughters. For past treatment and appointments for her cancer in Melbourne, the mother has taken her children with her. At the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, they understand the effect of cancer on families. They have social workers and volunteers who look after her daughters, and there is also accommodation for them.
The mother is on Centrelink and every dollar is used wisely. She has been unable to save the money for airfares for her daughters. Centrelink has contacted me to discuss this issue and has raised serious concerns that the long-term effects are simple: the mother cannot work and her daughters’ future will be to look after their sick mother. Again, if she could work she would, but her bowel prolapse prevents her from doing so.
The mother had been able to take her daughters with her through PATS under the previous Labor government. Her mother, who is a pensioner, once paid the airfares but cannot afford to do it again. Her sister’s ex-husband generously, after selling a house, paid for the fares but is now unable to do so.
The mother was due to have surgery in March this year in Perth for her bowel prolapse. The surgery would mean she could work again and, potentially, afford future airfares for her daughters when she attends further check-ups in Melbourne for her neurogenic sarcoma. The mother was having the surgery in Perth because her daughters’ father lives there and he can look after them while she is undergoing surgery.
However, while she was told PATS would cover her daughters’ flights to Perth one way, they told her she needed to pay for the return flight by saving money and keeping an eye out for cheap fares. Due to the mother being on Centrelink and not able to save for airfares for her daughters, she missed her March surgery date in Perth.
The mother is becoming very frustrated and, as I said, depressed with this situation. She is due to have another yearly check-up for the cancer in October. Again, she cannot afford the flights. Perhaps if the mother had surgery for her bowel prolapse in March as scheduled, she could afford the flights for her cancer check-up.
I read with interest the media announcement on improvements to escort eligibility to allow more parents to travel with their children. I ask the Minister for Health to show some compassion, as I have asked in a number of letters to her. She has discretion, as the minister, to approve this. Yes, it does not fit completely into the guidelines to pay for her daughters to accompany her, but it was done before. We are talking about life-threatening cancer treatment she requires: a mum trying to survive for her children. If you do not approve this, minister, I hope you will donate to the fundraising efforts I will be conducting over the next few months to allow the mother to travel with her daughters to receive the treatment that will save her life.
Mr HIGGINS (Daly): Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for bringing this statement on today. I welcome the increases in monies paid to people who need treatment. The member for Casuarina mentioned we should be bringing people from interstate as a preference to flying people interstate, and we could save some money. While I agree with that, there are instances where people have to travel interstate urgently.
About 15 years ago my wife had a melanoma. She had about eight operations in Darwin over an 18-month period, then they decided she needed plastic surgery. The melanoma had advanced and they needed to operate immediately. On one occasion she had to be flown interstate at very short notice. If we are bringing specialists up from interstate, we need to take things like that into account. During the time we were in Adelaide our allowance was $10 - I would have to check that.
Also, some people who need urgent medical procedures are in regional and remote areas. The cost of flying from Wadeye to Darwin is almost the same as flying interstate. The alternative is to take the specialist to Wadeye, which I do not believe would work.
I recall the previous Minister for Health, who is now Treasurer, talking about a review of the hospital system. One of his suggestions was taking specialists to places like Katherine to undergo a week of specialist treatment, also to other hospitals. That is also a way to save some money.
Also, many remote areas are outside 200 km. The number of people benefitting from this increase in funding is quite high, and they are probably the most disadvantaged in the Territory. Therefore, I commend the government for putting in the extra $7.5m.
There are reasons for people going interstate urgently, and I thank the minister for bringing the statement on today.
Ms ANDERSON (Children and Families): Madam Speaker, I congratulate my colleague, the Minister for Health, for bringing this statement forward. This is something the Country Liberal Party, in opposition, hammered to the previous Labor government. They did nothing with PATS for 11 years. I want to commend my colleague, minister Conlan, when shadow health minister in opposition, for continually using parliamentary opportunity to ridicule and hold Labor to account for its failures in this area.
It was vital, not just for remote Aboriginal communities, but for regional towns like Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Katherine and Gove, that there be an increase. We promised, when in opposition, and I will quote from the minister’s speech:
- The Country Liberals made a clear commitment to the people of the Northern Territory to review the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme prior to the last election.
We had to fight for 11 years in opposition to hold Labor to account, to have sympathy for individual cases - renal patients, people with cancer, people traumatised and their families not able to travel with them.
Do you believe these people did anything in the 11 years they were in power? They did nothing …
Mr McCarthy: How many years were you part of it?
Ms ANDERSON: The Barkly clown has come back to make a performance in the Chamber. Perhaps it would be better if you stayed out there trying to get your federal member elected.
It is vital in this area because, as you know, for renal patients and people with cancer, they need family support. It is important for every renal patient who travels, whether it is to Adelaide from the Northern Territory or to Darwin, and cancer patients, especially Indigenous people. Their grandchildren or children want to go with them to look after them. It is a time of huge distress for families when their loved ones are diagnosed with renal failure or with cancer.
For 11 years nothing happened. That is the reason we saw Territorians, a year ago, put Labor where they deserve to be - in opposition. It will be fantastic, next Saturday, to see federal Labor thrown into opposition as well because these people deserve to sit in opposition. They have no remorse, no sympathy. They cannot embrace the hardship people go through with sickness. We saw it in the Northern Territory for 11 years. The Country Liberal Party committed, before coming into power, to $7.5m in resources to fund these vital areas.
Minister for Health, thank you, because it is the hard work of our government - I want to thank the minister for her courageous efforts in this area because she has a background of social work. She knows how important it is for every sick person to take their family with them. We have seen this time and time again, and we now have great opportunities in the Northern Territory with a conservative government. A conservative government is ridiculed for not sympathising in those areas, but the socialists sitting opposite did not sympathise in this area. It is fantastic to see a Country Liberal Party committing so much money and understanding how important it is for people with renal failure and cancer to have stability and take their family along so they will be beside them.
As I said, these are traumatising times for families and communities. It is so hard when you have to travel from a remote Aboriginal community to Alice Springs and are then transferred to Adelaide or Darwin.
Families like to be together. I have said many times before that we are different people. People who live on outstations are different to people who live on settlements, and we are different to people who live in towns and cities. It is the responsibility of government to ensure we keep families together at such a hard time, and you have seen the Country Liberal Party do that.
It is a pity we had to fight for 11 years. Sick people waited for 11 years hoping something would change. Do you know what? We could not do much except debate every time we met in parliament in an attempt to get people sitting opposite to take these things seriously, which they did not. A year ago Territorians punished them. Territorians put them where they deserve to be for the next 20 years. We will see the federal Labor Party out of power, hopefully for the next 20 years, because these people deserve to sit in opposition.
You have, in parliament, niggly debates and uneducated, uninformed debates from the opposite side. They did not do anything in 11 years, and it is fantastic to see the Country Liberal Party commit so much money to look after sick people and their families. We will drive the Territory together.
This is not about a program in Darwin, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs or Katherine. We are about the regions as well. We are about the small communities and the outstations. We will drive Territorians forward. We will ensure Territorians are looked after not just in the area of health, but in the areas of education, economic development, and the economic opportunities we have in the Northern Territory.
We have these benefits and are talking to Aboriginal people. We are saying, ‘You have this land mass. Come with government. Let’s travel down this interesting journey with the County Liberal Party to make your lives prosper. Get involved in economic opportunities.’ It is all there for Territorians.
The Chief Minister has put things on a silver platter for people living in the Northern Territory. Economic opportunities are there if you want them; education opportunities are there if you want them. We will look after you in every aspect of health and housing.
This is unlike the Labor Party and SIHIP, with millions of dollars wasted and 26 fewer beds across the Northern Territory. What a shame! That is why they were put on the other side.
Madam Speaker, I commend this important statement to the House and thank the minister for bringing it the House. Thank you.
Ms LEE (Arnhem): Madam Speaker, I contribute to the statement on the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme and congratulate the Minister for Health for fulfilling another County Liberal election commitment. My electorate is almost 100 000 km wide so many people have to travel to access specialist services. Communities in my electorate benefitting from patient travel include Numbulwar, Bickerton Island, Angurugu, Alyangula, Umbakumba, Gapuwiyak, Milingimbi, Ramingining, Bulman, Wemool Urapunga and a few outstations, but it is mainly remote areas from the Central Arnhem Highway and the Roper Highway. Many stations and communities in isolated areas really benefit from this.
I have worked in the health system for over 10 years and to come into this House and hear there has been no change since 2006 - the former Minister for Health …
Mr McCarthy: That is rubbish.
Ms LEE: If you were the former Health minister I did not see you in my community because I was an Aboriginal Health Worker for 10 years. I started from the lowest point and worked up to the top. I did not see one minister visit any of the communities I worked in for all those years. Ten years and I was always around. I only had three kids during that time and was still in my community. I did not see one minister visit. That is appalling, and you say you consult with people in remote communities. No one spoke to me. Staff in the clinics I worked at have not been considered. We have run into so many problems with the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme in the past while assisting families coming to Darwin. Some have to fly to Adelaide for serious problems, but the main point was the minute they got there and the person died in hospital that was it. The funding was cut and there was no way to get back.
We were lucky in our region to have an Aboriginal organisation which helped those people get back to the Northern Territory. If a partner died in hospital there was no way they were getting back because from the moment they died that was it, the funding was cut. That was a heartache for us. The Aboriginal Health Workers in the community had to cop much of this because they were the first response and it was our job to explain it. This is a failure of the previous Labor government and it made my people feel so isolated it was not funny. Every time something went wrong it was on our back not yours; we had to face the families. We did not see you out there. No one came to the funeral of people who died from cancer down south. My father died of cancer and now my father’s little brother is dying of cancer.
I am glad the minister has made a difference in the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme, which supports people who travel to receive treatment, such as chemotherapy and everything else. It is long; everybody knows how bad it is. They are away from time to time. You need your partner there sometimes because you are so frail and upset you are away from family a long time. You need someone to interpret for you, calm you down, and bring you back down to earth. You always need somebody, especially if you are a community person going to the big smoke. It is hard for them, but none of you can relate to that.
It is difficult for somebody from the community going to the big smoke and being left there. The minute the partner dies that is it. The widow is left there with no support, nothing. That is the worst position you can be in, especially if that was your first time in that place. Where is the heart in those people because I cannot see it? You wonder why I have never voted Labor my whole life. My whole family was never Labor. You never knew there was a Liberal black family out there. Well, hello, we are.
I will get back to my point. PATS is used by communities in my electorate to travel to Katherine Hospital, Gove, and to see specialists in Darwin and down south - the big smoke. The Country Liberal government is delivering the following key improvements to the scheme: updated PATS guidelines available online for the first time; introduction of fuel subsidies for patients travelling 400 km or more per week for treatment who live inside the 200 km exclusion zone; making the ground transport subsidy available for intrastate travel; and increasing the commercial accommodation subsidy from $35 to $60 per person per night.
Patients on renal dialysis travel twice a week from communities to town to undergo treatment. Pressure is put on staff at remote health clinics - not Darwin hospital, not Katherine hospital - which are the first point of contact. Even to be trained for a facility in the community, they have to live in Darwin for two years. They still need their family around them. It is like taking somebody from the city to the bush, dropping them there and saying, ‘Okay, here is your learning experience. Learn it out here for two years.’ Do you think that would backfire on you? It is the same position you are putting an Aboriginal person in when you put them in the city. Of course, they need support like any human being would.
I am not saying we are different in different ways; we are still human. The gesture, our responsibility, our dedication to everyone as equals should be the same. It has never been the same. Our attitude needs to change and it has to start in this House. We are leaders elected into parliament to show that dedication.
We are doubling the private accommodation subsidy from $10 to $20 per person per night, increasing the fuel subsidy from 15 per kilometre to 20 per kilometre, and improving escort eligibility to allow more patients to travel with their children. PATS claims can now be lodged up to three months after travel instead of the current 28 days, which was impossible. Not everyone can read and write.
The government has boosted funding to the scheme by an additional $7.5m per year and accounted for this in the 2013-14 budget. When coupled with the new online booking system, the Country Liberals are delivering a fairer, more generous, and easier patient travel subsidy scheme. This is yet another example of this government delivering on its commitment to Territorians within the first 12 months of government.
If you had been talking to people in remote clinics in the last 11 years you would understand why the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme was such a failure and why it put so much pressure on staff in clinics. I was working there then and can say half the time remote clinics were understaffed. We only ever had a maximum of three RNs at a time. The pressure was on the Aboriginal Health Workers to provide the services, and the senior health workers were designated to do patient travel for all in conjunction with the doctor. That is how it was done.
I was one of the senior health workers who did this and it was a pain. It always came back to someone - especially when you have an elderly person who is dying of cancer; my poor cousin died recently. Three people in that house died because it was filled with asbestos for years and they still live in it today. Three people have died of cancer from living in a house with asbestos, and that is a shame.
I do not know how many times we have raised that problem. Are there solutions to where you put asbestos in the future? There are sites for it instead of leaving it at the dump. It is appalling the state these people have to live in, and it is heartbreaking to listen to the different arguments. At the end of the day, nobody can speak from the heart about how they really see it if they have not experienced it firsthand.
Patient travel was always the biggest issue, but I am appalled nothing has been done, even reviewed, such as the education system, since 1999 and health since 2006.
I still have 10 minutes, member for Casuarina, you are checking the time. It is appalling that since 2006 the system has not been updated, checked or reviewed. How do you know a system is not working if you do not check it? There has to be a review. Health workers have to do an audit every year. It is like being in this House, you have to have it audited every year and private business has to be audited every year. How can you not audit PATS?
Now it has been audited and there is a difference - something the people wanted. Was everyone walking around with earplugs then and forgot about the people on the ground, or was it supposed to work when it did not? It is terribly disturbing.
It is wrong because 10 years of my life were on the line trying to explain to people why the system was as bad as it was. Finally, after 10 years as an Aboriginal Health Worker, starting as a receptionist and working my way up, I can now say there is a difference.
You can travel with your partner to Adelaide and not get stuck. PATS will pay for your return. You will not be deserted; you will not be left there in isolation.
What a wonderful thing tele-health is. I am glad the minister came up with financial assistance for tele-health. Not everybody can make it to appointments so it will be good to link up with your doctor.
That goes back to the current funding. Yes, the federal Labor government has looked at NBN, but it is not what Northern Territory remote communities want. With the amount of money they are throwing out they will not only service Northern Territory remote people, they will service the whole of Territory. If you drive from the Central Arnhem Highway to Gove you cannot get mobile coverage three-quarters of the way there.
It is appalling. These communities are left for dust; there has been no improvement at all. The health centre in Numbulwar is a container and has been for 30 years. The opposition is jumping up and down about Palmerston hospital, the medi-hotel and other things. Hello NT! Let me show you what a container that 300 or 400 people have to sit in to see a doctor look like. You wonder why everybody walks out, it is terrible. We are dying so fast because nothing has been provided properly.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mrs PRICE (Stuart): Madam Speaker, I support the statement made by the Minister for Health about important changes to the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme that will make the scheme easier and fairer for Territorians.
The Patient Assistance Travel Scheme helps Territorians who need to travel away from home to access specialist medical services. Two of the changes the Country Liberals government is introducing from 1 September will see increases to the subsidies for accommodation and fuel.
This is fantastic news for all Territorians, including the people of Stuart who might be living on pastoral stations like Waterloo Station, Sunday Creek Station, Murranji, Scott Creek, Wave Hill, Camp Field or Kalala, or even communities like Nyirripi, Yuendumu, Willowra, Lajamanu, Daguragu, Yarralin, Bulla and Amanbidji.
As the second largest electorate in the Territory, Stuart covers a vast area of 383 000 km2, including some of the most remote areas of the Territory. It can be very difficult for remote people to access the specialist medical care they need, and these two subsidy increases - the fuel subsidy increase from 15 per kilometre to 20 per kilometre, and the commercial accommodation subsidy increase from $35 to $60 per person per night - will help offset the out-of-pocket cost for people and their families who need to travel and stay away from their homes.
The people of Stuart will also welcome the news of a pilot program to align tele-health with PATS. The ability to use tele-health technology will not only cut down expenses for community people having to travel back and forth to hospital for specialists reviews, it will also cut down the amount of time these people will need to spend away from the support of their families and communities.
Under the former Labor government, the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme had not been reviewed or updated since 2008. The Giles government has injected an additional $7.5m per year into the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme, improving the scheme and making it easier and fairer for Territorians.
I have seen how frustrating it is for families to support each other once they are diagnosed with breast cancer. I had sisters who were and when they found out they were too scared because they thought they would be travelling by themselves without family to accompany them. The bush is so remote; it is really hard to convince them there is assistance available because they are too scared to travel.
Many times I have seen how this affected families, how this should have happened years ago and these families should have been supported, and how important it is for families to accompany each other and support one another where they need specialists to look after them. They need to see if they are well enough to travel and go back to see their families and be with their families.
Many remote people rely on this scheme, and the increases we, as the Country Liberal government, are intending to give will provide the necessary costs these people need when travelling and give confidence to the families to see there is support. This is yet another example of the Country Liberals delivering on their commitments to Territorians within our first 12 months of government.
Madam Speaker, I commend this statement to the House.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Primary Industry and Fisheries): Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure I support this statement on the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme being delivered by the Health minister.
I stand to be corrected, but I understand over 11 years of the Labor government overnight accommodation under PATS increased from $33 per night to $35 per night. I am getting a nod from the Health minister that is correct.
I found it a little disingenuous of the former Health minister to wax lyrical about the support the former Labor government gave this scheme. He was highly critical of the work done by the current Health minister and, given we are only 12 months into government, we have managed to have PATS reviewed, accept nearly all the recommendations from the review, and to implement them. I found it interesting the former Labor government, which traditionally supports the social service sector, including health, was critical of something we have done in 12 months they could not do in 11 years. It was quite extraordinary. We are becoming used to that type of diatribe in the House. Of course, the extension of that is the penchant of the opposition to rewrite history and tell us how it would look if they had done something. However, we know they did very little in this area over the last 11 years.
It has been five years since the last review of the PATS guidelines, five years since the former Labor government reviewed the provision of financial support for Territorians travelling for specialist medical care, five years of rising costs and increased financial strain on some of the Territory’s most needy, and five years of patients losing out on the financial cover needed for out-of-pocket expenses associated with their need to travel for medical treatment. This is because the former Labor government failed to recognise the need for realistic financial support of the Territory’s sick and vulnerable.
Territorians deserve to feel supported by government in their hour of need, especially those who need to seek specialist healthcare. Subsidising a reasonable amount of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Territorians who need to travel long distances to access specialist medical services is something our sick and needy deserve.
The Country Liberals government has recognised the need to provide appropriate financial support to those facing health problems and assist in alleviating some of the stress illness brings to patients and their families. In saying that, we recognise when people are sick the last thing they need is to worry about the financial burden of the illness they have. The Country Liberals is stepping up now to provide some level of comfort and support to people who do not need the additional burden of worrying about finances. Many of those people I am referring to are people and families living in remote and regional areas across the Northern Territory.
Within 12 months of coming to government, the County Liberals have reviewed the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme as committed - we said we would do it and we have - and taken on many of the recommendations to update the scheme for the benefit of all Territorians.
To put into context the significance of some of the changes to levels of subsidies, a patient driving from my electorate of Katherine to Darwin for specialist treatment can now expect to receive 5 more per kilometre as part of their fuel subsidy. That means on the usual 320 km drive between Katherine and Darwin they previously would have received $48, now they receive $64. That does not sound like much money, but for people who are sick and needy, every dollar counts. This is a terrific step in the right direction for people who live in my electorate, not to mention people who live in other regional and remote parts of the Territory.
The commercial accommodation rate has been increased from $35 to $60 per night, as well as doubling the private accommodation rate from $10 to $20.
At the moment, residents of my electorate of Katherine have to travel to Darwin for cancer treatment. Should the Coalition win government on 7 September, Tina MacFarlane has committed to deliver $500 000 towards a treatment centre at Katherine Hospital. This means people and their families will not have to make the four-hour trip to Darwin every time they need treatment. However, until this treatment centre is established, people in pain who are scared and need specialist treatment will have their financial burden eased with the new PATS subsidises introduced by this government.
It was heartening to hear the Health minister say, in particular, there will now be funding assistance for people who live within the 200 km exclusion zone. For residents within the Katherine electorate, people who have to travel more than 400 km a week to access specialist treatment will be eligible for funding assistance, which is a great boon as well.
Also, claims for accommodation can be lodged up to three months after travel, as opposed to the previous 28 days, and a new online booking system has been introduced making it easier to claim, as well as reducing red tape and reimbursement times. One of the mantras from the Country Liberals government - we have been talking about it for a long time - is about reducing red tape. It is something we take seriously, and this is another example of a commitment to reduce red tape, particularly for those who are sick and in need.
These changes to the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme are yet another example of this government identifying ways to improve outcomes for all Territorians, delivering on the commitments we have made. The Country Liberals government is making it easier and fairer for Territorians who have to travel to receive specialist medical care.
Madam Speaker, I support this statement and the work the Minister for Health has done. Katherine residents are big beneficiaries of the changes to PATS. Each and every one of the people who have to access this facility will be grateful, not only the County Liberals government, but also the Minister for Health. They will feel they have been listened to and heard.
There has been talk over many years, and I have received complaint after complaint about the level of PATS funding under the former government. It is almost a breath of fresh air to be part of a government doing something to assist people in this area.
I congratulate the Health minister on the work she has done with PATS. I am sure Territorians will join me in expressing our appreciation to the Minister for Health and this government for those changes.
Mr CHANDLER (Education): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the Health minister’s statement. Dealing with the issue in the last five years as a local member, I can assure you I had many people come into my office to complain about PATS. It was not so much about the good work the staff do within the system, but the system they had been given to manage by the former Labor government.
It was a government, by the way, which spoke about supporting the average Joe, supporting people in need. In this regard, the former Health minister was missing in action because it is something they talked about for a long time. After sitting in this House for the last two weeks listening to nothing but bitterness and vitriol from the other side about how, in 12 months, this government has delivered nothing for Territorians, here is clear evidence the Health Minister has delivered for Territorians.
The Country Liberals made a clear commitment to the people of the Northern Territory and went to the last election saying we would improve PATS. It has been delivered even though the Labor Party would try to tell you we have done nothing in the last 12 months.
The last 12 months is like a teenager who has been eating chocolates for 11 years and has a face covered with pimples. They expect us to have some magical cream to clear the face and they would all go away. We have had 11 years of pimples and are doing our best. We are looking for the cream and will clear up the mess you guys left us.
We delivered on this and it is spectacular. Under Labor, PATS guidelines had not been upgraded since 2008. Even then it went from $33 to $35 a night. They make much fanfare about things we may or may not have done since taking office, but in 11 years they increased the overnight rate from $33 to $35.
The commercial accommodation subsidy will be increased from $35 to $60, available from the first night. Thank you, Health minister. That is a $25 increase per night and we did that in 12 months. If you listen to the other side we have done nothing in the last 12 months. The private accommodation subsidy will be raised from $10 to $20. That is a 100% increase achieved in 12 months. This could not be done in 11 years under Labor; they could not help the average Joe in 11 years in office.
In five years of being the local member for Brennan, many people came into my office. I would have meetings week in week out with people struggling to understand PATS and how they were supposed to make do on the small amount. Even the increases the Health minister has been able to deliver will not cover everyone’s expenses, but they will mitigate them more than the scheme under the previous Labor government.
In a perfect world we would be looking at a system which could provide similar accommodation rates as public servants receive when they travel interstate, but at what cost? How much would that cost a government in the fiscal position the former Labor government left the Northern Territory in? By the way, it is about three times as bad as the federal level, and we all know how bad that is. It is three times as bad per population because the former government failed to live within its means. They were stealing our children’s future because they went further and further into debt.
These increases, which will go a long way to help, will not cover 100% of expenses. On this side, we hope it will provide a bit more support and a genuine understanding of the hardships Territorians face in a time of need.
I was told stories of people facing open heart surgery, cancer treatment, and other issues they were dealing with when they had to travel south. Let us be honest, it will be many years before our major hospitals in the Northern Territory can provide services similar to those of major hospitals in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Adelaide.
Until the Northern Territory reaches that scale there will always be a need to send people interstate and for our government to support Territorians as much as possible when they travel interstate to deal with health issues.
Over the years this government, and future governments, will continue to invest heavily in health. We have a new hospital to be built in Palmerston on a site which will allow it to grow. Services will increase with the doctors and specialists a growing city will need. Of course, doctors will come when the number of people substantiates the need, and services will continue to grow. As those services grow in the Northern Territory, fewer people will need to leave the Territory for medical treatment.
The one thing we will always have - it does not matter about spin from either side of politics – is smaller towns, communities, and remote locations not able to provide the medical services you can get in our major hospitals. People will always need to travel. There is a responsibility for government to support these people in whatever way it can.
When you hear what people are going through at the toughest time in their lives, to think we can go a little further to support them is heartening. In this time of fiscal restraint so many tough decisions had to be made, none with any sense of joy. It is with a sense of responsibility we make the tough fiscal decisions.
The way the former government spent money like it was going out of fashion with no regard for the future provides a legacy for our children; they will be paying that debt off for many years. We have been able to support Territorians in this area, even in an environment of fiscal restraint, which has meant other areas have had services looked at closely.
It would have been lovely to have money in the bank when we took government in August last year to act on policies we had worked on for many years knowing they would make the Northern Territory a better place. However, when you are on this side of the House and open the Treasury books you understand not only what money has been spent, but what has been locked away for years to come. It is sad. Heading towards a debt of $5.5bn, nearly more than three times that of the Commonwealth government, means nearly $1m a day to cover interest payments.
We are not a big jurisdiction compared to New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia or Western Australia, and are paying $1m a day for interest on the loans taken out by the former Labor government. That is not paying off the capital; that is $1m a day in interest. Would you not rather be attending a school? Schools have often been mentioned over the last few of weeks, particularly this week, but we know what that is about.
I would love to be at Bakewell Primary School handing Principal Paul Nyhuis a cheque for $1m saying, ‘There you go, Paul, invest that into your school’. The next day I could go to Gray Primary School, a great primary school in Palmerston, and hand the principal a $1m cheque. Let us go to Woodroofe, across to Rosebery, perhaps to Palmerston Senior College, and not just for a week or two but 365 days a year. When we run out of schools we could go to the RSPCA, perhaps one of the NGOs providing valuable services to Territorians, and hand cheques out for $1m every day, 365 days a year.
What a difference that could make. However, we are paying the bank. Bankers are making nearly $1m a day because of the debt the former Labor government left. Imagine, Minister for Health, if we had that money today what we could have done for PATS. We could have gone further, and many of the savings measures we were forced to make - the blame we are wearing for making them should be borne by the former Labor government.
Those 11 years took us further and further into debt. In this time of fiscal restraint, I take my hat off to the Minister for Health for introducing such an important initiative to improve PATS in the Northern Territory and provide that bit more support for Territorians in their time of need.
I commend this statement to the House.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I support this statement by the Health minister presented today on the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme. I do not wish to speak for long, but want to commend the minister for fighting for the changes to the scheme.
A review was undertaken, being a commitment by the Country Liberals coming into government in August last year. It has been a long-standing issue for many of us as local members and campaigners throughout the Territory. Working towards a review to identify some of the issues and concerns has been at the forefront of our minds for a long period of time.
Over the last four years in opposition, the member for Greatorex, the former shadow minister for Health, campaigned up hill and down dale for changes. That landed on the deaf ears of the previous government, but, fortunately, we have had the opportunity to conduct a review. The Health minister presented to Budget Cabinet changes she wanted to this initiative some time ago.
The Health minister was successful in her campaign to receive additional funds. As such, there is an additional $7.5m per year in the 2013-14 budget. That is a great amount of new money going forward. We often see money go towards social and community benefit, some towards economic change, some towards cultural investment, but the $7.5m a year for PATS will help provide support to a range of people who use the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme.
I am impressed by the level of increase. In 2008, under the former Labor government, there was a $2 increase in the nightly commercial accommodation rate, which allowed someone to make four additional 50 phone calls. To see it go from $35 a night to $60, available from the first night, is a significant investment and significant announcement. Also, the private accommodation subsidy going from $10 to $20, a 100% increase, is another great initiative.
Something I heard many times in my electorate of Braitling was the subsidy provided for fuel for people driving between Alice Springs and Adelaide did not sufficiently recoup expenses. That has now gone from 15 to 20 a kilometre, another great initiative.
The other component in the statement that is quite exciting is the movement towards tele-health and its roll out, particularly the 50 sites which have been identified. The CEO of Health, Mr Jeff Moffet, and a team of staff provided me with a presentation on how tele-health operates. We had live streaming into several communities investigating what could be seen from the computer in our office upstairs into the surgery or health centre on the community. Fifty sites is fantastic and, I presume, it will get bigger and bigger. That presents a real opportunity for better services for patients in inaccessible or remote areas across the Northern Territory. It is an opportunity for nurses or clinical staff on the ground to tap into specialist expertise anywhere in the world, should it be required.
I congratulate the Health minister. In this job you have some achievements and some stand out more than others. I have not spoken to the Health minister about this, but I believe the announcement is something she will mark down as an achievement in her ministerial role, much the same as some of the things I have done, particularly around the Telstra mobile phone service deal, which will change people’s lives. This will also definitely change people’s lives.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I congratulate the minister and commend the statement and the minister to the House.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, this is a government of action. We have acted quickly on this, as my colleagues have stated. We worked on this project from opposition and, 12 months into government, have reviewed PATS and have good news stories coming out about substantial increases in subsidies for people who have to travel intrastate and interstate to seek specialist treatment.
This government is about representing all Territorians, including Territorians who live in regional centres. Unlike the former Labor government that was Darwin-centric, we represent all regions of the Northern Territory. It surprises me the two regional members, the members for Nhulunbuy and Barkly, have not chosen to comment on the new PATS announcements; this good news story about benefits to improve the quality of life of their constituents.
In particular, I am surprised the member for Barkly, who has been missing for most of the week because of his prior commitment to hand out how-to-vote cards for the failed member for Lingiari, Warren Snowdon, has not made the effort to represent his constituents. I know a little about the Barkly, as a resident of Alice Springs, and someone who has worked in the health system on and off for many years. People from Tennant Creek and the Barkly area struggle to get to specialist appointments. The member for Barkly would know only too well this will benefit his constituents.
The increase, particularly in the fuel subsidy, will mean people undertaking that 500 km trip from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs to seek medical attention will be much more comfortable, given the subsidy has increased by 25%. The member for Barkly is distracted by his different priorities, campaigning for the Labor member for Lingiari. It is a sad state of affairs because it would have been a good opportunity for him to speak on behalf of his constituents.
The member for Nhulunbuy, who spent the last two weeks screaming across the Chamber in an hysterical fashion, stunning people on the government side, cannot be bothered speaking on behalf of her constituents doing it tough in Gove for many different reasons, but doing it tough because they also have to travel substantial distances to seek specialist treatments. I am astounded.
I am always astounded by the poor performance of the former Labor government and the current opposition who do not give a toss about the regions. They do not practice what they preach; they do not put their rhetoric into action and could not be bothered speaking on behalf of their constituents about one of the best pieces of news this Chamber has heard for a long time: the substantial improvements and changes in the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme.
The former Labor government, as has been stated by my colleagues, failed to do anything for 11 years. They increased one part of PATS by $2. They increased the commercial accommodation rate from $33 to $35 years ago. It was interesting to hear the former Health minister, the member for Casuarina, say the announcement today was good. He basically admitted they achieved nothing in the last 11 years but were intending to get to it. It was an admission of failure by the member for Casuarina, the former Minister for Health, of their inability to make substantial changes to an important scheme within government which provides basic assistance to people who have to travel intrastate or interstate to seek medical treatment.
He spoke about tele-health, something we inherited from the former Labor government, one of their better legacies. There are not too many good ones and, in my mind, this is towards the top of the list. Tele-health will be rolled out and used more extensively as time goes on. It will, eventually, save much heartache, a lot of effort in travelling and, hopefully, save money which we can reinvest into frontline health services in the Northern Territory.
The member for Nelson made some interesting comments. He admitted Labor’s effort around the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme was woefully inadequate, and I agree with him. He also read a letter from a lady from Alice Springs I know reasonably well, expressing dissatisfaction with the current PATS and our decision to use the short-term accommodation facility at Royal Darwin Hospital as an alcohol mandatory treatment facility.
I emphasise, member for Nelson, it is only temporary use and I am endeavouring to take mandatory alcohol treatment out of that facility as soon as possible. It is not ideal and we have a better site in mind. There is pressure throughout the health system for that facility to be used for its original purpose, particularly in the next 12 to 18 months. The member for Nelson gave an honest and personal appraisal of his experience of PATS in his electorate, and I appreciate that.
As someone who has worked in the health system in the Northern Territory on and off for the best part of 20 years, PATS was always a part of what we did, particularly at Alice Springs Hospital. People are constantly moving in and out of the Alice Springs Hospital via the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme. It is a critical part of the operation of treating people in Central Australia. People come into Alice Springs Hospital and are sent in all directions, mainly north or south, but the flow is constant. I remember years ago the PATS officer was completely overburdened. I have not worked in the hospital since having my first child in 2000, but I remember an overburdened system needing major reform. A year later the Labor government came to power in the Northern Territory and nothing happened for all those years.
From a personal perspective, I am so proud to announce today these significant reforms and improvements in how we deliver the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme.
I want to note a few things before I wind up. The rates and subsidies commencing on 1 September compare with other jurisdictions around Australia. For example, our fuel subsidy will be the second highest in the country. A small increase you might say, from 15 to 20 per kilometre, but it will be the second highest in the country. Queensland offers the highest rate. The commercial accommodation, increased from $35 per person to $60 per person per night, is equal highest in the country.
We have made generous improvements and increases to subsidies; however, some people might say there is a long way to go. I recently heard someone responding to the planned increases saying, ‘You still cannot get a hotel in Darwin for $60 per person per night’. That is true. With Darwin being one of the most expensive metropolitan centres in the country for commercial accommodation, that it is a challenge. However, we have come a long way. It is around an 80% increase and we are proud of it. I am sure this news will be well received by people who use the system.
We have allocated $7.5m in the 2013-14 financial year. I am appreciative of my colleagues, the members for Namatjira, Stuart, Arnhem, Brennan, and the Chief Minister, for their contributions today. I am grateful to the member for Greatorex, who was shadow minister for Health for a number of years. He plugged away at this issue for a long time and much of this has come about due to his hard work over that period.
Motion agreed to, statement noted.
MOTION
Note Statement – Twelve Months in Government and Framing the Future
Note Statement – Twelve Months in Government and Framing the Future
Continued from 20 August 2013.
Mr TOLLNER (Treasurer): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, it is a pleasure to comment on the Chief Minister’s statement about 12 months in government and the future directions of the government. The Chief Minister delivered a fantastic statement. I said to my colleague recently, at times you become so caught up in this job you fail to look in the rear vision mirror to see what has occurred.
I was stunned when I thought about what has happened in 12 months. I had to pinch myself because I thought, ‘Goodness me, we have not done such a bad job at all’. Generally, day to day, there are so many things going on you lose sight of what is being achieved.
To reflect on the past 12 months, it is important to know where we have come from. Twelve months ago coming into government we inherited a basket case. The debt and fiscal mismanagement of the previous government is now laid bare for all to see. There is a projected $5.5bn debt, the highest debt per capita of any jurisdiction in the country, and a $900m budget deficit. Spending $900m more than you have to is an alarming situation in itself and, by the previous government’s own reckoning, there was no end in sight for the accumulation of debt; it would have kept going.
There was the debt problem. We have talked so much about debt it hardly needs more explanation. However, there are other areas: the failing education system, the worst results, the worst outcomes in education of any jurisdiction in the country. Child protection was really the hallmark of the previous government. Its failure in child protection led to the Northern Territory intervention, trying to sweep the evidence under the carpet and hide things away. Eventually, it became too big to hide and, suddenly, the nation took notice and the Northern Territory intervention was born.
We inherited a failing health system. I listened to my colleague in relation to PATS and the changes she has made. She can only too well explain the dire straits health was in when we came to government and, in many ways, still is: failing infrastructure, a workforce which felt undervalued and was never consulted, many silos of power within a department, the left hand rarely knew what the right hand was doing, and all that type of turmoil. The Health minister has done a damned good job of clearing that up.
The housing crisis: the highest rents, the highest house prices in the country. At the moment our hotels are not full of tourists as we would like them to be, they are full of people who are living and working here. The reason is lack of housing accommodation. We have had to deal with that.
If the Power and Water Corporation had been let go for another six months it would almost certainly have had to close its doors. The power was about to be turned off across the Northern Territory.
Of course, how can you talk about what life was like 12 months ago without mentioning problem drunks all over our streets. It seemed you could not walk out your front door without falling over problem drunks. It did not matter whether you lived in Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Katherine, Darwin or a remote community, the place was crawling with drunks.
We had that ridiculous scheme, the Banned Drinker Register, where the previous government believed by putting someone’s name on a list they would automatically stop drinking - how bizarre. The whole idea was not about making people stop drinking, it was about punishing Territorians and people who are responsible with alcohol.
These are things we had to deal with and are still dealing with. You cannot solve these endemic problems overnight. After 11 years of a Labor government which did not care about money, spent on needless bureaucracy, was quite happy to see the education system failing, where child protection was failing, where health was failing, when housing was not available for people to live in, their own utility falling to pieces at the seams and about to wind up, problem drunks all over the streets, you know you are in for a tough time and some tough decisions have to be made.
I pay tribute to our original leadership team, the members for Blain and Araluen. The member for Araluen, in her role as Treasurer, had the lion’s share of lifting to do. What a dreadful situation to see that level of debt and have to make some of the decisions she did. However, she made those tough decisions. The mini-budget was a difficult thing for everyone in the Cabinet, but the Treasurer had to deliver the news. I pay tribute to her for the work she did in that role; it was a tough job.
Since coming to government we have put in place belt-tightening measures. We have been very particular about how we tighten the belt. We have kept our election commitment not to lay off frontline workers. As such, we have had to be quite creative in relation to belt-tightening because we do not want to cut spending with a cut in services. We tried to maintain services while tightening our belt. We have done a fairly good job in that regard.
However, with a looming debt of $5.5bn, which would have equated to 98% of debt-to-revenue ratio, virtually 100% of everything we received would have gone to pay interest on the debt. You hear them in opposition saying, ‘Why not do this program, why not do that program?’ Every day they have another reason to spend more money. They do not seem to get that, even after it has been explained to them, we are living beyond our means.
A $900m budget deficit is living beyond your means and something we are desperate to fix. We originally wanted to keep our election commitment to balance the books by 2015-16. but in February/March this year, when the Commonwealth Grants Commission made a determination to strip another $100m out of our GST money, it left us no option but to bite the bullet and do what we thought was a reasonably responsible thing, breach that election commitment and put off our return to surplus by two years to 2017-18.
Stripping $100m out of the Northern Territory government budget is akin to stripping $3bn out of the New South Wales budget. If a federal government tried to strip $3bn out of the New South Wales budget we would still be hearing about it. However, being the Northern Territory, no one seems to care too much about it taking $100m off us. As a government, it is a dreadful thing for us to deal with. How do we reduce spending further to live within our means? However, we have.
We have put together a responsible budget which includes every emerging cost we can think of, something the previous government never did. When we came into government we found more than $100m of unfunded liabilities. These were liabilities that occur every year; spending that was never accounted for in previous budgets. They said, ‘You knew about the debt levels’. Of course, we knew about the debt levels; they were in the pre-election fiscal outlook which had been published. We did not know there was $100m of other things not included. The budget handed down in May was about adding all those things up, accounting for them and saying, ‘We have to meet these commitments as well’.
There are things like police housing. You cannot just walk away from that, you have to fund it and we have. We funded the growth factor in health. We know demand pressures in health occur every year: ageing population and new technology, all of which puts pressures on the health system and means we know there will be growing costs every year. The health budget grows by 7% to 8% because of demand pressures.
I recently met with people in Canberra from the Commonwealth Grants Commission about what providing equal service means, new technology, for instance. It is now possible to put renal dialysis machines into remote communities, something not available a few years ago. I said, ‘If we are to provide like services we need to do that’. This is not about closing the gap; it is providing equal services across Australia no matter where you live. We cannot turn our back on renal dialysis. We will embrace the new technology, spend the money, and do what we can to save or extend lives in remote communities. There are enormous pressures there, but we put all that in the budget. We know it is looming and have budgeted for it. Consequently, we have a much more transparent and honest budget than in the previous 11 years.
There are changes to the health system: the new services framework and the way we have devolved decision-making into the regions. This gives remote doctors and nurses - not just government employees, but those from the NGO sector and from private practice - the ability to make decisions on the ground rather than working their way through a range of different silos and through a centralised, typically Labor-style bureaucracy.
That has been welcomed and is something health workers across the Territory have been wanting for years. Clearly, a nurse working in a remote clinic has a good idea of what services a patient in the waiting room needs, as opposed to someone sitting in an office in Darwin.
I was stunned this week to hear the opposition carping about education. We have had the worst education system in the country with the lowest attendance rates, the poorest outcomes, people finishing Year 12 who cannot read or write and, for some reason, the opposition believes that is fine. They believe they had it worked out and cannot understand why we want to reform education. After 11 years of failure you might think, ‘We give up, we are out of ideas. It is time you guys had a go. We will give you some latitude and see how things work out.’ Not these guys. They want us to stick with a failing system and keep doling out money to every harebrained scheme they come up with. It is madness.
On the housing crisis side, you can almost singularly lay the blame for our accommodation and housing crisis at the feet of the previous government. The failure to release land, the failure to approve developments and the failure to plan properly for the future are all from the previous government.
Since coming to government in the last 12 months we look behind and see we have had the fastest land release program in Australia and the highest construction rate in the country. We are leading the country in relation to construction of new houses. We are still not meeting demand, but are making a damn good start of it and are doing everything we can to grease the skids and get more land, more properties developed, more units developed and more houses developed. That seemed to be something the previous government could not give two hoots about.
Then you look at the great achievements we have made in our three-hub economy: mining, tourism and agriculture. I pay tribute to our Tourism minister and our Primary Industry and Mines minister. In the time I have lived in the Northern Territory I have never seen so many mines approved in such a short time.
Sherwin Iron’s major project status, Western Desert Resources, Australian Ilmenite, the list goes on, Crocodile Gold, Vista Gold - all these projects have come on in the last 12 months and we are riding companies to bring their projects forward and get them working now.
Not only has the minister worked hard in the mining area, he has been incredibly proactive in agriculture. The first thing he said was we were not putting in place Labor’s native vegetation legislation. You would have needed a full-blown EIS to prune a tree in your back yard. That is out the window. We now encourage people to clear and work the land, and we make water available. The previous government’s view was you would drain the Daly if you gave anyone water. I have never heard such mindless logic in my life. I believe the line was we would drain the Roper because one person accessed water. We would drain the entire river and there would be nothing left. That is the way they think ...
Mr Chandler: Like Victoria.
Mr TOLLNER: Yes. I remember in opposition, they would say, ‘We will not have another Murray-Darling in the Northern Territory’. Goodness me, there are 64 000 farms on the Murray-Darling producing over half of Australia’s food. No, the previous government would not have a bar of that. They did not want 64 000 farms in the Northern Territory or to produce half of Australia’s food. Goodness me, want a crime that is! No, we would not have a Murray-Darling in the Northern Territory.
We probably do not have 64 farms on the Daly River. We would not have 64 farms on the Roper River, or any other major river. There is no way known the previous government would have approved anyone growing anything.
Since coming to government we have eased many of those restrictions, made water available …
Mr Chandler: You needed a permit to cut a tree.
Mr TOLLNER: Yes, a full-blown EIS to prune a tree in your back yard. It became ridiculous.
Regarding the pastoral industry, I remember when that crazy senator and Julia Gillard - what was his name? The nong who banned …
A member: Heffernan.
Mr TOLLNER: No, Joe Ludwig. He decided to ban live cattle export …
Ms FINOCCHIARO: A point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I move an extension of time for the member for Fong Lim.
Motion agreed to.
Mr TOLLNER: Yes, the crazy senator, Joe Ludwig, and Julia Gillard decided to ban live cattle exports. It is easy to say that in Canberra, but if you live in the Northern Territory where live cattle export is the lifeblood of so many communities, you would hope the Northern Territory government might stand up for Northern Territorians. Not the mob on the other side. The Labor Chief Minister at the time welcomed the announcement. He said it was the circuit breaker we needed to have. Can you believe that? They put out of business half the grazing families in the Northern Territory and he welcomed the decision. You wonder what sort of representative body we had in the Northern Territory over those 11 years. He welcomed that decision.
Since coming to government the Chief Minister and the minister for Primary Industry have worked relentlessly, travelling to Indonesia, working with cattlemen, working with holding and finishing yards in Indonesia, visiting Vietnam, the Philippines and other potential customers and very quickly bringing our live export markets back on track. That is an amazing achievement considering the damage the previous government, in conjunction with their masters in Canberra, did to that industry.
The decision they made and the way they did it was akin to saying, ‘We know you are our nearest neighbour, but as far as we are concerned you are nothing but a pack of monkeys and we do not trust you with our cows’. What a message to send to you nearest neighbour! It is ridiculous. They could not even be bothered phoning the Indonesian President to say, ‘This is what we are considering doing’. The minister failed to understand what was occurring there was against their law. However, instead of us as Australians saying, ‘Let us try to fix this trouble. Do you need some assistance with policing, inspectors or something?’, we accused them of being a bunch of cruel monkeys we do not trust with our cows. It was a horrific decision to make.
The minister for Tourism has worked overtime in his portfolio to drive tourism and the knowledge of the Northern Territory across the globe. In the last 12 months we have seen SilkAir and Philippine Airlines arrive in the Northern Territory for the first time, Air Asia and Tigerair come back to the Territory, and in November this year we will see Malaysia Airlines flying into Darwin for the first time.
I cannot remember more airlines flying into Darwin in the last 20 years. That is at least 10 years of County Liberal government as well as 11 years of Labor government. These successes have happened in the last 12 months and you would have to ask why? How can one man get off his hind legs to visit a few countries, drive the Northern Territory brand throughout Europe and attract airlines the way he has, and the previous government could not? We have a costly debt to clean up from the debacle with Jetstar. Where is the famed Jetstar hub? They were singing from the rooftops, ‘We have Jetstar. They are building a hub and we will have planes coming and going all the time.’ Where are they? It was never going to happen. Jetstar did not build a hub and the government is enormously out of pocket. This was the decision-making of the previous government.
In a nutshell, in 12 months we have come to government and inherited a basket case from a government that could not make a decision, was compromised by a deal with a single member splinter group - splinter person, I believe, pardon the pun. We have come from that. You stop, you pull up, you think, and you see what has happened in 12 months. We have new mines, new airlines, increased trade and increased opportunity. There is talk about a second port, a second railway line and, suddenly, an air of enthusiasm is back in Darwin. There is optimism and the place is pumping again all in 12 months.
When this motion was brought on I had to think about what I might say. I pinched myself thinking, ‘Is this really what we have done in 12 months?’ It is incredible and, far from saying we have solved all the problems of the world, which clearly we have not, there is a hell of a lot more to do. We have been diligent and hard-working and see results of a new enthused government hard at work. It is a magnificent achievement and I pay tribute to each and every one of my colleagues and the many hundreds, if not thousands, of public servants who have all banded together behind the government and are all interested in working for the Territory. It has been a hell of a roller coaster ride. While every day we are faced with a new controversy or new issue to deal with and get caught up with that type of stuff, it pays every now and then to park the car, look in the rear view mirror, and see where we have come from.
Madam Speaker, I congratulate the Chief Minister on the statement. It is worthwhile, every now and then, to think about where we have come from as well as where we are going. The future looks bright. I am thrilled to be part of this government, and I believe in the next 12 months, two years, five years, 10 years great things will be achieved for the Northern Territory.
Debate adjourned.
ADJOURNMENT
Mrs LAMBLEY (Health): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
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Distinguished Visitors
Distinguished Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of Mr Ian and Mrs Kit McNeill, Mr Scott McNeill, Mr Ray and Mrs Kerry Bloom, and Ms Jan Sporn. On behalf of honourable members, I extend a warm welcome to you and hope you enjoy your visit and time at Parliament House to view these proceedings.
Members: Hear, hear!
_________________________
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Speaker, welcome to Ian and Kit. I hope you provide some flexibility on the 10-minute allowance at this point.
Madam SPEAKER: I am sure it can be accommodated, Chief Minister.
Mr GILES: Thank you. I put on the public record this tribute to …
Mr Wood: I believe we need a suspension of standing orders for that.
Mr GILES: Standing orders; we should talk to someone about that.
I put on record this tribute to Ian Bruce McNeill. In June this year, Ian retired from his position as Clerk of the Legislative Assembly following 28 years of dedicated service.
Born in Melbourne on 28 February 1947, Ian was educated at Essendon Grammar School. He graduated from the Australian National University with Bachelor of Arts. Then, from 1966 to 1985, Ian was an officer of the Australian Senate where he served in the Senate Records Office, the Table Office, the Procedure Office, and the Office of the Usher of the Black Rod. He also served in the Committee Office, which included duties such as Secretary of the Joint Publications Committee and the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs in Defence, Middle East and Africa Subcommittee.
During his time in Canberra, he witnessed the fall-out of the disappearance of a Prime Minister, Harold Holt, on 17 December 1967, and what has been described as the most traumatic and significant event in the first 100 years of the Australian Federation - the dramatic 11 November 1975 Whitlam government dismissal.
Ten years later, in 1985, the then Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Horace Guy Smith, a former officer of the Senate and Usher of the Black Rod, convinced Ian and wife, Kit, to venture north with their children, Scott, Beau and Jessica. The McNeills arrived in Darwin and Ian took up the position of Deputy Clerk.
At the time, the Legislative Assembly was a ramshackle group of buildings, some of which had been repaired following Cyclone Tracy. Members’ offices and lounges were in a series of demountables in the back yard of the Legislative Assembly precinct.
Following Guy Smith’s retirement on 24 May 1993, Ian was appointed Clerk of the Legislative Assembly by His Honour the Administrator, Honourable Austin Asche AC QC. The appointment was made pursuant to section 18A(4)(a) of the then Public Service Act, and on the recommendation of the Speaker at the time, Honourable Nick Dondas MLA.
In May 1999, Ian went on attachment to the House of Commons and the Scottish parliament.
Back in the Territory in 2001, in addition to being Clerk and Chief Executive of the Legislative Assembly, Ian, along with Clerks from other jurisdictions, played a key role in establishing the Australian and New Zealand Association of Clerks at the Table as a training vehicle in what was a very specialised area of public administration. He served on the Case Law Subcommittee for several years, and regularly presented papers at the association’s annual professional development seminar.
I note that as part of the activities, and in the spirit of rendering assistance to developing countries, the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly is twinned with the parliament of Timor-Leste, Norfolk Island and Niue, with other less formal arrangements with the parliament of Papua New Guinea. Under these arrangements, the Legislative Assembly provides mentoring and other assistance in respect of parliamentary procedure and administration.
During his tenure in the Northern Territory, Ian has presided over parliamentary committees including the committee that oversaw the design of this magnificent building, Parliament House, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year.
As Clerk, Ian has been Secretary to the Standing Orders Committee, Secretary to the Committee of Privileges and, more recently, Secretary to the Committee of Members’ Interests in respect of which he also acted as Registrar.
Ian has served, or suffered, depending on how one looks at it, nine Speakers, nine Chief Ministers and 12 Leaders of the Opposition. During his time there have been eight general elections and 16 by-elections and a marathon debate about the rights of Terminally Ill Bill, a bill Ian described as the Northern Territory Parliament coming of age, the disappointing overturning of that legislation by the federal parliament at the time and a formal remonstration with the same federal parliament.
Minority government came with some challenges, most notably the introduction of a select committee known as the Council of Territory Cooperation. Another variation of parliamentary committees was the Statehood Steering Committee. Whilst this committee had very specific terms of reference, the majority of its members were not members of the Assembly itself which is something of a deviation from the Westminster Convention.
In 2005, unsurprisingly and most deservedly, Ian was awarded the Public Service Medal for his services to this parliament. There is no doubt that Ian McNeill’s vast experience has been invaluable to the Assembly over many years. His laconic sense of humour has also being appreciated on many occasions. Ian has a love of history and theatre, thoroughbred horse racing, cricket and some would say Aussie Rules. One of his greatest loves of his life has been the Essendon Bombers, which may provide challenges over the next couple of years. His impressive collection of lanyards, all in black and red, leave you in no doubt about which club his allegiance lies.
I am convinced that Ian’s life in retirement will continue to be active. Travel will feature as he continues to support the talents of his landscape artist and photographer wife, Kit.
I know I speak for all members and former members of this Assembly as well as the many parliamentary officers Ian has mentored over many years, when I extend our sincere gratitude for his outstanding contribution. We give our best wishes for a long and happy retirement. I know Ian has received those wishes from as far away as the House of Commons and, most importantly, from his friend, Kevin Sheedy, at Essendon.
I hope we continue to see Ian, not only in red and black, but around the precincts of the Assembly from time to time.
I sincerely thank Ian McNeill for his many years of service to this House, and I look forward to catching up with Ian for a beer at the front bar of the casino should he not be travelling around the country participating in fantastic retirement events.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Speaker, I speak on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition, the Honourable Delia Lawrie, member for Karama, who sends her apologies as she is outside meeting with Northern Territory teachers who are exercising their democratic right to protest against the Northern Territory government.
I was privileged to attend the farewell dinner for Mr Ian McNeill and I ask that some of the quotes be put on to the public record about his school days and about the formative years, in particular from Dr Peter White, who was obviously an acknowledged teacher at the school Ian attended, which was Essendon Grammar School in Melbourne, and Dr Peter White said of Ian McNeill:
- One thing I would like to add is when conducting assessments of the prospects of students from Essendon Grammar many years ago; Ian is a boy of very superior intelligence with superior aptitude for speed and accuracy.
He also said:
- His aptitude on mechanical and spatial tests are just average.
Well, there may be a genetic link here. Ian’s father was Jack Thomas McNeill and, apart from his military record which describes his complexion as ‘fresh’, he was assessed on his discharge on 26 March 1946 as being of ‘very good’ character but ‘moderate’ efficiency in the naval mechanical environment. In determining Ian’s prospects the good Dr White said:
- Ian could do a university course in probably any area other than Engineering; however there does seem to be a bias in favour of the Humanities.
He continued:
- A very real possibility for him from the point of view of abilities and personality interests is that of Law. A further possibility is journalism … he has the ability to go far in an executive position.
I am sure Dr White was an excellent teacher because his assessment seemed to well and truly fit the bill, and Mr McNeill’s career, spanning 47 years of service to Australian parliaments and the people of Australia, including 28 years as Clerk of this Assembly, certainly did testimony to Dr White’s assessment of a young Ian McNeill.
His is truly a distinguished career, and I also note that Ian McNeill was awarded a Public Service Medal in 2005, which certainly testifies to outstanding service.
What I can say in relation to myself as a new member of this House is Ian, the former Clerk, always made new members feel very welcome, and I am very grateful for the guidance and support that Ian provided me, and I am sure my colleagues, when I started in 2008. There would be many members of this House who could testify to the same support and guidance of a man very well versed in the democratic system, in parliamentary procedures, and very willing to help.
There are some anecdotes which were heard at the dinner and around the halls of parliament about Ian’s interest in football, I was not able to participate in many of those discussions because I do not know much about Australian Rules football, but I did learn that Ian is very interested in AFL football and about his own career playing AFL football, with some very funny anecdotes about a player. I understand his fanaticism about the Essendon Football Club and, when you link all those together, there are certainly some interesting anecdotes.
As the member for Barkly I found it very interesting, and I may be able to claim I was the only member who exchanged cash with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, because annually Mr McNeill used to turn over some cash to me which, as a member, I thought was very interesting but, as a minister, I got a little nervous. However, this was his contribution to the famous Rossie Williams’ Julalikari tipping competition in Tennant Creek, and I used to take down the $50 and ensure Ian’s entry was received. I hope you did well because there was some significant prize money in that competition. It has not run since Rossie left Julalikari and left town and, consequently, the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly refrained from exchanging cash with the member for Barkly from that day on.
It is people like Ian McNeill who are the lifeblood of our strong democratic institutions and his expertise, impartiality, great humour and leadership are essential for that role. Ian also loves sport. He is a great Territorian, and he certainly is a gregarious character who is inspirational to other Territorians, and to members of parliament.
So, on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition, on behalf of myself and colleagues on this side of the House, I would like to wish Ian and Kit, and the family all the best in your retirement.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I would also like to say a few words on behalf of our past Clerk - I will use the correct pronunciation.
Everyone knows Ian McNeill is a fanatical Essendon supporter, but he is not only that, he is someone who has a great knowledge of the tradition of the Westminster system. He understands the symbolism we see before us here today: where the Speaker sits, where the Chair of Committee sits, the distance across the table which, I am told, two swords could not quite reach, and all those things we have when we have an opposition and a government.
Ian would understand today the government has brought in some more symbolism especially for him due to his strong relationship with Essendon.
On the Notice Paper today there are two items, the first is the Advance Personal Planning Bill, and the symbolism here is not about Ian, but about James Hird, who obviously needs to look ahead because he does not have a job. The government obviously brought this bill on to help him consider his future. The second one is the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill.
Government, how did you think of that? The symbolism is there. Obviously, there was something in the three-quarter time oranges at Essendon that caused the problem, and the government has brought forward this bill to ensure it does not happen again.
I thank the government for bringing on these notices; they are symbolic, and they have true practical application. I hope Essendon is listening because I am speaking as a true Hawthorn supporter. Unfortunately, I did not bring my scarf today.
The former Clerk of this House is a down-to-earth person; he is a great supporter of a football team - whether it is AFL or what does not matter - but he also conscientiously ensured this House ran as it should.
He is extremely knowledgeable about the Westminster system, and he is extremely knowledgeable - when I was Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees - about all those aspects a new person in this House has no idea about. Anyone who sits in that Chair knows when you have tricky people, like the member for Port Darwin, on either side, questions are put to the Speaker they do not have the knowledge to answer. Who do they go to? They go to the Clerk, because the Clerk has that knowledge. He has an enormous amount of knowledge.
I relied on his advice, as well. When I had to make a decision about supporting a minority government, the Clerk was there to give me advice. Not advice to say what I should do, but advice as to what I should be looking at when I making my decision. I appreciated that advice very much because it was a very difficult time.
He also helped set up some of the committees. The Chief Minister mentioned the Council of Territory Cooperation, which was different, but it was set up with the Clerk’s advice and help. I am not saying it did not have its problems, but it was something very few other governments have had, probably no other government has had, in that format. Much of the way it was constructed was, thankfully, due to Ian’s knowledge and advice.
He also has a great sense of humour; it is a dry sense of humour but, again, it shows you he was a man for this parliament. There were times we had serious moments here, but there were also times when Ian could crack a joke and enjoy a joke, and that is what made him special.
Yes, he had a good knowledge of football. Yes, he had a good knowledge of racing. Do they have a Clerk’s Association? Some of those Clerk’s Association meetings were held awfully close to certain racing events, I gather, but I am sure that was purely coincidental. However, stories about certain major racing events did come back to the 3rd floor after a trip to an Association meeting. And that is part of what Mr Ian McNeill is about.
I am just trying to think of the name of the film which is named after the patron saint of politics, I know it is called A Man for All Seasons …
Madam SPEAKER: Sir Thomas More.
Mr WOOD: Yes, Thomas More. I believe we had a man for all seasons with Ian McNeill, because he is someone who has that touch of the ordinary person, but also the ability to rise above that when the occasion required it. When this parliament needed a strong Clerk to ensure the traditions of this House remained strong, and the parliamentary process continued as it has done for hundreds of years, I believe Mr Ian McNeill is someone who was able to do that.
I thank Ian for his friendship, his humour, and his advice. I would like to tell him there are other football teams out there which are much better, with much nicer colours - preferably brown and gold.
All the best in the future, and I suppose I have to say the good old Bombers will be back in next year, anyway. Thank you.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Speaker, I too would like to put on the record a tribute to Ian Bruce McNeill. I first met Ian a few years before I was a member of the Legislative Assembly. In fact, I went for a job in Legies, and he did not give it to me. I do not think it was Ian. I am, perhaps, fortunate he did not give me the job because I reckon somewhere along the line I would have been tricked into running for Labor. It was probably a good thing it did not work out. That was around about 2003.
Some years later coming into this House, one of the very first things I learnt was that our Clerk is a man who played with a straight bat. In this game, things are said in the heat of the moment, many things are put on the record, and many claims are made from both sides of politics. However, when you find someone who genuinely plays with a straight bat, you do not let them go. This House recognised that many years ago; when someone does play with a straight bat, you do not let them go.
It is really sad that you got old! However, no one has the pill, and I am looking at others here; there are a few people getting old. However, I digress.
I pay tribute to a man who, on numerous occasions, has helped me out since becoming a member of the Legislative Assembly. Each time, that advice was down the line. There would not be a person in this House who has not, from time to time, gone to Ian for advice, and other staff within Legies as well, but particularly Ian for his advice.
I was looking through some of the notes that have been put together and found some things Ian has been involved in. I now have a clear understanding of why some people in the general population are confused about politics and bureaucracy. When you see things written about the Table Office - there is a Table Office? What would an outsider think of that? What is a Table Office, do they have an office for a table? What the hell is government all about? They have a Procedures Office - an office for procedure? And then there is the Office of the Usher of the Black Rod. Now, come on! That sounds like Baldrick out of Blackadder. There are some unusual names here. There is a Committee Office, Joint Publications Committee, Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs - all these different committees we have with strange names. Now I understand it is not politicians who confuse the general population; it is the Clerks.
I reckon, like the Masons, they have a secret handshake and all these things when they meet. We heard the member for Nelson say they meet around times of racing carnivals and things like that ...
Mr Wood: Accidental.
Mr CHANDLER: Accidental, right. They must have these secrets that are only known to Clerks around the world. However, we have had a Clerk in this place for so long who has provided help to so many MLAs over the years. As the Chief Minister said before, you have suffered – or served – through nine Speakers, nine Chief Ministers, 12 Leaders of the Opposition, eight general elections, and 16 by-elections.
That is a hell of an achievement to have gone through and to have seen the changes in this place. I am certain governments of different persuasions, whether they are Labor or conservative, would have different philosophies and different ways of operating. When you have someone in the middle providing a rudder to ensure this place runs smoothly and we, on both sides of the House, do not get too far out of kilter; to know someone is there with a steady hand at the wheel keeping this wonderful building and the system of government we have in the Northern Territory going is something we desperately needed, and I know it will continue.
We have a great new Clerk, and I am absolutely certain Michael has learnt a great deal from you over the last few years, and I am sure he will also play with a straight bat. So, if we get the same service out of Michael, who cannot go anywhere now for 28 years, he better bed down and set his roots right here because we want someone for the long term.
I note you were awarded the Public Service Medal for service to this parliament, and that is something that you should be immensely proud of. Learning you are an Essendon Bombers fan, that is obviously your Achilles heel, even after the tragic events of recent days and, as the member for Nelson says, there are other teams out there if you should need to change course and support another club – Carlton would be a good choice – and if you wanted to go one step further, and I know this is a big call, you could always swap to rugby league – a man’s game, rugby league – it will be there waiting for you.
I sincerely want to pay a debt of gratitude for your outstanding contribution to this House. Thank you for your personal help in assisting me in the last five years I have been in this House. You will be missed, certainly not forgotten, and I am sure plenty of others have learnt from your attributes. Thank you. Ian.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms MANISON (Wanguri): Madam Speaker, I wish to pay tribute and acknowledge the work of Ian McNeill, the man most in this House know as the recently retired Clerk of the Assembly, but to me he is first and foremost my father-in-law. We would all agree that behind every great man there is an amazing woman, and in this case it is my mother-in-law, Kit McNeill. She has always wholeheartedly supported Ian’s career and been there for him through the good and the bad and, with that in mind, I asked Kit to share her reflections on Ian’s career and the pathway it has taken their family during this time.
Kit said:
- Our time in Darwin has been an amazing and memorable 28 years for Ian and our family. In 1985, Ian asked me if I would like to move to Darwin as the Deputy Clerk position with the Legislative Assembly in Darwin was being advertised. With three young children under seven, Ian’s great great great Aunt in residence, a new business venture, not to mention a hobby farm with chooks, goats, cats and dogs, ‘No, I do not think so,’ was my very quick response. As things happened he did ask again some months later when I was in a very weak moment and this time, ‘Go for it, boy,’ was my reply.
- We were both flown to Darwin for an interview. Yes, I had to be given the once over also, as in those days it was a real concern that if the wife could not cope with the life in the tropics, she would pack up and go home. The children were left behind in Canberra for this week. To this day they all still say that we put them in the orphanage, but in reality it was a care facility run by the Catholic nuns and as they say the rest is history.
Our very early memories of Ian’s work as Deputy Clerk at the old Assembly was amazing. He was home by five most afternoons. Sittings at that time finished around seven, which was very different to the sometime all night Canberra sittings. The move to Darwin meant that we had regained our lives as a family with extended daylight hours as a bonus. Our three children flourished in the Darwin climate. Scott, married to Nicole Manison, and is now a project manager with Defence Housing. Beau and his partner, Bec Rek, have a combined family of seven children and he works for the Federal Police based in Brisbane. Jess is married to James Herraman and is a new mum with little Alice Rose and on maternity leave from National Jet, and they both have very busy lives here in Darwin.
The memories of Ian’s years as Deputy Clerk and Clerk are numerous. One main memory, of course, was his involvement with the planning and building of the new Parliament House. Just before the opening of the building the then Speaker, Terry McCarthy, rang me on one night to say he was worried about Ian as he thought he was in danger of having a heart attack. Yes, I would have to agree he thought so too, but he did survive and to this day is so proud of the building that he had a small contribution in what we see today.
With all the happy memories of course there are some sad memories, with the passing of our dear friends and colleagues Guy and Jan Smith, Diana Harris, Liz McFarlane, Stan Tipiloura, Maurice Rioli, Wesley Lanhupuy, Brian Cook and, more recently, Col Firmin. Diana especially, for her attention to detail sitting in the pool at the Crocodile Hotel in Jabiru working out the seating plan for the opening of Parliament and the Presiding Officers and Clerk’s official conference dinner.
Ian, in retirement, has been very busy packing our unit, having decided to make Darwin our permanent home with the purchase of a new unit on The Avenue due for completion in May 2014. So, what else is there to do but to go for a bit of a drive around Australia in our new ute. As for the future for Ian, I am sure he will continue to be a great contributor to the future of Darwin’s history.
Ian’s daughter, Jess Herraman, also wanted to place the following on the record.
- We would like to thank dad for giving us a life of a grounded work ethic and morals after watching your dedication to your job for almost 30 years here in Darwin. After having the opportunity and privilege to have our wedding at Parliament House, James and I will hold these memories close to our heart forever. Knowing what it would mean to Ian for us to host our wedding at Parliament House, we know you will be extremely missed in parliament but we are excited for your future spent travelling with Kit and enjoying your time with your grandchildren.
Thank you for your contribution Kit and Jess.
Madam Speaker, it has always been very clear to me that the team at the Legislative Assembly is a close one. There is no doubt, as members and staffers in this building, we always appreciate the hard work and effort the team put in to running the parliament and the long hours they serve. It is also clear the staff of the Department of the Legislative Assembly loved Lumpy and had a great deal of respect for their boss.
This was reflected in the recent tribute dinner you and the staff of the Assembly organised for him as his official farewell. From that evening I would like to take some of the highlights from one of the many wonderful speeches delivered on the night. It included:
We acknowledge the service of Ian McNeill PSM, a man who was described by one of his own parliamentary officers as a ‘rare beast’. In fact, in the acknowledgements in her Ph.D. thesis, she said:
- I reserve special and particular thanks to the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Ian McNeill, who has been fully supportive of academic research in respect of the history of the Assembly. Not particularly interested in the theory or the outcome, Ian is a rare beast who supports any interrogation of the Westminster system. I am deeply indebted for the courtesies he has extended, and for the time he has put into various impromptu interviews and questions in relation to the technical aspects of the operation of the Assembly.
That was from Dr Robyn Smith, the Clerk’s Executive Officer, who captured the respect and esteem in which Ian is held by his colleagues.
They pay tribute to someone who, if you live under a rock you have not heard, is a Bombers zealot, a racing man, a family man, a Creedence and Otis Redding man.
On the topic of football, Clerk McNeill had occasion to make a sympathy call to Clerk Wright from the House of Representatives who had suffered a broken sternum. Clerk McNeill informed Clerk Wright that it was a common football injury. Clerk Wright asked Clerk McNeill if it had ever happened to him. Clerk McNeill responded, I’ve never had a broken sternum, but I might have caused one or two’.
A studious fellow, Ian McNeill is a man of few words. Former member, for Macdonnell, Neil Bell, recorded it was impossible for a zealous opposition member to get past him various terms of abuse. Bell was pretty sure there was no one on the government benches who would pick up ‘meretricious’ which means lying, and is therefore only acceptable by way of substantive motion. Bell said he can still see Lumpy leaning back advising Speaker McCarthy it would have to be withdrawn.
Madam Speaker, these are just a few of many stories told on the evening. I would also like to add a few of the highlight tributes from the evening for the Hansard record. The first one reads:
- It is both a pleasure and a privilege to be able to say something - albeit at a range of many thousands of miles - in appreciation of Ian.
He has been a valued and respected member of our international and Commonwealth professional community of Clerks, and he will take with him into retirement the warm regard of us all.
- By chance, the NT News assessment of the 150 most powerful people in the Northern Territory came my way, and I noted that it said of Ian ‘that he performs his important job in a quiet, unbiased way.’ None of us could ask for any more, and it is a great tribute to Ian as an outstanding public servant.
- Ian, all of us as Westminster send you our warmest good wishes for a long and happy retirement.
With best wishes,
Sir Robert Rogers,
Clerk of the House of Commons.
The next tribute reads:
To Ian (Lumpy)
Well done on your career in serving Australia and the Northern Territory. It takes many wonderful people to run our country, a land as large as the map of Europe but with only now 23 million people. You have been one that leads and shows the way.
- Retirement, forget about it! Just keep developing yourself and your life in an area of enjoyment, fun and excitement. That is what I’m doing with the Giants up the Parramatta River.
Good luck, love life and love your family.
Kevin Sheedy.
Another tribute read:
- Dear Ian
- I hear that after twenty eight years you have decided to ‘hang up your boots’ as Clerk of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.
What a fantastic contribution you have given to the Northern Territory and I am sure you will be missed by all you have worked with over those years.
Being a past Essendon player, you will now have plenty of time to come down and attend some more games.
All the best in your retirement, Ian, and to your wife, Kit, I am sure she is looking forward to sharing a long and happy retirement with you.
- James Hird
Madam Speaker, there were more tributes as well and I know that Ian really appreciated the effort people made to include the reflections on the evening.
I would also like to make mention of the Auditor-General’s Report presented at the retirement dinner titled The Bombers are Rubbish, Collingwood Rules. The Auditor-General went into considerable detail about the history of one of Australia’s greatest rivalries. On the motion that those assembled take note of the report, the dinner divided and the motion was negatived.
In his address-in-reply, Ian pointed out that at least with the Bombers the drugs go into the athletes and not onto the streets, when it came to Essendon versus Collingwood.
Also on the evening a tribute was screened. The tribute was put together by Franco Tistillo of ABC Television and was very well received. The ABC’s Murray McLaughlin pointed out he had to pay $10 for the Network Against Prohibition footage of the Chamber invasion in 2002 because Speaker Braham refused to release it and he had to buy it from an NAP stall at the Nightcliff markets. They sought to have the footage for their defence in court and value-added by using it to raise funds for their case.
Another item presented on the evening was a photographic tribute to Ian which was on display at the dinner, and also there were the tributes.
Madam Speaker, I seek leave to table those documents as well as the minutes taken from that evening.
Leave granted.
Ms MANISON: I would also like to thank Robyn Smith for her work in providing much of this information for this adjournment tonight. I would also like to thank Kit and Jess for their contributions.
On a personal note from my husband, Scott, and me, I would like to put our love and best wishes for Ian on the record. To us he is Lumpy, the man who is a parliamentary standing orders and historical extraordinaire. He is a man who always has a good story about his life encounters, whether they be some of the more humorous, bizarre or controversial moments about being involved in parliament, to the old stories about the glory days as a football player.
To me, a relatively newcomer to the family, he is a man of many stories about the McNeill family adventures and the many comical mishaps they have had over the years which, I might add, never seem to stop. I like to use the term ‘doing a McNeill’ to describe these situations they seem to find themselves in. Some of these stories have left me wondering at times how the McNeills always seem to land on their feet, but they always do, and they certainly have many good laughs whenever they look back. That is what Ian and his family are all about, living each day to the full, never taking what you have for granted, and always making sure you see the good humour in life.
On behalf of the McNeill family, Ian, we are very proud of you and the contribution you have made to the Territory. We look forward to seeing you around much more and sharing many more stories over the years. We wish you well in your new adventures in retirement.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, tonight I contribute to this adjournment debate and congratulate the former Clerk on his contribution to this parliament. Obviously, as a new member, I do not know the Clerk very well, but I had heard many good things about you before I got to sit in this chair. All our encounters have been wonderful and, by all accounts, you are a remarkable individual with a very loving family.
Tonight, I am speaking on behalf of my future father-in-law, former Chief Minister Denis Burke, who cannot be here tonight:
- Ian McNeill was Clerk of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly when I first entered politics in June 1994, and he was Clerk when I left politics in 2005. During that period, I had a bumpy ride of successes and failures that were, in summary, character building. Along with my experience during that time, the Northern Territory parliament dealt with issues which were internally difficult and, at times divisive, including the Rights of the Terminally Ill Bill, the debate and referendum on statehood, and mandatory sentencing, just to name three.
Throughout my time as a member of parliament, including the turmoil of watching colleagues come and go and of losing government, Ian was the face of stability in the Legislative Assembly. He was a mentor to all; a thorough professional who was impeccable in the fairness he showed, and a rock in his love and defence of the legislative process and responsibilities bestowed on us as a self-governing Territory of Australia.
I sought his advice or assistance on many occasions, and his door was always open and assistance generously given. No matter if you were a backbencher or Chief Minister, a member of government or opposition, he treated all elected members the same - fairly and respectfully. He displayed that attitude on a daily basis, effortlessly because that is the character of the man, and his example extended to all his Assembly staff.
It was plain to see that they worked as a team. They admired and respected their boss and his values were their values. He was a champion of the Northern Territory parliament and highly regarded and respected within the Commonwealth parliamentary culture nationally and internationally.
During the quest for Northern Territory statehood, he played a vital role in ensuring his parliamentary counterparts in other states and territory jurisdictions understood all the issues involved and were supportive of our efforts.
He always took the opportunity to promote and defend his Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. On the one occasion that the Assembly was invaded by some ratbags, I imagine it was Ian’s keen awareness that the cameras were rolling that saved some poor pot-smoking dude from being permanently injured by an old Essendonian.
I do not understand what that means, but I am sure you do! When I first read that paragraph I thought, holy geez, what is this about, Denis?
- In 2005, I had the pleasure of attending an international conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in Canada with Ian McNeill. It was my first experience in such a forum and I was guided by Ian, who assisted me in chairing a plenary session which ran for two days. I had never been in such a position before, as these international delegates came with vested and competing interests which were not easy to mould into a common set of recommendations. We did, Ian and I, and we were proud of our efforts in gaining the resolutions we eventually put to the central session, and which were warmly endorsed. Moreover, I was proud to have at my side and as my mentor at the forum, a man who was universally respected by all the delegates. It was a clear insight to me of the status Ian had within the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
I suspect Kit is Ian’s rock. Kit had her own private hire car business during much of my time in parliament, and I had the pleasure of being driven to parliament or other functions with Kit on many occasions. How she managed to contain herself to pleasantries and just drive never ceased to amaze me. I tried my best on various occasions to draw a response by some critical comment on this or that, but she was as good as Ian – pleasant, but noncommittal.
To both of you, Ian and Kit, I wish you all the very best for your future life together. I thank you, Ian for all you have done for me, and for the reputation of the Northern Territory parliament within the Commonwealth. It is an honour and pleasure that our paths have crossed, and that we walked together for a time which will stay in my memory forever.
Honourable Denis Burke, former Chief Minister
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I certainly do not propose to know the former Clerk personally, like some members here, particularly the member for Wanguri and many others. But, I have certainly developed a great professional relationship with the Clerk. I was upstairs thinking: I am the longest serving consecutive Country Liberal member in this House, apart from Terry Mills, and that is a frightening prospect for many. I thought it has been six years since I came to this parliament through a by-election at the time of the retirement of Dr Richard Lim, and as the member for Wanguri and member for Blain would know, when you enter parliament through a by-election you tend to get special treatment. You are not one of a whole pack that enter parliament at the same time, you are a one-off case, and you get pretty good treatment; and I certainly received that from the Legislative Assembly as a whole.
At the time, it was Brian Cook who came down to Alice Springs to take me through the induction process, and then we came up here for the full induction which was led by the Clerk and Captain David Horton, at the time.
Ian, I really want to thank you for the personal attention you provided me as a new member of parliament. It is very difficult when you enter a job like this, particularly if you come from the outside world. Some people have had a taste of what it is like to be in politics, they might have been an advisor or what have you, but I came from the private sector, I had no idea about parliament or politics or how it worked. When you come from one environment to this, you really are very fresh and a real cleanskin, and unaware of what lies ahead.
To have the guidance provided to you by the Legislative Assembly – and you really were the Legislative Assembly. You provided that leadership to all the staff in this building, not only personally, but through them - they were able to offer such wonderful service.
I am very grateful for that because if we look back to that period of 2007-08 there was only four of us in opposition, so it pretty difficult. At the time we thought we did a pretty good job, having about 15 or 16 portfolios each but, really, at the end of the day, we were just getting smashed. That is all it was. We could barely keep the parliament open until about 3 pm; it was hard work.
You were there and you provided that guidance to all of us; we could pick up the phone, if you were not available, you would ring straight back. That is the calibre of guy you were, and still are. Like the member for Nelson, we talk about you as you were in your capacity as Clerk of this parliament.
I thank you for that, and I really will remember you fondly as a result of the way you conducted yourself professionally. I believe you are a great role model for all of us in this parliament. I also know that many of the staff will miss you; we will all miss having you around.
You were not very good at whispering. I do not know if you remember sitting over there when the former Speaker would be looking for some advice and we could all hear what you were saying to her. You walked up there and put your ear down, and we could certainly hear what was going on.
There are very fond memories, and I really wanted to add my personal vote of gratitude and thanks to you, and I really wish you and your family all the very best in your future endeavours. Thanks very much.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I would like to pay compliments and tribute to the former Clerk, Mr Ian McNeill. I thought I would refresh Mr McNeill’s memory in regard to a former member of this parliament, my mother, Noel Padgham Purich. Noel Padgham has asked me to pass on her very best wishes to you and I know that she and you have shared many a telephone call discussing merits of certain things and definitions of words. So, I wanted to remind you of how it was, and I can put on the record: thankfully, I am not quite like this previous member.
Adjournment, 13 August 1992, the issue was the hoary old one of Planning:
- Mrs Padgham-Purich: People have already told you what they want and do not want - 5 times.
Mr Ortman: And in the future, my dear, they will probably be asked dozens and dozens more times.
Mrs Padgham-Purich: Don’t you ‘my dear’ me.
Mr Ortman: I am very sorry.
Then we had another one. Adjournment, 24 August 1992, Planning again. This is Mr Bailey in continuance:
- Every time it rains half the blocks are under water. Areas that have been designed for drainage are washed out. When it rains they fill up.
Mrs Padgham-Purich: The water was supposed to travel uphill?
Mr Bailey: I forgot. The water is supposed to drain uphill, unfortunately it would not comply.
This one is probably very memorable for you. Adjournment: 13 May 1992, on the topic of agile wallabies at East Point:
Mrs Padgham Purich continues:
- Personally, I believe the situation that applies with rats and mice in similar circumstances would apply to wallabies, including those at East Point. There is scientific evidence to support this belief and I have established this fact myself, with mice. If rats or mice are kept in a limited area and the colony breeds in the good conditions afforded by adequate feed, water and shelter, a point will be reached when, despite the continuation of those optimum conditions, the colony will inhibit any increase in its own numbers as a result of some instinct of reasoning.
Mrs Padgham-Purich: Be quiet! You do not know anything about it.
They have an interesting sex life, but the females also have an interesting gynaecological makeup in that, as well having a joey in the pouch, they have a joey in utero. When the joey in the pouch becomes old enough to leave, or by mischance dies, the one in the uterus proceeds to mature, leaves the uterus and goes into the pouch. The female mates again, and another foetus is deposited in the uterus. If marsupials in Australia are doing this now, following that line of thought it seems that, if times of stress become apparent to the wallaby population at East Point, then the wallabies will manage their own population numbers without help from man.
But there was more following further interjections and, not to be put off at the time, Mrs Padgham Purich said:
- We have spent the day listening to the interminable and infantile warblings of so many members about a certain subject that, to put it mildly, I have been bored stiff. What I am telling honourable members about the agile wallabies is much more interesting. If they would shut up and listen, they would learn a great deal more than they have learnt from the 8 hours of debate we have heard today. ...’
Further, she said:
- I will move from the subject of Macropus agilus to Gallus domesticus - in other words, the common chook. To most people in Darwin and other places in the Territory, chooks are not very important, but some years and several ministers ago there was a move afoot in relation to legislation to limit to 20 the number of domestic poultry that one could keep without a permit in the rural area of Darwin. Eventually, the minister at the time listened to wiser advice and the legislation did not proceed.
And further on:
- Mr Reed: It was raised in a request from someone in the rural area who suggested that the chook numbers should be restricted on some blocks because they are a darned nuisance.
I believe that the member should button his lip and speak only about those things of which he has some general knowledge. I do not believe he knows very much about conditions in the Darwin rural area.
On 30 April 1991, Mrs Padgham Purich:
- A constituent had occasion to come to me …
Mr Coulter: Did you say hawkers or hookers?
Mrs PADGHAM-PURICH: Hawkers. Hookers tomorrow, hawkers today.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Decorum, please!
Then there was a question by Mrs Padgham Purich to Chief Minister Perron on 12 May 1992:
- In view of the strained financial times that we are experiencing now, the number of jobs lost to former public servants, the hard times experienced by small businesses in the community etc, why was it thought necessary to furnish and refurbish Government House with antique fixtures and furnishings with more purchases proposed? I add, Mr Speaker, that I am a royalist, a monarchist and am full of respect for the position of His Honour the Administrator as a representative of Her Majesty the Queen.
It makes you wonder, does it not, what they did in those days.
Then on to firearms, which you know are very popular in the rural area, from Mrs Padgham Purich, member for Nelson, on 19 October 1993:
- Fisherman and safari operators may require a pistol for the preservation of their lives. The safari operators may require them also to protect the lives of people who come on the safari with them in a boat or nearby waterways. Insufficient thought has been given to these restrictions. The police have recognised the problem with too many D class firearm licences in the community, but the way they have tackled it is arse about face.
On that note, I will conclude the comments from the former member for Nelson. She sends her best wishes to you, Mr McNeill.
I also pay a personal tribute, too. During my short time in parliament - four years in opposition and, of course, one year as Speaker - I have always appreciated your guidance and assistance in some of the more technical aspects of the job, of which there are many, which not all people, even in this Chamber, realise.
I know your retirement will never be retirement. You are not retiring, you just moving from one phase to another phase in your life with Kit and your family.
I wish you the very best in your travels and make sure, Mrs McNeill, that your luxury indoor/outdoor camping always involves a motel room and never have a swag on the ground.
I wish you the very best, and congratulations on your long, meritorious and esteemed career.
Members: Hear, hear!
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016