2014-11-27
Madam Speaker Purick took the Chair at 10 am.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of a Year 5/6 and a Year 6 class from Nightcliff Primary School, accompanied by Sue Mihailou, Carmen Gomez, Greg Hauser and Elizabeth Walker. On behalf of honourable members, I extend a warm welcome to you, and I hope you enjoy your time at Parliament House.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I also advise of the presence in the gallery of three guests of minister Price from Kormilda College. They are Deannie Egan, Katelyn Nolan and Monique Gorham. Welcome to Parliament House, and I hope you enjoy your time here.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker I move that the Assembly amends its resolution of 26 March 2014 establishing the Select Committee on Action to Prevent Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder by deleting ‘November’ in paragraph 6 and inserting ‘February 2015’.
I understand the report of this committee is currently being drafted but is not yet in a state to be brought into this House. We on this side of the House understand that, but look forward to receiving the report at the earliest opportunity in 2015.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Speaker, as a member of the committee I acknowledge some of the great work it is doing.
I acknowledge the minister for commissioning the committee, and I acknowledge his concern because foetal alcohol syndrome and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder concerns all Territorians. It is a matter of national significance, and I commend the minister for leading on a national issue. A number of chronological points lead to that, but the most important point is that the Northern Territory has taken the opportunity to show real leadership to research and investigate, and, most importantly, to make recommendations to government.
The most recent correspondence from the committee is starting to prepare the government for budgetary considerations which will be very challenging. It is challenging in a bipartisan sense because no matter which government is in the Northern Territory, the matters and issues of foetal alcohol syndrome and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder will be significantly challenging.
It is wonderful to work with the secretariat administering the committee’s work. It is a great group of people, very professional, very well organised, facilitating opportunities for this committee to hear from international, national and Territory witnesses where the committee has taken its hearings across the regional areas of the Northern Territory and significantly engaged with all aspects of the Territory community. The secretariat does a very professional job in support and facilitation.
I also mention the individual contributions. It has been great to have the member for Goyder and to be able to share the meetings and hearings, and the travel across regional areas. The member for Daly has been active in that space, and in a bipartisan and a tri-partisan sense, the members for Wanguri and Nelson. My own part in that committee has not only been a journey of learning but a journey with important aspects for good policy development.
On this side, the member for Wanguri and I have been regularly reporting back to the Labor opposition in good faith and in terms of good research. It is good that the minister has risen in the House and accepted the extension of the deadline to report. Significant recommendations will come forward which would provide significant challenges for any government. The different aspects we are seeing emerge are about strong lobbying for diagnostic tools, support services around maternal health and for those services needed to deal with those unfortunate Territorians who are suffering deficits as a result of alcohol affecting the foetal period of their growth and development.
Thank you for the opportunity to talk about something positive that we can all celebrate, and to acknowledge the significant challenges that will be associated with it.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the government for supporting this amendment and allowing this report to be moved to a later date. It is a very important matter, and it will give us a little more time to consider the recommendations put forward to us in a draft form. Because it is such an important issue, not just for the Northern Territory but for Australia, it is wise to make sure we have fully looked at the report before it is brought forward to this parliament.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank honourable members for their contributions to this, albeit short, debate. When government asked for this committee to be formed, it was with a view to a very serious problem in our community. Nobody denies that and nobody is shying away from that truth.
I do have a certain anxiety – this is the second extension this committee has received – because as the minister for Child Protection I have raised the issue on a number of occasions as to what we should do with pregnant women who continue to drink. We know this is perplexing problem and I challenge the committee with a very difficult question. Do we go to the extent of considering confinement for those women who could be damaging the health of their unborn child?
This perplexing issue has the attention of the national press, but at least we are the jurisdiction which has the – pardon the expression – testicular fortitude to look at this. Nevertheless, I am mindful that time is ticking away and, sadly, in these sorts of environments time is, in many instances, of the essence. However, I am glad that all members understand the importance of this. I am sure the committee is mindful of the need to and respond will respond as quickly as it can. I look forward to the report of the committee.
Motion agreed to.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr ELFERINK (Children and Families): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
This bill amends the Care and Protection of Children Act to enable the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to apply for a new form of court order, namely a Permanent Care Order, applicable to children who are subjected to a protection order until they are 18 years of age under the act.
The order provides for permanent care of a child to the person granted the Permanent Care Order, other than the Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Children and Families, until the child reaches 18 years of age.
The order will effectively allow the person granted the order to provide long-term and stable care to a child without the involvement of the statutory child protection system. Under the order, the person granted the order will have parental responsibility for the child, enabling them to make decisions for the care and wellbeing of those children in the same way families can, and do.
Importantly, a Permanent Care Order will give stability and permanency to a child, who we must not forget will have been subject to considerable disruption and trauma as a result of the harm they would have experienced and their being taken into statutory care.
Research indicates that children in out-of-home care who are in stable, consistent environments do better overall than children who experience multiple placements. They are more likely to form secure attachments, have better health, social and educational outcomes, and go on to make successful transitions to independent living in early adulthood.
The proposed amendment to the Care and Protection of Children Act is in line with other jurisdictions within Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, all of which have similar orders based on the same objective: to give children a sense of permanency and security with a family on a long-term basis.
The order will also provide children and families with a sense of normalcy, as there will be no further departmental intervention in their lives once the order is made.
The Department for Families and Communities’ (South Australia), Other Person Guardianship Position Paper 2010 discussed the benefits for children where carers are given long-term guardianship. These benefits include:
the child’s living arrangements are normalised and stabilised, reducing anxiety about the future
stigma associated with being in the state care is reduced
the likelihood of secure attachments to carers is increased, and
The idea of a Permanent Care Order is not a new idea in the Northern Territory. The former government agreed to the introduction of this form of order using a much more complex name: the Enduring Parental Responsibility Order. Also, they did not go on to make it law. The name has changed to more accurately reflect the intent and permanency of the order, but the underpinning intent and overall rationale has remained the same.
Only the Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Children and Families will be able to apply for a Permanent Care Order. Eligibility is based on:
the child being subject to a long-term protection order until the child is 18 years of age, under the Care and Protection of Children Act
reunification with the child’s parents is not a realistic option. Reunification with the family is the goal of all child protection systems. However, where this has been agreed as not possible, then a Permanent Care Order should be a consideration, along with a suite of other out-of-home care options
a carer wanting to care for a child under the conditions of a Permanent Care Order, and who has been assessed as suitable by the Department of Children and Families. Most applicants will have an existing relationship with the child as their current foster or kinship carers, although some may not. Assessment for a Permanent Care Order will be based on the existing rigorous assessments for fostering and kinship carers and the processes applied to assess adoptive parents. The assessment will be modified to include professional assessment of motivation and ability to provide a stable and secure environment
a Permanent Care Order is assessed as meeting the best interests of the child
A permanent care order provides a different path or option for these children, one that is consistent, stable and home based. The making of a Permanent Care Order will provide children with security and a sense of permanency with a person granted the Permanent Care Order until they are 18 years of age.
It is, therefore, very much like a quasi or administrative adoption. Children will cease to be part of the child protection system and its associated stigma, and on the making of an order carers will be able to exercise all the rights and responsibilities that come with having parental responsibility. Unlike adoption, however, the order will not remove a child’s surname, take away a child’s birth rights and access to entitlements, nor will it change the details of their birth certificate. This will ensure that a child’s relationship with their birth family is not severed.
Furthermore, Aboriginal children are overwhelming represented in out-of-home care placements. In making any decisions about permanency for these children, maintaining strong family relationships and cultural connectedness is paramount and consistent with principles under section 12 of the Care and Protection of Children Act. In determining the Permanent Care Order is the best means of meeting a child’s needs and safeguarding their wellbeing, carers will be required to give a commitment to maintain these connections. Again, this is consistent with current requirements for foster carers and adoptive parents.
There will be financial benefits for the community with the introduction of Permanent Care Orders. It is well known that providing out-of-home care services is a costly component of the child protection system, with the Northern Territory reporting higher expenditure on out-of-home care per bed night than any other jurisdiction. Once a Permanent Care Order is made, long-term remuneration of carers through fostering and kinship care payments and other costs currently covered by the Northern Territory government will cease. For some carers, this will not be a disincentive and their costs will be able to be offset by a range of parenting allowances and benefits.
These orders will also alleviate caseloads for DCF and case workers working in the out-of-home care system. This will free up resources to meet the needs of the most vulnerable children who require a more intensive service from the department.
This bill, however, is not motivated by finances. It is motivated by a belief that children benefit from feeling secure, wanted and loved by carers who have nominated themselves to take on the responsibility to do just that: commit to the effort and responsibility to raise a child, not just for months, or even years, but for their entire childhood and beyond.
I have met many of the people who look after these kids in care, and their passion and dedication is without peer. I am struck, and continue to be struck, by the level of love demonstrated by these people in this environment. Anything I can do to enhance the quality of service they bring to the people of the Northern Territory is something I will embrace.
Madam Speaker, I commend this bill to honourable members and table the explanatory statement to accompany the bill.
Debate adjourned.
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of this bill is to ensure the Bail Act is clear, concise and meets the expectations of the community where serious offences are allegedly committed, and where recidivist offenders are charged with serious offences, or charged with breaching domestic violence orders. The bill is one of the cornerstones of the Pillars of Justice criminal justice strategy.
The bill simplifies the structure of the Bail Act by removing the ‘neutral presumption’ provisions in sections 8(1), 8(1A) and 8(5). The neutral presumption matters have resulted in the Bail Act being overly complicated and convoluted as there is significant overlap between the neutral matters and the matters subjected to the presumption against bail. The legal test for the neutral matters is not stated within the act. Removing the neutral matters will mean the Bail Act has a clear structure with general presumption for bail under section 8(2), except for matters specified in section 7A, for which there is a presumption against bail.
The bill inserts a number of new matters into section 7A(1) as matters subject to a presumption against bail. Importantly, the bill will ensure people who are charged with breaching a domestic violence order, and have prior finding of guilt within two years for a DVO contravention offence, will be subject to a presumption against bail. The bill also ensures that people who are charged with breaching a domestic violence order and have prior finding of guilt for a prescribed offence are subject to the presumption against bail.
The Bail Act has not protected victims of domestic violence and has allowed people to be continually bailed when they are charged with breaching orders and have a history of violent offending, and to continually be bailed when they have criminal history relating to the breach of such orders. This bill seeks to, and will, rectify this imbalance.
A number of other matters have been included in section 7A and I will outline them shortly.
The bill also inserts four new matters in section 24(1)(b) of the Bail Act that a court or authorised officer may take into account when considering granting bail to a person. The matters relate to circumstances or interests relevant to an alleged offender.
The bill also clarifies the operation of the revocation bail provisions at section 38 of the Bail Act, and the offences at section 44 and 45 of the act have been redrafted according to the criminal responsibilities of Part IIAA of the Criminal Code Act. The bill also omits obsolete references within the act, and minor drafting amendments to update Part numbers has occurred.
I will now explain the substantive clauses of the bill in greater detail.
Clause 6 omits section 6(ca) of the Bail Act. Section 6(ca) refers to section 357 of the Criminal Code Act; section 357 was repealed in 2002 and the reference should be removed.
Clause 7 makes a number of amendments to section 7A of the Bail Act. Clause 7(1) omits section 7A(1)(b) which refers to the offence of treason. Treason is not an offence in the Northern Territory and the reference should be removed.
Clause 7(2) amends section 7A(1)(c). Currently, section 7A(1)(c) states there is a presumption against bail for an offence against the Misuse of Drugs Act punishable by a term of imprisonment for more than seven years. The current wording is inconsistent with the mandatory sentencing provisions in section 37(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act and the current wording excludes serious drug offences from the presumption against bail, for example, possessing a trafficable quantity of a Schedule 1 dangerous drug such as methamphetamine. Amending the words to ‘seven years or more’ will ensure that the wording of the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Bail Act is consistent and will ensure a consistent policy position is taken regarding serious drug offences, namely that matters which automatically attract the mandatory sentencing provisions of sections 32(2)(a) of the Misuse of Drugs Act also attract a presumption against bail.
Clause 7(3) omits section 7(a)(1)(dc) and section 7A(1)(e), and incorporates a number of new matters as presumptions against bail. In particular, section 7A(1)(dc) is omitted and a new section 7A(1)(dc) is inserted. The new provision inserts three new criminal offences under the criminal code: section 54 Terrorism; section 242 Sabotage; and section 243(1), Arson. Section 103A of the Criminal Code, relating to threats against persons involved in criminal investigations, involved in judicial proceedings or against public officers, has been retained. New offences carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and the potential for damage to public infrastructure, cause wide spread injury or death, and arouse fear within the community, and as such, should be subject to a presumption against bail when charged.
Section 7A(1e) is omitted as all matters currently subject to this provision will be captured by the new section 7A(1)(df).
New section 7A(1)(dd) is inserted. This provision is similar to the neutral presumption matter at section 8(1)(aa) of the current act. This provision prescribes a presumption against bail where a person is charged with causing serious harm (section 181 of the Criminal Code) or breaching a domestic violence order (section 120 of the Domestic and Family Violence Act), and the person has a prior finding of guilt for murder, serious harm, assault on a worker, assault on police, sexual intercourse without consent or gross indecency without consent. This new paragraph creates a presumption against bail for recidivist offenders who have a prior finding of guilt for offences involving serious violence or assaults on prescribed persons and are charged with breaching a domestic violence order or causing serious harm.
New section 7A(1)(de) is inserted. This provision is similar to the neutral presumption matter in section 8(1)(ab)(i) of the current act and creates a presumption against bail where the person is an adult charged with committing a serious offence while on bail for another serious offence. The intent of this amendment is to ensure there is a presumption against bail where a person is bailed for a serious offence and is subsequently charged with committing a serious offence while they are on bail.
New section 7A(1)(df) is inserted. This provision is similar to the neutral presumption matter at section 8(1)(ab)(ii) of the current act and incorporates the time frame that is currently prescribed at section 8(1A)(a). This new paragraph creates a presumption against bail where a person is charged with a serious offence and has, within a period of ten years, been found guilty of a serious violence offence.
New section 7A(1)(dg) is inserted. This provision is similar to a neutral presumption matter at section 8(1)(b) of the current act and creates a presumption against bail where a person is subject to a suspended sentence of imprisonment under section 40 of the Sentencing Act and is charged with an offence which may breach that suspended sentence if convicted of it. The new provision contains a detailed exemption provision where the breach is of an administrative character, or where the authorised member or court is of the view that the offence is minor and is unlikely to be regarded as a breach of the suspended sentence.
New section 7A(1)(dh) is inserted. This provision makes it a presumption against bail where a person is charged with breaching a domestic violence order under section 120 of the Domestic and Family Violence Act and has, within a period of two years, been found guilty of a DVO contravention offence. A DVO contravention offence is defined as an offence against section 120(1) of the Domestic and Family Violence Act, an offence of contravening a restraining order under the repealed Domestic Violence Act or an offence of contravening an external order.
Section 7A(1)(dh) creates a presumption against bail for domestic violence order breach offenders who have a prior finding of guilt for a DVO contravention offence within a prescribed period. Statistics reveal that, on average, a person charged with breaching a domestic violence order is dealt with for 2.8 breaches of that order. Statistics also reveal that 37% of offenders are charged with three or more breaches of the same order. This government is committed to ensuring that victims of domestic violence are protected at every stage of legal proceedings and is committed to ensuring that alleged perpetrators abide by the conditions of an order and must prove to a court why they should be released on bail when they are charged with breaching that order.
Clause 7(4) omits section 7A(2) and a new section 7A(2) is inserted. The new subsection states that:
A note has been inserted which states that section 24 requires the authorised member or court determining whether bail should be granted to take into consideration the matters in that section only. The amendment is necessary as the wording of the current section has led to courts interpreting the current section 7A(2) in an inconsistent manner. The new section is clear and concise and notes that only the matters in section 24 can be taken into account in assessing whether bail should be granted.
Clause 8 of the bill omits the neutral matters at sections 8(1)(a), (aa), (ab), (b) and sections 8(1A) and 8(5) of the Bail Act. A new section 8(1) is inserted, which states that section 8 applies to an offence, except an offence to which section 7A applies. This section, when read with section 8(2), means there is a presumption for bail for all matters, except for those offences specified in section 7A.
Clause 11 of the bill inserts four matters into section 24(1)(b) of the Bail Act. Section 24(1)(b) relates to matters that are specific to the accused person and that an authorised officer or court can take into account when determining whether a grant of bail should occur. The four matters relate to cognitive impairment, mental impairment, youth and cultural background. A number of stakeholders noted that relevant matters were absent from section 24(1)(b) and should be included so the court or authorised officer can more fully assess considerations that are applicable to the accused person. Youth has been included to ensure there is as little conflict as possible between the Bail Act and Youth Justice Act regarding bail.
Clause 11(2) includes a note which states that section 24(1)(b)(iiic) – cultural background, must be interpreted with reference to section 15AB(1)(b) of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth). The Commonwealth act precludes customary law and cultural practice being used in a prescribed manner for bail matters in the Northern Territory.
Clause 11(3) inserts a new section 24(3A) into the Bail Act. A number of stakeholders noted that the courts or authorised officers should give careful consideration to living arrangements when considering bail. This issue was of particular importance when the alleged offences occur within a domestic relationship and the complainant and/or witness is still residing in the family home. Section 24(3A) notes that when assessing the potential risks to other persons when considering bail undertaking, the authorised member or court must consider the previous, current or proposed living arrangements for both the alleged victim and the accused person, and whether the arrangements include living in an unnecessarily close proximity to each other.
Clause 13 amends section 32(2A)(a) by inserting the words ‘or an offence to which section 7A applies’. Currently, a court must revoke bail where it is satisfied a breach of an undertaking of bail or condition of bail, has occurred and a person has been charged with a serious violence offence that attracted a presumption against bail.
Currently, the requirement to revoke bail where a breach is proven does not extend to all offences where there is an initial presumption against bail, but bail was nevertheless granted. Given the serious nature of the matters prescribed in section 7A, a proven breach of an undertaking or condition should result in an undertaking being revoked. The amendment ensures that a court must revoke bail where it finds a person has breached a condition of bail and the grant of bail related to a serious violence offence ‘or an offence to which section 7A applies’. A court still maintains the discretion to subsequently grant bail to a person under section 38(3). However, they must revoke the original undertaking if section 38(2A) is applicable.
The offences at sections 44 and 45 of the Bail Act have been redrafted to incorporate the criminal responsibility elements of Part IIAA of the Criminal Code Act and the maximum penalties have been amended so they are consistent with the current penalty policy.
Clause 17 contains the transitional provisions for this bill and they are relevant to the application of sections 7A, 8, 24, 38, 44 and 45 as amended by the bill.
Madam Speaker, I thank the large number of stakeholders and government agencies who took time and effort to provide detailed submissions concerning the structure of, and operation of, the Bail Act. I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent the bills titled Port of Darwin Bill 2014 and Port Management Bill 2014 being presented and read a first time together and one motion being put in regard to, respectively, the second readings, the committees report stage and the third readings of the bill together, and that the bills be considered separately in the Committee of the Whole
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Mr Deputy Speaker, we were not given any advice around these bills being cognate. If the Chief Minister could explain why that needs to be done? There are reasons why we usually debate each bill separately.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, perhaps the oversight is mine. Nothing untoward is happening. These bills are intimately linked. To deal with them separately would make it very clunky. This is a standard cognating process that normally is conducted when bills are inextricably linked with each other. Even the titles of the two bills would suggest to you the quality of proximity between the two instruments.
Mr Gunner: I can accept the Attorney-General on face value. Obviously they both have the word ‘port’ in them. Could the Chief Minister explain how they are linked?
Mr Giles: I will explain in my speech.
Mr Gunner: Yes, all right.
Motion agreed to.
Bills presented and read a first time.
Mr GILES (Economic Development and Major Projects): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a second time.
I am pleased to introduce the Port of Darwin Bill 2014 and the Ports Management Bill 2014. Together these bills deliver on the government’s commitment to implement an improved regulatory regime for designated ports in the Northern Territory, and to facilitate a commercially efficient Port of Darwin which will expand and grow in line with the Northern Territory economy.
I begin by summarising the history of the Port of Darwin and what it has developed to be. As many in this Chamber will know, the port is, and will continue to be, an integral part of the development of the Northern Territory. Well before being discovered by the Europeans, the Larrakia people lived on lands surrounding the port and formed trading routes with Southeast Asia, particularly the Macassans.
The port was discovered 175 years ago with the arrival of the HMS Beagle on 9 September 1839. For many years trade by sea was the only method of accessing the varied essential supplies needed by the early settlers.
The Darwin Port Authority was established by the Darwin Port Authority Act in 1983. The port authority became the Darwin Port Corporation in 2005 and is a business division of the NT government. The current Darwin Port Corporation is responsible for the management and operation of the port in accordance with powers and functions defined under the Darwin Port Corporation Act and by-laws.
Today the corporation is responsible to the Minister for Economic Development and Major Projects and employs 85 full-time equivalent staff. The corporation’s facilities predominately service the following shipping and cargo markets: container and general cargo; offshore oil and gas rigs; livestock exports; dry bulk imports and exports; and petroleum/avgas and other bulk liquids.
The Darwin Port Corporation also operates facilities for cruise ships and for Defence, research, and fishing and pearling vessels. Last year the corporation’s commercial wharf, East Arm Wharf, oversaw the movement of 2800 commercial vessels, around 400 000 head of cattle and 4.3 million tonnes of cargo.
The port remains a vibrant harbour, evolving with the times, with newly dredged channels, a recently completed Marine Supply Base with potential for further quay line to be developed, and state-of-the-art port management systems.
If the port is so vital to the development of the Northern Territory, why, you ask, is my government interested in attracting private sector involvement in our port? The answer is simple: we want to secure an ongoing partnership with the private sector. Private investment will increase the commercial productivity of our port and will ensure it is best placed to grow and develop in line with our expanding economy. At the same time it will free up the value in this government asset to enable public monies to be directed towards other key new infrastructure development needs within the Northern Territory in support of growing northern Australia.
As members in this Chamber know, the Northern Territory has a relatively low infrastructure base when compared to other jurisdictions. For example, 70% of Northern Territory managed roads are unsealed and many areas of the Northern Territory are stranded in the Wet Season.
The Northern Territory will not achieve its stated goals of driving economic and social development without unlocking its vast potential by investing in key enabling and economic infrastructure. However, the Northern Territory is geographically large, with a small and dispersed population base. We therefore have limited ability to fund our major infrastructure needs from our own resources. Private investment and partnership is critical to delivering the long-term infrastructure requirements of the Northern Territory.
Historically, the Northern Territory has relied on funding from the federal government to progress major infrastructure projects. This source of funding is becoming harder to secure, with the Northern Territory competing unfavourably against interstate projects with greater and faster rates of returns since when Kevin Rudd was first elected as Prime Minister.
In addition, all governments are facing increasingly tight fiscal positions. Now more than ever we need to consider partnership opportunities with the private sector to develop and grow our key assets and unlock revenue to invest in infrastructure which will unlock economic and social potential in the Northern Territory.
Management and development of ports is highly specialised. The private sector has been growing experience and expertise in this area and will have greater ability to access efficiencies and productivity gains, and expand our port. This will result in direct and enduring benefits for the Northern Territory economy, and for Territorians.
I emphasise that we are not proposing to sell the port. It is a valuable and important piece of economic infrastructure and one which my government is keen to continue to own over the longer term. The port’s strategic geographical position within the City of Darwin, in Australia and in Asia makes it a vital element of Australia’s transport logistics supply chain, and it is critical to the Northern Territory’s ongoing development and growth opportunities. What I am very keen to pursue is a long-term investment in the continuing growth of our port.
A long-term lease of the port is proposed. This will provide the private sector with secure tenure and confidence to invest in the ongoing development of the port to meet the growing freight demand across all sectors of the economy.
The goal of this government is to make the Port of Darwin a cost effective alternate to southern ports which are becoming congested and have serious transport logistic issues. This is why we are also focusing on ensuring we have appropriate transport infrastructure to make the Port of Darwin a viable alternative for the ever increasing resource developments across Australia.
Darwin is truly Australia’s portal into Asia and Asia’s portal into Australia. If we can deliver a more efficient and effective port link to efficient transport logistic chains, the Port of Darwin has the potential to become the most strategically significant port within Australia.
Up until the late 1990s, a majority of Australian capital city ports were publicly owned. However, since then Australia has followed the international trend of reducing government’s involvement in port operations as this is not core government business. It allows for the private sector to run and fund it like a business, which requires government intervention to address these issues and to make it happen.
In 1996 the Victorian government sold both the ports of Portland and Geelong. The South Australian government entered into a long-term lease for the Port of Adelaide in 2001. In November 2010, Queensland leased the Port of Brisbane and is currently considering leasing both the ports of Gladstone and Townsville. In 2013 the New South Wales government leased the ports of Botany and Kembla. The Port of Melbourne is the only major capital city port on the east coast still owned by a state government and it intends to commence an expression of interest process for the port in early 2015.
Private sector operation of ports is, therefore, not a new phenomenon. The majority of governments have moved away from managing ports and this has resulted in increased port efficiency. It has also meant that government’s scarce resources can be redirected to other important infrastructure projects which will drive improved economic and social outcomes. The key, however, is not throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We want to improve efficiency and productivity, and secure private investment, but we also want to ensure that the government’s objectives of continued harbour safety, increased infrastructure investment, competitive pricing and open access continue to be delivered.
It is proposed that the Northern Territory secures private sector investment in the port through a competitive tender process. I am very keen for the Northern Territory to explore interest from international investors, and I took the opportunity to test the project with key members of the Japan business community at a recent Australia-Japan Joint Business Conference. The response was promising.
I have also fielded expressions of interest from a large number of Australian and international investors keen for the opportunity to invest in the Northern Territory. I am committed to a transparent and competitive process. The Northern Territory, together with its lead adviser, will be undertaking formal investor soundings early next month to inform packaging of the investment opportunity.
To support private sector management and opportunity of the port, I am proposing to establish a regulatory regime which is not significantly different to existing arrangements. Safety in port waters and the harbour is of paramount concern, and the Northern Territory will continue to regulate port safety standards. Likewise, the management of dangerous goods and matters of occupational health and safety remain with Worksafe NT, and environmental issues continue to be managed by the NT Environmental Protection Authority.
While the changes to the regulatory regime are limited in this way, the effect of the proposed regulatory framework is to:
1. provide an improved overarching regulatory framework for all designated ports in the Northern Territory, including the port. It is worth noting that currently there is no specific port regulatory regime for ports in the Northern Territory. The proposed ports management bill will bring together the regulatory regime for all designated ports in the Northern Territory.
2. improve efficiency of port operations and, in turn, increase revenue generated from the port
3 allow for private investment in and operation of the port while ensuring adequate control is maintained by the Northern Territory to ensure the good, proper and safe operation of the port.
Systems will be incorporated into the legislative and contractual packages to ensure appropriate price regulation and access arrangement review through an independent statutory regulator, the Northern Territory Utilities Commission.
I will now provide more detailed information around each of the two bills.
The Northern Territory government is pleased to introduce the Port of Darwin Bill, which will facilitate the Northern Territory government securing private investment in the Port of Darwin.
Among other things, this bill:
(a) authorises the transfer of the business of the Darwin Port Corporation (DPC) to a private sector entity
(b) limits the ability to transfer land to the issuing of either a lease or licence for a term not exceeding 99 years
(c) authorises the establishment and operation of companies and corporate structures to facilitate the transaction
(d) enables necessary directions to be made to give effect to the transaction
(e) allows for the vesting of relevant Northern Territory government contracts.
The transaction will necessarily involve the DPC or the Northern Territory being replaced by the new operator as counter-party to a number of existing contracts. The Northern Territory position will seek to negotiate an outcome in relation to the novation of existing contracts, and the vesting power will only be used as an absolute last resort, if necessary, to facilitate this very important transaction.
The bill will enable the long-term lease of the port package for a term no greater than 99 years. Freehold title of the port package land will remain in government ownership and will rest in the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment.
It is important to remember that recent Northern Territory government projects have required transaction legislation to ensure that processes can be facilitated effectively and without delay. For example, transaction legislation was utilised in the rail project.
This bill facilitates the long-term lease of the port to a private operator. However, the Northern Territory government recognises there is still a process we will embark on which will enable us to test market interest in the project. The port is a valuable government asset and should prospective bidders not deliver a valuable outcome for the government, we will not proceed with any long-term lease arrangements. The bill will not affect any ability of the port to continue to operate in government hands.
The Northern Territory government is also pleased to introduce the Ports Management Bill. Ports in the Northern Territory are currently regulated through a number of different legislative regimes. The only declared port in the Northern Territory is the Port of Darwin. It is regulated through a combination of the Darwin Port Corporation Act and elements of the Marine Act. Ports in the Northern Territory which are associated with mining activity – Gove, Groote Eylandt, and Bing Bong – are regulated through the Mine Management Act.
Other ports are currently not regulated to any great extent, nor are barge landings. All ports are subject to the overarching regulatory regimes associated with worker safety, dangerous goods and environmental protection. The Ports Management Bill will, for the first time, provide a regulatory framework for the management and control of all designated ports within the Northern Territory. It amalgamates the relevant provisions of the Darwin Port Corporation Act and the Marine Act to form a cohesive, improved, streamlined regulatory regime for designated ports into one single piece of overarching legislation.
It is proposed that the first designated port will be the Port of Darwin. However, the Ports Management Bill will also allow other ports in the Northern Territory to be designated over time, thereby bringing them within a uniform port regulatory regime. Of course, any moves to designate other ports will be undertaken in close consultation and collaboration with port owners and stakeholders. The fundamental premise of the new regulatory regime is that the Minister for Transport may declare a port within the Northern Territory to be a designated port for the purposes of the act. The minister will also declare one port operator for each designated port.
The principal functions of the port operator are to establish, manage, maintain and operate facilities and services in a designated port that promote its safe and efficient operation. Its function will also be to facilitate and use best endeavours to increase the volume of trade through the designated port. Port operators will therefore be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the designated port, including:
undertaking dredging or other work to deepen, widen, extend, clear or maintain channels or berthing areas
carrying out hydrographic surveys and providing results to the regional harbour master
keeping records of all reportable incidents that occur within the port and advising the regional harbour master in writing of such incidents as soon as practical after the incident occurs
providing advanced notification to the regional harbour master of any vessel entering the port carrying dangerous goods
preparing a port safety plan for government’s approval, implementing the plan and auditing compliance with the plan when requested by the regional harbour master
making quarterly reports to the regional harbour master of material instances of non-compliance with the port safety plan
through a port management officer:
The port operator will appoint port management officers and port enforcement officers to undertake the various roles identified within the Ports Management Bill.
Given the strategic nature of ports, particularly the Port of Darwin, it is proposed that the Northern Territory retains a number of residual regulatory functions to safeguard public interest. These statutory regulations include:
Marine Safety Regulation: the roles and functions of the current harbour master will be divided between the port operator, being responsible for the day-to-day safe management of the port, and the Department of Transport, as the agency responsible for the shipping and maritime industries. The Department of Transport will retain the position of regional harbourmaster. The regional harbourmaster must be a public employee and be appointed by the minister to be the regional harbourmaster for a designated port. The regional harbourmaster has a number of roles and functions under the Ports Management Bill, including:
Pilotage: the minister will continue to declare pilotage areas and appoint pilotage authorities for other pilotage areas. He will also appoint pilotage service providers for a pilotage area. Pilotage authorities will license pilots. At the request of the pilotage authority, the minister may appoint a person to conduct an inquiry into misconduct by a licensed pilot.
Price monitoring: given that the port operator has the power to set port prices, government will undertake a price monitoring role with the Utilities Commission as the independent statutory regulator. Where there is evidence of inappropriate pricing behaviour, the government has the capacity to step in to regulate prices. This approach is considered to deliver an appropriate balance between commercial certainty for an investor and a level of independent pricing, oversight and scrutiny.
Third party access: the port operator will have a legislative obligation not to unreasonably hinder access to port services and unfairly discriminate between port users. The port operator will be required to develop an access policy consistent with the guidelines issued by the Utilities Commissioner.
Management of the port lease: for the Port of Darwin, government will manage compliance with the conditions contained within the port lease through the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment.
Environmental regulation: the NT Environmental Protection Authority will continue to regulate environmental issues at all ports in the Northern Territory.
Dangerous Goods Regulation: WorkSafe NT will continue to regulate dangerous goods issues on land at ports. Port operators will be responsible for management of dangerous goods on vessels, with the regional harbourmaster having direction/step-in rights.
Worker Safety Regulation: WorkSafe NT and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority will continue to investigate and prosecute worker safety issues at ports.
Vessel safety: the Northern Territory will continue to issue vessel surveys and safety manning requirements as a delegate of the National Marine Safety Regulator.
Residual Maritime Regulatory Functions: the Department of Transport will be responsible for regulating activities outside designated ports. It will also retain its role in relation to recreational boating safety.
Planning: the planning regime for the Port of Darwin will remain unchanged.
Government has designed a regulatory regime which allows private port operators of designated ports to have the day-to-day management and control of their port operations. However, the regime includes a role for government in relation to safety and access, and price monitoring.
The transaction and regulatory bills have necessitated consequential amendments to various pieces of current legislation. I now outline consequential amendments to the Darwin Port Corporation Act.
It is envisaged that DPC could cease to exist should the newly created port operator entity be taken over by a private investor. This therefore necessitates significant changes to the current Darwin Port Corporation Act.
Creation of a new port operator entity would also necessitate the transfer of DPC employees to the new entity. I reassure employees of DPC that where they are to transfer to a new employer, they would do so on terms and conditions no less favourable overall, with federal legislation ensuring that existing enterprise agreements will continue to apply in their new employment.
In relation to consequential amendments to the Marine Act, the new Ports Management Bill has required significant changes to the Marine Act. Elements of the previous Marine Act which relate to ports generally, including provisions relating to pilotage, dangerous goods and marine navigational aids, have been removed from the Marine Act and included in the Ports Management Bill with relevant amendments to ensure day-to-day management by the port operator and step-in rights by the regional harbourmaster where appropriate.
Other minor amendments have also been facilitated to the Marine Act, including the transfer of a number of more operational powers from the minister to either the newly created regional harbourmaster or to the director under the Marine Act, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the agency administering the act, being the Department of Transport.
The legislative package introduced today creates a comprehensive regulatory regime for designated ports in the Northern Territory, which achieves the balance required to allow port operators to go about their business and safely and efficiently run and grow ports, whilst ensuring that the Northern Territory government retains key roles, including the setting of safety standards, being able to direct and then step in to manage emergency situations, license pilots, regulate access and monitor prices.
The regulatory piece of legislation modernises the way we regulate ports in the Northern Territory going ahead.
Changes to the Darwin Port Act create an enabling environment; they do not create an environment where this process will definitely happen, but they allow us to run a model of consultation on elements of the bill to test the market and see whether or not there are opportunities for investment in the port. It moves us in line with a continuing paradigm of developing the port, acknowledging the significant growth opportunities for the Northern Territory, both now and into the future.
I seek to find a financial investor to help build Darwin’s port and grow it well into the future. For those opposed to seeing Darwin port grow, or those opposed to seeing the Northern Territory grow Darwin port, I challenge them to look at previous models of similar roles undertaken by government. This includes building the railway line to Darwin, building Charles Darwin University, building Uluru/Ayres Rock Resort and facilitating the Marine Supply Base through a long-term lease off the Northern Territory government.
These are elements that work to build the Northern Territory. With the right processes and regimes put in place, it will provide protection for all, create jobs for our future and ensure that industries such as tourism, cattle, primary production and Defence have access to the most modern and up-to-date facilities at the best international levels with the ability to get the best cost-efficient structures put in place.
We have to remain competitive nationally and internationally, and this is the next step in the process of allowing that to happen. Introducing these two bills today before testing the market provides an opportunity for a wide range of consultation, which has been going on since February this year when we first announced it. It allows for those agitators on the other side of this Chamber who say there is no consultation to consult and realise the future of the Northern Territory is through growth. Having investment in our port puts us on a firm footing to remain internationally and nationally competitive to secure our children’s future into the longer term.
I commend these bills to honourable members and table the explanatory statements to accompany them.
Debate adjourned.
The Assembly suspended.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 49 petitioners relating to secondary education options at Mount Liebig. I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read.
Continued from 26 November 2014.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Madam Speaker, I speak as shadow minister for Health on the amendments introduced on urgency to the CLP’s controversial and seriously flawed alcohol mandatory treatment legislation which commenced on 1 July last year.
We support the amendments brought forward because these are the things we and stakeholders raised in the lead-up to the passage of the bill in June 2013.
If the minister had listened to the conga line of medical experts, legal experts and social justice experts, Indigenous organisations and community leaders when developing the original bill, this legislation, and its outcomes for those who have found themselves in a system of mandated treatment for chronic alcoholism, might have been different. It is a system which, unbelievably, criminalised a serious health issue.
I will give a quick snapshot of what some of these experts had to say in the lead-up to the alcohol mandatory treatment legislation in June 2013, because it is important to understand where we have come from on this difficult journey.
Priscilla Collins, CEO of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, said on ABC radio in June 2013:
Mr John Paterson, CEO of AMSANT – who in this instance is speaking on behalf of APO NT, Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory – said this about the policy, Without us having that opportunity to sit around and work up solutions which we believe will work which will have some evidence and research backing, the initiatives we are proposing then, it’s a waste of $35m which could be better expended in other areas’.
I add to that the fact that with the scrapping by the CLP of the Return to Country program previously operated by Larrakia Nation, we will see …
Mr Elferink: You have the order of that wrong.
Ms WALKER: Sorry, Larrakia Corporation … more people stranded in Darwin, unable to get home, vulnerable to alcohol misuse and finding themselves in AMT.
Going back to the history of the passage of this bill, I refer to the President of the Northern Territory Criminal Lawyers Association, Mr Russell Goldflam, who said, ‘My lengthy experience working in this area, all my instinct and my experience tells me, that it is just not going to work. People are not going to benefit from this. It is going to cost an enormous amount of money, and worst of all it is going to end up with more people getting into the criminal justice system and all the misery that involves.’
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I welcome some of the members of the Nepalese community, the East African community and the Italian community. Thank you for coming in at short notice to see how parliament is working.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: We are debating a piece of legislation and the member for Nhulunbuy is speaking.
Ms WALKER: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
The minister was not alone. All members opposite on the government benches dismissed the advice of all the experts. The Chief Minister went a step further – and perhaps a step too far – in branding those experts:
Then, with all the bravado the Chief Minister could muster, he offered a piece of advice to these individuals, organisations and experts, and told them to:
What extraordinary yobbo behaviour from the Territory’s leader, our leader, who is on the record proudly describing drinking as a core value for Territorians.
The reality is that the CLP got it wrong; they forged ahead with the system that criminalised the very serious health issue of alcohol addiction. They took a judicial approach, not a health approach.
But the CLP and the Health minister dug their heels in and dismissed the advice of experts, which has now come full circle and is before us today by way of amendments to alcohol mandatory treatment legislation. To be fair to the minister, she did not completely ignore all of the advice in the lead-up to the passage of AMT legislation; she did give in to some pressure which saw 43 amendments debated at the committee stage over many hours on the night of Thursday 27 June 2013, finally concluding, if I recall, at around 3 am the following day.
Today we finally welcome the amendments which come before parliament to improve flawed legislation and, most importantly, decriminalise what is clearly a flawed system. Harking back to the words of John Paterson from AMSANT in April 2013 in the lead-up to the introduction of the legislation, he said:
We have these amendments before us today because AMT is not working and needs to change. However, these changes before us today do not go far enough because we cannot see the evidence and there needs to be a full evaluation. I am sure the minister has seen the media releases I issued on 17 and 18 November calling for a full clinical review and evaluation of alcohol mandatory treatment. Today, the People’s Alcohol Action Coalition issued a media release calling on the minister to honour the commitment to an evaluation. We will come back to that later.
I know the minister is very sensitive to those who constructively criticise AMT, which she described as truly groundbreaking. This was once again evident during the debate yesterday on urgency for this bill. Thankfully, we know the minister has committed to a review of AMT, and this is what she had to say during the committee stage of the second reading debate in June 2013:
There is no doubt about it. The minister is on the record committing to a review of every aspect of AMT, and this review is what was produced. It is an excellent review of the AMT Act initiated just on a year ago, and completed and made available in March of this year. It is as a result of this review that we see three amendments before us today.
The first and most important one is decriminalising AMT by removing the absconding offence, which will be replaced with a stopped clock provision. The review stated, ‘The introduction of criminal offences as part of a treatment process is regarded as problematic. The overwhelming view was that section 72 criminalises a health issue …’ – I hope the Attorney-General is listening, as this is what the review said – ‘… and has been the most significant criticism of AMT.’
The second amendment expands referral pathways by allowing referrals from a health practitioner, providing the person is an ‘assessable person’, to a senior assessment clinician. The other expanded pathway is being allowed by removing automatic exclusion for people charged with committing an offence. For example, it could be someone who has perhaps stolen a bottle of alcohol, but it will not include people who have offended through domestic violence or violent or sexual offenders.
The third amendment is to do with making consequential amendments to the Police Administration Act to transfer an intoxicated client directly to an assessment centre, rather than be in custody until no longer intoxicated and then taken to an assessment centre. In regard to that the review stated, ‘Police are not equipped for this. Longer detainment presents heightened risks to the person in custody.’ It is obviously a very sensible amendment.
There were 48 recommendations in this review. As I said yesterday, five of the recommendations said nothing needed to be done. We have three amendments before the House today, so that leaves 40 recommendations we do not have a response to. I am very keen to know, as are other stakeholders – those who have an interest in AMT and perhaps those who contributed via a submission to the review – what the government’s position is on these other recommendations. Will the government publish its response to the review and tell Territorians what the next steps are, which recommendations it accepts and will act upon, and which recommendations it will not adopt?
It is important that people know this. It is a question I might have asked at the briefing I had in the minister’s office on Monday morning but, regrettably, I was only allocated half an hour and was bundled out the door with some haste because people had other commitments. I understand that, but I was only part way through the briefing when my half hour was up. That is the disappointment that comes with the bill coming through on urgency, in that it only afforded me that time. I do not know what communication or briefing opportunities might have been provided to stakeholders and interest groups that have a keen interest in this bill.
I acknowledge – I see him sitting here this afternoon – Dr Joe Wright, who provided that briefing to me. Dr Wright has made himself available for briefings on previous occasions, including on matters related to alcohol and other drugs, and changes in my electorate. I understand he will be moving in the near future. I wish him well and acknowledge the efforts he has put in to what has no doubt been a difficult time in putting together this legislation.
I am talking about the system, not the act, and I quoted from the committee stage debate last year. The minister was very agreeable at that time. She sounded a little less agreeable to the review during the motion to debate urgency yesterday. This was picked up not by just me, but some stakeholders I have spoken to since then. She said yesterday in regard to the review:
She then went on to say in relation to the review:
You said yesterday, ‘The timing is right now to move on this’. That is the case for urgency. My question to the minister is when is the right time to conduct the evaluation you and your department have committed to? Perhaps it is already under way. If it is, then perhaps the minister, when she wraps the debate, will tell us about it. Government has said:
An evaluation by the end of 2014 means we have just one month left.
Again, the minister’s comments yesterday reflect that she is not happy with having to pay for a review. I quote again:
Do I detect some resentment about the money spent on this review, which routinely is done in governments to review new legislation, and which the minister was much more enthusiastic about 17 months ago when she said there would be a full review? Do I detect a hint of disdain about having to ‘appease interest groups’? How shameful the minister could be so dismissive of interest groups. For goodness sake, we are talking about a wide range of stakeholders who have a genuine interest in AMT and the health, welfare and legal rights of those in it.
I have no doubt these interest groups will include AMSANT, NAAJA, APO NT, CLANT, PAAC, doctors, nurses and the providers of rehabilitation services in Alice Springs, Katherine and Darwin. That stakeholder group is key in providing rehabilitation services. I pay tribute to the hard work they do.
The CLP’s approach to AMT was politically driven from the outset. It was, after all, an election promise on the basis of removing drunks from our streets. Because of the political motivation, program development has largely and consistently ignored the advice of health practitioners and the drug and alcohol treatment sector. The community sector, quite rightly, wants an evidence-based plan, not a politically motivated off-the-streets program.
I have no doubt some people have been successfully treated, but the minister cannot simply spruik the good news stories of AMT – the handful or more there may be – and shy away from dealing with the failures, of which I am sure there are many. Even the government predicted a success rate of only 10% in rolling out AMT, so it is not unreasonable to ask what has happened to the other 90% of AMT. In that 90% are there failures, adverse events or near misses, and how will we know what has been happening amongst that group of people who have not had success?
Where is this evaluation being developed? When will it start? Will it include a role for independent external practitioners to be involved in the evaluation, as I believe it should? With the sad death of a client in treatment in Alice Springs – casting no aspersions whatsoever on CAAAPU, which runs the facility – the need for that evaluation must surely escalate as a priority.
A coronial inquest is important and it will take place in the course of time, but it will not, by its own design, provide a comprehensive evaluation of AMT and some of its shortcomings.
In light of the death of a client, and the opening up of pathways for referral through, for instance, doctors in emergency departments in our hospitals, they may think twice. They might hesitate to refer patients for AMT if they are not confident they are sending people to places where the medical support and treatment is available, or at least a process mapping out how access to medical support is available. Are these treatment centres adequately resourced to provide the best care, keeping in mind we are talking about people who, apart from their chronic alcoholism, may have a number of other chronic health issues?
Doctors are saying they are hesitant to use this referral pathway for clients through to treatment. It is not just those of us on this side who are raising this, it is a valid question about health professionals having confidence in the system to refer people into it.
This is why the opposition called for an urgent review of clinical practice employed in the CLP’s AMT program. Some of the extracts from a media release I distributed on 18 November are:
Dr John Boffa, as we and the minister know only too well, has been very vocal in this space. He is an expert with many years’ experience working in the health sector, and it comes as no surprise to see he issued a media release yesterday on behalf of the People’s Alcohol Action Coalition. The headline on the media release is ‘Commitment to Alcohol Mandatory Treatment evaluation must be honoured’. I will read a few sentences from this media release, giving credit where it is due. Dr Boffa said:
Dr Boffa goes on:
Alcohol mandatory treatment programs are being delivered at a huge cost to Territory taxpayers, with $27m provided for AMT last year, and a further $28.3m budgeted for 2014-15. With these costs, Territory taxpayers deserve to know they are receiving a proper return on that investment of public funds and that the medical services provided are appropriate and adequate to meet the health objectives of AMT.
With those costs it is small wonder the Health minister might baulk at what she describes as costly reviews. How ironic that in a bid to save money and redirect it elsewhere, the minister closed down the residential alcohol and other drugs rehabilitation centre in Nhulunbuy with no notice, no consultation and no evaluation. If there was an evaluation, it was certainly never made public.
That news was devastating to people in Nhulunbuy, and was leaked through the grapevine. Traditional owners fought hard and lobbied from a grassroots level to establish the facility, which was purpose built in 2007. Not one of them was contacted or invited to participate in a review and evaluation. People were only consulted – for what it was worth – after the event when a decision had already been made to close it. That is a hallmark of how this government operates when making a decision, consulting after the fact. It is incredibly disappointing that Nhulunbuy has lost its residential rehabilitation centre, which has been converted to a day service operating out of a classroom at CDU awaiting more permanent facilities.
I do not know where they will be, but they will not include residential rehabilitation. Those clients who require residential rehabilitation will have to be flown to Darwin, or perhaps another centre, to receive that support. The whole reason the special care centre in Nhulunbuy was launched and lobbied for was so people could be at home on country and close to family. All of that has been thrown out the window. Anyone who might have had a different view to government has been completely ignored, and I cannot begin to tell you how distressing that decision has been for people in Nhulunbuy.
How ironic that the minister did not see the need to keep it open because there were only two or three AMT clients who had been referred to the Nhulunbuy centre to join other clients who had been referred through other pathways. There is not the demand for alcohol and other drugs treatment services in Nhulunbuy compared with Alice Springs, Katherine or Darwin because Nhulunbuy has a very strong alcohol management program which has been in place since 2008.
It is a system which works by restricting supply and minimising harm, and is a forerunner and much stronger version of the Banned Drinker Register. It is working very effectively in Nhulunbuy. The crime statistics and reduction in alcohol consumption in Nhulunbuy stands out head and shoulders above the rest of the Territory. It is all to do with the fact there has been a takeaway liquor permit system in Nhulunbuy for a number of years. Hand in hand with that are the AOD and sobering-up shelter facilities.
The sobering up shelter – I hope I am wrong – by the end of this year or early in the new year will be closed so prisoners can move into the sobering-up shelter which sits adjacent to the AOD centre. The AOD centre, apart from closing without consultation, reopened as a prison, again without any consultation. After the fact there was an attempt at consultation, but long after the decision had been made. No one has any objections to the prison. It is a fabulous model developed under Labor
People in Nhulunbuy wanted to know why we could not have a prison and our AOD centre. Because we have a government that is really not interested in communicating with the people of Nhulunbuy, our AOD centre was closed and a prison opened in its place. We just have to suck it up in Nhulunbuy and deal with what has been inflicted upon us.
The health sector in the Northern Territory, especially the NGOs, will rightly challenge, and do challenge, the expenditure on AMT. The massive investment in this failed program means there is very little left in budgets to invest in prevention. Understandably they have been calling for a multipronged approach to funding, and that call is falling on deaf ears. This leaves the NGO sector and the Aboriginal health organisations struggling to deliver programs that would make a difference to the lives of those who are in, or are at risk of, the cycle of abuse and misuse. It is incredibly hard.
If you put all your money into the crisis end and do not invest at the front end to assist people at the preventative stages before they get to that point of crisis, how are people supposed to run these programs? The priorities are wrong and the proportion of money that goes into AMT versus other parts of health, AOD and preventative programs is entirely skewed.
We still query this rush, these amendments on urgency. I know we had that debate yesterday, and I suggest that it is all to do with political expediency. Maybe the minister can avoid embarrassment by getting these amendments through today so she can say she had a 2014 review and that any response is better than no response at all. But a review is quite different to an evaluation.
This is a focused and innovative health program to help chronic alcohol abusers, so why not fold the outcomes of the review and the evaluation together in parliamentary debate, and then amend legislation? Given the review into the act finished in March, we could have been onto this much earlier. As she said yesterday during the urgency debate, trying to prove hardship, she ‘sat on it and thought about it’, clearly for several months. We on this side did not support the motion for urgency. However, government has the numbers and that is the nature of it.
Had this process been managed better we could, in the new year, in the February or March sittings, have had this debate on amendments to AMT, not just the three amendments, though I know they are pivotal. On the strength of a full evaluation, there are further recommendations, including amendments to the act, which are just hanging at the moment. If we had gone down that path we would have seen a well-informed, evidence-based debate.
For the minister, it is not too late. There will be future opportunities. I will be happy to stand here again next year and have that debate after government’s further position on the recommendations in this review are known, along with recommendations that might flow from a full and transparent independent evaluation of AMT. With all of that data made available, it might inform further debate to get a system that works, or perhaps an evaluation on the strength of evidence of a system that is demonstrated to be failing, then steps made from there.
Madam Speaker, we intend to take the debate to the committee stage, given we had so little time to be briefed on this and prepare for it. We have prepared and thought about things that remain unanswered. The only way we can ask questions is to go to the committee stage.
Mr CONLAN (Sport, Recreation and Racing)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I interrupt this important debate to advise the House of the passing of cricketer, Phillip Hughes. Phillip sustained serious injuries on Tuesday when he was batting for South Australia against New South Wales. He was rushed to hospital where he remained in a critical condition. His team mates, family and friends maintained a bedside vigil ever since. He died a short time ago from those injuries at the age of 25.
Phillip was a great mate of the Northern Territory. He was proud to be Cricket Australia’s ambassador here for the recent Triangular Series. He interrupted his busy schedule to make himself available, pose for photographs and help promote the wonderful series we had here. He had recently been overlooked for selection for the Australian side, but arguably he put on one of his best performances when he scored a double century in that series at Gardens Oval. He was the sort of guy who let his batting do the talking. I know he enjoyed his time in Darwin. His talent would have seen another baggy green just around the corner.
Today is a sad day for cricket. He was a young man with enormous potential. As I said, he was a great friend of the Northern Territory, a great guy who was loved and respected by so many.
On behalf of this parliament, I offer my sincere condolences to Phillip’s family, his friends, his team-mates and all the cricket lovers around the world. It is a sad day for cricket. Rest in peace, Phillip Hughes.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr VOWLES (Johnston): Madam Speaker, it certainly is a sad announcement. On behalf of this side of the House, we send our condolences to Phillip’s family and team-mates. I have just put in a call to the few people I know, including Darren ‘Chuck’ Berry the coach of South Australia. Obviously his phone was busy, but I passed on condolences on behalf of everybody in this Chamber, and said that we are not only thinking of the family but of the cricketing fraternity that will be struggling, as I am.
I have played a lot of cricket and been in and seen many situations of people being hit with less impact than what happened to Phillip. Seeing this outcome today is sad. Our hearts go out to his family.
The cricket fraternity will be struggling. We have lost a great player. We are talking about a player who has played Test cricket. He kept being dropped and kept coming back with the runs. You do not do that without a lot of fight and will. From what I heard about Phillip – and I have met him many times and done a few sessions with him – he would have fought until the last minute. That is the sort of person he was.
On behalf of all of us here, I reiterate the Sport minister’s comments. Our hearts and condolences go out to the Hughes family in this sad, tragic time.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr STYLES (Transport): Madam Speaker, I would like to recognise some people visiting the parliament today: Mr Geoffrey Mburu Nganga, who is representing the East African community; Mr Joe De Luca, representing the Italian community; and Mr Austin Chin, representing the Chung Wah Chinese contingent. Welcome to Parliament House and I hope you enjoy your stay.
Mr STYLES (Transport): Madam Speaker, I have several things to add to this debate, but first I will address some things the member for Nhulunbuy raised. She said this is a seriously flawed policy. I do not accept that, and if we want to talk about seriously flawed policies let us talk about the Banned Drinker Register.
From my electorate alone I probably have about two days’ worth of information I can give to the opposition. Before we came into government in 2012, a range of people came into my office. Walking around my electorate I would find empty drink and food containers in the parks and in the bus stop opposite Northlakes Shopping Centre. Every morning I walk, and I would have to watch out for human faeces and glass on the footpath. There were complaints about people sitting in laneways consuming alcohol. I do not get those complaints anymore, and when I heard the member for Nhulunbuy mention that it reminded me we do not have that issue at the moment. In fact, we have not had it for quite some time, and that is due to a combination of several things.
One is that we on this side of the House, especially the ex-police officers, talk to police officers and tell them we support them. We want to take some of the pressure off them that has been there for many years. If you listened to the Chief Minister talk this morning about the reduction in the amount of alcohol-related assaults and alcohol consumed – this is across the Territory, not just in my electorate. It has happened in the electorates of members opposite so it is a positive result.
Let me refresh people’s memories on what the Banned Drinker Register was all about. When it was introduced I monitored it and spoke to shop owners with alcohol licences. I spoke to people in licensed premises and I kept an eye on it. We had a number of people coming into the shops. They would go to the shopping centre every Saturday morning and wait out the front. I would see people line up, and the Banned Drinker Register was supposed to stop people on the register from buying alcohol.
It did not work, and I do not know what part of the message the opposition did not get when in government. It was a seriously failed policy – not flawed, failed. I have anecdotes from people – I asked them to report them to police – about people going to buy alcohol with a pocketful of driver’s licences. Someone would ask if it was really their licence and they would say, ‘Yes, I’ve had a haircut since then’. One bloke came in with photos of females on the licences and they knocked him back because he was male. There were situations where people would have others buy alcohol for them.
You raised a good point, Madam Speaker. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence on websites. The backpackers had a great scheme. This is how great the Banned Drinker Register was. They put you on the Banned Drinker Register and you were not supposed to be able to get alcohol. People would go around in the early hours of the morning and take a collection. They would say, ‘What would you like?’ ‘A carton of green cans, a bottle of rum and a bottle of this’, and the backpackers would buy it. These people were giving them $100, they would come back and there was no change as the backpackers were using it for their petrol money. They would do that for 20 or 30 people over a couple of days and pick up a couple of thousand dollars in profit. That was their petrol money to get to the next place. This was seriously happening.
There was a guy with a pushbike with one of those little trailers with bicycle wheels and a cover on it that you take kids around with. You see mums and dads riding along with a baby in the back and they are getting their exercise and taking the child for a bit of a cruise around the place. In these cases there was no child; underneath the mattress all the rum was lined up.
I got this from a bloke who was approached by this guy who said, ‘What do you want mate?’ and when he pulled up the mattress there was a bottle of scotch, a bottle of rum and a six pack. You took what you liked; it was like a mobile shop. What an appalling situation where these people – they do not have to get their driver’s licence and go through some scanning process. Mind you, all of our visitors, tourists and the grey nomads – we were the laughing stock of so many international tourists who would write on websites not go to the Northern Territory because you cannot even get a drink.
Ms Fyles: Rubbish!
Ms Price: Yes, they did that.
Mr Wood: That is rubbish!
Mr STYLES: You can hear the interjections. I am a compassionate guy. I understand that for those people over there, not much has gone well for them this year. In Question Time today they tried to say it is all terrible, but the facts do not lie. On this side we are about kicking goals, getting on with the job and making decisions, which those on the other side failed to do.
I will not give the game away, but there are decisions coming down the pipeline that the opposition, when in government for 11 years, considered but did not do anything about. They just talked about it, but we are about getting on with it.
Going back to the situation with the Banned Drinker Register, in the suburbs they would get other people to buy alcohol for them. The worst thing I heard was from a woman who is a constituent of mine and saw me at the shops one Saturday morning. She said, ‘What can we do because my husband and all these men are on the Banned Drinker Register and I have to buy the alcohol for them. If I say no they will beat the living daylights out of me.’
There is a fundamental problem in relation to domestic violence. Many of the women who find themselves in that situation simply go and buy the alcohol so they do not get a beating. Is that good policy? I disagree with it.
The member for Nhulunbuy said the review comes at some cost to the Northern Territory. Yes, it does. She said the money would have been better spent somewhere else. I will deal with that in a moment. She also said we are looking for a political situation and judicial approach opposed to a health one. I do not agree with that either.
When I was a police officer in Carnarvon in Western Australia there was a fine gentleman who lived there by the name of George Anderson. I suspect he has passed on well and truly by now. George Anderson had a terrible addiction to alcohol. He would get around town and do all sorts of terrible things. He would be lying in the gutter and he was what you might call a typical drunk. Every day he was out getting smashed. He had a family: a wife, kids and grandkids.
In those day we had something called the Dog Act; it was a bit like alcohol mandatory treatment. People would be incarcerated for three months when they had a major problem with alcohol. In that three months they were looked after; we would hold them in the lock up. Some of them would go to Geraldton prison and some of them would stay there; they were locals. They would dry out, get health treatment; doctors would come in and we would take them to the hospital; we made sure they got healthcare.
There is a lot more to that story, but sadly I do not have time to tell you George’s full story. One Christmas George came to the police station and said, ‘Would you come to my home and have a drink with me?’ I was chuffed. He was an Aboriginal gentleman. He was an old man with old man’s rights, and I was a young bloke. I was in my early twenties, thinking, ‘This is pretty special. He wants me to come to his house.’
George used to get incarcerated a fair bit. When he was sober he was a good bloke, but when he was drunk he used to lash out and do all sorts of nasty things, domestic violence, etcetera. With the treatments he received, albeit nowhere near as good as what we are offering to people in similar situations these days, George got over his addiction, along with a bloke named Hubert Skewthorpe. These people turned; you can actually turn people. You will not do it with all of them, but you will certainly make them a lot more comfortable than they would be in the gutter. George got over it.
George invited me to his home, and he wanted me to have a beer with him. He was in a frame of mind and situation where he was so grateful, not for me, etcetera, but for the system. He was grateful for some of the things I had done for him, which I will not go into because we do not have enough time. Suffice to say, George Anderson went through a system of alcohol mandatory treatment, as such, imposed upon him by the court, and he was a very grateful man.
When George invited me to his home, which was on the banks of the Gascoyne River in Carnarvon – he lived in what we know as a Nissen hut, and there were a few Sidney Williams huts. It was a beautiful place, very clean. He invited me in and I had a glass of beer with him.
His grandchildren got it out of the fridge, served it and we sat there for about an hour-and-a-half or two hours having a Christmas drink. That is all he had; he thanked me and told me a story about a man who had gone off the way and into areas where he should not have gone.
I will not talk too much about this, but he had suicidal tendencies. They are the sorts of things I helped work through with him, and he was a very grateful man. His family were very grateful. His grandchildren came up to me and said, ‘Thank you very much for doing what you did for our grandfather, because we now have him back’.
I have quite a few success stories like that, and I am sure there are people in the health system who have similar stories. I am sure there are other police officers who have similar stories. Sometimes you just have to do this and give people the opportunity to go through some of the treatment, allow them to dry out and then help them work through some of their addictive behaviours. Hubert Skewthorpe was another guy in a similar way.
When I listen to members opposite saying we have our priorities wrong, I wonder who it is that actually has their priorities wrong. You had the policy of the Banned Drinker Register. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it cost about $25m to install that policy and it did not work. Anyone could get alcohol. I used to see it at Fannie Bay, Casuarina and in my own electorate at Berrimah. People would simply get other people to buy alcohol for them; there are plenty of people willing to grab a quick $20 off someone to buy them a carton.
That was just one of the major problems with the Banned Drinker Register. When we looked for a solution, we did not look for a political solution. We looked for a real solution. Yesterday in this House we were talking about some of the issues governments are faced with. Some of them are not that popular. On Tuesday during the TIO debate I was talking about doing the right thing. Integrity is about doing the right thing even when no one is looking.
If you are sitting in a room with a bunch of colleagues making decisions, not too many people will be there to be part of that decision-making process and some of them will not hear all of the facts available. They will not hear the discussions that are had, so when you are out of that limelight making decisions, your integrity is about doing the right thing. I firmly believe we have done the right thing, because I have seen it work before, and I am seeing it work again.
You have a great system, ably presented, maintained and worked on by my colleague, the Minister for Health. It is a pleasure to give a different perspective to what she is doing, and from some real experience. This is not something someone has told me, this is about experience I have had in my lifetime.
We looked for a health approach. To get people participating in their healthcare you have to get them there. When we moved people into the medi-hotel they were able to walk out almost at will. I suspect in other places it is more difficult to walk out. We now have amendments to make it so if people do leave the treatment centre, the clock stops. What a great idea! They will come back.
On the issue of things like Alcohol Protection Orders, there are some other measures coming down the pipeline which I will not talk about until we introduce them next year. What a great thing Alcohol Protection Orders are. You allow tourists, good people – most of the people in our community – to consume alcohol in a responsible manner. Some do not and we accept that no system is perfect.
I use the analogy of people who walk past a bunch of people in the park, having a great time, laughing, carrying on, enjoying themselves, and all is terrific. Someone who is not having such a good day will walk past and see these people laughing and having a good time and think, ‘Do I want to go to work or will I go over there and just have a laugh with them?’ The problem is that most of the people having a laugh are on the slippery slope of a downward spiral into alcoholism and a serious amount of depression, pain and a terrible lifestyle. People sit in the park all day. Then there are the problems of the rubbish, food scraps and human faeces lying around the place, and the kids cannot use the park. It is a disgraceful situation.
If they are not there and are getting some help from a caring community, then the person going to work does not have that option to sit down and get smashed day after day, then find themselves at the bottom of the slippery slide.
Why are the Alcohol Protection Orders so effective? If you breach them, there are consequences. But the main issue is about changing people’s behaviour. If I or anyone I knew had a major problem, they would have an Alcohol Protection Order placed on them where they are not supposed to purchase, have in their possession or procure alcohol. If they are caught, then they are in breach of that order. You do not need $18m worth of expensive equipment to find out who has an Alcohol Protection Order. You simply wait until the bad behaviour starts. Someone will report it. The police will come along and say, ‘Sonny, you are being taken into protective custody’. When they find out you have an Alcohol Protection Order, that is a breach. Then, as time goes by and the breaches stack up, there will be serious consequences for you.
If, on the other hand, you are a reasonable person and do not have severe brain damage from alcohol poisoning and alcohol abuse, you think, ‘I have an Alcohol Protection Order against me, it is probably a good idea if I do not go over there and start throwing rocks on people’s roofs, drinking in the park, or finding a corner in a shopping centre and leaving a little gift of human faeces that someone else has to clean up in the morning. I should behave myself.’
It is great when people do so. If the Alcohol Protection Order changes their behaviour then you have achieved the objective you set out to achieve. If people are lying in the gutter to the point they are so smashed on alcohol or other things they are endangering themselves, they are also a danger to other people.
Imagine all these people wandering around the place extremely intoxicated. You have car accidents and people walking in front of traffic. There is a range of issues police, ambulance officers and hospitals have to deal with on a daily basis. It is not a pleasant. It is a good thing we are able to give these people an opportunity to help themselves, along with the medical attention they will get in alcohol mandatory treatment.
I struggle to understand where the opposition comes from on this matter. Why would you not want someone who is lying in the gutter to have an opportunity to help themselves? Obviously they need a lot of support, and that is given to them when they are in the alcohol mandatory treatment program. I do not know whether they are suggesting we leave them in the gutter, in the parks or lying around. I do not know what they believe works because what they did when in government obviously did not work.
We are seeing a reduction in the number of people lying around parks. We have seen a reduction in the human mess left behind in so many places. I am impressed it has gone further than I thought in cleaning the place up. I get comments on a regular basis from people at Casuarina. It is not as bad. There are still issues, but we are getting on top of that and have to keep working.
When we introduce legislation and there is a flaw, we fix it. No problem. I hope the opposition is not suggesting if you find a flaw somewhere you do not fix it because you fear coming in here and someone saying you have just done a backflip.
I am happy to say I make my decisions based on evidence as opposed to emotion, as does the Giles government. We say that on a regular basis. We make evidenced-based decisions on this side of the House, and I suspect on that side they make decisions based on emotions. They run emotional arguments that do not stack up. This is about giving people a real opportunity to help themselves.
The interesting thing about the Banned Drinker Register – for those listening and those in the gallery – is mandatory treatment was optional ...
Mr Wood: There is no one up there.
Mr STYLES: Is there no one on the Chamber on that side? No one in the Chamber on that side either.
Mr Wood: No, you said in the gallery and I said there was no one there.
Mr STYLES: There was last time I looked. The Banned Drinker Register had mandatory treatment, and it amused me when the current Leader of the Opposition was in government she would say across the Chamber, ‘Yes, mandatory is mandatory’. I wondered how you could have mandatory and optional in the same sentence. When I was the shadow minister for alcohol rehabilitation I often asked, ‘What do you do?’ These people go through the alcohol court and are told they have to front up to mandatory treatment. What happens if they do not front up? They get another order. That is a good policy.
Let us talk about flawed policy. If you never front up nothing happens to you. There are no teeth ….
Mr Wood: You got rid of the tribunal that went with the BDR.
Mr STYLES: The Banned Drink Register – that was not a flawed policy, it was a failed policy. You only have to walk around town and talk to people who run businesses or talk to people in the suburbs and ask if the problem is the same as it was before. I would put money on it that nine out of 10 people would say it is a bit better than before.
I support my colleague, the Minister for Health, in tweaking, as a result of reviews – you have to have reviews, and I hope the member for Nhulunbuy is not suggesting we do not have reviews and do not spend any money. Look at the outcomes we have achieved, not only in this but so many other things. As explained during Question Time this morning, this government is about evidence-based decisions; it is about introducing hard policy, irrespective of whether the opposition thinks it is hard. I know they all fear losing their seats because that was the argument they ran. ‘You should not do this, or you might lose your seat.’ That might be so but what I hold very dear on this side of the House is integrity, which is doing the right thing even when people are not looking.
On this side of the House we do that. We make the hard decisions. I said a little earlier in this debate that there are more decisions coming and you will see there are many decisions that will be made that the former government, for whatever reason, failed to make. The issues are the same, but on this side we actually get on and do the job. We make decisions on behalf of all Territorians. On the other side it appears that perhaps they do not. Perhaps they are more worried about their seats than they are about making the tough decisions.
Madam Speaker, I commend these amendments and I congratulate the Minister for Health for bringing them before the House.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I love the member for Sanderson talking about evidence-based decisions. He knocks the BDR; I agree you could not have an evidence-based decision made on a nine month trial of the BDR. It is not long enough, and I have said that many times. You also have to remember that the BDR was part of a package. It was not a solitary program. It was supported by various people, including the Police Association, which said they did not believe it was necessarily effective on its own, but as part of a package they did.
I support the alcohol mandatory treatment program. I have said that from day one …
Mr Styles: Excellent Gerry.
Mr WOOD: I have, but a six-month review will not give you a proper evidence base to make many real recommendations.
For the same reason, the BDR was never given enough time for people to really say whether it worked or not. The BDR was scrapped for political reasons. It was a political promise of the CLP. They opposed it when it was in parliament. They did not wait for a long-term review to see whether it would operate; they had a philosophical disagreement with it. It was the nanny state disagreement; it had to go. Why it had to go, well we make up the reasons for it after it went. It only operated for nine months, and anyone who is in statistics would know something that ran for that length of time cannot be judged. I have the same problem with this review; it happened very early and only went for six months.
I support the amendments. You say ‘Well, people on this side’ – I never know whether I am on this side or what side when you people say that …
Mr Styles: No, you are on the other side.
Mr WOOD: Okay. There are a few sides over here. That is the advantage of being a free thinker. I did not vote on it because I felt the security side of the process was inadequate and people would escape. What did they do? They escaped. I did not want people going to prison, so I said make it so people cannot escape so they do not go to prison. Now we have gone full circle and are passing legislation which says if they do escape three times we will not send them to prison. Great! I will not say I told you so, but some of us did try to put a little common sense into it.
I have long been a supporter of this program, but it is up to the government to show the figures that it is working, and that is not coming through in this debate. We got some of it from estimates, and it is worth going back to the Estimates Committee and looking at some of the debate and questioning that occurred.
I acknowledge that the Dr Wright is here today and I appreciate that. This was a question about people continuing to abstain from alcohol after they had left. Dr Wright said:
I am happy to hear that; it is great.
During the Masters Games I spent time at CAAAPU. It was my second time there, and I was very impressed with the improvements to the facilities. You might remember I had many concerns about the facilities not being suitable for people being forced to rehabilitate. The facilities have well and truly improved on what they were originally. I was impressed not only by the people running CAAAPU, but the people who were there at the time. I met a gentleman who was in rehab. He was from Western Australia and had spent time in Melbourne, but he had come back to Central Australia. He was in that facility, and it certainly was good to talk to him. It was his second time around, and they are some of the issues that need to be debated. How many people are coming back?
My understanding, from talking to CAAAPU, is that not only are people who have been forced coming back, people are volunteering to come back. That is great news, but I cannot expand on it much further than just talking about what happened at CAAAPU. I do not have figures.
The member for Nhulunbuy is quite right, if the government is spending millions of dollars on alcohol mandatory rehabilitation, anyone here is beholden to ask if it is succeeding or failing. I have always believed in it. I have spoken to people who deal in voluntary rehabilitation programs. It has always been a low percentage of people who will eventually get off the grog. For many it is a never-ending trial to get off the grog. If we get the figures, you have to compare those figures with the voluntary rehab people as well so you do not just look at one thing in isolation to what is happening on the other side of the rehab program. They usually do not have very high success rates, and I would imagine they have quite a few people who come back time and time again.
At CAAAPU there has been an issue with the number of people attending. It appeared to be low. There were some discussions as to whether the methodology of the police picking up some of these people had changed. I am not sure whether that is right or not, so maybe the minister could tell us whether anything has changed from when the program originally started. I have not been able to work out whether it is because there are fewer people drinking because of the police outside licensed premises, therefore reducing the number of people being picked up. That would certainly be worth looking at.
There has always been some criticism about whether this is aimed at Aboriginal people. In general it has been, but during estimates I asked that question, and the answer I received was that there were two non-Indigenous people. One of the issues debated during estimates was that it is easy to pick up people who are in the street and obvious. Many of the people we need to help are not that obvious; many of those are non-Indigenous people.
Putting in this amendment where a medical practitioner can refer someone might at least put some balance back into that issue of whether these facilities are just for Aboriginal people. In my questions to Dr Wright during estimates I referred to a lady in my area. I think she is still alive. She has been to hospital, but she will eventually drink herself to death. It is very sad because when I have seen her sober, she is a fantastic lady; when she has been in hospital and off the grog she is a great lady. Unfortunately, she would be one of these people who may be a client just to give her the possibility to turn it around. I am not condemning her, I am saying this because I would love her to live a lot longer and not be buried under the weight of alcoholism.
The other thing that sometimes is missed in this discussion – again Dr Wright spoke about it – is the improvements in people’s health that come with this program. The doctor spoke about the great benefits that can come from bringing these people into a facility where they can get medical assistance. That is a benefit we forget about sometimes in this debate. Many of these people have chronic illnesses, and this is probably one of the few chances they have of those things being looked at.
This is the question I asked during estimates:
Dr Wright answered, and I will read the whole answer:
I read that because I understand people’s concerns about locking up people. I have always believed if you do it for the right reasons and you state that right reason publicly, then people will judge you on that more than legalities. These people need help. These people, in many ways, are a nuisance in society. They might not even know they are a nuisance; they might be in such a state all the time that it is the norm. But if we do it with compassion, there comes a point where you have to help the other man or woman, if that requires the government or an NGO to step in to assist those people, to give them an opportunity to turn their lives around, a chance to improve their health – even if it does mean that only a few people have their lives changed – that is still a good thing.
There is a lot of money spent, but we spend a lot of money on many other things in our society, like poker machines, the races, consumer goods and services. Is it such a bad thing we spend a few million dollars on trying to help our fellow human beings who have been cursed by alcohol, cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel and cannot help themselves? The word ‘derelict’ has been used in this parliament this week. Government would be derelict in its duty if it did not make the effort to help these people. If it said it was costing too much I would ask what is the total amount of alcohol is in the Northern Territory? What is the dollar value? How much do the breweries, pubs and hotels make from alcohol? That makes this bill a pittance. Sometimes we do not get our priorities right. We are happy to have all these modern things, but sometimes we forget we need to help people who desperately need it.
I said before that I support this legislation and I support the amendments. I will not repeat too much. I said at the beginning I was concerned about people being sent to prison, especially when you had facilities that were not secure and people could jump the fence. That is why the government spent quite a bit of money putting a new fence around the Darwin hospital facility.
One of the issues lacking in this debate – this is one of the problems with rushing legislation through – is I have not had enough time to look at the 50 other recommendations, some of which recommend nothing happens; it would have been good to have more time to debate the review recommendations and talk about some of the other issues involved.
We know there was a death in care recently. That issue needs to be looked at from a public perspective. I understand, from a legal point of view, that these people are in care, not in custody, but the sensible thing would be to be on the front foot about it. I do not know the whole story, but my impression was the announcement of this was that delayed after the incident had occurred.
The government wanted to put a facility in the industrial area of Katherine. I was there recently and poked my head in at Mitre 10. I worked at Mitre 10 for about 16 years, although not that one. I asked the bloke at the counter what happened to alcohol mandatory rehabilitation. He said, ‘Enough people got upset about it and spoke to people in high places and it was shifted’.
I do not know if that is true or not. It should never have been in an industrial area. Venndale is down the road and it has a community facility. I do not understand why someone wanted to put it in the middle of an industrial area, which says, ‘We don’t care about you; we will stuff you in an industrial area.’ That does not show compassion. Most of these people are Aboriginal and they should be given a place where they can breathe fresh air and enjoy nature, because many of them come from the bush in the first place. If Venndale is not the place to put it then put it somewhere else, but put it in the bush, away from where people are; do not put it in an industrial estate. That was a terrible decision.
The one in Tennant Creek is in the town; it is a nice looking place. Again, in Tennant Creek we put the work camp way out bush. I do not mean a day’s trip. Why did they not look at putting the facility in Tennant Creek out in the bush a bit? The bush helps people heal, yet we stick people in an industrial estate.
Many other issues should be debated on this, and that is not putting down the fact these amendments are not important. I want this to work and am trying to make suggestions to help it work better. I support what the government is doing, but it does silly things at times which do not help the process on the way.
I thank Dr Wright for his dedication to looking after people who are in desperate circumstances. We need more people like Dr Wright because without them there is really no hope, and we need to give these people hope.
Looking at the amendments, the main one was that a person does not go to prison if they abscond three times, and the second one was about the ability for an assessable person to be referred through a health practitioner to a senior assessment clinician; that is a good idea.
I thank the minister for bringing these amendments forward. We really should have had more time so we did not have to rush them on the last day of sittings for the year. This bill should have been introduced in the previous sittings; it would have given me a chance to discuss the matters that have been raised.
I tried to get in touch with the AMA; obviously the AMA is pretty busy and sometimes they simply do not have the time to respond to my little concerns. If I had a bit more time I would have got some more feedback from those people involved.
In summary, I very much thank CAAAPU; it is a fantastic group of people. CAAAPU does something that is different. People might think this is the advantage; CAAAPU is out of town a bit, but they take these people shopping and out bush. We have started to develop a scheme which has some flexibility. We are not keeping people stuck behind wire. In fact, CAAAPU does not have wire; it has a high fence. I gather – and the minister might be able to let me know – that the government will put an assessment facility at CAAAPU rather than near the prison, which is good. I might be wrong, but maybe the minister can explain that to me later. CAAAPU is an example of people working hard for Aboriginal people and designing a program which is flexible, but still has that element of being mandatory. It is great those people are doing that work.
Madam Speaker, I support the amendments, but I do hope the government will take into consideration that the period that has been reviewed really is too short; it needs to be longer. We need to have more statistics so we have a better understanding of what is happening, what the successes are and the failures, where we can improve, whether it making a difference, and if we looking at other versions of mandatory rehabilitation or healing centres in the bush where communities take over control of some of these issues themselves.
We were at Nhulunbuy recently for the foetal alcohol syndrome meeting. There are discussions there about taking people to their homelands, and there are other options we need to keep investigating rather than just the one model because there probably are other models which, if they can work, will also bring success to this program. Thank you.
Mr VOWLES (Johnston): Madam Speaker, I rise to contribute to this as the shadow minister for Indigenous Policy. It will not be a long contribution; I just need to make a few comments around the Indigenous side of these changes and the bill being rushed through the Chamber.
I start with Central Australia. I put on the record that I truly believe the staff work hard to deliver a quality service and the best possible care for clients who go into the CAAAPU establishment in Central Australia.
This legislation falls short when it comes to making sure service providers like CAAAPU receive the support and resources they need from the government and the Department of Health to deliver these services to clients who are often very sick with multiple and complex health issues. The member for Araluen, the minister responsible, talked about alcohol mandatory treatment providers as being health services, but they are not hospitals.
They are not resourced or staffed to be hospitals and deliver medical care for complex medical issues. Very often, these issues involve mental as well as physical health issues. What resources do AMT providers have to cope with very high-risk clients? This leads me to our visit, as a Caucus, to the Tiwi Islands a couple of weeks ago, where we had the honour of meeting many people on Bathurst and Melville Islands. Mentioned to us in a meeting we had was the necessity to have a facility on the Tiwi Islands. I will touch on the media release from the Minister for Alcohol Rehabilitation, Robyn Lambley, of 17 April 2013, very shortly. It was also about the importance of other services, such as the mental health services this government could provide to support the people of the Tiwi Islands in getting that happening in their community.
It was very refreshing to hear people talk about the need for mental health support, alcohol support, how they can get over that and the impact alcohol is having on the islands. This is a common story across the Territory. I congratulate this government for doing what they believe is right. We believed the Banned Drinker Register was the way to go, but it is now this government’s time. They have had two years in government and they are trying to do what they believe is right. In the end we have to do right by Territorians and by people suffering a disease and killing themselves – drinking themselves to death. We must ensure in this House that we do not sugarcoat this, as the final outcome for many people struggling with this addiction – people are literally drinking themselves to death, and we need to do something about it. We tried to do something and now this government is trying to do something.
I will always support something that will save a Territorian’s life and help people who need a hand up. You will never hear me disagreeing with providing a service to somebody who really needs it.
I go to the Tiwi Islands and the media release from the minister on 17 April 2013:
Further:
That is the member for Arafura:
The minister also said:
I look forward, if it is possible, to the minister giving us an update on that. That would be great. It was very important to the Tiwi people when we were over there as a Caucus listening to them, especially on Bathurst Island. They were very eager and people were having heartfelt conversations with us about the need for alcohol treatment and a mental health support service, which obviously go hand in hand.
We are all fully aware in this Chamber of the necessity of supporting our remote communities, especially in mental health. Much of that comes from the impact of the alcohol abuse they face as part of their lives. I look forward to the minister updating me on that. She is giving me a smile, so I hope that will be good.
I go to the next media release on 30 April 2014 from the Minister for Alcohol Rehabilitation and the member for Katherine:
Further it says:
I next go to the ABC news story of Monday 10 November:
The member for Katherine was saying it was a great spot and a great facility, no problem. The next bit of this report said:
Then we had a business owner say:
The news story continued:
It went on to say, and I think it was the minister’s department which said it:
I would appreciate the minister giving us an update on how that facility in Katherine is going, how the plans are and if alternative sites have been identified and are moving ahead. I agree that the facilities you are building are life-changing facilities and need to be built. That is what you have promised, that is what you are trying to do. I said that I thought we were doing the right thing. We do not say it many times here, but we have a common goal which is to save people’s lives who are struggling with the disease of alcoholism. We can rant and rave and call each other names, but in the end it is about delivering for Territorians and giving people assistance where they need it. This is an area where we need it.
Last year I stood here and said that my mother has worked as an Aboriginal Health Worker for many years, and she still works in that area. The number of people with alcohol addiction has not changed. The issues we were dealing with 30 or 35 years ago when she started as an Aboriginal Health Worker are exactly what we are facing now. We need to do something. That is a common goal of this parliament and should be a common goal of Territorians: to try to help people to get off alcohol and save people’s lives. That is the end result of this. This is about saving people’s lives.
Minister, I hope you can address my questions.
Ms FYLES (Nightcliff): Madam Speaker, it was interesting to hear the member for Araluen in Question Time finally admit one of the biggest issues facing the Territory today is the rivers of grog flowing through our community.
It is a positive step that you are finally recognising the harm caused by excessive amounts of alcohol. However, I am concerned about the comments from some of those opposite, particularly the member for Sanderson in saying, ‘We have seen a reduction in alcohol consumption and an improvement in our community’. We have not. In my electorate of Nightcliff we witness the antisocial behaviour on a daily and weekly basis.
My staff have called police numerous times this year. It continues. We witness it daily along our foreshore. One of the biggest issues is support to police. We have seen the night patrol cut back and the Return to Country service recently finished. We need to see those supports in our community. They provide firsthand support as we face this issue every day in our communities – parents and children as they move around their community and try to enjoy their family time, or working or attending school.
This is an issue we must deal with and address. You finally listened to some of the feedback about the problems with your approach to alcohol issues and are at least taking some steps to deal with it. However, you are missing the opportunity. There is so much more we could be doing if we are really serious about turning off this tap of grog and reducing the harm of excessive consumption.
If you properly reviewed alcohol mandatory treatment and subjected the policy to some real scrutiny so you could have the qualitative and quantitative data, we would be much better placed to have a properly resourced and effective approach to the issues caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
You have picked up on some of the submissions made to the review of the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act, but we have not gone far enough. You have finally realised how objectionable it is to criminalise alcohol treatment. Congratulations for finally hearing what experts have been telling you and for finally doing something about it.
I will quote the AMA president, Dr Peter Beaumont:
You have finally listened to these experts. There is very reasonable cause to decriminalise alcohol treatment, but you could have gone a step further.
I will take up the issue of advocacy that was raised in the many submissions. They argued very reasonably for these vulnerable people appearing before the tribunal to be represented by legal counsel at no cost. Many people appearing before the tribunal have impaired cognitive abilities because of alcohol abuse. Effective legal representation would ensure affected people would better understand the complex proceedings and would also keep the tribunal more accountable, which is an important point. I do not understand why you have chosen not to ensure very vulnerable Territorians are effectively represented.
The majority of submissions have also called for the use of interpreters. So many people misunderstand, do not understand and will not speak up, and interpreters are a vital part of helping them understand what is happening. As your review notes, the overwhelming sentiment of submissions said understanding the AMT system and its process is of the utmost importance. Knowing and appreciating what is happening is vital, and the availability of interpreters is essential.
English is not the first language for many people who appear before the tribunal, and interpreters should be provided as a matter of course. You have decided not to take up the recommendations around this and it is disappointing. There are also so many unanswered questions around AMT. For instance, have you done any analysis of how scrapping the Return to Country program will affect incidents of protective custody and intake into AMT? These are important points we would like acknowledged.
How are you ensuring people released from AMT are able to make it back home to their communities and are not left homeless and unsupported in town, perhaps to take up the grog again? These are important points. Programs you have cut should be reinstated, and people exiting your treatment should be able to have the opportunity to make it home safely.
Can you tell Territorians how you expect the changes you are introducing, changes you say are extremely important, will improve participation in the AMT? Do you have plans to expand existing AMT facilities? If so, where is the budget for it? So many questions around AMT need answers if we are to have a balanced approach to this. We hope on this side of the House that these amendments and changes are just the beginning of a more coherent workable and cost effective approach to dealing with alcohol-related issues in the Northern Territory. They are finally, at long last, taking a step in the right direction.
I urge you to look at some of the measures. The member for Sanderson went on and on about the Banned Drinker Register and what he perceived as huge issues with it. It was an effective tool; police and shopkeepers said so. It helped them identify who should not be drinking. ‘It was an inconvenience’, is not an argument to get rid of it; it was not. You get out your credit card, your Woolies card, it was not an inconvenience to have to show your driver’s licence to purchase alcohol. It is a privilege to be able to drink alcohol, and people identified that.
Back to this bill, at least this is a step in the right direction. I hope, minister, you will not be as arrogant and dismissive of the views of Territorians as your Chief Minister has been over the last few days and that you take on board the feedback, conduct a proper review of the alcohol mandatory treatment policy and share it with experts and the community. Let people know the results and further actions. It will identify the course we need to take to deal with, as you said, ‘the rivers of grog’.
Ms MOSS (Casuarina): Madam Speaker, I support the amendments brought before us by the Minister for Health. I thank her for doing so; however, like many other members on this side of the Chamber, I am concerned about the lack of data into the actual effectiveness of this system. I would really like to see some more of that and some answers to some of the questions raised, because if we are to talk about amendments to this system, it is important we know the system is working.
In February 2014 The Australian reported that alcohol costs the Northern Territory $642m every year in police time, corrections, treatment, lost productivity and more. If my memory serves me correctly, that came from a report that was done by Menzies into the costs and harms of alcohol some time ago, and that is the best measure we have in the Territory of how much it costs Territorians.
We know the costs can be much more than what can be measured in monetary value. Chronic alcohol misuse is a serious health issue for a number of Territorians and it devastates lives. We also have to acknowledge that there is a cultural and social value around alcohol, particularly in the Northern Territory.
When this legislation was passed I was working in an alcohol-related program within Police. I distinctly remember the vast objection and concern from major stakeholders across the sector, the Territory Labor opposition and others on this side of the House. I support the amendments to the bill; however, some of these amendments were put forward as recommendations at that time and again in the six-month review. Some of them are now addressed in the amendments to this bill.
Something else I distinctly remember from that time was doing workshops across the Territory in remote and urban locations and sharing the statistic that if the NT was a country we would have the second-highest alcohol consumption in the world. Many people thought it was amusing but it is really shocking; we really need to look at that cultural and societal value.
The former Territory Labor government had a suite of measures that looked to address the different arms of this harmonisation model: supply reductions, demand reductions and harm reductions. This government, when elected, dismantled the Banned Drinker Register almost immediately and brought in Alcohol Protection Orders. We still hear of police resources being used in bottle shops across the Territory, a job I am sure they did not join the force to do. As the member for Nightcliff stated, there were cuts to complementary services, not just our night patrols, but our family and youth support services. I am also still seeing lots of the repercussions of chronic alcohol misuse in Casuarina, outside my office and in the Casuarina coastal reserve. It is certainly something that people still continue to raise with me and is an issue that is important to all of us.
It should be noted that the initial media release about alcohol mandatory treatment referred to AMT sitting alongside the commitment for 120 additional police. The NT Police Association called again for the CLP government to fulfil its commitment to the delivery of 120 police officers in August this year; whether or not that will happen remains to be seen. These measures should not happen in isolation.
It would seem that the CLP government, in a range of areas, is very focused on resourcing for what happens after the fact, with a decreasing amount spent on prevention and early intervention. Given the significant cost of alcohol in our community and the fact our community attitudes to it are deeply entrenched, a firm focus on providing that education and evidence-based practice goes a long way.
I have had the privilege in my work with others interested in this area to have established a program where young people were peer educators and health promoters when it came to reducing the risks of alcohol for young people. Consultations with this audience regularly returned similar themes: a desire for more peer education and an understanding that sometimes those in our community who are meant to be role models around alcohol often work from a, ‘Do as I say and not as I do’, principle.
There are other factors in the desire to turn to alcohol for different people: boredom; the social value; and, of course, self-medication. We know issues relating to alcohol can co-exist with physical and mental illness. It is also a present factor in a range of other social areas, and it impacts on the wellbeing of families, engagement in education and employment opportunities, and the safety of Territorians.
Concerns raised by the Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT in May 2013 included:
That raises many more questions about how this system interacts with other social services, other complementary services, and how successful we are in reaching those people who come from places where they do not have those social supports.
The review committed to, into all aspects of the AMT, is timely to ensure all Territorians entering AMT receive evidence-based care. I commend all members of this House who want to make a difference when it comes to this issue, and I truly believe we all do. We must be clear about wanting to affect cultural and generational change and about interacting and interlocking with others with the same aims, ensuring the investment of funding and resourcing into other areas of alcohol policy and our vital non-government sector.
The Minister for Health talks of successes of the program, and we are without data needed to make a judgment on this. There is no empirical data available on the return to alcohol by those who have been through alcohol mandatory treatment. There is none in relation to relapse, long-term behavioural change or long-term engagement in the community in education or work. Only one of the case studies presented on the government’s website refers explicitly to after-care plans, and it remains unclear how often such case studies are followed up on over a longer period of time. I will certainly be listening with interest to the continuation of this debate for information in relation to these things.
The government continues to report on activity occurring within the alcohol mandatory treatment system. However, it seems reluctant to report on its health outcomes. I am supportive of the change of the criminalisation of absconding; this should never have been included as an offence. On its website, the Law Society talks to its submission into the six-month review of the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act, and refers to concerns focused on:
I support the call from the member for Nhulunbuy for a review into alcohol mandatory treatment. Such a review into health outcomes was flagged to take place and has not yet occurred. It is important that the opposition, the sector and the public understand what the measures for success are for AMT and the evidence base, with a view for continuous improvement, if it is working.
There are still many questions in relation to AMT. If there are successes, what is the definition of success? Where is the data that shows the success? There have been some numbers thrown around. In an ABC article published on 3 November there were mixed reactions from Aboriginal legal aid groups to alcohol mandatory treatment changes. The Minister for Health referred to a target of a 20% participant success rate. I hope to hear some answers to questions I have throughout this debate: 20% of what; what does participant success look like; how are significant changes in drinking habits measured; and what actions are taken to measure if they are sustained in the long term?
The same ABC article from 3 November said:
We and many of the important stakeholder and interest groups are calling for that data. Where is the evidence that this is effective? If we are to debate amendments to the act, is it working? In the same article, these sentiments were echoed by NAAJA, alongside concerns of access to after care.
When referring to those in AMT as engaging and seeing the benefit of their treatment, it would be useful to know whether these individuals are voluntarily or involuntarily admitted. This is a very expensive system. At $27m last year, it is not unreasonable to ask that a review is requested into its effectiveness – a clinical review into its health outcomes. This is not suggested with the intention of casting aspersions on the health practitioners who work within this framework, who work incredibly hard to do what we all aim to do and make lives better for Territorians. It should simply be part of practice to show that the clinical practice employed is achieving the health outcomes intended. It is about knowing where we have come from and where we are at with evidence so we can plan to, hopefully, further improve health and social outcomes for Territorians. The rate of return to treatment is an important measure in the success of this action.
There has been a death in treatment and this is a very sensitive area for the government, health practitioners and the family, and is a very sad event. It is even more important that the evidence is provided that shows that AMT is effective in achieving sustained health and social outcomes for its clients.
This bill should seek to expand entry to treatment and remove offences for absconding. It strikes me that many of the amendments proposed were raised by experts in their fields when this legislation was first introduced. When the legislation was introduced 18 months ago, many of the amendments were reflected in those concerns, and again at six months of operation. It shows the need for such important legislation to be fully and thoughtfully considered and not rushed, including opposition and recommendations prior to its passage.
The government should have listened to the experts who have the practical on-the-ground experience of what works and what does not at the time of implementation of this act. But the genesis for the AMT was a political response to the scrapping of the Banned Drinker Register, increasing alcohol abuse, putting 2500 banned drinkers back on tap, with 2013 being our most violent year ever. The CLP needed to give a perception that they had a coherent alcohol policy, and now we have a backflip.
Sadly, arrogant governance is becoming a key hallmark of the CLP government, which is dismissive of any views but its own. Now is the time to work with the non-government sector to adopt a more inclusive approach. Now is the time to ensure there is adequate resourcing in prevention and early intervention. Hopefully these changes mark the start of a new way forward, but we will still need a proper clinical review of patient outcomes as previously promised by the government.
The debate about amendments to this bill allows the opportunity for the call to be made again for evidence to be presented on the effectiveness of AMT on sustained behavioural change. However, I welcome the government’s amendments to this act. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this issue and I support the amendments to the bill.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Alcohol Rehabilitation): Madam Speaker, I thank everyone who has participated in this debate. The member for Nhulunbuy gave, as always, an impassioned left-wing account of the alcohol mandatory treatment program. She was negative from start to finish, but we expect nothing less. It is interesting that she spoke about her briefing with my staff, and I put on the record the member for Nhulunbuy was given 40 minutes. She arrived 10 minutes late and by 8.40 am she was ushered out as we had other people lined up for meetings. Member for Nhulunbuy, if you would like a full briefing that extends a little beyond half an hour I suggest you turn up on time.
We carried out an evaluation on this legislation. The legislation commenced on 1 July 2013, and by the end of 2013, within months of it becoming operational, I had agreed to undertake a review. Under duress – as I stated, and has been reiterated by my colleague, the member for Nhulunbuy – it was at that point mainly to appease the 11 groups of critics that have chorused in with demands around changing parts of this legislation. We rushed the legislation through to commence operation of the program on 1 July. We were rushed into agreeing to this evaluation. The evaluation was not particularly rushed; the people doing the review took some time. They consulted widely and this report, which most of you have seen, is 35 or 40 pages and is a comprehensive review of a piece of legislation that was six months old.
The first two recommendations they came up with are reflected in the amendments we are debating today. The first recommendation is to amend section 9 of the act to provide for other referral mechanisms by regulation to enable expansion of referral pathways into alcohol mandatory treatment as system capacity and efficiencies increase.
The second recommendation of the review into the legislation was to appeal section 72 to remove the offence provision applying to affected persons under mandatory residential treatment orders detained in secure treatment centres.
This legislation deals with at least the first two priority recommendations outlined in this review. That really reflects the sentiment of our critics of alcohol mandatory treatment. I am happy to move this legislation forward to include those amendments. They are reasonable and the timing is right. I sat on the review for six long months. In the scheme of government that is not a particularly long time, member for Nhulunbuy. I decided to not rush into accepting every recommendation as some on the other side of the Chamber might do. I wanted to take a more reflective approach. I wanted to spend some time engaging with service providers of alcohol mandatory treatment to get not just the perspective of our critics, but that of people working on the ground and what they think is the best way forward with the recommendations of this review of the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act.
Six months down the track we had the proposal put to Cabinet, had these amendments drafted, and now they are before parliament.
We have done an enormous amount of work in a very short space of time when it comes to alcohol mandatory treatment. I do not know that any other act in the history of the Northern Territory has been written, put through parliament, enacted, reviewed and amended so much in such a short space of time as the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act.
I make no apologies for the time frame. We have all, including the opposition, contributed to a thorough process. It has been quick, lively and engaging, but it has been in every way thorough and enthralling, I am sure, for the public of the Northern Territory.
This piece of legislation will allow more people to come into alcohol mandatory treatment, which everyone agrees is a good thing. I am slightly confused by the Labor opposition. The Labor opposition intended to bring in alcohol mandatory treatment. We know because we have reflected on Hansard and on media releases made over the last five to ten years, and we know it had a commitment to rolling out alcohol mandatory treatment. Now I get the feeling there is a little dissension in the ranks. The member for Nhulunbuy certainly suggested in her comments that she no longer agrees with any of it. So what is your policy around this? I would love to hear from the Leader of the Opposition. What is your policy around alcohol mandatory treatment?
We were in opposition. Most of us sitting on this side of the Chamber remember being in opposition just a few years ago. Yes, your main aim in life is to criticise everything the government says and does, I get that; but you have not really articulated your position when it comes to alcohol mandatory treatment.
Would you repeal the legislation if you were to come to government in 2016? Would you toss it out and get rid of it? Several of you this afternoon maintained that is what we did with the Banned Drinker Register; it was irrational, and we tossed it out even though it was working. That is wrong. But would you do the same? Would you toss out alcohol mandatory treatment just because it was a CLP policy? I look forward to getting a response to that question if it comes up in your meetings at some point. What is your policy, opposition members? It is very confusing to sit here and listen to speakers swing from one end of the spectrum to the other.
Yes we like this bit, no we do not like this bit, yes we like this bit, but we really do not like that bit. It is hard to respond because overall I suspect you, as a group of people, do not truly object to alcohol mandatory treatment, and in principle you agree with the notion. There are some incredibly disabled people in our community whose lives have been ruined by alcohol who slipped through the system. This treatment program provides hope and opportunity that perhaps these people have never experienced before.
This program will be evaluated at some point in the future. We were pressured into doing the review into the legislation prematurely. That review took place before it should have, before the program had time to even sufficiently roll out. We are only at the halfway point of rolling out the full alcohol mandatory treatment program across the Territory. It only really exists in its fullest and purest form in Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. The Tennant Creek facility has only just opened. Katherine, which suffers severely from the impact of widespread alcohol abuse, does not have an alcohol mandatory treatment program yet.
The member for Johnston referred to the fact that we have had some problems there. We thought we had a great site. We did everything required in putting it through the Development Consent Authority. It turns out a group of people in Darwin feel it is not the best site for that sort of treatment service.
In some ways we are back to square one with Katherine. We have to find an alternative site, which we are working on now. Hopefully we can get that program for Katherine back on track as soon as possible. We are also doubling the size of our alcohol mandatory treatment program in Alice Springs. That will take some time; it is only 50% completed in Alice Springs. Even in Darwin, we are temporarily located at the Stringybark facility. The intention is to move that program, which has about 45 beds, into the low-security unit of the Berrimah prison, which has now been fully vacated. We are working on that.
The amount of work that has gone into this program is phenomenal. We have had many changes, obstacles and challenges. We have had an army of critics. Every which way we turned there would be someone from NAAJA, PAAAC or AMSANT criticising us. We get that; it is controversial.
It is controversial because it has not been done like this before in Australia. On one hand we are very proud, while on the other we realise it is a big responsibility, not just to us as a government, but to the people of the Northern Territory and the many people in the Territory seriously affected by alcohol. We know it is working.
We do not have all the empirical evidence the lovely new member for Casuarina very clearly articulated in her speech. She will be very disappointed this afternoon that I do not answer all her carefully crafted questions around the empirical data she expects from this program. That will come to her eventually, and we will make no apologies.
Our expectations have always been 100% realistic. Only 10 to 20% of people going through our program will significantly change their drinking habits or abstain. We know that. It is no different from any other residential alcohol rehabilitation program in the world. That is as good as it gets.
I do not know if the empirical evidence will reflect all the other good things it will do for those people, such as allowing them to reconnect with their family, give them a chance to get off the grog and experience what it is like to be reasonably healthy for 12 weeks, and to reconnect with other human beings without being intoxicated. They can see what it is like to have a functioning body and what it is like to go to the doctor and have the doctor treat the illnesses, infections and chronic diseases that you knew were there but just put aside because of your addiction to alcohol.
We know this is all anecdotal. It has not been counted; it has not gone through evidence-based scrutiny that the likes of the well-meaning Dr John Boffa would like to harness and run with. However, we know lives are changing and for that we make no apology. This program has not even been operating 18 months. It has been operating for 17 months. It has changed people’s lives and will continue to change people’s lives. As time goes on, it is the third-party endorsements of this program that are outstanding, that people will listen to and will understand. We are just about to announce the non-government provider of the new Stringybark facility in the very new future. CAAAPU is an extraordinary organisation that has bent over backwards. Those people – their board, their management – truly believe in what they are doing, they are changing people’s lives.
It is all very well to refer to the ‘specialists’. What was the term used by the member for Casuarina? ‘The experts’. Do you know what? The people at CAAAPU are the experts. It is not Russell Goldflam, John Boffa, John Paterson and all the other names you mentioned. They are not experts in residential alcohol rehabilitation. They do not know this game. They think they do, but they do not. It is people from CAAAPU and Venndale who are the experts in this area. Do not be confused. These people would have you believe they are the experts – they are experts in many other things, I will give them credit for that. They are well-meaning people who are committed to the Northern Territory and have made their mark in so many ways, but they are not experts in residential alcohol rehabilitation.
If you want to go to the experts, members for Nhulunbuy, Casuarina, Nightcliff and Nelson, I suggest you spend some time – as the member for Nelson told us this afternoon that he did – with the likes of Eileen Hoosan from CAAAPU, and the board, and get them to tell you because they are the experts; they treat these people every day, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They know the experience of these people and the impact this program is having.
I thank the members of the opposition. They are engaged in an alcohol mandatory treatment program, for better or worse. To be criticised is part and parcel of this project. I would be astounded if one day our critics turned around and said this is good, because even when we hold the empirical evidence under their noses to show our success rate is between 10% and 20%, as we said our expectation has been all along, I suggest they will still be unhappy.
We are very happy on this side of the Chamber. We have considered the legislative review undertaken into the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act, and we tabled it in the public arena in March. That was six or seven months ago, and here we are, pushing it through parliament this evening because we have done everything to do with alcohol mandatory treatment at a cracking pace. We have cracked along and pushed it through. Let us keep pushing because I do not want to waste three months excluding people who could be treated by alcohol mandatory treatment. I do not want to hear that someone’s health has declined to the point where they are seriously ill because we have not included them.
Dropping the absconding offence is a necessary step to take at this point. It served a purpose and we, once again, make no apology for it. We knew it would be unpopular. We on this side of the Chamber do not make decisions just because they are popular. We know that is Labor’s mantra. ‘We only make popular decisions that will ensure our re-election.’ We are not like that. We make difficult decisions, and we felt having the absconding offence in place would be a deterrent to people jumping the fence and running away. It deterred some, but it did not deter as many as we expected. We have trialled that and will now drop it and put in place a stop clock. The clock will stop when people abscond. When it comes to the attention of management that someone has jumped the fence and run away, the clock will stop. When they are brought back to the facility the clock will start again. It remains a mandatory program in that respect and they are not getting away with anything. If they abscond, the duration of their treatment program will remain as determined by the tribunal.
Madam Speaker, I understand the member for Nhulunbuy intends to take this to committee so I will conclude my comments. I again thank members of the Chamber for providing such a robust and stimulating debate.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Ms WALKER: Mr Chair, I thank the minister for moving into the committee stage of debate with me.
Minister, a couple of general questions around the broader bill, which obviously includes the amendments, and then I have a few questions specifically around the amendments and what they will mean.
Measuring success is at the heart of the question. There seems to be continuing ambiguity about success rates and, importantly, how success will be measured. You said earlier this month that you hope to achieve a target of 20% participant success. How do you measure success beyond family reunification and client time in AMT, which is perhaps all I have heard about at this stage?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Member for Nhulunbuy, my understanding of this process is we are talking about the amendments to this act. I am happy to provide some insights as to how an evaluation of the program will occur at some point in the future, but my understanding is this process is about discussing the amendments. Can I seek some advice, Mr Chair?
Ms WALKER: Can I respond to the minister’s point, Mr Chair? There is latitude in the committee stage to ask these questions because success has been talked about extensively. It is a key measure and I am simply asking what some of those measures of success are.
I thought the minister – I know she has got it hard on this bill and this innovation – would be able to provide some descriptor as to how that success is measured.
Mr CHAIR: With no amendments before the committee, the discussion should be about the clauses in the legislation, not about the policy. We should stick with issues in regard to the clauses in the bill as opposed to the policy around it.
Ms WALKER: I beg to differ, Mr Chair, but let me reword the question. How does the minister expect the amendments before us today will improve participation and success in AMT? What will the measures of success be in that instance?
Mr CHAIR: I interpret that as part of the policy as opposed to the actual workings of the bill.
Ms WALKER: We are talking about amendments before the House and I am asking how we will measure the success as a result of these amendments. If there is no answer available because the minister does not know, that is fine; I will just move on to the next question.
Mrs LAMBLEY: I have undertaken to review the program at some point. The precise terms of reference of that review and how the outcomes of the program will be measured we have not ascertained as yet. I will tell you, in answer to one of the questions you asked, how these amendments will benefit individuals who misuse alcohol.
The changes to the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act will expand the alcohol mandatory treatment scheme to ensure more Territorians can benefit from the treatment offered. Currently, people charged with a low-level alcohol-related offence are excluded from the scheme. The changes mean more people who could benefit from AMT are eligible, for example, people whose offence arises through a breach of an Alcohol Protection Order will be eligible for referral to mandatory treatment. At the moment they are excluded.
This is an important group of people to include since these types of offences arise through the misuse of alcohol. The treatment offered through alcohol mandatory treatment can help them address their misuse of alcohol and keep them out of the criminal justice system in the future. It also includes people who, for example, may have stolen a bottle of alcohol – crimes that are essentially of a minor nature and are alcohol related. These people will now be included as eligible to be assessed for alcohol mandatory treatment.
As a real life example, recently one of our programs told us how a gentleman came into assessment. He was found to have an outstanding charge of a minor nature, which under these amendments would not exclude him; it would include him now. His wife came in soon after. She was deemed by the tribunal as suitable for alcohol mandatory treatment. Both of them wanted to undergo treatment together, husband and wife, but they could not because he was excluded.
So now, under the amendments to the legislation, both of those people would have been eligible and there would be many positives around those two undergoing treatment together. These are the real life examples we have listened to over the last six to 12 months, in the short existence of this mandatory program. In addition, the amendments to the act open the way for medical practitioners to refer clients to alcohol mandatory treatment, creating another pathway for chronic alcohol misusers to enter the system and get the treatment they need.
I have a friend who works at the Alice Springs hospital, and she told me there are people constantly coming into the emergency department. They cannot go to the police station because they are too sick, and the police are concerned they could die if they are taken to the watch house and put in protective custody. They are missing out on mandatory treatment. The medical practitioners, for example, at RDH ED can make a referral for these people to be assessed and then be brought before the tribunal.
Ms WALKER: In your answer, I note that success is largely determined by anecdotes. I am sure they are true stories, but we will just have to wait and see where measurable data that demonstrates evidence of success will come from. It will be further down the road, I am sure. Given the three amendments before us have come about as a direct result of the review of the AMT Act, and that there are a total of 48 recommendations, will the government respond formally? Will it publish a response so all can see what the government’s response is to every recommendation and whether that will lead to further amendments?
Mrs LAMBLEY: I will not commit to that. With the roll-out of this program and all the work we have done, including undertaking this review and then amending the legislation again – it takes resources and a lot of time. People have to go offline to do this important administrative work. However, when you are talking about a program that is only half rolled out, and then you are pulled back to undertake more reviews and more administrative work – which does not have to be done urgently – you have to make a decision at some point in time: how do you use your resources?
As the Minister for Alcohol Rehabilitation I have made the decision over the last six to 12 months that I will not undertake any reviews under pressure or the intense scrutiny of our chorus of critics. I will continue the roll-out of this very important health initiative. I will not be distracted by the demands and the chorus of critics that would have me use my precious and limited resources to do everything apart from provide this service.
In answer to your question, I have not decided how we will respond to the other 45 recommendations in the review of the legislation made public in March this year. I have taken the two recommendations prioritised in the review very seriously, as I said before in my closing comments. That is what we are here to talk about this evening. I will not be pushed, bullied or pressured into committing beyond that.
Mr CHAIR: I allowed the minister to answer that question, but I interpreted it as way out of bounds. I will read an extract from the House of Representatives Practice, which is what I will follow. It says:
I want discussion kept to that or I will rule it out of order.
Ms WALKER: Thank you, Mr Chair. I note your comments and the minister’s response. People have certainly welcomed her responsiveness to a review she committed to undertake and embraced fulsomely in June of last year. This is the review that has driven these amendments and changes to sections of the act. I place on the record disappointment in those who contributed who want to know what has happened to the sector’s recommendations. It is a courtesy, if nothing else, that people understand ...
Mr CHAIR: I do not like those comments, member for Nhulunbuy. It is quite clear we are here to discuss the clauses of the bill, not the policy or the discussions that led to those changes. I want the comments kept to that precise meaning, thank you.
Ms WALKER: You are a very hard taskmaster, Mr Chair. I will do my best to follow your instructions. We will move straight to the amendments. What a shame I cannot ask the questions we had.
Let us look at clause 4 which amends section 8. What are the parameters around health practitioners who may refer someone to an AMT facility? How will the procedures defined by regulation, as outlined in the bill, be developed, and who will be consulted in this process?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The question is who is defined as a health practitioner? Is that right?
Ms WALKER: We know who is defined as a health practitioner; I have a list of them here. A Chinese medicine operator, a podiatrist, they all qualify as health practitioners. How do we decide who will be defined by regulation as a result of your bill?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Sorry, I did not quite get the gist of your question. The Department of Health is consulting with health practitioners who have an interest in this area of work to determine which health practitioners and in what context those health practitioners will work to refer people for assessment. They are consulting on how that referral path will work. I cannot give you any specifics.
Ms WALKER: Will Indigenous health practitioners potentially be involved in that?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Yes. You started to run through a list of medical and health practitioners. We will not necessarily exclude any health practitioners on that list from AHPRA. You asked specifically about Aboriginal health practitioners. That group of health professionals will be consulted, given the very high proportion of Aboriginal people already involved in alcohol mandatory treatment.
Ms WALKER: Thank you, minister. You said there will be a process of consultation to determine the scope of health practitioners who will be involved in this referral assessment process. Broadly speaking, who will be involved in that consultation phase? Which sectors will you consult with?
Mrs LAMBLEY: It is broad-reaching but definitely includes those specialist who have a special interest in Alcohol and Other Drugs.
Ms WALKER: You rankle a bit when we mention them, but those groups which have contributed quite constructively to this process – APO NT, AMSANT, NAAJA, CLANT and those sorts of groups who have expertise in both legal and health service delivery – may be part of that consultation?
Mrs LAMBLEY: I would not exclude any of those groups. You have listed the groups that participated in the review, and they comprise our major critics. I am sure they would be included in any consultation around the scope of how these referral pathways work. Because people criticise this act and this program does not mean I will exclude them. We live in a democratic society and anyone who wants to have a say in this type of thing is more than welcome. We may exclude people or groups unintentionally, but that is not deliberate.
Ms WALKER: Minister, I am moving to clause 5, the amendments to section 9, and I have a couple of questions. To what extent do you expect the amendment to allow people facing low-level alcohol-related offences to enter AMT will increase the number of AMT clients?
Mrs LAMBLEY: That is a good question. I do not know that we have any specific statistics so I cannot answer that question. That will be an interesting aspect to the amendments going through – how will demand for AMT increase by including that group of people? I do not know.
Ms WALKER: I appreciate the difficulty of trying to quantify that, but I thought it was worth asking. As a follow on, in your second reading speech you said it is important that this group of people be eligible for treatment because these types of offences arise solely through misuse of alcohol. Could you clarify your evidence for that assertion?
Mrs LAMBLEY: It is self-explanatory. Alcohol-related crime is attributed generally to alcohol misuse. What is the point of your question?
Ms WALKER: If I can clarify, the purpose of AMT from the outset, from a policy perceptive – if I might use the word ‘policy’ without getting in trouble with the Chair – is about dealing with chronic alcohol misuse. We are talking about people now where it may not necessarily be chronic alcohol misuse that brings them into contact with the system. For instance, people who come to Darwin and get stranded who are binge drinkers – the risks associated with the demise of the Return to Country program.
Mrs LAMBLEY: In the current system, without these amendments, there still is the chance that some people who are not necessarily chronic long-term hard drinkers might hit the three protective custodies in two months and end up before the tribunal. However, the tribunal is the gatekeeper. If someone is referred for assessment and goes before the tribunal it is still up to the tribunal to scrutinise the assessment. The assessment is put together by extremely skilled and professional people and includes a psychosocial assessment. It will now include an assessment of their criminal history, if relevant, and will take all those factors into account.
Through the assessment phase it is ascertained whether or not people are seriously and chronically affected by alcohol. These people are skilled experts in their area and the assessment process would effectively eliminate someone who is on a one-off binge. They will not have the same signs and symptoms of a chronic alcoholic.
Ms WALKER: My next question is also in relation to clause 5. In opening up additional pathways to see people channelled through for treatment, it includes those who have committed an offence. One of the recommendations of the review of the act was to amend legislation so an offender on a DVO or a restraining order can be excluded. How do you plan to respond to that group of people?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The short answer to that is by regulation. That is how we will deal with it.
Ms WALKER: In the same vein then, on that same clause minister, changes to the act are proposed to allow into AMT prisoners with less than a seven year sentence or other offence prescribed by regulation that is a relevant offence. What kinds of offences might be excluded by a relevant offence by regulation?
Mrs LAMBLEY: You might be confusing the issue to some extent. At the moment, people who are prisoners – is that what you were referring to – are excluded automatically. Transferring between a prison and AMT they would have to go before a tribunal. At the moment, people who are on a charge, whether they are in prison or otherwise, are excluded. Now they may or may not be included depending on the severity of the offence and the charge so is that …
Ms WALKER: At the briefing I was told that, for instance, someone who had stolen a bottle of liquor would be considered for AMT, having gone through the assessment and tribunal process to be proven to be someone who has a chronic alcohol issue. I am asking what other kinds of offences might be excluded as a relevant offence by regulation?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The only criteria we have put in these amendments is what you can read in the amendment: a penalty that exceeds seven years. I am not familiar with what crimes specifically would exceed that, but obvious ones are murder, rape and extremely violent crimes such as armed robbery. You could assume those very serious crimes would have a penalty of imprisonment of more than seven years and people would be automatically excluded.
Ms WALKER: Fair enough, thank you, minister. I understand that the regulations are yet to be developed and the relevant offence will be by regulation. How will that process work? Is it a process of consultation with stakeholders? I imagine the legal fraternity would be involved to draw up those regulations to understand what would be in or out of ‘relevant offence’.
Mrs LAMBLEY: This work will be mainly carried out by the police and the Attorney-General’s department. They are going through every offence and working out what will be excluded with these amendments. The Department of Health is obviously working in collaboration with police and the Attorney-General’s department. We are also informing relevant stakeholders and holding a general community collaboration process around that, including informing NAAJA and the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal legal aid services in this discussion, and they can provide feedback.
Ms WALKER: Thank you, minister. When do you anticipate these regulations will be in place?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The work has already started and it will take a few months, which is another reason we have pushed this through. We do not have a hard and fast time frame for this, but we want to get it sorted out as soon as possible so the amendments can come into effect as soon as possible.
Ms WALKER: Thank you, minister. I move on to clauses 7 and 8, beginning with clause 7 which amends section 49. Did you consider any grounds for extension of the initial three months in AMT beyond an extension aligning with unauthorised absences?
Mrs LAMBLEY: No, we did not, simply because the demand has exceeded supply, to date, for alcohol mandatory treatment. Some people have come through the system for a second and third time, and we knew that would happen. During the planning phase we were told that even for voluntary alcohol residential rehabilitation people will come through a second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth time until they actually make some more permanent changes to their alcohol consumption.
In answer to your question, we did not.
Ms WALKER: In relation to that minister, is there a limit on the number of times a client can be brought through AMT?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The tribunal is the gatekeeper. It is up to the tribunal to make that decision. There is nothing in the legislation to say there is a limit.
All the providers we spoke to in the planning phase for alcohol mandatory treatment were encouraging of people coming through their programs as they felt the need to. It is a long process; the success rate is 10 to 20%. For some people it takes a lot more than one 12-week program to change their lives.
Ms WALKER: That is interesting, given you have said the supply is greater than the demand and, obviously, the cost for every client going through – you have spoken a lot about the cost. What would be the trigger for the tribunal to say, ‘We have seen this person now eight or ten times; there is no sign of rehabilitation and there has been the investment of putting this person through AMT’?
Mrs LAMBLEY: It is in the legislation. It is the capacity to benefit. The tribunal would make that assessment. Not all people coming back for a second or third time to CAAAPU, for example, would come back into alcohol mandatory treatment. They would go through the separate voluntary treatment program offered by CAAAPU
Ms WALKER: What arrangements are available across the AMT providers? How does it work for approved leave from AMT for family emergencies or other reasonable purposes?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The senior assessment officer and the senior clinician will make a decision around participant’s leave based on cultural needs, or perhaps medical and healthcare needs. There is, in practice, a lot of flexibility in that space. People are regularly coming and going, from what I can gather.
Ms WALKER: That would include cultural needs?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Yes, definitely cultural needs – attending funerals and cultural ceremonies.
Ms WALKER: Still on clause 7, have there been any instances where a mandatory residential treatment order has been suspended or revoked? What are the circumstances where that can occur?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Yes, it has occurred. A treatment order is revoked or ceased prematurely when the tribunal feels it is not having any positive impact.
Ms WALKER: That could be for somebody who is a chronic alcoholic and has been released …
Mrs LAMBLEY: It could be.
Ms WALKER: I guess that goes back to the number of times someone can be referred into treatment, where eventually they say, ‘This is not working’.
Mrs LAMBLEY: Not necessarily. One example is that the extent of the cognitive limitations of someone who has been assessed in the early days of coming into treatment might become apparent over time. It is not easy to make a completely thorough assessment of someone’s cognitive ability when they are going through that early detox or post-detox stage.
As the member for Casuarina mentioned, people with various cognitive limitations may not be suitable for alcohol mandatory treatment.
Ms WALKER: Thanks for that, minister. I move on to clause 9 and the amendments to section 67. The explanatory memorandum explains that the new section 67(1)(g) provides that the senior treatment clinician must keep records of any other information as directed by the CEO. I am interested to know what kind of other information might be sought and kept under that new section, as well as why this change was deemed necessary.
Mrs LAMBLEY: This amendment maintains the stop-clock mechanism we will be using with absconding ceasing to be an offence. This is about the staff, directed by the CEO, keeping a record of when people abscond and when they come back.
Ms WALKER: I was asking if there was any other kind of information?
Mrs LAMBLEY: No.
Ms WALKER: Clause 10 relates to section 72 offences. This is the only offence under AMT and it is to do with supply of liquor. Can you advise how many people have been charged and convicted under section 73, which is supply of alcohol to a person to whom a mandatory treatment order applies?
Mrs LAMBLEY: None.
Ms WALKER: Are you surprised by that, minister?
Mrs LAMBLEY: It does not matter whether I am surprised or not. For someone who is intent on evidence and empirical information …
Ms WALKER: We have been advised that people are getting out of treatment to go drinking and then coming back, so somebody must be supplying them. I guess resources are slim, but it is in relation to security or surveillance. I thought there might have been a conviction.
Minister, in relation to Part 3, the consequential amendments to the Police Administration Act, clause 14(2) amends section 128A. Can you explain the main purpose behind the amendment to allow police to take an intoxicated person to an assessment facility?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The current legislation requires that police keep people in protective custody until they are effectively sober. It gives the police permission to take people to the assessment facility when they are still intoxicated. One of the reasons for this amendment is to reassure police the assessment facilities we have are very well-equipped and run by highly-skilled professional people, and there is probably more benefit to the person being taken to the assessment facility whilst they are intoxicated rather than kept in a cell in protective custody at the police station until they are sober. It speeds up the process.
If people hit the three strikes in the case of protective custody they can quickly start the transition through alcohol mandatory treatment. Sometimes with the changing of shifts and the different practices within the police station, people were not brought into the assessment facility within the required time frame. This hastens the process and allows people to start the engagement with alcohol mandatory treatment quicker.
Ms WALKER: To fill a knowledge gap I have, as I have only had the Health portfolio in shadow cabinet for a few weeks, are any of the mandatory treatment centres also assessment centres, or are they all separate?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Darwin is both. At the moment Stringybark is completely managed by the Department of Health. In the coming months that will be handed over, for the most part, to a non-government organisation, but the Department of Health will continue to run the assessment service. In Alice Springs the Department of Health runs the assessment service at a separate location from CAAAPU. In time we hope to create an assessment facility on the campus of CAAAPU so it is a one-stop shop.
In Tennant Creek the assessments take place at the hospital. There is a very generously refurbished facility at the Tennant Creek hospital and the treatment occurs just down the road at the alcohol mandatory treatment centre, which was the sobering up shelter. There is a mixture of combinations.
Ms WALKER: Minister, are you confident that where the assessment centre is with the treatment centre there will always be capacity?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Definitely.
Ms WALKER: Given that we now have intoxicated people who will be taken directly to the assessment facilities, are you planning for additional resources that may be required, given additional strain placed on nursing and medical staff in dealing with these individuals?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Although we are amending this legislation, people are still taken to the assessment centres intoxicated, not all of them, but some. I have visited the Alice Springs facility there several times now and they have described to me how the clients generally come to them in an intoxicated state.
This amendment relieves any concerns the police might have about taking intoxicated people to these facilities. These assessment facilities are incredibly well staffed with extremely competent and capable professional people. If you ever go to Alice Springs I urge you to look at the one near the prison. It is very well equipped. There is an outstanding group of professional people working there, but, yes, they take intoxicated people now so this really will not make a huge difference.
I was told by the staff in Alice Springs that these people are not well, but they are generally not difficult to deal with. They are tired, generally sick and still intoxicated to some degree, but nine times out of 10 they are not wild animals creating all sorts of trouble. We do take into consideration the pressure put on staff and if there is any concern about their safety, those issues are jumped on immediately. We do not want our staff burnt out and leaving us; we want them to stay and be a part of the program for a long period.
Ms WALKER: Thank you, minister. I am very grateful to you for taking questions in the committee stage. I have no further questions Mr Chair.
Bill taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill reported without amendment; report adopted.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Alcohol Rehabilitation): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her questions during committee; they were very constructive. I thank all participants in this debate this afternoon. I am very encouraged that we have passed this bill to amend the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act through the Chamber today. It is important we continue to improve and work on this relatively new initiative in the Northern Territory. I congratulate Department of Health staff who have been involved in this process, particularly Dr Joe Wright who assisted me today. He has been a rock in this process; he is a very committed medical practitioner and public servant. We are sad to hear he is moving into a different part of his life in the near future, and we thank him for all his hard work.
I thank my staff who worked tirelessly on this program for at least the last 18 months. This has taken up a huge part of our time; we are very committed to this process and to improving the services we have on the ground. We have done a remarkable job to date, but we still have a heck of a long way to go. As I said before, we are only approximately 50% through the process of rolling out alcohol mandatory treatment across the Northern Territory.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Continued from 23 October 2014.
Ms FYLES (Nightcliff): Madam Speaker, we welcome initiatives to cut red tape. In government the Labor Party undertook many initiatives to cut red tape across many portfolio areas, with a keen focus on business red tape. This included establishing a task force that was disbanded by the CLP government after the last election and then 18 months later was re-established.
Streamlining processes is always welcomed to save time, money and effort for businesses, as well as for efficiency, particularly in government. However, as this bill regulates the social issues of gambling and alcohol regulation among other regulatory areas, there needs to be a balanced approach to take into account the community’s rights and concerns. In addition, there appears to have been no analysis of the potential harm that may result to our community from these proposed changes.
Studies show that alcohol abuse in the Territory costs the community approximately $642m per year, or $4197 for every adult Territorian, compared to the national average of $644. That is a huge difference, over $4000 to less than $1000 nationally. Costs include health and medical emergencies, hospitalisations, chronic disease, policing costs, court and correctional services costs, and loss of productivity. We also know alcohol misuse fuels crime.
This bill replaces a range of specialist skills available in the commission with a single decision-maker, noting there is also the provision for delegating decisions. Commission members are currently broadly representative of the community in our regions, and this collective decision-making has the benefit of different perspectives, something we feel is very important.
There is considerable collective experience in the Licensing Commission which is lost with this bill. We hope the government does not cut resources within the licensing division, which would further erode experience and capacity in these difficult policy areas. We also feel there has been inadequate consultation on this bill. There have been no public meetings held across the Territory about the changes, and no consultation with alcohol action groups, yet alcohol abuse is the Territory’s most significant social problem.
Presently, applications for liquor licences and alterations to licences must be published as specified by the current act and the department’s guidelines. This bill changes that, giving the Director-General discretion to determine what advertising is required. For variations and applications for licences, this bill changes the notice of advertising requirements from a requirement to publish in a newspaper to ‘published in the way specified by the Director-General’.
Chief Minister, can you explain to the House what form that publication takes and why the government has removed the specific requirement to publish in a newspaper, particularly as a newspaper is an efficient way of providing notice to the public? Many people look to the NT News each day for notices. It might sit on the coffee table or the office desk for a little while, but people refer to it. Often it is asked, ‘How did you advertise? How did you communicate?’ The NT News and regional papers are seen as a method. Even in this day of electronic social media methods of communication, the good old newspaper is still a strong way to go.
Not only are you removing public hearings, you are removing the legislative requirement to publish notifications of applications and variations of licences, leaving that to the discretion of the Director-General. How is that in the public interest?
This amendment serves to exclude the public from knowing about applications. Publication of applications is important to ensure wider participation, particularly where objections are restricted to submission in writing, following that this bill has removed public hearings from the consultation process. We are quite concerned about the advertising process and public hearings. This bill could have included provisions to ensure wider notice to enable wider participation.
This bill inserts a new term under clause 70 at section 86C(4)(b), after ‘application’ inserting ‘or proposal’. Can you explain what is a proposal compared to an application? Is there a different process for proposals?
The loss of public hearings is a huge concern. Streamlining the process can occur without watering down community involvement, something we feel strongly about. Stakeholders we have spoken to are concerned that the loss of public hearings can cut the community from the process, disenfranchising Territorians, particularly Territorians who live in remote areas and are Indigenous. A public hearing provides the opportunity to test evidence, to access witnesses, put questions and hear community views. This is not available when you have written evidence. Public hearings are a more transparent process than what is proposed in this bill.
It is very important, particularly with remote communities, that hearings are held in the community. We have Territorians who might not have access to communication devices easily, but when hearings happen in their community, people will front up, particularly if they are able to turn up together. Community stakeholders can present to that hearing and talk about how proposed changes would impact on the community. For example, to not have a hearing and just have e-mail or letters will not help people in remote communities.
In Nhulunbuy or Wadeye, if there are proposals for changes to licences or for new licences in those areas, it is far more beneficial to the community if a hearing is held within the community for people to be able to provide evidence in person, rather than write a letter. Sometimes there are barriers to overcome – access to a computer to send the e-mail, access to type it. That is something we feel strongly about.
The loss of these public hearings also removes public and media access to hearings and decisions, effectively putting them underground. Presently the media and the general community can be aware of a hearing. While there may be views that public hearings may not be the best way, we feel strongly that disallowing the general community to participate needs to be taken into consideration. Did you consider ways to address this concern without removing the rights of Territorians to talk directly to the decision-makers?
While the Director-General must provide annual reports, there does not appear to be a statutory requirement for the Director-General to keep records or publish decisions, which is concerning. If everything is suddenly done by e-mail and letter without public hearings, without media present, we are cutting off communications and cutting off the community from being involved in the process. This is concerning.
There is also a question as to whether clause 17 of the Licensing (Director-General) Bill in relation to confidentiality of information compounds the issue. I ask the Chief Minister to address those concerns.
This bill advises that regulations will determine what is not a renewable decision. Chief Minister, can you explain to the House what would fall into this category and why it is not specified in the bill?
The bill also appears to exclude interested third parties from seeking a review of a decision, limiting that to affected persons receiving notice and capacity to seek review, those being people who made an objection, application or complaint. This is perhaps shortening the process and not providing as much scrutiny.
As you would know, there are third parties with an interest in these matters, including Indigenous support, advocacy, legal groups, and organisations such as Gamblers Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, that would like to participate in the process.
The accountability and transparency of licensing decisions is not enhanced by this legislation; that is the bottom line. This legislation does not enhance transparency for Territorians. I understand that the hotels industry has raised concerns about the costs associated with objections to noise raised by residents living near licensed premises where many had pre-existing housing. This is an area where legislation could be introduced to restrict complaints against existing premises to streamline the complaints process.
We acknowledge the hotel industry’s concerns, but this could have been dealt with in a different manner. Those complaints are a different issue to the introduction of new liquor licences or additional gaming machines into our community. We are not talking about noise complaints; we are talking about new liquor outlets, new gaming machines or increased capacity within outlets. These are the areas where this legislation does not allow for public scrutiny.
There is already considerable concern about plans to increase the number of poker machines in our communities, particularly around introducing poker and gaming machines in our bush communities in remote areas. The government has shown no regard for the social harms gambling has in our community in balancing this legislation. You have engaged in no community consultation on reintroducing social clubs and poker machines into communities. That is something we wanted to see – community consultation, talking to communities, particularly the support services, families, women, traditional owners and elders. What are their thoughts on reintroducing social clubs and poker machines in our communities? We have to be so careful.
Instead, this proposal was revealed for the first time during this year’s estimate hearings. For problem gamblers, poker machines inflict misery on family households, squandering the family income which should be spent on food and housing. It is a deadly addiction which causes so much harm in our society so we need to be very careful.
This bill again removes the ability for these issues to be aired in public hearings, really opening up the issues – the rivers of grog or the gambling misery in our community. We are not able to have that spotlight on it.
This bill includes the introduction of a power to charge a levy on gaming machines at clause 18. Chief Minister, will this revenue be directed to gambling, counselling and support programs? This bill shifts a significant responsibility from the Licencing Commission structure to a single position, the Director-General. Currently we have a board made up of a variety of experts who come together and make a decision. They have differing views and they talk it through and work it out to just one person, so we have a concern that these decisions are being shifted.
Will the resources allocated to the commission remain or are they to be cut. We have concerns that fewer resources means a lower quality of decision-making.
We have a number of concerns and questions which I have highlighted today. We do not support the watering down of public notifications of applications for licences or notification, or applications to amend licences. We oppose this legislation. Removing public hearings will serve to disenfranchise Territorians from the decision-making about these important social issues.
Mr GILES (Alcohol Policy): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Nightcliff for her comments. This legislation seeks to remove red tape and make the transition a lot easier for those operating in this space, particularly in regard to licencing. I noted a fair amount of commentary by the member opposite in regard to consultation. I am happy to run through a chronology of consultation with stakeholders to advise her.
In September 2013 face-to-face meetings were held with the following stakeholders providing an outline of the new framework: the Australian Hoteliers Association; Clubs NT; and the Australian Liquor Stores Association.
In November 2013 reference to reforms in the AHA newsletter Director’s Report were made.
Various briefs to the Northern Territory Licensing Commission members at meetings have been provided from September 2013 to date. In January 2014 there were further face-to-face meetings to outline that the proposed incorporation of access to NTCAT for review purposes has been made, NTCAT being the Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
In April 2014 we corresponded in writing to a range of stakeholders, informing them of the intention to change the framework and to invite them to contact the Department of Business to seek further information, including the ability to present at information sessions. That included the AHA, Clubs NT, the Liquor Stores Association, all registered wholesale liquor outlets, all escort agency licence holders, the NT Sex Worker Outreach Project Coordinator, the Scarlet Alliance Australian Sex Workers Association, the Australian Security Industry Association Ltd, the Australasian Council of Security Professionals, casinos and the totalisator licensee.
In May 2014 I attended an AHA expo to promote and this legislation and answer many different questions. Publication of information on websites – as you would expect for full transparency – commenced in May 2014 on what the changes mean. We provided briefings to the executive group of the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory in June of this year. There have been regular briefings to the Darwin Safer City Project working group, which started in May 2014. In September we briefed Amity on what that means.
I have personally been able to provide some information to many of the community sector organisations which I meet with on a regular basis. In October 2014 letters were sent to the following list of organisations, or reference groups, informing them of the legislation which had been introduced into parliament which we were seeking to debate in November. They include: the AHA; Clubs NT; the Liquor Stores Association; all registered wholesaler liquor outlets; all escort agency licence holders; the NT Sex Worker Outreach Project Coordinator; the Scarlet Alliance Australian Sex Workers Association; the Australian Security Industry Association Ltd; the Australasian Council of Security Professionals; casinos; and totalisator licensee. Information sessions will continue to be offered and arranged.
Under the new arrangements there will be no public hearings, which reduces the level of public scrutiny, as stated by the member for Nightcliff. She asked what protections there are for proper public consultation. Both the Liquor Act and the Gaming Machine Act – and the Kava Management Act which is not currently operational – provide for a level of public scrutiny through the requirement to publish a notice of application. This notice gives rise to the ability for persons to make objections to the application being made.
The process does not change. The process of advertising an application having been made will continue, and it is this process which provides the protection for proper consultation. Whilst hearings are no long required, the advertising process gives the public an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process.
Other provisions, such as those that relate to the declaration of a general restricted area, will continue to require the Director-General to take all the necessary steps to obtain the views of the people affected.
A question was asked about how the new process allows for consideration of these public objections. There is the right to make objections. It continues, and it will be a critical feature when considering the decision-making process. The Director-General, under this legislation, must consider any objection in the course of making a decision in an expressed consideration under the acts. An objector to an application will be given a decision notice outlining the reasons the application was granted or denied. Those reasons are expected to address the objections raised. Any objector or person who has made a submission, complaint or objection, however described during a process under the act, will have a right to seek a review of that decision by NTCAT.
These factors together will ensure there is fulsome consideration of objections and submissions made by the public. As part of the process of debating this bill today there is a range of amendments being put forward by government. There is quite an exhaustive list. I am happy to describe exactly why we will be seeking to take this into the committee stage. There are a couple of typographical changes being made and a couple of post-drafting amendments where the terminology of ‘director’ is being changed to the terminology of ‘Director-General’. That has been in the previous legislation a number of times.
That is why we seek to provide a range of amendments to the bill. I distributed a copy of those amendments, I think on Tuesday morning, so everybody should have a copy. Through the committee stage I will seek to move all those amendments at the same time, but I am happy to talk about them all individually. It is about moving them all together, as distributed, because, as I said, it is not changing the content, rather changing the terminology throughout that process. That has probably answered all the questions you raised, particularly around the consultation phase, which was exhaustive.
The process of moving from a commission to a Director-General still has all the checks and balances, but the process in these bills is a significant removal of red tape. It is a process where utilising NTCAT presents a uniform appeals mechanism – for want of a better word – which will support a greater level of opportunity for all stakeholders in the Northern Territory to have access to a seamless appeals body. It means there will be a greater level of scrutiny and empowerment for that body. It is part of the regime changes going through government, seeking to utilise NTCAT for a range of areas. There are hundreds of tribunals or appellant bodies that we in government, through a range of legislative instruments, sought to change so we could strengthen NTCAT in its role and functioning ability. This is one of those areas.
I commend the bill to the House. I would like to move into the committee stage to take that further.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Mr CHAIR: The committee has before it the Licensing (Repeals and Consequential Amendments Bill (Serial 103).
Clauses 1 to 7, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 8:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.1 and 29.2 as presented in the amendments.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 8, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 9 to 23, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 24:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.3 and 29.4 as tabled.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 24, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 25:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendment 29.5.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 25, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 26 to 37, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 38:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.6 and 29.7.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 38, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 39 to 81, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 82:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.8 and 29.9.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 82, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 83 to 98, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 99:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.10 and 29.11.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 99, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 100 to 115, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 116:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.12 and 29.13.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 116, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 117 to 128, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 129:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.14 and 29.15.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 129, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 130 to 141, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 142:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.16 and 29.17.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 142, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 143 to Schedule 1, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Schedule 2:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.18 to 29.25.
Amendments agreed to.
Schedule 2, as amended, agreed to.
Schedule 3:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.26 and 29.27.
Amendments agreed to.
Schedule 3, as amended, agreed to.
Schedule 4 agreed to.
Schedule 5:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendment 29.28.
Amendment agreed to.
Schedule 5, as amended, agreed to.
Schedules 6 and 7, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Schedule 8.
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.29, 29.30 and 29.31.
Amendments agreed to.
Schedule 8, as amended, agreed to.
Remainder of the bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill reported with amendments; report adopted.
Mr GILES (Alcohol Policy): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bills read a third time.
Mr GILES (Treasurer): Mr Deputy Speaker, I table the 2014-15 mid-year report that provides updated information on the Territory’s economic and fiscal outlook. I also seek leave to continue my remarks at a later date.
Leave granted.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise to wish every Territorian a safe and happy Christmas. I must start by paying tribute to one of Australia’s finest cricket talents, Phillip Hughes. He died just a few hours ago.
I was privileged enough to have met Phillip Hughes when he came to Darwin earlier this year to launch the Australia A series. He was a great cricketer, a great bloke and a great Australian. Our thoughts, from government, are with his family and friends who must now spend Christmas without him. It is a tragic event. Australians are mourning, cricket lovers are mourning, and cricket players are mourning. It is a very sad time. Rest in peace, Phillip.
Christmas is a time for families, and the chance to reflect on the highs and lows of the year. It is a time to look back at all the things we have achieved and give ourselves a little pat on the back and celebrate being Territorians. We had a very good Question Time today and we reflected on everything we have done as a government for a year, but I want to say thanks to a range of people, particularly my parliamentary colleagues on this side of the Chamber. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker and Madam Speaker. Thank you to members on other sides of the Assembly. Thank you very much to the Clerks and everybody in the Speaker’s office. I say congratulations to the new Administrator. I thank the previous Administrator; Sally did an outstanding job in that role, and I am sure she is enjoying her well-earned holiday after three years as Administrator.
I also acknowledge parliamentary staff, such as the Serjeant-at-Arms, who now sits in the Chamber; people who work in the education section; Hansard; the drafters; the Table Office; Building Services; Business Support; Finance; Human Resources; and the lady working in the gift shop. Thank you very much for all of the hard work you have done over the last 12 months; it has been quite a busy 12 months in government, with change and a lot of action in the Northern Territory.
To the people working in the Speaker’s Caf – it is always good to get a good bite to eat there. Thank you to the officers who run the protocol events for government, and thank you very much to the hard-working staff in the library.
I would really love the opportunity to get someone to review everything that has been achieved in the last two years, including 2014, as opposed to any other years in government. We could see whether any previous governments achieved as much as we have. We could not do any of it if we did not have the support of the fantastic public service in the Northern Territory. It has 20 000 staff supporting 14 members of government, one of whom is the Speaker, driving our policy agenda and our reform agenda, paying back debt, driving down crime, driving the economy up, and assisting in all the other areas of government. We could not do it without them.
Thank you to everyone involved in the teaching profession; Education; Health; Police, Fire and Emergency Services; Housing; Treasury; Northern Australia Development; Asian Engagement; Defence Liaison; Major Projects; Business and Employment; Local Government; Corporate Services; Alcohol Policy; the Attorney-General’s department; Correctional Services; Children and Families; Public Employment; Alcohol Rehabilitation; Disability Services; Lands and Planning; Primary Industries; Mining; Land Resources; Essential Services; Tourism; Sport and Recreation; Arts; Infrastructure; Transport; Multicultural Affairs; Seniors and Young Territorians; Community Services; Statehood; Women’s Policy; Parks and Wildlife; statutory appointments and all their staff; the Port Corporation; the Land Development Corporation; Power and Water, which has gone through much change this year; Jacana Energy; and T-Gen
Thank you to the chief executives and all their staff for their hard work. Thank you very much to the security and maintenance staff in Parliament House, the drivers who look after us and drive us around, as well as those who work in IT and make sure we our IT equipment is functioning.
To the staff who work in my office, I know there is a rule that if your name is mentioned in parliament you have to buy a carton of beer at Christmas, so, Ron Kelly, my chief of staff, I will have a carton of Crownies. Thanks very much for all of your hard work, and it would be remiss of Tim Baldwin, John Taylor and Danielle Parry not to buy a carton as well. For everybody who works in the office, thanks very much. At times it has been stressful and testing this year, but we have still gone on and formed the basis of a fantastic team and established much reform throughout the Northern Territory.
Thanks to Dee Davies, my electorate officer. I know it is not very easy being based in the Braitling electorate in Alice Springs when I am simply never there. I also acknowledge the hard work you have done over many decades. You will be retiring in March next year. I hope that you and Kym have a good time in your retirement, you play plenty of golf and enjoy your time off and your holidays.
To relief electorate staff, Alice De Brenni and Jennifer Lillis, thank you very much for all of your hard work. Thank you to the electorate and the electors of Braitling. It is a fantastic electorate, not that it is a competition, but there are fantastic constituents in that electorate. People are really happy to see Alice Springs as a safe environment again with the economy back up and running.
I also say Merry Christmas to Tamara and my daughter Thalia. Thanks for your support all year. I know it has been quite a challenging year.
To my many friends who have provided support at times when things were quite trying, thanks very much. I look forward to having a beer and a punt with you on Saturday.
Christmas in the Territory is celebrated by many cultures in many ways. The amazing thing is, it does not matter if you are Greek, Chinese, Indigenous, Filipino, Indian, Malay, Indonesian or otherwise, we all have the fantastic opportunity to call ourselves Territorians. We are a vibrant community, and we all get on and do the job. That is why it is a fantastic opportunity and a privilege being the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, working with not only this great team in government but the great team of Territorians.
I am often asked what the future holds for the Territory. I always say it is enormously bright; it is positive, and there is a range of fantastic opportunities coming our way. I would not want to be in any other part of the country.
For all those who worked very hard this year, thank you very much. I look forward to 2015. I trust that people will re-energise, charge their batteries and, most importantly, have a good time and reconnect with family and friends; but be safe. For those getting out on the town and having a drink, make sure you do not drink and drive. Be responsible to yourselves, your loved ones and everyone else who might be out and about. Merry Christmas.
Mrs FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Mr Deputy Speaker, when I started considering a future in politics I asked myself what I would stand for and what I could do to make a difference in my community. A key election platform of mine in 2012 was for the revival of the moral health of Palmerston, bringing back the sense of community and being able to enjoy your neighbourhood.
Part of feeling safe and enjoying your local community is having clean, presentable streets. Every now and then around all regional locations small waves of graffiti and vandalism start up, and if it is not dealt with quickly it can spread and become a larger problem.
A major reason people graffiti is for peer recognition. The offender hopes their vandalism is seen by like-minded friends, which then encourages the person to produce more graffiti in another location. The longer that graffiti remains on display, the more chance there is for the offender to gain satisfaction from their efforts. Dealing with graffiti and vandalism quickly is vital.
In my electorate of Drysdale, over the last two years I have worked with the Department of Housing, the Department of Transport, Power and Water Corporation, Palmerston police and the City of Palmerston to rid our streets of graffiti and vandalism. All of these agencies have been very helpful and have worked towards making the electorate of Drysdale feel revitalised.
I am very pleased to report numerous cases where I have reported damage to property or recorded and reported unsightly spray-paint on walls or signs, all of which has been cleaned up and returned to its original state.
The difference the removal of graffiti can make to a street is enormous, and the feedback I receive in response is very positive.
Right across Australia, graffiti costs the community $200 million each year, so not only does it affect the appearance of our neighbourhoods, it is a huge financial burden on taxpayers – money that could be better spent. Costs also rise for governments and councils due to senseless vandalism when they need to replace damaged or missing infrastructure. All too often we see bent or stolen street signs or damage to utility boxes and fencing.
It is great to work together to help keep our city looking beautiful, and I thank everyone involved for responding so promptly to my reports of graffiti and vandalism.
I have also been extraordinarily busy trying to improve traffic around Palmerston, and I am watching several intersection upgrades closely, such as the Temple Terrace/Stuart Highway project as well as the Temple Terrace/Roystonea Avenue improvements.
I have also been working with the federal member for Solomon, Natasha Griggs, to identify locations we believe should be awarded Black Spot Programme funding.
Sometimes it is the little things that can make a difference to people and help make our city safer. My office received a report from a constituent about really light line-marking on Chung Wah Terrace near Owston Avenue, and we reported it to the Department of Transport. Inexperienced drivers were finding it difficult to navigate the area and it was a safety concern for all motorists.
The immediate response from the department was amazing. They fixed the lines within a week. I drove past the area and could quickly see how much safer the intersection was. Fresh line-marking might not seem a huge achievement to some people, but this is a small thing that affects motorists every day.
Another great outcome for Palmerston motorists is the change of location of speed limit signs near Raffles Road on Chung Wah Terrace thanks to concerned residents who reported the issue to me directly. People living on or off Raffles Road were finding it increasingly difficult and dangerous to turn left out of Raffles Road onto Chung Wah Terrace due to increases in traffic on Chung Wah Terrace. I am pleased to report to the House that I have been able to have the speed limit on Chung Wah reduced to 60 kmph starting a couple of hundred metres from the Raffles Road intersection, inbound into the Palmerston CBD.
As part of this change, large ‘60 AHEAD’ signs preparing drivers to slow down were also installed. This change in sign location has provided huge relief to Gray residents.
Minor adjustments like these all over Palmerston can go a long way to reducing the risk of crashes and injury to people.
On Saturday my colleague, Health Minister Robyn Lambley, announced the advertising of expressions of interest for the Palmerston Regional Hospital, with tenders closing on 26 January 2016.
The EOI seeks a health operator to design, build, operate and maintain the hospital. This means a private health provider will be providing public hospital services on behalf of government, from planning and construction right through to operation.
From this EOI process a group of respondents will be shortlisted and asked to develop a request for proposal, the final step before contract negotiation with one respondent.
This exciting next step means the public hospital is moving from the planning phase to the design phase and is on track for construction to begin by mid-2016, with some early works already under way. The build is planned over two years, which will have the hospital opening in mid-2018. Once built, Palmerston Regional Hospital will be designed to grow in line with community needs.
The clinical planning phase will continue at the same time and will provide more detail about how services will be delivered at our new public hospital. The planning phase has identified a range of services that will see Palmerston Regional Hospital operate as a Level 3 facility, with Royal Darwin Hospital remaining the Territory’s sole Level 5 ‘tertiary’ hospital. Level 3 services include general medicine, surgery, maternity and child services, and outpatient services.
The 24/7 emergency department will also provide Level 3 services. A Level 3 emergency department should be able to manage the complete range of emergency presentations. This includes treatment for all minor injuries and illnesses, for example, fractures and stitches. In addition, the ED will be able to provide initial treatment for all other emergencies prior to transfer of the patient to Royal Darwin Hospital, enabling the rapid transfer of major trauma patients. This includes resuscitation (when the medical team revives or restores consciousness), stabilisation (which treats immediate concerns to stop them worsening), and short-term assisted ventilation (assisted breathing) prior to transfer to Royal Darwin Hospital.
I am excited knowing that we will provide an innovative hospital that is centred on the care of patients. Palmerston Regional Hospital will be the first new hospital built in the Northern Territory for nearly 40 years, and the project reflects the growing economy and population we are focused on harnessing.
Today I attended the Palmerston Regional Hospital site with minister Lambley and minister Styles to turn the first sod of the Temple Terrace/Stuart Highway roadworks. This $6.4m commitment to Palmerston is welcomed by my constituents. A Darwin-based company, Allan King & Sons Construction Pty Ltd, will undertake the roadworks and is employing 34 workers, including 12 apprentices, on this job.
Upgrades to this intersection and the roadways are critical to support the construction of the new public hospital, and of course our growing population in the Palmerston and rural areas. These works will see an upgrade to the intersection and additional lanes extending from the Stuart Highway along Temple Terrace to Roystonea Avenue. I am thrilled by today’s announcement and know that Palmerston residents have been waiting a long time to see this advancement in the project.
I thank the Palmerston Senior College School Council, made up of Principal Sue Healy, Assistant Principal Frankie Maclean, Chair Steve Wheelhouse, Beverley Buntin, Peta Cork, James Beattie, Charmain Scoggins, MaryRose Henry, and students Grace Tozer and Jack Callaghan. The year 2014 has been exhilarating for PSC. It made the decision to nominate to become an independent public school and was successful. This is a tremendous achievement and will lead to great things for the broader Palmerston City schools community. I thank Sue and Steve for their leadership in this regard.
Sue commented to me when reflecting on the year:
PSC also has a strong VET focus and is committed to giving students every career and educational option available to them. The Special Education Centre is also having a wonderful extension added to it which is nearly complete. This will provide much-needed classroom space for students and staff. I thank all staff for their hard work and determination in 2014, and I very much look forward to working with everyone in 2015.
The Palmerston 50+ Club has had a bumper year. It is growing from strength to strength, and I thank the outgoing committee for its dedication to our club. I also thank Mary, Joan, Ann, Janette, Margaret, Gerry and Cath for putting their hands up to take on 50+ for another year.
We have had a few sad times at 50+ this year, including the passing of some of our members. I send our love and thoughts to the families of our late friends who will be missing their loved ones this Christmas. We also had some of our members move interstate and I wish them a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I would also like to pick out some of the 50+ highlights for me. I think my bridal shower was the biggest highlight for me. Janette made me the most beautiful pink vale which I wore proudly all day! The morning tea and cake was all wonderful and I had an excellent time. There were also some very successful events, including the Darwin mini-golf excursion, Palmerston seniors week activities, and our upcoming Christmas lunch will no doubt be a blast. I look forward to spending time with you all in 2015 and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
As patron of the Palmerston Football Club I would like to wish the 2014 committee and all of our members a very safe and Merry Christmas. The year 2014 was a huge season for us and I look forward to seeing a strong club continue to grow in strength in 2015. I particularly thank our volunteer committee, which works tirelessly to ensure our club can raise money, pay its bills, host games, attract players and foster a family-friendly culture: President Erynn Hughes, Frank Van Rensburg, Mel Stokes, Katy Chin, Lil Baptista, Bill Miller, Scott Fulmore, Jim Keogh, Dee Keogh, Rachael McKay, Chris O’Neill, Rod Reid, Catherine Main, Freddy Cardellini, Josh Solomon, Natasha Jenkins, Kerry Heness and Sebastian Baust. Of course there are also our stalwart helpers like Marshall Chin, Harold Carter and Troy Callaghan, and so many others who do huge amounts of work to ensure the success of our club.
Sids and Kids (NT) does a wonderful job in our community raising awareness about sudden infant death syndrome, providing safe sleeping programs and bereavement and support services. I thank this year’s committee, Danie McNeil, Fiona Peters, Nikki Elliott, Brooke Rankmore, Abby Allen, Ferdous Mitchell and Craig Redriff, and patron Natasha Griggs MP, for their tireless advocating, hard work and commitment to research and prevention. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year.
I thank Cazalys Palmerston for continuing to host monthly free seniors’ morning teas this year. I am a regular attendee at the morning teas and I know many rural and Palmerston seniors look forward to that monthly gathering. A big thank you to Mark Edwards who has been on hand at morning teas ready to help out where needed. I wish all Cazalys staff and members a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year.
Alzheimer’s NT moved into the Joy Anderson Centre this year, which was a welcome addition to the Palmerston community. Karen and her team do a wonderful job promoting the many activities that Alzheimer’s run and they are busy picking up people in their bus to ensure that Palmerston residents can attend the Joy Anderson Centre. I was fortunate to attend a Your Brain Matters brain gym session, which was a lot of fun. I encourage everyone to exercise their brain more often and make the most of this wonderful resource we now have buried nicely in the suburb of Gray. I wish everyone at Alzheimer’s NT a very safe and Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
The Palmerston Crocs Rugby Union Club has had a fantastic season with a couple of its grades reaching the semi-finals, a couple reaching finals and a couple achieving victory. It has also run a very successful Junior 7s series which has had record subscription. Ben Blyton is the President of the Crocs and has led the club to success. It is no coincidence that the Blyton family won Club Person of the Year in 2013 and that Selina Blyton took out Club Person of the Year in 2014. This year the Crocs took out the very prestigious title of being the Good Sports Club of the Year in the Northern Territory. This is an acknowledgement of the very healthy family-oriented culture the club has.
I welcome the new committee and thank them for their hard work: Ben Blyton; Rob Sloan; Percy Peel; Kerry Smith; Dennis Grant; Brock Evans; Wendy Leach; Melanie Blackman; Selina Blyton; Greg Jarvis; and Michael Killiner. I look forward to working with the club in 2015 and, in particular, coming to a resolution over the oval. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and safe and prosperous New Year.
Men’s Shed has had a good year. It received a community benefit grant which meant it could buy a brand-new lathe, which I know was greatly appreciated. Men’s Shed also entered into a new partnership with Abode New Homes. I attended Men’s Shed on one occasion and the guys were showing me the new shirts they were going to purchase – beautiful, good quality, cool material, practical with front pockets for cigarettes and glasses, which would then be printed with the Men’s Shed logo. Abode New Homes is a proud Palmerston business and Justin and Karinda Gill are very involved in our community. I spoke with Justin about whether there was an opportunity for Abode to partner with Men’s Shed to get the shirts happening. Sure enough, last week I saw on Abode’s Facebook page that the shirts were ready to go and the guys at Men’s Shed were very happy with their new uniforms. A huge thank you to Abode for coming on board with this project. I take this opportunity to wish Abode New Homes and Men’s Shed a very safe and Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
I am the proud patron of Palmerston Combined Probus Club, and I thank Probus for another successful year. This year we celebrated our second birthday, and we are growing from strength to strength. I thank the outgoing Probus committee for its hard work and achievements, and welcome the new committee: Ray Grimshaw; Marilyn Roberts; Ron Pearse; June Roos; Christine Ilic; Ken Cohalan; Shirley Collings; Connie Cohalan; and Dot Chapman. I hope all the members who are going on the club cruise have a wonderful time and return to Palmerston refreshed for the new year. I take this opportunity to wish everyone at Probus a very safe and Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Each year Palmerston seniors week is held and it gets bigger and better than the year before. This year the PSW committee really outdid itself, and seniors from across Palmerston, the rural area and even Darwin enjoyed the activities on offer. I thank and congratulate Marg Lee, Margaret Moore, Pam Smith, Pam Christian-Jones, Lillian Mann, Avril Smith and Trevor Miller for their dedication and commitment to seniors week. I wish all of you a very safe and Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year. I am looking forward to working with you all in 2015.
This year I was invited to be patron of the Palmerston Cricket Club and I was very honoured to accept the position. The PCC is a fantastic club full of members who love their cricket and love having a good time. It is a boisterous club that has strong camaraderie and mateship. I have had a wonderful time as patron in 2014 and look forward to working with the club to achieve its goals in 2015. I particularly enjoyed the end of year celebration and awards night at Cazaly’s, which showcased the best the club has to offer. I thank the outgoing committee and the new committee: Stuart Proosdy; Dave Davies; Joel Carter; and Peter Buttfield, most of who live on my street! It gives me a great opportunity to observe the camaraderie during important events, like the AFL grandfinal. I wish everyone at the club a very safe and Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year with plenty of runs on the board.
Satellite City BMX Club in Palmerston is a vibrant club that attracts riders young and old. The club has been busy this year, spending $300 000 to upgrade its facilities, which is government money very well spent. BMX has also seen the opening of Australia’s only all-weather, under cover, internationally accredited BMX track, in Jingili, thanks to Natasha Griggs MP, which means Palmerston riders can now continue to ride during the Wet. I thank Adrian and Terri van Cuylenburg, Heather van Anholt and Tara Rowlands for their commitment in 2014 and welcome the new committee: Stephen can Anholt; Shaun Togni; Lisa Schenk; Rachel Walker; Myrna Diamond; Sally Walker; Ken Gilchrist; Felicity Faull; Michael Smart; Daniel Shean; Brad Fichtner; Adam Mohomet; Kylie Hyde; Brooke Bird; Brendan Bussenschutt; Cameron Grubb; and Matthew Faull. I look forward to working with you all in 2015 and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and safe and prosperous New Year.
The year 2014 was another great year for U3A Palmerston. I am the proud patron of our club and I take this opportunity to thank the committee for its hard work: Maggie Schoenfisch, Patricia Jones, Angie Walker, Irene Schreiber, Patricia Lackner, Barbara Martin, Anne Rosenkranz and Pauline Kitz Maurice, I wish you all a very special Christmas and safe and prosperous New Year.
This year the Palmerston and Regional Basketball Association (PARBA) has morphed from an idea into a reality. It was determined by a group of Palmerston residents involved in basketball that there was room for a second competition. Basketball is hugely popular in Palmerston and Palmerston Power Basketball Club has more players than they know what to do with. Damon Mayoh, Natasha Lowe, Heather Banks, Steve McGugan, Mazz Morris, Peta Cork, Adam Wunderlich, Brad Jachmann and of course, Rachel Fosdick, have worked tirelessly this year to develop PARBA from the ground up. Much of the year has been spent churning through administration such as constitution drafting, but all this effort is worth it. I have been made an honorary member, which I am grateful for, and only wish I could spend more time at committee meetings. I wish PARBA the very best for Christmas and New Year and I look forward to working with you in 2015.
The Palmerston Australia Day Committee is a tireless group of hard workers who quietly chip away each year at ensuring the Australia Day festivities are enjoyed by all. Jayne Porter, Cath Cockroft, Maurie Johnson, Bev Johnson, Mary Oliffe, Dave Oliffe, Maggie Shoenfisch and George Loch are the wonderful people who meticulously plan the Australia Day Family Fun Day at the Palmerston pool each year. This event is free for families and includes pool entry, water rackety, fresh fruit, a barbecue, thong throwing games, sayo biscuit eating competitions, Australia flag face tattoos, jumping castles and much much more. This year I was thrilled to be the emcee at this event and I am really looking forward to doing it again in 2015. This group of volunteers also helps organise and cater the Australia Day Awards, which is coupled with a citizenship ceremony that is much loved and well attended by our community. I look forward to working with you in the New Year and wish you all a very safe and Merry Christmas.
The Gray Community Garden, or Harvest Corner, has really popped out of the ground in 2014. Harvest Corner has transformed from the grassy area it once was to garden beds sprouting with fresh herbs and produce. Swales have been built, fruit trees planted, a herb spiral has been constructed with the help of Aweganics and Costa Georgiadis, the greenhouse was erected, a sink was put in, shade built, cabbage patch babies born (if you include Declan), irrigation set up and now we even have a bicycle that makes milkshakes! What more could you ask for? I thank everyone on the committee and all of our members for putting in such a wonderful effort in 2014. Special thanks goes to Naomi Lacey and Brooke Kimberley. I am sure 2015 will be full of great harvests for all involved. I look forward to working with you in the New Year and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.
I want to wish Good Beginnings Palmerston a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I have enjoyed attending family sessions and reading to the kids. Thanks for teaching me how to sing and dance to all those fantastic kids songs! Best wishes go out to Laura, Jacquey and Trudie, and all the wonderful staff at Good Beginnings.
The Palmerston Regional Business Association saw out its 17th year in 2014. What a remarkable achievement that is. PRBA is an important part of our community and an important part of my life as a former secretary. I thank the outgoing committee for their commitment to PRBA in 2014 and welcome the new committee: Wayne Zerbe; Andrew Byrne; Barry Duthie; Kaliopi Hourdas; Michael Parker; Paul Chin; and Paul Robertson.
I do not think there is a single person in Palmerston who does not know who Wayne Zerbe is. Wayne is a tireless advocate for PRBA, business and the Palmerston community. I congratulate Wayne on being re-elected as president for the 17th time! I also thank PRBA members for their contribution to the business community and society as a whole. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and look forward to working with you in 2015. I will see you around Palmerston.
It is that time of the year when we give our Christmas messages and say thanks to those who have helped and supported us in 2014. I thank Pete Davies of Mix 104.9 for encouraging me to give regular Drysdale update reports during his morning show. Pete is a proud Palmerston resident and is very supportive of my grassroots approach to being a local member. I thank Pete and his producer Paul and wish them a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I look forward to working with you both in 2015.
The year 2014 has been a challenging and rewarding year. I start by thanking the people of Drysdale for their support of me as their local member. I take a very grassroots approach in my electorate and know it is an absolute privilege to serve the people of Drysdale in parliament. I do not take any day in this role for granted. It is a vocation, a way of life, and I thank everyone who allows me to achieve goals for our community on their behalf. I am looking forward to 2015 and wish everyone in my electorate a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Of course, you cannot achieve anything as a member of parliament without the wonderful support of your staff. Electorate staff are very special people. They walk every day in our shoes and are a huge support not only in the execution of my duties, but to every resident in my electorate.
Angie Walker, my electorate officer, works tirelessly to deliver the highest level of community service possible. She is a 24 hours, 7 days a week electorate officer. No one could question her commitment or integrity in serving the people of Drysdale. We have shared many electorate victories this year and I am very proud that we have achieved real results for real people. Angie is six weeks away from having her second baby. I am very pleased that Drysdale will soon have a second office gremlin who can terrorise our office cupboards and carpets with Kayla. I wish Angie all the very best with the remainder of her pregnancy and look forward to seeing what all the fuss was about once this egg has hatched.
I value Angie so highly that words really are incapable of describing her worth to me. I am so pleased that she has decided to take six months’ maternity leave and enjoy some time with her new baby and Kayla. I know you will pop in from time to time and I am already looking forward to your visits. Thank you for everything you have done over the last two-and-a-bit years. I look forward to working with you again later in 2015. I also thank Angie’s parents, Ken and Liz, for letting me keep Angie, hopefully forever! You should be very proud of her. I also thank her husband, Aaron, who supports her in this dynamic and busy role. I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Many of you might be wondering what I am going to do in 2015 without Angie? I am glad you asked. Angie has been busily training up the lovely Kylie Wilson who will step into Angie’s roll for the next six months. I first met Kylie in the 2012 general election campaign after I doorknocked her home and I thought no one was home. A few minutes later when I was off down the street I heard this lady running after me saying ‘Wait, wait!’ I turned around and thought I was going to cop a mouthful from a disgruntled voter. Kylie grabbed me and said, ‘I want to do anything I can to help you win this election’. It was love at first sight. I am so proud of Kylie, who has just finished her law degree. She has wonderful children and a loving husband, who is supporting her in this new role. Kylie is already fitting in with all the happenings of our office and is being embraced by the Drysdale community. I am looking forward to taking the next step with you and hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
I am very lucky as Government Whip to have someone to help me herd the cats, as I affectionately call the Wing, and that person is Justin Murphy. Justin is a tremendous help to me. His organised and considered nature means I am able to keep on top of all of the Wing requests and needs. It is not an easy job and it is often a very lonely one buried down on Level 2 in the Whip’s office. Justin is committed to our early starts and late nights, and for that I am very grateful. It is nice to have Justin in the electorate office on days he does his work from there. The testosterone is a nice balance to the mayhem that Angie, Kylie and I very easily create, and he is certainly good for a laugh. On behalf of the Wing I thank Justin for his support and professionalism. Justin is supported by his lovely wife, Jana. I look forward to working with you in 2015 and hope you and Jana enjoy your first Christmas in your new home.
I also need to thank Jinx and Troy, who work for me in relief roles at various times throughout the year. You are both valued members of the Drysdale team and I look forward to your stints in the office. I hope you both have a lovely Christmas and that the new year brings you prosperity and good health.
To my family, I have a very large family – which now includes the Burkes – all of who are so deeply supportive of me. Being a member of parliament is challenging and does not allow you to have much time at home. I am grateful that my entire family is supportive of me, as that support makes the early mornings, long days and late nights possible. My husband, Sam, is a tremendous support and is always sending me back out the door to more community activities or events when he thinks I have a few hours spare. As long as he mows the lawn and does the laundry I usually do not mind. It has been a huge year for us with our wedding in March and my 30th birthday in September. I am looking forward to spending some solid, uninterrupted time with you over the Christmas break. Our puppy, Maple, gives me an endless supply of love that keeps me going. She turned one this year; boy does time fly. My parents are also a wonderful support to me and I thank them for keeping it real by not caring in the slightest how busy I think I am; Sunday dinner is important and compulsory. Jokes aside, it really does take a team of loved ones to get you through the year, and Mum and Dad, you are no exception. Thank you.
I thank the Country Liberal Party and members of the Calder Branch for their support in 2014, and my regular supporters and volunteers who help me with letterbox dropping, Palmerston Markets, community barbecues and all sorts of other tasks I could not do without you. Your dedication and support is never taken for granted.
I thank my colleagues for a good year and look forward to working with you all in 2015. To the opposition, I hope you have a lovely Christmas and new year with your families.
Ms FYLES (Nightcliff): Mr Deputy Speaker, it is another year where I am standing here reflecting on the year that has been.
It began with a very wet and wild Wet Season, particularly in Nightcliff. We saw quite a bit of coastal erosion. There were storm clouds in January with the proposed Nightcliff island. Our community found out – literally by a little ad in the paper – that the government had granted a 98 ha lease for a man-made island in our harbour without any consultation. That is an issue, and coming up to 12 months later, we still do not know much about it. I again call on the government to update my community on what is happening with the proposed Nightcliff island. Not a day goes by without someone asking me what is happening, with significant concerns.
In Nightcliff we farewelled the famous Mr Frank from Frank’s Seafood earlier this year. As we approach Christmas, it is good to know that Frank’s Seafood, although Mr Frank is not there, is still in good hands and we will all be able to get our Christmas seafood.
We are farewelling another Nightcliff business owner who has been a huge part of our community, Ally – Alison Fitzgerald from Ally’s Barber Shop. We will miss you. Whenever something needs to be done, Ally is one of those people who puts her hand up to do it. Be it fundraising for the local childcare or the primary school, before you know it Ally is running a raffle. Ally, we will sincerely miss you. We wish you all the best for your endeavours in Queensland, and you are welcome back any time.
Nightcliff community has had a very busy year. As you get towards the end of the year, you reflect on what has happened. We had the wonderful Nightcliff Seabreeze Festival which signifies the start of the Dry Season. The City2Surf finished in Nightcliff. I participated in the half event; I did not quite do the whole thing. It was great to have those Dry Season events.
I acknowledge Irene and Sylvio Milios from our Greek community who put in a huge effort with Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea at the local Greek Orthodox School in May. That was one of Australia’s top 10 fundraising morning teas. They do it every year. I look forward to it next year, but as we reflect on the year, I acknowledge their efforts.
The government closed our police station this year, which our community is extremely concerned about. The CLP campaigned on the promise of a 24/7 police station for Nightcliff, yet we have seen the exact opposite. We have issues of antisocial behaviour and crime in our community, sadly, so closing our police station is not the way to go. We see antisocial behaviour there and people feel that a police presence would help our community. I urge the government to reconsider that; it is clearly a broken promise. The Nightcliff, Rapid Creek and Coconut Grove area is growing and a police station is needed. You campaigned on one thing and we received the opposite.
The Chief Minister said he would love to see a review of the year. I am not sure if your head is still in the sand, but it has been a terrible year for so many Territorians. This week highlights it with the sale of TIO without any consultation with our community. Territory families are struggling and people are leaving town. It saddens me, as I move around my community, to run into people and families who are leaving and putting their houses up for sale.
It has been a disappointing year. We have had a merry-go-round of CLP government reshuffles. We still wonder if Dave will jump on the merry-go-round next week and come back. We have seen severe cuts to health and education. We have lost teacher support staff and programs. This new global school budget is not working. I was speaking to my friend who is a teacher – teachers are devastated. Three positions at their school will not be there next year.
A preschool assistant has also spoken to me and she does not have a job next year. Minister for Education, you need to address these issues. You cannot underfund our schools. It is the third year in a row. We saw cuts to teacher numbers in 2012 and horrific cuts in 2013, with 125 fewer teachers in our schools. We cannot take any more cuts. Our children are our future and we need to invest in them. For the people of Nhulunbuy it has been an extremely sad year farewelling people.
I visited the community during the year and it was devastating for everyone. Co-workers were packing up and friends from the local schools were leaving. It has affected that part of the Territory. I advise the government it has not been a great year for many Territorians. With regard to Foundation 51, you axed the inquiry into political donations, the allocations of water licences and land deals – there are so many issues.
The government needs to be on notice that the opposition will continue to focus on and highlight those issues on behalf of the Territory community.
I acknowledge the schools in my community. I have a number of beautiful schools: Essington School has Jaya and David Cannon. St Paul’s Catholic Primary School – Anthony Hockey and the team are wonderful. Father Roy is also in the St Paul’s community. Nightcliff Primary School has Mr Graham Chadwick. We said farewell to Assistant Principal, Mr Tim Morgan during the year. Jill Finch is still there and Jo Glennon is our new assistant principal. It is a wonderful school with growing numbers. Nightcliff Middle School continues to grow from strength to strength, so congratulations to Sarah May, Eva and all the staff. To all the teachers in the schools in our community, please enjoy your break, and rest up. We thank you for everything you do for our children day-in, day-out.
To the seniors in my community – 141 Dick Ward Drive, I love catching up with you for morning tea. Nightcliff Evergreens, I would be lost without you. Thank you so much for folding my newsletters and for making little lolly bags and other things we need. I appreciate the ongoing support I receive in my community.
To Nightcliff Sports Club, thank you for your support, it is wonderful. The Nightcliff Tigers and all the associated sports clubs – we have a great hub in our community, it is wonderful. I thank the club for its support; it gives back to our community and sponsors many events and people. It is great.
I am sure I have forgotten some people, but to Carly and Larissa in my electorate office, thank you. To the wonderful Dawn Lawrie who volunteers her time as a justice of the peace, thank you so much. To the Leader of the Opposition’s office staff, to David who has left us, but also Peter, Ana, Ryan, Angela, Cameron, Charlie, Mandy, Sonia, Cathryn and Louise, thank you so much for all of your support. To my parliamentary colleagues on both sides of the Chamber, I wish you a merry and safe Christmas.
This Christmas will be especially sad for many Territorians and I acknowledge that. The 40th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy will be an extremely emotional time for many people. A variety of events have been organised to acknowledge this anniversary, but for some people it will be difficult. Please, if you need to reach out, we are here for you. People must acknowledge it is sometimes exciting to talk about, but it was a tragic day for so many people and it raises so many fears. As we head towards the anniversary, keep note of that.
On a personal note, I acknowledge everyone who supported me this year. It has been an extremely difficult year and I really appreciate everyone’s support. I put on the record my thanks to the Territory Medical Group and Royal Darwin Hospital. Dealing with a child with a chronic illness is extremely hard and we must talk about it and invest in our health system, and thank the wonderful people who support us. It has been a huge battle, but little Henry is doing well; he is super. I acknowledge Jenny and all the team at Territory Medical Group for their support. To everyone at RDH, you are amazing. Special thanks to my uncle John and aunty Kristen all the way over in America; thank you for everything you did. To mum and dad, and to Paul and Ollie, thank you for your support.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, picking up from the member for Nightcliff – I trust things are as good as they possibly could be. I am grateful for that and I wish you and your family the very best, healthiest and happiest Christmas. We can celebrate some of the blessings of the society in which we live. We are capable in this day and age of attending to those things and putting them past us so we can continue to live wholesome and useful lives.
Today, I also wish to place on the record my gratitude to the many people who are around me. I start with my chief of staff, Stephen Dunham – former minister in this House – and in many respects, as the Leader of the Government Business, the rock upon which I lean. I daresay I lean on him very heavily on many occasions for guidance, counsel, and sheer hard work and determination. I also place on the record my thanks to Sam Burke who works in my Attorney-General’s office on the fifth floor; a smart, witty, pleasure to be with guy. He continues to come up with great suggestions, good ideas and has the capacity to drive things on my behalf, for which I am enormously grateful.
I express my acknowledgement of Jana Tumuls, who is the DLO in my office. I thank her for her attention and work in the non-political environment, and for building the bridge between the department and my office. I also place on the record my thanks to Mark Wilton, who has in various guises worked on the fifth floor, as well as in Hansard. He seems to be addicted to this building, the poor bugger. Nevertheless, he continues to work hard for the outcomes of people of the Northern Territory.
Thanks to Craig Jones, who has come across as the DLO from the Department of Correctional Services and has assisted in the non-political environment in my office to work on a number of projects, including continuing to assist the Northern Territory government with its Sentenced to a Job policy. I also acknowledge and wish the very best to Cheryl Schmidt in my office. Cheryl, also known as Feral Cheryl – I am allowed to say that now, as this is the Christmas adjournment debate – brings intelligence and humour to the desperate job of child protection. I thank her for her sage advice, good counsel and pleasant disposition to assist me in this very difficult role of being the minister responsible for child protection.
Thanks to Danielle Lede, my press secretary, who, in my opinion, is an extraordinary young woman. She is bright, has a brilliant future, no matter what she chooses to do, and I thank her for her ongoing evidence and ruthless Germanic honesty with me on occasion, which I value and treasure.
To Linda Heidstra, my PA on the fifth floor, who guides me in my life in ways that most other people, including my chief of staff, would not dare, I thank her for her efforts this year.
Little Kimberley Davey – otherwise known as Rodent – who works in my office, I am enormously grateful for her cheerful disposition, her work in pushing paper around my office and occasionally pushing me around my office when I need it. I especially wish to acknowledge her for keeping the big blue folder. It is my bible that I carry into this parliament on a daily basis. It has, on a number of occasions, saved the government embarrassment by having all the correct documents in it. When errant ministers have turned up underarmed with appropriate documentation, I turn to the big blue folder and it miraculously appears, very much like the manna that appeared before the Israelites coming out of Egypt on their journey to the Promised Land.
I also acknowledge – it is sometimes easy to forget our electorate officers – Linda Coulter, who has been with me for a number of years. She has put up with all of my absurdities and eccentricities, of which there are many. I am grateful to her for her dedicated hard work in serving not only my interests as the local member, but more importantly the good citizenry and burghers of the electorate of Port Darwin. She, as an electorate officer, puts up with much on those occasions. I pray that I have not forgotten anybody, but I suspect I have not. To the other DLOs who have passed in and out of my office, I am grateful to you as well.
I also place on the record – it is appropriate that I should – my love for my wife, the gorgeous, wonderful, brilliant Dee, and my daughters Eleanor and Gwenevere. All three of them suffer from the same enormous shortcoming of having absolutely no taste in men. I rely heavily on that, but wish in all seriousness to acknowledge my wife, Dee. We all know how hard it is for family members. I just saw the member for Nightcliff recount the difficulties of this year in her role as a mother. This job gets in the way of that role. I know ministers, past and present, have occasionally encountered pressures caused by this job which affected family members. Those of us with children in school know that other children will hear opinions from their parents, which will find their way into the school yard. That upsets those children.
Those are the penalties other people pay for the job we do because we collectively love the Northern Territory in which we live. Special thanks go to my missus. She puts up with all of my shortcomings, of which there are many, and does so with good humour and grace, which baffles me. Nevertheless, we will continue to press on into the future. I want to place on the record – very much – my love and gratitude for my beautiful, wonderful partner in life, who travels this crazy journey with me. I would be lost, rudderless and directionless without her.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I conclude the parliamentary year with my parliamentary colleagues in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. I start by acknowledging and sincerely thanking all of the staff members who make our Legislative Assembly and parliament work. There are many and they are varied, but it is a sensational place to work. It is a place that I take great pride in. It is a privilege to be part of the Northern Territory parliament – and the Legislative Assembly – and get to share in a highly professional and supportive environment. Thank you all, in all of the areas that make this place tick, from the Table Office and Hansard, the Clerk and the staff of the Legislative Assembly, the Committee Secretariat, to the physical support of the maintenance crews, the security teams and the cleaning contract teams. Everybody in this place makes it work at a high level. You are a great team and you should be very proud, because you run the people’s House. This is our House and it is a pleasure to work with you all. It is a proud place and I advertise it wherever I go. I love telling stories about where I work and what a privilege it is to work here.
Within that is the Leader of the Opposition’s office. To all of you guys, it is great to have you on the team. It is fabulous to have your professional and personal support. It is nice to know you as Territorians, to socialise, learn, share and have the same ambition, which is to govern the Northern Territory with our shared sense of community values.
I will go down the next rung of the parliamentary ladder to my electorate office. I had two electorate officers in Barkly this year. To Ktima Heathcote, thank you so much. We had a great time working together and I am so pleased to see you in the next stage of your career in Tennant Creek, working as a communications officer with the Barkly Regional Council. You do a great job; it is great to keep in touch and I thank you for your support.
To Sarina Bisogni, who is now the electorate officer, thank you for all of your support. I hope you are enjoying the ride. It is a great learning curve. For the Barkly electorate officers, I remind you regularly to focus on the people you have helped and supported. It is a hard and complex job, and often a thankless job. But when we stop, take a breath and reflect on the people in our community we have helped – who need help – you get a little hint of evidence that they have moved on. You then know it was the work you did, the hard liaison and lobbying, and the personal nature of that work, such as counselling and support, that helped those constituents.
Around that structure is the Barkly sub-branch of the Australian Labor Party; thank you, guys. It is a pleasure to work with you and to have your support. I enjoy our monthly meetings and I must congratulate you on the fundraising campaigns. You have started, in a whirlwind campaign, to raise money to put us in the best possible position to win the election in 2016. Not only are you methodical and coming up with some very creative ideas, it is also a lot of fun. We have had some great fun. Thank you to those members. You are community members who take it to the next level. You put your names and your reputations out in public politically, which is not easy to do. You accept the criticism and enjoy the successes. Thank you for the great opportunity.
For the people of Tennant Creek and the Barkly, who I have the privilege of representing, thank you, we have had a huge year. We have the tail end of the year to finish safely and securely in our family and community celebrations, then take a break and line up to do it again next year. It is important to reflect on Tennant Creek and the Barkly. As a constituency, you are the decision-makers.
In the theatre of parliament – I make specific reference to the Chief Minister when he turns his commentary into personal attacks and often vile and vitriolic dialogue in what is, essentially, a theatre. He loves it and is good at it, but it is very shallow in humanity and community. The people of Tennant Creek and the Barkly can judge. They have seen the previous four years under a different government and can see the current government. They acknowledge what is good and will criticise what is not. Whatever is said – I continue to offer my advice in good faith – let it be said. At the end of the day we know the truth, and it will be determined by the people.
I will celebrate anything good, but, unfortunately, it is not all good. People are struggling and hurting. Those people need our support. I will continue to represent all people in the electorate and do the best I can as an opposition member. I will tell the good, bad and ugly. I do so daily by engaging in many conversations.
I must remind people in the Barkly that I am shared across the Territory. I work in other areas as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in our endeavour to present a clear alternative, gain the goodwill and support of the Territory constituency and be judged worthy at the next opportunity – imposing, sharing, guiding and mentoring our community values for the development of the Northern Territory.
It is great to acknowledge family – the extended and immediate McCarthy family. Dawn, you have a very special Christmas and new year coming up because all the immediate family will be together for a celebration, which has not happened for a number of years. I am very much looking forward to that. To the extended family, I wish you a safe and happy Christmas. It will be a time to recharge and we will all be together in the new year.
To my parliamentary colleagues, the Territory Labor opposition, well done. It is great to work with a dynamic team of diverse Territorians, a great mix which comes with all sorts of life experience, but sharing in defined community values with clear ambition to lead, guide and mentor. It has been a dynamic and hard year, and I hope everybody has a safe and happy holiday and we fly back out of the box again in 2015. We know the hard road in opposition. It is about democracy, holding the government to account and making the call no matter how hard it is. It is about not backing down or taking a backwards step; it is about being fair and honest. It is a tough gig, but we will continue to do it.
To everybody in this place, have a great festive season, be safe and I look forward to seeing all of you again next year.
Mrs PRICE (Stuart): Mr Deputy Speaker, firstly I thank the loyal voters of Stuart for their trust and confidence in me, which continues today. I have been very busy as the member for Stuart, and as Minister for Community Services, Parks and Wildlife, Women’s Policy and Statehood.
Over the last 12 months I have visited a few schools in my electorate. I want to talk about them as well and acknowledge them, especially the ones in the desert, such as Nyirripi, Yuendumu, Bulla, Mataranka, Timber Creek and Werenbun. There are more schools I must also visit.
I recently visited the Douglas Daly School and had morning tea there. It was great to see this little school have a huge amount of support from the community and the children, and it was pleasant to have morning tea with them. I am proud to be their member. I visited and hosted morning teas and afternoon teas.
I acknowledge Yuendumu School as there are now 160 children attending. A few weeks ago at a barbecue at the local swimming pool, it was amazing to watch these children having so much fun. The population of Yuendumu has grown and I could not believe there were so many kids. I might have to go back there just to make sure I know which kids belong to whom. It was a great day.
This year I managed to make water available to a little outstation at Alyuen. The people there have been waiting for water since 2009. Alyuen is a little outstation outside of Aileron station and Aileron Roadhouse. This year was a wonderful year, because when I became their member I said, ‘I promise I will get water to you’. I made sure I kept my promise and got water to the community. It was a pleasure for me to turn the tap on with the kids and the old people there; it was a big plus for me. The old people have been waiting quietly, without grumbling and complaining, because they knew someone would come along, listen to them and do something about it.
I attended the relaunch of the Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and their Children, and hosted the Northern Territory Indigenous launch of the Second Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 with Michaelia Cash and Natasha Stott Despoja in the beautiful setting of the Alice Springs Convention Centre and surrounds. There was a beautiful sunset whilst we were there.
I was invited to attend the Territory Tidy Towns awards. It was great to be there because there were more Central Australian communities winning awards that night. Even though they were in the member for Namatjira’s electorate, those people knew me and were excited by my support. There is much more I could say about my activities over the past 12 months in my electorate, as a member and minister, but I will run out of time and not squeeze in my Christmas and thank you messages.
As Minister for Parks and Wildlife of the Northern Territory, I continue to be proud of the hard work that the dedicated staff of the department put in every day. To this day, one of the most rewarding aspects of this portfolio is that it incorporates my culture. I am proud because I can relate to it. I thank the Parks and Wildlife Commission NT; in my 14 months as minister I have met the staff and rangers located at Alice Springs, Timber Creek, Keep River, Limmen National Park, Katherine, Middle Point, Palmerston, Berrimah, Lambells Lagoon and Cobourg, and throughout the year I heard rangers’ comments that this is the first time a minister has visited them.
I am grateful for that, because it inspires me to meet more of their staff and tell them they do a wonderful job. I also want to mention the team behind the Junior Ranger Program, which inspires young Territorians to cherish the environment. I was proud to host the inaugural junior ranger welcome reception earlier this year at Parliament House.
I thank all the staff at Parks and Wildlife for their hard and tireless work over the past 12 months. I look forward to working with you next year as we continue to improve our national parks for all Territorians. I thank Andrew Bridges and his incredible team at Parks and Wildlife. He has tirelessly been there for me, and his hard work can be seen in the brilliance of our parks.
I thank Community Services as well. I continue to be a proud Minister for Community Services and for Women’s Policy, which includes women’s and men’s policy; homelands; outstations; town camps; remote programs; interpreter services; the Stronger Futures unit; and corporate services. I wish to thank the staff of the Department of Community Services, as over the last 12 months they have worked very hard. I look forward to working with you all again next year to continuously improve the lives of Territorians in remote areas. I give special thanks to chief executive, Mike Chiodo, for time spent briefing me and for his continuing support. I very much look forward to working with you and your team next year. I also thank his management team of Peter Campos, Leanne Evans and Noelene Swanson – I give a special thanks to Suzanne Everingham – for their continuous support and hard work over the last 12 months.
Originating from a community, I have always wanted to improve the lives of Territorians, especially those in remote areas. To the Aboriginal Interpreter Service team – David Alexander and Colleen Rosas – I appreciate all your hard work. To Antony Yoffa, I appreciate the help you have provided in Central Australia. You are a hard worker, always on call, and I cherish your support.
The Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority also falls under the Department of Community Services, and I thank chief executive, Dr Ben Scambary, his management team, Malene, Clive, Rachael, and the rest of the AAPA team. Last but not least, as the Minister for Statehood, I thank Robert Bradshaw at the Department of Attorney-General and Justice. I appreciate all of his help and advice on statehood.
I thank my electorate officers. In all of these portfolios I will continue to do my best as minister, but I would not forget the people of Stuart who helped me get here. Karen, my electorate officer in Alice Springs, and Jodi, my liaison officer in the Katherine office are always there for me and work tirelessly, not only for me, but the people of Stuart. I thank you for always being by my side and putting up with me on our long road trips. You two offer fantastic support, and I look forward to many more car trips with you to the communities of Stuart.
I congratulate Susie Low in Yuendumu, who has been working tirelessly on the petrol sniffing problem; she is an amazing woman. I thank her on behalf of the Warlpiri people. I thank Madhu for setting up the mediation committee, which has been great. They have been recognised for the effort they have put into helping their own people live a better life, without violence. I say congratulations to Eddie Robertson for receiving the Northern Territory Senior Australian of the Year award. He is a fantastic bloke and the right person to have received the award.
To my Cabinet colleagues, I thank the Chief Minister for his support and trust in me this year. This year we, as a Cabinet, have made tough decisions to benefit the lives of all Territorians. I thank my Cabinet colleagues for helping to show me the ropes as a fairly new minister and for being by my side when I made decisions which were not popular. I also want to thank all members of the Country Liberal Party wing. You have always stood by me and I cherish all your support.
I especially thank Mr Deputy Speaker, the member for Daly, and Madam Speaker for their guidance, support and friendship. It is always appreciated.
In my ministerial office, I thank Kate Reynolds and Fallyn Petherick, who have run the admin side of the office. Thank you for standing by me with your hard work, laughs and constant care. To my department liaison officers, Tracey Duldig, Vicki Campbell and Megan Horner. You are an essential part of my team and an asset to your departments. I appreciate your help in the office and your crucial link between my departments and my office.
To my adviser, Tim Dixon, thank you for helping me in Community Services. Your advice and support is greatly appreciated and I look forward to continuing our work in this area next year. To my Communications Adviser, the wonderful Lauren Crawley, thank you for all your perseverance and the support you have provided to me this year. I appreciate every day of your care and hard work.
I also thank Joshua Higgins, who is helping me in the Stuart electorate as a Regional Liaison Officer. I do not know how I would get anywhere without him, his laughter, his craziness and his value. He is a good bloke to take out bush.
To Paul Mossman, my Senior Ministerial Adviser, I thank you for your hard work this year and for being my friend. Thank you to my ministerial office.
Before I mention my family, I want to thank the Clerks, Legies, security and the drivers. Thank you all for looking after me and I hope you all have a good Christmas.
I thank my family, Jacinta, my beautiful daughter and Colin, my son-in-law – I can understand his Scottish accent more now – his son, Kincaid, my grandsons, Leiland, Ethan and Declan; I am so proud of each and every one of them. My daughter has continued her great success in music this year.
Finally, I thank my husband, David. He is like Denis Thatcher; he stays behind me and looks after me to make sure I do not fall and crumble. I thank him for his patience, love and continued support, because without any of this I would not be able to be here in this job.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I also place on the record this evening the usual end-of-year thank you messages and Christmas wishes. Before I do, I wish to speak about some news I just heard.
It has come to my attention that on Monday a directive occurred to send 10 police to Katherine for a temporary beat location. I have been reliably informed that the budget for this is $700 000 and that it is to be up and running by 8 December.
We, the opposition, support increased police resources across all our communities and are still calling on the government to honour its promise to recruit 120 addition police officers. We are very concerned that we have 60 fewer police in the Territory now compared to last financial year.
Are 10 police quickly packing their bags for work in Katherine 17 days before Christmas? Given the lauding of crime fighting efforts in parliament today during Question Time, why did the Chief Minister not mention this initiative?
I thank, at the end of yet another busy year, my colleagues on this side of the House and my parliamentary colleagues who sit on the government and cross benches.
I acknowledge all the hard work and support we receive from staff in the Legislative Assembly, across many areas, who work to support members of parliament. I also thank the Parliamentary Library Service for the great service they provide and place on the record my thanks to Kaye and Liisa.
I also acknowledge the great work of the security staff in Parliament House, letting me into my office late at night or early in the morning if I have not brought my pass or my keys, or if someone has inadvertently locked me out of my office. They are always cheerful in the mornings when we arrive and say good morning. We appreciate their efforts. I also appreciate the efforts of the cleaning staff, who visit our offices when we are in parliament. They vacuum, clean and take out the rubbish, and are always incredibly polite and friendly. I acknowledge the brilliant staff of Speakers Corner Caf and the great work Karen Sheldon Catering does in running the caf – what wonderful coffee they make. It delights me to see Indigenous staff working there, and I take my hat off to Karen Sheldon for the fantastic effort she puts into training and employing Aboriginal people.
I acknowledge and thank all of the amazing staff in the Leader of the Opposition’s office on the fourth floor. I will not rattle off their names; they know who they are. They are the machine behind us as members of parliament in opposition, working long hours and doing everything they can to support us. They are a part of our team of true believers.
I acknowledge my electorate office staff, the wonderful Katrina Dwyer, who is currently on maternity leave with little baby, Lily. I also acknowledge her husband, Chad, and her boys, Riley and Ben. I trust Kat is enjoying her maternity leave. She has a two-year period of leave and I hope she is making the most of it. She is a wonderful woman and a wonderful mother.
I also acknowledge my new electorate officer, Sarah Mitchell, who started with me in July. She is awesome, such a hard worker, intuitive and, like Katrina, seems to always guess what my needs and expectations are, and has a wonderful way in dealing with constituents and inquiries. I also acknowledge her partner, Putty, and her little boy, Kasey. I know they are enjoying a couple of days in Darwin at the moment.
I acknowledge my branch members. I will not name them all; they know who they are. Sadly, I am losing branch members, but we are still resolved and making strong plans to contest the seat in 2016.
I acknowledge my electorate of Nhulunbuy and its schools: Nhulunbuy Primary School, with Principal Matt Watson, and all the wonderful staff and kids; Nhulunbuy High School, with Principal Sabina Smith running the joint – what a great job she does; and Nhulunbuy Christian College, with Principal Russell McKane. It is sad to hear Russell is leaving at the end of this year and will be returning south. I wish Russell and his wife, Suzanne, all the best.
I acknowledge Yirrkala School, where Stuart Bramston is doing an awesome job and working in an arrangement to train Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs as the new principal. She is an incredibly strong and awesome woman.
Yirrkala Homelands School – what a fantastic job those teachers do, camping out a few nights per week at the homelands schools where they teach. It is important to them to be providing education on country for people who live on their traditional clan estates and choose to raise and educate their children on their homelands. My best wishes to Principal Leon White.
The tiny Gawa Christian School at the top of Elcho Island, a beautiful little community – I send my very best wishes to them, Karen Fletcher, her husband Steve and their family, for the awesome job they do at Gawa Christian School. Mapuru Christian School, with Principal Linda Miller – I know how dedicated Linda is and how well supported she is by her staff, including brother and sister team, Roslyn and Jackie. I love hearing the positive news from Mapuru. It is a model community of people who live and thrive. They are strong in their traditional culture and language; it is a model community for Indigenous people living on country.
I also acknowledge the little Baniyala Garrangali School, which is at Blue Mud Bay, with Principal Leonard Freeman. Leonard has done an awesome job in the year he has been there. I wish our Nhulunbuy schools all the best; they are losing many students with the sad downturn, but I wish all the best to the families that are leaving.
To all of my constituents at Galiwinku, I look forward to being there the week after next when I will be attending the Shepherdson College end-of-year presentation night. I also send my best wishes to all of my constituents at Yirrkala – a short drive from Nhulunbuy – and all of the homelands across Laynhapuy and Marthakal. My best wishes to all of those wonderful people. I take my hat off to the members on the Laynhapuy and Marthakal homelands boards who represent homelands residents. I and also acknowledge – apart from the very strong TOs across the clan groups in my electorate – the elected members of the East Arnhem Regional Council, who are now several years into the job. There is not a big turnover of elected members; they all do a terrific job in representing their communities and being a strong voice for those they represent.
I especially thank the police in my electorate. There is a reason for this; whilst the police are worthy of praise any year, I acknowledge Senior Sergeant Brendan Muldoon, who, after about four years, is leaving Nhulunbuy. He was our OIC and has done an incredible job. Regrettably, he is a casualty of the Rio Tinto downturn. There is no job for his wife, Maria, any longer, so they are leaving with their little girls, Emma and Abbey. We have loved having them as neighbours in the street. Brendan has been an exceptional community police officer. He is very engaged with the community in a positive sense and he leaves Nhulunbuy a better place with regard to the community relations that have been established between the police and the community, and in crime statistics. Best of luck to Brendan as he and his family return to Darwin.
Similarly, we have a police station at Galiwinku where we have three officers as well as an ACPO, Bettina. I single out Tim Wethers for a bit of praise there; Tim was the Rotary Police Officer of the Year. He does an awesome job. The community embraces him because he has worked hard at mutually respectful relationships, which is all it takes in these remote communities. Best wishes to Tim and Belinda; they are expecting their fourth child, which is wonderful news, and I trust they will have a great Christmas.
I acknowledge my family who are here at the moment, my husband, Lawrence, my sons, Harry and Patrick. They were a little shell shocked after Question Time this morning, hearing what was being said about their wife and mother, but I assured them that it was part of the theatre of parliament. I assured them that the Chief Minister, Adam Giles, did not mean a thing that he said about me and that underneath that exterior he probably is quite a nice guy.
I will finish now, but I want to acknowledge all the people of Nhulunbuy who have worked so hard in what has been an incredibly difficult 12 months. It has been heartbreaking and this is the time of the year which is hardest, because people are departing. People have been departing throughout the year, but we are seeing an exodus out of Gove as families finish up the school year and move to other places. It is a sad and heartbreaking time. I take it on a very personal level, with so many families and friends leaving, and it makes me feel very sad. We do not know what next year will hold, but we remain optimistic that we will not go anywhere in spite of the uncertainty we face.
Mr BARRETT (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, I start in my Christmas address – my first ever in parliament – by thanking a few people, community groups, schools and the like. These are people in my community who have supported me, whom I have come to know and enjoy spending time with.
I will start with the Palmerston 50+ Club, a wonderful group of elderly people that meets on a weekly basis, sometimes more often. They are a delight to be around and have been welcoming to me and my family, and are particularly enamoured of my three-year-old daughter. Ann Brown heads the group and does some great work in the community by providing elderly people with some fantastic activities.
I acknowledge Moulden Primary School and the work they do, especially with students from disadvantage backgrounds. They do some great work in that school. Principal Wendy Jordan does an exceptional job and is one of our heroes of Blain. In our community we put people’s names forward to remember the great things they do. We spread the word so everyone knows how wonderful they are.
Woodroffe Primary School is another fantastic school. The Pandanus Unit there helps students with additional learning needs; they do a fantastic job and it is a beautiful little school. They have a great choir and Principal Sharon Reeves does a great job. I would like to thank them for welcoming me as the new member for Blain.
Rosebery Primary School is led by Gail Smith, a fantastic educator and very intelligent woman; she runs the school beautifully. She has given me tips on helping my kids to read well. It is another school that has welcomed me into that community in a big way.
Rosebery Middle School is the feeder school which all of the schools feed into in Palmerston. It is a great school and they work very well. They get an unfair wrap sometimes, but when you spend some time with the students, teachers and the Principal, Lorraine Evans, you quickly come to realise they are a fantastic group of educators and students. Lindsay Luck and the staff at Sacred Heart Primary School also do a fantastic job. It is a beautiful school; the students are always happy and the parents are very involved. It is great to be a part of their community and help them where I can in my role as an MLA. It is part of our duty to help these schools with things like fundraising, and it has been a delight and an honour to work with them. I also thank Jo Cram, from the Parents and Friends Association there, who has been particularly welcoming.
Palmerston Senior College is outside my electorate, but many students from Blain go there. Sue Healy is a wonderful principal. She has an economics degree, so when I visit we sit down, talk economics and solve all the world’s problems. She is another fantastic educator with a great vision for Palmerston. As the only senior college in Palmerston, they do a fantastic job, offering a variety of pathways for students, whether it is in VET or heading towards a higher education goal. Sue Healy does a fantastic job and I thank her and the staff, who have been visionary and have done good work.
I now want to thank some sporting groups. The Palmerston Raiders Rugby League Football Club is led by John Johnson. He is a great guy, has been very supportive and is a great member of the community. He does lots of things in the community. He heads up the football club, which has so many players, from their junior ranks all the way through. It has been a pleasure to be a part of the team that cooks barbecues and sells drinks at the games. They raise a lot of money and do good things in the community.
The Palmerston Magpies is another great club in the area. I thank Shannon and Kirby, whom I have met with several times. We have talked about everything, such as how the club will get sponsorship deals; they want to get moving with private enterprise in the area. It is great to see them go from strength to strength in the community and we hope they win the grand final this season.
The Palmerston Rugby Union Club and Netball Club – the Crocs – headed up by Ben Blyton is another great group of people. Lots of people living in the area play in that club. They have almost 500 members, which is astronomical. They are the only rugby union club in Palmerston, so they get a wide draw of people coming in. It has been great to help them on certain projects, and I am looking forward to working with them in the coming year to help them achieve their aims, especially in regard to the oval they train and play on.
I thank Hollie, my electorate officer. I like to tell people she is better than I deserve. She is a wonderful person, works very hard independently and I could not do the job without her. The people of Blain also owe her a debt of gratitude for the hard work she does.
The Department of Business staff on the fifth floor who have been accepting of me in my role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Business, Chantelle, Steve, Tony, Jo, Ana, Dean and Tim – they all do a great job, including Michael Tennant and Alastair Shields, who are subsequent CEOs of the department.
I mention Greg Bicknell the Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce. He is a great guy who loves business in the Northern Territory. He loves the community and heads up an excellent organisation.
I thank the Palmerston Game Fishing Club, with Paul Williams, and Andre and his wife. They do a great job. We have spent time there and they conduct a particularly excellent program for kids. I encourage everybody to take their kids there, because you can get excellent fishing gear for $50 and they all get to catch a barramundi at the Humpty Doo Barramundi Farm on the Adelaide River. It is a great day out and is excellent for kids; it teaches them about water safety and how to rig lines. They are a great bunch of people and have been very welcoming towards me.
To my wife, Rebecca, and my kids, without whom I could not do this job – Bec is so supportive. She is a wonderful wife, an excellent mother, and I thank her for all the hard work she has done in the campaign leading up to the by-election, and for all she has done subsequently. Being an MLA is a particularly busy job, and she is a fantastic person.
To the Calder Branch staff of the CLP, who have been so supportive to me. Suzanne Cavanagh and Peter Pattemore do a fantastic job and are always very supportive and forthcoming with advice. They are also forthcoming with a kick in the backside when I need it – every now and again – to make sure I do the right thing for the people of Blain.
The PRBA – with President Wayne Zerbe – is another great organisation of business people doing fantastic work in the community. Every time they have an event they raise money for charity. I thank them for accepting me so warmly and inviting me to events, and for being very commodious in listening to the needs of business and expressing them to the minister, especially in my role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Business.
I thank my parliamentary colleagues on all sides of politics for their friendship and their views. I believe conflict is a good thing. When people conflict, better ideas come forward and other ideas are fine-tuned. I especially thank my parliamentary colleagues on this side of the floor who have been very supportive of me as a new member.
I thank the Legislative Assembly guys who have been patient with me coming into this new ball game. When you have not been in politics, there are many rules to remember. I thank the Legislative Assembly staff for being so supportive and helpful, especially Michael Tatham who heads the department.
A big thank you goes to the police in Palmerston; they do a fantastic job. Recently they did a clean-up around the electorate and managed to remove some individuals who needed to be off the streets. They have done the best job and are always helpful with constituents in the area. They work tirelessly during long hours and do a great job for the community. I appreciate everything they do.
Finally, I thank the constituents in Blain. They are beautiful people who have always been very friendly towards me. I look forward to serving them over the coming months and working towards the next election.
Ms MOSS (Casuarina): Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to speak tonight about activities and achievements around my electorate and shadow portfolios. I also reflect, as others have done, on this time of year and say thank you to the people in my life.
Firstly, I thank the constituents of Casuarina. It is wonderful to be so warmly received by them, and to continue to connect with them through activities in the electorate and my mobile offices. I enjoy engaging with them regarding the issues they care about and reflecting on the beautiful electorate in which we live. I wish them all a merry and safe Christmas.
I have been impressed with the staff and students at my local schools, and recently attended the parent council meeting at Alawa Primary School. I am pleased to have their new app on my phone, with reminders of events happening at the school – a really innovative idea implemented by Principal Sandy Cartwright and her staff to keep the parent body informed. I am sure we will be seeing many more of these great ideas from Alawa Primary School and its great parent council.
I wish the very best to students at Nakara Primary School and Dripstone Middle School, especially those moving on to other schools next year. A huge thank you goes to teachers and support staff, who have worked incredibly hard, as they always do, sometimes under trying circumstances. To the students and staff at Nemarluk School, I wish you all the best with your final school concert this Friday.
I acknowledge Claire Atkins from Alawa who launched her first novel, Nona & Me. Having lived with an author for a long time, I understand the energy and time required to put yourself into a piece of art. I look forward to making time over the Christmas period to read what I hope will be the first of many.
Many young people from my electorate are students at Casuarina Senior College, in the member for Johnston’s electorate. I extend the heartiest congratulations to students finishing there this year, and to the Casuarina Clontarf Academy. Six years ago I attended the first Clontarf Awards Evening, and this year the academy saw 18 young men complete Year 12 – the largest number of any academy in the country. This is down to the unwavering belief of the Clontarf staff and teachers who support the program. Academy Director, Nathan Perrin, and his fantastic team have been the driving force of this result, including at least 12 of those young men already receiving offers of employment. I am grateful to have seen this dedication firsthand, and I know they will continue to go from strength to strength in coming years.
Charles Darwin University – a challenging and changing environment in tertiary education – has launched a campaign through its foundation to raise $5m over the next three years. This is an ambitious, but not impossible, goal and I congratulate them as the university continues to grow in reputation, nationally and internationally.
I recently attended a number of events in our multicultural community and want to extend my congratulations to Neethi Ashok and the team at NamasteyNT on the launch of their magazine. The magazine shares stories, ideas and achievements of our migrant and multicultural communities in the NT. I am pleased to have hard copies in my office, as does the member for Wanguri.
Diwali celebrations, organised by the Indian Cultural Society of the NT, seems to grow in size every time I attend. I was pleased to do so this year, alongside the member for Fannie Bay. It was pleasing to see the strong involvement from the society’s youth group. This event, organised in a relatively short period of time, was a heap of fun, and I look forward to going again next year.
The Islamic Society of Darwin held a barbecue a couple of weekends ago. It was another fantastic event where the community came together. There was henna painting, and I am disappointed I did not have any done, but lots of food was shared – with lots of chatting – and it was lovely to be a part of it.
The Young Professionals Network NT and Young Engineers Australia end of year ball was just that – a ball. Huge congratulations go to the committee, Sonia Mu, Allan Fett and those who organised that fantastic event. There were fire twirlers, giant jenga and belly dancers, and it was an incredibly enjoyable evening.
Thank you to the Legislative Assembly staff, who have been wonderful, prompt and patient with their assistance in my first six weeks as a local member; that six weeks has flown by. To the wonderful people in security, Hansard, the Table Office, the cleaners, all of you at Parliament House, please have a wonderful and safe Christmas. I really appreciate all of your support.
A massive thank you to Debbie, who helped me transition into my new role. My best wishes go to you and your lovely family for a great time over the Christmas period. Thank you and Merry Christmas to my electorate officer, Cameron, and his partner, Cathy. I am very excited to have Cameron on board and am grateful for all of his hard work and support.
Merry Christmas to my parliamentary colleagues on each side of the House. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity and privilege to debate important issues with you, and the privilege is not lost on me. I wish you all the best and hope you have a lovely time with your families, however you mark this time of year. I especially want to thank my colleagues on this side of the House, my Territory Labor colleagues. You have accepted me, helped me, mentored me and been here every day giving me advice and making me feel very welcome and supported. For that I will be forever grateful. To everybody on the fourth floor in the Leader of the Opposition’s Office – I hope I do not forget anybody; that is my worst nightmare – Peter, Charlie, Ana, Ryan, Angela, Mandy, Cathryn and Louise, I extend my great appreciation for all of your support and the knowledge you provide to me and the rest of our team.
Importantly, I want to extend my sincerest and most heartfelt thanks to those who continue to work throughout the Christmas period to keep us safe, and who respond in times of crisis when Territorians need them the most. Our emergency services staff, and those who work on the front line of essential services, will continue to work to ensure someone is there if needed. We all thank them for that.
In addition, I extend thanks to those who will be staffing the phones of help lines over Christmas, offering support to those for whom Christmas is not a joyous time. For some it is stressful, distressing and extremely lonely, and I appreciate those who give their time over the Christmas period to reach out to those around them. I encourage all Territorians to self-care, reach out if you need help, and reach out to those who might be in need of some company or generosity over the Christmas period.
I know there will be others who will spend their Christmas providing lunches and sharing their hearts and homes with people who need it the most; you are appreciated. There is a huge amount of generosity and goodwill in our community.
I take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to the Young Social Pioneers network, which is an additional family to me. It is a group, extending across the country, of people under 30 who run organisations, social change initiatives or are involved in very different industries. Without their support, knowledge and ideas I do not know where I would be. They are fantastic at driving social change in this country, and are forever a reminder of what is possible for young people in Australia.
To my parents, Anita and Barry, and Paul and Sue, and to Jake’s parents, Jane and Dave, a massive thank you for all your support, this year and every year. You are unwavering in your support for Jake and me, and for the things we choose to do in life. We could not have asked for better parents. I spoke about Jake in my inaugural speech – thank goodness for downhill mountain bike riding, because he keeps himself occupied when I am not home. I appreciate the enormous amount of support and love he constantly shows me, and how willing he is to come along to different events to be part of this world with me. I am forever grateful.
I wish everybody a very merry and safe Christmas, thank you so much for all of your support during this time.
Mr STYLES (Sanderson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise to say many a thank you to many people who have helped me not only this year, but in previous years.
The first group of people I thank are the people in the electorate of Sanderson, who in 2008 had such confidence in me they elected me to represent them for that four-year term. They re-elected me in 2012 to represent them until 2016. I sincerely hope the majority of them believe I have done a good job for them, am a person of integrity, and that I work hard to represent them well in this House.
Thank you and a very happy Christmas and New Year to all of my constituents, wherever you may be during the Christmas break. May you be safe and enjoy the very best of the Christmas spirit with your families and friends.
That leads me to my electorate office; if I did not have those people, and if they did not do such a good job, I am sure I would not have been re-elected in 2012, and could not continue to do the important work as a minister in the Cabinet of the Northern Territory. I am very grateful to Vanessa McCall, and to our stand-in when Vanessa is on leave – Jan Sporn – who brings a magnificent wealth of knowledge and experience, which she is capably passing on to Vanessa, who is another very capable person. Myy good friend, John Moyle, who has been part of my campaign team for many years, is still outside the shops every Saturday morning. He puts up the A-frames, carts things in and out, and does a lot of work for the barbecues we have. I want to be John Moyle when I am that age. On 5 January he will celebrate his 96th birthday, but he is still working for the community. I must congratulate John, as he was a finalist for Senior Australian of the Year recently at a function held at the Darwin Convention Centre. He was a runner-up for Senior Australian of the Year in the Northern Territory. It was a fantastic effort after a lifetime of giving to his community and country, and he is still going strong.
There are so many people I have to thank. To my ministerial office and chief of staff, Gary Swanson, thank you very much; you allow me to get on with some important work needing to be done in the Northern Territory. Thank you to Nathan Winn, Renee Miller, my PA, Joss Papworth, Maree Philpott, my DLOs, Michelle Leonard and Angelie Lyons,especially Michelle, who has been there for a while. Michelle, you do an awesome job. For someone who is a public servant, you fit in on the fifth floor and put your whole heart into it. Marie is the time police, so thanks for keeping me on time with everywhere I need to be. To Angelie, who has only recently joined us, you fit in extremely well and I am sure you will continue to do so in 2015.
To the Office of the Speaker, Cheryl and Martine, and Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you. You are all very accommodating of our needs and when we need to contact you, you bend over backwards to help us. To those in Hansard who are typing away to get all of this recorded, and the service providers on the fourth floor, thank you for your efforts in the Legislative Assembly. Again, you are all very helpful. Thank you to those in security who, with the heightened level of security required these days, make sure we are able to carry out our duties in a safe manner. To the Legislative Assembly drivers, Bill, Yuni, Ben, David and John, you guys are very busy with me on the weekends, with all of the functions I attend. You are always on time, and always dependable and reliable. Thanks very much to you and your families. You are out late at night when I am at various functions, so I thank your families for what you give when you are with us. I thank the staff in Protocol for their efforts; they do a great job.
I thank the people at the shopping centres who put up with me being outside their shops on Saturday mornings and give me feedback on behalf of the community; I am very grateful.
I want to mention a couple of my departments. The Department of Infrastructure’s Chief Executive, Mr David McHugh, is a long-term public servant who has also worked in the private sector, and he does a fantastic job. He is ably supported by his executive team, Bob Pemble, Monica Birkner, Brett Brogan and Steve Hoyne. To the Engineers Australia Northern Division Engineering Excellence Award winners, Sumesh Dhir, Niraj Gurung, Grant Henderson and Gordon Atkinson, congratulations on that fantastic win. Thanks to the peak bodies, including the Civil Contractors Federation of Australia, Master Builders and Engineers Australia. I am looking forward to working with you guys in the New Year.
I thank the Department of Transport Chief Executive, Clare Gardiner-Barnes, and the executive team, Paul Rajan, Simon Saunders and Louise McCormick. To Glenda Thornton, winner of the 2014 Chief Minister’s Public Sector Medal – a fantastic effort at the Motor Vehicle Registry. The Motor Vehicle Registry was the winner of the 2014 Chief Minister’s Award for Delivering Quality Customer Service, in recognition of the DriveSafe NT Remote program as a finalist for the Chief Minister’s Awards for Excellence in the Public Sector.
Joint winners of the Chief Minister’s Award for Building Regional and/or Remote Economies were credited to Paul Rajan and Terri Layman for their contribution, and to Director of Information Business Services, Donald Young, for recognition of work carried out on the Motor Vehicle Registry reforms, for his contributions to IT reforms and enhancement, which resulted in MVR winning the Chief Minister’s Award for Delivering Quality Customer Service.
Best wishes to the Department of the Chief Minister, with Chief Executive, Mr Gary Barnes; Executive Director of Social Policy, Janet Buhagiar; and Manager for Community Engagement, Siobhan Okely. Best wishes also to the Office of Youth Affairs, which includes Gemma Benn, Larnie Batten, Samantha Denmead, Prue Jezierski and Olivia Paris. To the Office of Senior Territorians, with Jodie O’Donnell and Sarah Burchett – who has left us, sadly – and, lastly, to the Office of Multicultural Affairs, with Diana Miranda, Lisa Finocchiaro and Emily Heames, and the graduate who was there for six months and put a great effort in, Taliska Kiebat.
I move on and thank my primary schools: Wagaman Primary School Principal, Michele Cody, the school Chair, Cathy Malla. They do a fantastic job it has been great working with them. Across to Wulagi Primary School, with Principal Susan Kilgour – who was nominated as Northern Territory Principal of the Year, along with Michele Cody. There were finalists from two of my schools, which was a fantastic effort of pride in our fine teaching staff from our community of Sanderson.
Anula Primary School Principal, Kerry Hudson, and school Chair, Anna Lutz, had another great year; I thank them very much. Sanderson Middle School Principal, Liz Veel, who I have worked with for over 25 years is a fantastic principal, along with the school chair, Nick O’Loughlin.
I thank the multicultural community for supporting me in my job of supporting them, and the National Seniors, COTA, U3A, and the Probus Club of Darwin. In the youth sector, MyNT and the Young Professionals Network NT do a fantastic job.
I move on to something close to my heart, my north Darwin branch, where I have been a member for more years than I care to remember. I receive a great amount of support from them. In relation to that, Ron Baker gets a special mention. Ron and I have known each other for years; he is a Trojan in helping me not only stay elected, but to get elected in the first place. A special thanks goes to Ron and Rosie for all of their effort.
To my Cabinet colleagues, thank you very much for your support. You cannot do this job without the support of your Cabinet.
I move on to my family – my children, Kristy, Adam and Damien, and my grand-children, for their everlasting support. I cannot do without them; I thank them for the many years they have been campaigning with and supporting me. They have great faith in me and they demonstrate that every day by the support they give.
Finally, to my partner – sorry, now my wife – Linda. Without her I would not be standing here talking. You cannot measure the ongoing support she gives me. I am extremely and eternally grateful for the work she puts in, not only supporting me, but helping me stay elected and simply being there as a sounding board.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: She pointed out her wedding ring in the gallery, member for Sanderson. You are now in it.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Mr Deputy Speaker – girlfriend, partner, Linda – she got 25 seconds. I am sure she deserved a lot more.
Mr Styles: She has been all of those.
Mr CONLAN: Absolutely.
What a massive year. I may not take 10 minutes, but that is not reflective of my appreciation of the people I wish to thank and recognise this year. The second year in government has been huge. This is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. But success is never an individual thing; it takes a lot of people to achieve it, so I thank a number of people tonight.
Let me start with my staff – Tom, Adrian, Lisa, Racheal, Belinda, Markus, Alison, Julie and Jo, and the staff who were with me a little while but left this year – Kay, Judy, Karen, Mary, Chloe, Trudy and Frances. Thank you for all of your support, help and guidance.
My CEOs – of course, as a minister, you cannot do it without the support of your Chief Executives: Tony Mayell, Anne Bradford, Phillip Leslie and Hugo Leschen and the agencies they represent – Tourism, Housing, Sport, Arts and all of the staff working under those CEOs. We have had a terrific year in those agencies. We had a red hot crack at it and are starting to see real achievements. Thank you to the CEOs and their staff.
As has been mentioned, we cannot do it without the support of our team; 14 members have pulled together to make it a terrific year of government. I thank my Cabinet colleagues and the Chief Minister for his support and friendship over the last couple of years. As we reflect on 2014, I thank the chief for his support, guidance, help and friendship. Thank you very much, Chief Minister, and all of your staff who reach out to all of us, as ministers and members of parliament, to help us whenever we need it. Thank you to all the staff on the fifth floor as a whole.
My family – where do I start? To my lovely wife Elara, I could not do this without you, thank you. To my children, Harvey and Cleo – another year where I have probably spent two-thirds of the year away – there is nothing like the hugs of a five- and three-year-old; it is a hard thing to beat. To my beautiful boy, Harvey, I am so proud of your achievements this year. He is in Transition and goes into Year 1 next year. Well done, mate, and I look forward to spending more time with you in 2015. It is not easy, but I will be there for you; I love you mate. My beautiful, gorgeous little daughter, Cleo, is one hell of a character. Thank you for being such a wonderful daughter.
We need to thank the opposition. A good robust parliament and great robust democracy relies on a good opposition. We have this argy-bargy throughout the year – a warfare and a battle in and out of the parliament – but I do not hold any enmity towards anyone in the opposition. I am determined to make sure when I retire, whether it be voluntarily or electorally, that I have no bitterness from this job. I wish everyone in the opposition and their families a terrific, safe and happy Christmas season. Thank you for holding government to account. Rightly or wrongly, you have a job to do and this year you have done it well.
To the Legislative Assembly staff, thank you for everything you have done. To the Clerk’s office, and everyone in the building, whose job it is to make 25 members do their jobs to the best of their ability – a lot of work goes into it – there are a lot of staff, and you have done an exceptional job. Thank you very much for your efforts and support over the last 12 months.
I need to thank the drivers, because they are a great bunch of guys who work extremely long hours for us, with a lot of waiting and sitting around. They do it without an ounce of complaint and I thank them for their efforts.
Thank you to everyone. Merry Christmas to Territorians far and wide. Enjoy it, be safe and we will see you all in the new year.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of a Year 5/6 and a Year 6 class from Nightcliff Primary School, accompanied by Sue Mihailou, Carmen Gomez, Greg Hauser and Elizabeth Walker. On behalf of honourable members, I extend a warm welcome to you, and I hope you enjoy your time at Parliament House.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I also advise of the presence in the gallery of three guests of minister Price from Kormilda College. They are Deannie Egan, Katelyn Nolan and Monique Gorham. Welcome to Parliament House, and I hope you enjoy your time here.
MOTION
Amendment to Select Committee on Action to Prevent Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Terms of Reference
Amendment to Select Committee on Action to Prevent Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Terms of Reference
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker I move that the Assembly amends its resolution of 26 March 2014 establishing the Select Committee on Action to Prevent Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder by deleting ‘November’ in paragraph 6 and inserting ‘February 2015’.
I understand the report of this committee is currently being drafted but is not yet in a state to be brought into this House. We on this side of the House understand that, but look forward to receiving the report at the earliest opportunity in 2015.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Speaker, as a member of the committee I acknowledge some of the great work it is doing.
I acknowledge the minister for commissioning the committee, and I acknowledge his concern because foetal alcohol syndrome and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder concerns all Territorians. It is a matter of national significance, and I commend the minister for leading on a national issue. A number of chronological points lead to that, but the most important point is that the Northern Territory has taken the opportunity to show real leadership to research and investigate, and, most importantly, to make recommendations to government.
The most recent correspondence from the committee is starting to prepare the government for budgetary considerations which will be very challenging. It is challenging in a bipartisan sense because no matter which government is in the Northern Territory, the matters and issues of foetal alcohol syndrome and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder will be significantly challenging.
It is wonderful to work with the secretariat administering the committee’s work. It is a great group of people, very professional, very well organised, facilitating opportunities for this committee to hear from international, national and Territory witnesses where the committee has taken its hearings across the regional areas of the Northern Territory and significantly engaged with all aspects of the Territory community. The secretariat does a very professional job in support and facilitation.
I also mention the individual contributions. It has been great to have the member for Goyder and to be able to share the meetings and hearings, and the travel across regional areas. The member for Daly has been active in that space, and in a bipartisan and a tri-partisan sense, the members for Wanguri and Nelson. My own part in that committee has not only been a journey of learning but a journey with important aspects for good policy development.
On this side, the member for Wanguri and I have been regularly reporting back to the Labor opposition in good faith and in terms of good research. It is good that the minister has risen in the House and accepted the extension of the deadline to report. Significant recommendations will come forward which would provide significant challenges for any government. The different aspects we are seeing emerge are about strong lobbying for diagnostic tools, support services around maternal health and for those services needed to deal with those unfortunate Territorians who are suffering deficits as a result of alcohol affecting the foetal period of their growth and development.
Thank you for the opportunity to talk about something positive that we can all celebrate, and to acknowledge the significant challenges that will be associated with it.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the government for supporting this amendment and allowing this report to be moved to a later date. It is a very important matter, and it will give us a little more time to consider the recommendations put forward to us in a draft form. Because it is such an important issue, not just for the Northern Territory but for Australia, it is wise to make sure we have fully looked at the report before it is brought forward to this parliament.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank honourable members for their contributions to this, albeit short, debate. When government asked for this committee to be formed, it was with a view to a very serious problem in our community. Nobody denies that and nobody is shying away from that truth.
I do have a certain anxiety – this is the second extension this committee has received – because as the minister for Child Protection I have raised the issue on a number of occasions as to what we should do with pregnant women who continue to drink. We know this is perplexing problem and I challenge the committee with a very difficult question. Do we go to the extent of considering confinement for those women who could be damaging the health of their unborn child?
This perplexing issue has the attention of the national press, but at least we are the jurisdiction which has the – pardon the expression – testicular fortitude to look at this. Nevertheless, I am mindful that time is ticking away and, sadly, in these sorts of environments time is, in many instances, of the essence. However, I am glad that all members understand the importance of this. I am sure the committee is mindful of the need to and respond will respond as quickly as it can. I look forward to the report of the committee.
Motion agreed to.
CARE AND PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 106)
(Serial 106)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr ELFERINK (Children and Families): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
This bill amends the Care and Protection of Children Act to enable the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to apply for a new form of court order, namely a Permanent Care Order, applicable to children who are subjected to a protection order until they are 18 years of age under the act.
The order provides for permanent care of a child to the person granted the Permanent Care Order, other than the Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Children and Families, until the child reaches 18 years of age.
The order will effectively allow the person granted the order to provide long-term and stable care to a child without the involvement of the statutory child protection system. Under the order, the person granted the order will have parental responsibility for the child, enabling them to make decisions for the care and wellbeing of those children in the same way families can, and do.
Importantly, a Permanent Care Order will give stability and permanency to a child, who we must not forget will have been subject to considerable disruption and trauma as a result of the harm they would have experienced and their being taken into statutory care.
Research indicates that children in out-of-home care who are in stable, consistent environments do better overall than children who experience multiple placements. They are more likely to form secure attachments, have better health, social and educational outcomes, and go on to make successful transitions to independent living in early adulthood.
The proposed amendment to the Care and Protection of Children Act is in line with other jurisdictions within Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, all of which have similar orders based on the same objective: to give children a sense of permanency and security with a family on a long-term basis.
The order will also provide children and families with a sense of normalcy, as there will be no further departmental intervention in their lives once the order is made.
The Department for Families and Communities’ (South Australia), Other Person Guardianship Position Paper 2010 discussed the benefits for children where carers are given long-term guardianship. These benefits include:
the child’s living arrangements are normalised and stabilised, reducing anxiety about the future
stigma associated with being in the state care is reduced
the likelihood of secure attachments to carers is increased, and
The idea of a Permanent Care Order is not a new idea in the Northern Territory. The former government agreed to the introduction of this form of order using a much more complex name: the Enduring Parental Responsibility Order. Also, they did not go on to make it law. The name has changed to more accurately reflect the intent and permanency of the order, but the underpinning intent and overall rationale has remained the same.
Only the Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Children and Families will be able to apply for a Permanent Care Order. Eligibility is based on:
the child being subject to a long-term protection order until the child is 18 years of age, under the Care and Protection of Children Act
reunification with the child’s parents is not a realistic option. Reunification with the family is the goal of all child protection systems. However, where this has been agreed as not possible, then a Permanent Care Order should be a consideration, along with a suite of other out-of-home care options
a carer wanting to care for a child under the conditions of a Permanent Care Order, and who has been assessed as suitable by the Department of Children and Families. Most applicants will have an existing relationship with the child as their current foster or kinship carers, although some may not. Assessment for a Permanent Care Order will be based on the existing rigorous assessments for fostering and kinship carers and the processes applied to assess adoptive parents. The assessment will be modified to include professional assessment of motivation and ability to provide a stable and secure environment
a Permanent Care Order is assessed as meeting the best interests of the child
A permanent care order provides a different path or option for these children, one that is consistent, stable and home based. The making of a Permanent Care Order will provide children with security and a sense of permanency with a person granted the Permanent Care Order until they are 18 years of age.
It is, therefore, very much like a quasi or administrative adoption. Children will cease to be part of the child protection system and its associated stigma, and on the making of an order carers will be able to exercise all the rights and responsibilities that come with having parental responsibility. Unlike adoption, however, the order will not remove a child’s surname, take away a child’s birth rights and access to entitlements, nor will it change the details of their birth certificate. This will ensure that a child’s relationship with their birth family is not severed.
Furthermore, Aboriginal children are overwhelming represented in out-of-home care placements. In making any decisions about permanency for these children, maintaining strong family relationships and cultural connectedness is paramount and consistent with principles under section 12 of the Care and Protection of Children Act. In determining the Permanent Care Order is the best means of meeting a child’s needs and safeguarding their wellbeing, carers will be required to give a commitment to maintain these connections. Again, this is consistent with current requirements for foster carers and adoptive parents.
There will be financial benefits for the community with the introduction of Permanent Care Orders. It is well known that providing out-of-home care services is a costly component of the child protection system, with the Northern Territory reporting higher expenditure on out-of-home care per bed night than any other jurisdiction. Once a Permanent Care Order is made, long-term remuneration of carers through fostering and kinship care payments and other costs currently covered by the Northern Territory government will cease. For some carers, this will not be a disincentive and their costs will be able to be offset by a range of parenting allowances and benefits.
These orders will also alleviate caseloads for DCF and case workers working in the out-of-home care system. This will free up resources to meet the needs of the most vulnerable children who require a more intensive service from the department.
This bill, however, is not motivated by finances. It is motivated by a belief that children benefit from feeling secure, wanted and loved by carers who have nominated themselves to take on the responsibility to do just that: commit to the effort and responsibility to raise a child, not just for months, or even years, but for their entire childhood and beyond.
I have met many of the people who look after these kids in care, and their passion and dedication is without peer. I am struck, and continue to be struck, by the level of love demonstrated by these people in this environment. Anything I can do to enhance the quality of service they bring to the people of the Northern Territory is something I will embrace.
Madam Speaker, I commend this bill to honourable members and table the explanatory statement to accompany the bill.
Debate adjourned.
BAIL AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 105)
(Serial 105)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr ELFERINK (Attorney-General and Justice): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of this bill is to ensure the Bail Act is clear, concise and meets the expectations of the community where serious offences are allegedly committed, and where recidivist offenders are charged with serious offences, or charged with breaching domestic violence orders. The bill is one of the cornerstones of the Pillars of Justice criminal justice strategy.
The bill simplifies the structure of the Bail Act by removing the ‘neutral presumption’ provisions in sections 8(1), 8(1A) and 8(5). The neutral presumption matters have resulted in the Bail Act being overly complicated and convoluted as there is significant overlap between the neutral matters and the matters subjected to the presumption against bail. The legal test for the neutral matters is not stated within the act. Removing the neutral matters will mean the Bail Act has a clear structure with general presumption for bail under section 8(2), except for matters specified in section 7A, for which there is a presumption against bail.
The bill inserts a number of new matters into section 7A(1) as matters subject to a presumption against bail. Importantly, the bill will ensure people who are charged with breaching a domestic violence order, and have prior finding of guilt within two years for a DVO contravention offence, will be subject to a presumption against bail. The bill also ensures that people who are charged with breaching a domestic violence order and have prior finding of guilt for a prescribed offence are subject to the presumption against bail.
The Bail Act has not protected victims of domestic violence and has allowed people to be continually bailed when they are charged with breaching orders and have a history of violent offending, and to continually be bailed when they have criminal history relating to the breach of such orders. This bill seeks to, and will, rectify this imbalance.
A number of other matters have been included in section 7A and I will outline them shortly.
The bill also inserts four new matters in section 24(1)(b) of the Bail Act that a court or authorised officer may take into account when considering granting bail to a person. The matters relate to circumstances or interests relevant to an alleged offender.
The bill also clarifies the operation of the revocation bail provisions at section 38 of the Bail Act, and the offences at section 44 and 45 of the act have been redrafted according to the criminal responsibilities of Part IIAA of the Criminal Code Act. The bill also omits obsolete references within the act, and minor drafting amendments to update Part numbers has occurred.
I will now explain the substantive clauses of the bill in greater detail.
Clause 6 omits section 6(ca) of the Bail Act. Section 6(ca) refers to section 357 of the Criminal Code Act; section 357 was repealed in 2002 and the reference should be removed.
Clause 7 makes a number of amendments to section 7A of the Bail Act. Clause 7(1) omits section 7A(1)(b) which refers to the offence of treason. Treason is not an offence in the Northern Territory and the reference should be removed.
Clause 7(2) amends section 7A(1)(c). Currently, section 7A(1)(c) states there is a presumption against bail for an offence against the Misuse of Drugs Act punishable by a term of imprisonment for more than seven years. The current wording is inconsistent with the mandatory sentencing provisions in section 37(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act and the current wording excludes serious drug offences from the presumption against bail, for example, possessing a trafficable quantity of a Schedule 1 dangerous drug such as methamphetamine. Amending the words to ‘seven years or more’ will ensure that the wording of the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Bail Act is consistent and will ensure a consistent policy position is taken regarding serious drug offences, namely that matters which automatically attract the mandatory sentencing provisions of sections 32(2)(a) of the Misuse of Drugs Act also attract a presumption against bail.
Clause 7(3) omits section 7(a)(1)(dc) and section 7A(1)(e), and incorporates a number of new matters as presumptions against bail. In particular, section 7A(1)(dc) is omitted and a new section 7A(1)(dc) is inserted. The new provision inserts three new criminal offences under the criminal code: section 54 Terrorism; section 242 Sabotage; and section 243(1), Arson. Section 103A of the Criminal Code, relating to threats against persons involved in criminal investigations, involved in judicial proceedings or against public officers, has been retained. New offences carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and the potential for damage to public infrastructure, cause wide spread injury or death, and arouse fear within the community, and as such, should be subject to a presumption against bail when charged.
Section 7A(1e) is omitted as all matters currently subject to this provision will be captured by the new section 7A(1)(df).
New section 7A(1)(dd) is inserted. This provision is similar to the neutral presumption matter at section 8(1)(aa) of the current act. This provision prescribes a presumption against bail where a person is charged with causing serious harm (section 181 of the Criminal Code) or breaching a domestic violence order (section 120 of the Domestic and Family Violence Act), and the person has a prior finding of guilt for murder, serious harm, assault on a worker, assault on police, sexual intercourse without consent or gross indecency without consent. This new paragraph creates a presumption against bail for recidivist offenders who have a prior finding of guilt for offences involving serious violence or assaults on prescribed persons and are charged with breaching a domestic violence order or causing serious harm.
New section 7A(1)(de) is inserted. This provision is similar to the neutral presumption matter in section 8(1)(ab)(i) of the current act and creates a presumption against bail where the person is an adult charged with committing a serious offence while on bail for another serious offence. The intent of this amendment is to ensure there is a presumption against bail where a person is bailed for a serious offence and is subsequently charged with committing a serious offence while they are on bail.
New section 7A(1)(df) is inserted. This provision is similar to the neutral presumption matter at section 8(1)(ab)(ii) of the current act and incorporates the time frame that is currently prescribed at section 8(1A)(a). This new paragraph creates a presumption against bail where a person is charged with a serious offence and has, within a period of ten years, been found guilty of a serious violence offence.
New section 7A(1)(dg) is inserted. This provision is similar to a neutral presumption matter at section 8(1)(b) of the current act and creates a presumption against bail where a person is subject to a suspended sentence of imprisonment under section 40 of the Sentencing Act and is charged with an offence which may breach that suspended sentence if convicted of it. The new provision contains a detailed exemption provision where the breach is of an administrative character, or where the authorised member or court is of the view that the offence is minor and is unlikely to be regarded as a breach of the suspended sentence.
New section 7A(1)(dh) is inserted. This provision makes it a presumption against bail where a person is charged with breaching a domestic violence order under section 120 of the Domestic and Family Violence Act and has, within a period of two years, been found guilty of a DVO contravention offence. A DVO contravention offence is defined as an offence against section 120(1) of the Domestic and Family Violence Act, an offence of contravening a restraining order under the repealed Domestic Violence Act or an offence of contravening an external order.
Section 7A(1)(dh) creates a presumption against bail for domestic violence order breach offenders who have a prior finding of guilt for a DVO contravention offence within a prescribed period. Statistics reveal that, on average, a person charged with breaching a domestic violence order is dealt with for 2.8 breaches of that order. Statistics also reveal that 37% of offenders are charged with three or more breaches of the same order. This government is committed to ensuring that victims of domestic violence are protected at every stage of legal proceedings and is committed to ensuring that alleged perpetrators abide by the conditions of an order and must prove to a court why they should be released on bail when they are charged with breaching that order.
Clause 7(4) omits section 7A(2) and a new section 7A(2) is inserted. The new subsection states that:
- Bail must not be granted to a person accused of an offence to which this section applies unless the person satisfies an authorised member or court that bail should be granted.
A note has been inserted which states that section 24 requires the authorised member or court determining whether bail should be granted to take into consideration the matters in that section only. The amendment is necessary as the wording of the current section has led to courts interpreting the current section 7A(2) in an inconsistent manner. The new section is clear and concise and notes that only the matters in section 24 can be taken into account in assessing whether bail should be granted.
Clause 8 of the bill omits the neutral matters at sections 8(1)(a), (aa), (ab), (b) and sections 8(1A) and 8(5) of the Bail Act. A new section 8(1) is inserted, which states that section 8 applies to an offence, except an offence to which section 7A applies. This section, when read with section 8(2), means there is a presumption for bail for all matters, except for those offences specified in section 7A.
Clause 11 of the bill inserts four matters into section 24(1)(b) of the Bail Act. Section 24(1)(b) relates to matters that are specific to the accused person and that an authorised officer or court can take into account when determining whether a grant of bail should occur. The four matters relate to cognitive impairment, mental impairment, youth and cultural background. A number of stakeholders noted that relevant matters were absent from section 24(1)(b) and should be included so the court or authorised officer can more fully assess considerations that are applicable to the accused person. Youth has been included to ensure there is as little conflict as possible between the Bail Act and Youth Justice Act regarding bail.
Clause 11(2) includes a note which states that section 24(1)(b)(iiic) – cultural background, must be interpreted with reference to section 15AB(1)(b) of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth). The Commonwealth act precludes customary law and cultural practice being used in a prescribed manner for bail matters in the Northern Territory.
Clause 11(3) inserts a new section 24(3A) into the Bail Act. A number of stakeholders noted that the courts or authorised officers should give careful consideration to living arrangements when considering bail. This issue was of particular importance when the alleged offences occur within a domestic relationship and the complainant and/or witness is still residing in the family home. Section 24(3A) notes that when assessing the potential risks to other persons when considering bail undertaking, the authorised member or court must consider the previous, current or proposed living arrangements for both the alleged victim and the accused person, and whether the arrangements include living in an unnecessarily close proximity to each other.
Clause 13 amends section 32(2A)(a) by inserting the words ‘or an offence to which section 7A applies’. Currently, a court must revoke bail where it is satisfied a breach of an undertaking of bail or condition of bail, has occurred and a person has been charged with a serious violence offence that attracted a presumption against bail.
Currently, the requirement to revoke bail where a breach is proven does not extend to all offences where there is an initial presumption against bail, but bail was nevertheless granted. Given the serious nature of the matters prescribed in section 7A, a proven breach of an undertaking or condition should result in an undertaking being revoked. The amendment ensures that a court must revoke bail where it finds a person has breached a condition of bail and the grant of bail related to a serious violence offence ‘or an offence to which section 7A applies’. A court still maintains the discretion to subsequently grant bail to a person under section 38(3). However, they must revoke the original undertaking if section 38(2A) is applicable.
The offences at sections 44 and 45 of the Bail Act have been redrafted to incorporate the criminal responsibility elements of Part IIAA of the Criminal Code Act and the maximum penalties have been amended so they are consistent with the current penalty policy.
Clause 17 contains the transitional provisions for this bill and they are relevant to the application of sections 7A, 8, 24, 38, 44 and 45 as amended by the bill.
Madam Speaker, I thank the large number of stakeholders and government agencies who took time and effort to provide detailed submissions concerning the structure of, and operation of, the Bail Act. I commend the bill to honourable members and table a copy of the explanatory statement.
Debate adjourned.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS
Take Two Bills Together
Take Two Bills Together
Mr GILES (Chief Minister): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent the bills titled Port of Darwin Bill 2014 and Port Management Bill 2014 being presented and read a first time together and one motion being put in regard to, respectively, the second readings, the committees report stage and the third readings of the bill together, and that the bills be considered separately in the Committee of the Whole
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Mr Deputy Speaker, we were not given any advice around these bills being cognate. If the Chief Minister could explain why that needs to be done? There are reasons why we usually debate each bill separately.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, perhaps the oversight is mine. Nothing untoward is happening. These bills are intimately linked. To deal with them separately would make it very clunky. This is a standard cognating process that normally is conducted when bills are inextricably linked with each other. Even the titles of the two bills would suggest to you the quality of proximity between the two instruments.
Mr Gunner: I can accept the Attorney-General on face value. Obviously they both have the word ‘port’ in them. Could the Chief Minister explain how they are linked?
Mr Giles: I will explain in my speech.
Mr Gunner: Yes, all right.
Motion agreed to.
PORTS MANAGEMENT BILL
(Serial 110)
PORT OF DARWIN BILL
(Serial 111)
(Serial 110)
PORT OF DARWIN BILL
(Serial 111)
Bills presented and read a first time.
Mr GILES (Economic Development and Major Projects): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a second time.
I am pleased to introduce the Port of Darwin Bill 2014 and the Ports Management Bill 2014. Together these bills deliver on the government’s commitment to implement an improved regulatory regime for designated ports in the Northern Territory, and to facilitate a commercially efficient Port of Darwin which will expand and grow in line with the Northern Territory economy.
I begin by summarising the history of the Port of Darwin and what it has developed to be. As many in this Chamber will know, the port is, and will continue to be, an integral part of the development of the Northern Territory. Well before being discovered by the Europeans, the Larrakia people lived on lands surrounding the port and formed trading routes with Southeast Asia, particularly the Macassans.
The port was discovered 175 years ago with the arrival of the HMS Beagle on 9 September 1839. For many years trade by sea was the only method of accessing the varied essential supplies needed by the early settlers.
The Darwin Port Authority was established by the Darwin Port Authority Act in 1983. The port authority became the Darwin Port Corporation in 2005 and is a business division of the NT government. The current Darwin Port Corporation is responsible for the management and operation of the port in accordance with powers and functions defined under the Darwin Port Corporation Act and by-laws.
Today the corporation is responsible to the Minister for Economic Development and Major Projects and employs 85 full-time equivalent staff. The corporation’s facilities predominately service the following shipping and cargo markets: container and general cargo; offshore oil and gas rigs; livestock exports; dry bulk imports and exports; and petroleum/avgas and other bulk liquids.
The Darwin Port Corporation also operates facilities for cruise ships and for Defence, research, and fishing and pearling vessels. Last year the corporation’s commercial wharf, East Arm Wharf, oversaw the movement of 2800 commercial vessels, around 400 000 head of cattle and 4.3 million tonnes of cargo.
The port remains a vibrant harbour, evolving with the times, with newly dredged channels, a recently completed Marine Supply Base with potential for further quay line to be developed, and state-of-the-art port management systems.
If the port is so vital to the development of the Northern Territory, why, you ask, is my government interested in attracting private sector involvement in our port? The answer is simple: we want to secure an ongoing partnership with the private sector. Private investment will increase the commercial productivity of our port and will ensure it is best placed to grow and develop in line with our expanding economy. At the same time it will free up the value in this government asset to enable public monies to be directed towards other key new infrastructure development needs within the Northern Territory in support of growing northern Australia.
As members in this Chamber know, the Northern Territory has a relatively low infrastructure base when compared to other jurisdictions. For example, 70% of Northern Territory managed roads are unsealed and many areas of the Northern Territory are stranded in the Wet Season.
The Northern Territory will not achieve its stated goals of driving economic and social development without unlocking its vast potential by investing in key enabling and economic infrastructure. However, the Northern Territory is geographically large, with a small and dispersed population base. We therefore have limited ability to fund our major infrastructure needs from our own resources. Private investment and partnership is critical to delivering the long-term infrastructure requirements of the Northern Territory.
Historically, the Northern Territory has relied on funding from the federal government to progress major infrastructure projects. This source of funding is becoming harder to secure, with the Northern Territory competing unfavourably against interstate projects with greater and faster rates of returns since when Kevin Rudd was first elected as Prime Minister.
In addition, all governments are facing increasingly tight fiscal positions. Now more than ever we need to consider partnership opportunities with the private sector to develop and grow our key assets and unlock revenue to invest in infrastructure which will unlock economic and social potential in the Northern Territory.
Management and development of ports is highly specialised. The private sector has been growing experience and expertise in this area and will have greater ability to access efficiencies and productivity gains, and expand our port. This will result in direct and enduring benefits for the Northern Territory economy, and for Territorians.
I emphasise that we are not proposing to sell the port. It is a valuable and important piece of economic infrastructure and one which my government is keen to continue to own over the longer term. The port’s strategic geographical position within the City of Darwin, in Australia and in Asia makes it a vital element of Australia’s transport logistics supply chain, and it is critical to the Northern Territory’s ongoing development and growth opportunities. What I am very keen to pursue is a long-term investment in the continuing growth of our port.
A long-term lease of the port is proposed. This will provide the private sector with secure tenure and confidence to invest in the ongoing development of the port to meet the growing freight demand across all sectors of the economy.
The goal of this government is to make the Port of Darwin a cost effective alternate to southern ports which are becoming congested and have serious transport logistic issues. This is why we are also focusing on ensuring we have appropriate transport infrastructure to make the Port of Darwin a viable alternative for the ever increasing resource developments across Australia.
Darwin is truly Australia’s portal into Asia and Asia’s portal into Australia. If we can deliver a more efficient and effective port link to efficient transport logistic chains, the Port of Darwin has the potential to become the most strategically significant port within Australia.
Up until the late 1990s, a majority of Australian capital city ports were publicly owned. However, since then Australia has followed the international trend of reducing government’s involvement in port operations as this is not core government business. It allows for the private sector to run and fund it like a business, which requires government intervention to address these issues and to make it happen.
In 1996 the Victorian government sold both the ports of Portland and Geelong. The South Australian government entered into a long-term lease for the Port of Adelaide in 2001. In November 2010, Queensland leased the Port of Brisbane and is currently considering leasing both the ports of Gladstone and Townsville. In 2013 the New South Wales government leased the ports of Botany and Kembla. The Port of Melbourne is the only major capital city port on the east coast still owned by a state government and it intends to commence an expression of interest process for the port in early 2015.
Private sector operation of ports is, therefore, not a new phenomenon. The majority of governments have moved away from managing ports and this has resulted in increased port efficiency. It has also meant that government’s scarce resources can be redirected to other important infrastructure projects which will drive improved economic and social outcomes. The key, however, is not throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We want to improve efficiency and productivity, and secure private investment, but we also want to ensure that the government’s objectives of continued harbour safety, increased infrastructure investment, competitive pricing and open access continue to be delivered.
It is proposed that the Northern Territory secures private sector investment in the port through a competitive tender process. I am very keen for the Northern Territory to explore interest from international investors, and I took the opportunity to test the project with key members of the Japan business community at a recent Australia-Japan Joint Business Conference. The response was promising.
I have also fielded expressions of interest from a large number of Australian and international investors keen for the opportunity to invest in the Northern Territory. I am committed to a transparent and competitive process. The Northern Territory, together with its lead adviser, will be undertaking formal investor soundings early next month to inform packaging of the investment opportunity.
To support private sector management and opportunity of the port, I am proposing to establish a regulatory regime which is not significantly different to existing arrangements. Safety in port waters and the harbour is of paramount concern, and the Northern Territory will continue to regulate port safety standards. Likewise, the management of dangerous goods and matters of occupational health and safety remain with Worksafe NT, and environmental issues continue to be managed by the NT Environmental Protection Authority.
While the changes to the regulatory regime are limited in this way, the effect of the proposed regulatory framework is to:
1. provide an improved overarching regulatory framework for all designated ports in the Northern Territory, including the port. It is worth noting that currently there is no specific port regulatory regime for ports in the Northern Territory. The proposed ports management bill will bring together the regulatory regime for all designated ports in the Northern Territory.
2. improve efficiency of port operations and, in turn, increase revenue generated from the port
3 allow for private investment in and operation of the port while ensuring adequate control is maintained by the Northern Territory to ensure the good, proper and safe operation of the port.
Systems will be incorporated into the legislative and contractual packages to ensure appropriate price regulation and access arrangement review through an independent statutory regulator, the Northern Territory Utilities Commission.
I will now provide more detailed information around each of the two bills.
The Northern Territory government is pleased to introduce the Port of Darwin Bill, which will facilitate the Northern Territory government securing private investment in the Port of Darwin.
Among other things, this bill:
(a) authorises the transfer of the business of the Darwin Port Corporation (DPC) to a private sector entity
(b) limits the ability to transfer land to the issuing of either a lease or licence for a term not exceeding 99 years
(c) authorises the establishment and operation of companies and corporate structures to facilitate the transaction
(d) enables necessary directions to be made to give effect to the transaction
(e) allows for the vesting of relevant Northern Territory government contracts.
The transaction will necessarily involve the DPC or the Northern Territory being replaced by the new operator as counter-party to a number of existing contracts. The Northern Territory position will seek to negotiate an outcome in relation to the novation of existing contracts, and the vesting power will only be used as an absolute last resort, if necessary, to facilitate this very important transaction.
The bill will enable the long-term lease of the port package for a term no greater than 99 years. Freehold title of the port package land will remain in government ownership and will rest in the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment.
It is important to remember that recent Northern Territory government projects have required transaction legislation to ensure that processes can be facilitated effectively and without delay. For example, transaction legislation was utilised in the rail project.
This bill facilitates the long-term lease of the port to a private operator. However, the Northern Territory government recognises there is still a process we will embark on which will enable us to test market interest in the project. The port is a valuable government asset and should prospective bidders not deliver a valuable outcome for the government, we will not proceed with any long-term lease arrangements. The bill will not affect any ability of the port to continue to operate in government hands.
The Northern Territory government is also pleased to introduce the Ports Management Bill. Ports in the Northern Territory are currently regulated through a number of different legislative regimes. The only declared port in the Northern Territory is the Port of Darwin. It is regulated through a combination of the Darwin Port Corporation Act and elements of the Marine Act. Ports in the Northern Territory which are associated with mining activity – Gove, Groote Eylandt, and Bing Bong – are regulated through the Mine Management Act.
Other ports are currently not regulated to any great extent, nor are barge landings. All ports are subject to the overarching regulatory regimes associated with worker safety, dangerous goods and environmental protection. The Ports Management Bill will, for the first time, provide a regulatory framework for the management and control of all designated ports within the Northern Territory. It amalgamates the relevant provisions of the Darwin Port Corporation Act and the Marine Act to form a cohesive, improved, streamlined regulatory regime for designated ports into one single piece of overarching legislation.
It is proposed that the first designated port will be the Port of Darwin. However, the Ports Management Bill will also allow other ports in the Northern Territory to be designated over time, thereby bringing them within a uniform port regulatory regime. Of course, any moves to designate other ports will be undertaken in close consultation and collaboration with port owners and stakeholders. The fundamental premise of the new regulatory regime is that the Minister for Transport may declare a port within the Northern Territory to be a designated port for the purposes of the act. The minister will also declare one port operator for each designated port.
The principal functions of the port operator are to establish, manage, maintain and operate facilities and services in a designated port that promote its safe and efficient operation. Its function will also be to facilitate and use best endeavours to increase the volume of trade through the designated port. Port operators will therefore be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the designated port, including:
undertaking dredging or other work to deepen, widen, extend, clear or maintain channels or berthing areas
carrying out hydrographic surveys and providing results to the regional harbour master
keeping records of all reportable incidents that occur within the port and advising the regional harbour master in writing of such incidents as soon as practical after the incident occurs
providing advanced notification to the regional harbour master of any vessel entering the port carrying dangerous goods
preparing a port safety plan for government’s approval, implementing the plan and auditing compliance with the plan when requested by the regional harbour master
making quarterly reports to the regional harbour master of material instances of non-compliance with the port safety plan
through a port management officer:
- o directing and controlling vessel movements within the port area. Where a master fails to comply with a direction above, the port management officer can cause the vessel to be positioned, moored, unmoored, placed, anchored or removed as directed at the cost of the master of the vessel
o clearing wrecks or removing vessels which threaten commercial shipping
o requiring owners of vessels carrying dangerous goods to provide a security by the way of bond, indemnity or guarantee, or to obtain a policy of insurance. Should vessel owners refuse or fail to provide the requested security or insurance, the port management officer can refuse the vessel entry to the port or restrict the loading, unloading, handling or storage of the cargo on the vessel
The port operator will appoint port management officers and port enforcement officers to undertake the various roles identified within the Ports Management Bill.
Given the strategic nature of ports, particularly the Port of Darwin, it is proposed that the Northern Territory retains a number of residual regulatory functions to safeguard public interest. These statutory regulations include:
Marine Safety Regulation: the roles and functions of the current harbour master will be divided between the port operator, being responsible for the day-to-day safe management of the port, and the Department of Transport, as the agency responsible for the shipping and maritime industries. The Department of Transport will retain the position of regional harbourmaster. The regional harbourmaster must be a public employee and be appointed by the minister to be the regional harbourmaster for a designated port. The regional harbourmaster has a number of roles and functions under the Ports Management Bill, including:
o setting technical and safety standards for pilotage and the provision of pilotage services
o promulgating depths and under keel clearances
- o exercising step-in rights because of an emergency, or in order to avert a threat of death or serious injury to any person, or loss or serious damage to property, or actual or potential harm to the environment. The regional harbour master has step-in rights for the following relevant functions:
- direction and control of vessels within the port
pilotage
movement, handling and storage of dangerous goods
approval and management of maritime navigational aids
clearances of wrecks and removal of vessels
closure of the port and relevant waters.
Pilotage: the minister will continue to declare pilotage areas and appoint pilotage authorities for other pilotage areas. He will also appoint pilotage service providers for a pilotage area. Pilotage authorities will license pilots. At the request of the pilotage authority, the minister may appoint a person to conduct an inquiry into misconduct by a licensed pilot.
Price monitoring: given that the port operator has the power to set port prices, government will undertake a price monitoring role with the Utilities Commission as the independent statutory regulator. Where there is evidence of inappropriate pricing behaviour, the government has the capacity to step in to regulate prices. This approach is considered to deliver an appropriate balance between commercial certainty for an investor and a level of independent pricing, oversight and scrutiny.
Third party access: the port operator will have a legislative obligation not to unreasonably hinder access to port services and unfairly discriminate between port users. The port operator will be required to develop an access policy consistent with the guidelines issued by the Utilities Commissioner.
Management of the port lease: for the Port of Darwin, government will manage compliance with the conditions contained within the port lease through the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment.
Environmental regulation: the NT Environmental Protection Authority will continue to regulate environmental issues at all ports in the Northern Territory.
Dangerous Goods Regulation: WorkSafe NT will continue to regulate dangerous goods issues on land at ports. Port operators will be responsible for management of dangerous goods on vessels, with the regional harbourmaster having direction/step-in rights.
Worker Safety Regulation: WorkSafe NT and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority will continue to investigate and prosecute worker safety issues at ports.
Vessel safety: the Northern Territory will continue to issue vessel surveys and safety manning requirements as a delegate of the National Marine Safety Regulator.
Residual Maritime Regulatory Functions: the Department of Transport will be responsible for regulating activities outside designated ports. It will also retain its role in relation to recreational boating safety.
Planning: the planning regime for the Port of Darwin will remain unchanged.
Government has designed a regulatory regime which allows private port operators of designated ports to have the day-to-day management and control of their port operations. However, the regime includes a role for government in relation to safety and access, and price monitoring.
The transaction and regulatory bills have necessitated consequential amendments to various pieces of current legislation. I now outline consequential amendments to the Darwin Port Corporation Act.
It is envisaged that DPC could cease to exist should the newly created port operator entity be taken over by a private investor. This therefore necessitates significant changes to the current Darwin Port Corporation Act.
Creation of a new port operator entity would also necessitate the transfer of DPC employees to the new entity. I reassure employees of DPC that where they are to transfer to a new employer, they would do so on terms and conditions no less favourable overall, with federal legislation ensuring that existing enterprise agreements will continue to apply in their new employment.
In relation to consequential amendments to the Marine Act, the new Ports Management Bill has required significant changes to the Marine Act. Elements of the previous Marine Act which relate to ports generally, including provisions relating to pilotage, dangerous goods and marine navigational aids, have been removed from the Marine Act and included in the Ports Management Bill with relevant amendments to ensure day-to-day management by the port operator and step-in rights by the regional harbourmaster where appropriate.
Other minor amendments have also been facilitated to the Marine Act, including the transfer of a number of more operational powers from the minister to either the newly created regional harbourmaster or to the director under the Marine Act, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the agency administering the act, being the Department of Transport.
The legislative package introduced today creates a comprehensive regulatory regime for designated ports in the Northern Territory, which achieves the balance required to allow port operators to go about their business and safely and efficiently run and grow ports, whilst ensuring that the Northern Territory government retains key roles, including the setting of safety standards, being able to direct and then step in to manage emergency situations, license pilots, regulate access and monitor prices.
The regulatory piece of legislation modernises the way we regulate ports in the Northern Territory going ahead.
Changes to the Darwin Port Act create an enabling environment; they do not create an environment where this process will definitely happen, but they allow us to run a model of consultation on elements of the bill to test the market and see whether or not there are opportunities for investment in the port. It moves us in line with a continuing paradigm of developing the port, acknowledging the significant growth opportunities for the Northern Territory, both now and into the future.
I seek to find a financial investor to help build Darwin’s port and grow it well into the future. For those opposed to seeing Darwin port grow, or those opposed to seeing the Northern Territory grow Darwin port, I challenge them to look at previous models of similar roles undertaken by government. This includes building the railway line to Darwin, building Charles Darwin University, building Uluru/Ayres Rock Resort and facilitating the Marine Supply Base through a long-term lease off the Northern Territory government.
These are elements that work to build the Northern Territory. With the right processes and regimes put in place, it will provide protection for all, create jobs for our future and ensure that industries such as tourism, cattle, primary production and Defence have access to the most modern and up-to-date facilities at the best international levels with the ability to get the best cost-efficient structures put in place.
We have to remain competitive nationally and internationally, and this is the next step in the process of allowing that to happen. Introducing these two bills today before testing the market provides an opportunity for a wide range of consultation, which has been going on since February this year when we first announced it. It allows for those agitators on the other side of this Chamber who say there is no consultation to consult and realise the future of the Northern Territory is through growth. Having investment in our port puts us on a firm footing to remain internationally and nationally competitive to secure our children’s future into the longer term.
I commend these bills to honourable members and table the explanatory statements to accompany them.
Debate adjourned.
The Assembly suspended.
PETITION
Petition No 41
Secondary Education Options at Mount Liebig
Petition No 41
Secondary Education Options at Mount Liebig
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 49 petitioners relating to secondary education options at Mount Liebig. I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read.
- Petition for a School of the Air learning centre in Mount Liebig.
The children and community of Mount Liebig do not want their young people to move away in order to gain an education. The young people of Mount Liebig come from a small community of around 200 people and have a close connection to their families, community and country.
Currently boarding schools have very poor retention rates for Mount Liebig students. The young people are not used to being locked in at night or following strict boarding school rules. It is also the experience of Mount Liebig youth that they suffer bullying and prejudice while attending boarding schools.
We believe there needs to be secondary education options at Mount Liebig so young people of our community can achieve the best possible outcomes.
ALCOHOL MANDATORY TREATMENT AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 107)
(Serial 107)
Continued from 26 November 2014.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Madam Speaker, I speak as shadow minister for Health on the amendments introduced on urgency to the CLP’s controversial and seriously flawed alcohol mandatory treatment legislation which commenced on 1 July last year.
We support the amendments brought forward because these are the things we and stakeholders raised in the lead-up to the passage of the bill in June 2013.
If the minister had listened to the conga line of medical experts, legal experts and social justice experts, Indigenous organisations and community leaders when developing the original bill, this legislation, and its outcomes for those who have found themselves in a system of mandated treatment for chronic alcoholism, might have been different. It is a system which, unbelievably, criminalised a serious health issue.
I will give a quick snapshot of what some of these experts had to say in the lead-up to the alcohol mandatory treatment legislation in June 2013, because it is important to understand where we have come from on this difficult journey.
Priscilla Collins, CEO of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, said on ABC radio in June 2013:
- If you want to go in and put legislation in place to improve a situation, you need to have evidence to support this. Under the new alcohol mandatory treatment legislation, there is no evidence to support it, and that’s our huge concern is that you’re going to be forcing people into a rehab, there’s no evidence to support it, and at the end of the day, these people haven’t committed a criminal offence.
Mr John Paterson, CEO of AMSANT – who in this instance is speaking on behalf of APO NT, Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory – said this about the policy, Without us having that opportunity to sit around and work up solutions which we believe will work which will have some evidence and research backing, the initiatives we are proposing then, it’s a waste of $35m which could be better expended in other areas’.
- We also believe the bill indirectly discriminates against Aboriginal people in the NT, particularly those Aboriginal people living remotely who are often more likely to drink in public places when they visit service centres or towns.
I add to that the fact that with the scrapping by the CLP of the Return to Country program previously operated by Larrakia Nation, we will see …
Mr Elferink: You have the order of that wrong.
Ms WALKER: Sorry, Larrakia Corporation … more people stranded in Darwin, unable to get home, vulnerable to alcohol misuse and finding themselves in AMT.
Going back to the history of the passage of this bill, I refer to the President of the Northern Territory Criminal Lawyers Association, Mr Russell Goldflam, who said, ‘My lengthy experience working in this area, all my instinct and my experience tells me, that it is just not going to work. People are not going to benefit from this. It is going to cost an enormous amount of money, and worst of all it is going to end up with more people getting into the criminal justice system and all the misery that involves.’
__________________________
Visitors
Nepalese, East African and Italian Communities
Nepalese, East African and Italian Communities
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I welcome some of the members of the Nepalese community, the East African community and the Italian community. Thank you for coming in at short notice to see how parliament is working.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: We are debating a piece of legislation and the member for Nhulunbuy is speaking.
__________________________
Ms WALKER: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
The minister was not alone. All members opposite on the government benches dismissed the advice of all the experts. The Chief Minister went a step further – and perhaps a step too far – in branding those experts:
- … leftie welfare orientated people, who rely on the misery and the poverty to sustain their own personal economy ….
Then, with all the bravado the Chief Minister could muster, he offered a piece of advice to these individuals, organisations and experts, and told them to:
- … get out of the way, P*** off.
What extraordinary yobbo behaviour from the Territory’s leader, our leader, who is on the record proudly describing drinking as a core value for Territorians.
The reality is that the CLP got it wrong; they forged ahead with the system that criminalised the very serious health issue of alcohol addiction. They took a judicial approach, not a health approach.
But the CLP and the Health minister dug their heels in and dismissed the advice of experts, which has now come full circle and is before us today by way of amendments to alcohol mandatory treatment legislation. To be fair to the minister, she did not completely ignore all of the advice in the lead-up to the passage of AMT legislation; she did give in to some pressure which saw 43 amendments debated at the committee stage over many hours on the night of Thursday 27 June 2013, finally concluding, if I recall, at around 3 am the following day.
Today we finally welcome the amendments which come before parliament to improve flawed legislation and, most importantly, decriminalise what is clearly a flawed system. Harking back to the words of John Paterson from AMSANT in April 2013 in the lead-up to the introduction of the legislation, he said:
- Let’s see if it works, and let’s see if it can provide good evidence of it working. And let’s hope that the government, as it evaluates what works and what doesn’t, is open to change.
We have these amendments before us today because AMT is not working and needs to change. However, these changes before us today do not go far enough because we cannot see the evidence and there needs to be a full evaluation. I am sure the minister has seen the media releases I issued on 17 and 18 November calling for a full clinical review and evaluation of alcohol mandatory treatment. Today, the People’s Alcohol Action Coalition issued a media release calling on the minister to honour the commitment to an evaluation. We will come back to that later.
I know the minister is very sensitive to those who constructively criticise AMT, which she described as truly groundbreaking. This was once again evident during the debate yesterday on urgency for this bill. Thankfully, we know the minister has committed to a review of AMT, and this is what she had to say during the committee stage of the second reading debate in June 2013:
- We will review the whole thing after six months – the whole initiative – so that is an opportunity to look at those types of things.
- One thing I have been trying to find out is how we will measure this. One question is: have you thought through yet where you might say, if we are not getting this kind of target or this kind of result then we would look at this?
- Absolutely. We will be tweaking, monitoring and reviewing every aspect of this initiative.
There is no doubt about it. The minister is on the record committing to a review of every aspect of AMT, and this review is what was produced. It is an excellent review of the AMT Act initiated just on a year ago, and completed and made available in March of this year. It is as a result of this review that we see three amendments before us today.
The first and most important one is decriminalising AMT by removing the absconding offence, which will be replaced with a stopped clock provision. The review stated, ‘The introduction of criminal offences as part of a treatment process is regarded as problematic. The overwhelming view was that section 72 criminalises a health issue …’ – I hope the Attorney-General is listening, as this is what the review said – ‘… and has been the most significant criticism of AMT.’
The second amendment expands referral pathways by allowing referrals from a health practitioner, providing the person is an ‘assessable person’, to a senior assessment clinician. The other expanded pathway is being allowed by removing automatic exclusion for people charged with committing an offence. For example, it could be someone who has perhaps stolen a bottle of alcohol, but it will not include people who have offended through domestic violence or violent or sexual offenders.
The third amendment is to do with making consequential amendments to the Police Administration Act to transfer an intoxicated client directly to an assessment centre, rather than be in custody until no longer intoxicated and then taken to an assessment centre. In regard to that the review stated, ‘Police are not equipped for this. Longer detainment presents heightened risks to the person in custody.’ It is obviously a very sensible amendment.
There were 48 recommendations in this review. As I said yesterday, five of the recommendations said nothing needed to be done. We have three amendments before the House today, so that leaves 40 recommendations we do not have a response to. I am very keen to know, as are other stakeholders – those who have an interest in AMT and perhaps those who contributed via a submission to the review – what the government’s position is on these other recommendations. Will the government publish its response to the review and tell Territorians what the next steps are, which recommendations it accepts and will act upon, and which recommendations it will not adopt?
It is important that people know this. It is a question I might have asked at the briefing I had in the minister’s office on Monday morning but, regrettably, I was only allocated half an hour and was bundled out the door with some haste because people had other commitments. I understand that, but I was only part way through the briefing when my half hour was up. That is the disappointment that comes with the bill coming through on urgency, in that it only afforded me that time. I do not know what communication or briefing opportunities might have been provided to stakeholders and interest groups that have a keen interest in this bill.
I acknowledge – I see him sitting here this afternoon – Dr Joe Wright, who provided that briefing to me. Dr Wright has made himself available for briefings on previous occasions, including on matters related to alcohol and other drugs, and changes in my electorate. I understand he will be moving in the near future. I wish him well and acknowledge the efforts he has put in to what has no doubt been a difficult time in putting together this legislation.
I am talking about the system, not the act, and I quoted from the committee stage debate last year. The minister was very agreeable at that time. She sounded a little less agreeable to the review during the motion to debate urgency yesterday. This was picked up not by just me, but some stakeholders I have spoken to since then. She said yesterday in regard to the review:
- Under significant pressure from a range of interest groups we agreed to review the legislation pertaining to alcohol mandatory treatment, which we did. This review commenced around this time last year in December.
In hindsight, this was a premature review. It was a review that did not need to happen at that point in time. However, we relented and agreed to appease the very vocal critics of alcohol mandatory treatment, and the review was undertaken. It came at some cost to Northern Territory taxpayers. The outcomes of the review were wide-ranging, but for the most part, quite predictable.
She then went on to say in relation to the review:
- We have sat on it, thought about it and we are now ready to make these amendments.
…
Not many people outside the predictable group of stakeholders and interest groups who are very critical of AMT – or have been in the past – contributed to the review.
You said yesterday, ‘The timing is right now to move on this’. That is the case for urgency. My question to the minister is when is the right time to conduct the evaluation you and your department have committed to? Perhaps it is already under way. If it is, then perhaps the minister, when she wraps the debate, will tell us about it. Government has said:
- An evaluation of the AMT program which will consider broader client outcomes will be undertaken in 2014.
An evaluation by the end of 2014 means we have just one month left.
Again, the minister’s comments yesterday reflect that she is not happy with having to pay for a review. I quote again:
- The review cost us all money and time; people were taken off the process of rolling out the AMT program and were focused on providing this review to appease the interest groups …
Do I detect some resentment about the money spent on this review, which routinely is done in governments to review new legislation, and which the minister was much more enthusiastic about 17 months ago when she said there would be a full review? Do I detect a hint of disdain about having to ‘appease interest groups’? How shameful the minister could be so dismissive of interest groups. For goodness sake, we are talking about a wide range of stakeholders who have a genuine interest in AMT and the health, welfare and legal rights of those in it.
I have no doubt these interest groups will include AMSANT, NAAJA, APO NT, CLANT, PAAC, doctors, nurses and the providers of rehabilitation services in Alice Springs, Katherine and Darwin. That stakeholder group is key in providing rehabilitation services. I pay tribute to the hard work they do.
The CLP’s approach to AMT was politically driven from the outset. It was, after all, an election promise on the basis of removing drunks from our streets. Because of the political motivation, program development has largely and consistently ignored the advice of health practitioners and the drug and alcohol treatment sector. The community sector, quite rightly, wants an evidence-based plan, not a politically motivated off-the-streets program.
I have no doubt some people have been successfully treated, but the minister cannot simply spruik the good news stories of AMT – the handful or more there may be – and shy away from dealing with the failures, of which I am sure there are many. Even the government predicted a success rate of only 10% in rolling out AMT, so it is not unreasonable to ask what has happened to the other 90% of AMT. In that 90% are there failures, adverse events or near misses, and how will we know what has been happening amongst that group of people who have not had success?
Where is this evaluation being developed? When will it start? Will it include a role for independent external practitioners to be involved in the evaluation, as I believe it should? With the sad death of a client in treatment in Alice Springs – casting no aspersions whatsoever on CAAAPU, which runs the facility – the need for that evaluation must surely escalate as a priority.
A coronial inquest is important and it will take place in the course of time, but it will not, by its own design, provide a comprehensive evaluation of AMT and some of its shortcomings.
In light of the death of a client, and the opening up of pathways for referral through, for instance, doctors in emergency departments in our hospitals, they may think twice. They might hesitate to refer patients for AMT if they are not confident they are sending people to places where the medical support and treatment is available, or at least a process mapping out how access to medical support is available. Are these treatment centres adequately resourced to provide the best care, keeping in mind we are talking about people who, apart from their chronic alcoholism, may have a number of other chronic health issues?
Doctors are saying they are hesitant to use this referral pathway for clients through to treatment. It is not just those of us on this side who are raising this, it is a valid question about health professionals having confidence in the system to refer people into it.
This is why the opposition called for an urgent review of clinical practice employed in the CLP’s AMT program. Some of the extracts from a media release I distributed on 18 November are:
- The recent death of a patient in AMT …
- … has highlighted the need for urgent review of the medical support necessary to underpin the AMT program.
… what is needed right now is an independent medical review whose terms of reference include assessment of:
- the cost effectiveness of the AMT program, including assessment of treatment outcomes for all clients and their exit from the program and at three, six and 12 months after leaving AMT
the quality of the systems of care that have been developed as part of the AMT program, including the assessment as well as the treatment phase. This should include medical, psychological and social/family issues
the proportion of clients not suitable for treatment due to cognitive impairment
the proportion of clients who successfully integrate and continue in community-based treatment after discharge from AMT
the adequacy of data collection systems in place to ensure they enable proper evaluation of the outcomes from AMT
the adequacy of resourcing of both the AMT program and follow-up community care programs.
The only evaluation to date has been a survey of views about the AMT legislation.
Dr John Boffa, as we and the minister know only too well, has been very vocal in this space. He is an expert with many years’ experience working in the health sector, and it comes as no surprise to see he issued a media release yesterday on behalf of the People’s Alcohol Action Coalition. The headline on the media release is ‘Commitment to Alcohol Mandatory Treatment evaluation must be honoured’. I will read a few sentences from this media release, giving credit where it is due. Dr Boffa said:
- It was commendable that the minister had introduced amendments to the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act to the Legislative Assembly this week.
Dr Boffa goes on:
- The Health department has acknowledged that ‘evaluation as the program is implemented will be critical’.
- How many people have been through mandatory treatment? Has it helped them to stop or reduce their drinking? How many people leave AMT before completion? How well are the facilities operated? What has it cost to date for each client?
- There must be a rigorous and independent evaluation of the AMT scheme to answer these kinds of questions, now that it has been operating for nearly 18 months. This is quite separate and distinct from any coronial investigation into the recent death of an AMT residential client in Alice Springs.
- Alcohol Mandatory Treatment is relatively new and it is unique to the Territory. It is now time to follow through on the commitment and evaluate the operations and outcomes.
Alcohol mandatory treatment programs are being delivered at a huge cost to Territory taxpayers, with $27m provided for AMT last year, and a further $28.3m budgeted for 2014-15. With these costs, Territory taxpayers deserve to know they are receiving a proper return on that investment of public funds and that the medical services provided are appropriate and adequate to meet the health objectives of AMT.
With those costs it is small wonder the Health minister might baulk at what she describes as costly reviews. How ironic that in a bid to save money and redirect it elsewhere, the minister closed down the residential alcohol and other drugs rehabilitation centre in Nhulunbuy with no notice, no consultation and no evaluation. If there was an evaluation, it was certainly never made public.
That news was devastating to people in Nhulunbuy, and was leaked through the grapevine. Traditional owners fought hard and lobbied from a grassroots level to establish the facility, which was purpose built in 2007. Not one of them was contacted or invited to participate in a review and evaluation. People were only consulted – for what it was worth – after the event when a decision had already been made to close it. That is a hallmark of how this government operates when making a decision, consulting after the fact. It is incredibly disappointing that Nhulunbuy has lost its residential rehabilitation centre, which has been converted to a day service operating out of a classroom at CDU awaiting more permanent facilities.
I do not know where they will be, but they will not include residential rehabilitation. Those clients who require residential rehabilitation will have to be flown to Darwin, or perhaps another centre, to receive that support. The whole reason the special care centre in Nhulunbuy was launched and lobbied for was so people could be at home on country and close to family. All of that has been thrown out the window. Anyone who might have had a different view to government has been completely ignored, and I cannot begin to tell you how distressing that decision has been for people in Nhulunbuy.
How ironic that the minister did not see the need to keep it open because there were only two or three AMT clients who had been referred to the Nhulunbuy centre to join other clients who had been referred through other pathways. There is not the demand for alcohol and other drugs treatment services in Nhulunbuy compared with Alice Springs, Katherine or Darwin because Nhulunbuy has a very strong alcohol management program which has been in place since 2008.
It is a system which works by restricting supply and minimising harm, and is a forerunner and much stronger version of the Banned Drinker Register. It is working very effectively in Nhulunbuy. The crime statistics and reduction in alcohol consumption in Nhulunbuy stands out head and shoulders above the rest of the Territory. It is all to do with the fact there has been a takeaway liquor permit system in Nhulunbuy for a number of years. Hand in hand with that are the AOD and sobering-up shelter facilities.
The sobering up shelter – I hope I am wrong – by the end of this year or early in the new year will be closed so prisoners can move into the sobering-up shelter which sits adjacent to the AOD centre. The AOD centre, apart from closing without consultation, reopened as a prison, again without any consultation. After the fact there was an attempt at consultation, but long after the decision had been made. No one has any objections to the prison. It is a fabulous model developed under Labor
People in Nhulunbuy wanted to know why we could not have a prison and our AOD centre. Because we have a government that is really not interested in communicating with the people of Nhulunbuy, our AOD centre was closed and a prison opened in its place. We just have to suck it up in Nhulunbuy and deal with what has been inflicted upon us.
The health sector in the Northern Territory, especially the NGOs, will rightly challenge, and do challenge, the expenditure on AMT. The massive investment in this failed program means there is very little left in budgets to invest in prevention. Understandably they have been calling for a multipronged approach to funding, and that call is falling on deaf ears. This leaves the NGO sector and the Aboriginal health organisations struggling to deliver programs that would make a difference to the lives of those who are in, or are at risk of, the cycle of abuse and misuse. It is incredibly hard.
If you put all your money into the crisis end and do not invest at the front end to assist people at the preventative stages before they get to that point of crisis, how are people supposed to run these programs? The priorities are wrong and the proportion of money that goes into AMT versus other parts of health, AOD and preventative programs is entirely skewed.
We still query this rush, these amendments on urgency. I know we had that debate yesterday, and I suggest that it is all to do with political expediency. Maybe the minister can avoid embarrassment by getting these amendments through today so she can say she had a 2014 review and that any response is better than no response at all. But a review is quite different to an evaluation.
This is a focused and innovative health program to help chronic alcohol abusers, so why not fold the outcomes of the review and the evaluation together in parliamentary debate, and then amend legislation? Given the review into the act finished in March, we could have been onto this much earlier. As she said yesterday during the urgency debate, trying to prove hardship, she ‘sat on it and thought about it’, clearly for several months. We on this side did not support the motion for urgency. However, government has the numbers and that is the nature of it.
Had this process been managed better we could, in the new year, in the February or March sittings, have had this debate on amendments to AMT, not just the three amendments, though I know they are pivotal. On the strength of a full evaluation, there are further recommendations, including amendments to the act, which are just hanging at the moment. If we had gone down that path we would have seen a well-informed, evidence-based debate.
For the minister, it is not too late. There will be future opportunities. I will be happy to stand here again next year and have that debate after government’s further position on the recommendations in this review are known, along with recommendations that might flow from a full and transparent independent evaluation of AMT. With all of that data made available, it might inform further debate to get a system that works, or perhaps an evaluation on the strength of evidence of a system that is demonstrated to be failing, then steps made from there.
Madam Speaker, we intend to take the debate to the committee stage, given we had so little time to be briefed on this and prepare for it. We have prepared and thought about things that remain unanswered. The only way we can ask questions is to go to the committee stage.
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Statement by Minister
Death of Phillip Hughes, Cricketer
Statement by Minister
Death of Phillip Hughes, Cricketer
Mr CONLAN (Sport, Recreation and Racing)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I interrupt this important debate to advise the House of the passing of cricketer, Phillip Hughes. Phillip sustained serious injuries on Tuesday when he was batting for South Australia against New South Wales. He was rushed to hospital where he remained in a critical condition. His team mates, family and friends maintained a bedside vigil ever since. He died a short time ago from those injuries at the age of 25.
Phillip was a great mate of the Northern Territory. He was proud to be Cricket Australia’s ambassador here for the recent Triangular Series. He interrupted his busy schedule to make himself available, pose for photographs and help promote the wonderful series we had here. He had recently been overlooked for selection for the Australian side, but arguably he put on one of his best performances when he scored a double century in that series at Gardens Oval. He was the sort of guy who let his batting do the talking. I know he enjoyed his time in Darwin. His talent would have seen another baggy green just around the corner.
Today is a sad day for cricket. He was a young man with enormous potential. As I said, he was a great friend of the Northern Territory, a great guy who was loved and respected by so many.
On behalf of this parliament, I offer my sincere condolences to Phillip’s family, his friends, his team-mates and all the cricket lovers around the world. It is a sad day for cricket. Rest in peace, Phillip Hughes.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr VOWLES (Johnston): Madam Speaker, it certainly is a sad announcement. On behalf of this side of the House, we send our condolences to Phillip’s family and team-mates. I have just put in a call to the few people I know, including Darren ‘Chuck’ Berry the coach of South Australia. Obviously his phone was busy, but I passed on condolences on behalf of everybody in this Chamber, and said that we are not only thinking of the family but of the cricketing fraternity that will be struggling, as I am.
I have played a lot of cricket and been in and seen many situations of people being hit with less impact than what happened to Phillip. Seeing this outcome today is sad. Our hearts go out to his family.
The cricket fraternity will be struggling. We have lost a great player. We are talking about a player who has played Test cricket. He kept being dropped and kept coming back with the runs. You do not do that without a lot of fight and will. From what I heard about Phillip – and I have met him many times and done a few sessions with him – he would have fought until the last minute. That is the sort of person he was.
On behalf of all of us here, I reiterate the Sport minister’s comments. Our hearts and condolences go out to the Hughes family in this sad, tragic time.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Visitors
Mr STYLES (Transport): Madam Speaker, I would like to recognise some people visiting the parliament today: Mr Geoffrey Mburu Nganga, who is representing the East African community; Mr Joe De Luca, representing the Italian community; and Mr Austin Chin, representing the Chung Wah Chinese contingent. Welcome to Parliament House and I hope you enjoy your stay.
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Mr STYLES (Transport): Madam Speaker, I have several things to add to this debate, but first I will address some things the member for Nhulunbuy raised. She said this is a seriously flawed policy. I do not accept that, and if we want to talk about seriously flawed policies let us talk about the Banned Drinker Register.
From my electorate alone I probably have about two days’ worth of information I can give to the opposition. Before we came into government in 2012, a range of people came into my office. Walking around my electorate I would find empty drink and food containers in the parks and in the bus stop opposite Northlakes Shopping Centre. Every morning I walk, and I would have to watch out for human faeces and glass on the footpath. There were complaints about people sitting in laneways consuming alcohol. I do not get those complaints anymore, and when I heard the member for Nhulunbuy mention that it reminded me we do not have that issue at the moment. In fact, we have not had it for quite some time, and that is due to a combination of several things.
One is that we on this side of the House, especially the ex-police officers, talk to police officers and tell them we support them. We want to take some of the pressure off them that has been there for many years. If you listened to the Chief Minister talk this morning about the reduction in the amount of alcohol-related assaults and alcohol consumed – this is across the Territory, not just in my electorate. It has happened in the electorates of members opposite so it is a positive result.
Let me refresh people’s memories on what the Banned Drinker Register was all about. When it was introduced I monitored it and spoke to shop owners with alcohol licences. I spoke to people in licensed premises and I kept an eye on it. We had a number of people coming into the shops. They would go to the shopping centre every Saturday morning and wait out the front. I would see people line up, and the Banned Drinker Register was supposed to stop people on the register from buying alcohol.
It did not work, and I do not know what part of the message the opposition did not get when in government. It was a seriously failed policy – not flawed, failed. I have anecdotes from people – I asked them to report them to police – about people going to buy alcohol with a pocketful of driver’s licences. Someone would ask if it was really their licence and they would say, ‘Yes, I’ve had a haircut since then’. One bloke came in with photos of females on the licences and they knocked him back because he was male. There were situations where people would have others buy alcohol for them.
You raised a good point, Madam Speaker. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence on websites. The backpackers had a great scheme. This is how great the Banned Drinker Register was. They put you on the Banned Drinker Register and you were not supposed to be able to get alcohol. People would go around in the early hours of the morning and take a collection. They would say, ‘What would you like?’ ‘A carton of green cans, a bottle of rum and a bottle of this’, and the backpackers would buy it. These people were giving them $100, they would come back and there was no change as the backpackers were using it for their petrol money. They would do that for 20 or 30 people over a couple of days and pick up a couple of thousand dollars in profit. That was their petrol money to get to the next place. This was seriously happening.
There was a guy with a pushbike with one of those little trailers with bicycle wheels and a cover on it that you take kids around with. You see mums and dads riding along with a baby in the back and they are getting their exercise and taking the child for a bit of a cruise around the place. In these cases there was no child; underneath the mattress all the rum was lined up.
I got this from a bloke who was approached by this guy who said, ‘What do you want mate?’ and when he pulled up the mattress there was a bottle of scotch, a bottle of rum and a six pack. You took what you liked; it was like a mobile shop. What an appalling situation where these people – they do not have to get their driver’s licence and go through some scanning process. Mind you, all of our visitors, tourists and the grey nomads – we were the laughing stock of so many international tourists who would write on websites not go to the Northern Territory because you cannot even get a drink.
Ms Fyles: Rubbish!
Ms Price: Yes, they did that.
Mr Wood: That is rubbish!
Mr STYLES: You can hear the interjections. I am a compassionate guy. I understand that for those people over there, not much has gone well for them this year. In Question Time today they tried to say it is all terrible, but the facts do not lie. On this side we are about kicking goals, getting on with the job and making decisions, which those on the other side failed to do.
I will not give the game away, but there are decisions coming down the pipeline that the opposition, when in government for 11 years, considered but did not do anything about. They just talked about it, but we are about getting on with it.
Going back to the situation with the Banned Drinker Register, in the suburbs they would get other people to buy alcohol for them. The worst thing I heard was from a woman who is a constituent of mine and saw me at the shops one Saturday morning. She said, ‘What can we do because my husband and all these men are on the Banned Drinker Register and I have to buy the alcohol for them. If I say no they will beat the living daylights out of me.’
There is a fundamental problem in relation to domestic violence. Many of the women who find themselves in that situation simply go and buy the alcohol so they do not get a beating. Is that good policy? I disagree with it.
The member for Nhulunbuy said the review comes at some cost to the Northern Territory. Yes, it does. She said the money would have been better spent somewhere else. I will deal with that in a moment. She also said we are looking for a political situation and judicial approach opposed to a health one. I do not agree with that either.
When I was a police officer in Carnarvon in Western Australia there was a fine gentleman who lived there by the name of George Anderson. I suspect he has passed on well and truly by now. George Anderson had a terrible addiction to alcohol. He would get around town and do all sorts of terrible things. He would be lying in the gutter and he was what you might call a typical drunk. Every day he was out getting smashed. He had a family: a wife, kids and grandkids.
In those day we had something called the Dog Act; it was a bit like alcohol mandatory treatment. People would be incarcerated for three months when they had a major problem with alcohol. In that three months they were looked after; we would hold them in the lock up. Some of them would go to Geraldton prison and some of them would stay there; they were locals. They would dry out, get health treatment; doctors would come in and we would take them to the hospital; we made sure they got healthcare.
There is a lot more to that story, but sadly I do not have time to tell you George’s full story. One Christmas George came to the police station and said, ‘Would you come to my home and have a drink with me?’ I was chuffed. He was an Aboriginal gentleman. He was an old man with old man’s rights, and I was a young bloke. I was in my early twenties, thinking, ‘This is pretty special. He wants me to come to his house.’
George used to get incarcerated a fair bit. When he was sober he was a good bloke, but when he was drunk he used to lash out and do all sorts of nasty things, domestic violence, etcetera. With the treatments he received, albeit nowhere near as good as what we are offering to people in similar situations these days, George got over his addiction, along with a bloke named Hubert Skewthorpe. These people turned; you can actually turn people. You will not do it with all of them, but you will certainly make them a lot more comfortable than they would be in the gutter. George got over it.
George invited me to his home, and he wanted me to have a beer with him. He was in a frame of mind and situation where he was so grateful, not for me, etcetera, but for the system. He was grateful for some of the things I had done for him, which I will not go into because we do not have enough time. Suffice to say, George Anderson went through a system of alcohol mandatory treatment, as such, imposed upon him by the court, and he was a very grateful man.
When George invited me to his home, which was on the banks of the Gascoyne River in Carnarvon – he lived in what we know as a Nissen hut, and there were a few Sidney Williams huts. It was a beautiful place, very clean. He invited me in and I had a glass of beer with him.
His grandchildren got it out of the fridge, served it and we sat there for about an hour-and-a-half or two hours having a Christmas drink. That is all he had; he thanked me and told me a story about a man who had gone off the way and into areas where he should not have gone.
I will not talk too much about this, but he had suicidal tendencies. They are the sorts of things I helped work through with him, and he was a very grateful man. His family were very grateful. His grandchildren came up to me and said, ‘Thank you very much for doing what you did for our grandfather, because we now have him back’.
I have quite a few success stories like that, and I am sure there are people in the health system who have similar stories. I am sure there are other police officers who have similar stories. Sometimes you just have to do this and give people the opportunity to go through some of the treatment, allow them to dry out and then help them work through some of their addictive behaviours. Hubert Skewthorpe was another guy in a similar way.
When I listen to members opposite saying we have our priorities wrong, I wonder who it is that actually has their priorities wrong. You had the policy of the Banned Drinker Register. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it cost about $25m to install that policy and it did not work. Anyone could get alcohol. I used to see it at Fannie Bay, Casuarina and in my own electorate at Berrimah. People would simply get other people to buy alcohol for them; there are plenty of people willing to grab a quick $20 off someone to buy them a carton.
That was just one of the major problems with the Banned Drinker Register. When we looked for a solution, we did not look for a political solution. We looked for a real solution. Yesterday in this House we were talking about some of the issues governments are faced with. Some of them are not that popular. On Tuesday during the TIO debate I was talking about doing the right thing. Integrity is about doing the right thing even when no one is looking.
If you are sitting in a room with a bunch of colleagues making decisions, not too many people will be there to be part of that decision-making process and some of them will not hear all of the facts available. They will not hear the discussions that are had, so when you are out of that limelight making decisions, your integrity is about doing the right thing. I firmly believe we have done the right thing, because I have seen it work before, and I am seeing it work again.
You have a great system, ably presented, maintained and worked on by my colleague, the Minister for Health. It is a pleasure to give a different perspective to what she is doing, and from some real experience. This is not something someone has told me, this is about experience I have had in my lifetime.
We looked for a health approach. To get people participating in their healthcare you have to get them there. When we moved people into the medi-hotel they were able to walk out almost at will. I suspect in other places it is more difficult to walk out. We now have amendments to make it so if people do leave the treatment centre, the clock stops. What a great idea! They will come back.
On the issue of things like Alcohol Protection Orders, there are some other measures coming down the pipeline which I will not talk about until we introduce them next year. What a great thing Alcohol Protection Orders are. You allow tourists, good people – most of the people in our community – to consume alcohol in a responsible manner. Some do not and we accept that no system is perfect.
I use the analogy of people who walk past a bunch of people in the park, having a great time, laughing, carrying on, enjoying themselves, and all is terrific. Someone who is not having such a good day will walk past and see these people laughing and having a good time and think, ‘Do I want to go to work or will I go over there and just have a laugh with them?’ The problem is that most of the people having a laugh are on the slippery slope of a downward spiral into alcoholism and a serious amount of depression, pain and a terrible lifestyle. People sit in the park all day. Then there are the problems of the rubbish, food scraps and human faeces lying around the place, and the kids cannot use the park. It is a disgraceful situation.
If they are not there and are getting some help from a caring community, then the person going to work does not have that option to sit down and get smashed day after day, then find themselves at the bottom of the slippery slide.
Why are the Alcohol Protection Orders so effective? If you breach them, there are consequences. But the main issue is about changing people’s behaviour. If I or anyone I knew had a major problem, they would have an Alcohol Protection Order placed on them where they are not supposed to purchase, have in their possession or procure alcohol. If they are caught, then they are in breach of that order. You do not need $18m worth of expensive equipment to find out who has an Alcohol Protection Order. You simply wait until the bad behaviour starts. Someone will report it. The police will come along and say, ‘Sonny, you are being taken into protective custody’. When they find out you have an Alcohol Protection Order, that is a breach. Then, as time goes by and the breaches stack up, there will be serious consequences for you.
If, on the other hand, you are a reasonable person and do not have severe brain damage from alcohol poisoning and alcohol abuse, you think, ‘I have an Alcohol Protection Order against me, it is probably a good idea if I do not go over there and start throwing rocks on people’s roofs, drinking in the park, or finding a corner in a shopping centre and leaving a little gift of human faeces that someone else has to clean up in the morning. I should behave myself.’
It is great when people do so. If the Alcohol Protection Order changes their behaviour then you have achieved the objective you set out to achieve. If people are lying in the gutter to the point they are so smashed on alcohol or other things they are endangering themselves, they are also a danger to other people.
Imagine all these people wandering around the place extremely intoxicated. You have car accidents and people walking in front of traffic. There is a range of issues police, ambulance officers and hospitals have to deal with on a daily basis. It is not a pleasant. It is a good thing we are able to give these people an opportunity to help themselves, along with the medical attention they will get in alcohol mandatory treatment.
I struggle to understand where the opposition comes from on this matter. Why would you not want someone who is lying in the gutter to have an opportunity to help themselves? Obviously they need a lot of support, and that is given to them when they are in the alcohol mandatory treatment program. I do not know whether they are suggesting we leave them in the gutter, in the parks or lying around. I do not know what they believe works because what they did when in government obviously did not work.
We are seeing a reduction in the number of people lying around parks. We have seen a reduction in the human mess left behind in so many places. I am impressed it has gone further than I thought in cleaning the place up. I get comments on a regular basis from people at Casuarina. It is not as bad. There are still issues, but we are getting on top of that and have to keep working.
When we introduce legislation and there is a flaw, we fix it. No problem. I hope the opposition is not suggesting if you find a flaw somewhere you do not fix it because you fear coming in here and someone saying you have just done a backflip.
I am happy to say I make my decisions based on evidence as opposed to emotion, as does the Giles government. We say that on a regular basis. We make evidenced-based decisions on this side of the House, and I suspect on that side they make decisions based on emotions. They run emotional arguments that do not stack up. This is about giving people a real opportunity to help themselves.
The interesting thing about the Banned Drinker Register – for those listening and those in the gallery – is mandatory treatment was optional ...
Mr Wood: There is no one up there.
Mr STYLES: Is there no one on the Chamber on that side? No one in the Chamber on that side either.
Mr Wood: No, you said in the gallery and I said there was no one there.
Mr STYLES: There was last time I looked. The Banned Drinker Register had mandatory treatment, and it amused me when the current Leader of the Opposition was in government she would say across the Chamber, ‘Yes, mandatory is mandatory’. I wondered how you could have mandatory and optional in the same sentence. When I was the shadow minister for alcohol rehabilitation I often asked, ‘What do you do?’ These people go through the alcohol court and are told they have to front up to mandatory treatment. What happens if they do not front up? They get another order. That is a good policy.
Let us talk about flawed policy. If you never front up nothing happens to you. There are no teeth ….
Mr Wood: You got rid of the tribunal that went with the BDR.
Mr STYLES: The Banned Drink Register – that was not a flawed policy, it was a failed policy. You only have to walk around town and talk to people who run businesses or talk to people in the suburbs and ask if the problem is the same as it was before. I would put money on it that nine out of 10 people would say it is a bit better than before.
I support my colleague, the Minister for Health, in tweaking, as a result of reviews – you have to have reviews, and I hope the member for Nhulunbuy is not suggesting we do not have reviews and do not spend any money. Look at the outcomes we have achieved, not only in this but so many other things. As explained during Question Time this morning, this government is about evidence-based decisions; it is about introducing hard policy, irrespective of whether the opposition thinks it is hard. I know they all fear losing their seats because that was the argument they ran. ‘You should not do this, or you might lose your seat.’ That might be so but what I hold very dear on this side of the House is integrity, which is doing the right thing even when people are not looking.
On this side of the House we do that. We make the hard decisions. I said a little earlier in this debate that there are more decisions coming and you will see there are many decisions that will be made that the former government, for whatever reason, failed to make. The issues are the same, but on this side we actually get on and do the job. We make decisions on behalf of all Territorians. On the other side it appears that perhaps they do not. Perhaps they are more worried about their seats than they are about making the tough decisions.
Madam Speaker, I commend these amendments and I congratulate the Minister for Health for bringing them before the House.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I love the member for Sanderson talking about evidence-based decisions. He knocks the BDR; I agree you could not have an evidence-based decision made on a nine month trial of the BDR. It is not long enough, and I have said that many times. You also have to remember that the BDR was part of a package. It was not a solitary program. It was supported by various people, including the Police Association, which said they did not believe it was necessarily effective on its own, but as part of a package they did.
I support the alcohol mandatory treatment program. I have said that from day one …
Mr Styles: Excellent Gerry.
Mr WOOD: I have, but a six-month review will not give you a proper evidence base to make many real recommendations.
For the same reason, the BDR was never given enough time for people to really say whether it worked or not. The BDR was scrapped for political reasons. It was a political promise of the CLP. They opposed it when it was in parliament. They did not wait for a long-term review to see whether it would operate; they had a philosophical disagreement with it. It was the nanny state disagreement; it had to go. Why it had to go, well we make up the reasons for it after it went. It only operated for nine months, and anyone who is in statistics would know something that ran for that length of time cannot be judged. I have the same problem with this review; it happened very early and only went for six months.
I support the amendments. You say ‘Well, people on this side’ – I never know whether I am on this side or what side when you people say that …
Mr Styles: No, you are on the other side.
Mr WOOD: Okay. There are a few sides over here. That is the advantage of being a free thinker. I did not vote on it because I felt the security side of the process was inadequate and people would escape. What did they do? They escaped. I did not want people going to prison, so I said make it so people cannot escape so they do not go to prison. Now we have gone full circle and are passing legislation which says if they do escape three times we will not send them to prison. Great! I will not say I told you so, but some of us did try to put a little common sense into it.
I have long been a supporter of this program, but it is up to the government to show the figures that it is working, and that is not coming through in this debate. We got some of it from estimates, and it is worth going back to the Estimates Committee and looking at some of the debate and questioning that occurred.
I acknowledge that the Dr Wright is here today and I appreciate that. This was a question about people continuing to abstain from alcohol after they had left. Dr Wright said:
- We are aware some return to alcohol, but we have many examples of people who have gone back to jobs, returned to their communities and taken up their previous productive roles. We are aware of successes, but we do not have figures we can share at this time.
I am happy to hear that; it is great.
During the Masters Games I spent time at CAAAPU. It was my second time there, and I was very impressed with the improvements to the facilities. You might remember I had many concerns about the facilities not being suitable for people being forced to rehabilitate. The facilities have well and truly improved on what they were originally. I was impressed not only by the people running CAAAPU, but the people who were there at the time. I met a gentleman who was in rehab. He was from Western Australia and had spent time in Melbourne, but he had come back to Central Australia. He was in that facility, and it certainly was good to talk to him. It was his second time around, and they are some of the issues that need to be debated. How many people are coming back?
My understanding, from talking to CAAAPU, is that not only are people who have been forced coming back, people are volunteering to come back. That is great news, but I cannot expand on it much further than just talking about what happened at CAAAPU. I do not have figures.
The member for Nhulunbuy is quite right, if the government is spending millions of dollars on alcohol mandatory rehabilitation, anyone here is beholden to ask if it is succeeding or failing. I have always believed in it. I have spoken to people who deal in voluntary rehabilitation programs. It has always been a low percentage of people who will eventually get off the grog. For many it is a never-ending trial to get off the grog. If we get the figures, you have to compare those figures with the voluntary rehab people as well so you do not just look at one thing in isolation to what is happening on the other side of the rehab program. They usually do not have very high success rates, and I would imagine they have quite a few people who come back time and time again.
At CAAAPU there has been an issue with the number of people attending. It appeared to be low. There were some discussions as to whether the methodology of the police picking up some of these people had changed. I am not sure whether that is right or not, so maybe the minister could tell us whether anything has changed from when the program originally started. I have not been able to work out whether it is because there are fewer people drinking because of the police outside licensed premises, therefore reducing the number of people being picked up. That would certainly be worth looking at.
There has always been some criticism about whether this is aimed at Aboriginal people. In general it has been, but during estimates I asked that question, and the answer I received was that there were two non-Indigenous people. One of the issues debated during estimates was that it is easy to pick up people who are in the street and obvious. Many of the people we need to help are not that obvious; many of those are non-Indigenous people.
Putting in this amendment where a medical practitioner can refer someone might at least put some balance back into that issue of whether these facilities are just for Aboriginal people. In my questions to Dr Wright during estimates I referred to a lady in my area. I think she is still alive. She has been to hospital, but she will eventually drink herself to death. It is very sad because when I have seen her sober, she is a fantastic lady; when she has been in hospital and off the grog she is a great lady. Unfortunately, she would be one of these people who may be a client just to give her the possibility to turn it around. I am not condemning her, I am saying this because I would love her to live a lot longer and not be buried under the weight of alcoholism.
The other thing that sometimes is missed in this discussion – again Dr Wright spoke about it – is the improvements in people’s health that come with this program. The doctor spoke about the great benefits that can come from bringing these people into a facility where they can get medical assistance. That is a benefit we forget about sometimes in this debate. Many of these people have chronic illnesses, and this is probably one of the few chances they have of those things being looked at.
This is the question I asked during estimates:
- What about improvements in health? I imagine most people who are placed in mandatory alcohol rehabilitation have other health problems besides a drink problem. Are there opportunities to treat other issues?
Dr Wright answered, and I will read the whole answer:
- One of the most dramatic lessons we learned in implementing this program was just how sick these people were. My assessment is many of the people who were perhaps in their younger days committing offences, going to gaol or being referred to alcohol rehabilitation services, reach a stage where the police do not bother to pick them up and take them to gaol. They do not judge them because they have been doing the same thing for so long and people realise it will not make any difference. Many of the people who enter the alcohol mandatory treatment facility were much sicker and had a much greater demand in health deficit. Most of them had received healthcare only from the emergency department of the hospitals if anything at all.
One of the most dramatic things we have done is run an effective primary healthcare service. During the time people are in assessment they are given acute detoxification therapy and all the things required to safely get them off alcohol. Their health is also comprehensively assessed and we have found people with malignancies, people with untreated cardiac and liver disease, all sorts of issues that, when you start treating people, they feel better, they feel stronger. They look so much better and, up until now, the only mandatory treatment I am familiar with – I was a remote doctor for 22 years before taking on this role – was in gaol. These people were often past the stage where they might end up in gaol. This group are receiving healthcare they would not otherwise receive and they respond to it.
I read that because I understand people’s concerns about locking up people. I have always believed if you do it for the right reasons and you state that right reason publicly, then people will judge you on that more than legalities. These people need help. These people, in many ways, are a nuisance in society. They might not even know they are a nuisance; they might be in such a state all the time that it is the norm. But if we do it with compassion, there comes a point where you have to help the other man or woman, if that requires the government or an NGO to step in to assist those people, to give them an opportunity to turn their lives around, a chance to improve their health – even if it does mean that only a few people have their lives changed – that is still a good thing.
There is a lot of money spent, but we spend a lot of money on many other things in our society, like poker machines, the races, consumer goods and services. Is it such a bad thing we spend a few million dollars on trying to help our fellow human beings who have been cursed by alcohol, cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel and cannot help themselves? The word ‘derelict’ has been used in this parliament this week. Government would be derelict in its duty if it did not make the effort to help these people. If it said it was costing too much I would ask what is the total amount of alcohol is in the Northern Territory? What is the dollar value? How much do the breweries, pubs and hotels make from alcohol? That makes this bill a pittance. Sometimes we do not get our priorities right. We are happy to have all these modern things, but sometimes we forget we need to help people who desperately need it.
I said before that I support this legislation and I support the amendments. I will not repeat too much. I said at the beginning I was concerned about people being sent to prison, especially when you had facilities that were not secure and people could jump the fence. That is why the government spent quite a bit of money putting a new fence around the Darwin hospital facility.
One of the issues lacking in this debate – this is one of the problems with rushing legislation through – is I have not had enough time to look at the 50 other recommendations, some of which recommend nothing happens; it would have been good to have more time to debate the review recommendations and talk about some of the other issues involved.
We know there was a death in care recently. That issue needs to be looked at from a public perspective. I understand, from a legal point of view, that these people are in care, not in custody, but the sensible thing would be to be on the front foot about it. I do not know the whole story, but my impression was the announcement of this was that delayed after the incident had occurred.
The government wanted to put a facility in the industrial area of Katherine. I was there recently and poked my head in at Mitre 10. I worked at Mitre 10 for about 16 years, although not that one. I asked the bloke at the counter what happened to alcohol mandatory rehabilitation. He said, ‘Enough people got upset about it and spoke to people in high places and it was shifted’.
I do not know if that is true or not. It should never have been in an industrial area. Venndale is down the road and it has a community facility. I do not understand why someone wanted to put it in the middle of an industrial area, which says, ‘We don’t care about you; we will stuff you in an industrial area.’ That does not show compassion. Most of these people are Aboriginal and they should be given a place where they can breathe fresh air and enjoy nature, because many of them come from the bush in the first place. If Venndale is not the place to put it then put it somewhere else, but put it in the bush, away from where people are; do not put it in an industrial estate. That was a terrible decision.
The one in Tennant Creek is in the town; it is a nice looking place. Again, in Tennant Creek we put the work camp way out bush. I do not mean a day’s trip. Why did they not look at putting the facility in Tennant Creek out in the bush a bit? The bush helps people heal, yet we stick people in an industrial estate.
Many other issues should be debated on this, and that is not putting down the fact these amendments are not important. I want this to work and am trying to make suggestions to help it work better. I support what the government is doing, but it does silly things at times which do not help the process on the way.
I thank Dr Wright for his dedication to looking after people who are in desperate circumstances. We need more people like Dr Wright because without them there is really no hope, and we need to give these people hope.
Looking at the amendments, the main one was that a person does not go to prison if they abscond three times, and the second one was about the ability for an assessable person to be referred through a health practitioner to a senior assessment clinician; that is a good idea.
I thank the minister for bringing these amendments forward. We really should have had more time so we did not have to rush them on the last day of sittings for the year. This bill should have been introduced in the previous sittings; it would have given me a chance to discuss the matters that have been raised.
I tried to get in touch with the AMA; obviously the AMA is pretty busy and sometimes they simply do not have the time to respond to my little concerns. If I had a bit more time I would have got some more feedback from those people involved.
In summary, I very much thank CAAAPU; it is a fantastic group of people. CAAAPU does something that is different. People might think this is the advantage; CAAAPU is out of town a bit, but they take these people shopping and out bush. We have started to develop a scheme which has some flexibility. We are not keeping people stuck behind wire. In fact, CAAAPU does not have wire; it has a high fence. I gather – and the minister might be able to let me know – that the government will put an assessment facility at CAAAPU rather than near the prison, which is good. I might be wrong, but maybe the minister can explain that to me later. CAAAPU is an example of people working hard for Aboriginal people and designing a program which is flexible, but still has that element of being mandatory. It is great those people are doing that work.
Madam Speaker, I support the amendments, but I do hope the government will take into consideration that the period that has been reviewed really is too short; it needs to be longer. We need to have more statistics so we have a better understanding of what is happening, what the successes are and the failures, where we can improve, whether it making a difference, and if we looking at other versions of mandatory rehabilitation or healing centres in the bush where communities take over control of some of these issues themselves.
We were at Nhulunbuy recently for the foetal alcohol syndrome meeting. There are discussions there about taking people to their homelands, and there are other options we need to keep investigating rather than just the one model because there probably are other models which, if they can work, will also bring success to this program. Thank you.
Mr VOWLES (Johnston): Madam Speaker, I rise to contribute to this as the shadow minister for Indigenous Policy. It will not be a long contribution; I just need to make a few comments around the Indigenous side of these changes and the bill being rushed through the Chamber.
I start with Central Australia. I put on the record that I truly believe the staff work hard to deliver a quality service and the best possible care for clients who go into the CAAAPU establishment in Central Australia.
This legislation falls short when it comes to making sure service providers like CAAAPU receive the support and resources they need from the government and the Department of Health to deliver these services to clients who are often very sick with multiple and complex health issues. The member for Araluen, the minister responsible, talked about alcohol mandatory treatment providers as being health services, but they are not hospitals.
They are not resourced or staffed to be hospitals and deliver medical care for complex medical issues. Very often, these issues involve mental as well as physical health issues. What resources do AMT providers have to cope with very high-risk clients? This leads me to our visit, as a Caucus, to the Tiwi Islands a couple of weeks ago, where we had the honour of meeting many people on Bathurst and Melville Islands. Mentioned to us in a meeting we had was the necessity to have a facility on the Tiwi Islands. I will touch on the media release from the Minister for Alcohol Rehabilitation, Robyn Lambley, of 17 April 2013, very shortly. It was also about the importance of other services, such as the mental health services this government could provide to support the people of the Tiwi Islands in getting that happening in their community.
It was very refreshing to hear people talk about the need for mental health support, alcohol support, how they can get over that and the impact alcohol is having on the islands. This is a common story across the Territory. I congratulate this government for doing what they believe is right. We believed the Banned Drinker Register was the way to go, but it is now this government’s time. They have had two years in government and they are trying to do what they believe is right. In the end we have to do right by Territorians and by people suffering a disease and killing themselves – drinking themselves to death. We must ensure in this House that we do not sugarcoat this, as the final outcome for many people struggling with this addiction – people are literally drinking themselves to death, and we need to do something about it. We tried to do something and now this government is trying to do something.
I will always support something that will save a Territorian’s life and help people who need a hand up. You will never hear me disagreeing with providing a service to somebody who really needs it.
I go to the Tiwi Islands and the media release from the minister on 17 April 2013:
- Minister for Alcohol Rehabilitation Robyn Lambley today inspected the potential location of an alcohol treatment facility on Bathurst Island and met with traditional owners to outline the importance of a Tiwi Island facility to the government’s mandatory treatment plans.
Further:
- Mrs Lambley said the Tiwi Islands will play an important role in the government’s plans and reduce the impacts of problem drinking across the Northern Territory.
- I am keen to see capacity on the Tiwi Islands and in Tennant Creek brought online as soon as possible.
I am here today at his request …
That is the member for Arafura:
- … to meet with traditional owners, inspect the proposed site for a stand-alone rehabilitation facility and to assess how the Territory government can work with local people to deliver a solution that works for all parties .
The minister also said:
- One proposal I put to them was that Tiwi Islanders who are sent to the Darwin Alcohol Treatment Service could be diverted midway through their 12-week rehabilitation to a facility on Bathurst Island to better reintegrate them into the community.
I look forward, if it is possible, to the minister giving us an update on that. That would be great. It was very important to the Tiwi people when we were over there as a Caucus listening to them, especially on Bathurst Island. They were very eager and people were having heartfelt conversations with us about the need for alcohol treatment and a mental health support service, which obviously go hand in hand.
We are all fully aware in this Chamber of the necessity of supporting our remote communities, especially in mental health. Much of that comes from the impact of the alcohol abuse they face as part of their lives. I look forward to the minister updating me on that. She is giving me a smile, so I hope that will be good.
I go to the next media release on 30 April 2014 from the Minister for Alcohol Rehabilitation and the member for Katherine:
- The 20-bed secure facility will be crucial in the Country Liberal government’s plan to rehabilitate more problem drinkers, reduce alcohol-related harm and antisocial behaviour in the town.
Further it says:
- The member for Katherine, Willem Westra van Holthe, said the Chardon Street site in Katherine was ideal for an alcohol mandatory rehabilitation facility.
…
This is wonderful news for the local economy and for the health and wellbeing of the broader community.
I next go to the ABC news story of Monday 10 November:
- An Alcohol Mandatory Treatment (AMT) centre slated for Katherine has been canned following community outrage about its industrial location.
The member for Katherine was saying it was a great spot and a great facility, no problem. The next bit of this report said:
- The Northern Territory’s Department of Health has confirmed with the ABC that it is looking into ‘alternative sites’ for the centre.
The $6.1m treatment centre was set to be built inside an industrial site on Chardon Street near the Stuart Highway and would have housed 20 patient beds.
Then we had a business owner say:
- We feel the centre is not very suitable at all and local businesses have received no prior consultation from the department about building the treatment centre in that area.
The news story continued:
- The Department of Health had previously said the estate was an ideal AMT location that would have had minimal impact on Katherine residents.
But now it has reneged on the location following a Darwin Consent Authority meeting held with the business community last week.
It went on to say, and I think it was the minister’s department which said it:
- … is focused on having this facility built as soon as possible to ensure it can deal with its life-changing service to people who are struggling with alcohol misuse ...
I would appreciate the minister giving us an update on how that facility in Katherine is going, how the plans are and if alternative sites have been identified and are moving ahead. I agree that the facilities you are building are life-changing facilities and need to be built. That is what you have promised, that is what you are trying to do. I said that I thought we were doing the right thing. We do not say it many times here, but we have a common goal which is to save people’s lives who are struggling with the disease of alcoholism. We can rant and rave and call each other names, but in the end it is about delivering for Territorians and giving people assistance where they need it. This is an area where we need it.
Last year I stood here and said that my mother has worked as an Aboriginal Health Worker for many years, and she still works in that area. The number of people with alcohol addiction has not changed. The issues we were dealing with 30 or 35 years ago when she started as an Aboriginal Health Worker are exactly what we are facing now. We need to do something. That is a common goal of this parliament and should be a common goal of Territorians: to try to help people to get off alcohol and save people’s lives. That is the end result of this. This is about saving people’s lives.
Minister, I hope you can address my questions.
Ms FYLES (Nightcliff): Madam Speaker, it was interesting to hear the member for Araluen in Question Time finally admit one of the biggest issues facing the Territory today is the rivers of grog flowing through our community.
It is a positive step that you are finally recognising the harm caused by excessive amounts of alcohol. However, I am concerned about the comments from some of those opposite, particularly the member for Sanderson in saying, ‘We have seen a reduction in alcohol consumption and an improvement in our community’. We have not. In my electorate of Nightcliff we witness the antisocial behaviour on a daily and weekly basis.
My staff have called police numerous times this year. It continues. We witness it daily along our foreshore. One of the biggest issues is support to police. We have seen the night patrol cut back and the Return to Country service recently finished. We need to see those supports in our community. They provide firsthand support as we face this issue every day in our communities – parents and children as they move around their community and try to enjoy their family time, or working or attending school.
This is an issue we must deal with and address. You finally listened to some of the feedback about the problems with your approach to alcohol issues and are at least taking some steps to deal with it. However, you are missing the opportunity. There is so much more we could be doing if we are really serious about turning off this tap of grog and reducing the harm of excessive consumption.
If you properly reviewed alcohol mandatory treatment and subjected the policy to some real scrutiny so you could have the qualitative and quantitative data, we would be much better placed to have a properly resourced and effective approach to the issues caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
You have picked up on some of the submissions made to the review of the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act, but we have not gone far enough. You have finally realised how objectionable it is to criminalise alcohol treatment. Congratulations for finally hearing what experts have been telling you and for finally doing something about it.
I will quote the AMA president, Dr Peter Beaumont:
The whole thing is meant to be a health pathway, and it’s funny that the path leads to criminality if people don’t abide by it.
This is about an illness and addiction; it’s not about crimes, other than the fact that some people do commit crimes.
But the ordinary courts of law can handle those; we already have laws for those.
You have finally listened to these experts. There is very reasonable cause to decriminalise alcohol treatment, but you could have gone a step further.
I will take up the issue of advocacy that was raised in the many submissions. They argued very reasonably for these vulnerable people appearing before the tribunal to be represented by legal counsel at no cost. Many people appearing before the tribunal have impaired cognitive abilities because of alcohol abuse. Effective legal representation would ensure affected people would better understand the complex proceedings and would also keep the tribunal more accountable, which is an important point. I do not understand why you have chosen not to ensure very vulnerable Territorians are effectively represented.
The majority of submissions have also called for the use of interpreters. So many people misunderstand, do not understand and will not speak up, and interpreters are a vital part of helping them understand what is happening. As your review notes, the overwhelming sentiment of submissions said understanding the AMT system and its process is of the utmost importance. Knowing and appreciating what is happening is vital, and the availability of interpreters is essential.
English is not the first language for many people who appear before the tribunal, and interpreters should be provided as a matter of course. You have decided not to take up the recommendations around this and it is disappointing. There are also so many unanswered questions around AMT. For instance, have you done any analysis of how scrapping the Return to Country program will affect incidents of protective custody and intake into AMT? These are important points we would like acknowledged.
How are you ensuring people released from AMT are able to make it back home to their communities and are not left homeless and unsupported in town, perhaps to take up the grog again? These are important points. Programs you have cut should be reinstated, and people exiting your treatment should be able to have the opportunity to make it home safely.
Can you tell Territorians how you expect the changes you are introducing, changes you say are extremely important, will improve participation in the AMT? Do you have plans to expand existing AMT facilities? If so, where is the budget for it? So many questions around AMT need answers if we are to have a balanced approach to this. We hope on this side of the House that these amendments and changes are just the beginning of a more coherent workable and cost effective approach to dealing with alcohol-related issues in the Northern Territory. They are finally, at long last, taking a step in the right direction.
I urge you to look at some of the measures. The member for Sanderson went on and on about the Banned Drinker Register and what he perceived as huge issues with it. It was an effective tool; police and shopkeepers said so. It helped them identify who should not be drinking. ‘It was an inconvenience’, is not an argument to get rid of it; it was not. You get out your credit card, your Woolies card, it was not an inconvenience to have to show your driver’s licence to purchase alcohol. It is a privilege to be able to drink alcohol, and people identified that.
Back to this bill, at least this is a step in the right direction. I hope, minister, you will not be as arrogant and dismissive of the views of Territorians as your Chief Minister has been over the last few days and that you take on board the feedback, conduct a proper review of the alcohol mandatory treatment policy and share it with experts and the community. Let people know the results and further actions. It will identify the course we need to take to deal with, as you said, ‘the rivers of grog’.
Ms MOSS (Casuarina): Madam Speaker, I support the amendments brought before us by the Minister for Health. I thank her for doing so; however, like many other members on this side of the Chamber, I am concerned about the lack of data into the actual effectiveness of this system. I would really like to see some more of that and some answers to some of the questions raised, because if we are to talk about amendments to this system, it is important we know the system is working.
In February 2014 The Australian reported that alcohol costs the Northern Territory $642m every year in police time, corrections, treatment, lost productivity and more. If my memory serves me correctly, that came from a report that was done by Menzies into the costs and harms of alcohol some time ago, and that is the best measure we have in the Territory of how much it costs Territorians.
We know the costs can be much more than what can be measured in monetary value. Chronic alcohol misuse is a serious health issue for a number of Territorians and it devastates lives. We also have to acknowledge that there is a cultural and social value around alcohol, particularly in the Northern Territory.
When this legislation was passed I was working in an alcohol-related program within Police. I distinctly remember the vast objection and concern from major stakeholders across the sector, the Territory Labor opposition and others on this side of the House. I support the amendments to the bill; however, some of these amendments were put forward as recommendations at that time and again in the six-month review. Some of them are now addressed in the amendments to this bill.
Something else I distinctly remember from that time was doing workshops across the Territory in remote and urban locations and sharing the statistic that if the NT was a country we would have the second-highest alcohol consumption in the world. Many people thought it was amusing but it is really shocking; we really need to look at that cultural and societal value.
The former Territory Labor government had a suite of measures that looked to address the different arms of this harmonisation model: supply reductions, demand reductions and harm reductions. This government, when elected, dismantled the Banned Drinker Register almost immediately and brought in Alcohol Protection Orders. We still hear of police resources being used in bottle shops across the Territory, a job I am sure they did not join the force to do. As the member for Nightcliff stated, there were cuts to complementary services, not just our night patrols, but our family and youth support services. I am also still seeing lots of the repercussions of chronic alcohol misuse in Casuarina, outside my office and in the Casuarina coastal reserve. It is certainly something that people still continue to raise with me and is an issue that is important to all of us.
It should be noted that the initial media release about alcohol mandatory treatment referred to AMT sitting alongside the commitment for 120 additional police. The NT Police Association called again for the CLP government to fulfil its commitment to the delivery of 120 police officers in August this year; whether or not that will happen remains to be seen. These measures should not happen in isolation.
It would seem that the CLP government, in a range of areas, is very focused on resourcing for what happens after the fact, with a decreasing amount spent on prevention and early intervention. Given the significant cost of alcohol in our community and the fact our community attitudes to it are deeply entrenched, a firm focus on providing that education and evidence-based practice goes a long way.
I have had the privilege in my work with others interested in this area to have established a program where young people were peer educators and health promoters when it came to reducing the risks of alcohol for young people. Consultations with this audience regularly returned similar themes: a desire for more peer education and an understanding that sometimes those in our community who are meant to be role models around alcohol often work from a, ‘Do as I say and not as I do’, principle.
There are other factors in the desire to turn to alcohol for different people: boredom; the social value; and, of course, self-medication. We know issues relating to alcohol can co-exist with physical and mental illness. It is also a present factor in a range of other social areas, and it impacts on the wellbeing of families, engagement in education and employment opportunities, and the safety of Territorians.
Concerns raised by the Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT in May 2013 included:
- Those who are less likely to benefit from treatment include those with cognitive damage and those living in poor social circumstances and/or who have limited social/family support from people who do not have alcohol problems. People with co-morbidities may also have a lower success rate, especially if these are not addressed with ongoing comprehensive support. People referred to mandatory rehabilitation are more likely to fall into these categories because the criteria (apprehended three times in two months for public drunkenness) is likely to catch a high proportion of people with severe alcohol problems and complex social problems. When combined with evidence that mandatory treatment is less effective than voluntary treatment, relapse rates at one per year are likely to be significantly higher than 60%.
That raises many more questions about how this system interacts with other social services, other complementary services, and how successful we are in reaching those people who come from places where they do not have those social supports.
The review committed to, into all aspects of the AMT, is timely to ensure all Territorians entering AMT receive evidence-based care. I commend all members of this House who want to make a difference when it comes to this issue, and I truly believe we all do. We must be clear about wanting to affect cultural and generational change and about interacting and interlocking with others with the same aims, ensuring the investment of funding and resourcing into other areas of alcohol policy and our vital non-government sector.
The Minister for Health talks of successes of the program, and we are without data needed to make a judgment on this. There is no empirical data available on the return to alcohol by those who have been through alcohol mandatory treatment. There is none in relation to relapse, long-term behavioural change or long-term engagement in the community in education or work. Only one of the case studies presented on the government’s website refers explicitly to after-care plans, and it remains unclear how often such case studies are followed up on over a longer period of time. I will certainly be listening with interest to the continuation of this debate for information in relation to these things.
The government continues to report on activity occurring within the alcohol mandatory treatment system. However, it seems reluctant to report on its health outcomes. I am supportive of the change of the criminalisation of absconding; this should never have been included as an offence. On its website, the Law Society talks to its submission into the six-month review of the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act, and refers to concerns focused on:
- … lack of evaluative data or evidence of efficacy
- … there are no identified outcomes and thus no evaluation of the effectiveness of the regime to achieve the stated goal of ‘rehabilitation’.
I support the call from the member for Nhulunbuy for a review into alcohol mandatory treatment. Such a review into health outcomes was flagged to take place and has not yet occurred. It is important that the opposition, the sector and the public understand what the measures for success are for AMT and the evidence base, with a view for continuous improvement, if it is working.
There are still many questions in relation to AMT. If there are successes, what is the definition of success? Where is the data that shows the success? There have been some numbers thrown around. In an ABC article published on 3 November there were mixed reactions from Aboriginal legal aid groups to alcohol mandatory treatment changes. The Minister for Health referred to a target of a 20% participant success rate. I hope to hear some answers to questions I have throughout this debate: 20% of what; what does participant success look like; how are significant changes in drinking habits measured; and what actions are taken to measure if they are sustained in the long term?
The same ABC article from 3 November said:
- Aboriginal legal aid representatives have welcomed changes to the alcohol mandatory treatment legislation but say there is still little proof that the policy is effective at getting Territorians off the grog.
We and many of the important stakeholder and interest groups are calling for that data. Where is the evidence that this is effective? If we are to debate amendments to the act, is it working? In the same article, these sentiments were echoed by NAAJA, alongside concerns of access to after care.
When referring to those in AMT as engaging and seeing the benefit of their treatment, it would be useful to know whether these individuals are voluntarily or involuntarily admitted. This is a very expensive system. At $27m last year, it is not unreasonable to ask that a review is requested into its effectiveness – a clinical review into its health outcomes. This is not suggested with the intention of casting aspersions on the health practitioners who work within this framework, who work incredibly hard to do what we all aim to do and make lives better for Territorians. It should simply be part of practice to show that the clinical practice employed is achieving the health outcomes intended. It is about knowing where we have come from and where we are at with evidence so we can plan to, hopefully, further improve health and social outcomes for Territorians. The rate of return to treatment is an important measure in the success of this action.
There has been a death in treatment and this is a very sensitive area for the government, health practitioners and the family, and is a very sad event. It is even more important that the evidence is provided that shows that AMT is effective in achieving sustained health and social outcomes for its clients.
This bill should seek to expand entry to treatment and remove offences for absconding. It strikes me that many of the amendments proposed were raised by experts in their fields when this legislation was first introduced. When the legislation was introduced 18 months ago, many of the amendments were reflected in those concerns, and again at six months of operation. It shows the need for such important legislation to be fully and thoughtfully considered and not rushed, including opposition and recommendations prior to its passage.
The government should have listened to the experts who have the practical on-the-ground experience of what works and what does not at the time of implementation of this act. But the genesis for the AMT was a political response to the scrapping of the Banned Drinker Register, increasing alcohol abuse, putting 2500 banned drinkers back on tap, with 2013 being our most violent year ever. The CLP needed to give a perception that they had a coherent alcohol policy, and now we have a backflip.
Sadly, arrogant governance is becoming a key hallmark of the CLP government, which is dismissive of any views but its own. Now is the time to work with the non-government sector to adopt a more inclusive approach. Now is the time to ensure there is adequate resourcing in prevention and early intervention. Hopefully these changes mark the start of a new way forward, but we will still need a proper clinical review of patient outcomes as previously promised by the government.
The debate about amendments to this bill allows the opportunity for the call to be made again for evidence to be presented on the effectiveness of AMT on sustained behavioural change. However, I welcome the government’s amendments to this act. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this issue and I support the amendments to the bill.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Alcohol Rehabilitation): Madam Speaker, I thank everyone who has participated in this debate. The member for Nhulunbuy gave, as always, an impassioned left-wing account of the alcohol mandatory treatment program. She was negative from start to finish, but we expect nothing less. It is interesting that she spoke about her briefing with my staff, and I put on the record the member for Nhulunbuy was given 40 minutes. She arrived 10 minutes late and by 8.40 am she was ushered out as we had other people lined up for meetings. Member for Nhulunbuy, if you would like a full briefing that extends a little beyond half an hour I suggest you turn up on time.
We carried out an evaluation on this legislation. The legislation commenced on 1 July 2013, and by the end of 2013, within months of it becoming operational, I had agreed to undertake a review. Under duress – as I stated, and has been reiterated by my colleague, the member for Nhulunbuy – it was at that point mainly to appease the 11 groups of critics that have chorused in with demands around changing parts of this legislation. We rushed the legislation through to commence operation of the program on 1 July. We were rushed into agreeing to this evaluation. The evaluation was not particularly rushed; the people doing the review took some time. They consulted widely and this report, which most of you have seen, is 35 or 40 pages and is a comprehensive review of a piece of legislation that was six months old.
The first two recommendations they came up with are reflected in the amendments we are debating today. The first recommendation is to amend section 9 of the act to provide for other referral mechanisms by regulation to enable expansion of referral pathways into alcohol mandatory treatment as system capacity and efficiencies increase.
The second recommendation of the review into the legislation was to appeal section 72 to remove the offence provision applying to affected persons under mandatory residential treatment orders detained in secure treatment centres.
This legislation deals with at least the first two priority recommendations outlined in this review. That really reflects the sentiment of our critics of alcohol mandatory treatment. I am happy to move this legislation forward to include those amendments. They are reasonable and the timing is right. I sat on the review for six long months. In the scheme of government that is not a particularly long time, member for Nhulunbuy. I decided to not rush into accepting every recommendation as some on the other side of the Chamber might do. I wanted to take a more reflective approach. I wanted to spend some time engaging with service providers of alcohol mandatory treatment to get not just the perspective of our critics, but that of people working on the ground and what they think is the best way forward with the recommendations of this review of the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act.
Six months down the track we had the proposal put to Cabinet, had these amendments drafted, and now they are before parliament.
We have done an enormous amount of work in a very short space of time when it comes to alcohol mandatory treatment. I do not know that any other act in the history of the Northern Territory has been written, put through parliament, enacted, reviewed and amended so much in such a short space of time as the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act.
I make no apologies for the time frame. We have all, including the opposition, contributed to a thorough process. It has been quick, lively and engaging, but it has been in every way thorough and enthralling, I am sure, for the public of the Northern Territory.
This piece of legislation will allow more people to come into alcohol mandatory treatment, which everyone agrees is a good thing. I am slightly confused by the Labor opposition. The Labor opposition intended to bring in alcohol mandatory treatment. We know because we have reflected on Hansard and on media releases made over the last five to ten years, and we know it had a commitment to rolling out alcohol mandatory treatment. Now I get the feeling there is a little dissension in the ranks. The member for Nhulunbuy certainly suggested in her comments that she no longer agrees with any of it. So what is your policy around this? I would love to hear from the Leader of the Opposition. What is your policy around alcohol mandatory treatment?
We were in opposition. Most of us sitting on this side of the Chamber remember being in opposition just a few years ago. Yes, your main aim in life is to criticise everything the government says and does, I get that; but you have not really articulated your position when it comes to alcohol mandatory treatment.
Would you repeal the legislation if you were to come to government in 2016? Would you toss it out and get rid of it? Several of you this afternoon maintained that is what we did with the Banned Drinker Register; it was irrational, and we tossed it out even though it was working. That is wrong. But would you do the same? Would you toss out alcohol mandatory treatment just because it was a CLP policy? I look forward to getting a response to that question if it comes up in your meetings at some point. What is your policy, opposition members? It is very confusing to sit here and listen to speakers swing from one end of the spectrum to the other.
Yes we like this bit, no we do not like this bit, yes we like this bit, but we really do not like that bit. It is hard to respond because overall I suspect you, as a group of people, do not truly object to alcohol mandatory treatment, and in principle you agree with the notion. There are some incredibly disabled people in our community whose lives have been ruined by alcohol who slipped through the system. This treatment program provides hope and opportunity that perhaps these people have never experienced before.
This program will be evaluated at some point in the future. We were pressured into doing the review into the legislation prematurely. That review took place before it should have, before the program had time to even sufficiently roll out. We are only at the halfway point of rolling out the full alcohol mandatory treatment program across the Territory. It only really exists in its fullest and purest form in Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. The Tennant Creek facility has only just opened. Katherine, which suffers severely from the impact of widespread alcohol abuse, does not have an alcohol mandatory treatment program yet.
The member for Johnston referred to the fact that we have had some problems there. We thought we had a great site. We did everything required in putting it through the Development Consent Authority. It turns out a group of people in Darwin feel it is not the best site for that sort of treatment service.
In some ways we are back to square one with Katherine. We have to find an alternative site, which we are working on now. Hopefully we can get that program for Katherine back on track as soon as possible. We are also doubling the size of our alcohol mandatory treatment program in Alice Springs. That will take some time; it is only 50% completed in Alice Springs. Even in Darwin, we are temporarily located at the Stringybark facility. The intention is to move that program, which has about 45 beds, into the low-security unit of the Berrimah prison, which has now been fully vacated. We are working on that.
The amount of work that has gone into this program is phenomenal. We have had many changes, obstacles and challenges. We have had an army of critics. Every which way we turned there would be someone from NAAJA, PAAAC or AMSANT criticising us. We get that; it is controversial.
It is controversial because it has not been done like this before in Australia. On one hand we are very proud, while on the other we realise it is a big responsibility, not just to us as a government, but to the people of the Northern Territory and the many people in the Territory seriously affected by alcohol. We know it is working.
We do not have all the empirical evidence the lovely new member for Casuarina very clearly articulated in her speech. She will be very disappointed this afternoon that I do not answer all her carefully crafted questions around the empirical data she expects from this program. That will come to her eventually, and we will make no apologies.
Our expectations have always been 100% realistic. Only 10 to 20% of people going through our program will significantly change their drinking habits or abstain. We know that. It is no different from any other residential alcohol rehabilitation program in the world. That is as good as it gets.
I do not know if the empirical evidence will reflect all the other good things it will do for those people, such as allowing them to reconnect with their family, give them a chance to get off the grog and experience what it is like to be reasonably healthy for 12 weeks, and to reconnect with other human beings without being intoxicated. They can see what it is like to have a functioning body and what it is like to go to the doctor and have the doctor treat the illnesses, infections and chronic diseases that you knew were there but just put aside because of your addiction to alcohol.
We know this is all anecdotal. It has not been counted; it has not gone through evidence-based scrutiny that the likes of the well-meaning Dr John Boffa would like to harness and run with. However, we know lives are changing and for that we make no apology. This program has not even been operating 18 months. It has been operating for 17 months. It has changed people’s lives and will continue to change people’s lives. As time goes on, it is the third-party endorsements of this program that are outstanding, that people will listen to and will understand. We are just about to announce the non-government provider of the new Stringybark facility in the very new future. CAAAPU is an extraordinary organisation that has bent over backwards. Those people – their board, their management – truly believe in what they are doing, they are changing people’s lives.
It is all very well to refer to the ‘specialists’. What was the term used by the member for Casuarina? ‘The experts’. Do you know what? The people at CAAAPU are the experts. It is not Russell Goldflam, John Boffa, John Paterson and all the other names you mentioned. They are not experts in residential alcohol rehabilitation. They do not know this game. They think they do, but they do not. It is people from CAAAPU and Venndale who are the experts in this area. Do not be confused. These people would have you believe they are the experts – they are experts in many other things, I will give them credit for that. They are well-meaning people who are committed to the Northern Territory and have made their mark in so many ways, but they are not experts in residential alcohol rehabilitation.
If you want to go to the experts, members for Nhulunbuy, Casuarina, Nightcliff and Nelson, I suggest you spend some time – as the member for Nelson told us this afternoon that he did – with the likes of Eileen Hoosan from CAAAPU, and the board, and get them to tell you because they are the experts; they treat these people every day, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They know the experience of these people and the impact this program is having.
I thank the members of the opposition. They are engaged in an alcohol mandatory treatment program, for better or worse. To be criticised is part and parcel of this project. I would be astounded if one day our critics turned around and said this is good, because even when we hold the empirical evidence under their noses to show our success rate is between 10% and 20%, as we said our expectation has been all along, I suggest they will still be unhappy.
We are very happy on this side of the Chamber. We have considered the legislative review undertaken into the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act, and we tabled it in the public arena in March. That was six or seven months ago, and here we are, pushing it through parliament this evening because we have done everything to do with alcohol mandatory treatment at a cracking pace. We have cracked along and pushed it through. Let us keep pushing because I do not want to waste three months excluding people who could be treated by alcohol mandatory treatment. I do not want to hear that someone’s health has declined to the point where they are seriously ill because we have not included them.
Dropping the absconding offence is a necessary step to take at this point. It served a purpose and we, once again, make no apology for it. We knew it would be unpopular. We on this side of the Chamber do not make decisions just because they are popular. We know that is Labor’s mantra. ‘We only make popular decisions that will ensure our re-election.’ We are not like that. We make difficult decisions, and we felt having the absconding offence in place would be a deterrent to people jumping the fence and running away. It deterred some, but it did not deter as many as we expected. We have trialled that and will now drop it and put in place a stop clock. The clock will stop when people abscond. When it comes to the attention of management that someone has jumped the fence and run away, the clock will stop. When they are brought back to the facility the clock will start again. It remains a mandatory program in that respect and they are not getting away with anything. If they abscond, the duration of their treatment program will remain as determined by the tribunal.
Madam Speaker, I understand the member for Nhulunbuy intends to take this to committee so I will conclude my comments. I again thank members of the Chamber for providing such a robust and stimulating debate.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Ms WALKER: Mr Chair, I thank the minister for moving into the committee stage of debate with me.
Minister, a couple of general questions around the broader bill, which obviously includes the amendments, and then I have a few questions specifically around the amendments and what they will mean.
Measuring success is at the heart of the question. There seems to be continuing ambiguity about success rates and, importantly, how success will be measured. You said earlier this month that you hope to achieve a target of 20% participant success. How do you measure success beyond family reunification and client time in AMT, which is perhaps all I have heard about at this stage?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Member for Nhulunbuy, my understanding of this process is we are talking about the amendments to this act. I am happy to provide some insights as to how an evaluation of the program will occur at some point in the future, but my understanding is this process is about discussing the amendments. Can I seek some advice, Mr Chair?
Ms WALKER: Can I respond to the minister’s point, Mr Chair? There is latitude in the committee stage to ask these questions because success has been talked about extensively. It is a key measure and I am simply asking what some of those measures of success are.
I thought the minister – I know she has got it hard on this bill and this innovation – would be able to provide some descriptor as to how that success is measured.
Mr CHAIR: With no amendments before the committee, the discussion should be about the clauses in the legislation, not about the policy. We should stick with issues in regard to the clauses in the bill as opposed to the policy around it.
Ms WALKER: I beg to differ, Mr Chair, but let me reword the question. How does the minister expect the amendments before us today will improve participation and success in AMT? What will the measures of success be in that instance?
Mr CHAIR: I interpret that as part of the policy as opposed to the actual workings of the bill.
Ms WALKER: We are talking about amendments before the House and I am asking how we will measure the success as a result of these amendments. If there is no answer available because the minister does not know, that is fine; I will just move on to the next question.
Mrs LAMBLEY: I have undertaken to review the program at some point. The precise terms of reference of that review and how the outcomes of the program will be measured we have not ascertained as yet. I will tell you, in answer to one of the questions you asked, how these amendments will benefit individuals who misuse alcohol.
The changes to the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act will expand the alcohol mandatory treatment scheme to ensure more Territorians can benefit from the treatment offered. Currently, people charged with a low-level alcohol-related offence are excluded from the scheme. The changes mean more people who could benefit from AMT are eligible, for example, people whose offence arises through a breach of an Alcohol Protection Order will be eligible for referral to mandatory treatment. At the moment they are excluded.
This is an important group of people to include since these types of offences arise through the misuse of alcohol. The treatment offered through alcohol mandatory treatment can help them address their misuse of alcohol and keep them out of the criminal justice system in the future. It also includes people who, for example, may have stolen a bottle of alcohol – crimes that are essentially of a minor nature and are alcohol related. These people will now be included as eligible to be assessed for alcohol mandatory treatment.
As a real life example, recently one of our programs told us how a gentleman came into assessment. He was found to have an outstanding charge of a minor nature, which under these amendments would not exclude him; it would include him now. His wife came in soon after. She was deemed by the tribunal as suitable for alcohol mandatory treatment. Both of them wanted to undergo treatment together, husband and wife, but they could not because he was excluded.
So now, under the amendments to the legislation, both of those people would have been eligible and there would be many positives around those two undergoing treatment together. These are the real life examples we have listened to over the last six to 12 months, in the short existence of this mandatory program. In addition, the amendments to the act open the way for medical practitioners to refer clients to alcohol mandatory treatment, creating another pathway for chronic alcohol misusers to enter the system and get the treatment they need.
I have a friend who works at the Alice Springs hospital, and she told me there are people constantly coming into the emergency department. They cannot go to the police station because they are too sick, and the police are concerned they could die if they are taken to the watch house and put in protective custody. They are missing out on mandatory treatment. The medical practitioners, for example, at RDH ED can make a referral for these people to be assessed and then be brought before the tribunal.
Ms WALKER: In your answer, I note that success is largely determined by anecdotes. I am sure they are true stories, but we will just have to wait and see where measurable data that demonstrates evidence of success will come from. It will be further down the road, I am sure. Given the three amendments before us have come about as a direct result of the review of the AMT Act, and that there are a total of 48 recommendations, will the government respond formally? Will it publish a response so all can see what the government’s response is to every recommendation and whether that will lead to further amendments?
Mrs LAMBLEY: I will not commit to that. With the roll-out of this program and all the work we have done, including undertaking this review and then amending the legislation again – it takes resources and a lot of time. People have to go offline to do this important administrative work. However, when you are talking about a program that is only half rolled out, and then you are pulled back to undertake more reviews and more administrative work – which does not have to be done urgently – you have to make a decision at some point in time: how do you use your resources?
As the Minister for Alcohol Rehabilitation I have made the decision over the last six to 12 months that I will not undertake any reviews under pressure or the intense scrutiny of our chorus of critics. I will continue the roll-out of this very important health initiative. I will not be distracted by the demands and the chorus of critics that would have me use my precious and limited resources to do everything apart from provide this service.
In answer to your question, I have not decided how we will respond to the other 45 recommendations in the review of the legislation made public in March this year. I have taken the two recommendations prioritised in the review very seriously, as I said before in my closing comments. That is what we are here to talk about this evening. I will not be pushed, bullied or pressured into committing beyond that.
Mr CHAIR: I allowed the minister to answer that question, but I interpreted it as way out of bounds. I will read an extract from the House of Representatives Practice, which is what I will follow. It says:
- Debate must be relevant to the subject matter of the clause(s), schedule(s), item(s) or amendment(s) before the House …
I want discussion kept to that or I will rule it out of order.
Ms WALKER: Thank you, Mr Chair. I note your comments and the minister’s response. People have certainly welcomed her responsiveness to a review she committed to undertake and embraced fulsomely in June of last year. This is the review that has driven these amendments and changes to sections of the act. I place on the record disappointment in those who contributed who want to know what has happened to the sector’s recommendations. It is a courtesy, if nothing else, that people understand ...
Mr CHAIR: I do not like those comments, member for Nhulunbuy. It is quite clear we are here to discuss the clauses of the bill, not the policy or the discussions that led to those changes. I want the comments kept to that precise meaning, thank you.
Ms WALKER: You are a very hard taskmaster, Mr Chair. I will do my best to follow your instructions. We will move straight to the amendments. What a shame I cannot ask the questions we had.
Let us look at clause 4 which amends section 8. What are the parameters around health practitioners who may refer someone to an AMT facility? How will the procedures defined by regulation, as outlined in the bill, be developed, and who will be consulted in this process?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The question is who is defined as a health practitioner? Is that right?
Ms WALKER: We know who is defined as a health practitioner; I have a list of them here. A Chinese medicine operator, a podiatrist, they all qualify as health practitioners. How do we decide who will be defined by regulation as a result of your bill?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Sorry, I did not quite get the gist of your question. The Department of Health is consulting with health practitioners who have an interest in this area of work to determine which health practitioners and in what context those health practitioners will work to refer people for assessment. They are consulting on how that referral path will work. I cannot give you any specifics.
Ms WALKER: Will Indigenous health practitioners potentially be involved in that?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Yes. You started to run through a list of medical and health practitioners. We will not necessarily exclude any health practitioners on that list from AHPRA. You asked specifically about Aboriginal health practitioners. That group of health professionals will be consulted, given the very high proportion of Aboriginal people already involved in alcohol mandatory treatment.
Ms WALKER: Thank you, minister. You said there will be a process of consultation to determine the scope of health practitioners who will be involved in this referral assessment process. Broadly speaking, who will be involved in that consultation phase? Which sectors will you consult with?
Mrs LAMBLEY: It is broad-reaching but definitely includes those specialist who have a special interest in Alcohol and Other Drugs.
Ms WALKER: You rankle a bit when we mention them, but those groups which have contributed quite constructively to this process – APO NT, AMSANT, NAAJA, CLANT and those sorts of groups who have expertise in both legal and health service delivery – may be part of that consultation?
Mrs LAMBLEY: I would not exclude any of those groups. You have listed the groups that participated in the review, and they comprise our major critics. I am sure they would be included in any consultation around the scope of how these referral pathways work. Because people criticise this act and this program does not mean I will exclude them. We live in a democratic society and anyone who wants to have a say in this type of thing is more than welcome. We may exclude people or groups unintentionally, but that is not deliberate.
Ms WALKER: Minister, I am moving to clause 5, the amendments to section 9, and I have a couple of questions. To what extent do you expect the amendment to allow people facing low-level alcohol-related offences to enter AMT will increase the number of AMT clients?
Mrs LAMBLEY: That is a good question. I do not know that we have any specific statistics so I cannot answer that question. That will be an interesting aspect to the amendments going through – how will demand for AMT increase by including that group of people? I do not know.
Ms WALKER: I appreciate the difficulty of trying to quantify that, but I thought it was worth asking. As a follow on, in your second reading speech you said it is important that this group of people be eligible for treatment because these types of offences arise solely through misuse of alcohol. Could you clarify your evidence for that assertion?
Mrs LAMBLEY: It is self-explanatory. Alcohol-related crime is attributed generally to alcohol misuse. What is the point of your question?
Ms WALKER: If I can clarify, the purpose of AMT from the outset, from a policy perceptive – if I might use the word ‘policy’ without getting in trouble with the Chair – is about dealing with chronic alcohol misuse. We are talking about people now where it may not necessarily be chronic alcohol misuse that brings them into contact with the system. For instance, people who come to Darwin and get stranded who are binge drinkers – the risks associated with the demise of the Return to Country program.
Mrs LAMBLEY: In the current system, without these amendments, there still is the chance that some people who are not necessarily chronic long-term hard drinkers might hit the three protective custodies in two months and end up before the tribunal. However, the tribunal is the gatekeeper. If someone is referred for assessment and goes before the tribunal it is still up to the tribunal to scrutinise the assessment. The assessment is put together by extremely skilled and professional people and includes a psychosocial assessment. It will now include an assessment of their criminal history, if relevant, and will take all those factors into account.
Through the assessment phase it is ascertained whether or not people are seriously and chronically affected by alcohol. These people are skilled experts in their area and the assessment process would effectively eliminate someone who is on a one-off binge. They will not have the same signs and symptoms of a chronic alcoholic.
Ms WALKER: My next question is also in relation to clause 5. In opening up additional pathways to see people channelled through for treatment, it includes those who have committed an offence. One of the recommendations of the review of the act was to amend legislation so an offender on a DVO or a restraining order can be excluded. How do you plan to respond to that group of people?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The short answer to that is by regulation. That is how we will deal with it.
Ms WALKER: In the same vein then, on that same clause minister, changes to the act are proposed to allow into AMT prisoners with less than a seven year sentence or other offence prescribed by regulation that is a relevant offence. What kinds of offences might be excluded by a relevant offence by regulation?
Mrs LAMBLEY: You might be confusing the issue to some extent. At the moment, people who are prisoners – is that what you were referring to – are excluded automatically. Transferring between a prison and AMT they would have to go before a tribunal. At the moment, people who are on a charge, whether they are in prison or otherwise, are excluded. Now they may or may not be included depending on the severity of the offence and the charge so is that …
Ms WALKER: At the briefing I was told that, for instance, someone who had stolen a bottle of liquor would be considered for AMT, having gone through the assessment and tribunal process to be proven to be someone who has a chronic alcohol issue. I am asking what other kinds of offences might be excluded as a relevant offence by regulation?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The only criteria we have put in these amendments is what you can read in the amendment: a penalty that exceeds seven years. I am not familiar with what crimes specifically would exceed that, but obvious ones are murder, rape and extremely violent crimes such as armed robbery. You could assume those very serious crimes would have a penalty of imprisonment of more than seven years and people would be automatically excluded.
Ms WALKER: Fair enough, thank you, minister. I understand that the regulations are yet to be developed and the relevant offence will be by regulation. How will that process work? Is it a process of consultation with stakeholders? I imagine the legal fraternity would be involved to draw up those regulations to understand what would be in or out of ‘relevant offence’.
Mrs LAMBLEY: This work will be mainly carried out by the police and the Attorney-General’s department. They are going through every offence and working out what will be excluded with these amendments. The Department of Health is obviously working in collaboration with police and the Attorney-General’s department. We are also informing relevant stakeholders and holding a general community collaboration process around that, including informing NAAJA and the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal legal aid services in this discussion, and they can provide feedback.
Ms WALKER: Thank you, minister. When do you anticipate these regulations will be in place?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The work has already started and it will take a few months, which is another reason we have pushed this through. We do not have a hard and fast time frame for this, but we want to get it sorted out as soon as possible so the amendments can come into effect as soon as possible.
Ms WALKER: Thank you, minister. I move on to clauses 7 and 8, beginning with clause 7 which amends section 49. Did you consider any grounds for extension of the initial three months in AMT beyond an extension aligning with unauthorised absences?
Mrs LAMBLEY: No, we did not, simply because the demand has exceeded supply, to date, for alcohol mandatory treatment. Some people have come through the system for a second and third time, and we knew that would happen. During the planning phase we were told that even for voluntary alcohol residential rehabilitation people will come through a second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth time until they actually make some more permanent changes to their alcohol consumption.
In answer to your question, we did not.
Ms WALKER: In relation to that minister, is there a limit on the number of times a client can be brought through AMT?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The tribunal is the gatekeeper. It is up to the tribunal to make that decision. There is nothing in the legislation to say there is a limit.
All the providers we spoke to in the planning phase for alcohol mandatory treatment were encouraging of people coming through their programs as they felt the need to. It is a long process; the success rate is 10 to 20%. For some people it takes a lot more than one 12-week program to change their lives.
Ms WALKER: That is interesting, given you have said the supply is greater than the demand and, obviously, the cost for every client going through – you have spoken a lot about the cost. What would be the trigger for the tribunal to say, ‘We have seen this person now eight or ten times; there is no sign of rehabilitation and there has been the investment of putting this person through AMT’?
Mrs LAMBLEY: It is in the legislation. It is the capacity to benefit. The tribunal would make that assessment. Not all people coming back for a second or third time to CAAAPU, for example, would come back into alcohol mandatory treatment. They would go through the separate voluntary treatment program offered by CAAAPU
Ms WALKER: What arrangements are available across the AMT providers? How does it work for approved leave from AMT for family emergencies or other reasonable purposes?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The senior assessment officer and the senior clinician will make a decision around participant’s leave based on cultural needs, or perhaps medical and healthcare needs. There is, in practice, a lot of flexibility in that space. People are regularly coming and going, from what I can gather.
Ms WALKER: That would include cultural needs?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Yes, definitely cultural needs – attending funerals and cultural ceremonies.
Ms WALKER: Still on clause 7, have there been any instances where a mandatory residential treatment order has been suspended or revoked? What are the circumstances where that can occur?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Yes, it has occurred. A treatment order is revoked or ceased prematurely when the tribunal feels it is not having any positive impact.
Ms WALKER: That could be for somebody who is a chronic alcoholic and has been released …
Mrs LAMBLEY: It could be.
Ms WALKER: I guess that goes back to the number of times someone can be referred into treatment, where eventually they say, ‘This is not working’.
Mrs LAMBLEY: Not necessarily. One example is that the extent of the cognitive limitations of someone who has been assessed in the early days of coming into treatment might become apparent over time. It is not easy to make a completely thorough assessment of someone’s cognitive ability when they are going through that early detox or post-detox stage.
As the member for Casuarina mentioned, people with various cognitive limitations may not be suitable for alcohol mandatory treatment.
Ms WALKER: Thanks for that, minister. I move on to clause 9 and the amendments to section 67. The explanatory memorandum explains that the new section 67(1)(g) provides that the senior treatment clinician must keep records of any other information as directed by the CEO. I am interested to know what kind of other information might be sought and kept under that new section, as well as why this change was deemed necessary.
Mrs LAMBLEY: This amendment maintains the stop-clock mechanism we will be using with absconding ceasing to be an offence. This is about the staff, directed by the CEO, keeping a record of when people abscond and when they come back.
Ms WALKER: I was asking if there was any other kind of information?
Mrs LAMBLEY: No.
Ms WALKER: Clause 10 relates to section 72 offences. This is the only offence under AMT and it is to do with supply of liquor. Can you advise how many people have been charged and convicted under section 73, which is supply of alcohol to a person to whom a mandatory treatment order applies?
Mrs LAMBLEY: None.
Ms WALKER: Are you surprised by that, minister?
Mrs LAMBLEY: It does not matter whether I am surprised or not. For someone who is intent on evidence and empirical information …
Ms WALKER: We have been advised that people are getting out of treatment to go drinking and then coming back, so somebody must be supplying them. I guess resources are slim, but it is in relation to security or surveillance. I thought there might have been a conviction.
Minister, in relation to Part 3, the consequential amendments to the Police Administration Act, clause 14(2) amends section 128A. Can you explain the main purpose behind the amendment to allow police to take an intoxicated person to an assessment facility?
Mrs LAMBLEY: The current legislation requires that police keep people in protective custody until they are effectively sober. It gives the police permission to take people to the assessment facility when they are still intoxicated. One of the reasons for this amendment is to reassure police the assessment facilities we have are very well-equipped and run by highly-skilled professional people, and there is probably more benefit to the person being taken to the assessment facility whilst they are intoxicated rather than kept in a cell in protective custody at the police station until they are sober. It speeds up the process.
If people hit the three strikes in the case of protective custody they can quickly start the transition through alcohol mandatory treatment. Sometimes with the changing of shifts and the different practices within the police station, people were not brought into the assessment facility within the required time frame. This hastens the process and allows people to start the engagement with alcohol mandatory treatment quicker.
Ms WALKER: To fill a knowledge gap I have, as I have only had the Health portfolio in shadow cabinet for a few weeks, are any of the mandatory treatment centres also assessment centres, or are they all separate?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Darwin is both. At the moment Stringybark is completely managed by the Department of Health. In the coming months that will be handed over, for the most part, to a non-government organisation, but the Department of Health will continue to run the assessment service. In Alice Springs the Department of Health runs the assessment service at a separate location from CAAAPU. In time we hope to create an assessment facility on the campus of CAAAPU so it is a one-stop shop.
In Tennant Creek the assessments take place at the hospital. There is a very generously refurbished facility at the Tennant Creek hospital and the treatment occurs just down the road at the alcohol mandatory treatment centre, which was the sobering up shelter. There is a mixture of combinations.
Ms WALKER: Minister, are you confident that where the assessment centre is with the treatment centre there will always be capacity?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Definitely.
Ms WALKER: Given that we now have intoxicated people who will be taken directly to the assessment facilities, are you planning for additional resources that may be required, given additional strain placed on nursing and medical staff in dealing with these individuals?
Mrs LAMBLEY: Although we are amending this legislation, people are still taken to the assessment centres intoxicated, not all of them, but some. I have visited the Alice Springs facility there several times now and they have described to me how the clients generally come to them in an intoxicated state.
This amendment relieves any concerns the police might have about taking intoxicated people to these facilities. These assessment facilities are incredibly well staffed with extremely competent and capable professional people. If you ever go to Alice Springs I urge you to look at the one near the prison. It is very well equipped. There is an outstanding group of professional people working there, but, yes, they take intoxicated people now so this really will not make a huge difference.
I was told by the staff in Alice Springs that these people are not well, but they are generally not difficult to deal with. They are tired, generally sick and still intoxicated to some degree, but nine times out of 10 they are not wild animals creating all sorts of trouble. We do take into consideration the pressure put on staff and if there is any concern about their safety, those issues are jumped on immediately. We do not want our staff burnt out and leaving us; we want them to stay and be a part of the program for a long period.
Ms WALKER: Thank you, minister. I am very grateful to you for taking questions in the committee stage. I have no further questions Mr Chair.
Bill taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill reported without amendment; report adopted.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Alcohol Rehabilitation): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her questions during committee; they were very constructive. I thank all participants in this debate this afternoon. I am very encouraged that we have passed this bill to amend the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Act through the Chamber today. It is important we continue to improve and work on this relatively new initiative in the Northern Territory. I congratulate Department of Health staff who have been involved in this process, particularly Dr Joe Wright who assisted me today. He has been a rock in this process; he is a very committed medical practitioner and public servant. We are sad to hear he is moving into a different part of his life in the near future, and we thank him for all his hard work.
I thank my staff who worked tirelessly on this program for at least the last 18 months. This has taken up a huge part of our time; we are very committed to this process and to improving the services we have on the ground. We have done a remarkable job to date, but we still have a heck of a long way to go. As I said before, we are only approximately 50% through the process of rolling out alcohol mandatory treatment across the Northern Territory.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
LICENSING (DIRECTOR-GENERAL) BILL
(Serial 102)
LICENSING (REPEALS AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL
(Serial 103)
(Serial 102)
LICENSING (REPEALS AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL
(Serial 103)
Continued from 23 October 2014.
Ms FYLES (Nightcliff): Madam Speaker, we welcome initiatives to cut red tape. In government the Labor Party undertook many initiatives to cut red tape across many portfolio areas, with a keen focus on business red tape. This included establishing a task force that was disbanded by the CLP government after the last election and then 18 months later was re-established.
Streamlining processes is always welcomed to save time, money and effort for businesses, as well as for efficiency, particularly in government. However, as this bill regulates the social issues of gambling and alcohol regulation among other regulatory areas, there needs to be a balanced approach to take into account the community’s rights and concerns. In addition, there appears to have been no analysis of the potential harm that may result to our community from these proposed changes.
Studies show that alcohol abuse in the Territory costs the community approximately $642m per year, or $4197 for every adult Territorian, compared to the national average of $644. That is a huge difference, over $4000 to less than $1000 nationally. Costs include health and medical emergencies, hospitalisations, chronic disease, policing costs, court and correctional services costs, and loss of productivity. We also know alcohol misuse fuels crime.
This bill replaces a range of specialist skills available in the commission with a single decision-maker, noting there is also the provision for delegating decisions. Commission members are currently broadly representative of the community in our regions, and this collective decision-making has the benefit of different perspectives, something we feel is very important.
There is considerable collective experience in the Licensing Commission which is lost with this bill. We hope the government does not cut resources within the licensing division, which would further erode experience and capacity in these difficult policy areas. We also feel there has been inadequate consultation on this bill. There have been no public meetings held across the Territory about the changes, and no consultation with alcohol action groups, yet alcohol abuse is the Territory’s most significant social problem.
Presently, applications for liquor licences and alterations to licences must be published as specified by the current act and the department’s guidelines. This bill changes that, giving the Director-General discretion to determine what advertising is required. For variations and applications for licences, this bill changes the notice of advertising requirements from a requirement to publish in a newspaper to ‘published in the way specified by the Director-General’.
Chief Minister, can you explain to the House what form that publication takes and why the government has removed the specific requirement to publish in a newspaper, particularly as a newspaper is an efficient way of providing notice to the public? Many people look to the NT News each day for notices. It might sit on the coffee table or the office desk for a little while, but people refer to it. Often it is asked, ‘How did you advertise? How did you communicate?’ The NT News and regional papers are seen as a method. Even in this day of electronic social media methods of communication, the good old newspaper is still a strong way to go.
Not only are you removing public hearings, you are removing the legislative requirement to publish notifications of applications and variations of licences, leaving that to the discretion of the Director-General. How is that in the public interest?
This amendment serves to exclude the public from knowing about applications. Publication of applications is important to ensure wider participation, particularly where objections are restricted to submission in writing, following that this bill has removed public hearings from the consultation process. We are quite concerned about the advertising process and public hearings. This bill could have included provisions to ensure wider notice to enable wider participation.
This bill inserts a new term under clause 70 at section 86C(4)(b), after ‘application’ inserting ‘or proposal’. Can you explain what is a proposal compared to an application? Is there a different process for proposals?
The loss of public hearings is a huge concern. Streamlining the process can occur without watering down community involvement, something we feel strongly about. Stakeholders we have spoken to are concerned that the loss of public hearings can cut the community from the process, disenfranchising Territorians, particularly Territorians who live in remote areas and are Indigenous. A public hearing provides the opportunity to test evidence, to access witnesses, put questions and hear community views. This is not available when you have written evidence. Public hearings are a more transparent process than what is proposed in this bill.
It is very important, particularly with remote communities, that hearings are held in the community. We have Territorians who might not have access to communication devices easily, but when hearings happen in their community, people will front up, particularly if they are able to turn up together. Community stakeholders can present to that hearing and talk about how proposed changes would impact on the community. For example, to not have a hearing and just have e-mail or letters will not help people in remote communities.
In Nhulunbuy or Wadeye, if there are proposals for changes to licences or for new licences in those areas, it is far more beneficial to the community if a hearing is held within the community for people to be able to provide evidence in person, rather than write a letter. Sometimes there are barriers to overcome – access to a computer to send the e-mail, access to type it. That is something we feel strongly about.
The loss of these public hearings also removes public and media access to hearings and decisions, effectively putting them underground. Presently the media and the general community can be aware of a hearing. While there may be views that public hearings may not be the best way, we feel strongly that disallowing the general community to participate needs to be taken into consideration. Did you consider ways to address this concern without removing the rights of Territorians to talk directly to the decision-makers?
While the Director-General must provide annual reports, there does not appear to be a statutory requirement for the Director-General to keep records or publish decisions, which is concerning. If everything is suddenly done by e-mail and letter without public hearings, without media present, we are cutting off communications and cutting off the community from being involved in the process. This is concerning.
There is also a question as to whether clause 17 of the Licensing (Director-General) Bill in relation to confidentiality of information compounds the issue. I ask the Chief Minister to address those concerns.
This bill advises that regulations will determine what is not a renewable decision. Chief Minister, can you explain to the House what would fall into this category and why it is not specified in the bill?
The bill also appears to exclude interested third parties from seeking a review of a decision, limiting that to affected persons receiving notice and capacity to seek review, those being people who made an objection, application or complaint. This is perhaps shortening the process and not providing as much scrutiny.
As you would know, there are third parties with an interest in these matters, including Indigenous support, advocacy, legal groups, and organisations such as Gamblers Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, that would like to participate in the process.
The accountability and transparency of licensing decisions is not enhanced by this legislation; that is the bottom line. This legislation does not enhance transparency for Territorians. I understand that the hotels industry has raised concerns about the costs associated with objections to noise raised by residents living near licensed premises where many had pre-existing housing. This is an area where legislation could be introduced to restrict complaints against existing premises to streamline the complaints process.
We acknowledge the hotel industry’s concerns, but this could have been dealt with in a different manner. Those complaints are a different issue to the introduction of new liquor licences or additional gaming machines into our community. We are not talking about noise complaints; we are talking about new liquor outlets, new gaming machines or increased capacity within outlets. These are the areas where this legislation does not allow for public scrutiny.
There is already considerable concern about plans to increase the number of poker machines in our communities, particularly around introducing poker and gaming machines in our bush communities in remote areas. The government has shown no regard for the social harms gambling has in our community in balancing this legislation. You have engaged in no community consultation on reintroducing social clubs and poker machines into communities. That is something we wanted to see – community consultation, talking to communities, particularly the support services, families, women, traditional owners and elders. What are their thoughts on reintroducing social clubs and poker machines in our communities? We have to be so careful.
Instead, this proposal was revealed for the first time during this year’s estimate hearings. For problem gamblers, poker machines inflict misery on family households, squandering the family income which should be spent on food and housing. It is a deadly addiction which causes so much harm in our society so we need to be very careful.
This bill again removes the ability for these issues to be aired in public hearings, really opening up the issues – the rivers of grog or the gambling misery in our community. We are not able to have that spotlight on it.
This bill includes the introduction of a power to charge a levy on gaming machines at clause 18. Chief Minister, will this revenue be directed to gambling, counselling and support programs? This bill shifts a significant responsibility from the Licencing Commission structure to a single position, the Director-General. Currently we have a board made up of a variety of experts who come together and make a decision. They have differing views and they talk it through and work it out to just one person, so we have a concern that these decisions are being shifted.
Will the resources allocated to the commission remain or are they to be cut. We have concerns that fewer resources means a lower quality of decision-making.
We have a number of concerns and questions which I have highlighted today. We do not support the watering down of public notifications of applications for licences or notification, or applications to amend licences. We oppose this legislation. Removing public hearings will serve to disenfranchise Territorians from the decision-making about these important social issues.
Mr GILES (Alcohol Policy): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Nightcliff for her comments. This legislation seeks to remove red tape and make the transition a lot easier for those operating in this space, particularly in regard to licencing. I noted a fair amount of commentary by the member opposite in regard to consultation. I am happy to run through a chronology of consultation with stakeholders to advise her.
In September 2013 face-to-face meetings were held with the following stakeholders providing an outline of the new framework: the Australian Hoteliers Association; Clubs NT; and the Australian Liquor Stores Association.
In November 2013 reference to reforms in the AHA newsletter Director’s Report were made.
Various briefs to the Northern Territory Licensing Commission members at meetings have been provided from September 2013 to date. In January 2014 there were further face-to-face meetings to outline that the proposed incorporation of access to NTCAT for review purposes has been made, NTCAT being the Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
In April 2014 we corresponded in writing to a range of stakeholders, informing them of the intention to change the framework and to invite them to contact the Department of Business to seek further information, including the ability to present at information sessions. That included the AHA, Clubs NT, the Liquor Stores Association, all registered wholesale liquor outlets, all escort agency licence holders, the NT Sex Worker Outreach Project Coordinator, the Scarlet Alliance Australian Sex Workers Association, the Australian Security Industry Association Ltd, the Australasian Council of Security Professionals, casinos and the totalisator licensee.
In May 2014 I attended an AHA expo to promote and this legislation and answer many different questions. Publication of information on websites – as you would expect for full transparency – commenced in May 2014 on what the changes mean. We provided briefings to the executive group of the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory in June of this year. There have been regular briefings to the Darwin Safer City Project working group, which started in May 2014. In September we briefed Amity on what that means.
I have personally been able to provide some information to many of the community sector organisations which I meet with on a regular basis. In October 2014 letters were sent to the following list of organisations, or reference groups, informing them of the legislation which had been introduced into parliament which we were seeking to debate in November. They include: the AHA; Clubs NT; the Liquor Stores Association; all registered wholesaler liquor outlets; all escort agency licence holders; the NT Sex Worker Outreach Project Coordinator; the Scarlet Alliance Australian Sex Workers Association; the Australian Security Industry Association Ltd; the Australasian Council of Security Professionals; casinos; and totalisator licensee. Information sessions will continue to be offered and arranged.
Under the new arrangements there will be no public hearings, which reduces the level of public scrutiny, as stated by the member for Nightcliff. She asked what protections there are for proper public consultation. Both the Liquor Act and the Gaming Machine Act – and the Kava Management Act which is not currently operational – provide for a level of public scrutiny through the requirement to publish a notice of application. This notice gives rise to the ability for persons to make objections to the application being made.
The process does not change. The process of advertising an application having been made will continue, and it is this process which provides the protection for proper consultation. Whilst hearings are no long required, the advertising process gives the public an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process.
Other provisions, such as those that relate to the declaration of a general restricted area, will continue to require the Director-General to take all the necessary steps to obtain the views of the people affected.
A question was asked about how the new process allows for consideration of these public objections. There is the right to make objections. It continues, and it will be a critical feature when considering the decision-making process. The Director-General, under this legislation, must consider any objection in the course of making a decision in an expressed consideration under the acts. An objector to an application will be given a decision notice outlining the reasons the application was granted or denied. Those reasons are expected to address the objections raised. Any objector or person who has made a submission, complaint or objection, however described during a process under the act, will have a right to seek a review of that decision by NTCAT.
These factors together will ensure there is fulsome consideration of objections and submissions made by the public. As part of the process of debating this bill today there is a range of amendments being put forward by government. There is quite an exhaustive list. I am happy to describe exactly why we will be seeking to take this into the committee stage. There are a couple of typographical changes being made and a couple of post-drafting amendments where the terminology of ‘director’ is being changed to the terminology of ‘Director-General’. That has been in the previous legislation a number of times.
That is why we seek to provide a range of amendments to the bill. I distributed a copy of those amendments, I think on Tuesday morning, so everybody should have a copy. Through the committee stage I will seek to move all those amendments at the same time, but I am happy to talk about them all individually. It is about moving them all together, as distributed, because, as I said, it is not changing the content, rather changing the terminology throughout that process. That has probably answered all the questions you raised, particularly around the consultation phase, which was exhaustive.
The process of moving from a commission to a Director-General still has all the checks and balances, but the process in these bills is a significant removal of red tape. It is a process where utilising NTCAT presents a uniform appeals mechanism – for want of a better word – which will support a greater level of opportunity for all stakeholders in the Northern Territory to have access to a seamless appeals body. It means there will be a greater level of scrutiny and empowerment for that body. It is part of the regime changes going through government, seeking to utilise NTCAT for a range of areas. There are hundreds of tribunals or appellant bodies that we in government, through a range of legislative instruments, sought to change so we could strengthen NTCAT in its role and functioning ability. This is one of those areas.
I commend the bill to the House. I would like to move into the committee stage to take that further.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Mr CHAIR: The committee has before it the Licensing (Repeals and Consequential Amendments Bill (Serial 103).
Clauses 1 to 7, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 8:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.1 and 29.2 as presented in the amendments.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 8, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 9 to 23, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 24:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.3 and 29.4 as tabled.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 24, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 25:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendment 29.5.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 25, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 26 to 37, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 38:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.6 and 29.7.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 38, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 39 to 81, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 82:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.8 and 29.9.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 82, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 83 to 98, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 99:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.10 and 29.11.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 99, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 100 to 115, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 116:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.12 and 29.13.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 116, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 117 to 128, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 129:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.14 and 29.15.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 129, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 130 to 141, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 142:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.16 and 29.17.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 142, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 143 to Schedule 1, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Schedule 2:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.18 to 29.25.
Amendments agreed to.
Schedule 2, as amended, agreed to.
Schedule 3:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.26 and 29.27.
Amendments agreed to.
Schedule 3, as amended, agreed to.
Schedule 4 agreed to.
Schedule 5:
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendment 29.28.
Amendment agreed to.
Schedule 5, as amended, agreed to.
Schedules 6 and 7, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Schedule 8.
Mr GILES: Mr Chair, I move amendments 29.29, 29.30 and 29.31.
Amendments agreed to.
Schedule 8, as amended, agreed to.
Remainder of the bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Bill reported with amendments; report adopted.
Mr GILES (Alcohol Policy): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the bills be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bills read a third time.
TABLED PAPER
Treasurer’s Mid-Year Report 2014-15
Treasurer’s Mid-Year Report 2014-15
Mr GILES (Treasurer): Mr Deputy Speaker, I table the 2014-15 mid-year report that provides updated information on the Territory’s economic and fiscal outlook. I also seek leave to continue my remarks at a later date.
Leave granted.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Mr Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise to wish every Territorian a safe and happy Christmas. I must start by paying tribute to one of Australia’s finest cricket talents, Phillip Hughes. He died just a few hours ago.
I was privileged enough to have met Phillip Hughes when he came to Darwin earlier this year to launch the Australia A series. He was a great cricketer, a great bloke and a great Australian. Our thoughts, from government, are with his family and friends who must now spend Christmas without him. It is a tragic event. Australians are mourning, cricket lovers are mourning, and cricket players are mourning. It is a very sad time. Rest in peace, Phillip.
Christmas is a time for families, and the chance to reflect on the highs and lows of the year. It is a time to look back at all the things we have achieved and give ourselves a little pat on the back and celebrate being Territorians. We had a very good Question Time today and we reflected on everything we have done as a government for a year, but I want to say thanks to a range of people, particularly my parliamentary colleagues on this side of the Chamber. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker and Madam Speaker. Thank you to members on other sides of the Assembly. Thank you very much to the Clerks and everybody in the Speaker’s office. I say congratulations to the new Administrator. I thank the previous Administrator; Sally did an outstanding job in that role, and I am sure she is enjoying her well-earned holiday after three years as Administrator.
I also acknowledge parliamentary staff, such as the Serjeant-at-Arms, who now sits in the Chamber; people who work in the education section; Hansard; the drafters; the Table Office; Building Services; Business Support; Finance; Human Resources; and the lady working in the gift shop. Thank you very much for all of the hard work you have done over the last 12 months; it has been quite a busy 12 months in government, with change and a lot of action in the Northern Territory.
To the people working in the Speaker’s Caf – it is always good to get a good bite to eat there. Thank you to the officers who run the protocol events for government, and thank you very much to the hard-working staff in the library.
I would really love the opportunity to get someone to review everything that has been achieved in the last two years, including 2014, as opposed to any other years in government. We could see whether any previous governments achieved as much as we have. We could not do any of it if we did not have the support of the fantastic public service in the Northern Territory. It has 20 000 staff supporting 14 members of government, one of whom is the Speaker, driving our policy agenda and our reform agenda, paying back debt, driving down crime, driving the economy up, and assisting in all the other areas of government. We could not do it without them.
Thank you to everyone involved in the teaching profession; Education; Health; Police, Fire and Emergency Services; Housing; Treasury; Northern Australia Development; Asian Engagement; Defence Liaison; Major Projects; Business and Employment; Local Government; Corporate Services; Alcohol Policy; the Attorney-General’s department; Correctional Services; Children and Families; Public Employment; Alcohol Rehabilitation; Disability Services; Lands and Planning; Primary Industries; Mining; Land Resources; Essential Services; Tourism; Sport and Recreation; Arts; Infrastructure; Transport; Multicultural Affairs; Seniors and Young Territorians; Community Services; Statehood; Women’s Policy; Parks and Wildlife; statutory appointments and all their staff; the Port Corporation; the Land Development Corporation; Power and Water, which has gone through much change this year; Jacana Energy; and T-Gen
Thank you to the chief executives and all their staff for their hard work. Thank you very much to the security and maintenance staff in Parliament House, the drivers who look after us and drive us around, as well as those who work in IT and make sure we our IT equipment is functioning.
To the staff who work in my office, I know there is a rule that if your name is mentioned in parliament you have to buy a carton of beer at Christmas, so, Ron Kelly, my chief of staff, I will have a carton of Crownies. Thanks very much for all of your hard work, and it would be remiss of Tim Baldwin, John Taylor and Danielle Parry not to buy a carton as well. For everybody who works in the office, thanks very much. At times it has been stressful and testing this year, but we have still gone on and formed the basis of a fantastic team and established much reform throughout the Northern Territory.
Thanks to Dee Davies, my electorate officer. I know it is not very easy being based in the Braitling electorate in Alice Springs when I am simply never there. I also acknowledge the hard work you have done over many decades. You will be retiring in March next year. I hope that you and Kym have a good time in your retirement, you play plenty of golf and enjoy your time off and your holidays.
To relief electorate staff, Alice De Brenni and Jennifer Lillis, thank you very much for all of your hard work. Thank you to the electorate and the electors of Braitling. It is a fantastic electorate, not that it is a competition, but there are fantastic constituents in that electorate. People are really happy to see Alice Springs as a safe environment again with the economy back up and running.
I also say Merry Christmas to Tamara and my daughter Thalia. Thanks for your support all year. I know it has been quite a challenging year.
To my many friends who have provided support at times when things were quite trying, thanks very much. I look forward to having a beer and a punt with you on Saturday.
Christmas in the Territory is celebrated by many cultures in many ways. The amazing thing is, it does not matter if you are Greek, Chinese, Indigenous, Filipino, Indian, Malay, Indonesian or otherwise, we all have the fantastic opportunity to call ourselves Territorians. We are a vibrant community, and we all get on and do the job. That is why it is a fantastic opportunity and a privilege being the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, working with not only this great team in government but the great team of Territorians.
I am often asked what the future holds for the Territory. I always say it is enormously bright; it is positive, and there is a range of fantastic opportunities coming our way. I would not want to be in any other part of the country.
For all those who worked very hard this year, thank you very much. I look forward to 2015. I trust that people will re-energise, charge their batteries and, most importantly, have a good time and reconnect with family and friends; but be safe. For those getting out on the town and having a drink, make sure you do not drink and drive. Be responsible to yourselves, your loved ones and everyone else who might be out and about. Merry Christmas.
Mrs FINOCCHIARO (Drysdale): Mr Deputy Speaker, when I started considering a future in politics I asked myself what I would stand for and what I could do to make a difference in my community. A key election platform of mine in 2012 was for the revival of the moral health of Palmerston, bringing back the sense of community and being able to enjoy your neighbourhood.
Part of feeling safe and enjoying your local community is having clean, presentable streets. Every now and then around all regional locations small waves of graffiti and vandalism start up, and if it is not dealt with quickly it can spread and become a larger problem.
A major reason people graffiti is for peer recognition. The offender hopes their vandalism is seen by like-minded friends, which then encourages the person to produce more graffiti in another location. The longer that graffiti remains on display, the more chance there is for the offender to gain satisfaction from their efforts. Dealing with graffiti and vandalism quickly is vital.
In my electorate of Drysdale, over the last two years I have worked with the Department of Housing, the Department of Transport, Power and Water Corporation, Palmerston police and the City of Palmerston to rid our streets of graffiti and vandalism. All of these agencies have been very helpful and have worked towards making the electorate of Drysdale feel revitalised.
I am very pleased to report numerous cases where I have reported damage to property or recorded and reported unsightly spray-paint on walls or signs, all of which has been cleaned up and returned to its original state.
The difference the removal of graffiti can make to a street is enormous, and the feedback I receive in response is very positive.
Right across Australia, graffiti costs the community $200 million each year, so not only does it affect the appearance of our neighbourhoods, it is a huge financial burden on taxpayers – money that could be better spent. Costs also rise for governments and councils due to senseless vandalism when they need to replace damaged or missing infrastructure. All too often we see bent or stolen street signs or damage to utility boxes and fencing.
It is great to work together to help keep our city looking beautiful, and I thank everyone involved for responding so promptly to my reports of graffiti and vandalism.
I have also been extraordinarily busy trying to improve traffic around Palmerston, and I am watching several intersection upgrades closely, such as the Temple Terrace/Stuart Highway project as well as the Temple Terrace/Roystonea Avenue improvements.
I have also been working with the federal member for Solomon, Natasha Griggs, to identify locations we believe should be awarded Black Spot Programme funding.
Sometimes it is the little things that can make a difference to people and help make our city safer. My office received a report from a constituent about really light line-marking on Chung Wah Terrace near Owston Avenue, and we reported it to the Department of Transport. Inexperienced drivers were finding it difficult to navigate the area and it was a safety concern for all motorists.
The immediate response from the department was amazing. They fixed the lines within a week. I drove past the area and could quickly see how much safer the intersection was. Fresh line-marking might not seem a huge achievement to some people, but this is a small thing that affects motorists every day.
Another great outcome for Palmerston motorists is the change of location of speed limit signs near Raffles Road on Chung Wah Terrace thanks to concerned residents who reported the issue to me directly. People living on or off Raffles Road were finding it increasingly difficult and dangerous to turn left out of Raffles Road onto Chung Wah Terrace due to increases in traffic on Chung Wah Terrace. I am pleased to report to the House that I have been able to have the speed limit on Chung Wah reduced to 60 kmph starting a couple of hundred metres from the Raffles Road intersection, inbound into the Palmerston CBD.
As part of this change, large ‘60 AHEAD’ signs preparing drivers to slow down were also installed. This change in sign location has provided huge relief to Gray residents.
Minor adjustments like these all over Palmerston can go a long way to reducing the risk of crashes and injury to people.
On Saturday my colleague, Health Minister Robyn Lambley, announced the advertising of expressions of interest for the Palmerston Regional Hospital, with tenders closing on 26 January 2016.
The EOI seeks a health operator to design, build, operate and maintain the hospital. This means a private health provider will be providing public hospital services on behalf of government, from planning and construction right through to operation.
From this EOI process a group of respondents will be shortlisted and asked to develop a request for proposal, the final step before contract negotiation with one respondent.
This exciting next step means the public hospital is moving from the planning phase to the design phase and is on track for construction to begin by mid-2016, with some early works already under way. The build is planned over two years, which will have the hospital opening in mid-2018. Once built, Palmerston Regional Hospital will be designed to grow in line with community needs.
The clinical planning phase will continue at the same time and will provide more detail about how services will be delivered at our new public hospital. The planning phase has identified a range of services that will see Palmerston Regional Hospital operate as a Level 3 facility, with Royal Darwin Hospital remaining the Territory’s sole Level 5 ‘tertiary’ hospital. Level 3 services include general medicine, surgery, maternity and child services, and outpatient services.
The 24/7 emergency department will also provide Level 3 services. A Level 3 emergency department should be able to manage the complete range of emergency presentations. This includes treatment for all minor injuries and illnesses, for example, fractures and stitches. In addition, the ED will be able to provide initial treatment for all other emergencies prior to transfer of the patient to Royal Darwin Hospital, enabling the rapid transfer of major trauma patients. This includes resuscitation (when the medical team revives or restores consciousness), stabilisation (which treats immediate concerns to stop them worsening), and short-term assisted ventilation (assisted breathing) prior to transfer to Royal Darwin Hospital.
I am excited knowing that we will provide an innovative hospital that is centred on the care of patients. Palmerston Regional Hospital will be the first new hospital built in the Northern Territory for nearly 40 years, and the project reflects the growing economy and population we are focused on harnessing.
Today I attended the Palmerston Regional Hospital site with minister Lambley and minister Styles to turn the first sod of the Temple Terrace/Stuart Highway roadworks. This $6.4m commitment to Palmerston is welcomed by my constituents. A Darwin-based company, Allan King & Sons Construction Pty Ltd, will undertake the roadworks and is employing 34 workers, including 12 apprentices, on this job.
Upgrades to this intersection and the roadways are critical to support the construction of the new public hospital, and of course our growing population in the Palmerston and rural areas. These works will see an upgrade to the intersection and additional lanes extending from the Stuart Highway along Temple Terrace to Roystonea Avenue. I am thrilled by today’s announcement and know that Palmerston residents have been waiting a long time to see this advancement in the project.
I thank the Palmerston Senior College School Council, made up of Principal Sue Healy, Assistant Principal Frankie Maclean, Chair Steve Wheelhouse, Beverley Buntin, Peta Cork, James Beattie, Charmain Scoggins, MaryRose Henry, and students Grace Tozer and Jack Callaghan. The year 2014 has been exhilarating for PSC. It made the decision to nominate to become an independent public school and was successful. This is a tremendous achievement and will lead to great things for the broader Palmerston City schools community. I thank Sue and Steve for their leadership in this regard.
Sue commented to me when reflecting on the year:
- The strategic thinking and advice provided by this Council to me as principal throughout 2014, was an instrumental factor in PSC applying to become an IPS in 2013 and then being successful with our application. The council participated in numerous discussions prior to submitting an EOI regarding the IPS initiative. Steve Wheelhouse, Council Chair, attended the preparation workshop and jointly presented with MaryRose Henry and myself on the day. A great bunch of people to work with!
PSC also has a strong VET focus and is committed to giving students every career and educational option available to them. The Special Education Centre is also having a wonderful extension added to it which is nearly complete. This will provide much-needed classroom space for students and staff. I thank all staff for their hard work and determination in 2014, and I very much look forward to working with everyone in 2015.
The Palmerston 50+ Club has had a bumper year. It is growing from strength to strength, and I thank the outgoing committee for its dedication to our club. I also thank Mary, Joan, Ann, Janette, Margaret, Gerry and Cath for putting their hands up to take on 50+ for another year.
We have had a few sad times at 50+ this year, including the passing of some of our members. I send our love and thoughts to the families of our late friends who will be missing their loved ones this Christmas. We also had some of our members move interstate and I wish them a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I would also like to pick out some of the 50+ highlights for me. I think my bridal shower was the biggest highlight for me. Janette made me the most beautiful pink vale which I wore proudly all day! The morning tea and cake was all wonderful and I had an excellent time. There were also some very successful events, including the Darwin mini-golf excursion, Palmerston seniors week activities, and our upcoming Christmas lunch will no doubt be a blast. I look forward to spending time with you all in 2015 and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
As patron of the Palmerston Football Club I would like to wish the 2014 committee and all of our members a very safe and Merry Christmas. The year 2014 was a huge season for us and I look forward to seeing a strong club continue to grow in strength in 2015. I particularly thank our volunteer committee, which works tirelessly to ensure our club can raise money, pay its bills, host games, attract players and foster a family-friendly culture: President Erynn Hughes, Frank Van Rensburg, Mel Stokes, Katy Chin, Lil Baptista, Bill Miller, Scott Fulmore, Jim Keogh, Dee Keogh, Rachael McKay, Chris O’Neill, Rod Reid, Catherine Main, Freddy Cardellini, Josh Solomon, Natasha Jenkins, Kerry Heness and Sebastian Baust. Of course there are also our stalwart helpers like Marshall Chin, Harold Carter and Troy Callaghan, and so many others who do huge amounts of work to ensure the success of our club.
Sids and Kids (NT) does a wonderful job in our community raising awareness about sudden infant death syndrome, providing safe sleeping programs and bereavement and support services. I thank this year’s committee, Danie McNeil, Fiona Peters, Nikki Elliott, Brooke Rankmore, Abby Allen, Ferdous Mitchell and Craig Redriff, and patron Natasha Griggs MP, for their tireless advocating, hard work and commitment to research and prevention. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year.
I thank Cazalys Palmerston for continuing to host monthly free seniors’ morning teas this year. I am a regular attendee at the morning teas and I know many rural and Palmerston seniors look forward to that monthly gathering. A big thank you to Mark Edwards who has been on hand at morning teas ready to help out where needed. I wish all Cazalys staff and members a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year.
Alzheimer’s NT moved into the Joy Anderson Centre this year, which was a welcome addition to the Palmerston community. Karen and her team do a wonderful job promoting the many activities that Alzheimer’s run and they are busy picking up people in their bus to ensure that Palmerston residents can attend the Joy Anderson Centre. I was fortunate to attend a Your Brain Matters brain gym session, which was a lot of fun. I encourage everyone to exercise their brain more often and make the most of this wonderful resource we now have buried nicely in the suburb of Gray. I wish everyone at Alzheimer’s NT a very safe and Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
The Palmerston Crocs Rugby Union Club has had a fantastic season with a couple of its grades reaching the semi-finals, a couple reaching finals and a couple achieving victory. It has also run a very successful Junior 7s series which has had record subscription. Ben Blyton is the President of the Crocs and has led the club to success. It is no coincidence that the Blyton family won Club Person of the Year in 2013 and that Selina Blyton took out Club Person of the Year in 2014. This year the Crocs took out the very prestigious title of being the Good Sports Club of the Year in the Northern Territory. This is an acknowledgement of the very healthy family-oriented culture the club has.
I welcome the new committee and thank them for their hard work: Ben Blyton; Rob Sloan; Percy Peel; Kerry Smith; Dennis Grant; Brock Evans; Wendy Leach; Melanie Blackman; Selina Blyton; Greg Jarvis; and Michael Killiner. I look forward to working with the club in 2015 and, in particular, coming to a resolution over the oval. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and safe and prosperous New Year.
Men’s Shed has had a good year. It received a community benefit grant which meant it could buy a brand-new lathe, which I know was greatly appreciated. Men’s Shed also entered into a new partnership with Abode New Homes. I attended Men’s Shed on one occasion and the guys were showing me the new shirts they were going to purchase – beautiful, good quality, cool material, practical with front pockets for cigarettes and glasses, which would then be printed with the Men’s Shed logo. Abode New Homes is a proud Palmerston business and Justin and Karinda Gill are very involved in our community. I spoke with Justin about whether there was an opportunity for Abode to partner with Men’s Shed to get the shirts happening. Sure enough, last week I saw on Abode’s Facebook page that the shirts were ready to go and the guys at Men’s Shed were very happy with their new uniforms. A huge thank you to Abode for coming on board with this project. I take this opportunity to wish Abode New Homes and Men’s Shed a very safe and Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
I am the proud patron of Palmerston Combined Probus Club, and I thank Probus for another successful year. This year we celebrated our second birthday, and we are growing from strength to strength. I thank the outgoing Probus committee for its hard work and achievements, and welcome the new committee: Ray Grimshaw; Marilyn Roberts; Ron Pearse; June Roos; Christine Ilic; Ken Cohalan; Shirley Collings; Connie Cohalan; and Dot Chapman. I hope all the members who are going on the club cruise have a wonderful time and return to Palmerston refreshed for the new year. I take this opportunity to wish everyone at Probus a very safe and Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Each year Palmerston seniors week is held and it gets bigger and better than the year before. This year the PSW committee really outdid itself, and seniors from across Palmerston, the rural area and even Darwin enjoyed the activities on offer. I thank and congratulate Marg Lee, Margaret Moore, Pam Smith, Pam Christian-Jones, Lillian Mann, Avril Smith and Trevor Miller for their dedication and commitment to seniors week. I wish all of you a very safe and Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year. I am looking forward to working with you all in 2015.
This year I was invited to be patron of the Palmerston Cricket Club and I was very honoured to accept the position. The PCC is a fantastic club full of members who love their cricket and love having a good time. It is a boisterous club that has strong camaraderie and mateship. I have had a wonderful time as patron in 2014 and look forward to working with the club to achieve its goals in 2015. I particularly enjoyed the end of year celebration and awards night at Cazaly’s, which showcased the best the club has to offer. I thank the outgoing committee and the new committee: Stuart Proosdy; Dave Davies; Joel Carter; and Peter Buttfield, most of who live on my street! It gives me a great opportunity to observe the camaraderie during important events, like the AFL grandfinal. I wish everyone at the club a very safe and Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year with plenty of runs on the board.
Satellite City BMX Club in Palmerston is a vibrant club that attracts riders young and old. The club has been busy this year, spending $300 000 to upgrade its facilities, which is government money very well spent. BMX has also seen the opening of Australia’s only all-weather, under cover, internationally accredited BMX track, in Jingili, thanks to Natasha Griggs MP, which means Palmerston riders can now continue to ride during the Wet. I thank Adrian and Terri van Cuylenburg, Heather van Anholt and Tara Rowlands for their commitment in 2014 and welcome the new committee: Stephen can Anholt; Shaun Togni; Lisa Schenk; Rachel Walker; Myrna Diamond; Sally Walker; Ken Gilchrist; Felicity Faull; Michael Smart; Daniel Shean; Brad Fichtner; Adam Mohomet; Kylie Hyde; Brooke Bird; Brendan Bussenschutt; Cameron Grubb; and Matthew Faull. I look forward to working with you all in 2015 and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and safe and prosperous New Year.
The year 2014 was another great year for U3A Palmerston. I am the proud patron of our club and I take this opportunity to thank the committee for its hard work: Maggie Schoenfisch, Patricia Jones, Angie Walker, Irene Schreiber, Patricia Lackner, Barbara Martin, Anne Rosenkranz and Pauline Kitz Maurice, I wish you all a very special Christmas and safe and prosperous New Year.
This year the Palmerston and Regional Basketball Association (PARBA) has morphed from an idea into a reality. It was determined by a group of Palmerston residents involved in basketball that there was room for a second competition. Basketball is hugely popular in Palmerston and Palmerston Power Basketball Club has more players than they know what to do with. Damon Mayoh, Natasha Lowe, Heather Banks, Steve McGugan, Mazz Morris, Peta Cork, Adam Wunderlich, Brad Jachmann and of course, Rachel Fosdick, have worked tirelessly this year to develop PARBA from the ground up. Much of the year has been spent churning through administration such as constitution drafting, but all this effort is worth it. I have been made an honorary member, which I am grateful for, and only wish I could spend more time at committee meetings. I wish PARBA the very best for Christmas and New Year and I look forward to working with you in 2015.
The Palmerston Australia Day Committee is a tireless group of hard workers who quietly chip away each year at ensuring the Australia Day festivities are enjoyed by all. Jayne Porter, Cath Cockroft, Maurie Johnson, Bev Johnson, Mary Oliffe, Dave Oliffe, Maggie Shoenfisch and George Loch are the wonderful people who meticulously plan the Australia Day Family Fun Day at the Palmerston pool each year. This event is free for families and includes pool entry, water rackety, fresh fruit, a barbecue, thong throwing games, sayo biscuit eating competitions, Australia flag face tattoos, jumping castles and much much more. This year I was thrilled to be the emcee at this event and I am really looking forward to doing it again in 2015. This group of volunteers also helps organise and cater the Australia Day Awards, which is coupled with a citizenship ceremony that is much loved and well attended by our community. I look forward to working with you in the New Year and wish you all a very safe and Merry Christmas.
The Gray Community Garden, or Harvest Corner, has really popped out of the ground in 2014. Harvest Corner has transformed from the grassy area it once was to garden beds sprouting with fresh herbs and produce. Swales have been built, fruit trees planted, a herb spiral has been constructed with the help of Aweganics and Costa Georgiadis, the greenhouse was erected, a sink was put in, shade built, cabbage patch babies born (if you include Declan), irrigation set up and now we even have a bicycle that makes milkshakes! What more could you ask for? I thank everyone on the committee and all of our members for putting in such a wonderful effort in 2014. Special thanks goes to Naomi Lacey and Brooke Kimberley. I am sure 2015 will be full of great harvests for all involved. I look forward to working with you in the New Year and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.
I want to wish Good Beginnings Palmerston a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I have enjoyed attending family sessions and reading to the kids. Thanks for teaching me how to sing and dance to all those fantastic kids songs! Best wishes go out to Laura, Jacquey and Trudie, and all the wonderful staff at Good Beginnings.
The Palmerston Regional Business Association saw out its 17th year in 2014. What a remarkable achievement that is. PRBA is an important part of our community and an important part of my life as a former secretary. I thank the outgoing committee for their commitment to PRBA in 2014 and welcome the new committee: Wayne Zerbe; Andrew Byrne; Barry Duthie; Kaliopi Hourdas; Michael Parker; Paul Chin; and Paul Robertson.
I do not think there is a single person in Palmerston who does not know who Wayne Zerbe is. Wayne is a tireless advocate for PRBA, business and the Palmerston community. I congratulate Wayne on being re-elected as president for the 17th time! I also thank PRBA members for their contribution to the business community and society as a whole. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and look forward to working with you in 2015. I will see you around Palmerston.
It is that time of the year when we give our Christmas messages and say thanks to those who have helped and supported us in 2014. I thank Pete Davies of Mix 104.9 for encouraging me to give regular Drysdale update reports during his morning show. Pete is a proud Palmerston resident and is very supportive of my grassroots approach to being a local member. I thank Pete and his producer Paul and wish them a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I look forward to working with you both in 2015.
The year 2014 has been a challenging and rewarding year. I start by thanking the people of Drysdale for their support of me as their local member. I take a very grassroots approach in my electorate and know it is an absolute privilege to serve the people of Drysdale in parliament. I do not take any day in this role for granted. It is a vocation, a way of life, and I thank everyone who allows me to achieve goals for our community on their behalf. I am looking forward to 2015 and wish everyone in my electorate a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Of course, you cannot achieve anything as a member of parliament without the wonderful support of your staff. Electorate staff are very special people. They walk every day in our shoes and are a huge support not only in the execution of my duties, but to every resident in my electorate.
Angie Walker, my electorate officer, works tirelessly to deliver the highest level of community service possible. She is a 24 hours, 7 days a week electorate officer. No one could question her commitment or integrity in serving the people of Drysdale. We have shared many electorate victories this year and I am very proud that we have achieved real results for real people. Angie is six weeks away from having her second baby. I am very pleased that Drysdale will soon have a second office gremlin who can terrorise our office cupboards and carpets with Kayla. I wish Angie all the very best with the remainder of her pregnancy and look forward to seeing what all the fuss was about once this egg has hatched.
I value Angie so highly that words really are incapable of describing her worth to me. I am so pleased that she has decided to take six months’ maternity leave and enjoy some time with her new baby and Kayla. I know you will pop in from time to time and I am already looking forward to your visits. Thank you for everything you have done over the last two-and-a-bit years. I look forward to working with you again later in 2015. I also thank Angie’s parents, Ken and Liz, for letting me keep Angie, hopefully forever! You should be very proud of her. I also thank her husband, Aaron, who supports her in this dynamic and busy role. I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Many of you might be wondering what I am going to do in 2015 without Angie? I am glad you asked. Angie has been busily training up the lovely Kylie Wilson who will step into Angie’s roll for the next six months. I first met Kylie in the 2012 general election campaign after I doorknocked her home and I thought no one was home. A few minutes later when I was off down the street I heard this lady running after me saying ‘Wait, wait!’ I turned around and thought I was going to cop a mouthful from a disgruntled voter. Kylie grabbed me and said, ‘I want to do anything I can to help you win this election’. It was love at first sight. I am so proud of Kylie, who has just finished her law degree. She has wonderful children and a loving husband, who is supporting her in this new role. Kylie is already fitting in with all the happenings of our office and is being embraced by the Drysdale community. I am looking forward to taking the next step with you and hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
I am very lucky as Government Whip to have someone to help me herd the cats, as I affectionately call the Wing, and that person is Justin Murphy. Justin is a tremendous help to me. His organised and considered nature means I am able to keep on top of all of the Wing requests and needs. It is not an easy job and it is often a very lonely one buried down on Level 2 in the Whip’s office. Justin is committed to our early starts and late nights, and for that I am very grateful. It is nice to have Justin in the electorate office on days he does his work from there. The testosterone is a nice balance to the mayhem that Angie, Kylie and I very easily create, and he is certainly good for a laugh. On behalf of the Wing I thank Justin for his support and professionalism. Justin is supported by his lovely wife, Jana. I look forward to working with you in 2015 and hope you and Jana enjoy your first Christmas in your new home.
I also need to thank Jinx and Troy, who work for me in relief roles at various times throughout the year. You are both valued members of the Drysdale team and I look forward to your stints in the office. I hope you both have a lovely Christmas and that the new year brings you prosperity and good health.
To my family, I have a very large family – which now includes the Burkes – all of who are so deeply supportive of me. Being a member of parliament is challenging and does not allow you to have much time at home. I am grateful that my entire family is supportive of me, as that support makes the early mornings, long days and late nights possible. My husband, Sam, is a tremendous support and is always sending me back out the door to more community activities or events when he thinks I have a few hours spare. As long as he mows the lawn and does the laundry I usually do not mind. It has been a huge year for us with our wedding in March and my 30th birthday in September. I am looking forward to spending some solid, uninterrupted time with you over the Christmas break. Our puppy, Maple, gives me an endless supply of love that keeps me going. She turned one this year; boy does time fly. My parents are also a wonderful support to me and I thank them for keeping it real by not caring in the slightest how busy I think I am; Sunday dinner is important and compulsory. Jokes aside, it really does take a team of loved ones to get you through the year, and Mum and Dad, you are no exception. Thank you.
I thank the Country Liberal Party and members of the Calder Branch for their support in 2014, and my regular supporters and volunteers who help me with letterbox dropping, Palmerston Markets, community barbecues and all sorts of other tasks I could not do without you. Your dedication and support is never taken for granted.
I thank my colleagues for a good year and look forward to working with you all in 2015. To the opposition, I hope you have a lovely Christmas and new year with your families.
Ms FYLES (Nightcliff): Mr Deputy Speaker, it is another year where I am standing here reflecting on the year that has been.
It began with a very wet and wild Wet Season, particularly in Nightcliff. We saw quite a bit of coastal erosion. There were storm clouds in January with the proposed Nightcliff island. Our community found out – literally by a little ad in the paper – that the government had granted a 98 ha lease for a man-made island in our harbour without any consultation. That is an issue, and coming up to 12 months later, we still do not know much about it. I again call on the government to update my community on what is happening with the proposed Nightcliff island. Not a day goes by without someone asking me what is happening, with significant concerns.
In Nightcliff we farewelled the famous Mr Frank from Frank’s Seafood earlier this year. As we approach Christmas, it is good to know that Frank’s Seafood, although Mr Frank is not there, is still in good hands and we will all be able to get our Christmas seafood.
We are farewelling another Nightcliff business owner who has been a huge part of our community, Ally – Alison Fitzgerald from Ally’s Barber Shop. We will miss you. Whenever something needs to be done, Ally is one of those people who puts her hand up to do it. Be it fundraising for the local childcare or the primary school, before you know it Ally is running a raffle. Ally, we will sincerely miss you. We wish you all the best for your endeavours in Queensland, and you are welcome back any time.
Nightcliff community has had a very busy year. As you get towards the end of the year, you reflect on what has happened. We had the wonderful Nightcliff Seabreeze Festival which signifies the start of the Dry Season. The City2Surf finished in Nightcliff. I participated in the half event; I did not quite do the whole thing. It was great to have those Dry Season events.
I acknowledge Irene and Sylvio Milios from our Greek community who put in a huge effort with Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea at the local Greek Orthodox School in May. That was one of Australia’s top 10 fundraising morning teas. They do it every year. I look forward to it next year, but as we reflect on the year, I acknowledge their efforts.
The government closed our police station this year, which our community is extremely concerned about. The CLP campaigned on the promise of a 24/7 police station for Nightcliff, yet we have seen the exact opposite. We have issues of antisocial behaviour and crime in our community, sadly, so closing our police station is not the way to go. We see antisocial behaviour there and people feel that a police presence would help our community. I urge the government to reconsider that; it is clearly a broken promise. The Nightcliff, Rapid Creek and Coconut Grove area is growing and a police station is needed. You campaigned on one thing and we received the opposite.
The Chief Minister said he would love to see a review of the year. I am not sure if your head is still in the sand, but it has been a terrible year for so many Territorians. This week highlights it with the sale of TIO without any consultation with our community. Territory families are struggling and people are leaving town. It saddens me, as I move around my community, to run into people and families who are leaving and putting their houses up for sale.
It has been a disappointing year. We have had a merry-go-round of CLP government reshuffles. We still wonder if Dave will jump on the merry-go-round next week and come back. We have seen severe cuts to health and education. We have lost teacher support staff and programs. This new global school budget is not working. I was speaking to my friend who is a teacher – teachers are devastated. Three positions at their school will not be there next year.
A preschool assistant has also spoken to me and she does not have a job next year. Minister for Education, you need to address these issues. You cannot underfund our schools. It is the third year in a row. We saw cuts to teacher numbers in 2012 and horrific cuts in 2013, with 125 fewer teachers in our schools. We cannot take any more cuts. Our children are our future and we need to invest in them. For the people of Nhulunbuy it has been an extremely sad year farewelling people.
I visited the community during the year and it was devastating for everyone. Co-workers were packing up and friends from the local schools were leaving. It has affected that part of the Territory. I advise the government it has not been a great year for many Territorians. With regard to Foundation 51, you axed the inquiry into political donations, the allocations of water licences and land deals – there are so many issues.
The government needs to be on notice that the opposition will continue to focus on and highlight those issues on behalf of the Territory community.
I acknowledge the schools in my community. I have a number of beautiful schools: Essington School has Jaya and David Cannon. St Paul’s Catholic Primary School – Anthony Hockey and the team are wonderful. Father Roy is also in the St Paul’s community. Nightcliff Primary School has Mr Graham Chadwick. We said farewell to Assistant Principal, Mr Tim Morgan during the year. Jill Finch is still there and Jo Glennon is our new assistant principal. It is a wonderful school with growing numbers. Nightcliff Middle School continues to grow from strength to strength, so congratulations to Sarah May, Eva and all the staff. To all the teachers in the schools in our community, please enjoy your break, and rest up. We thank you for everything you do for our children day-in, day-out.
To the seniors in my community – 141 Dick Ward Drive, I love catching up with you for morning tea. Nightcliff Evergreens, I would be lost without you. Thank you so much for folding my newsletters and for making little lolly bags and other things we need. I appreciate the ongoing support I receive in my community.
To Nightcliff Sports Club, thank you for your support, it is wonderful. The Nightcliff Tigers and all the associated sports clubs – we have a great hub in our community, it is wonderful. I thank the club for its support; it gives back to our community and sponsors many events and people. It is great.
I am sure I have forgotten some people, but to Carly and Larissa in my electorate office, thank you. To the wonderful Dawn Lawrie who volunteers her time as a justice of the peace, thank you so much. To the Leader of the Opposition’s office staff, to David who has left us, but also Peter, Ana, Ryan, Angela, Cameron, Charlie, Mandy, Sonia, Cathryn and Louise, thank you so much for all of your support. To my parliamentary colleagues on both sides of the Chamber, I wish you a merry and safe Christmas.
This Christmas will be especially sad for many Territorians and I acknowledge that. The 40th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy will be an extremely emotional time for many people. A variety of events have been organised to acknowledge this anniversary, but for some people it will be difficult. Please, if you need to reach out, we are here for you. People must acknowledge it is sometimes exciting to talk about, but it was a tragic day for so many people and it raises so many fears. As we head towards the anniversary, keep note of that.
On a personal note, I acknowledge everyone who supported me this year. It has been an extremely difficult year and I really appreciate everyone’s support. I put on the record my thanks to the Territory Medical Group and Royal Darwin Hospital. Dealing with a child with a chronic illness is extremely hard and we must talk about it and invest in our health system, and thank the wonderful people who support us. It has been a huge battle, but little Henry is doing well; he is super. I acknowledge Jenny and all the team at Territory Medical Group for their support. To everyone at RDH, you are amazing. Special thanks to my uncle John and aunty Kristen all the way over in America; thank you for everything you did. To mum and dad, and to Paul and Ollie, thank you for your support.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, picking up from the member for Nightcliff – I trust things are as good as they possibly could be. I am grateful for that and I wish you and your family the very best, healthiest and happiest Christmas. We can celebrate some of the blessings of the society in which we live. We are capable in this day and age of attending to those things and putting them past us so we can continue to live wholesome and useful lives.
Today, I also wish to place on the record my gratitude to the many people who are around me. I start with my chief of staff, Stephen Dunham – former minister in this House – and in many respects, as the Leader of the Government Business, the rock upon which I lean. I daresay I lean on him very heavily on many occasions for guidance, counsel, and sheer hard work and determination. I also place on the record my thanks to Sam Burke who works in my Attorney-General’s office on the fifth floor; a smart, witty, pleasure to be with guy. He continues to come up with great suggestions, good ideas and has the capacity to drive things on my behalf, for which I am enormously grateful.
I express my acknowledgement of Jana Tumuls, who is the DLO in my office. I thank her for her attention and work in the non-political environment, and for building the bridge between the department and my office. I also place on the record my thanks to Mark Wilton, who has in various guises worked on the fifth floor, as well as in Hansard. He seems to be addicted to this building, the poor bugger. Nevertheless, he continues to work hard for the outcomes of people of the Northern Territory.
Thanks to Craig Jones, who has come across as the DLO from the Department of Correctional Services and has assisted in the non-political environment in my office to work on a number of projects, including continuing to assist the Northern Territory government with its Sentenced to a Job policy. I also acknowledge and wish the very best to Cheryl Schmidt in my office. Cheryl, also known as Feral Cheryl – I am allowed to say that now, as this is the Christmas adjournment debate – brings intelligence and humour to the desperate job of child protection. I thank her for her sage advice, good counsel and pleasant disposition to assist me in this very difficult role of being the minister responsible for child protection.
Thanks to Danielle Lede, my press secretary, who, in my opinion, is an extraordinary young woman. She is bright, has a brilliant future, no matter what she chooses to do, and I thank her for her ongoing evidence and ruthless Germanic honesty with me on occasion, which I value and treasure.
To Linda Heidstra, my PA on the fifth floor, who guides me in my life in ways that most other people, including my chief of staff, would not dare, I thank her for her efforts this year.
Little Kimberley Davey – otherwise known as Rodent – who works in my office, I am enormously grateful for her cheerful disposition, her work in pushing paper around my office and occasionally pushing me around my office when I need it. I especially wish to acknowledge her for keeping the big blue folder. It is my bible that I carry into this parliament on a daily basis. It has, on a number of occasions, saved the government embarrassment by having all the correct documents in it. When errant ministers have turned up underarmed with appropriate documentation, I turn to the big blue folder and it miraculously appears, very much like the manna that appeared before the Israelites coming out of Egypt on their journey to the Promised Land.
I also acknowledge – it is sometimes easy to forget our electorate officers – Linda Coulter, who has been with me for a number of years. She has put up with all of my absurdities and eccentricities, of which there are many. I am grateful to her for her dedicated hard work in serving not only my interests as the local member, but more importantly the good citizenry and burghers of the electorate of Port Darwin. She, as an electorate officer, puts up with much on those occasions. I pray that I have not forgotten anybody, but I suspect I have not. To the other DLOs who have passed in and out of my office, I am grateful to you as well.
I also place on the record – it is appropriate that I should – my love for my wife, the gorgeous, wonderful, brilliant Dee, and my daughters Eleanor and Gwenevere. All three of them suffer from the same enormous shortcoming of having absolutely no taste in men. I rely heavily on that, but wish in all seriousness to acknowledge my wife, Dee. We all know how hard it is for family members. I just saw the member for Nightcliff recount the difficulties of this year in her role as a mother. This job gets in the way of that role. I know ministers, past and present, have occasionally encountered pressures caused by this job which affected family members. Those of us with children in school know that other children will hear opinions from their parents, which will find their way into the school yard. That upsets those children.
Those are the penalties other people pay for the job we do because we collectively love the Northern Territory in which we live. Special thanks go to my missus. She puts up with all of my shortcomings, of which there are many, and does so with good humour and grace, which baffles me. Nevertheless, we will continue to press on into the future. I want to place on the record – very much – my love and gratitude for my beautiful, wonderful partner in life, who travels this crazy journey with me. I would be lost, rudderless and directionless without her.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I conclude the parliamentary year with my parliamentary colleagues in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. I start by acknowledging and sincerely thanking all of the staff members who make our Legislative Assembly and parliament work. There are many and they are varied, but it is a sensational place to work. It is a place that I take great pride in. It is a privilege to be part of the Northern Territory parliament – and the Legislative Assembly – and get to share in a highly professional and supportive environment. Thank you all, in all of the areas that make this place tick, from the Table Office and Hansard, the Clerk and the staff of the Legislative Assembly, the Committee Secretariat, to the physical support of the maintenance crews, the security teams and the cleaning contract teams. Everybody in this place makes it work at a high level. You are a great team and you should be very proud, because you run the people’s House. This is our House and it is a pleasure to work with you all. It is a proud place and I advertise it wherever I go. I love telling stories about where I work and what a privilege it is to work here.
Within that is the Leader of the Opposition’s office. To all of you guys, it is great to have you on the team. It is fabulous to have your professional and personal support. It is nice to know you as Territorians, to socialise, learn, share and have the same ambition, which is to govern the Northern Territory with our shared sense of community values.
I will go down the next rung of the parliamentary ladder to my electorate office. I had two electorate officers in Barkly this year. To Ktima Heathcote, thank you so much. We had a great time working together and I am so pleased to see you in the next stage of your career in Tennant Creek, working as a communications officer with the Barkly Regional Council. You do a great job; it is great to keep in touch and I thank you for your support.
To Sarina Bisogni, who is now the electorate officer, thank you for all of your support. I hope you are enjoying the ride. It is a great learning curve. For the Barkly electorate officers, I remind you regularly to focus on the people you have helped and supported. It is a hard and complex job, and often a thankless job. But when we stop, take a breath and reflect on the people in our community we have helped – who need help – you get a little hint of evidence that they have moved on. You then know it was the work you did, the hard liaison and lobbying, and the personal nature of that work, such as counselling and support, that helped those constituents.
Around that structure is the Barkly sub-branch of the Australian Labor Party; thank you, guys. It is a pleasure to work with you and to have your support. I enjoy our monthly meetings and I must congratulate you on the fundraising campaigns. You have started, in a whirlwind campaign, to raise money to put us in the best possible position to win the election in 2016. Not only are you methodical and coming up with some very creative ideas, it is also a lot of fun. We have had some great fun. Thank you to those members. You are community members who take it to the next level. You put your names and your reputations out in public politically, which is not easy to do. You accept the criticism and enjoy the successes. Thank you for the great opportunity.
For the people of Tennant Creek and the Barkly, who I have the privilege of representing, thank you, we have had a huge year. We have the tail end of the year to finish safely and securely in our family and community celebrations, then take a break and line up to do it again next year. It is important to reflect on Tennant Creek and the Barkly. As a constituency, you are the decision-makers.
In the theatre of parliament – I make specific reference to the Chief Minister when he turns his commentary into personal attacks and often vile and vitriolic dialogue in what is, essentially, a theatre. He loves it and is good at it, but it is very shallow in humanity and community. The people of Tennant Creek and the Barkly can judge. They have seen the previous four years under a different government and can see the current government. They acknowledge what is good and will criticise what is not. Whatever is said – I continue to offer my advice in good faith – let it be said. At the end of the day we know the truth, and it will be determined by the people.
I will celebrate anything good, but, unfortunately, it is not all good. People are struggling and hurting. Those people need our support. I will continue to represent all people in the electorate and do the best I can as an opposition member. I will tell the good, bad and ugly. I do so daily by engaging in many conversations.
I must remind people in the Barkly that I am shared across the Territory. I work in other areas as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in our endeavour to present a clear alternative, gain the goodwill and support of the Territory constituency and be judged worthy at the next opportunity – imposing, sharing, guiding and mentoring our community values for the development of the Northern Territory.
It is great to acknowledge family – the extended and immediate McCarthy family. Dawn, you have a very special Christmas and new year coming up because all the immediate family will be together for a celebration, which has not happened for a number of years. I am very much looking forward to that. To the extended family, I wish you a safe and happy Christmas. It will be a time to recharge and we will all be together in the new year.
To my parliamentary colleagues, the Territory Labor opposition, well done. It is great to work with a dynamic team of diverse Territorians, a great mix which comes with all sorts of life experience, but sharing in defined community values with clear ambition to lead, guide and mentor. It has been a dynamic and hard year, and I hope everybody has a safe and happy holiday and we fly back out of the box again in 2015. We know the hard road in opposition. It is about democracy, holding the government to account and making the call no matter how hard it is. It is about not backing down or taking a backwards step; it is about being fair and honest. It is a tough gig, but we will continue to do it.
To everybody in this place, have a great festive season, be safe and I look forward to seeing all of you again next year.
Mrs PRICE (Stuart): Mr Deputy Speaker, firstly I thank the loyal voters of Stuart for their trust and confidence in me, which continues today. I have been very busy as the member for Stuart, and as Minister for Community Services, Parks and Wildlife, Women’s Policy and Statehood.
Over the last 12 months I have visited a few schools in my electorate. I want to talk about them as well and acknowledge them, especially the ones in the desert, such as Nyirripi, Yuendumu, Bulla, Mataranka, Timber Creek and Werenbun. There are more schools I must also visit.
I recently visited the Douglas Daly School and had morning tea there. It was great to see this little school have a huge amount of support from the community and the children, and it was pleasant to have morning tea with them. I am proud to be their member. I visited and hosted morning teas and afternoon teas.
I acknowledge Yuendumu School as there are now 160 children attending. A few weeks ago at a barbecue at the local swimming pool, it was amazing to watch these children having so much fun. The population of Yuendumu has grown and I could not believe there were so many kids. I might have to go back there just to make sure I know which kids belong to whom. It was a great day.
This year I managed to make water available to a little outstation at Alyuen. The people there have been waiting for water since 2009. Alyuen is a little outstation outside of Aileron station and Aileron Roadhouse. This year was a wonderful year, because when I became their member I said, ‘I promise I will get water to you’. I made sure I kept my promise and got water to the community. It was a pleasure for me to turn the tap on with the kids and the old people there; it was a big plus for me. The old people have been waiting quietly, without grumbling and complaining, because they knew someone would come along, listen to them and do something about it.
I attended the relaunch of the Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and their Children, and hosted the Northern Territory Indigenous launch of the Second Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 with Michaelia Cash and Natasha Stott Despoja in the beautiful setting of the Alice Springs Convention Centre and surrounds. There was a beautiful sunset whilst we were there.
I was invited to attend the Territory Tidy Towns awards. It was great to be there because there were more Central Australian communities winning awards that night. Even though they were in the member for Namatjira’s electorate, those people knew me and were excited by my support. There is much more I could say about my activities over the past 12 months in my electorate, as a member and minister, but I will run out of time and not squeeze in my Christmas and thank you messages.
As Minister for Parks and Wildlife of the Northern Territory, I continue to be proud of the hard work that the dedicated staff of the department put in every day. To this day, one of the most rewarding aspects of this portfolio is that it incorporates my culture. I am proud because I can relate to it. I thank the Parks and Wildlife Commission NT; in my 14 months as minister I have met the staff and rangers located at Alice Springs, Timber Creek, Keep River, Limmen National Park, Katherine, Middle Point, Palmerston, Berrimah, Lambells Lagoon and Cobourg, and throughout the year I heard rangers’ comments that this is the first time a minister has visited them.
I am grateful for that, because it inspires me to meet more of their staff and tell them they do a wonderful job. I also want to mention the team behind the Junior Ranger Program, which inspires young Territorians to cherish the environment. I was proud to host the inaugural junior ranger welcome reception earlier this year at Parliament House.
I thank all the staff at Parks and Wildlife for their hard and tireless work over the past 12 months. I look forward to working with you next year as we continue to improve our national parks for all Territorians. I thank Andrew Bridges and his incredible team at Parks and Wildlife. He has tirelessly been there for me, and his hard work can be seen in the brilliance of our parks.
I thank Community Services as well. I continue to be a proud Minister for Community Services and for Women’s Policy, which includes women’s and men’s policy; homelands; outstations; town camps; remote programs; interpreter services; the Stronger Futures unit; and corporate services. I wish to thank the staff of the Department of Community Services, as over the last 12 months they have worked very hard. I look forward to working with you all again next year to continuously improve the lives of Territorians in remote areas. I give special thanks to chief executive, Mike Chiodo, for time spent briefing me and for his continuing support. I very much look forward to working with you and your team next year. I also thank his management team of Peter Campos, Leanne Evans and Noelene Swanson – I give a special thanks to Suzanne Everingham – for their continuous support and hard work over the last 12 months.
Originating from a community, I have always wanted to improve the lives of Territorians, especially those in remote areas. To the Aboriginal Interpreter Service team – David Alexander and Colleen Rosas – I appreciate all your hard work. To Antony Yoffa, I appreciate the help you have provided in Central Australia. You are a hard worker, always on call, and I cherish your support.
The Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority also falls under the Department of Community Services, and I thank chief executive, Dr Ben Scambary, his management team, Malene, Clive, Rachael, and the rest of the AAPA team. Last but not least, as the Minister for Statehood, I thank Robert Bradshaw at the Department of Attorney-General and Justice. I appreciate all of his help and advice on statehood.
I thank my electorate officers. In all of these portfolios I will continue to do my best as minister, but I would not forget the people of Stuart who helped me get here. Karen, my electorate officer in Alice Springs, and Jodi, my liaison officer in the Katherine office are always there for me and work tirelessly, not only for me, but the people of Stuart. I thank you for always being by my side and putting up with me on our long road trips. You two offer fantastic support, and I look forward to many more car trips with you to the communities of Stuart.
I congratulate Susie Low in Yuendumu, who has been working tirelessly on the petrol sniffing problem; she is an amazing woman. I thank her on behalf of the Warlpiri people. I thank Madhu for setting up the mediation committee, which has been great. They have been recognised for the effort they have put into helping their own people live a better life, without violence. I say congratulations to Eddie Robertson for receiving the Northern Territory Senior Australian of the Year award. He is a fantastic bloke and the right person to have received the award.
To my Cabinet colleagues, I thank the Chief Minister for his support and trust in me this year. This year we, as a Cabinet, have made tough decisions to benefit the lives of all Territorians. I thank my Cabinet colleagues for helping to show me the ropes as a fairly new minister and for being by my side when I made decisions which were not popular. I also want to thank all members of the Country Liberal Party wing. You have always stood by me and I cherish all your support.
I especially thank Mr Deputy Speaker, the member for Daly, and Madam Speaker for their guidance, support and friendship. It is always appreciated.
In my ministerial office, I thank Kate Reynolds and Fallyn Petherick, who have run the admin side of the office. Thank you for standing by me with your hard work, laughs and constant care. To my department liaison officers, Tracey Duldig, Vicki Campbell and Megan Horner. You are an essential part of my team and an asset to your departments. I appreciate your help in the office and your crucial link between my departments and my office.
To my adviser, Tim Dixon, thank you for helping me in Community Services. Your advice and support is greatly appreciated and I look forward to continuing our work in this area next year. To my Communications Adviser, the wonderful Lauren Crawley, thank you for all your perseverance and the support you have provided to me this year. I appreciate every day of your care and hard work.
I also thank Joshua Higgins, who is helping me in the Stuart electorate as a Regional Liaison Officer. I do not know how I would get anywhere without him, his laughter, his craziness and his value. He is a good bloke to take out bush.
To Paul Mossman, my Senior Ministerial Adviser, I thank you for your hard work this year and for being my friend. Thank you to my ministerial office.
Before I mention my family, I want to thank the Clerks, Legies, security and the drivers. Thank you all for looking after me and I hope you all have a good Christmas.
I thank my family, Jacinta, my beautiful daughter and Colin, my son-in-law – I can understand his Scottish accent more now – his son, Kincaid, my grandsons, Leiland, Ethan and Declan; I am so proud of each and every one of them. My daughter has continued her great success in music this year.
Finally, I thank my husband, David. He is like Denis Thatcher; he stays behind me and looks after me to make sure I do not fall and crumble. I thank him for his patience, love and continued support, because without any of this I would not be able to be here in this job.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I also place on the record this evening the usual end-of-year thank you messages and Christmas wishes. Before I do, I wish to speak about some news I just heard.
It has come to my attention that on Monday a directive occurred to send 10 police to Katherine for a temporary beat location. I have been reliably informed that the budget for this is $700 000 and that it is to be up and running by 8 December.
We, the opposition, support increased police resources across all our communities and are still calling on the government to honour its promise to recruit 120 addition police officers. We are very concerned that we have 60 fewer police in the Territory now compared to last financial year.
Are 10 police quickly packing their bags for work in Katherine 17 days before Christmas? Given the lauding of crime fighting efforts in parliament today during Question Time, why did the Chief Minister not mention this initiative?
I thank, at the end of yet another busy year, my colleagues on this side of the House and my parliamentary colleagues who sit on the government and cross benches.
I acknowledge all the hard work and support we receive from staff in the Legislative Assembly, across many areas, who work to support members of parliament. I also thank the Parliamentary Library Service for the great service they provide and place on the record my thanks to Kaye and Liisa.
I also acknowledge the great work of the security staff in Parliament House, letting me into my office late at night or early in the morning if I have not brought my pass or my keys, or if someone has inadvertently locked me out of my office. They are always cheerful in the mornings when we arrive and say good morning. We appreciate their efforts. I also appreciate the efforts of the cleaning staff, who visit our offices when we are in parliament. They vacuum, clean and take out the rubbish, and are always incredibly polite and friendly. I acknowledge the brilliant staff of Speakers Corner Caf and the great work Karen Sheldon Catering does in running the caf – what wonderful coffee they make. It delights me to see Indigenous staff working there, and I take my hat off to Karen Sheldon for the fantastic effort she puts into training and employing Aboriginal people.
I acknowledge and thank all of the amazing staff in the Leader of the Opposition’s office on the fourth floor. I will not rattle off their names; they know who they are. They are the machine behind us as members of parliament in opposition, working long hours and doing everything they can to support us. They are a part of our team of true believers.
I acknowledge my electorate office staff, the wonderful Katrina Dwyer, who is currently on maternity leave with little baby, Lily. I also acknowledge her husband, Chad, and her boys, Riley and Ben. I trust Kat is enjoying her maternity leave. She has a two-year period of leave and I hope she is making the most of it. She is a wonderful woman and a wonderful mother.
I also acknowledge my new electorate officer, Sarah Mitchell, who started with me in July. She is awesome, such a hard worker, intuitive and, like Katrina, seems to always guess what my needs and expectations are, and has a wonderful way in dealing with constituents and inquiries. I also acknowledge her partner, Putty, and her little boy, Kasey. I know they are enjoying a couple of days in Darwin at the moment.
I acknowledge my branch members. I will not name them all; they know who they are. Sadly, I am losing branch members, but we are still resolved and making strong plans to contest the seat in 2016.
I acknowledge my electorate of Nhulunbuy and its schools: Nhulunbuy Primary School, with Principal Matt Watson, and all the wonderful staff and kids; Nhulunbuy High School, with Principal Sabina Smith running the joint – what a great job she does; and Nhulunbuy Christian College, with Principal Russell McKane. It is sad to hear Russell is leaving at the end of this year and will be returning south. I wish Russell and his wife, Suzanne, all the best.
I acknowledge Yirrkala School, where Stuart Bramston is doing an awesome job and working in an arrangement to train Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs as the new principal. She is an incredibly strong and awesome woman.
Yirrkala Homelands School – what a fantastic job those teachers do, camping out a few nights per week at the homelands schools where they teach. It is important to them to be providing education on country for people who live on their traditional clan estates and choose to raise and educate their children on their homelands. My best wishes to Principal Leon White.
The tiny Gawa Christian School at the top of Elcho Island, a beautiful little community – I send my very best wishes to them, Karen Fletcher, her husband Steve and their family, for the awesome job they do at Gawa Christian School. Mapuru Christian School, with Principal Linda Miller – I know how dedicated Linda is and how well supported she is by her staff, including brother and sister team, Roslyn and Jackie. I love hearing the positive news from Mapuru. It is a model community of people who live and thrive. They are strong in their traditional culture and language; it is a model community for Indigenous people living on country.
I also acknowledge the little Baniyala Garrangali School, which is at Blue Mud Bay, with Principal Leonard Freeman. Leonard has done an awesome job in the year he has been there. I wish our Nhulunbuy schools all the best; they are losing many students with the sad downturn, but I wish all the best to the families that are leaving.
To all of my constituents at Galiwinku, I look forward to being there the week after next when I will be attending the Shepherdson College end-of-year presentation night. I also send my best wishes to all of my constituents at Yirrkala – a short drive from Nhulunbuy – and all of the homelands across Laynhapuy and Marthakal. My best wishes to all of those wonderful people. I take my hat off to the members on the Laynhapuy and Marthakal homelands boards who represent homelands residents. I and also acknowledge – apart from the very strong TOs across the clan groups in my electorate – the elected members of the East Arnhem Regional Council, who are now several years into the job. There is not a big turnover of elected members; they all do a terrific job in representing their communities and being a strong voice for those they represent.
I especially thank the police in my electorate. There is a reason for this; whilst the police are worthy of praise any year, I acknowledge Senior Sergeant Brendan Muldoon, who, after about four years, is leaving Nhulunbuy. He was our OIC and has done an incredible job. Regrettably, he is a casualty of the Rio Tinto downturn. There is no job for his wife, Maria, any longer, so they are leaving with their little girls, Emma and Abbey. We have loved having them as neighbours in the street. Brendan has been an exceptional community police officer. He is very engaged with the community in a positive sense and he leaves Nhulunbuy a better place with regard to the community relations that have been established between the police and the community, and in crime statistics. Best of luck to Brendan as he and his family return to Darwin.
Similarly, we have a police station at Galiwinku where we have three officers as well as an ACPO, Bettina. I single out Tim Wethers for a bit of praise there; Tim was the Rotary Police Officer of the Year. He does an awesome job. The community embraces him because he has worked hard at mutually respectful relationships, which is all it takes in these remote communities. Best wishes to Tim and Belinda; they are expecting their fourth child, which is wonderful news, and I trust they will have a great Christmas.
I acknowledge my family who are here at the moment, my husband, Lawrence, my sons, Harry and Patrick. They were a little shell shocked after Question Time this morning, hearing what was being said about their wife and mother, but I assured them that it was part of the theatre of parliament. I assured them that the Chief Minister, Adam Giles, did not mean a thing that he said about me and that underneath that exterior he probably is quite a nice guy.
I will finish now, but I want to acknowledge all the people of Nhulunbuy who have worked so hard in what has been an incredibly difficult 12 months. It has been heartbreaking and this is the time of the year which is hardest, because people are departing. People have been departing throughout the year, but we are seeing an exodus out of Gove as families finish up the school year and move to other places. It is a sad and heartbreaking time. I take it on a very personal level, with so many families and friends leaving, and it makes me feel very sad. We do not know what next year will hold, but we remain optimistic that we will not go anywhere in spite of the uncertainty we face.
Mr BARRETT (Blain): Mr Deputy Speaker, I start in my Christmas address – my first ever in parliament – by thanking a few people, community groups, schools and the like. These are people in my community who have supported me, whom I have come to know and enjoy spending time with.
I will start with the Palmerston 50+ Club, a wonderful group of elderly people that meets on a weekly basis, sometimes more often. They are a delight to be around and have been welcoming to me and my family, and are particularly enamoured of my three-year-old daughter. Ann Brown heads the group and does some great work in the community by providing elderly people with some fantastic activities.
I acknowledge Moulden Primary School and the work they do, especially with students from disadvantage backgrounds. They do some great work in that school. Principal Wendy Jordan does an exceptional job and is one of our heroes of Blain. In our community we put people’s names forward to remember the great things they do. We spread the word so everyone knows how wonderful they are.
Woodroffe Primary School is another fantastic school. The Pandanus Unit there helps students with additional learning needs; they do a fantastic job and it is a beautiful little school. They have a great choir and Principal Sharon Reeves does a great job. I would like to thank them for welcoming me as the new member for Blain.
Rosebery Primary School is led by Gail Smith, a fantastic educator and very intelligent woman; she runs the school beautifully. She has given me tips on helping my kids to read well. It is another school that has welcomed me into that community in a big way.
Rosebery Middle School is the feeder school which all of the schools feed into in Palmerston. It is a great school and they work very well. They get an unfair wrap sometimes, but when you spend some time with the students, teachers and the Principal, Lorraine Evans, you quickly come to realise they are a fantastic group of educators and students. Lindsay Luck and the staff at Sacred Heart Primary School also do a fantastic job. It is a beautiful school; the students are always happy and the parents are very involved. It is great to be a part of their community and help them where I can in my role as an MLA. It is part of our duty to help these schools with things like fundraising, and it has been a delight and an honour to work with them. I also thank Jo Cram, from the Parents and Friends Association there, who has been particularly welcoming.
Palmerston Senior College is outside my electorate, but many students from Blain go there. Sue Healy is a wonderful principal. She has an economics degree, so when I visit we sit down, talk economics and solve all the world’s problems. She is another fantastic educator with a great vision for Palmerston. As the only senior college in Palmerston, they do a fantastic job, offering a variety of pathways for students, whether it is in VET or heading towards a higher education goal. Sue Healy does a fantastic job and I thank her and the staff, who have been visionary and have done good work.
I now want to thank some sporting groups. The Palmerston Raiders Rugby League Football Club is led by John Johnson. He is a great guy, has been very supportive and is a great member of the community. He does lots of things in the community. He heads up the football club, which has so many players, from their junior ranks all the way through. It has been a pleasure to be a part of the team that cooks barbecues and sells drinks at the games. They raise a lot of money and do good things in the community.
The Palmerston Magpies is another great club in the area. I thank Shannon and Kirby, whom I have met with several times. We have talked about everything, such as how the club will get sponsorship deals; they want to get moving with private enterprise in the area. It is great to see them go from strength to strength in the community and we hope they win the grand final this season.
The Palmerston Rugby Union Club and Netball Club – the Crocs – headed up by Ben Blyton is another great group of people. Lots of people living in the area play in that club. They have almost 500 members, which is astronomical. They are the only rugby union club in Palmerston, so they get a wide draw of people coming in. It has been great to help them on certain projects, and I am looking forward to working with them in the coming year to help them achieve their aims, especially in regard to the oval they train and play on.
I thank Hollie, my electorate officer. I like to tell people she is better than I deserve. She is a wonderful person, works very hard independently and I could not do the job without her. The people of Blain also owe her a debt of gratitude for the hard work she does.
The Department of Business staff on the fifth floor who have been accepting of me in my role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Business, Chantelle, Steve, Tony, Jo, Ana, Dean and Tim – they all do a great job, including Michael Tennant and Alastair Shields, who are subsequent CEOs of the department.
I mention Greg Bicknell the Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce. He is a great guy who loves business in the Northern Territory. He loves the community and heads up an excellent organisation.
I thank the Palmerston Game Fishing Club, with Paul Williams, and Andre and his wife. They do a great job. We have spent time there and they conduct a particularly excellent program for kids. I encourage everybody to take their kids there, because you can get excellent fishing gear for $50 and they all get to catch a barramundi at the Humpty Doo Barramundi Farm on the Adelaide River. It is a great day out and is excellent for kids; it teaches them about water safety and how to rig lines. They are a great bunch of people and have been very welcoming towards me.
To my wife, Rebecca, and my kids, without whom I could not do this job – Bec is so supportive. She is a wonderful wife, an excellent mother, and I thank her for all the hard work she has done in the campaign leading up to the by-election, and for all she has done subsequently. Being an MLA is a particularly busy job, and she is a fantastic person.
To the Calder Branch staff of the CLP, who have been so supportive to me. Suzanne Cavanagh and Peter Pattemore do a fantastic job and are always very supportive and forthcoming with advice. They are also forthcoming with a kick in the backside when I need it – every now and again – to make sure I do the right thing for the people of Blain.
The PRBA – with President Wayne Zerbe – is another great organisation of business people doing fantastic work in the community. Every time they have an event they raise money for charity. I thank them for accepting me so warmly and inviting me to events, and for being very commodious in listening to the needs of business and expressing them to the minister, especially in my role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Business.
I thank my parliamentary colleagues on all sides of politics for their friendship and their views. I believe conflict is a good thing. When people conflict, better ideas come forward and other ideas are fine-tuned. I especially thank my parliamentary colleagues on this side of the floor who have been very supportive of me as a new member.
I thank the Legislative Assembly guys who have been patient with me coming into this new ball game. When you have not been in politics, there are many rules to remember. I thank the Legislative Assembly staff for being so supportive and helpful, especially Michael Tatham who heads the department.
A big thank you goes to the police in Palmerston; they do a fantastic job. Recently they did a clean-up around the electorate and managed to remove some individuals who needed to be off the streets. They have done the best job and are always helpful with constituents in the area. They work tirelessly during long hours and do a great job for the community. I appreciate everything they do.
Finally, I thank the constituents in Blain. They are beautiful people who have always been very friendly towards me. I look forward to serving them over the coming months and working towards the next election.
Ms MOSS (Casuarina): Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to speak tonight about activities and achievements around my electorate and shadow portfolios. I also reflect, as others have done, on this time of year and say thank you to the people in my life.
Firstly, I thank the constituents of Casuarina. It is wonderful to be so warmly received by them, and to continue to connect with them through activities in the electorate and my mobile offices. I enjoy engaging with them regarding the issues they care about and reflecting on the beautiful electorate in which we live. I wish them all a merry and safe Christmas.
I have been impressed with the staff and students at my local schools, and recently attended the parent council meeting at Alawa Primary School. I am pleased to have their new app on my phone, with reminders of events happening at the school – a really innovative idea implemented by Principal Sandy Cartwright and her staff to keep the parent body informed. I am sure we will be seeing many more of these great ideas from Alawa Primary School and its great parent council.
I wish the very best to students at Nakara Primary School and Dripstone Middle School, especially those moving on to other schools next year. A huge thank you goes to teachers and support staff, who have worked incredibly hard, as they always do, sometimes under trying circumstances. To the students and staff at Nemarluk School, I wish you all the best with your final school concert this Friday.
I acknowledge Claire Atkins from Alawa who launched her first novel, Nona & Me. Having lived with an author for a long time, I understand the energy and time required to put yourself into a piece of art. I look forward to making time over the Christmas period to read what I hope will be the first of many.
Many young people from my electorate are students at Casuarina Senior College, in the member for Johnston’s electorate. I extend the heartiest congratulations to students finishing there this year, and to the Casuarina Clontarf Academy. Six years ago I attended the first Clontarf Awards Evening, and this year the academy saw 18 young men complete Year 12 – the largest number of any academy in the country. This is down to the unwavering belief of the Clontarf staff and teachers who support the program. Academy Director, Nathan Perrin, and his fantastic team have been the driving force of this result, including at least 12 of those young men already receiving offers of employment. I am grateful to have seen this dedication firsthand, and I know they will continue to go from strength to strength in coming years.
Charles Darwin University – a challenging and changing environment in tertiary education – has launched a campaign through its foundation to raise $5m over the next three years. This is an ambitious, but not impossible, goal and I congratulate them as the university continues to grow in reputation, nationally and internationally.
I recently attended a number of events in our multicultural community and want to extend my congratulations to Neethi Ashok and the team at NamasteyNT on the launch of their magazine. The magazine shares stories, ideas and achievements of our migrant and multicultural communities in the NT. I am pleased to have hard copies in my office, as does the member for Wanguri.
Diwali celebrations, organised by the Indian Cultural Society of the NT, seems to grow in size every time I attend. I was pleased to do so this year, alongside the member for Fannie Bay. It was pleasing to see the strong involvement from the society’s youth group. This event, organised in a relatively short period of time, was a heap of fun, and I look forward to going again next year.
The Islamic Society of Darwin held a barbecue a couple of weekends ago. It was another fantastic event where the community came together. There was henna painting, and I am disappointed I did not have any done, but lots of food was shared – with lots of chatting – and it was lovely to be a part of it.
The Young Professionals Network NT and Young Engineers Australia end of year ball was just that – a ball. Huge congratulations go to the committee, Sonia Mu, Allan Fett and those who organised that fantastic event. There were fire twirlers, giant jenga and belly dancers, and it was an incredibly enjoyable evening.
Thank you to the Legislative Assembly staff, who have been wonderful, prompt and patient with their assistance in my first six weeks as a local member; that six weeks has flown by. To the wonderful people in security, Hansard, the Table Office, the cleaners, all of you at Parliament House, please have a wonderful and safe Christmas. I really appreciate all of your support.
A massive thank you to Debbie, who helped me transition into my new role. My best wishes go to you and your lovely family for a great time over the Christmas period. Thank you and Merry Christmas to my electorate officer, Cameron, and his partner, Cathy. I am very excited to have Cameron on board and am grateful for all of his hard work and support.
Merry Christmas to my parliamentary colleagues on each side of the House. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity and privilege to debate important issues with you, and the privilege is not lost on me. I wish you all the best and hope you have a lovely time with your families, however you mark this time of year. I especially want to thank my colleagues on this side of the House, my Territory Labor colleagues. You have accepted me, helped me, mentored me and been here every day giving me advice and making me feel very welcome and supported. For that I will be forever grateful. To everybody on the fourth floor in the Leader of the Opposition’s Office – I hope I do not forget anybody; that is my worst nightmare – Peter, Charlie, Ana, Ryan, Angela, Mandy, Cathryn and Louise, I extend my great appreciation for all of your support and the knowledge you provide to me and the rest of our team.
Importantly, I want to extend my sincerest and most heartfelt thanks to those who continue to work throughout the Christmas period to keep us safe, and who respond in times of crisis when Territorians need them the most. Our emergency services staff, and those who work on the front line of essential services, will continue to work to ensure someone is there if needed. We all thank them for that.
In addition, I extend thanks to those who will be staffing the phones of help lines over Christmas, offering support to those for whom Christmas is not a joyous time. For some it is stressful, distressing and extremely lonely, and I appreciate those who give their time over the Christmas period to reach out to those around them. I encourage all Territorians to self-care, reach out if you need help, and reach out to those who might be in need of some company or generosity over the Christmas period.
I know there will be others who will spend their Christmas providing lunches and sharing their hearts and homes with people who need it the most; you are appreciated. There is a huge amount of generosity and goodwill in our community.
I take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to the Young Social Pioneers network, which is an additional family to me. It is a group, extending across the country, of people under 30 who run organisations, social change initiatives or are involved in very different industries. Without their support, knowledge and ideas I do not know where I would be. They are fantastic at driving social change in this country, and are forever a reminder of what is possible for young people in Australia.
To my parents, Anita and Barry, and Paul and Sue, and to Jake’s parents, Jane and Dave, a massive thank you for all your support, this year and every year. You are unwavering in your support for Jake and me, and for the things we choose to do in life. We could not have asked for better parents. I spoke about Jake in my inaugural speech – thank goodness for downhill mountain bike riding, because he keeps himself occupied when I am not home. I appreciate the enormous amount of support and love he constantly shows me, and how willing he is to come along to different events to be part of this world with me. I am forever grateful.
I wish everybody a very merry and safe Christmas, thank you so much for all of your support during this time.
Mr STYLES (Sanderson): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise to say many a thank you to many people who have helped me not only this year, but in previous years.
The first group of people I thank are the people in the electorate of Sanderson, who in 2008 had such confidence in me they elected me to represent them for that four-year term. They re-elected me in 2012 to represent them until 2016. I sincerely hope the majority of them believe I have done a good job for them, am a person of integrity, and that I work hard to represent them well in this House.
Thank you and a very happy Christmas and New Year to all of my constituents, wherever you may be during the Christmas break. May you be safe and enjoy the very best of the Christmas spirit with your families and friends.
That leads me to my electorate office; if I did not have those people, and if they did not do such a good job, I am sure I would not have been re-elected in 2012, and could not continue to do the important work as a minister in the Cabinet of the Northern Territory. I am very grateful to Vanessa McCall, and to our stand-in when Vanessa is on leave – Jan Sporn – who brings a magnificent wealth of knowledge and experience, which she is capably passing on to Vanessa, who is another very capable person. Myy good friend, John Moyle, who has been part of my campaign team for many years, is still outside the shops every Saturday morning. He puts up the A-frames, carts things in and out, and does a lot of work for the barbecues we have. I want to be John Moyle when I am that age. On 5 January he will celebrate his 96th birthday, but he is still working for the community. I must congratulate John, as he was a finalist for Senior Australian of the Year recently at a function held at the Darwin Convention Centre. He was a runner-up for Senior Australian of the Year in the Northern Territory. It was a fantastic effort after a lifetime of giving to his community and country, and he is still going strong.
There are so many people I have to thank. To my ministerial office and chief of staff, Gary Swanson, thank you very much; you allow me to get on with some important work needing to be done in the Northern Territory. Thank you to Nathan Winn, Renee Miller, my PA, Joss Papworth, Maree Philpott, my DLOs, Michelle Leonard and Angelie Lyons,especially Michelle, who has been there for a while. Michelle, you do an awesome job. For someone who is a public servant, you fit in on the fifth floor and put your whole heart into it. Marie is the time police, so thanks for keeping me on time with everywhere I need to be. To Angelie, who has only recently joined us, you fit in extremely well and I am sure you will continue to do so in 2015.
To the Office of the Speaker, Cheryl and Martine, and Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you. You are all very accommodating of our needs and when we need to contact you, you bend over backwards to help us. To those in Hansard who are typing away to get all of this recorded, and the service providers on the fourth floor, thank you for your efforts in the Legislative Assembly. Again, you are all very helpful. Thank you to those in security who, with the heightened level of security required these days, make sure we are able to carry out our duties in a safe manner. To the Legislative Assembly drivers, Bill, Yuni, Ben, David and John, you guys are very busy with me on the weekends, with all of the functions I attend. You are always on time, and always dependable and reliable. Thanks very much to you and your families. You are out late at night when I am at various functions, so I thank your families for what you give when you are with us. I thank the staff in Protocol for their efforts; they do a great job.
I thank the people at the shopping centres who put up with me being outside their shops on Saturday mornings and give me feedback on behalf of the community; I am very grateful.
I want to mention a couple of my departments. The Department of Infrastructure’s Chief Executive, Mr David McHugh, is a long-term public servant who has also worked in the private sector, and he does a fantastic job. He is ably supported by his executive team, Bob Pemble, Monica Birkner, Brett Brogan and Steve Hoyne. To the Engineers Australia Northern Division Engineering Excellence Award winners, Sumesh Dhir, Niraj Gurung, Grant Henderson and Gordon Atkinson, congratulations on that fantastic win. Thanks to the peak bodies, including the Civil Contractors Federation of Australia, Master Builders and Engineers Australia. I am looking forward to working with you guys in the New Year.
I thank the Department of Transport Chief Executive, Clare Gardiner-Barnes, and the executive team, Paul Rajan, Simon Saunders and Louise McCormick. To Glenda Thornton, winner of the 2014 Chief Minister’s Public Sector Medal – a fantastic effort at the Motor Vehicle Registry. The Motor Vehicle Registry was the winner of the 2014 Chief Minister’s Award for Delivering Quality Customer Service, in recognition of the DriveSafe NT Remote program as a finalist for the Chief Minister’s Awards for Excellence in the Public Sector.
Joint winners of the Chief Minister’s Award for Building Regional and/or Remote Economies were credited to Paul Rajan and Terri Layman for their contribution, and to Director of Information Business Services, Donald Young, for recognition of work carried out on the Motor Vehicle Registry reforms, for his contributions to IT reforms and enhancement, which resulted in MVR winning the Chief Minister’s Award for Delivering Quality Customer Service.
Best wishes to the Department of the Chief Minister, with Chief Executive, Mr Gary Barnes; Executive Director of Social Policy, Janet Buhagiar; and Manager for Community Engagement, Siobhan Okely. Best wishes also to the Office of Youth Affairs, which includes Gemma Benn, Larnie Batten, Samantha Denmead, Prue Jezierski and Olivia Paris. To the Office of Senior Territorians, with Jodie O’Donnell and Sarah Burchett – who has left us, sadly – and, lastly, to the Office of Multicultural Affairs, with Diana Miranda, Lisa Finocchiaro and Emily Heames, and the graduate who was there for six months and put a great effort in, Taliska Kiebat.
I move on and thank my primary schools: Wagaman Primary School Principal, Michele Cody, the school Chair, Cathy Malla. They do a fantastic job it has been great working with them. Across to Wulagi Primary School, with Principal Susan Kilgour – who was nominated as Northern Territory Principal of the Year, along with Michele Cody. There were finalists from two of my schools, which was a fantastic effort of pride in our fine teaching staff from our community of Sanderson.
Anula Primary School Principal, Kerry Hudson, and school Chair, Anna Lutz, had another great year; I thank them very much. Sanderson Middle School Principal, Liz Veel, who I have worked with for over 25 years is a fantastic principal, along with the school chair, Nick O’Loughlin.
I thank the multicultural community for supporting me in my job of supporting them, and the National Seniors, COTA, U3A, and the Probus Club of Darwin. In the youth sector, MyNT and the Young Professionals Network NT do a fantastic job.
I move on to something close to my heart, my north Darwin branch, where I have been a member for more years than I care to remember. I receive a great amount of support from them. In relation to that, Ron Baker gets a special mention. Ron and I have known each other for years; he is a Trojan in helping me not only stay elected, but to get elected in the first place. A special thanks goes to Ron and Rosie for all of their effort.
To my Cabinet colleagues, thank you very much for your support. You cannot do this job without the support of your Cabinet.
I move on to my family – my children, Kristy, Adam and Damien, and my grand-children, for their everlasting support. I cannot do without them; I thank them for the many years they have been campaigning with and supporting me. They have great faith in me and they demonstrate that every day by the support they give.
Finally, to my partner – sorry, now my wife – Linda. Without her I would not be standing here talking. You cannot measure the ongoing support she gives me. I am extremely and eternally grateful for the work she puts in, not only supporting me, but helping me stay elected and simply being there as a sounding board.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: She pointed out her wedding ring in the gallery, member for Sanderson. You are now in it.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Mr Deputy Speaker – girlfriend, partner, Linda – she got 25 seconds. I am sure she deserved a lot more.
Mr Styles: She has been all of those.
Mr CONLAN: Absolutely.
What a massive year. I may not take 10 minutes, but that is not reflective of my appreciation of the people I wish to thank and recognise this year. The second year in government has been huge. This is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. But success is never an individual thing; it takes a lot of people to achieve it, so I thank a number of people tonight.
Let me start with my staff – Tom, Adrian, Lisa, Racheal, Belinda, Markus, Alison, Julie and Jo, and the staff who were with me a little while but left this year – Kay, Judy, Karen, Mary, Chloe, Trudy and Frances. Thank you for all of your support, help and guidance.
My CEOs – of course, as a minister, you cannot do it without the support of your Chief Executives: Tony Mayell, Anne Bradford, Phillip Leslie and Hugo Leschen and the agencies they represent – Tourism, Housing, Sport, Arts and all of the staff working under those CEOs. We have had a terrific year in those agencies. We had a red hot crack at it and are starting to see real achievements. Thank you to the CEOs and their staff.
As has been mentioned, we cannot do it without the support of our team; 14 members have pulled together to make it a terrific year of government. I thank my Cabinet colleagues and the Chief Minister for his support and friendship over the last couple of years. As we reflect on 2014, I thank the chief for his support, guidance, help and friendship. Thank you very much, Chief Minister, and all of your staff who reach out to all of us, as ministers and members of parliament, to help us whenever we need it. Thank you to all the staff on the fifth floor as a whole.
My family – where do I start? To my lovely wife Elara, I could not do this without you, thank you. To my children, Harvey and Cleo – another year where I have probably spent two-thirds of the year away – there is nothing like the hugs of a five- and three-year-old; it is a hard thing to beat. To my beautiful boy, Harvey, I am so proud of your achievements this year. He is in Transition and goes into Year 1 next year. Well done, mate, and I look forward to spending more time with you in 2015. It is not easy, but I will be there for you; I love you mate. My beautiful, gorgeous little daughter, Cleo, is one hell of a character. Thank you for being such a wonderful daughter.
We need to thank the opposition. A good robust parliament and great robust democracy relies on a good opposition. We have this argy-bargy throughout the year – a warfare and a battle in and out of the parliament – but I do not hold any enmity towards anyone in the opposition. I am determined to make sure when I retire, whether it be voluntarily or electorally, that I have no bitterness from this job. I wish everyone in the opposition and their families a terrific, safe and happy Christmas season. Thank you for holding government to account. Rightly or wrongly, you have a job to do and this year you have done it well.
To the Legislative Assembly staff, thank you for everything you have done. To the Clerk’s office, and everyone in the building, whose job it is to make 25 members do their jobs to the best of their ability – a lot of work goes into it – there are a lot of staff, and you have done an exceptional job. Thank you very much for your efforts and support over the last 12 months.
I need to thank the drivers, because they are a great bunch of guys who work extremely long hours for us, with a lot of waiting and sitting around. They do it without an ounce of complaint and I thank them for their efforts.
Thank you to everyone. Merry Christmas to Territorians far and wide. Enjoy it, be safe and we will see you all in the new year.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016