2011-03-29
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 9.30 am.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, students, welcome to the fifth regional sittings of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory being held in Alice Springs. I am sure honourable members will join with me in saying how much we enjoy visiting the Centre and sharing the Territory’s parliamentary democracy with the people of Central Australia.
Over the past six months, the Legislative Assembly has worked hard preparing for these sittings. I hope many of you visiting today or listening to the parliamentary broadcast will take the opportunity to watch your parliament in action over the next few days. I remind people listening that you can follow the proceedings online.
Before formal proceedings commence at around 10 am, it is proposed to celebrate our visit with speeches and music. At the end of the welcome, a morning tea will be served in the courtyard area to which guests are invited to join those honourable members who are able to leave the Chamber.
I now call on We R 1 Choir to lead us in the singing of the national anthem. I ask you to stand.
The National Anthem was sung.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much to the We R 1 Choir.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I acknowledge the Arrernte people, the traditional owners of the area. I invite the Deputy of the Administrator of the Northern Territory, Dr Pat Miller AO, to welcome us to country.
Dr MILLER (Deputy of the Administrator): Good morning, Madam Speaker. Good morning, everyone. I acknowledge the presence of the Administrator, Mr Tom Pauling, and Mrs Tessa Pauling. I also acknowledge the presence of the ministers, the Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, and the Opposition Leader, Mr Terry Mills.
As an Apmereakwetwe person, a traditional owner of the Arrernte country, I welcome you here and also acknowledge the native title holders from the Lhere Artepe prescribed body corporate. The native title groups are Irlpme to the north, Untulya to the east and Mparntwe which is the country we are standing on now. Mparntwe people have always welcomed people to Alice Springs and today is no different. Historically, we used to stop people at the Gap and ask what presence did they want to have free passage through here. Today, we know what business you have here, and it is very important business. The way we welcome people today is not the historical way where we challenge you. Today, there are other methods of communication which we use, and one of them is the presence of traditional owners here today.
I acknowledge the traditional owners, past and present, many of whom passed away far too young in today’s society, and those of us who are considered not so old being called elders at 50 years old. So, I acknowledge the sadness that Arrernte people and other people have stressed to go through.
I also acknowledge the presence of our Mayor, Mr Damien Ryan.
Once again, welcome to Arrernte country, Apmereakwetwe for this land.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much, Dr Miller.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I thank our Deputy of the Administrator, Pat Miller, for her welcome to country. As the Chief Minister, I also acknowledge the traditional owners and native title holders of this Central Arrernte land we are on, and thank them for allowing us to hold parliament in Alice Springs. It is very special.
I acknowledge our Administrator, Tom Pauling and Mrs Tessa Pauling - it is great that you have made the trip from Darwin for these sittings; the Right Worshipful Mayor of Alice Springs, Mr Damien Ryan; Leader of the Opposition; fellow parliamentarians; former member for Araluen, Jodeen Carney; and all the people of Alice Springs and Central Australia who are here today.
It is great to be back for the fifth sittings of parliament in Alice Springs. I cannot believe we have been here five times - the first in 2003 - and it is great to see so many people here today.
This is all about bringing parliament to the people and giving the people of Central Australia an opportunity to see their parliament and democracy in action. It is a great opportunity for schoolchildren in this region to visit parliament; to see parliament in action and improve their understanding of the democratic process. I have had a chance to talk to the children and teachers from Nyirripi School and Bradshaw Primary School, as well as the drumming group, and I know they are really looking forward to their morning. Talking to the Bradshaw kids, I know they have had an opportunity to do some role playing in regard to parliament. I spoke to a young boy at the back who took on the role of Chief Minister. It is great to bring parliament to the people in Alice Springs, particularly our children. It is about giving people an opportunity to see democracy in action.
The next few days will certainly see a focus in this parliament on Central Australia and Alice Springs. There will be robust debate, as there always is in parliament, whether it is in Darwin or Alice Springs. We will be talking a lot about the future of this great part of Australia, Central Australia.
Holding sittings in Alice Springs does not happen without an enormous amount of work; it is a huge logistical effort to bring parliament to Alice Springs. I pay tribute to you, Madam Speaker, together with your Legislative Assembly staff, because it really is a huge logistical effort to make this happen. Congratulations also for promoting the parliament in Alice Springs and Central Australia. Thank you, Madam Speaker, and all your staff. I know you enjoy bringing parliament here and getting out to engage the community around parliament - the art competitions and talking to the kids. It is fantastic.
I look forward to the week ahead. I hope people from Alice Springs and the Central Australian region enjoy witnessing their parliament at work. It is a great opportunity for all of us over the next three days, for the time the parliament sits. I really enjoy getting into the galleries, when I am not required to be speaking here, to sit down and talk with people from Central Australia about some of the issues. That is a great opportunity for us, because we always have a bigger crowd in Alice Springs than we do in Darwin. I am sure all of us look forward to that opportunity over the next three days.
Madam Speaker, it is great to be back in Alice Springs for the fifth sittings of the parliament. It is will be a robust three days, but it is going to be an enjoyable three days. I thank members of the Central Australian community who support parliament coming to Alice Springs, especially the schoolchildren. It is going to be fantastic to see between 600 and 700 students attend over the next three days.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, welcome Administrator Tom, and Tessa; the Deputy of the Administrator, Pat; Mayor of Alice Springs, Damien; and Madam Speaker and parliamentary colleagues – government, opposition, and Independents. A special welcome to, and acknowledgement of, former Speaker and minister, Loraine Braham, and to Jodeen Carney, a colleague and former Opposition Leader.
This is the fifth visit and, as the Chief Minister has acknowledged, time has flown by. Paul and I came into this parliament on the same day and we have shared a similar journey, though on opposite sides of the Chamber. We acknowledge that being in the Centre for the fifth time is a symbol of the parliament at work for the people. However, we want to ensure this is more than just a symbol, that those who gather, who take an interest in these proceedings, will see that this symbol has power - power to ensure there is a change in our community, and a response; not a reaction, but real action that is sustained and ongoing that effects real change.
I trust we will leave something behind at the end of our proceedings that will show this symbol of this parliament has power to make a difference in the classrooms, for those who think schooling is optional - it is not; that those families feel it is safer in this community as a result of the power this parliament does have to change direction; and that business has the capacity to prosper, grow, and provide extended employment opportunities in the Centre.
Madam Speaker, parliamentary colleagues and members of this community, I trust this symbol will be demonstrated at the end of this to be something which has potency to respond to the challenges we have; that it is a demonstration of the will of the community - you will see that in action and there will be encouragement at the end of our time together. I look forward to this time we will spend together, very mindful of a community that has high expectations and perhaps some growing cynicism as they do have in the instruments of parliament. Let us ensure that does not occur.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have great pleasure in inviting the Mayor of Alice Springs, His Worship Mr Damien Ryan, to address the parliament.
Mr RYAN (Mayor, Alice Springs): Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to address the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory at these Alice Springs sittings. I acknowledge the Central Arrernte people who are the traditional owners and custodians of Alice Springs. I welcome His Honour the Administrator, Mr Tom Pauling and Mrs Pauling; Dr Pat Miller, the Deputy of the Administrator; Hon Paul Henderson, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory; Madam Speaker, Hon Jane Aagaard; Mr Terry Mills, Leader of the Opposition; and honourable members.
I start by recognising what a momentous year 2011 is for the Northern Territory. Together, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of being separated from South Australia. It is also the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Alice Springs Town Council.
As stated by others, we are here today for the fifth sittings of the Northern Territory parliament in Alice Springs. Whenever parliament sits in Alice Springs it is always well attended by local residents. Witnessing parliament in action is always intriguing and inspiring. Often what people do not see is the layers of government - local, Territory and federal - and the complexity in which the three tiers of government work together for their community.
To further demonstrate these intricacies, and running parallel with the parliamentary sittings this week, the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory will hold its general meeting in Alice Springs. This is an opportunity for mayors and presidents from across the Territory to meet to address issues which impact on their municipalities and shires.
I extend a welcome to all parliamentarians in the House and, if they have time, to drop by the Alice Springs Town Council Civic Centre later in the week and say hello.
A key issue of local government is the impact of urban drift on our communities. I hope this is an issue firmly on the agenda of the Northern Territory parliament. All our communities are suffering the effects of urban drift and solutions require a united, long-term approach.
As Mayor of the town, I have one fundamental request of all of you: seize this opportunity before you to make some much-needed, constructive change for our community. Please put aside your differences and work together for the betterment of Alice Springs, its people, and our way of life.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Mayor. I like your words that the sittings are intriguing and inspiring – I look forward to that.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, in conjunction with these sittings the parliament ran an art competition on the theme 100 Years of Being a Territory. The winners are depicted on the program which you have in front of you. The entries were of a very high standard and showed both the artistic and historical knowledge of the students. Assisting with the judging this year was the Director of the Araluen Cultural Precinct, Mr Tim Rollason, and the winner of last year’s Portrait of a Senior Territorian Art Award, Dr Al Strangeways. I thank them for their contribution.
I now invite the Chief Minister, Hon Paul Henderson and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Terry Mills, to present the first prize. On this occasion we have a shared first prize. Chief Minister, please present the shared first prize to Acacia Hill School. The prize is to be collected by Sarita Morrison and Tiffany Malthouse. Their painting is on the front of the program. Congratulations to those students.
The shared first prize is $2000 to each of the schools.
Leader of the Opposition, please present the shared first prize to Braitling Primary School. The prize is to be collected by Haley Sneddon and Tim Shaw.
Minister for Central Australia, Mr Karl Hampton, please present the runner-up prize to Ross Park Primary School. The prize is to be collected by Kiarra Tilmouth and Chloe Southam which is $500 for their work.
I also call the shadow Minister for Central Australia, Mr Matt Conlan, who will accept the People's Choice Award on behalf of the Gillen Primary School of $500.
While Matt is there, I congratulate him and his wife, Elara, who had a baby just three weeks ago; young Cleo. I believe Harvey is also there. I had better mention him because I know the older child always gets upset. Congratulations on the birth of your child.
Congratulations to the Gillen Primary School.
Thank you very much, honourable members, for your assistance, and congratulations to the winning schools.
Honourable members, I invite Drum Atweme, comprising students from Yipirinya School, to perform their special drumming presentation.
Thank you very much to the students from Yipirinya.
Honourable members, that concludes the opening ceremony for our fifth regional sitting in Alice Springs. I ask the Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms to escort our guests from the floor of the parliament so we can start the official proceedings.
Madam Speaker Aagaard read Prayers.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, excuse me …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, we have the formal business of the Assembly. If you wish to speak at the end of this you may do so; not while I am speaking during the formal business of the Assembly.
Mr Conlan: Madam Speaker, this is relevant to business of the Assembly. Without diminishing the tragic events in Japan …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, can you just speak …
Mr Conlan: I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent this House from censuring the Northern Territory government for its failure …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, please resume your seat. This is the formal part of the opening of the parliament. As you would be aware, on every sitting day I have a number of announcements. If you wish to move such a motion, you need to do so at the end of the formal part of this ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! There is no question before the Chair at the moment. The member is fully entitled …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker, I ask to be heard.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I ask to be heard. There is no question before the Chair. The process of this House is quite straightforward. He is seeking a motion to suspend so much of standing orders …
Madam SPEAKER: I am aware of that. Thank you very much, member for Port Darwin, you may resume your seat.
There are a number of formal items, particularly on the first day of every Assembly, which need to be discussed. Then, you can move that motion and we will see what happens. I note there is a condolence motion, which is sought to be moved by the Chief Minister. I remind you that Standing Order 125 indicates that a condolence motion has precedence over all other motions in this House. So, member for Port Darwin, resume your seat.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! There is no condolence motion before this House. There is merely a proposed condolence motion. The motion which is proposed by the member for Greatorex seeks to suspend so much of standing orders as would prevent a censure motion proceeding.
I ask that the people of Alice Springs be heard when it comes to the important issue which is to be raised, rather than sticking to process.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, the formal business of the Assembly still needs to be dealt with.
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of the Administrator of the Northern Territory, His Honour Mr Tom Pauling AO QC and Mrs Pauling; Dr Pat Miller AO, Deputy of the Administrator of the Northern Territory; His Worship the Mayor of Alice Springs, Mr Damien Ryan; and former member of the Legislative Assembly, Ms Jodeen Carney.
I extend a warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence of Year 5/6 students from Bradshaw Primary School, accompanied by Ms Andrews; and students from Nyirripi School accompanied by Ms Wendy Jones.
On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise that parliamentary proceedings will not be of television quality because of the landline to Darwin.
I have approved television cameras in the Chamber during Question Time, and at other times with approval. The Internet vision will continue and may be used in the usual way.
MESSAGE FROM ADMINISTRATOR
Message No 24
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received from His Honour the Administrator Message No 24 notifying assent to bills passed in the February sitting of the Assembly.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received the Commonwealth Day Message 2011 from Her Majesty the Queen, dated 14 March 2011:
14 March 2011.
Ms PURICK (Goyder)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I present a petition not conforming with standing orders from 49 petitioners relating to a general aviation aerodrome in the greater Darwin area. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
Ms PURICK (Goyder)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I present a petition not conforming with standing orders from 427 petitioners relating to the forced amalgamation of the areas of Dundee and Marrakai into a new shire. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 195 petitioners praying that the rezoning of the sections of Hundred of Strangways does not proceed. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
The CLERK: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 100A I inform honourable members the responses to petitions Nos 43 and 44 have been received and circulated to honourable members. The text of the responses will be placed on the Legislative Assembly website. A copy of the response will be provided to the member who tabled the petition for distribution to petitioners.
Petition No 43
Building on Vacant Land Opposite Karama
Shops
Petition No 44
Nganmarriyanga/Palumpa Store – Return to
Community Control
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I understand we are moving to a condolence motion; however, before that we had a point of order. I call the member for Greatorex.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I said, without diminishing the events in Japan, local issues are far more pressing.
Madam Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent this House from censuring the Chief Minister and his government for its abject failure to protect the people of Alice Springs ...
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 125, which you have already alluded to, about the precedence of condolence motions over all other business ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: The government realises the importance of the matters the member for Greatorex is bringing forward. We will deal with the censure after the condolence.
Madam Speaker, I move that the motion be put.
The Assembly divided:
Madam SPEAKER: The question now is that the motion be agreed to.
Motion negatived.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move –
That the Legislative Assembly:
We recently witnessed a series of truly devastating natural events, both at home and abroad. We were all deeply affected by the unparalleled flooding in large sections of Australia, most notably Queensland early this year. However, fate seems to dictate that natural disasters occur in groups. More recently, there have been catastrophic earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan. The Japanese earthquake was coupled with a tsunami. In both cases, nature exacted a cruel toll in both human and economic terms.
To watch the television images and hear reports of both earthquake-related tragedies puts the challenges we face in the Territory into perspective. The people of the Fukushima region of Japan are struggling to survive in the aftermath of the twin blows of earthquake and tsunami, in freezing temperatures, whilst coping with lack of food, water and basic supplies, under the pall of potential nuclear contamination. I am sure all members of this House have been moved by the suffering of the people of New Zealand and Japan.
Christchurch residents are facing the wretched task of trying to pick themselves up for a second time in less than six months after the destruction of the earthquake. Christchurch was still recovering from the events of September last year, only to have their city rocked by an even more devastating earthquake on 22 February this year. The final death toll from the 22 February quake is expected to top 200 people. The damage bill is still to be fully tallied, but current estimates put the cost at more than $A11bn. It has been the most costly natural disaster in New Zealand history.
The New Zealand government estimates, in addition to the massive devastation of Christchurch CBD which is likely to result in major commercial buildings being razed, 10 000 houses may need to be demolished, whilst a further 100 000 houses will require repairs. The New Zealand Prime Minister said following the second quake inside six months, there are now likely to be areas of Christchurch which may never be rebuilt. More than 60 000 people, or one sixth of the population, have fled the city.
We, of course, share the strongest of bonds with New Zealand. Australians and New Zealanders are mates. In fact, Australians and New Zealanders are almost cousins. The Territory is also home to a significant number of New Zealand ex-pats.
Territorians have responded magnificently to the plight of the people of Christchurch. We have rallied to provide financial assistance for our cousins across the ditch. Three separate contingents of Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services personnel have travelled to Christchurch to help the people of the city. On 1 March, a disaster victim identification team of four left for New Zealand. I met those police officers before they left. I thanked them for the work they were about to do, which was absolutely challenging in identifying dead bodies - men, women and children - to provide some sense of closure for relatives. I can only think of the horror those police officers would have found.
Then, on 4 March, an urban search and rescue assistance team of four - three NT Emergency Services members and a member of the NT Fire Brigade - headed to Christchurch. A general policing assistance team of seven flew to Christchurch on 11 March. I met those police officers on their return on Friday at Darwin Airport, and they were all absolutely confronted and astounded with the devastation they saw. They could not believe the power and the force of Mother Nature to completely destroy what was once a very beautiful city. They also had to withstand a number of what people called aftershocks. One of those aftershocks was actually an earthquake of 6.1 on the Richter scale, which was truly very frightening.
Those who travelled to Christchurch were understandably moved by the circumstances they found themselves confronted with. The Territory teams performed magnificently and we should all be very proud of those personnel. On behalf of all Territorians, I commend the efforts of our relief teams who worked under the most trying of circumstances. The members of the relief teams can be justly proud of the assistance they rendered to the people of Christchurch. I expect all of them will carry this memory with them for the remainder of their lives, and I trust it is an event they will look back upon with pride.
The devastation wrought by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan on 11 March was even greater than that inflicted on Christchurch, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those thousands of people who have lost their lives. Not long after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, I was in Canberra and took the opportunity to visit the Japanese Embassy to pass on the condolences of all Territorians to our friends in Japan. I was deeply honoured to be the first person to sign the Embassy’s official book of condolences for the tragedy. I also commend you, Madam Speaker, for having an official condolence book for Territorians to sign. I advised the Ambassador we would formally forward that condolence book to the Ambassador in Canberra.
The earthquake triggered the destructive tsunami of waves of up to 20 m. The waves wrought destruction along the Pacific coast of Japan’s northern islands and well inland. It was the waters of the tsunami which caused the greatest destruction. In places, the waves washed over the top of Japan’s extensive anti-tsunami sea walls, which in some places stand up to 12 m high. I recall my feelings when I saw the initial images from Japan on the television. I was actually in the lounge at Alice Springs Airport returning to Darwin, and sat down and looked at the television and thought: ‘What on earth is that?’ It was very early on; broadcasts of the tsunami rolling across the ocean to Japan. Everyone in the Alice Springs Airport was transfixed with total horror, looking at what was unfolding live in Japan, and the horror of that tsunami building momentum coming to shore.
Damage affected 18 separate prefectures and has reportedly moved Honshu Island more than 2 m to the east. The before and after images we have all seen from some of the worst affected prefectures are confronting, challenging, devastating, and traumatic. These pictures show little more than rubble, with no obvious structural remains evident. The number of dead is currently estimated to be around 20000 people, with thousands still missing or unaccounted for. More bodies are being discovered every day. The number of deaths has forced authorities to dispense with the normally elaborate Buddhist cremation ceremonies favoured by the Japanese, opting instead, tragically, for mass burials. Japan is a beautiful country, where 99% of the dead are now cremated and, in some places, burials are banned by law.
More than 450 000 have been forced into shelters, with an estimated 120 000 buildings damaged or destroyed. Estimates of the likely cost of the damage range as high as $300bn, making this the most expensive natural disaster of all time. The Japanese government has described the challenges of dealing with the current situation as the greatest crisis to confront the country since World War II.
Fuel shortages are complicating relief efforts, as is the cold. Overnight temperatures in the affected areas are hovering at or below 0C. Then there is the potential threat of nuclear contamination from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. This disaster has affected all of us. I have friends and neighbours who have a daughter on a teacher exchange program living 60 km from the Fukushima plant. The trauma that family went through trying to get their daughter out of Japan was immense. She is now safe and at home. One can only think of what they went through, day after day, news report after news report, about those nuclear power plants and the potential total meltdown of those plants and a radioactive wave that could have decimated thousands of lives. Their daughter was 60 km away from that particular facility.
Despite the gravity of the nuclear threat, news reports suggest that nuclear contamination is not the major priority for quake survivors. It is a notion that really puts the miserable plight of the quake survivors into stark perspective. Even so, the reports and images in relation to the damage to the Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant are apocalyptic. The failure of the cooling system at the Fukushima 1 power plant resulted in the evacuation of thousands of nearby residents and the declaration of a state of emergency.
For New Zealand and Japan, the road to recovery will be long and difficult. The long-term impact on survivors will also be immense.
Both of these countries are great friends of Australia and the Territory. As Chief Minister, I have had the opportunity to visit Japan on many occasions. I have always found the Japanese people courteous, hospitable, entertaining, and devoted to family and children. I could not believe what I saw. I have made numerous phone calls to people in business, in the community, and the Japan Australia Friendship Society in Darwin. I have spoken to teachers across the Northern Territory who teach Japanese. I am sure the thoughts and prayers of all Territorians are with the people of Japan and Christchurch at this very difficult time.
This past weekend at the Waterfront in Darwin we had a major festival of multiculturalism to support Harmony Day. The Japanese community was there showing people how to make paper cranes, and also had a condolence book available. There were stands from all countries around the world, but more people were at the Japanese community stand. Everyone wanted to make a paper crane, or take a paper crane away, and everyone was queueing up to sign the condolence book.
I know that the thoughts of all members of this House are with the people of both countries. I know our schoolchildren who are learning Japanese are sending post cards and electronic post cards, and messages of sympathy to schoolchildren in Japan. That is magnificent, and I commend all those schools - including Alice Springs High School – which are doing everything they can to support people in Japan.
Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I know the thoughts of all members of this House are with the people of both countries. Our thoughts and prayers are with those in distress in both regions. I am sure we will all, as members of parliament in our electorates, do everything we can to support the fundraising efforts of our community to support people in New Zealand and Japan at this tragic time.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I support this motion of condolence for those in New Zealand, Christchurch in particular, and Japan, the north in particular.
A condolence motion is a motion which, on behalf of the people, expresses our sorrow at their sorrow, and our concern and response to their misfortune and the grief of families, a nation, and of a people. We also, in support of this motion, acknowledge the relief efforts. It is right and fitting that a civil society would respond to neighbours in need, as has the Territory, and that is to be commended. We all have to give a little, and we give as much as we can at times such as this. To those in our community who have gathered together to have any number of community events to raise funds and send support, we commend those efforts as well - all evidence of a community that responds to neighbours’ need. This response, some words in a parliament, gives some definition to what is, in fact, a complete response of a community as best we can, and is to help us get some sense of what has occurred. We are all involved in this one way or another. When we acknowledge such events have occurred, we reflect on what has occurred in recent times, as the Chief Minister has already acknowledged.
It does not seem so long ago this parliament paused to reflect on the devastating bushfires in Australia which still bear a mark on families and friends in this community. It does not seem so long ago we paused and reflected on the floods in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and the in the Gascoyne and Tasmania prior to that. In our last parliament, we had Cyclone Yasi and, then, in the same sittings we had news of Christchurch. All these things seem to be growing around us causing us to reflect. It is right and fitting there is a response; however, what we see here is beyond our control. In responding, we try to understand what it would be like to be in Christchurch. Those who have been to Christchurch have helped to explain what this means. I have not been there. If you have not been, you ought to find someone who has, or someone with a connection to New Zealand, to help you understand what this really means for people, for families so you can make that response.
As the Chief Minister described, I am sure everyone will have a memory of the first images from Japan. It was almost impossible to believe, to comprehend, what we were witnessing. Those events I have just described seem to fall into a different place. When we see walls of sea water crashing across Japan, washing away villages, towns and cities, and people’s homes with everything contained therein, and you hear stories of people who are in relief accommodation, and all they want is to go back to their home to see what is left, that gives the very human side of this whole tragedy.
For those in New Zealand, for those in Japan, there is an echo of response around the globe and in this parliament. We ask what is important when we see what people cling to, what they desire. It brings things into sharp relief with food, clothing, and shelter highest priorities. The next, of course, is safety. Those are the concerns at this moment.
Regarding the issues of safety, it is best we, they and the agencies can respond to increase the safety of the citizens. There is so much work to be done. But there are issues of safety in a community we do have some control over, such as the matters which will be reflected in this Chamber. It helps us to see the difference between matters of national safety and perils which are beyond the control of citizens, such as earthquakes and floods. There are matters which create a sense of a need for safety and security which are within our control. I believe that is something to consider in this; that there is something we can do to increase the safety of our citizens. It helps bring some focus to the things of concern to the people of this community that would be a fitting response.
This condolence motion is supported - of course it is - in acknowledging our human response to families in other places, and all families who have suffered in recent times with natural disasters; for those who have provided relief and are continuing to provide relief. I look forward to meeting those who have been there; we will want to hear their stories to help us understand what it was like for those citizens who are in these most unfortunate circumstances. For those who are gathering in community responses across the Territory and across the nation, good on you and thank you for evidence of that beautiful human response to those in need.
Yes, there is a special connection to New Zealand, as there has been in recent times with Japan in our commemoration of the Bombing of Darwin with the Consul-General of Japan present. It was a powerful moment. It was not so long after we had to make contact and say: ‘We are standing with you, what can we do?’ The phone calls and the responses will be ongoing. It is times like this which bring people together.
Chief Minister, thank you for bringing this motion; it has our support.
Ms LAWRIE (Deputy Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s motion and join with members of this Assembly in offering my deepest condolences to the people who have been affected by these most recent natural disasters and tragedies.
Two great friends of the Territory, New Zealand and Japan, have fallen victim to significant natural disasters. The people of the Territory are no strangers to the destructive power of Mother Nature, and we strongly identify with such natural disasters and significant tragedies. To hear of the loss of life reminds us of what is truly important in our lives – our family, our friends, and our community.
In the Canterbury region of New Zealand, two major earthquakes struck within six months of each other, causing major damage and multiple fatalities in the city of Christchurch and surrounding areas. On 11 March, less than three weeks later, a powerful earthquake of 9.0 magnitude struck off the coast of Japan and triggered an extremely destructive tsunami with waves up to 23 m high.
Territorians had, some six months earlier, breathed a sigh of relief when an earthquake near Christchurch caused damage and power outages in that beautiful city and its surrounding towns but miraculously spared its residents. We were glued to our televisions as the story unfolded, and marvelled that with so much damage the residents had come away relatively unscathed. Just six months later, while Christchurch was still recovering and rebuilding in an extensive cleanup, it was struck by a massive after shock early in the afternoon on 22 February.
The residents were not fortunate this time; the quake caused widespread damage and multiple fatalities. Once again, we were gripped, with television coverage showing us the latest news on the disaster and showing us that, this time, lives had not been spared. We all watched in horror as the news unfolded. For Australians, this news was a great shock to us. The Kiwis are our cousins across the Tasman. They stand proudly with us as ANZACs. The Territory has a significant number of former Kiwis who call the Territory home. I am sure everyone in this parliament has heard, watched or read the news, and felt for our friends, our cousins across the Tasman. At least 166 people have been confirmed dead as of 17 March, with the final death toll expected to be at least 182. This toll will have an enduring effect on the communities that cannot be measured.
During tragedies such as this, some comfort can be taken in the strength of the human spirit. It is often said that hardship brings out the best in people, and I sincerely believe this is true. Within hours of the earthquake, search and research teams from across the globe and from our own nation were preparing to assist the local dramatic and heart-wrenching efforts in Christchurch. Teams from Australia, the UK, USA, Japan, Taiwan, China and Singapore all assisted the Kiwis in the search and rescue effort in a physically and mentally demanding environment. These teams must be applauded. I remember news footage of a team from South America who were not accredited, but were a rescue team in Christchurch to assist.
Medical, humanitarian and welfare support came flooding in from overseas. Many of those providing help did so in a volunteer capacity. It is encouraging to see there are so many people willing to make personal sacrifices in order to help others. Local community groups in the Territory rallied in their fundraising efforts. Many individuals and organisations throughout the Territory contributed to the relief efforts in New Zealand, and followed up swiftly with Japan. I acknowledge the great work done by Red Cross in the Northern Territory in responding to these natural disasters and being a point at which Territorians can contribute in a very meaningful way. Three groups of the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services’ teams travelled to Christchurch to help in their fields – a disaster victim identification team, a search and rescue team, and a general policing unit.
I had been visiting New Zealand shortly after that earthquake; I went to Wellington to attend the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General. It was stark as you arrived at Wellington airport to see humanitarian teams greeting the people of Christchurch who were trying to find shelter and support in another city in New Zealand. Wherever you went in New Zealand, support was being rallied - real support for the human victims of that earthquake.
When we were still in shock, the devastating news unfolded at a magnitude we have never seen with the earthquake off the coast of Japan and the devastating blows of that incredible tsunami. We were gripped to that morbid news footage of the horrors unfolding, literally live on our television screens, across Japan. The death toll is a staggering 20 000 lives lost, with many thousands more still missing. The disaster has wiped out entire villages and towns; 450 000 people are displaced, struggling to get through the day. Of those displaced, many have lost so many members of their families. There was footage of the schools built earthquake-proof on high ground. The children were at school, they survived and they have come out in the hope someone will find their parents. That hope starts to be extinguished as time rolls by and they have not found their parents.
It is a sign of humanity that we live in a global community these days. In the Territory, we are close friends with Japan; we have many economic and community links. The Chief Minister moved swiftly to contact the Japan Australia Friendship Association in the Northern Territory, to ensure our school and education links - that our school-to-school support, children-to-children support between the Territory and Japan, those links of friendship - were immediately extended.
We watched in horror at the Fukushima meltdown and the potential catastrophe that could come out of that nuclear event. We learn with some relief that the radiation spread was not the catastrophic event that many of us feared for so many days.
As a Territory, we will continue to work with our friends in New Zealand and Japan. We will continue to extend whatever support we can, as a small jurisdiction. We value the people who have been lost. We extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to their family, their friends, and their community. Quite a few of us in this Chamber have been through natural disasters. We absolutely empathise with what they are going through.
The sheer scale of the rebuild in Christchurch and Japan is significant. As a Treasurer, I note that, essentially, it will create an economic stimulus for the growth of Japan. The debate around nuclear power has somewhat shifted, with Germany putting its expansion plans on hold for review. Out of tragedy, there is new hope. The economic hope out of the Japanese tragedy is the growth of the oil and gas industry of which, of course, the Northern Territory is well placed to reap those rewards.
Madam Speaker, at the end of the day, it is fitting that the parliament of the Territory takes time to pause and recognise the devastating and tragic loss in both New Zealand and Japan, send our deepest condolences to our friends, and recognise we each can make an effort to support our friends, our family, our community, and that we are a global community. What happens somewhere else does affect us. Fundamentally, it reminds us to strip away all the things in your life. What is absolutely of utmost importance is your family, your friends, and your community. I join with members in this condolence motion. I support it.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for bringing this condolence motion to the House, to express our deepest sympathies to the people of Christchurch in New Zealand, and to the people of Sendai and surrounding villages in Japan on the great loss of life, livestock, livelihoods and property. There is no doubt that the task of rebuilding lives, families and towns will take years, if not decades, and much support will be needed from all around the world, and from countries like Australia.
As we have heard, we have great relationships with both countries and Australia and the Northern Territory is ready to help, and has helped, get the people, their families, and communities back on their feet in any way possible.
We all join in our support and our condolences to the people of Christchurch and to the people of Japan, and hope and pray they will rebuild their lives. Whatever we can do to assist, I am sure we will do it. My condolences, Madam Speaker, to the people of those countries, and I thank the Chief Minister for the motion.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I also extend my condolences to the people of Christchurch and Japan. In the last sittings, the member for Goyder drew my attention to the beginning of the earthquake, and all of us would have been transfixed by the photographs, particularly of the concertinaed building – I think it was the television building. It was absolutely dreadful. Then, just such a short time later we saw the horrific scenes in Japan. It seems to me that Mother Nature is much more terrifying than any terrorist act.
Honourable members, I thank you for all of your contributions to this debate.
Motion agreed to.
Members stood in silence for one minute as a mark of respect.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, honourable members. I understand the member for Greatorex is on a point of order.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I move –
That so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent me censuring the Chief Minister and his government for his abject failure to protect the citizens of Alice Springs.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, the government accepts the censure motion from the opposition and we postpone any other government business to take this censure motion on immediately.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Before calling on the censure motion, I acknowledge the presence in the gallery of Larapinta Primary School Year 5/6 together with Mrs Candy Kerr and Mrs Adi Smith. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
MOTION
Proposed Censure of Chief Minister and Northern Territory Government
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I move –
That this Assembly censure the Chief Minister and his government for:
Madam Speaker, the Chief Minister and his government should be censured for the abject failure by this government to protect the people of Alice Springs. All we have to do is look at some of the crime statistics which highlight the government’s abject failure.
It is interesting that the government is prepared to accept this censure after a condolence motion which is purely symbolic. What is happening in our community of Alice Springs is very real and affecting the lives of residents of Alice Springs as we speak. The crowds have gone – dispersed - so it is okay, let us bring on the censure motion - quite prepared to do it now.
Crime statistics under this government’s watch over the last 10 years - and if we just take Alice Springs, it has felt the brunt of Labor’s failed law and order policy. Since 2004-05, robbery has increased by 450%; assault by 87%; sexual assault in Alice Springs by 97%; house break-ins by 64%; commercial break-ins by 185%; motor vehicle theft by 97%; and property damage by 71%. Crime rates in the Northern Territory, as a whole, are twice as high as the Australian average in most categories and, in some, are significantly higher.
The crime stats paint a pretty bleak picture; however, this is nothing new to the people of Alice Springs. We are all very aware of the government’s failed law and order policies and its abject failure to protect the people of Alice Springs. Only last week, we had a two-year-old girl brutally physically assaulted and in quite a serious condition in hospital. We have more – this is in the space of 10 days. On 14 March - this is from a series of police media releases over the course of 10 days - unlawful entries in Alice Springs; on Tuesday, 15 March there was a stabbing in Alice Springs; on Tuesday, 22 March a tourist was assaulted in Alice Springs. That is over and above the German tourist who was stabbed earlier in the year while walking back to her backpackers after enjoying what many backpackers around the world do which is a night out on the town - the town, in this case, being Alice Springs. That backpacker was stabbed on her way back to her accommodation. Tuesday, 22 March, a tourist was assaulted. Wednesday, 23 March, a person in Alice Springs was sexually assaulted. As I said, on Wednesday, 23 March, a two-year-old was brutally assaulted in Alice Springs – just last week.
It is hardly protecting the people of Alice Springs. It is hardly protecting the people of this community. In fact, it could be very well described as an abject failure by this government to protect the people of Alice Springs and uphold its fundamental responsibility of providing law and order and a safe and secure town.
The Chief Minister - well, he blames everyone. It is quite extraordinary, the lengths he will go to, to blame every single living person on earth, except himself. He will blame the business operators of the town - it is all their fault. He will blame the residents of the town. In fact, he will not only happily blame the residents of the town, but he will not have the intestinal fortitude to actually stand out the front and speak to the people of Alice Springs and address some of their concerns. He blames the television commercials airing around the Territory and the radio commercials aired around Alice Springs. He blames The Australian newspaper journalist, Nicholas Rothwell - it is all his fault for talking down the town. Nicholas Rothwell wrote an expos on what is happening in Alice Springs. Indeed, Ted Egan wrote in a subsequent article in The Australian newspaper that Nicholas Rothwell was actually playing down some of the instances highlighted in his story – it was understated.
He blames the local media for the coverage. He blames the opposition. Naturally, it is the opposition’s fault. He blames you, out there in the public gallery, out there listening to this broadcast, and all those couple of hundred of people who were out the front today - he blames you. Yes, indeed, he blames everyone else but himself. Talk about tilting at windmills! This fellow, the Chief Minister, is tackling an imaginary enemy, fighting futile battles. He is afraid to admit responsibility for the abject failure to protect the people of Alice Springs.
We all know the television commercials being aired across the Northern Territory, all the protests we see, the public meetings, the talkback radio calls, the national media coverage the Northern Territory has received as a result of the failure by the Northern Territory government to protect the people of Alice Springs, is all just a symptom of the problem. It is not the problem, but the Chief Minister will tell you that is the problem. He and the Minister for Central Australia are more than happy to take pot shots at the people at the protests, the people out the front, the people airing the television commercials, those who created the television commercials - more than happy to take pot shots at those organisations such as the Action for Alice group and various others. What he fails to realise is they are just a symptom of the problem.
The problem, Chief Minister, is you. You and this government are the problem. That is what Alice Springs has been facing for a number of years - indeed, some would say 10 years, but certainly over the last five.
Since the previous protest we had here in 2007, when the then Chief Minister, Clare Martin, the former member for Fannie Bay, was booed by some 500 people, crime has increased. This is after the Chief Minister then declared, hand on heart: ‘We are listening to you, Alice Springs, we care. I understand your problems. I am going to embark on a series of forums, workshops and summits to understand and get a real feeling of what is happening and come up with some real solutions’. Well, crime has actually increased 47% since 2007, since that protest.
I also pick up …
Members interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: I think there are more pot shots coming over here from the peanut gallery, which is the member for Stuart. No, no, that is you there, member for Stuart - Mr Peanut, peanut gallery. I think it was something to do with turning up to meetings and what have you. I see you are happy to take pot shots in the newspaper.
Let me say I have, as the Speaker pointed out today, been blessed with a baby girl, born two-and-a-half weeks ago. Without going into too much detail and being too personal, we had some subsequent complications - child birth ain’t an easy thing, so they say. Of course, that had to shuffle some priorities around, member for Stuart, and I make no apologies for putting my priorities into my family. To be quite honest, I have just about had a gutful of meeting after meeting, after forum, after summit, after meeting, after workshop, after meeting, in which we seem to be going around and around. We have been going around and around for a number of years: ‘Let us get together and have another meeting’. The Chief Minister said: ‘I will not come out the front today. I will not meet the protestors out the front, but I will have a meeting with you afterwards’.
It is very interesting that that is exactly what happened a couple of years ago when the former Chief Minister was booed out the front. She embarked on a series of summits and crime forums. We can have a look through some of this. Let us go to 19 June 2007 - this is from the Northern Territory government, from Richard O’Leary who, I believe, was the 87th most powerful person in the Northern Territory at the time. Good old Richard wrote this:
So, not only did we have six forums, but the six forums were actually a precursor to the crime summit. This was in 2007:
Here we go, another gab fest, Minister for Central Australia. On 25 July:
There we go, we had a series of forums culminating in a summit:
Well, whoopee doo, can you believe that? They were supposedly the most comprehensive package of antisocial behaviour-busting initiatives ever put in place in one community in Australia, yet, since the time of that media release, crime has skyrocketed 47% in Alice Springs in the last five years. So much for antisocial behaviour-busting initiatives and the most comprehensive in Australia.
That was 2007. Let us fast forward to 2010. We do not have summits or forums. It has been re-badged because they have already used that; now we have workshops:
You bet there has:
Thank you very much for the extra police; I hope they remain permanent. The government is about to develop some workshops:
And the themes for the series of workshops include economic development, youth services, crime prevention, and alcohol, etcetera.
Pardon me if I am just a little jaded, member for Stuart, about these talkfests, forums, summits, and the like. It is a revolving door of sitting down with a cup of tea and talking to people – there is not much action going on. People want some action on the street. What is wrong with that? What is wrong with some action on the streets, I ask you, Minister for Central Australia? Chief Minister, what is wrong with some action? Surely, the people of Central Australia deserve something.
It is quite incredible that, in January, I called for more police - although it is hard for the opposition to ‘call’ for police, but I asked, I begged, I screamed: ‘Please, can we have some more police here?’ Of course, I was told my comments were insulting to the local constabulary, and I should shut up and mind my own business, and the police have it all under control, and what have you. Lo and behold, all of a sudden, we heard the Assistant Police Commissioner, only a few weeks ago, say there actually had been some gaps in our policing programs in Central Australia; there had been some problems, so what they were going to do was deploy a handful of police – some have suggested up to 18.
I am not sure exactly how many we have, but there has been an increase in police numbers in Central Australia over the last four weeks. It has been quite remarkable – police work! Chief Minister, extra police on the street does work. It is not the panacea, it is not the be-all and end-all, you know that, but it does give the community some breathing space. It allows people to feel safe in their community. To see a police presence gives people that breathing space. We can take a deep breath and get on with our business knowing we can walk down the street, not just at night but also in the middle of the day, without being assaulted or attacked or abused. This is the type of thing which has been happening on the streets of Alice Springs.
Before we can do anything else - and I have said this in previous speeches in this House - we really need to give the people of Alice Springs some breathing space so they can get on with their business, so they are not spending all their time turning up at protests, trying to put commercials together, trying to run this campaign to capture government’s attention. People have better things to do with their lives than sit around and campaign on behalf of the town they love. They expect the government to love their town just as much. Unfortunately, this government does not appear to love this town. It says it does; we have all seen the advertisement in the Centralian Advocate. We all love Alice Springs; yes, we all want it to be a great place where we can live, work and raise a family - that good old chestnut. The people of Alice Springs are not convinced. We are not seeing any real evidence of that type of thing.
People have much better things to do. They want government to get out of their lives and provide a nice, safe, secure town so it can be a great place where we can live, work and raise a family. That is why I came to Alice Springs, because it is a wonderful town. Look at this weather - it is absolutely spectacular. The place is a wonderful town to raise a family, a small country town like Alice Springs, one of the most iconic cities. It really is a city. We call it a town but let us make no bones about it, it is, indeed, a city, and one of the most iconic and important places in the national identity of Australia. There is no doubt about it. We have talked about the economic drivers of Alice Springs, particularly with tourism and the like. Alice Springs is no small fish and it deserves much more respect than it is getting from this government. People expect much more, but they are not getting that from the Northern Territory government at this stage.
Police do work; more police numbers help stem the problem, and certainly stems the angst and bridges that psychological gap the town of Alice Springs is suffering from at the moment. I hope those police who have been deployed here do not just pack up and follow this roadshow back to Darwin. I hope they stay here - and stay here permanently. We have committed to extra police on the beat in Alice Springs. If you look back at some of the media releases from the government about the increase in police numbers, they said: ‘We have put more police on the beat since 2001. The CLP ripped all the police, shredded the police resources’, etcetera. You are only doing your job.
I have done some research. In 1950, we had 80 police in the Northern Territory. As the population grows you need more police. Putting more police on the beat as the population grows is nothing to get overly excited about. You are just doing your job as a government. I hope you continue to put more police on the beat in Alice Springs.
This is not the only problem. The motion talks about urban drift and the problems we are facing in our remote communities. They are directly related to the issues we are all facing in town, and the member for Braitling will expand on that when he speaks to this censure motion. However, the extra police give the community that breathing space and allows it to get on with its business without fear of the persecution being experienced on the streets at the moment. I hope those police stay - I am not convinced they will. We have seen it before in a number of media releases from the government. I hope the Chief Minister will keep them there, and not just until the Prime Minister, who I believe is visiting Alice Springs - I believe the police were going to return to Darwin after the sittings. I also believe the Prime Minister has flagged a visit to Central Australia, as she should come here and have a look. No doubt, the police will stick around and keep the place squeaky clean for her. Once the Prime Minister has departed and this roadshow has returned to Darwin, Alice Springs will return to what we all know and have been experiencing for such a long time.
Over the next few days, you can bet London to a brick the Chief Minister will use certain language - just watch. I ask everyone in the gallery, everyone listening to this, and everyone who is showing an interest in the government’s commitment – or lack of commitment, I say - to Alice Springs. Listen for some key words and key language. Government has been doing it for a long time now and is getting pretty good at it. It is getting good at the spin and will use this sort of language to reel people in, increase their confidence to soften the mood a little. So, keep an ear out for certain things. The Chief Minister will, no doubt, move to ‘reassure’ - that is the word you will hear a fair bit of - the community he has ‘listened’. It is very interesting, ‘listening’.
This is a folder of media releases going back - all related to police, law and order, antisocial behaviour - stack of media releases from the Northern Territory government about its actions towards law and order. I cannot find it at the moment; however, it is full of words like ‘listening’. It has been saying it has been listening for a long time and, no doubt, you will hear that come up over the course of the next three days. Keep an ear out for that – words like: ‘We want to assure the community that we are listening’. You can bet London to a brick we will hear that sort of thing.
We will also hear things like: ‘We understand the problems; we really understand’. The Chief Minister, and the rest of the government, will no doubt use this sort of language: ‘We understand, we are listening; we want to assure you we are doing these things’. They will use words like: ‘We are taking action’; ‘we are taking serious action, real action to get tough on crime’.
Here we are, 10 August 2007:
That is one I just read out - that was terrific; tough action. Let us see: ‘Indigenous Task Force Opens’, ‘Cross-Border Justice’, ‘Breaking the Cycle’, ‘Safer Streets’, ‘Crackdown on Crime,’ ‘Security Boost for Alice Springs’ - it is all in here and makes wonderful reading. If anyone has some time I am more than happy to let you have a look at that. It is terrific. You can see things like ‘tough action’ is a bit of a recurring theme from this government when it comes to addressing issues such as Alice Springs. He will suggest they have ‘made significant inroads’; I am sure that will come up. This is more key language: ‘significant inroads’ will be used in reducing crime and then he will run through a few statistics.
No doubt, it will mention a whole stack of things it has done and the alcohol statistics like how many people they have arrested, how many litres of alcohol they have tipped out, how many crimes have been reported, or assaults, and all this sort of stuff. They will run through all that trying to set this up - this warm and fuzzy, ‘We are really good guys. We really love Alice. Just believe me’.
He will talk about the numerous meetings he has had as the member for Stuart. He is obsessed with meetings; it is all he cares about. He is just going to meetings - not much, just a typical sit-around with a whole bunch of people to bounce around ideas and all of that sort of stuff, but he never does anything or follows through on anything. And he wonders why I am a bit cynical about meetings. I put my newborn and my family in precarious circumstances above that sort of stuff? He is kidding; I make no apologies for it. We will hear about numerous community groups that he has met with - tourism and business operators and the like, and that sort of thing – and has spoken with. We will hear about that. The ‘need to recognise problems’ - get ready to hear that stuff, the recognition: ‘I understand. Not only do I understand, but I have listened, and I recognise the problems, and I have met with all these people’.
I guarantee, as I stated earlier in this speech, it is not his fault. Remember, this is not the fault of the government - it is your fault. It is everyone else’s fault. It is your fault out there sitting in the gallery. It is your fault out there listening to this broadcast. It is not the Chief Minister’s fault - and he will be at pains to ensure he gets that message across, one way or another. He will talk about those people who had the audacity to criticise or suggest that their town is not what it once used to be: ‘They are talking down the town’. Get ready for that stuff. All those people who have some concerns - people like you, who are out the front - because you do not have anything better to do with your life; you would rather spend a couple of hours on a working day to stand out the front of Parliament House. Yes, right! People like you, of course, are talking down the town. You are trashing the reputation. It is everyone else’s fault.
The only trashing that has been going on is the abject failure of the Northern Territory government to protect the people of Alice Springs. That is the actual trashing. It is all cart-before-the-horse things. ‘It is everyone else’s fault except mine’. That is the message we will be getting. ‘I have done all these things. I have listened and I understand, and I recognise, and I have met with people, and all these other people that are just trashing the town. They are being so mean to me and they are talking down the town. Can you believe the sort of stuff that is going on?’ Well, this is the stuff that will appear over the next couple of days; you can guarantee it.
There is no doubt also, just to try to bolster the argument and add a little sweetener to the end, we will have a list of achievements and all the things they have done. After a quick look at some of those achievements – they will fill up a few A4 pages - you will see a few of them. It happens all the time; you see it in this. I have it listed in here. Some are mentioned twice, just in different wording to make it look like: ‘We have done a whole stack of stuff. Lump it all together and it is not that bad. We are not that bad, really’. Well, you are that bad, Chief Minister, and the people of Alice Springs know that you are that bad. You have been neglectful in your fundamental responsibility …
A member interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: Yes, at best exactly. … in your fundamental responsibility to protect the people of Alice Springs for a long time.
All we have to do is look at the win in New South Wales by Barry O’Farrell. If there is ever an opportunity, with such an election result, to nurture and regain the seats they never thought they would ever win - swings like 37% in Bathurst. The Labor Party only won one seat on first preferences. There were enormous inroads into territory that was off limits; it was Labor heartland territory. If there was ever an opportunity for Barry O’Farrell and the Liberal National Party now to go forward and really consolidate that win it is now.
If there was ever an opportunity for the Northern Territory government to consolidate its position and win the hearts and minds of the people of Alice Springs, it was at least 10 years ago; it may well have been five years ago. However, you have blown it. I am certain that people are tired of listening to you. They are sick of hearing the rhetoric, of hearing how you have understood, of hearing how you are tackling the problems. They are tired of it, they have switched off.
You have had 10 years to do this. You have had 10 long years to address these problems. You have failed the people of Alice Springs. Can you imagine what another four years will be like with the Northern Territory government - with this mob, another four years? Can you imagine, with another four years of this mob, what the place would look like? Can you imagine what the town would look like? Can you imagine, if the member for Stuart had anything to do with it, how many more meetings we would have in the next four years before we would see any real action? The number of media releases, the number of talkfests, forums, gabfests, summits - the whole stack.
We do not need any more summits or media releases. We want some real action and some new direction. We need it. The people of Alice Springs deserve it. We need people who have the very best interests of Alice Springs at heart. You may talk the talk, Chief Minister, and you profess to talk the talk, but you cannot walk the walk. You stand condemned today for your abject failure to protect the people of Alice Springs.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, in debating this motion, we will certainly be voting against it. That has to be the most facile and inane contribution I have ever heard in this parliament in regard to very complex, serious, and genuine issues affecting Alice Springs and Central Australia.
The potential future minister in a potential future CLP government offered not one solution - not what they would do if they were in government, just invective, bile, amplification and hysteria in regard to the very genuine issues, raised with me by very genuine people in Alice Springs. In this debate, this community deserves to hear from the opposition. What would they do if they were in government to confront these issues? We do not hear any solutions from the potential alternate government. Twenty-five minutes to articulate: this is the problem, these are the faults of the government, here is our proposed solution - nothing, just empty rhetoric from the honourable member.
I am very clear in saying the issues of crime and antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs, particularly over January and February of this year, were unacceptable. The government has listened and the government has responded. I say to the member who spoke earlier in regard to the demonstration outside this morning, and put on the record regarding the Action for Alice group, when they first started their campaign during the January/February period, I was on leave; it was towards the end of January. My Deputy Chief Minister, the Acting Chief Minister, came to Alice Springs and met with the community and announced a series of actions the government was to take. On two occasions, I phoned the leader of the Action for Alice campaign, and left messages on his phone to give me a call to talk about the issues affecting the community and the group. He did not return my phone calls. We had to chase him to return my phone calls. I have met with …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Well, it is important to get the facts right here. I met with the Action for Alice group on two occasions - both with the Minister for Central Australia - in a very civil, cordial way to talk about their plans regarding proposals to put to the government. We had a good meeting. I said that, for about 70% of the things they put on the agenda, we were acting on those in various ways - certainly not with the language contained in the document, but we recognised those were serious issues and we were taking action. I did say to them: ‘I will be honest with you about what we can and cannot do, and what we will and will not do’. That was a very cordial meeting.
I invited the Action for Alice group to meet with a broader community group, with the Minister for Central Australia, where we had representatives from the tourism industry, the Chambers of Commerce, shires, Indigenous leaders, and the Action for Alice group. I commend the Lord Mayor in the leadership he has shown. We had a very productive meeting. Out of that meeting, endorsed and supported by the Action for Alice members who were at that meeting, was that the community needed to come together and put together a community plan around three issues, and the government needed, obviously, to continue to focus on the issues we were focusing on. There was a strong desire at the meeting for the community to come together to propose community-based solutions to three following issues: (1) was the issue of youth on the streets at night and being disengaged from education here in Alice Springs - an absolute passionate commitment by everyone at that meeting that all of us, government, community and, most importantly, parents have a responsibility to ensure kids are safe and go to school, and what the community was going to do to assist in keeping those kids safe and kids at school.
The second issue people agreed with - and the member just continued on about the fault; me and the government, attributing fault to everyone. What he did not acknowledge was the bleeding obvious, to coin a phrase. The bleeding obvious in the fault and the cause of so much of the antisocial behaviour and crime we see in Alice Springs is alcohol and the abuse of alcohol. We see it every day, not only in Alice Springs but around the rest of Australia. That is the fault; the issue that needs to be tackled. It does not matter what else you do, unless we turn off the rivers of grog to the people who abuse alcohol, nothing will change. The honourable member talked about attributing faults, but totally neglected the bleeding obvious in regard to where the real fault lies. Alcohol was an issue that the community said we need a community response to as well as a government response.
The third issue was, as the mayor addressed in his statement to the parliament today, the issue of urban drift. This is a reality; it is not going to go away. What are we going to do to better accommodate people coming to and from Alice Springs? That was a community response, and a solution the Action for Alice group was endorsing. They certainly did not speak against it at that particular meeting. I encourage people to participate. What we now have is a process where, through a number of forums being held around Alice Springs – they have been very well attended; I am receiving very good reports. I have committed to the community that report will be handed to the government within a month and we will take on board those issues. The feedback I am getting is there are very positive engagements on those particular issues, as there should be.
So, we have had a consultation process, we have engaged, I have consulted, and have met with people. However, I am not, as the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, about to inflame issues here in Alice Springs. We need a calm, considered evidence-based policy approach - not just, as a member for Greatorex did, get up and amplify all of the problems of Alice Springs.
I also say there are many very good people in Alice Springs who are concerned, not only about the issues, but about how the town is being portrayed. The group of people outside today was a representation of part of this community of Alice Springs. There are many other people in the community in Alice Springs who are appalled at the negative portrayal of Alice Springs through the media and its damage to tourism. I have been Tourism minister, and know many of the tourism businesses in this town are appalled at the antics of people whipping up this issue in the media. Once this town gets a reputation, it is going to be very hard to claw it back. Tourism operators have inundated my office, and the Tourism Minister’s office, regarding those concerns.
I have also been inundated with business people who have been trying to recruit tradespeople from interstate, and people saying they will not come because of the media portrayal of Alice Springs orchestrated and shown interstate ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: We have a responsibility. This is about being responsible in government as opposed to standing there with a megaphone amplifying the problems without putting forward any solutions. As a government, you have a responsibility to lead and protect the reputation of your community. We have a responsibility to provide nurses to this community. We have a responsibility to provide teachers to this community. We have a responsibility to provide health professionals to this community. We have a group of people who, for their own political ends, are whipping up the crime which occurs in this community, tragically fuelled by alcohol - and I will talk about our plans in that regard in a moment - not offering any solutions and whipping up a political campaign.
I am quite happy to have a political campaign run against the government; however, to seek to destroy the reputation of this community, nationally and internationally, is recklessly irresponsible ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin!
Mr HENDERSON: You tell those tourism operators who might go broke because of the reputation of Alice Springs …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Tell that to the good people …
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … the good business people in Alice Springs who are appalled at what is going on.
In regard to evidence of the politicisation of this particular campaign, the dysfunction and the division in the opposition is terminal at the moment in what is being leaked to the government. Day after day, we are getting e-mails and conversations come to us about what is going on. There are people opposite who are very concerned about the political game that is being played.
I table a copy of a leaked e-mail from the member for Araluen to ‘Dear Geoff and the Action for Alice Team’, and I will speak from this e-mail. This is a community-based campaign, so we are led to believe. I quote from the e-mail from the member for Araluen:
That is really constructive stuff, isn’t it?
I can tell you, we are not - we are really looking forward to them ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Araluen, I ask that you stand and withdraw that comment, thank you.
Mrs LAMBLEY: I withdraw my comment, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr HENDERSON: In conclusion:
Here we have a member of parliament whipping up a fear campaign in the community for political advantage - a political campaign to spread fear throughout the community. We have the member for Greatorex saying the government has to fix all of these problems, yet you have the person sitting next to him saying: ‘It would be great if the community solutions could be brought forward as well’. So, totally dysfunctional. Another leaked e-mail that absolutely demonstrates the political nature of what has been going on, whipped up by the opposition to the detriment of tourism, tourism businesses, other businesses in Alice Springs – long-term business people I have known for many years who are absolutely appalled at what is going on – and the government’s ability to recruit doctors, nurses, and teachers to Alice Springs.
We have a responsibility to fix those problems. At the core of those problems is the abuse of alcohol. Let us talk about that for a moment because, as I said, everyone acknowledges the issues surrounding alcohol are absolutely front and centre in Alice Springs. The difference between us and the opposition on alcohol is we will be introducing three bills this week to tackle alcohol abuse here, and antisocial behaviour right across the Territory. The challenge is, if the opposition was serious about dealing with those issues, it will support this legislation ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: We have the empty vessel, the member for Port Darwin, who does not have any solutions to any problems.
What we will do through this legislation is directly target problems drinkers - people who have such an abuse of alcohol they are taken into protective custody and taken to the sobering-up shelters night after night. What we will be giving police the powers to do is, if they take people into protective custody three times in three months, there will be a banned drinkers’ register that will occur right across the Northern Territory, and people will be banned from accessing alcohol. That is a very significant response in banning people from alcohol.
These are not only people who, tragically, are caught up in a cycle of alcohol abuse that is destroying their own lives, but are contributing to horrendous acts of domestic violence and to the neglect of children and communities. So, we absolutely have to deal with this issue. It will be interesting to see whether the opposition supports the proposal to ban people from accessing takeaway alcohol if they are taken into protective custody three times in three months.
We will also have procedures for compulsory rehabilitation, and it will be interesting to see whether they support those plans as well.
Through legislation we will also be targeting the irresponsible sale of alcohol in Alice Springs - tackling it not only in Alice Springs, but across the Northern Territory. The licence to sell alcohol is a privilege, not a right, and there should be a social responsibility that goes with the sale of alcohol, not just the profit motive. We will be significantly strengthening the powers of licence inspectors and police in regard to people who sell alcohol without any social conscience at all, to the detriment of the community in the Northern Territory. It will be interesting to see whether the opposition supports those measures, or supports vested interests in the alcohol lobby - the small number of vested interests; the vast majority of people who retail alcohol do so responsibly. However, there is a small number of totally irresponsible people. It will be interesting to see whether they support those proposals by the government as well.
There are significant issues facing this community. At the heart of that dysfunction is the abuse of alcohol, and we will be introducing legislation in this parliament to further deal with those issues to clean up and give people relief and respite from alcohol abuse. We heard nothing from the member for Greatorex regarding what I said was the absolute obvious, stark vision that you see every day here; that so much of the crime and the dysfunction is in relation to alcohol.
They will have an opportunity. The community will have an opportunity to see whether the opposition is serious about this. Or does it just want to continue to run with a politicised campaign on these particular issues?
In regard to police activity and operations, there has been a significant devotion of extra police to Alice Springs. I have an absolute commitment from the Police Commissioner that those resources will stay here as long as they are required. The Police Commissioner has also determined to provide a general purpose police dog here on a permanent basis, which I believe is a very sound decision. I was speaking to a couple of police officers last night who thought that would make a very significant difference. The police activity has been significant, and it will continue. The absolute commitment I have from the Police Commissioner is it will continue for as long as it needs to.
Additional to what we are doing in Alice Springs, we have opened – I believe as of today - the new juvenile detention facility at Alice Springs. One of the issues the Deputy Chief Minister spoke about when she came to Alice Springs in January was that the courts had no dedicated facility in Alice Springs to refer juveniles. We made the commitment; it is up and running. As well as the detention facility, there is also a school operating out of that facility, which is providing education for kids who have been sentenced or on remand.
In these sittings, we will be debating a new offence for the breach of bail. It will be interesting to see whether the opposition supports what the government is doing in making an offence for the breach of bail. We acknowledge that there are too many people who are being bailed and are breaching their bail. It is not an offence at the moment; it will be. It will be interesting to see whether the opposition supports this or not, or are they just going to continue to talk about the problems?
The Attorney-General has made a commitment to review the Youth Justice Act. The terms of that reference for review, and decisions about who is going to head up that review, will be announced very soon, because we agree there needs to be significant amendments to the Youth Justice Act. We need to engage with the community around those issues. That particular proposal will be brought to the parliament in the next sittings.
We have had a Return to Country blitz to get kids back to school. Everyone I talk to in Alice Springs is saying that is, singularly, the biggest issue: kids not going to school every day. What we now have is a new dedicated truancy patrol in Alice Springs to get kids back to school. I was talking to a teacher last night who is working at Larapinta Camp, I believe, at the moment, and Gillen Primary School. She was imploring me to visit to see what is happening at Larapinta Camp and Gillen Primary School in getting these town camp kids to school every day. It is fantastic to see the community coming together.
I urge everyone who is really passionate about education to get behind the Clontarf program and the Girls in the Centre program in Alice Springs because this is transforming kids’ lives. It is transformational in getting kids to Year 12 and transitioning them into a job. Last year, we had 22 Indigenous boys graduate with a Year 12 qualification, 18 of whom are now in full-time employment in Alice Springs. Prior to the Clontarf program being put in place in Alice Springs, there were no Indigenous boys at all in Alice Springs getting to Year 12 – none. They were all dropping out of school …
Madam SPEAKER: I remind whoever’s mobile phone that is, there are no mobile phones allowed in the Chamber, thank you.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. … no kids getting to Year 12. This is transformational. There will be 40 kids graduate this year – 40 - when there were none prior to this particular program.
This program is absolutely required. Its funding is a third from the Commonwealth government, a third from the Territory government, and a third from the business community. That is the requirement of the foundation. Tragically, in Alice Springs, apart from a couple of well-known businesses that are doing the right thing, virtually all of the money for the Alice Springs program is coming from the business community in Melbourne. I say to the business community in Alice Springs: get behind this program; it is about giving the kids an opportunity for work experience and transitioning them into a job in a structured pathway. It is absolutely tragic that the money for this program is coming from the Melbourne business community and not from Alice Springs.
I call on the local members here - because I know the Minister for Central Australia talks about Clontarf all the time – to get out amongst your business contacts and implore them to commit to this foundation. It is tax deductible. Provide work opportunities and opportunities for work experience for these kids. That is something positive you could do in giving kids who would previously have dropped out of school an opportunity and hope for the future. When they have children, they will ensure their kids go to school every day and get work because that is what they have done – they have broken the cycle.
These are some positive things happening in Alice Springs, and the opposition and local members need - and I implore the business community in Alice Springs - to get behind something which is working. The girls academy is just commencing. I had the opportunity to visit the girls academy. Again, the change in the girls has been fantastic. So, get behind things that work.
In regard to things that work, I also had the opportunity yesterday to visit the Youth Hub at the old ANZAC Hill senior school. It was amazing to see non-government organisations which are going to come together to provide a single point of contact, a one-stop shop for youth services here in Alice Springs. Some of the people from Families and Children’s Services who are working out of there are inspirational. The kids who are just starting to engage in programs being run out of there were saying: ‘This is absolutely fantastic. We have needed this for a long time’. Within a couple of months, that will be a real hive of activity, a positive place for young people to be. There are opportunities and rooms for family counselling. Where families have real difficulties with teenage children, there are support services. It is an absolutely fabulous initiative. I commend the Minister for Central Australia who has been driving this. I commend the department, and the non-government organisations and youth organisations in Alice Springs that are seizing this opportunity.
We will be providing accommodation for youth services and non-government organisations in Alice Springs, purely cost recovery. At the moment, many of these people are paying commercial rents. They will be able to put those savings back into youth programs in Alice Springs. So, it is a great initiative and I urge those members opposite to get behind it and support it, instead of continuing to rail about the problems in Alice Springs.
I also make an absolute vote of thanks to the Australian government in regard to its financial commitments to Alice Springs, and to transforming Alice Springs, particularly the town camps. What we are seeing is unprecedented investment by the Australian government in Alice Springs - over $150m - $100m for new housing and upgraded infrastructure in the town camps. Twenty-one new houses have been built so far; in total 85 new houses will be constructed and all 200 existing houses will be upgraded with a longer-term plan to transfer these as suburbs in Alice Springs. This is unprecedented commitment. I have the opportunity, coming to Alice Springs, to see the work being done and talk to people in their new or renovated house. They are paying proper rents for the first time. Territory Housing will be managing these town camps on a proper tenancy management system. People I have spoken to are saying this is the best thing that has ever happened: ‘I have my own home and I am working’. It is a very positive investment from the Australian government. It has never happened before.
There is also a total of nearly $14.8m or $15m for social support services in Alice Springs: early childhood services, alcohol rehabilitation, tenancy support, and family violence. I believe we have around 500 new units of accommodation coming on stream in Alice Springs this year courtesy of majority Commonwealth funding and Territory government funding – accommodation this town desperately needs. It is about supporting the things which are working here in Alice Springs, not just talking about the problems of the town.
I do not pretend I have all the solutions at all - not for a moment. However, what we need to do is engage with the community, and that is what we are doing. Most of the best initiatives come from a community base and a community perspective. The member for Greatorex is saying he is not interested in sitting in more meetings. He must think he has all the answers. If he thinks engaging with the community and listening to their proposals is a waste of time, obviously, he has all the answers. However, we did not hear any answers; we heard nothing but empty rhetoric from the member for Greatorex. The best solutions come from the community and, once again, we are engaged with the community around all these issues.
As a government, you have a responsibility to listen and to lead, and we have been listening and working with this community to deal with the issues, particularly the very significant impact of break and enters. My heart goes out to those business people who have properties broken into over and over again. It is totally unacceptable and police assure me it is now under control. You are never going to eliminate all crime; police are going to commit to keep the resources here until they are convinced they are not required any more.
This community will not move ahead unless we tackle the very significant and tragic alcohol issues that affect so many people, both directly and indirectly. In the course of the next three days, we will be introducing significant legislation to go to the heart of this issue. The proof will be in the pudding to see whether the opposition stands for anything - stands for solutions - or just wants to amplify problems.
Madam Speaker, the government opposes the motion.
Madam SPEAKER: I remind honourable members that because this has been a suspension of standing orders, lunch will not be called at 12 o’clock. We will continue until the motion has finished.
Madam SPEAKER: I acknowledge two school groups from Sadadeen Primary School, Year 4/5 and 5/6, with teachers Ms Sharma and Ms Haynes, Mrs Denise Simon, Ms Heather Lysaght and Ms Killingbeck. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mrs LAMBLEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, I speak to the censure motion of the government for its abject failure to protect the people of Alice Springs, its failure to respond to the crime wave that has washed through Alice Springs, for lying to the people of Alice Springs about the government’s commitment to take real action, for ignoring the seriousness of crime and antisocial behaviour besetting the town, its facile and cynical use of propaganda to perpetrate the deception of the people of Alice Springs, and its policy failures in remote communities causing an urban drift into our major centres.
The general theme of this censure is failure - this government’s failure to respond and protect the people of Alice Springs and Central Australia; its failure to implement a well-coordinated and planned response to the social problems of this town, this community, and the problems of law and order.
This government has squandered 10 years of unlimited opportunity and time to make amends; to do something. It has never implemented a consistent approach in dealing with the problems of law and order in this community. We, in the words of the minister, are experiencing the proof in the pudding. This neglect is obvious to all of us.
In response to some of the comments the Chief Minister made, the Action for Alice group would never have undertaken the campaign to highlight the problems in this town several months ago if this government had been doing its job. If it had been genuinely talking and listening to the people of Alice Springs, Action for Alice would not have even been created. This group is a product of the incompetence of this government.
Regarding truancy in Central Australia, in Alice Springs, yes, I am very pleased to hear the member for Johnston has put together a dedicated truancy patrol. This is another example of what should have been implemented many years ago. We have known for a long time that truancy has been a problem, not just throughout Central Australia but throughout the whole of the Northern Territory. When it comes to truancy we, the opposition, when we finally get to government, will definitely be making parents send their children to school.
Lajamanu School has an attendance rate of 40% - which would be horrific to anyone who hears that figure. I spoke to a senior member of that community the other day. I asked: ‘What do you do about truancy in Lajamanu?’ He said: ‘Similar to No School No Pool - No School No Shop’. There are community solutions to truancy; it does not have to be one solution for everyone. However, I am encouraged to hear of these truancy patrols. This is something we would prioritise if we get to govern in 2012.
Alcohol restrictions in Alice Springs: we are the guinea pigs of the Northern Territory when it comes to alcohol restrictions. I take great offence listening to the government talk about how they are going to implement more alcohol restrictions in this town when this community is fed up to the eyeballs being used as a guinea pig by this government. We have, all of us, suffered the impacts of these restrictions and they, by and large, have been completely ineffective. The proof of the pudding is the increased rate of crime in our community.
The alcohol restrictions were implemented to stem the problems of crime, antisocial behaviour, alcohol-induced crime against children and families throughout this community, six, maybe seven years ago. The problems are still there; nothing has improved. In fact, many people would argue these problems have become worse. So, when you talk about alcohol restrictions, Chief Minister, you need to be very well aware you are talking to a community that has firsthand experience of the impacts of these restrictions not only on access or supply of alcohol, but on how we go about our day-to-day life.
People in Alice Springs do not want to be preached to in a way which makes it sound like we do not care. We do care. We have been forced to be a party to this process. With more alcohol restrictions and more alcohol reform on the agenda, it is deeply offensive to this community to have the Chief Minister tell us we do not care and we have not been a party to it, or we reject the sentiment of what was trying to be achieved. The fact that alcohol restrictions have failed needs to be considered by everyone in this room.
Urban drift: this is a phenomenon that has been well known to communities throughout the world for decades. Why has this government not been addressing the issues around urban drift for the last decade? There has been no action on this. Once again, we hear rhetoric about how this is causing many social problems in town. Again, the Chief Minister accuses us, the opposition, of not having solutions, but we do not hear too many solutions from the Chief Minister on how he has gone about tackling the problems associated with urban drift in the town of Alice Springs and Central Australia for the last 10 years.
The token round of community consultations the government has undertaken over the last few weeks is continuing into April. Yes, the government has listened - it has listened for about six weeks, no longer than six weeks. The government came here, yes. We heard the story about how the Action for Alice group did not return a phone call. However, the government marched in and formed a meeting with 19 people, I hear, at the Desert Knowledge Precinct, invited all the relevant stakeholders from their perspective - their very narrow perspective I might add. They had a meeting and, from that meeting, the Chief Minister commissioned a contractor, Jane Munday and her company, to produce a report in one month. We get one month to itemise every single community solution possible in addressing youth, business, early child intervention, and education problems. We are bound to see that in the next month or two, because that is what the Chief Minister has ordered from the contractor, and that is what she will provide.
My feedback on these consultations has been a bit different to the feedback the Chief Minister has received. He called the feedback he has received ‘very positive engagement’. I have spoken to a group of business people who attended the business consultation meeting last Thursday, and the feedback I got was that it was insulting. These people have been speaking out loudly and strongly for a long time and, all of a sudden, we have a consultation process in place, and they have to repeat themselves, yet again, to a government which has chosen not to listen to the last 10 years, but is kind of listening now because it suits their agenda.
People in Alice Springs are not silly and I believe that is why you witnessed some anger out the front of the convention centre this morning; people are fed up to the eyeballs. A ‘calm and considered response’, the Chief Minister described. Well, how calm can anyone be after 10 years of neglect, of no response, of complete incompetence when it comes to Alice Springs? I am not calm, and I am probably struggling to be well considered at times, when I think about the mess this government has left the town of Alice Springs in.
How this town has been portrayed in the public media of late: well, let us turn it all around and look at it from a realistic perspective. This town has been allowed to slide. You do not need a camera or audio equipment to capture what is visible on the streets of Alice Springs most nights of the week. The scenes we see of violent behaviour, antisocial behaviour, and drunkenness are there because of the alarming crime rates, law and order problems you are probably unlucky to see anywhere else in Australia. Those problems are there because the government has allowed them to fester, and become almost an institution in this town.
The fact that Action for Alice has got up off their backsides, got themselves together, yet again - four years ago a very similar group was in existence. It was Advance Alice, now it is Action for Alice. I absolutely take my hat off to these people. If the Chief Minister wants to quote the e-mail I sent to those fantastic members of this fantastic community of Alice Springs, then go ahead. I have absolutely nothing to hide. I sent that e-mail knowing full well that it could leak to the dirty hands of people who would use it in an inappropriate way, and that is exactly what happened. I embrace the Chief Minister quoting me. Well done, and thank you.
The difficulty in recruiting staff in Alice Springs: the Chief Minister accused the opposition, and particularly me, of whipping up crime in Alice Springs. I am at a loss! I am a fairly ordinary person, and I go about my business in a fairly sane and orderly fashion. I do not know how I could have whipped up any crime in Alice Springs. However, I will leave that one out there to think about for a while. Regarding recruiting staff in Alice Springs, it is not about the publicity we have had in recent times. This publicity has been constructive. It has you guys on the hop. It has the government responding for the first time in 10 years, and we should all be thankful for that. The Chief Minister should not be shooting the messenger, as he loves to do - we have all seen many examples of that over the last few months. I personally can vouch for that. This problem is all about the lack of action of this government.
Compulsory rehabilitation: the Chief Minister discussed the fact that we, the opposition, do not have any strategies, and the government is bringing in a system of compulsory rehabilitation. The Country Liberals had a policy of compulsory alcohol rehabilitation on the table well before the government. They seem to have forgotten that, conveniently. I remind the parliament that this is a policy of our party and we support the government in implementing this policy.
The Chief Minister also mentioned something about the Australian Hoteliers Association. I believe the Labor Party was supported by this association to the tune of about $300 000 at the election in 2008. If you are going to talk about conflicts of interest, that is a classic example. The Labor Party has been supported by the alcohol industry, so I really do not think people in glass houses should throw stones.
Regarding the Chief Minister’s reference to the Police Commissioner saying he is committed to providing adequate police services in Alice Springs - well, I am sorry, but cynicism is a bit of a flavour of the decade for Alice Springs. We are very cynical about these figures, particularly when you hear from local businesses that many of the police who were put on recently, the 20 police who came from Darwin to assist Alice Springs in this crime wave, are checking out on Saturday which, to me, speaks volumes. They are checking out on Saturday, 2 April, and going back to Darwin. Obviously there has been a change in the weather, perhaps parliament finishes soon - who knows?
The final point the Chief Minister raised that I would like to respond to is the Clontarf Foundation, which is a fantastic program offering hope and opportunity for young people throughout the Northern Territory, including Alice Springs. The Chief Minister went on ABC radio last week and condemned the Alice Springs business community for not supporting the Clontarf Foundation in Alice Springs. He said that Alice Springs businesses were disgraceful. Well, the Chief Minister is disgraceful for having said that publicly.
Alice Springs businesses are struggling to survive, many of them because of the crime wave in this town. The extra money they might have to donate to wonderful foundations like the Clontarf Foundation is being used to pay for their insurance premiums, the broken glass, the building repairs due to vandalism, break-ins, and so forth. There are people here today who can testify to that. Once again, the Chief Minister is throwing stones and being quite unreasonable when it comes to this issue of sponsoring the Clontarf Foundation. Ridiculing, criticising our businesses is, quite frankly, underhanded and not necessary.
The good, old Youth Hub. The Minister for Central Australia loves to talk about the Youth Action Plan. We have heard loads about it …
Mr Giles interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Braitling, cease interjecting, please.
Mrs LAMBLEY: I have barely been in this job for six months, but I can guarantee you every time I have heard the Minister for Central Australia speak in parliament he has talked passionately about the Youth Action Plan. The Youth Action Plan has been a toothless tiger. However, in recent weeks we may have seen a substantial change to what has been going on within that plan. The new Youth Hub opened yesterday at 3.30 pm. I found out about the opening at 3 pm. Yes, I am still getting over the fact that I do not get invited to the openings and gala shows the government has.
However, I digress. Youth services in Alice Springs are very disorganised and uncoordinated. There is a major problem in this town when it comes to the provision of youth services. I think there are 38 youth services in Alice Springs at the last count. There is duplication of services and, indeed, gaps in services. Then, of course, we have the Department of Children and Families which has been in meltdown for 10 years. I still get anonymous calls and reports from people within this community describing the office of the Department of Children and Families as a diabolical mess that has systemically failed the people and the children of the Northern Territory for many years.
When you talk about youth services in this town, Chief Minister, please do not rattle on about how wonderful youth services in this town are. Do not play us as idiots or fools, because there are serious problems in the way youth services are provided in this town and there needs to be much work done. We have lost 10 years of opportunities; in10 years we could have had youth services up and running much better than they are now.
In thanking the federal government for the amount of financial assistance Central Australia has been receiving over the last few years through the transformation plan and policies, I thank Mal Brough for initiating the Northern Territory Emergency Response in the first place. Mal Brough was a very bold and courageous leader - the intervention was not a perfect policy; it has had its problems. In hindsight, we can all reflect on those policies as, perhaps, the second phase of intervention is about to begin. Mal Brough was bold and courageous, which is more than I can say for the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, who failed to go outside this morning and address the good people of Alice Springs. Those people took time off work, they are committed members of this community, they have contributed their life, their soul and their possessions to making this place a worthwhile place to live. The Chief Minister of this Northern Territory - this honoured position in the lives of every Territorian - could not walk several hundred metres to the front of this building and give recognition for why they were there. The Chief Minister was unable to recognise the problems they are advocating for, and that these people need to be given some credit. I am absolutely ashamed ...
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex!
Mr HAMPTON (Central Australia): Madam Deputy Speaker, I welcome you, my colleagues on this side of the House, and parliamentary colleagues to Alice Springs, a place I am proud to call home.
Alice Springs is at the centre of our country and holds a special place in our nation. It is still seen as being on the frontier, on the edges, and people come here from all around the country and the world to spend a little time or, perhaps, a lifetime. It is a small town with a big reputation on the national stage. As the Chief Minister said, we have our very own issues in Alice Springs right now. As a government minister living here, whose kids go to school here, who shops here, who goes out to dinner and socialises here, I experience those issues just as everyone else who lives in Alice Springs does.
Alice Springs is a major service centre for hundreds of communities across the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and South Australia. People come here to shop, to access medical and other services, for education and training, to work, and to socialise and visit family. Many people for many reasons decide to stay in Alice Springs, and that is as true for bush people as it is for people from interstate or overseas. It is a town undergoing some real demographic changes. It is how we deal with, and plan for, these changes which is critical. We cannot, and should not, slam the door shut on Alice Springs. While these changes are presenting us with some very real challenges, it is about how we work together as a community to tackle these issues and capitalise on the opportunities that will build a strong future for my home town of Alice Springs.
The government has taken immediate action and has listened to the community. Now, we have to build for the medium- to long-term future of this town. The reality of Alice Springs is it is a town where many people from many different cultural backgrounds visit and make their home. Reality for the government is we have to ensure we are planning to meet these challenges and opportunities these fundamental changes throw at us.
As a community, we have to work together, and with government, in finding solutions - local issues, local solutions, by local people. Many people and organisations in Alice Springs are taking their time and making the effort to come together to find solutions, to share stories about what has worked and what is working in solving some of the issues facing our town.
In my role in all this, obviously, there have been some critics. However, I am quite happy to place on the public record what I have been doing, particularly over the past couple of months; that is, getting people together. As the member for Greatorex said, he does not like having meetings, he does not like listening to people, but I certainly do and I will continue to do that.
While I was on leave over Christmas with my family, there was a protest outside my office by the group from Action for Alice. I acknowledge that because we live in a democracy, which I totally respect. Since the rally, I have worked hard to listen to those people and to sit down in a room with them, because I am not shying away from the issues. This is my home town and I live here.
I have talked to the Action for Alice people on numerous occasions where we have had very good discussions. I acknowledge the work from some of those people from Action for Alice, because some of those people are genuine and want to see solutions as well. They have gone further down the track with a broader community meeting we had with the Chief Minister, people from the Aboriginal sector and the tourism sector because, be it culturally, socially or economically, we are all important to the future of this town. I acknowledge the good people in Action for Alice who have taken that journey and taken on that commitment.
I also convened a meeting with Aboriginal leaders, probably some six or eight weeks ago, because there were people calling for leadership from the Aboriginal community. I know people on this side of the House were calling for it during the last sittings in February. I know people from Action for Alice were calling for it. So, I took on those concerns and that question and got people together. From the Aboriginal community, we had over 70 Aboriginal people attend at Kungkas Can Cook, a great local Aboriginal business. People were fairly worked up and passionate about it, but keen to move on; keen to meet with people from Action for Alice, to talk to the tourism sector, to talk to the business sector. That really gave me a lot of heart, to see the passion from the Aboriginal community and the real commitment to work together as a community.
I have also attended meetings with the tourism sector and with the Chief Minister and the Chamber of Commerce. I met with the Action for Alice people on three occasions. I also attended the meeting Mayor Damien Ryan hosted. It was great. The mayor did a fantastic job, as well as the aldermen of the town council. It is very difficult to hear all the voices in Alice Springs. In our population of 30 000, you are not going to hear all the voices. However, I acknowledge the mayor and the town council for opening it up for public discussion. There were over 300 people there, and I was very pleased to be part of that meeting. I acknowledge the presence of the members for Araluen and Braitling there.
The recent town meeting hosted by Mayor Damien Ryan was great. It was great for me to hear so many people speak up, to put forward ideas in a positive and constructive way. The member for Araluen heard them and I am sure, like me, she came away heartened that so many people had put so much thought and passion and their time into the solutions they were putting forward. People like Rex Neindorf who has had more than his fair share of break-ins and troubles at his business, spoke very passionately about his belief that all children should have the support and opportunity to get a good education. We heard this morning of the issue of truancy, and that is so true. We all see the kids in the street during the daylight hours when they should be at school.
There are many critics of the Youth Action Plan, but I am happy to provide a briefing to the local members in Alice Springs about the action plan, and what it is doing. Part of that is addressing the issues of truancy through the department of Education with the school-based constables and the Aboriginal and Islander Education workers. However, there is no simple solution to fixing it, but people are out there on the streets trying very hard to address that. We also need the families to be involved with that particular issue of truancy.
Dr John Boffa spoke at the large public meeting about the need to ensure there is a focus on early childhood programs to ensure good cognitive development in young children, so they can and are able to make the most of their learning when they get to school age. Dr Boffa spoke about the programs run by organisations such as Congress aimed at mums and young babies - very important - that will make a huge difference in the health of young children in the years ahead.
People spoke up at this meeting about the need for programs aimed at building relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people - again very important to the future of this town, the need for restitution from perpetrators of crime, and the need for media to portray the positive stories that abound in Alice Springs. What I thought was very interesting, at this meeting and many others that I have attended over the past few months, is that people are keen to share their knowledge about programs and initiatives that are already in place and making a difference.
The Alice Springs Transformation Plan, as the Chief Minister talked about in his contribution today, is making a real transformation of our town camps in and around Alice Springs. I also acknowledge that the members for Araluen and Braitling have had a briefing on this; they will be able to speak about this from their briefings and from their experiences as local members.
We all know the figures, as stated by the Chief Minister in the House: 85 new houses, all 200 existing homes in town camps to be upgraded, 500 extra beds coming online in Alice Springs by the end of the year, new facilities to tackle homelessness, and more than $25m going into social support programs. But it is the stories from the people themselves that really inspire me about how this plan is transforming their lives. That gets the real picture across.
It is about hearing people like Purina Anderson, who has moved with her partner and children into one of the new houses at Hidden Valley Town Camp. Purina is enormously proud of her home. She has bought some new furniture and has decorated it beautifully. She is enjoying having a new home that is so much more comfortable and easy to keep clean, where her children can live and play safely. It is meeting people like the Kantawarras at Trucking Yards who are enjoying their new and refurbished homes. What it does mean is less overcrowding, so kids can get a good night’s sleep and go to school refreshed in the morning. It is meeting old people on camps like Hidden Valley who no longer worry about being attacked by dogs as they walk around their community. It is hearing that the town camps have better utilisation of the weekly wheelie bin service that other parts of Alice Springs take for granted. It is about talking to clients, as I have, at the drug and alcohol services facility in Alice Springs, who are trying hard to kick their addiction and become better parents.
I am encouraged when I hear about programs like the Ready and Willing for School program run by Congress, in partnership with the Education department, which has been funded under the transformation plan to conduct health checks and full family assessments on more than 300 young Indigenous children as they start school. Under this program, there have already been 150 home visits to families with children eligible to enrol in preschool, and 70 child health checks.
The Alice Springs Women’s Shelter is also making a huge impact with their funding from the transformation plan by funding an expansion for the Domestic and Family Violence Outreach Program. The program has already received 70 referrals and is case-managing 64 women who have a combined total of 110 children in their care.
These stories about the hard work that is going on behind the scenes are just as real as all the negative stories we are constantly hearing about Alice Springs. It is these sorts of stories that do not get the headlines, that politicians do not offer up to the national media to get their names in lights. They are the stories that paint a picture of an alternate reality here in Alice Springs. It is a reality that is just as true - even truer and more real than the one we see in the news reports and media releases.
The Chief Minister touched on the community action plan being developed and driven by the local Alice Springs community and supported by government. As I said before, local problems, local solutions by local people – very important. The suggestion for a community action plan came out of the meetings the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and I held with a number of local leaders and representatives, as well as at the Mayor’s town meeting.
A strong message we heard from all these meetings is that people are sick of the negativity and the divisiveness and want to see positive action from the grassroots supported by government. This is exactly what the community action plan process is all about. It will give the town a strategic way forward, incorporating ideas and suggestions that are being put forward at workshops and meetings, and presented to the independent consultant coordinating the plan, or by e-mail.
I hope the community plan will harness the passion and ideas I have been learning and hearing about from some sectors and the local community over recent months. The plan will also capture what has already been done to tackle the issues. We do not want to reinvent the wheel, but we need to ensure we are supporting those measures which work and make a difference.
We have already seen a difference in Alice Springs. I often go out and look for myself. I have been out with the youth services team, as well as police officers. I take a drive around town many times at night by myself, and I see those people, especially young people, out there at night. My observations are backed up by the police figures and the reports from the Youth Street Outreach Service. There has been much derision of the Youth Action Plan, but the fact is it is getting results. I am proud of the achievements under the Youth Action Plan such as the establishment of the Centralian Middle School, the Police Beat in the Todd Mall, and the extra safe accommodation for young people at risk.
Yesterday, the Chief Minister and Minister for Children and Families were at the Youth Hub, and I know the member for Nelson has also take time in his busy schedule to look at the Youth Hub during a recent visit.
I agree with the member for Nelson that the Youth Hub has not happened fast enough, but I have to say under the guidance of the Youth Services Coordinator, John Adams, we are starting to see some real results - and that is what is most important about this. The hub is already a hive of activity with 14 staff working with Family Support Services, a Youth at Risk team, Youth Street Outreach Service, and a Youth Coordinator all based at the hub. The youth services providers are looking at basing themselves at the hub and running events and activities at the space. I see the hub becoming a one-stop shop for youth support services in Alice Springs - a space where a young person and their family can be housed in a friendly way, and assisted in closing the gaps they have, as well as service provision gaps. There has been much interest from non-government organisations in the hub, either with running activities or utilising space.
The youth service organisations have also come together to offer ideas and solutions in the current debate. They have put forward ideas about developing a smarter way of ensuring young people who commit crimes take responsibility for their offending; about building a culture of community service among young people in Alice Springs; about innovative ways of supporting children at risk so they do not commit crimes - just to mention a few of the ideas they have brought forward. An important part of the process of drawing together the community action plan is recognising the work that has already been done and what has been achieved.
I will touch on a couple of my other portfolios which are also very important in this censure motion. As the minister for Natural Resources and the Environment, I will touch on some of the achievements in this area, which particularly address point five of the censure motion, this government’s policy failures in remote communities causing an urban drift into our major centres generally. Natural Resources and Parks and Wildlife are a very important part of addressing that particular part of the censure.
In Parks and Wildlife, training and support has been provided to Indigenous ranger groups for wildlife survey monitoring as part of land management activities on Indigenous protected areas, or IPAs, on Aboriginal Land Trusts. I will mention some of those projects which are making a difference in Central Australia particularly. There is training in threatened species monitoring and surveying endangered species such as the Princess Parrot, the Great Desert Skink, the Bustard or Bush Turkey, Mulgara and Quantong and Desert Sand Skipper. There is also training in general survey techniques for various ranger groups through Papunya, Atitjere and the Anmatjere Rangers, also collaborative scoping studies for reintroduction of culturally and ecologically important species back onto Aboriginal lands ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is a censure of government for ...
Madam SPEAKER: This is not a point of order. Resume your seat.
Mr ELFERINK: It is relevance, Madam Speaker, and this is hardly relevant - the parrots in the MacDonnell Ranges ...
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat, member for Port Darwin!
Mr HAMPTON: I will not parrot the member for Port Darwin, Madam Speaker. I am actually pointing to point 5 of the censure, which says: ‘this government’s failure in remote communities causing an urban drift into our major centres’. What I am trying to say ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HAMPTON: What I am trying to say is that, on this side of the House, we absolutely respect and are committed to providing jobs in the bush such as the Indigenous rangers. Part of stopping the urban drift is getting people into jobs in the bush, and part of that are the rangers. The member for Port Darwin does not like it but that is what government is doing. It helps people get jobs and it helps people earn a living.
NRETAS has contributed to traditional owner run eco-tourism ventures focused on the threatened and extremely rare Princess Parrot on the Haasts Bluff Aboriginal Land Trust land. It was my pleasure recently to launch the $3m Red Centre Way West Macs Discovery Centre in Alice Springs. This is promoting our region and promoting jobs in the bush.
I do not support the censure motion. This government has listened to the community of Alice Springs. We sympathise with those businesses, and I have said that quite often. I sympathise with the businesses being broken into and will always be there to listen to those concerns. However, we now have a community process in place. Local problems need local solutions by local people.
I thank my side of the House, particularly over the last couple of months. The Attorney-General has come out with some very strong measures to deal with the issues in Alice Springs, and I am sure she will go through those shortly. We have seen a strong response from government. I look forward to working with the community to see the community action plan evolve, and for solutions to come to fruition and improve the lives of people in Alice Springs.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I can hear the member for Arafura is looking forward to my speech today. I can see the violins coming out already - it is going to be fantastic. Unlike the member for Stuart, I do not have a prepared speech. I speak from the heart and from what I know of the issues in town. I do not have a bureaucracy of 22 000 people who can write my speeches for me …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GILES: This morning I made several dot points and wondered what I would speak about today. Where to start! I will start by acknowledging some actions the Chief Minister has taken and some actions the federal government has taken.
Many people will know I have been conversing with different people to find long-term solutions to the problems in town. Some short term, also some long term. I have been a passionate advocate for policy reform in many areas, particularly Indigenous affairs, over a long period of time, and will continue to do that. Much of what I will touch on today will be reflective of that.
Where do I start with some of the failures? It is important, in this censure motion brought on by my good colleague, the member for Greatorex, supported by my other good colleague, the new member for Araluen. The Chief Minister and the member for Stuart spoke about the transformation plan in Alice Springs. I ask those two ministers to reflect on what is being transformed in Alice Springs. Over the last 12 months, there has been a decline of 4% in the number of businesses in Alice Springs. Businesses are actually leaving. We have had a migration loss of people leaving town for a number of reasons. We have born and bred Alice Springs residents, Aboriginal Alice Springs residents as well, leaving town because they are sick and tired of the crime. I do not need to go through the crime.
Horrendous crimes have been committed in this town, from businesses having smashed windows, people’s cars being broken into and keyed, sexual assaults on Lyndavale Drive in Larapinta, and people getting spat on and bashed because they are white. That is simply not good enough in any society. You know that, and I know that. That is appalling. I become upset every morning as I receive a text message or a phone call at 6.30 am saying this or that happened last night. People are asking me, as the local member, what can be done about it. We can hold this government to account for failures, and I go back to the transformation plan. What is this government really doing to transform Alice Springs?
We can look at the Carey Builders fiasco which happened some time ago. There has not been an adequate response by government - there has not been any legislation introduced into parliament to rectify that situation. There is a draft circulating but it still has not occurred; there has been no adequate response to the victims of Carey Builders in Alice Springs. If the government had done its job it would have known this man was an undischarged bankrupt from Queensland and not issued him a licence and the victims of Carey Builders would not be in the position they are today. There is a long list of failures in that regard.
Have a look at a simple thing such as the Telstra tower at the back of Gilbert Place and Patterson Crescent in Larapinta. There has been some community reaction about the siting of that tower. Would the government respond to more adequately relocate that facility so we could still access our normal Telstra services while not reducing the amenity and property price of the people who live around there? Absolutely not! It is not interested in responding. I recognise some of my constituents from Larapinta who are affected by that Telstra tower in Larapinta. Again, I ask: what are they transforming?
Have a look at the announcement of this new carbon tax the federal government is proposing. We heard when Kevin Rudd was the Prime Minister that this government was supportive of the ETS and the way it was going to move to the carbon pollution reduction scheme by the Rudd government. However, now that Rudd has gone and we have Gillard, we have this carbon tax that is going to come into Australia. It is going to affect the Northern Territory. It will affect Alice Springs and regional and remote areas of Australia, but more particularly the Northern Territory. We know that, on average, petrol prices will go up by 6.5 a litre, but in Alice Springs they will go up more because we have more transport costs. We have more cost on fuel for the trucks to get the petrol to Alice Springs. What is the government doing to transform the cost of petrol in Alice Springs?
What is the government doing to transform the cost of grocery prices in Alice Springs? What is it doing to address the grocery prices for mums and dads who have a difficult time paying the exorbitant rents in this town, or the exorbitant mortgage repayments?
What is the government doing to address the simple things such as the price of concrete in Alice Springs? You want to have a building boom in Alice Springs, let us look at the fundamentals. How is the transformation plan addressing some of the fundamentals of supporting our industry, particularly the construction industry, where we should be having so many jobs? We look particularly at the transformation plan.
SIHIP, the housing component of the intervention by Mal Brough and John Howard in 2007 - and I will go back to that old chestnut, that old war horse, the gift that keeps on giving. That was announced in 2007, coming up to four years ago. There is $100m for town camp redevelopment. We heard the minister and the Chief Minister talk about: ‘Sensational, redefining town camps in Alice Springs’. Redefining? I would say it is absolutely absurd.
I will tell you what you are getting for $100m - from my briefing, but I knew already. We are getting 64 new buildings for $100m. Anyone work out the mathematics for me. That is a disgrace - 64 new buildings. What we are getting is 43 three-bedroom houses. Hopefully, they are all core filled because you know when they put the two walls up in these houses in the town camps, you have to pour concrete. Hopefully, they all have concrete in them. I know we had some problems before. Then, we are getting 21 four-bedroom duplexes; that is, two by two properties.
So, we will get 64 new buildings on our town camps. It will still be under the same management regime, albeit there may be some leases, which is a positive reform and I commend the government on that. We will start to see people paying proper rent. There will be a few refurbishments here or there. There are 20 town camps in Alice Springs. Only 18 of them fall under the transformation component in the SIHIP redevelopment works. Only four of those will actually have any major civil works done. What do we get for $100m? If you really want to transform this town, make those town camps private land, change the tenure, and use the $100m to leverage the private sector. You might find you would get 1000 new houses and roads for Africa, lights - you would get everything. This is what transformation is about.
All we are seeing from government is welfare. It is all institutionalised welfare, individual welfare, organisational welfare. If you keep pouring money into programs and not enforcing policy and not having a reformist agenda, you will not change anything. It is not a transformation plan in this town. It is not a transformation at all. We have just heard the debacle about the Yuendumu people. This is a perfect example of how the government gets things wrong. These people fled Yuendumu of their own will because they felt they were not safe. Those people have gone to Adelaide and back three times. They have been staying at the new accommodation visitor park at Blatherskite Park for the last two weeks. They were told yesterday that their time was up because they cannot stay any more than two weeks.
The government had arranged, either through the Chief Minister’s Office or the Minister for Central Australia’s office here, for those people to be relocated back out bush. They have been paying their accommodation and their food, they have been looking after the buses, and they were going to send people out. People yesterday said: ‘We are not going out bush as we fear for our safety’. I do not get on either side of the argument, it is not my job, but I have to ensure that men, women and children are adequately protected in the Northern Territory, and particularly Alice Springs and Braitling.
These 66 men and women, the 35 children and the two babies or infants, left the accommodation park last night, kicked out because their tenure had expired. There was no response by government, no visit from the Minister for Central Australia, no visit from the Chief Minister, no visit from the Deputy Chief Minister, no visit from the Indigenous policy minister, and these kids were going to stay on the street last night. It was not until I sent an e-mail, and I had visited these people three times yesterday, went for the fourth …
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: The Deputy Chief Minister can try to interject all she likes, but she knows her Minister for Central Australia is really a failure and should be sacked ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GILES: I sent an e-mail - I think it was around 5 pm last night - to the Chief Minister and all the media organisations I could find locally, and a few nationally and interstate, saying I was calling on the Minister for Central Australia to protect those children last night, to ensure they had somewhere to sleep. It was not until then the minister called a media conference and said: ‘I have decided they can stay at Blatherskite Park’ - under immense pressure by the member for Braitling who is out there trying to lead from opposition to get some solutions for these poor kids. Only then did he say they could stay there.
Then, there is a welcome function last night - and this is a real issue which shows the failure of the Minister for Central Australia - where politicians were hobnobbing. I got a phone call: ‘Adam, Karl never let us get into the Blatherskite Park, we are still sitting out the front of the hostel. How do we get in? How do we move all our stuff down there?’ Oh, right, no worries. The member for Macdonnell and I went there. The police had opened it up just before we got there, about 7.30 pm last night. While they are hobnobbing over here, these people were walking down there - children in bare feet, babies in nappies - to Blatherskite Park, into a big tin pavilion where people slept last night - no food, no water. So, at 9.30 pm last night, there I was, ordering all the food that Kentucky Fried Chicken had in Alice Springs to give these people a feed.
If these people were allowed to just sleep on the street and I had not intervened, there would have been trouble in the town last night. We are talking about child protection in part of this conversation - two infants and 35 kids, none of them going to school. Oh, we have truancy officers - there are 35 kids and two babies. Who is looking after those people, apart from the parents who are sleeping in a pavilion? This is a failure at the forefront.
Part of the reason why we are here in this censure is because of the hard-working action by the people of the Action for Alice group. Those people came together out of frustration. Geoff Booth, who is often declared as a front man for Action for Alice, was texting me two or three times a day about all the break-ins he was receiving. He has a right to be very cranky. He formed a group. It was not a political group. It was an action group of the people of Alice Springs. It was not the old Advance Alice; it is a new group of people who have had enough. You talk about what business policies people have, what about a business policy that says: ‘We will stop the crime on your property. We will stop the inflationary pressures that are going to put the cost of living up in your business’? What about those sorts of things? So the Action for Alice group was formed, they got some money together from interested businesses, organisations and individuals. People threw their money together and have put ads on television.
What does the action man - or the non-action man - the Minister for Central Australia do? He rings up board members from Imparja: ‘Pull those ads. You want government money? Pull those ads’. What else? ‘Oh, we had better ring up the other organisations around town, all the Indigenous organisations which get money from government, Territory and federal. You had better put some pressure on Imparja. You want to keep getting money? Put some pressure on Imparja’. Then, we saw the chairman of Imparja resign under pressure. We are talking about self-determination and giving Aboriginal people a voice and a say and, as soon as they get it, you put government pressure on it. We are not Libya, we are not a country in the Middle East, and we do not have state-owned media. You cannot control the media. There are Aboriginal people on the board of Imparja, one of the biggest employers in our town, who are running ads on a commercial basis to bring action about this government.
If you do not like the message, bad luck. If the member for Stuart does not like the heat in the kitchen, pull the pin. The town has lost confidence in you. Just resign. Bring us the member for Karama. She is not the most popular person in town, but we know she is a woman of action. We know the member for Karama would actually do things in town. She would listen to sound debate and sound judgment. I am calling on the Chief Minister to sack the Minister for Central Australia and give us a minister who will help us in this town. Give us someone who understands economics. At least the member for Karama, who is the current Treasurer, understands how you can leverage $100m to get better outcomes for town camps. These are the things we should be doing.
The fifth part of the censure is about policy failures in remote communities causing an urban drift into our major centres generally. I would have used different terminology, but I hear the drawl coming from the member for Arafura over there in the back of my ear …
Ms Scrymgour interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GILES: I will break for a joke. We hear her speaking up, but it is interesting when we go back to that point in time when she spat the dummy, so to speak, and left the Labor Party before she came back. She left on a point of principle, as I understand it, relating partly to homeland policy.
We talk about urban drift. I am a person who believes people can come and go as they please. It is how we manage our process; people can come and go as they please. It is a fact that people are moving into towns and larger centres for many different reasons, some because people are getting better access to services – health, dialysis, education, whatever. Other people are coming to the bright lights and big cities because this government has failed to develop economies in the bush, particularly the growth towns.
We reflect on the homelands policy. The homelands policy - there was an agreement in about 2007 - and I am sure the member for Arafura will correct me if I am wrong – for five years, $20m a year for $100m. There was a transitional agreement from the federal ownership of outstations or homelands to the Territory government with that $100m. There is a policy of this government that is hidden away somewhere about the future of homelands. There was a discussion paper put out when the member for Arafura was the Deputy Chief Minister. I did not speak negatively at all about that. I was waiting for the follow-up to see want happened - I can tell you nothing has happened. Part of the reason people are coming into town is because there is no policy on homelands.
What is the future? I visited the Laynhapuy Homelands a while ago. It was fantastic talking to the board, some of the staff, and the CEO. There are many homelands which do a fantastic job and we should be supporting those homelands. But that is part of the failure. I have never had a knock on my door saying: ‘Good day, Adam, would you listen to our idea about homelands and maybe you might support it, maybe you might not?’ There is none of that. There has been no political argy-bargy on this policy at all. There has been barely anything on the growth towns, apart from the fact that you picked it for political reasons.
The main point is, when we come back to homelands or look at the failures of the shire councils and the way it took away Aboriginal people’s voices, what is missing from this whole debate is the voice of the people in the bush, the cultural authority of Aboriginal people to have ownership over the policies that set their future. I am not talking about a two-pronged system. I am not talking divisive; I am talking about how we engage Aboriginal people, traditional owners - not CEOs of organisations, with all due respect to those people. I am talking about the traditional owners having a say in a culturally authoritative format about their future and the future of the Northern Territory more generally.
We are not going to fix problems until we start giving those people a voice in the Territory - in Alice Springs, in Braitling, in Central Australia, in the Territory, in regional Central Australia. That is part of the solution: how we engage night patrols, elders, and senior men and women in dealing with the issues in our town and in our bush.
The member for Stuart spoke about how he has had meetings - I think it was hundreds of meetings, like the Labor reviews they always have - but it is about action. I have called for meetings on a number of occasions, and I have had my colleagues, the members for Araluen and Macdonnell, co-chair these meetings. We have had Indigenous, non-Indigenous, business leaders, councils, and so forth around the table talking about the problems. We are democratically elected. We should be making decisions. We have constituents who talk to us all the time. We have to come together as leaders. Whether we like it or not, we are democratically elected; we are leaders and we have to make decisions.
We have sat around and have talked about issues. We have talked about how we can solve some of the problems in the short-term, and what some of the longer-term issues are. Aboriginal people are having their say. They are calling for - well, they are not calling for it, but they are saying in those meetings: ‘We want 100% quarantining for alcoholics. If you do not send your kid to school, 100% quarantining. If you do the right thing you should not be quarantined at all’. That is what they are saying. They are saying that everyone who lives in Alice Springs has to earn, has to learn, has to do some sort of mutual obligation participation, whether it is work for the dole or CDEP, or whatever it might be in work gang mentality, or you get 100% quarantining. That is it. Get part of the economy. You want to transform the town? There is a transformation opportunity. I could go on and on.
In the media this morning there was mention of letters signed by traditional owners in Alice Springs calling on Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott to come here with no media and sit down in the dirt and have a chat. That is a fantastic idea. We do not need media; we do not need bully-boy tactics by advisors and all these things involved in the process. We need those two leaders to sit down in the dirt and have a chat with traditional owners - give those people back some cultural authority. Recognise the fact that you have two ears and one mouth; sit down and listen twice as hard as you talk. Sit down and listen to what people are saying because you will find people are not that far away from what we are saying in the Chamber, particularly our side of the Chamber. We know Labor is losing the Indigenous vote. People are coming to the fold of the Country Liberals because they are sick of the lies and promises by Labor that have not been delivered. Whether it is shire council reform, homeland policy, the promise of jobs and economic development, nothing has changed.
This government should be condemned and censured for its failure in Alice Springs, on Indigenous policy, and the crime wave, and for lying and for its facile and cynical approach to the people of Alice Springs. More importantly, the Chief Minister must sack his Minister for Central Australia. He has not done his job, he has dropped the ball. He went on holidays twice when there were significant issues in this town. Part of being a leader is about being here, being in control, making changes for the future, and taking a reformist agenda so we can have a future. Losing 4% of business, losing people, seeing people bashed, murdered, raped in our town is a disgrace and he should hang his head in shame.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, the government had no issue whatsoever with accepting the censure debate. We welcomed it. We respect, of course, the process and procedure of parliament where you deal with a condolence motion first and foremost. It shows how narrow-minded the opposition is to not accept the precedence of a condolence motion. We welcome the censure because we want to put right back at the opposition the empty, hollow rhetoric they espouse. We listen to the debate from them and we are waiting, searching, for the proactive, constructive solutions to come forward.
You do not get it. The closest you get is we have to listen; we are starting to listen; it has been 10 years and we have not been listening. What a load of rot - what a load of rot! The new member for Araluen is complaining about urban drift. The member for Braitling is welcoming urban drift. They are all over the shop on that issue. The new member for Araluen is complaining about urban drift and then congratulating Mal Brough for his intervention. Some of us have been around a fair while. Some of us were around during the period of Mal Brough’s thought bubbles, and the people of his constituency spoke loud and clear - he was thrown out of office at the next federal election.
That being said, we pointed out at the time to Mal Brough, in the midst of his thought bubble, as Territorians, as duly democratically elected leaders in our communities, if he put blanket prescribed areas across the remote areas of the Northern Territory for grog prohibition it would create an immediate urban drift of a size different to the normal social urban drift that occurs. Here we are, years later, where it is accepted that is what happened. Tony Abbott, in his letter to the Prime Minister, recognised that is what happened ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: You congratulated Mal Brough on the intervention while complaining about an urban drift, when he was the architect of the wave of urban drift of people following the path of grog. You are so narrow; you do not understand.
On the subject of grog, the member for Araluen complained saying we do not want to be guinea pigs of alcohol reforms - Alice Springs has been the guinea pig before. Clearly, she has not read one single document put out about the grog reforms the government is introducing in legislation because the reforms are Territory-wide, not just for Alice Springs. We are going to introduce the most significant reforms in our nation to tackle the problem drinkers and it is Territory-wide, it is not just Alice Springs. We believe it will have a very positive effect on Alice Springs because it will stop the drift and the movement of people following grog - in stark contrast to the opposition who want to ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, the member for Greatorex has not stopped. He is just yapping in the background ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Greatorex! Member for Greatorex, cease interjecting!
Ms Scrymgour interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Arafura!
Ms LAWRIE: The member for Greatorex is also showing his ignorance in saying it is not for the entire Territory, it is just for Alice Springs. I repeat: the alcohol reforms the government is introducing in the three bills in parliament tomorrow, which were issued as exposure draft legislation in the October sittings of last year, have been the subject of consultation through forums right across the Northern Territory - online material available, fact sheets available, and the draft legislation available. They have been in the public domain and debate since September last year and are Territory-wide. They affect everyone anywhere in the Territory, and they go to turning the problem drinker off the tap.
These are the alcohol reforms the member for Araluen seems to have escaped, whilst there have been significant debates, including a ministerial statement in the parliament of the Legislative Assembly after her election to the parliament. One wonders where she has been. One wonders what little bubble she is existing in regarding grog reforms. I will talk more in detail about the grog reforms.
The member for Braitling started his speech by going to cost of living. I was pleased he focused on some of the issues that affect the ability of residents to live in Central Australia, particularly in a regional hub, a service centre like Alice Springs. There are very real historic cost imposts in regional centres in cost of living, and government will use whatever tools and levers available. He talked about the impact of the price of petrol and groceries on people. He is absolutely right in recognising and calling for a debate on those cost of living impacts. However, he was also saying the government is ignoring these cost of living pressures, and that we are doing nothing about them - and nothing could be further from the truth.
When the ACCC was called upon to do an inquiry into petrol prices in Alice Springs, as a government we said we were fully supportive of an ACCC inquiry. We believed they were too high; we agree they are too high. So, to say the government is in the space of just ignoring it is wrong. In what we do to address cost of living in Alice Springs, in the Territory, we are the lowest taxing jurisdiction in our nation for small- and medium-sized businesses. We have saved businesses hundreds of millions of dollars in money they would have otherwise paid in taxes if we had not been reducing our tax rates, if we had not been increasing the tax-free threshold since we came to government 10 years ago. We are the lowest taxing jurisdiction in our nation for small- and medium-sized businesses.
The member for Braitling talked about businesses closing; the business environment doom and gloom in Alice Springs. Well, talk to the major bank lender in Alice Springs and you get a completely different picture. What you are hearing from the main lender in this region is that they have doubled their loans book in Alice Springs to businesses in the last year. We are talking about tens of millions of dollars of business growth occurring right here, right now, in Alice Springs today - completely different to the rhetoric coming from the member for Braitling who is doom and gloom.
He talked about Alice Springs transformation and how you need a real transformation. It took two Labor governments, lined up, to remove the political blame game, to actually get signature on an agreement for the expenditure for the Alice Springs transformation plan - $150m invested in construction, in changing the housing environment of the town camps, $15m invested in the social services and support to deal with the generational crisis of the dysfunctional families who have been living in abject poverty in those town camps - to all of our shame - here in Alice Springs. It took two Labor governments - a federal Labor government and a Territory Labor government - to end the blame game and sign up to that transformation plan.
Regarding the rhetoric of the opposition on how many houses - the member for Braitling said it is only delivering 85 houses. Not true. Very clearly, you heard from the Chief Minister 85 new houses and 200 refurbs. Anyone who wants to see what is occurring, get out to the town camps and you will see the extent of the refurbs. You are literally turning a shell of a house into a fully functional, new, clean and appropriate house. We are putting in place the social support and services. You can build your shelter, you can change the home environment, but unless you are addressing the people and the way they are approaching their living circumstances you are wasting your time and effort.
So, we are going in with those complex social services programs run by Congress, such as the Safe and Sober program - programs you will never hear the opposition talk about because they do not want a genuine debate, they just want their narrow, ‘Whip up a bit of fear and loathing rhetoric, and let us get in and out of this and pretend nothing is happening; that the government does not care’. Well, what a load of rot!
The Minister for Central Australia is a strong and consistent advocate and voice for the people of Alice Springs. He sits at the Cabinet table and advocates for the people of Alice Springs every single week. If you look at government expenditure into Alice Springs since he has been the Minister for Central Australia, it is the most significant expenditure in the history of any government in the Territory. You talk about real delivery - the Minister for Central Australia has delivered more in financial investment in both construction and social services into Alice Springs than any other minister in the history of the Territory - any other Minister for Central Australia.
Where are the results? Taking in whatever area you want to look at, the results are improved housing, land being turned off, children attending school, the Youth Hub up and operational, and alternative education being provided out of there. The results are in a juvenile detention centre, operational right now out of the Alice Springs Correctional Services facility. The results are in tackling what we know is the core cause of crime in our community.
I was fascinated listening to the member for Braitling. I was waiting for him to get to the heart of the social problems and dysfunction here, which is grog-fuelled violence. He did not go there. The closest he got to even mentioning grog in his entire contribution was talk about welfare quarantining of 100%, an idea from the community - not his idea. He did not go there. You dodged the big issue, the elephant in the room, which is grog-fuelled violence. How embarrassing, member for Braitling, you dodged the elephant in the room. Sixty-six percent of all violent crime in Alice Springs is fuelled by grog. If you want to get real about tackling the cause of crime and bringing down the crime rate and making a safer place to live, you have to tackle grog - you absolutely have to tackle grog that is fuelling the violence.
How is our government doing it? We have announced the toughest reforms in the nation and, to what I believe will be their eternal shame, the CLP is opposing those reforms. Members are burying their head in the sand and saying: ‘No, no, we are opposing those reforms’. We will introduce the legislation into the parliament tomorrow - three bills, as the Chief Minister said - all supporting our alcohol reform. For the first time in the Territory, when our legislation is passed from 1 July, they will turn the problem drinker off tap wherever they are. We will be able to say that person was three times in and out of police protective custody - and quite a few of the cohort we are talking about will knock over that rate within days and weeks. So, we are talking about the problem drinker not being able to, through an automatic banning system - automatic bans, not go to court and have an argument about it, automatic bans - through the watch-house: ‘You are banned, you are off tap, problem drinker. You cannot purchase, you cannot possess, and you cannot consume grog in the Northern Territory’.
There is no, ‘Oh, I got turned off tap in Alice, I might head to Tennant and get on tap there’. Oh, no. Nowhere in the Territory can you purchase, possess and consume grog. First time, no one is doing it. Secondary supply and the sanction if you breach? Well, it is a breach and you are off tap for an even longer period of time. The more times you try to breach something like this, the longer you are off tap. Your three months goes to six months, your six months goes to 12 months. You are absolutely mandated to appear before a tribunal the govenment will establish.
The tribunal has mandatory treatment powers and orders. It has powers to ban. This is genuinely the toughest reform in tackling problem drinkers anywhere in the nation, and we are challenging anywhere in the world. What does the CLP do? It is going to reject it. It would rather play politics than deal with the cause of crime in our community, and the dysfunction of the individual and the harms they are perpetrating on themselves and their families and, most ashamedly, their children.
We have stepped up, we are taking it on, and we are introducing the legislation. My challenge is laid down to the CLP to support it: get over your political rhetoric, get over your political ideology and support the grog reforms. The AMA does, NTCOSS does, AMSANT does, the two different alcohol lobby groups in Alice Springs do, the Australian Hotels Association does, and the Liquor Stores Association does. At the moment, the only one who is not is the CLP. Tony Abbott wrote in his letter to the Prime Minister that we have to tackle grog. Well, Tony Abbott, get on the phone, call whoever is leading the CLP on the day – because we know they are tearing themselves apart internally, so you probably have to make a few phone calls – make a few phone calls to a few different members of the CLP ...
A member interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Make a few calls, because we do not know who is rowing the boat at the moment, and say: ‘Guys, support the grog reforms in the Territory’. They are absolutely innovative and they are leading edge. They are the right thing to do if you are going to change the drinking culture and the harm that grog is doing in our community, and the way it is fuelling violence.
We gave a series of commitments when I was here in January regarding the crime wave in Alice Springs. Never once have we denied the crime wave, by the way, guys. We recognised there was an unacceptable spate of crime in Alice Springs, both commercial and residential property crime, and also an unacceptable level of violent crime in Alice Springs, and we are going to support our police and the police operations. They had already run a special operation over December; they were running a new operation in January; they ran an additional operation in February. They are maintaining that very high operational response to crack down on crime. We are seeing data coming through that the police have been successful. We recognise the great job our officers in Alice Springs have been doing; working significant overtime to do it and, as you heard from the Chief Minister, getting the support from the Police Commissioner for additional resources - support we are delighted to see come to Alice Springs, and are very supportive of, as a government.
What did we say we would do in January - prior to the advertisements running, by the way? The CLP would have everyone believe we decided to do things because there were advertisements running on television - what are called ‘attack ads’. It is not true. The announcements I made here with the Minister for Central Australia in January occurred prior to any advertising occurring, just to dispel that little myth you are kidding yourselves about.
A new offence of breach of bail is being debated today. We have settled the terms of reference for a review of the Youth Justice Act. We looked at who could lead that Youth Justice Act review because it will go to the law, but it will also go to the operational; it will go to how you get the energised youth sector linking in with the government sector, the NGOs and government working together. In the operation of the Youth Justice Act, I looked for who had good expertise regarding the Territory; understanding the nature of the Territory, the service providers and the NGO sector, the court system, and the police. I can say I have asked the former member for Araluen, Jodeen Carney, to head up the Youth Justice Act review, and she has agreed ...
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: I can hear the empty vessel, the member for Port Darwin, bleating in the background.
We have undertaken the Return to Country school blitz twice, and we have had success in getting people back to country. In targeted police patrols, we have increased operations; I have talked about that. We put in place a new patrol coordinator, a Senior Sergeant position. We have a series of safe houses being modified to implement the Safe House strategy where we can take children off the streets at night into safe houses. With the expanded juvenile alcohol and drug facility, we are working to secure the Child Abuse Taskforce site. It is an obvious site for that facility. We are already in discussions with BushMob for the operations at that site.
To say we said we would do things but are not doing them is not true. All the things we said we would do we are delivering on - and we said it all before attack ads were running. We talked about the importance of getting kids to school. There are already truancy officers operational, and we have a very strong No School No Shops program. The Minister for Central Australia has been at the forefront of engaging local businesses to uphold that program. He has been doing a great job getting across the broad sector of the local community and involving them in community responses to what is a broad social issue and the challenges that have been confronted in Alice Springs. I might add that the challenges have been confronted elsewhere in the Territory - let us not pretend about this. These are common challenges across all our major regional centres, including our capital. Local solutions are good; however, you need to come across with consistent policies such as our grog reform policy that will be Territory-wide.
We have welcomed the censure today. I have not had the chance to talk about the alcohol management plans being introduced in remote communities across Central Australia. We will continue all that work. Despite the empty rhetoric of the opposition, we will get on with the job of making the Territory a safe place to live, of turning around the generations of dysfunction fuelled by grog and the problem drinkers we have. We will take the tough actions to make it safer, and will also provide for economic opportunities along the way.
We have a cultural diversity, and our minister for Indigenous policy is working with the Indigenous Advisory Council to drive through the complex issues of the homelands policy and how to provide strong growth in our growth towns, while also supporting the vibrant, dynamic homelands.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I am stating the obvious when I say there have been some major problems in Alice Springs in recent times. My comments will not just be about the problems of Alice Springs, they will also be about the rest of the Territory because Alice Springs is not the only part of the Territory that faces these problems. That does not diminish the importance of these issues to the people of Alice Springs who are affected by antisocial behaviour.
It is important to identify the antisocial issues that have been spoken about in recent times. Two weeks ago I came to Alice to look for myself. I spoke to many people in the streets and in businesses, pubs, the police, the local pollies and Aboriginal people. I should say before I forget there are many good people working very hard for the benefit of young people in Alice, and those people, and their efforts, can be forgotten in the noise of the protests. Thank you for those efforts. Do not give up, Frankie Curtis, Brad Puls and people like them. I also thank Damien Ryan and the council for their efforts. They do not have control over law and order and planning but do their best anyway.
In talking to many people, including the police, it seems there is a number of groups in town involved in the antisocial behaviour. There are locals, black and white, some town campers and the countrymen from out bush. There are people in town who are just criminals involved in crime and, as gangs, compete with one another in relation to how much damage they can inflict on the community. There are those who are after grog, throwing rocks, harassing and humbugging people for money or smokes, and whose general behaviour is disrespectful.
We should not forget there are many people who do not do this but, sadly, end up being lumped in with the rest and, sometimes in this whole discussion, are tarnished with the same brush. I met some of them too.
How to fix the problem? The answer, in the short term, was to bring in more police, and that is what the government did when cries went out that antisocial behaviour was getting out of hand. That is fine; residents of Alice Springs have the right to go out at night without being harassed, threatened, intimidated or bashed. However, I have a few questions. What does the Night Patrol do? Why is it the job of police to pick up drunks? If the sobering-up shelters are full, what are the expansion plans? What is the future of Operation Roland? Is it to finish at the beginning of April or, as Commissioner Payne said in the Centralian Advocate, these staff will be here for as long as it takes people to feel safe in their community?
I also wonder about the call centre. On 13 March, I rang 131 444 and after five-and-a-half minutes it rang out. I tried again, and after two-and-a-half minutes I got an answer and then it dropped out, so I gave up. I know Mr Abbott wants more police in Alice Springs. He said there should be 100 more police. I want to know why we are not using the numbers of police in Alice Springs more efficiently. There are more police in Alice Springs per head of population than anywhere else in Australia. The question I ask the government is: has this something to do with the enterprise bargaining award where police have negotiated a limit on the number of hours they can work on night shifts? If so, I ask whether it should be renegotiated?
If we are arresting more people and magistrates are not letting them out on bail as before, where are we putting these people? The government closed down Aranda House, and now it is opening it up again - or something similar. They closed down Wildman River and that sends out a message that governments have taken their eye off the ball. I question again what happened to the dormitory that was to be built at the Youth Hub?
That is about the short term. What are we going to do about the long term? Just to try to put an overall perspective on it - and this could relate to anywhere - the problems in Alice Springs relate to a breakdown in family life, a breakdown in parenting skills, a breakdown in discipline, excessive consumption of alcohol and other drugs, unemployment, boredom, lack of respect, lack of taking responsibility for doing some things yourself, lack of leadership, non-attendance at school, migration of people from the bush to the town, overcrowding, insufficient housing in town camps - and I suppose I could go on.
What are the causes? There has been much talk about whether it is the intervention, but you need more than anecdotal evidence to say that is the case. If you asked the women at Hermannsburg, would they say it was a problem? They possibly support it. Are those people who have an anti-intervention agenda using antisocial behaviour to push their agenda instead of looking at what the real issues are? Is it a movement from the rural or remote areas around Alice Springs caused by the same thing that happened hundreds of years ago with the Industrial Revolution? People moved from the country to the city for the bright lights, for a chance to get a better life, because where they lived was boring, their houses were dirty, there was overcrowding, and there was no work.
Has anyone asked the people in Alice Springs - the people we are talking about - why they are here? Even though I am putting forward ideas, I want to know whether anyone has walked around and found out why people are actually here. Perhaps it is because of the amalgamation of the councils. One thing I found in my travels is people seem to have lost their sense of ownership and belonging since the smaller councils have been removed and replaced with the very large councils.
Is it because some communities are dry? That is a reasonable question. Alcohol continues to be a major reason for some of the social disorder, and it will continue to be a major problem until drastic measures are taken. It is not only a black problem; it is a problem throughout Australian society. Do we conveniently forget the alcohol nightclub bashings we see down south or problems in Mitchell Street? How many drunks stagger out of certain Alice Springs pubs at 2 am? Is there any protest about their behaviour or is that a bit close to home?
Is a breakdown in family life, parenting, and discipline also a part of the problem? Domestic violence is widespread, and when children are not being cared for because parents are drinking, playing cards, or out on the town, what hope is there for young children? There are young girls who are pregnant at an early age who have no idea how to parent, and they have no skills. What hope is there for a well-balanced child of the future?
Discipline is frowned on by society as a dirty word, but is something that needs to be reinforced at home, at school, and in the community. It is not about belting; it is about firmness, respect and love, and teaching people to take responsibility for their actions. It is also not wrapping kids up in cotton wool so they learn by mistakes and failures.
Respect, or lack of it, is another major reason for things like property damage. It all shows up in a disregard for others. How many people still say please and thank you? How many swear as if it was the norm and okay? Some of the language I hear on the football field really makes me wonder where people learn that language.
How many people even say hello to a stranger or open a door for another person? I came here two weeks ago, and what we tried to do was say hello to everyone in the street. I sometimes wonder whether there is enough of that; whether there is a group of people out there we are not willing to talk to, to find out who they are. They are all human beings and you will be amazed, when you talk to some of these people, what their background is.
Is it so out of fashion to even stand up for an older person or a woman? We have let our standards drop, so why are we surprised at the outcomes? What about taking responsibility over our own lives and not waiting for someone else to do it for us? People drop rubbish around the place; who ticks them off and tells them to pick it up? You see rubbish around Alice Springs, a tourist town. Something needs to be done. Talking is one thing, enforcement is the other, and they both need to go hand-in-hand.
People play cards all night and on weekends and then take their children to the clinic because the kids are sick. Then, the health workers have to look after the child. Where is the responsibility of the parent? Someone said to me recently that we are turning our communities into nursing homes – no slight on nursing homes – where people sit around and expect things to happen with little effort from themselves. I could go on.
Solutions – and these are my suggestions and locals, I am sure, will have other ideas. I believe there should not be welfare in the Northern Territory. The Commonwealth should hand over all its money to councils or like-minded organisations, and top it up so a proper wage can be paid. Do not call it work for the dole; call it a job. Add enough money for capital equipment and extra management and say there will be a job for anyone who wants it.
Talking to a businessperson in Alice Springs, his concern is that, eventually, the people who drive industry in Alice Springs will leave this town because of antisocial behaviour. It will be replaced by a welfare economy which will be to the detriment of this community. I believe much work has to be done getting people off welfare. There is plenty of work in towns and communities for people to be employed. Work is good for the individual, it is good for the economy, and it is good for the community. It will not be popular, but neither will the destruction of generations of people. If you want some money, then you have to earn it; it is not a right.
I should mention the good work that Centrefarm is doing. I called in at Ali Curung recently. Although there are difficulties getting people to work, it would be interesting to see, if there was no welfare there, whether that would change.
Alcohol: there are many things I could say about alcohol as I have witnessed, and still witness, the destruction it wreaks in our community. Ask how many people are in gaol because of alcohol offences; how many of the crimes committed recently were related to alcohol. I do not oppose restrictions on alcohol if it can have real outcomes and, of course, this has to happen, otherwise the restrictions are pointless. The government said it intends to introduce a new five-point plan, and I suppose there will be critics of it. However, we are all part of a community and we all have to try to find solutions, especially when it comes to the excessive use of alcohol. You might not like what the government is doing, but who has the magic solution? You must try, and if it fails, then try again.
I would question, though, what consideration the government is giving to a floor price for alcohol. We know that reducing the sale of cheap casks reduced the consumption of alcohol and, from that, there were subsequent benefits. Now we have the sale of cleanskins which are cheap and appear to be the cause of increased consumption. If we have a floor price based on the average price of a standard drink of beer, then we may reduce the amount of alcohol consumed. The government needs to take action on this front, not just have the five-point plan. It is a pity some of our supermarkets and some liquor outlets do not wait for this to occur, but do the right thing and take the cheap stuff off the shelf. They are part of the problem; they need to be part of the solution.
There is drunkenness. Once upon a time it was a crime to be drunk in public. Now, it is okay as long as you have Sober Bob or catch a taxi home. It is similar to the safe sex message: no questions asked about the morality or the dangers as long as it is safe. It seems that society now says it is okay to get drunk. What it means is society supports losing control. Where does that lead? Damage to one’s health, street violence, pregnancy, domestic violence, inappropriate behaviour and, more than likely, gaol. What sort of example does it give to others, especially the ones we criticise the most - Aboriginal people? Why should they not get drunk too? White society says it is okay.
You also only have to look at the subtle advertising campaigns of the powerful alcohol industry. How much responsibility does the alcohol industry take for the issues we face in the NT? I reckon the alcohol industry puts the shareholders first. I would love to see the Living with Alcohol scheme come back. If Ms Macklin and Mr Abbott are coming, ask them to put the large amount of taxation they have received from alcohol sales in the Northern Territory back into trying to fix the problems we have in this town and in other parts of the Northern Territory.
I would like to see the setting up of modern, well-run clubs in growth towns, not the same as what was written in The Age today. After all, if the government says that growth towns are to be normal, then should pubs or clubs not be included? There is one at Gunbalanya. Believe it or not, Elliott is a growth town and it has a pub in the centre. I understand that also needs the permission of the people who live in that community, and I would not, in any way, be trying to take away their ability to say whether they agree or not. However, I am putting that out there as a possibility. Obviously, the Liquor Commission would put out advertisements in the paper asking people whether they agreed that a liquor licence should be set up in a growth town. I am not trying to say people should not have a say, but I am saying this is possibly a way we should be doing things.
In relation to alcohol, I have said - and I believe it is part of the five-point plan the government put out, and I think the CLP also supports it - it is time to see compulsory rehabilitation centres. We need to say it is our job to look after those people who cannot look after themselves. I visited on the way down Strongbala in Katherine and was very impressed with the hard work those Aboriginal men are doing to try to uplift men in that community. That could be an area which may run one of these compulsory rehabilitation centres.
Boredom: I look at Alice Springs and, from a sporting perspective, this place does very well. There are first-class sporting facilities here. You have to ask why these people are bored. I look at the drop-in centres, the three community recreation centres; two of them are pretty well worn out and the other one is tucked around the back near K-Mart, I believe. Why don’t we put the money into building one modern community recreation centre with adequate land and facilities which is not for one particular group but all youth in this town? It should be part of an early intervention scheme.
Non-attendance at school: I believe, as the member for Braitling said, that welfare is an important tool. If children are not going to school, why not refuse to pay welfare until children go to school? Somewhere along the line, we have to turn this around. It has been going on too long and it is going to require a big effort and some courageous decisions to turn it around.
However, there are good stories. I was at Milikapiti the other day and 90% of kids go to primary school in that community. We need mentoring and early intervention. It is no good if we have kids leaving school and they are unemployed and disappear. We need to ensure young people are encouraged to get a job, to go through secondary school, and to help them all the way; otherwise we will continue to have the problems we have today.
What do we do with the people who are picked up for antisocial behaviour, who are breaking the law? We need more prison farms, we need more work camps. We should be doing what Tony Bohning, a member of Correctional Services in Alice Springs for many years did - setting up juvenile work camps out bush for kids. That is a great idea.
Madam Speaker, I could go on. There is plenty of talk, and others will have their own ideas as well but, in the end, talking is cheap if nothing concrete happens. There needs to be a concerted effort from all sides of politics and all levels of government. It does not help if Canberra just makes statements from afar. A plan has to be put together that reflects the views of the people of this region, because this is not just about Alice, it is about the region around Alice and, in many ways, the rest of the Territory.
I think about the state of the world today. There is fighting and tension in many parts of the world because people cannot get on and live in peace. We are critical of these people for being at war, but maybe we need to look at our own situation. Are we at peace in our own society? I do not think so. I get annoyed when someone lumps all white fellows like me together as if we are the same. I might be white but I have beliefs which are not relevant to my colour, politics or where I was born; what I believe is not relevant to those classifications.
I am a Catholic and believe in one of the fundamental tenets of that faith: to love your neighbour, and the much harder tenet, especially sometimes in this place, to love your enemy and, of course, a belief in forgiveness because, for me, that is the only way to true peace. Not easy. By the way, Christ was not a white bloke. He was born in Galilee; he was a Jew. When I look around and see the fighting and payback out at Yuendumu, the stories of different clans which cannot get on together, when I see the bashing of an umpire at the footy, or the bashing death of an Aboriginal man a year or so ago, when I see and read about domestic violence that occurs, then I say to our leaders to unite, to drop the party politics that can be so restrictive, hurtful and self-centered, and join hands and not concentrate on the things they disagree with but, rather, the things they agree on.
I wonder if those who preach reconciliation should not first reconcile amongst themselves before they tell others to do so. We need leadership, unity, and bipartisanship. We need to strive for peace in our community. We do not need more protests and rhetoric. We do not need even more glossy brochures, year in and year out. We want leadership and if our two leaders cannot get on, how can we expect the rest of the people to do the same?
I am asking the Chief Minister today, as part of the agreement I have with him, to sit down with Terry Mills, the Leader of the Opposition, and work out a bipartisan approach to moving Alice Springs and the Alice Springs region forward. I am asking Terry Mills to do the same, and enter into the discussion also free of party politics, because I am scared that could get in the way of bipartisanship. G K Chesterton, a famous English author, once said:
I am happy to play my part as well, but Paul Henderson and Terry Mills are the main players and they need to grasp the moment. This will be the last time parliament will sit in Alice Springs until after the next election. This will be the last time these leaders will formally be together in Alice Springs, and it is a real opportunity for them to do something during the sittings of parliament. When they get together they need to invite other leaders from the Commonwealth and local governments, and local politicians and leaders within the community. Leadership requires the ability to step into the unknown, into unchartered waters; leadership also requires an effort.
I implore both leaders to show the people of Alice Springs they are committed to their welfare, not the welfare of their own parties, and sit down, meet and make it happen. If you cannot do it, how can you expect the community to do the same?
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I have listened with great interest to this debate since coming into the Chamber this morning.
I am advised there were some 200 to 300 people out the front of this Chamber this morning desperately angry because government has failed to perform its most fundamental function at a Territory and state level; that is, looking after and protecting the interests of people in the community, specifically in relation to criminal matters.
The government has a series of priorities set as an intermingled form of solutions where welfare and policing responses are seen as extensions of the same thing. It is unclear thinking when you change your priorities in such a way that you can no longer see your fundamental and core priorities next to other priorities. That is one of the major and fundamental flaws of the thinking of members on the other side of the House.
I listened to the plea from the member for Nelson in relation to working together. I often hear these types of pleas, and they sound wonderful; they sound like the type of stuff people would like to hear. However, what you have to do when you come together in that way is determine exactly what your fundamental presumptions are.
One of the reasons we have such difficulty agreeing with government on these issues is we do not agree with their fundamental assumptions. It comes down to a matter of ideology and personal belief. I believe, as many of the members on my side of the House believe, issues of crime are matters of an abandonment of personal responsibility. Members on our side of the House determine that the response from government to people who abandon their personal responsibilities and see other people's property as their own is to hold them to account through the judicial system. Members on the government benches of this parliament see the response as needing to intervene in these people's personal lives. As a consequence, the fundamental choices you make as a government are in question.
Policing responses are the first response; they are the ones you have to address in their most immediate construct. You then have to determine what you do next. And this is where the government’s mind is not clear. We see this again and again when we are talking about issues of crime and, all of a sudden, the matter of parrots in the MacDonnell Ranges is part of the solution. I understand the logic; I can follow the bouncing ball. However, the point is: is the parrot solution in the MacDonnell Ranges the answer to an immediate crime problem as far as the minister is concerned, because he does not separate the two issues?
An immediate crime problem has to be dealt with immediately, and that is not what we are hearing from government. Once again, one could well be forgiven for listening to the Deputy Chief Minister - that she is on track, she has all these plans, the review is coming – that this government has solutions. However, these are the same solutions they have offered us in the past.
I heard with interest that the review of the Youth Justice Act will be conducted by the former member for Araluen, Jodeen Carney. She is a good choice because she is the very person who, as the member for Araluen, criticised the Youth Justice Act in 2005, if memory serves me, when it was introduced, for a raft of fundamental legislative flaws. I find it curious the government which would tell us the Youth Justice Act is currently flawed is exactly the same government which introduced the act in 2005. So, it had a solution in the past and the solution has fundamentally and abjectly failed. Now, it is the case of: ‘Trust us, trust us, because we are going to get a solution, we are going to get a review in place’.
Well, after 11 or 10 years of government, a full decade, they have still not been able to achieve the results they promised 10 years ago let alone the result they are promising today - and all the promises they have made between the year 2001 when they formed government and the current year 2011.
I have also heard comments about alcohol, and how alcohol is a major problem in our community. To that I agree: alcohol is clearly a major problem in our community. We have a Liquor Act which was equally thick to our whole Criminal Code in an effort to regulate and police the supply and consumption of alcohol in our community. This legislation has been policed to varying degrees of success over the years. The government believes if it introduces new legislation and puts the same lukewarm effort into policing it, it will get a different result. We know what the definition of insanity is, and that is exactly what the government is advocating now; trying the same thing again and seeking a different result.
How many prosecutions are brought before the Liquor Commission - a few, a handful? Yet, I am supposed to believe from this government that it is aware of a raft of situations which would reflect breaches of the current Liquor Act. But it does not police it; its effort and mind is elsewhere. It is quite happy to do the legislation, but policing it is a completely different matter.
I heard the outlining of the alcohol banning orders from the Deputy Chief Minister again - in her role as the Attorney-General, I presume - and again I have not heard from her how the system will work in an ultimate sanction. We will be opposing the legislation, because it does a couple of things: (1) it makes every individual person in the community responsible, from the clubs to the person who tries to buy alcohol - as you currently have to do, I understand in Alice Springs, by producing a drivers’ licence. This is going to fix the problem? No, I tell you it will not, because when I was a policeman working in the bush in Central Australia, there was no alcohol allowed on the communities I worked, and the vast majority of the work I did was directed particularly and exactly at the business of policing grog runners.
Several things will happen when they introduce these alcohol banning orders. Yes, it is conceivable that people who are subject to these orders will be unable to purchase liquor. However, other people will purchase liquor on their behalf and, if the liquor becomes a valuable enough drug, people will run that grog from other jurisdictions. It is how it works. When I was a copper in the bush - goodness, 15 to 20 years ago - when you were dealing with grog runners, a cask of wine which was purchased, if memory serves me, for about $5 or $6 in town retailed out of the back of a grog runner’s car for about $50 in a community. People will pay the premium for their passion.
However, the philosophy the government would have us accept is it will impose upon the whole community restrictions on alcohol. I ask a simple question: if the whole community is responsible for the consumption of liquor then why did the Northern Territory government lay on the table free grog last night at the function? If we all have the problem, if it is all our problem, then surely lemon squash and soda water would have been the order of the day? It was not, because government knows that when you have one of these functions the people who turn up will consume one, maybe two, light beers, possibly a glass of wine or a champagne, they will set their half-empty glasses down on the table, and they will drive home quite lawfully because they have not got close to the 0.5 limit.
The fact is, you cannot advocate whole-of-community responsibility and then start to signal that you believe, if you like, that certain members of the community are exempt. A community is either collectively responsible, or merely individuals within that structure are responsible. Serving alcohol last night at the function - and it will occur again - demonstrated the government does not believe that the whole of the community is responsible. What it will demonstrate is it believes these people will drink responsibly at these functions. And that is true; it is actually correct.
The problem is not necessarily with further regulation of the industry. We have regulated. The Americans tried regulation by changing their Constitution, and the only amendment they ever introduced which had been repealed was the amendments to the Constitution which brought about the age of prohibition in the United States. The effect in the United States was precisely what I described as happens in remote Aboriginal communities: you create a black market.
What you do by creating banning orders is you seek to ban individual drinkers. Okay, I get that. However, through the process every person in the community is affected because of the structure you have to create. Then, you go through a process of if you get picked up for being drunk three times in three months, I think is the standard, the benchmark - remarkably similar to the policy we brought to the last election - you will then become subject to a banning order and you will be forced to go to rehabilitation. It would not be a custodial form of rehabilitation. No, it will be a form of rehabilitation that you will be expected to attend in some sort of community group through an NGO, possibly a Health delivered service. However, if you do not go to that course, your banning order is extended. If you get picked up for being drunk again, your banning order will be extended. So what happens when you breach your banning order under the government’s plan? The answer is your banning order is extended but, if you breach it again, your banning order will be extended. If you breach it again - where does this stop? It does not. The fact is the worst the government will do is to simply continue to ban drinkers, who will then seek other means to get hold of alcohol because they remain at liberty.
The Country Liberals’ policy, on the other hand, will identify drinkers through a similar mechanism: you get picked up three times in six months. I accept what the Attorney-General said; that these frequent flyers will be through the cells three times in two weeks. However, once you get these frequent fliers they will become subject of a banning order similar to what the government is proposing. The fundamental difference is that, under our system, if you breach a banning order you will become subject to a judicial review; that is, you will get charged with the offence of breaching a banning order.
Under the government’s system, there is no effective judicial review, there is no administrative appeals tribunal, so you are committed under the government’s system to whatever the government tells you to do. We will still incorporate the court system but, upon conviction for breaching a banning order, you are then incarcerated for a period of three months where you will go to an institution of rehabilitation. You will be out of the parks and gardens of our community, and out of our bedrooms and living rooms where you are breaking in to steal for your habit, and threatening people in the community with weapons so you can extract money to support your habit. You will be out of circulation. The fundamental difference between the government and our side of the House is we are prepared to bite the bullet and make the judicial system part of a health outcome which is compulsory - compulsory to the point where your liberty will be taken away and you will be placed in an institution where you will face rehabilitation.
I pick up on some of the comments made by members in this House, particularly the member for Nelson, in relation to welfare. It has been an astonishment to me over the years that I have lived and worked in the Northern Territory, that one tier of government – namely, the federal government - pours millions of dollars every month, every week, into the Northern Territory to fuel a problem the Northern Territory government spends millions of dollars responding to with police effort. There clearly needs to be an arrangement in place where the welfare expenditure of the federal government does not have a deleterious effect on the people who live in Darwin, Alice Springs, and the rest of the Northern Territory.
Passive welfare has clearly failed in all its intents. Changes need to be made to the welfare process. I, for one, believe in a compulsory work for the dole scheme: if you are not at school and you are not on a pension, then you must be working for the dole. I urge the current government - and if I form a part of a future government in the Northern Territory, I will certainly be pursuing the federal government - to change the arrangements in relation to the payment of welfare in the Northern Territory to all people, regardless of race or location.
This is not to be tough and seen to be tough. This is because work provides dignity. The absence of work, particularly in the remote communities of the Northern Territory, has demonstrably resulted in a loss of dignity for the traditional people who occupy those remote communities. Equally so, those people who depend on welfare in our larger communities are stripped of dignity. Welfare recipients in Brooklyn, Brixton, or Redfern are cut from exactly the same cloth. It is a human condition we are discussing, not merely a condition of the Northern Territory.
Madam Speaker, the reason I seek to support this censure motion is that government, whilst long on promises, has been short on delivery. For government, the answer to a solution is to throw money at it: ‘We have spent X number of dollars on this program, we have spent this much money on that program’. And for what? If you look at the amount of crime that has been generated in this community, particularly in the last few months, clearly mere expenditure alone is not a sufficient solution. Yet, the government says it will continue reviewing and continue spending money on all these noble pursuits, throwing good money after bad.
This government, over the last decade, has had its opportunity to make the changes, to engage in its philosophy using the people particularly of Alice Springs as the Petri dish for its social experiment. Finally, the results of that experiment have come home to roost, and it is not how they said it would be. The fundamental presumptions about human nature, the goodness of people, all those things it ascribes to when talking about the evolution of government in the Northern Territory to a kinder and softer government, has led to a harsher and more dangerous environment.
The road to hell is paved with the corpses of many good intentions. This government is not any different. Whilst it continues to preach that it is tough on crime, the actual policies - the alcohol court, the SMART court, those sorts of things - are intended to keep people away from punishment, not in environments where they would seek punishment. The fundamental flaw of the Youth Justices Act, which we now know is under review, is it is a vehicle by which responsible people can avoid responsibility.
That is the fundamental difference between the two sides of the House. On this side of the House, we believe if you break into a person’s house you are personally responsible, regardless of your circumstances. On this side of the House, we believe that if you set fire to someone’s car, or throw a rock, you are responsible, regardless of your circumstances. If poverty was really the catalyst for crime, then all people who are poor would be criminals. It is just not true. The assumptions this government brings into this House, again and again, see repeated failure, again and again.
It is time this House passed a failed report card on this government which meant it is censured by this House and, in reflection, by the community of the Northern Territory. It is all well and good to make noble calls, but it is also a time when you have to stand up and be responsible. I urge the member for Nelson in particular, with his noble calls, to bring responsibility to the Northern Territory government. But no, he has already indicated he supports government.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Speaker, I will continue from where the member for Port Darwin left off. I, with him and others from our side of the House, support the censuring of the Chief Minister and his government for all the reasons outlined in this motion.
I was, with other people in this Chamber, highly embarrassed to be out front this morning to see that gathering of people call for the Chief Minister to address them, and the Chief Minister in hiding, as such, in here failing to do that. That is reprehensible. Whilst the Chief Minister can ramble on about how he is prepared to sit down with a small group of the Action for Alice people, the fact is there are many other people from Alice Springs not involved in that group who also want answers. The Chief Minister showed himself to be a complete coward by …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, I ask you to withdraw that comment, thank you.
Mr TOLLNER: Okay.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: I withdraw. I suppose if the boot fits - anyhow.
Madam SPEAKER: Just withdraw, thank you.
Mr TOLLNER: I did withdraw, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: No comments, please. Thank you.
Mr TOLLNER: I did withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much.
Mr TOLLNER: I was saying if the shoe fits you should be able to wear it.
The Chief Minister showed himself to be devoid of moral courage in refusing to front that group this morning, and it was a shameful moment for this government. For that reason the government should be censured, the Chief Minister in particular.
I was also horrified to hear the Chief Minister’s response to this motion that, somehow, the member for Araluen was fuelling crime in Alice Springs by supporting the Action for Alice group. I cannot imagine how that is possible, and I cannot imagine why the Chief Minister would say what the Action for Alice group is doing is somehow bad for Alice Springs. I do not know how calling attention to the plight of people in the town can be bad.
The Chief Minister talked about the damage to tourism and businesses. The fact is I was a shadow minister for Business and Tourism at one stage in this parliament, and travelled up and down the track and spoke to businesses right across the Territory, not just in Alice Springs. Singularly, when you are ask ‘What is your chief concern?’, everyone says crime. Whether you are in Katherine, Tennant Creek, Gove, Darwin or, of course, Alice Springs, the biggest issue anyone sees they are facing in business, particularly the tourism industry, is crime. How can you have tourists having their pockets picked, their cars stolen and trashed, and expect the tourism industry to just lie down and take it? That absolutely defies logic. These guys have made the hard decision.
We have a gaping, pustular, cancerous wound in the Northern Territory stinking up the whole place, and the Chief Minister, somehow or other, expects we are going to ignore it. The fact is, it needs cauterising because, if you do not cauterise those sorts of wounds, you will eventually die. That is what the Action for Alice group is doing: acknowledging the problems they have here. They are not isolated problems either; these problems affect business right across the Territory - and not just businesses, but all sorts of organisations.
Someone has to call attention to it, and good on the people of Alice Springs for getting in there and doing exactly that. They have not just done it in the Northern Territory, but they have done it on a national basis. So, now, we have a whole national spotlight focused on Alice Springs. I dare to say the nation is looking very closely at what is going on in these sittings. Hopefully, they will take notice of the gutless reaction of the Chief Minister in failing to get out there and defend himself this morning. Ultimately, we need action. The people of the Territory are demanding action and, without that action, things will just fester and continue to get worse, and that gaping, pustular sore will continue to stink up the Territory - it is a horrible thing to see.
The Chief Minister banged on this morning about alcohol, and the tough approach to alcohol. I have a different view about the way we treat alcohol to many people in the community. Last week, there was a story in The Australian newspaper about an animal bar in Alice Springs that people were demanding should have been closed down. My view is the appropriate place to drink is in pubs, in hotels, and we should be encouraging people to drink in pubs and in hotels - those licensed premises. People should not be encouraged to go to Coles or Woolworths or the nearest corner store, and get drunk in the mall, on river banks, or in our parks. To me, that just defies logic. To constantly belt publicans around the ears for the way they manage their premises is completely wrong.
The fact is, when you have a group of people in a licensed establishment, you can actually control them. You know where they are, you know how drunk they are getting, and you can deal with them. It is far easier than having big mobs of police trying to police every park, every bit of river bank, every corner of school grounds and the like, trying to track down drunks. To me, that is a very difficult way of policing alcohol.
Getting around the Territory and into a few pubs and actually looking at the way publicans manage their establishments, I have to say the vast majority of them - the extremely vast majority of them - are incredibly responsible. I know most bottle’os and the like in Alice Springs will not let people walk in and purchase alcohol on foot; you have to be in a vehicle to purchase alcohol. I have seen bottle’os in Darwin where they flat out refuse to serve people and, yet, the drunk will go across the road or down the street into the nearest Woolworths or corner store, and purchase their liquor from there. I believe the focus needs to be placed on some of these places because, quite frankly, the crime we have emanating out of hotels pales into insignificance when compared with the alcohol-related crime that seems to emanate from Coles and Woolworths and the other establishments that sell takeaway alcohol. Restaurants are very responsible in the way they serve alcohol and the way they deal with people who have too much to drink. In that regard, we are going into completely the wrong direction when we start trying to close down animal bars.
It has been said by other colleagues that maybe we should be looking at some licensed premises in the bush - out there in communities, where people can be encouraged to drink responsibly. I get a bit disheartened at times when I see the number of drunks on the streets around my electorate office, in the parks, and beside the road in my electorate. I think particularly about Aboriginal people in that regard. They cannot drink on Aboriginal land, they cannot drink at most pubs as they are not allowed access, and they cannot drink in Housing Commission units. It is good to see the minister here; I know he has worked very hard cleaning up the Housing Commission units. Hats off to him.
However, where, in all reality, can an Aboriginal person drink legally? The fact is most of them are bound; if they are alcoholics, they have to go to some sort of takeaway place, be it a bottle shop or a corner store, to purchase alcohol. The only place they can drink that is in a park. They cannot go home and drink it responsibly at home. They cannot go, in many cases, into a licensed premises. The only place they can drink is around the streets, and this creates all sorts of problems for us as a community.
With the intervention of 2007, I was on the record at the time of saying that I did not think the alcohol provisions of the intervention were the right thing. I wholly supported John Howard and Mal Brough with the Northern Territory intervention, but I did have concerns at the time about the alcohol components of it. My view is people need to be taught to live with alcohol. As so many people here scream out, prohibition does not work. You create a black market, a whole bunch of criminals and the like and, before you know it, you are running around chasing up people who should be, in all reality, in licensed premises.
I remember when I first came to Darwin, almost 25 years ago now, there were a number of what we termed ‘animal bars’ around town. The beauty of those places was they might have looked rough, they might have given the impression we were, somehow or other, running some sort of an apartheid system up here, but the reality was you had a whole bunch of people in an establishment paying full tote odds for alcohol - they were not going into bottle shops and the like buying things at massively discounted rates - and police knew exactly where they were. They knew where they had to be at 10 o’clock at night when the place closed down. You look at it now: 10 pm and it seems the whole of Darwin can be a war zone at times. Certainly, that is what the people here in Alice Springs have been experiencing for quite a long time.
We need a serious rethink on alcohol policy. It is always good to hear the Chief Minister and the Treasurer say that the CLP wants to introduce rivers of grog - but what nonsense. What absolute nonsense! We want to see people drinking in a regulated way. We want to see people being responsible with alcohol. That is the simple fact of the matter.
The other thing that concerns me is some comments I have heard from people, not just from the government, but even some people on our side and I think the Mayor of Alice Springs this morning referred to it; that is, the concern about urban drift. I do not have the same concerns. In fact, I am all in favour of urban drift; there should be more of it. The fact is most of these communities are hellholes. I cannot imagine wanting to grow up in a remote community; to raise kids in those places. What hope do people have? There are no jobs, no one works, and there is a lack of education and health services.
The reality is the only way many of these people have any hope at all is to get into an urbanised environment. They need access to jobs - to real jobs, not some type of beat-up CDEP welfare-type created job – where they can actually contribute to the community. They need proper education services for their kids. These things are always going to be very difficult to provide in remote areas; similarly health services. The major urban centres across the Territory have these services and I believe Indigenous people have a right to these services. The question which really infuriates citizens of the towns and cities the length and breadth of the Territory is the fact that when these people arrive in town there is nothing for them.
We saw the absolutely disastrous occurrence with the Yuendumu people in the last couple of days. They were put up for two weeks at a hostel just outside Alice Springs; yesterday, they were kicked out of there and had to live at the showgrounds. Clearly, they do not want to go back to their community; they fear all types of punishments and violence if they go back there. What is there for them here? Where do we accommodate them? Public housing numbers have dropped to alarming levels in the Territory. I suppose this is a spin-off of the fact that we do not have adequate public housing facilities. You cannot, in all conscience, put these people into town camps. Town camps, quite frankly, are ghettoes where you would not send your worst enemy. As far as I am concerned, those town camps need to be bulldozed and people need to live a decent life as part of our whole community, rather than shoved into a ghetto when they get into places like Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Darwin.
I believe urban drift should be encouraged. I believe the Labor Party should ditch its Back to Country policy, because people want decent lives; they want to be able to live like normal people. To be sent back to places where there is no employment, no access to decent education services, no access to decent health services, is completely wrong. We are simply perpetuating problems in our community. While we continue to do this, we are not going to grow as a Territory, and we are not going to thrive as a Territory.
Almost 30% of Territorians are Indigenous people; the vast majority of them are living in remote communities with little or no hope at all for the future. We need to get these people into meaningful jobs, and we need to give them good education services and good health services. That cannot be done in remote areas because, quite simply, we cannot access the teachers, the doctors, and the nurses. For goodness sake, we have enough trouble trying to find those people to move into places like Darwin, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Katherine. The difficulty in finding people to live in remote communities is enormous. So, in that regard, I disagree with some of the speakers.
As I said from the outset, I wholeheartedly support this censure motion. The government is all at sea on this issue. It is completely lost, and bereft of ideas. The member for Nelson called for bipartisanship. Well, in many ways, you can only hope that could happen because at least some people can give these guys some idea on what to do. As far as they are concerned, they just want to sweep this problem under the carpet and act as if it does not exist. Let us be honest, you just want to send the trouble-makers, Indigenous people, back to communities where no one will notice them and, hopefully, these problems will occur in the dark where people do not see them happening.
Madam Speaker, the government is out of ideas and needs to hang its head in shame. The Chief Minister, particularly for his gutless actions today, should hang his head in shame. I call on all decent-thinking members of this House to support this censure motion because these things cannot be allowed to continue.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Year 4/5 Bramley at Gillen Primary School with principal, Mr David Glyde, Mrs Jacqui Bramley, their AIEW, Mr Robert Clair, and support assistants, Abe Kozeluh and Chanara Coombe. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: The question is the censure motion as moved by the member for Greatorex be agreed to
The Assembly divided:
Motion negatived.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Centralian Middle School Year 7 with Ms Leigh Birkenhead and Ms Majella Bowden. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, as we suspended standing orders to have the censure motion the entire suspension for lunch has expired. We have set hours. I will suspend the House now being aware that there have been a number of members who have had to reorganise meetings, including me. I will recall the parliament at 3.30 pm.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. I have suspended the House.
Assembly suspended.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have given my leave to the member for Macdonnell to make a personal explanation. I remind honourable members this is not a debate, and I seek your agreement that we do not make it into a debate.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I place on the public record that I was misrepresented in Question Time at the last sittings by the Chief Minister.
In response to the member for Araluen during Question Time, the Chief Minister stated:
I am disappointed that the Chief Minister clearly was not made aware of the facts in regard to my recent letter to the Police Commissioner. Instead, it appears that operational issues were utilised for political purposes in the arena of parliament. Here are the facts, Madam Speaker.
I e-mailed a letter to the Police Commissioner on 9 February, clearly reporting what I observed on Alice Springs streets on 7 and 8 February. In that letter, I invited the commissioner to contact me if any further clarification was required. This letter was forwarded by the commissioner to Commander Murphy in Alice Springs. A meeting was arranged between Commander Murphy and me for 11.30 am on Friday, 11 February. I cancelled this meeting on 11 February after I was notified late that morning that my niece had attempted suicide in Alice Springs and was in ICU. My office sent the commander an e-mail later that day stating further facts which had come to light in relation to illegal sales of alcohol in Alice Springs.
I travelled to Darwin that weekend to attend the parliamentary sittings from 15 to 24 February. On the morning of the 24 February, the commander arranged a meeting through my office for 3 March. Michael White, the Superintendent, also contacted me through my office on the morning of 24 February and, as I did not want to discuss the content of my letter over the phone, my electorate officer arranged for Superintendent White to also attend the meeting with the commander on 3 March.
All of these arrangements were made before 10 am on Thursday, 24 February, a full four hours prior to the start of Question Time. However, these facts apparently were not made clear to the Chief Minister prior to Question Time and, because of that, false statements have now been placed on public record.
I find it hard not to conclude that the result is a breach of the important separation between operational arm and the parliamentary government.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker …
Madam SPEAKER: Is it a point of order, member for Fong Lim?
Mr TOLLNER: No, Madam Speaker. I am wondering if I might be able to ask you a question.
Madam SPEAKER: No. Question Time has finished.
Mr TOLLNER: No, I have a question for you as the Speaker. An operational matter, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: No, member for Fong Lim. Resume your seat, thank you, it is not Question Time. You can see me afterwards if you wish to. Resume your seat. Thank you, member for Fong Lim.
Continued from 23 February 2011.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, the thrust of this legislative amendment brought by the Northern Territory government before this House is, in essence, a political one to deal with a political issue. We have already seen in this House the positioning the government has engaged in to sell it as a political issue.
The Bail Amendment Bill seeks to make a criminal offence out of a person who breaches bail. It is my understanding that in other jurisdictions – in fact, all other jurisdictions - that is currently the law. It is not my belief that we slavishly follow all other jurisdictions by mirroring their legislation. It has not been the practice of this government until it suits them for political purposes. The Bail Amendment Bill, essentially, seeks to make an offence out of bail.
The reason we on this side of the House have such deep reservations about the government’s intent in relation to making bail a criminal offence is that, after 10 years of being in power, it has not considered it necessary, until such time as it wanted to go on the latest round of demonstrating how tough it is on crime. We know it is not tough on crime and we can demonstrate that by simply examining how the practice of bail and its treatment by the Northern Territory government has been followed up until this point.
During a briefing with the minister’s department, I asked for some numbers to be forwarded to me - which I have not yet received - in relation to how many bail agreements are set aside in front of the courts. I remind honourable members that bail agreements are entered into, substantially with police officers, but also entered into with the courts from time to time.
Bail is, essentially, the right to be at liberty rather than in custody. One has to remember when you are bailed for an offence, more often than not, you have not been found guilty of anything. What a person does is enter into an agreement between themselves and either a police officer in charge of a police station or a court in what is, essentially, the nature of a civil agreement or contract: they promise to turn up to court otherwise they will pay an amount of $500.
There are various forms of bail, and there is a scale of bail outlined in the Bail Act. At the lowest level, the lowest form of bail after you have been arrested is simply ‘I promise to turn up to court’. No amount of money is attached to it and there is no promise of amounts of money attached to it. That form of bail is very rarely used. In fact, I am unaware of it ever having been used. What is far more common is the next one up the scale, which is the own recognisance bail.
Own recognisance bail is, basically, an agreement: a person will turn up to court on such and such a date otherwise they will pay an amount of X dollars. You then go up through the different scales where you can get a surety to make the same promise on your behalf. You can place cash bail before a court or a police station. You can have a surety put up cash, which is not uncommon in the United States - you see that quite a bit. You can also subordinate yourself to other bail proposals such as the handing in of a passport. All that as an aside, I return to the most common form of bail which is the own recognisance bail.
The own recognisance bail is, as I described, a promise to pay a certain amount of money when you appear before a court. The problem I have with this is, almost as a matter of course, own recognisance bails are set aside when a person breaches that bail. What normally happens is a person enters into a bail agreement, promises to pay, let us say a sum of $500, and then does not appear. Under the government’s proposal, that person would be committing an offence if they did not appear. However, we cannot take that proposal seriously because all those agreements entered into are set aside by the court with the acquiescence of the prosecution. When I say all, all but one or two I am aware of in 14 years of policing. The prosecutor stands in front of the court when someone is picked up on a warrant which is issued for arrest - it is called a means warrant, or it was a few years ago, I presume it still is - for breach of bail. They go before a court, and then the amount of money on the bail agreement is set aside.
Moreover, to demonstrate the government is not particularly serious about this issue, if you are picked up on breach of bail - I am sure members of the public will be surprised to hear - you will have a right to bail for the offence of breach of bail under this legislation. What happens if you are arrested for breaching bail under the government’s proposal is you will be brought before a court or a police station, and you will get bail despite the fact you now have a proven track record that you do not turn up for your bail. I am under-whelmed by the proposal of this government in relation to this matter, because it is doing what it always does; making it look like government is doing something: ‘We are tough on crime because we are making breach of bail an offence’.
You are not, because what you are engaged in is making breach of bail a media release so you can encourage people in the Northern Territory to believe you are tough on crime. That is simply not the truth. You are not tough on crime when you do not make breach of bail an offence for which the presumption of bail is against you, rather than for you.
The minister is also wrong in other areas in relation to her comments about bail. I was fascinated to hear her say there is no right to bail in our community; that bail was a privilege granted by the state rather than a right. I draw the Attorney-General’s attention to section 8(2) in Division 2 of the act, where it says:
That means this parliament, in the past, has demonstrated there is an entitlement to bail as a right, unless certain circumstances exist. The act goes on to describe those circumstances. It is a handful of offences relating to offences like murder, treason, serious drug offences, and certain types of domestic violence offences and assaults in which the presumption for bail is reversed. It is not correct for the Attorney-General to announce, contrary to the intentions of this parliament in the past, that breach of bail is not a right, when it clearly is enshrined in section 8 of the Bail Act. The vast majority of offences which are committed in the Northern Territory do not qualify within the list of exceptions outlined in section 8 and other parts of the Bail Act.
Once again, we are seeing the sloppy approach this Attorney-General has brought to so many legislative instruments, simply in her and this government’s haste to get a message out saying: ‘We are tough on crime. Quick someone find me a message to say that I am tough on crime’. Then, you see a minister, and a government, who approaches duties in a haphazard and slack fashion, asserts things in the second reading speech which are not correct; to be tough on crime by introducing the offence of breach of bail; and then allowing the presumption of bail to work in favour of that legislative instrument. Basically, whilst she may well have gained our support if this had been done properly, this side of the House will not support government by media release, glossy brochure, and knee-jerk reaction in pursuit of its attempt to deceive the people of the Northern Territory about what it is doing.
Government has been reduced to a series of Pavlovian responses. The stimulus in this Pavlovian response is some form of criticism or bad news, and the resulting salivating dog is the introduction of a bill which is ill-considered, misrepresented and, frankly, dishonest. If the government is serious about introducing a breach of bail offence, the Attorney-General is quite able to negotiate with this side of the House to bring something in that reflects the expectations of the people of the Northern Territory - not some facile and shallow attempt to demonstrate activity in the face of criticism.
Madam Speaker, the opposition does not support this bill.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I support the bill, but I have a number of concerns. It is a bill that sounds good, but I am not sure it makes much difference. I could say I support the bill simply because it probably does not do any harm, but I am not sure it is going to do a great deal of good. The reason I say that is because I am no lawyer. I get confused, if someone goes to court and the judge decides instead of going to remand because they have not been found guilty he will put them on bail. Part of the bail is that they must stay at their residence; they cannot leave that residence. Then, a week later, they are back in front of the magistrate and he says: ‘Why are you here?’. He says: ‘I broke my bail’. ‘What did you do?’ ‘I left the home when I was not supposed to’.
The problem I have is why is that person not sent to remand immediately? There might be good reasons for that person breaking bail. It could be there was an emergency, and the judge would certainly have to take that into account. However, it seems that it is like telling someone, ‘You promise to do this?’, and they say ‘Yes’, and they come back and they have not done it. Then, you say: ‘You promise to do this?’ and they go away again, and they come back. It seems to me if you make an agreement with someone, like the magistrate - and that is what bail is about - if you do not keep that promise, then, surely, the consequences are that you will go into remand.
The second reading speech said, in the case of this amendment, ‘the government is sending a clear message to defendants on bail’. Further on it said: ‘You may end up with a conviction on your criminal record and face imprisonment or a fine’. If someone has a fairly serious offence and knows there is probably a fair chance he is going to gaol, they may say: ‘I could not care less because I am in trouble already and, more than likely, I am going to go to prison, so who cares?’ It is also, as the member for Port Darwin said, that you can get bail even though you have been found guilty of breaking bail.
I understand this has tightened the bail conditions to accord with some other states. It brings us into line with - I think it mentions Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania, and so be it. However, I still find it difficult to understand, if you break a promise to a magistrate, why someone is allowed a second chance and a third chance? Hasn’t that been one of the big issues the public has been saying is wrong; that people are continually getting bail; that magistrates are continually letting people off? I have heard - and again, this is only anecdotal - that magistrates have tightened up on those circumstances in Alice Springs. That is one reason why Alice Springs prison has many more people in it than it normally does.
The point is, it seems to me there is a basic philosophy. If I was a kid and my mum said: ‘Go and do something or else’, and I did not do it, the first thing I got when I got home was the ‘or else’, unless I had a pretty good reason. I was not told and got a second chance; I usually got a whack on the backside or a dressing down. I do not know how you put respect back into law and order if decisions are sometimes made in front of a magistrate where those requirements are ignored and your reward for ignoring those is to get another chance and, perhaps, you break it again and your reward is to get another chance. Does that send out the right message?
I know there are complications. I know magistrates have to consider, especially with Aboriginal offenders, deaths in custody. I know there are circumstances where there may be a requirement for the magistrate to give bail a second time, and maybe even a third time, but I would regard that as the exception rather than the rule. Many in our community are concerned offenders do get off - and it is via the courts - when they break bail. That is an area not really being addressed by this legislation. It appears on the surface to sound tough, but for someone who really does not care it may have no effect at all.
Madam Speaker, whilst I support the bill, I do not think it will achieve a solution, to any greater extent, for the problems we have at the present time.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the support of the member for Nelson, and I thank him for his support. I also acknowledge the concerns he has raised which, effectively, go to whether this is going to be enough of a deterrent to get people to change the way they will breach their contract in a willingness to breach bail. We have to send clear messages. This is not just a political tool, or a stunt, or a media release, as the member for Port Darwin said. We are genuine. We are genuine in sending a very clear message to offenders, people who are up on charges, people who have got bail through the pathways of bail that are available in the Territory - and I will talk to some extent about that - that we are introducing it as an offence to breach bail with the maximum penalty of 200 penalty units. In dollar terms, that is not insignificant; that is $26 600 or two years imprisonment. So, if you are going to breach bail you face a conviction on your record. Before you have even had the substantive matter dealt with, you are facing that. That is a significant shift in the way we are approaching the messages we are sending about the importance of bail in our community.
We did this at the request of the police of the Northern Territory. I know the member for Port Darwin is a former police officer, but you would appreciate, member for Port Darwin, that one of the hallmarks of a good government would be to actually listen to the officers at the coalface who are dealing with these matters. They very clearly articulated that they wanted to see, for the first time in the Territory, an offence of breach bail.
These were concerns I, as Attorney-General, took on board and went to my ministerial colleagues and, ultimately, my Caucus colleagues to discuss. I said we have already put a presumption against bail into our most serious offences, as the member for Port Darwin talked about. That was a very clear message in relation to those very serious offences, but we wanted to send a clear message that it is an offence to breach bail - a message we cannot currently send because we do not have that law in the Territory, while the law exists elsewhere in our nation.
Whilst I acknowledge the concerns from the member for Nelson - and I share those concerns - we will continue to work with the judicial officers of the Territory and have those conversations. There is a reason why the government has gone down the path of introducing legislation to make it an offence to breach bail. We want this matter to be taken very seriously. I have had those discussions with the Chief Magistrate, with magistrates, and with police. I will continue, as the Attorney-General, to have those discussions, and send and reiterate those messages.
I believe, in part, you answered some of your concerns when you said there is anecdotal advice coming to you regarding the decisions being made by the court in putting prisoners into remand and getting those offenders out on bail. I believe it is one of the advantages of being a small jurisdiction in that, when the government has an intent and follows that intent with legislation, it can be the cornerstone of very real discussions that occur at the coalface with the practitioners, whether they be the police, the judicial officers, the magistrates - and with regard to this legislation, also the judges of the Supreme Court because they have taken jurisdiction in this matter - that we have that debate and we send very clear messages.
This may be viewed through the prism of a political lens by the opposition, but it is actually a genuine intent by this government to send a very clear message to people out on bail: do not take that bail for granted. Do not breach bail, whether it is by reoffending or breaching a condition of bail.
I will go to, essentially, the point of difference between the opposition and government. That is the point of difference in presumption. The opposition says if you put presumption against bail in, you would have support for this legislation. I will still, as the Attorney-General of the Territory, take advice from very good legal minds in the Territory regarding where you progress your law. The best advice is that to put presumption across all offending parameters that attract bail would be the wrong approach to take. Why? Because sometimes there are very good reasons why people breach bail.
People can breach bail by breaching their curfew condition; for example, they were meant to be in the place at a particular time, and something has occurred, they had to take their kid to the hospital - whatever it is – and they have failed to appear in court. In the Territory, you would appreciate many offenders are not necessarily residing in an urban environment. For those offenders getting to court is, sometimes, something which does not come off smoothly. There are circumstances where people have genuinely made an attempt to appear at the time they are required to, and are in breach of their bail conditions because they did not.
For all those reasons, I took on the best legal advice and have brought in legislation that is common around our nation, but has failed to exist in the Territory. By failing to exist, it is yet another message we were not sending regarding the importance of meeting bail and bail conditions. Looking at the penalty units of 200 penalty units being a monetary value of $26 600, we have set it pretty high as a clear intent of where we stand on this matter. Making it a two-year imprisonment is a pretty tough response in where we stand in relation to people who would commit an offence by breaching their bail undertaking by either failing to appear in court or breaching a condition of their bail such as a good behaviour, reporting to police, or being subject to a curfew.
This offence applies to both adults and juveniles to ensure there is a fairness of reasonable excuse in why we have not gone ahead with the presumption against bail the member for Port Darwin pursued. In wanting to score points on the floor and repeat the attack the member for Port Darwin likes to make on me - I have no issue with that, member for Port Darwin, by all means continue it. What I meant by the comment that bail is a privilege not a right I believe, and will say for clarification, that it is not an absolute entitlement. I should have been more defined in the second reading speech. I will put it on the public record: in the second reading speech I should have said bail is not an absolute entitlement.
The Bail Act provides for presumptions in favour of bail for most offences, particularly for those less serious offences, and provides a presumption against bail for a number of serious offences such as murder and the many drug and sexual offences. We put the presumption against bail into that category of serious offences, bearing in mind this legislation of an offence to breach bail covers those minor offences, which is why we did not go the entire pathway of presumption against that the opposition would have.
It also provides a presumption against bail for certain categories of defendants, such as a person charged with a serious violent offence other than murder alleged to have been committed within five years after the defendant has been found guilty of an earlier serious violent offence. Depending on a defendant’s antecedents and current circumstances they might be granted bail despite presumption against, or not granted bail despite a presumption in favour. In other words, there is nothing absolute about being granted bail or not.
If a defendant is granted bail, responsibilities are attached. The most important of these is to appear in court on the date required in the bail undertaking. Courts will often impose other conditions and it is important defendants comply with these conditions. The purpose of this bill is to make it clear to defendants who are granted bail that they must comply with their bail undertaking and conditions. If not, as a result of this legislation, there will be consequences. If defendants do not take the responsibilities attached to the grant of bail seriously they stand to lose out on continuing bail. They risk incurring a criminal conviction. Again, I remind members by creating the offence of breach of bail it brings that maximum penalty of 200 penalty units, in dollar terms $26 600, or two years imprisonment.
Some figures were sought by the member for Port Darwin in a briefing, and I have had the Department of Justice working through the system to provide figures. They have told me in 2010 some 7472 people were granted bail at some time during the prosecution process. A total of 77% - some 5780 - of the initial grants of bail in 2010 were made by police. The remaining 33%, 1692, represents the number of people who either did not apply for, or were refused police bail in the first instance and were subsequently granted bail by the court. Of the 7472 people granted bail, there were 574 instances of either the defendant’s recognisance being forfeited or the recognisance put up by the defendant’s surety being forfeited. That is the extent of the information that the Department of Justice has been able to extract,
Clearly - and we listened to the police and our community - we believe people who were taking too flippant an attitude towards bail are being sent a very clear message with the introduction of an offence to breach bail with the legislation we have before the House today.
The task will be, if this legislation passes - and with the support of the member for Nelson I am presuming this will pass - getting the information out to people to ensure they are aware there will be a penalty for breaching bail; it will be an offence. We will be providing notices and posters to the courts and the police stations for display; information will be made available on our Safe Territory website through the Department of Justice website; information will be downloadable; and we will get the information out to all the key legal stakeholders.
We will be sending the clear message through all the mediums and ways we can, not as a political tool or stunt but because, genuinely, this government does have an intent to bring home a very clear message to people who are on bail: do not abuse the opportunity of bail, meet your bail conditions, turn up to court when you are required to, meet all the reasonable bail conditions imposed by the courts, and the conditions agreed to through the police bail process. It is a clear message that has worked elsewhere in Australia. It is a message, I believe, with good intent, after strong dialogue in a small jurisdiction involving all of those legal organisations so they can talk to their clients, involving the magistrates, the judges, and the judicial processes including, of course, the police and the role they play.
We are sending a clear message. I do not believe it is a message which will be ignored. If it is, we are always open to evolving where we go. I believe where we have landed on this one is extremely fair and reasonable because, as I said, the nature of offenders in the Territory means there are often challenges - real and genuine challenges - in meeting their bail conditions. That is why we have landed in a very reasonable space that has served our nation well elsewhere in an offence to breach bail.
Madam Speaker, I commend the legislation to members.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Madam CHAIR: Honourable members, the committee has before it the Bail Amendment Bill 2011 (Serial 150) in the name of Ms Lawrie.
Bill taken as a whole, by leave:
Mr ELFERINK: My first question to the Attorney-General is in relation to how this act works in tandem with the Youth Justice Act. Just to make sure I have not missed anything, I presume there are no amendments arising out of this which relate to the Youth Justice Act?
Ms LAWRIE: No.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. That being the case, I presume there are no amendments to the regulations of the Youth Justice Act?
Ms LAWRIE: I am advised no.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. The reason I raise the issue is that without an amendment for the Youth Justice Act - and I do not have a copy of the act in front of me - the Youth Justice Act is quite clear about how matters are dealt with and which matters are referred to the process of diversion, etcetera - the four options of warning, diversion, etcetera. Without an amendment of the Youth Justice Act, how will you proceed with offences committed against the Bail Act, now that you have made bail an offence?
Ms LAWRIE: I will get advice from officers and I will get back to that. Do you want to go on with other questions?
Mr ELFERINK: I am surprised the minister does not know how the Youth Justice Act – well, the Youth Justice Act was the minister’s own act, introduced into this House in 2005 and lauded for all its successes. It is a straightforward question. I am surprised that she struggled with a straightforward answer to it …
Ms LAWRIE: I will point out that the Youth Justice Act does not sit under my portfolio.
Mr ELFERINK: Whatever. I will wait for the advice to come back because the minister does not know. In relation to this, did you approach the police, or did the police approach you about this change to the legislation?
Ms LAWRIE: The police raised it with me.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. So I presume it was the new commissioner who brought it forward?
Ms LAWRIE: No, your presumption is wrong. It arose at a briefing I had with police in Alice Springs. Police Command in Alice Springs raised it. They felt it would be useful to the situation they saw of the number of people going up on repeat bail applications to create an offence to breach bail. I provided an undertaking to them that I would look into the matter and get back to them. I looked into it. I saw the legislation exists elsewhere. I discussed it with my Department of Justice officers regarding its workability. I had discussions with a senior magistrate, because the Chief Magistrate was currently on leave at the time, regarding the workability. Would it assist magistrates in the functioning of the courts in achieving, hopefully, a reduction in recidivism regarding breaching a bail? The view was, yes, it would be a matter that would assist them. Based on that, I pursued the drafting of the legislation and took it through the normal Cabinet and Caucus processes.
Mr ELFERINK: When did the Alice Springs police raise the issue with you?
Ms LAWRIE: In January.
Mr ELFERINK: This year?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. So it was under Commissioner McRoberts as the Police Commissioner. Did you speak to the Police Commissioner about this?
Ms LAWRIE: I certainly have spoken to the Police Commissioner about this.
Mr ELFERINK: When did you speak to the Police Commissioner about this?
Ms LAWRIE: I do not have recall on the exact date and time, but the police have been in the loop in the drafting and provision of the legislation.
Mr ELFERINK: Perhaps I misunderstood your answer earlier. This matter was raised by the Alice Springs police; you then sought advice from the Department of Justice. At what stage did you raise the issue with the Commissioner of Police?
Ms LAWRIE: Prior to making a decision on whether to introduce the legislation.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. So the Commissioner of Police was also aware of it. Did he support it?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. Thank you. So, why did we not just hear from you earlier, saying that you had the support of the Commissioner of Police prior to you proceeding with the bill? It is not that hard to answer these questions.
Ms LAWRIE: Because you said, ‘I presume this was instigated by the Commissioner of Police’. I had to correct that, because I have actually stated the facts.
Mr ELFERINK: All right, fine. How are we going with the Youth Justice Act question?
Ms LAWRIE: An officer has not returned with the information, if you can continue with your questions.
Mr ELFERINK: All right. It is a bit hard to continue with questions when you do not know the answers. However, I will …
Ms LAWRIE: I have provided answers to every other question so far.
Mr ELFERINK: You made a reference in the second reading speech that bail is a privilege and not a right. Is that a correct assertion?
Ms LAWRIE: As I said in my closing remarks, theoretically, strictly speaking, it is not absolutely 100% correct. I have said the comment absolutely goes to the intent that bail is not an absolute entitlement.
Mr ELFERINK: So, you accept the advice you gave this House in your second reading speech - singularly the most important form of legislative speech that occurs in this House - was actually wrong?
Ms LAWRIE: Theoretically, it is not correct. As I said in my wrapping up, I made it very clear that my intent is right. It should not be seen as a right; it should be seen as a privilege, absolutely. We are sending a clear message with the passage of legislation which really ought to be supported by the opposition. I am not surprised you are not supporting it, by the way. It is sending a clear message: this is not an absolute entitlement; it should never be seen as an absolute entitlement.
Mr ELFERINK: I never suggested for one second that the entitlement was absolute. You have just said you considered the fact it is a right and not a privilege to be something that you disagree with. Do I then take it from you that you anticipate bringing an amendment into this House declaring bail to be merely a privilege?
Ms LAWRIE: No.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. So you have an opinion which is contrary to the will of this parliament. Are you prepared to assert that, during your second reading speech, your opinion was contrary to the wishes of this parliament?
Ms LAWRIE: No.
Mr ELFERINK: However, you then said it is a theoretical error. What is the difference between a theoretical error and a real error, minister?
Ms LAWRIE: Do you have any real questions to do with the legislation?
Mr ELFERINK: I have real questions to do with the legislation. I also have questions to challenge and to test the quality of thinking that has gone into this process. Clearly, the quality of thinking that has gone into this process is being found wanting. You have already admitted errors in your second reading speech.
Ms LAWRIE: One.
Mr ELFERINK: One is one too many, Attorney-General, I tell you. You have admitted in this Chamber that you have made incorrect statements in, singularly, the most important speech you could possibly make as the Attorney-General in this House. As far as I am concerned, and the members on this side of the House are concerned, that pulls you up short in your responsibility. This is why we make the assertion in this House that this matter is being done on the run. We are always hearing from the Attorney-General how carefully we must proceed with these legislative changes. Yet, we hear the inspiration for this legislative change was created in January. Why the haste, minister?
Ms LAWRIE: A many-faceted, lengthy question but I will go to the essence of it. As I said, this request was made by police at a meeting I had with Police Command in Alice Springs in January. I took the request on board seriously; I made a commitment at that meeting to consider the request. I tested the request with legal officers in my Department of Justice including, of course, the CEO of the Department of Justice - as I ought to.
I also then consulted with other people whose views generally are those which I ought to take on board as the Attorney-General, including a senior magistrate because the Chief Magistrate was on leave.
All the advice I received is that this would be a good offence to introduce; the breach of bail would be a useful tool and would send a clear message, and the provision in the law which is the norm throughout our nation would be an appropriate law here. I also consulted with the Police Commissioner in that process. The police have been consulted through the drafting of the legislation. Other agencies have been consulted in the circulation of the Cabinet submission which has led to this legislation.
I believe it is a good thing for government to do. When you get a genuine request from people at the coalface, such as police operating in these matters all the time, you take it on board; you follow up your commitment to consider it; you take those considerations to people who would have a very clear, expert view on whether that was the right step to take; you take on board their advice which I did; and then you proceed through the due and normal processes of government.
I make no apologies for being able to introduce legislation in the last sittings and seek passage in these sittings. That is government responding to the commitment it made publicly in Alice Springs after having heard concerns raised by police and following my consultations and taking on board expert advice. We made a public commitment on, I believe it was 27 January, to introduce the breach of bail. That is a good thing, not a bad thing.
Mr ELFERINK: So you would expect that this legislation is vigorously policed and enforced?
Ms LAWRIE: I would expect the legislation is.
Mr ELFERINK: According to the figures I heard you give - and I am surprised it was as high as one in 14 own recognisance arrangements are enforced. Why has this legislation not been reinforced rigorously in the past?
Ms LAWRIE: This legislation has not been passed.
Mr ELFERINK: This is the Bail Act; we are talking about own recognisance arrangements. You just read the numbers into the Parliamentary Record. Could you please advise why the own recognisance arrangements have been so poorly policed by you in the past? Their job is to ensure the Bail Act works, is it not?
Ms LAWRIE: I am advised what happens in those instances is police proceed with making applications and the courts have refused them.
Mr ELFERINK: You are telling me it is a normal course of police prosecutions to seek enforcement of the own recognisance agreements and the courts have refused to enforce those own recognisance arrangements? Do I understand that correctly?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, I am advised it does happen. My advice is it does not happen all the time; however, I am advised it does happen.
Mr ELFERINK: How often does it happen?
Ms LAWRIE: I do not have the figures.
Mr ELFERINK: One in 14 was the number you said in this Chamber. Can you come back to advising me of the policy in relation to police prosecutors, as well DPP prosecutors, enforcing these own recognisance arrangements, and why has the enforcement level being so awfully low?
Ms LAWRIE: I am advised from the figures provided we can tell how often forfeiture has occurred, but we do not have the figures on how many times applications have occurred.
Mr ELFERINK: You have read in the forfeitures - the numbers I heard were about one in 14 – 507 000 was the number I heard? Could you please explain to members of this House, and the Northern Territory public, why the performance and seeking the enforcement of these own recognisance arrangements has been so low?
Ms LAWRIE: I provided figures to the House that said 574 instances of recognisance or surety being forfeited, not 507 000.
Mr ELFERINK: No, I am asking the question. Goodness gracious, you really struggle with this stuff. You have told this House that some 7000 bail agreements had been entered into, of which 574 of these own recognisance arrangements had not been set aside. Can you explain to this House why the enforcement of the current legislation has been so low and so poorly addressed?
Ms LAWRIE: It goes back to my previous answer. I know you do not like my answers, but they are the facts. I advise again, we do not have the data on the applications.
Mr ELFERINK: I can tell you from personal experience, as well as complaints by police, the enforcement rate is very low. Can you tell me how many own recognisance bail arrangements have been enforced by the courts and how many have been set aside?
Ms LAWRIE: I am advised the question does not make sense. It is how many recognisances or sureties have been forfeited, and that is the data we have provided.
Mr ELFERINK: The bottom line is it barely ever happens. The fact is it has been very poorly pursued in the past. The issue I raise, and the question I keep asking, is why has it been so poorly pursued in the past? Why are recognisance bails set aside all the time?
Ms LAWRIE: I will repeat: I do not have the application data here with me. I can say considerations are taken with issues of hardship and the like. So, you can swim around in circles for as long as you want, member for Port Darwin, or you can proceed with other questions.
Mr ELFERINK: I am asking some very straightforward questions. The swimming around in circles is the almost incomprehensible answers we are receiving in relation to it. The reason I raise this issue is that, when own recognisance bail arrangements are entered into, they are rarely enforced or sought to be enforced in the courts. They are set aside after the means warrants are executed. The reason I continue to raise this issue is simple: if all of these arrangements are so conveniently set aside on such a regular basis, what comfort do I and members on this side of the House have that the prosecution of criminal bail forfeiture is going to be any more tightly policed than the Bail Act has been up until now?
Ms LAWRIE: I doubt that anything I have to say in response to that question will satisfy you, member for Port Darwin. What I will say is the work that has occurred regarding the debate and the discussion around whether to introduce an offence of breach of bail has had a significant focus from both the courts’ officers involved in Justice, the DPP, the prosecutors - and very vigorous discussions between senior police heading up police prosecutions. There has been a very real, improved dialogue between all of the officers in this matter of police procedures in issuing bail, the courts’ own process in issuing bail, and the pursuit of the very real issue we have in recidivous behaviour in breaches of bail.
I am far more comforted now, as a result of the pathway we have gone down to introduce this legislation, and the dialogue that genuinely has opened up between the parties who are at the coalface and are doing this work - being police, prosecutors and, of course, the magistrates and judges. It has been a very useful debate to have with people who are working at that coalface, focusing on the issue of the recidivous breaches of bail.
Mr ELFERINK: So if the issue you have in relation to this matter is recidivism, why do you not reverse the presumption of bail for breaches of bail?
Ms LAWRIE: For all the reasons I explained in my summing up.
Mr ELFERINK: Jog my memory.
Ms LAWRIE: As I said, we already have presumption against bail for those very serious offences, and that is appropriate - absolutely appropriate. We do not believe it is appropriate to put presumption against bail for minor offences. We did so on good, considered legal advice, recognising the nature of the Territory, recognising that, with people often on bail, they are often residing in remote locations and could, despite best intent to appear at their court date - I used the example when I introduced legislation last sitting of road access issues and the like. A presumption against bail would not be reasonable in the jurisdiction of the Territory, we believe, in the minor offences that this captures.
Mr ELFERINK: The problem you now have, of course, is that if you were to reverse the onus of bail, you would then be capturing minor offences - like street offences, for argument’s sake - for which bail is issued. So, you have the problem of not being able to create a presumption against bail because of the effect of minor offences. Is that correct?
Ms LAWRIE: I have answered the question already.
Mr ELFERINK: Yes. The problem is I am trying to test the quality of your knowledge. You have told me what everyone else has said, but not what you actually think. When it comes to being a minister of the Crown, what you think should be the primary driver. However, we know what you think is errant, simply because you have already had to admit to one mistake in this debate. This, then, drags me back to the Youth Justice Act. How are we going? Do we have an answer on that?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, I am advised under section 39 of the Youth Justice Act, diversions will continue to apply. Under this provision, a diversion is not granted for serious offences where the youth has previously participated in a diversion or it would be unsuitable to grant a diversion.
The offence of a breach of bail will not be prescribed in the regulations because, although it is serious, it is not sufficiently serious an offence so as to always be removed from the diversionary process. Bail can be breached in many ways. It would not be appropriate to remove from the diversionary scheme.
Mr ELFERINK: So, in accordance with section 39(2) of the Youth Justice Act, if this clear message of firmness on breaching of bail - this new offence you are trying to describe - under section 39(2)(a) of the Youth Justice Act, the full penalty which would extend to a juvenile who breaches bail would be to, ‘give the youth a verbal warning’. Is that correct?
Ms LAWRIE: No, because there is discretion as to whether a juvenile gets a diversion, so your assertion is not correct.
Mr ELFERINK: Well, then I struggle with this. I read that whole section 39(2) out to you:
The first one is to give a verbal warning. Can you describe to me how ‘officer must’ translates into a discretionary power?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, I am advised it will depend on the youth antecedents as to whether they are granted a diversion or not.
Mr ELFERINK: I will go back to the question. On the first time that a juvenile offends, then the worst they can expect is a verbal warning. Is that correct?
Ms LAWRIE: No, because you are failing to go back to the actual section 39(2)(a) which reads, ‘one or more’.
Mr ELFERINK: Section 39(2)(a)?
Ms LAWRIE: The provision you quoted.
Mr ELFERINK: Which was:
Oh, so, we then get to section 39(2)(b), which is, ‘give the youth a written warning’. Is that correct?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, I have answered the question regarding the way it works. You can continue down a dead end all you like, member for Port Darwin.
Mr ELFERINK: It is not a dead end because, under your own Youth Justice Act, if a kid on a first instance, or even on a second instance, breaches bail, one of four things only can occur: give the youth a verbal warning; give the youth a written warning; cause a youth justice conference involving the youth to be concerned; and refer the youth to a diversion program. For a first offender, what do you anticipate the effect on the youth will be?
Ms LAWRIE: You are talking about a juvenile who has yet to be convicted of anything. They are charged with their first charge. Within the Youth Justice Act, clearly there is a series of one or more actions officers can take.
Mr ELFERINK: Yes, one of the four I just described. Do I understand when you say that this applies to youth, and then you combine that with the operation of the Youth Justice Act, if this youth is a first or second offender, the youth will not be charged with breaching bail?
Ms LAWRIE: As I have pointed out in everything I have said, this is clearly about tackling the recidivist behaviour of people who are paying scant regard to the provision of bail. You are going out on a limb and finding a first offender juvenile - first offender juvenile - someone who has not actually been convicted, and looking at the provisions within the Youth Justice Act whereby the youth can be given a verbal warning, can be given a written warning, can cause a youth justice conference involving the youth to be convened or, indeed - and you are very selective in what you are quoting, as you always are - refer the youth to a diversion program.
Mr ELFERINK: Yes, I was not actually quoting all four, so it would be helpful if you actually listened to the questions. Getting back to the issue, when you say this is about ensuring we are tough on crime and telling juveniles, as well as adults, this bill will operate to ensure they answer their bail conditions, in fact, if a juvenile of a first or second offence - a recidivist offender in the case of a second offence - still commits the offence, the best they could possibly hope for is to receive a youth diversion program. How is this, minister, in your estimation, tough on bail offenders?
Ms LAWRIE: I will go to section 39(3), where it says the verbal warning, the written warning, the youth justice conference, and the referral to a youth diversion program does not apply if the youth has left the Territory or the youth’s whereabouts is unknown; the alleged offence is a serious offence; the youth has, on two previous occasions, been dealt with by the youth justice conference or a diversion program, or on one of the occasions by the youth justice conference and, on the other, by a diversion program; or the youth has some other history that makes diversion an unsuitable option, including a history of previous diversion or previous convictions.
Mr ELFERINK: Right, so, as a first offender - I will go back there again so we are following the same bouncing ball - or a second offender only the operation of section 39(2), which is verbal warning through to diversion, applies. Is that correct?
Ms LAWRIE: What I am being advised is, if a juvenile is charged with an offence they have, obviously, not done a diversion program of the subsections you are referring to. They are appearing in court; they have been charged with the offence.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. They are charged with an offence and not yet found guilty, but have not answered their bail. That still does not change the circumstances of the juvenile and the offence in relation to the Youth Justice Act. I hope you and the staff behind you can see where this is going.
Madam CHAIR: Are there any further questions?
Mr ELFERINK: All right. Having to spell it out for the minister, the point is this actually creates a small anomaly in the operation of the legislation. The anomaly is that a juvenile who is charged with an offence, but not yet found guilty of the offence, commits the new offence - the second offence that you are in the process of creating - and is arrested on a means warrant for failing to turn up on their bail, thus committing the offence. That youth can still be subject to the operation of the Youth Justice Act despite the fact they have been charged with an offence under another act.
Ms LAWRIE: I will point out the advice is that they are on bail, they have not been summonsed, and they are not on a diversion program. They are on bail.
Mr ELFERINK: The anomaly still exists. They have not been convicted of this other offence for which …
Ms Lawrie: No, it does not.
Mr ELFERINK: … they have been charged and the anomaly will continue to exist.
Ms LAWRIE: No, you are wrong.
Mr ELFERINK: So far, all I have heard you do is admit about how wrong you have been in this House. I do not believe I am wrong. I am concerned that little consideration has been given by you in relation to this particular issue. This is the reason I go back to making the statements that I made during the second reading of the speech; that this is ill-considered legislation which has been rushed through for the sake of appearances. I have no further questions.
Ms LAWRIE: You are wrong.
Bill agreed to without amendment.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Continued from 23 February 2011.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): I thank honourable members for their indulgence.
Madam Speaker, I can say at the outset that members of this side of the House will be supporting the legislation brought forward by the Attorney-General. I will make some comments which will seek not only support for this, but support for some other concepts which relate to this matter.
The amendment before the House deals with the issue of double jeopardy which relates to matters in sentencing - a matter which has been somewhat contentious in this country for the last 15 or so years on a range of issues, which includes the matter of Kable - I have forgotten the rest of his name – who went to the High Court. Whilst it does not quite touch on the matters before the parliament now, it does raise the issue of double jeopardy as a concept.
For members not aware of the concept of double jeopardy, it was originally invoked in history as a vehicle by which the state was restrained from unusual prosecution and sentencing practices which would see people who were objectors to the conduct of the state being not prosecuted once but on several occasions by the state in an effort to either bankrupt that person or in some way capture them. The principle has long history in the common law that once the Crown has, through its various organs, prosecuted a person - and in this instance sentenced a person - that person cannot be sent to trial again for the offences which they had already been tried, or for that matter sentenced on a second occasion for a matter they have already been sentenced upon. That issue was raised in Kable’s case in the late 1990s, if memory serves me.
The essence of that case helps to draw the distinction of the issue before the parliament at the moment. The parliament of New South Wales sought, through a regulatory instrument, a statute, in the process naming the person who was the target of that statutory change - if memory serves me it was a Michael Kable, but I could be corrected on that – a particularly unpleasant fellow who was being held in the custody of Correctional Services of New South Wales. The parliament of New South Wales sought to introduce a legislative instrument which would have the effect of extending his period of custody beyond the sentence he had already received. That matter was adjudicated upon finally in the High Court of this country. It was determined that because of the nature and structure of that particular legislative instrument he was unable to be kept longer in gaol than the original sentence provided for.
However, the process of double jeopardy has also prevented outcomes which the Attorney-General considers clearly to be unjust, as do we on this side of the House. What has motivated the Attorney-General is clearly the case - in fact she refers to it directly - of the victim of a crime in Darwin, Adam Sargent. For those people in the gallery and those members not aware of this crime, Mr Sargent came home with his wife, his infant child in his arms, to be confronted by two young rascals - to put a kind word on it - who had or were in the process of breaking into Mr Sargent’s house. These two wicked young gentlemen - or one of them at least - was armed with a knife and proceeded, whilst Mr Sargent was holding his infant child, to stab Mr Sargent repeatedly. Mr Sargent turned his back upon his assailant, using his own body as a shield to protect his infant child. As a consequence of the assault, he finally collapsed. If memory serves me, he was stabbed about his abdomen and thorax a number of times - I think 10 stab wounds were reported; I stand correct on the exact nature.
The young gentlemen involved were, thankfully, quickly brought to justice and, because of their age, they were treated as juveniles. As a consequence, the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory handed down a sentence of four-and-a-half years with 12 months to serve. If you allow for time in custody, I would have suspected the sentence would have been completed fairly quickly. Whilst we consider that the assault was very serious, and whilst we - or at least the lawyers amongst us - recognise the four-and-a-half years of sentence being fairly stiff, the community, nevertheless, does not see the sentence in those terms. The community sees the sentence as being 12 months to serve for what some people believe should have been dealt within an offence of attempted murder.
I am certain the police, and the DPP who prosecuted the matter, carefully considered the matter and chose the appropriate charges. Nevertheless, the charges for which Mr Sargent’s assailants were charged carried much heftier sentences than the court deigned to bring down.
The government has pointed out that the Director of Public Prosecutions went down the path of not appealing the sentences which were handed down. This was in the middle of an enormous public response to these sentences. Never have I been witness to such a profound and deep sense of public resentment about a court’s decision to hand down a sentence which, in the public imagination, was trivial to say the least. The Director of Public Prosecutions, as the Attorney-General quite correctly outlined, cited that one of his reasons for making the decision not to pursue the matter was:
The DPP also, surprisingly, added to its observations in relation to this matter that the sentences were within the range of sentences you would expect under the circumstances.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, in relation to defending his decision not to appeal the matter, referred to a case called Simmons v Hill 1986, 38 NT 31, where he quoted Justice Maurice, who said:
He was saying that in relation to the sentencing of youths in particular.
What the Director of Public Prosecutions has said in his defence of his decision not to appeal the matter is that we do not want to punish children because the courts have established that the punishment of children is of secondary importance and, indeed, on the lower end of the scale in these considerations. It is my understanding that the assailant in this matter was a child of the age of 17 years. One could well understand the public’s exasperation at the leniency of the sentence, which was issued in such a serious assault.
Madam Speaker, the Director of Public Prosecutions also referred to the case of Dinsdale v The Queen (2000) 202 CLR 321, and he quoted Justice Kirby at paragraph 62. I will read the whole quote because it is worthwhile:
One of the grounds which honourable members and, I am sure, the public, would be aware of in relation to these particular matters for appeal is the grounds of manifest inadequacy of the original head sentence. The head of the DPP was fully aware of that restraint, which is why he continued to run his defence of his determination not to appeal in relation to Simmons v Hill.
Madam Speaker, it is this principle of double jeopardy that the parliament now has before it. The double jeopardy proposal brought before this House by the Attorney-General will recognise the Double Jeopardy Law Reform COAG Working Group recommendations.
I now express a certain level of disappointment in relation to this particular matter, because the sentence in Mr Sargent’s case will not be affected by the legislative instrument that we pass in this House today. That is not my understanding. In fact, it is not a retrospective organ. If it were, it would be breaching the double jeopardy provisions this legislation seeks to address. The reason this disappoints me is that the working group report from COAG was handed down - and I will quote Recommendation 4 so people understand what the recommendation is about:
My disappointment is simply that it took the assault on Mr Sargent for the Attorney-General to determine it was necessary to bring forward a proposal which was decided in 2007. If the government of the day had been on its toes and had been able to respond to this particular issue more effectively, then this government would have introduced this legislative arrangement - I presume with the support of members on this side of the House - years ago.
We heard in the debate prior to this one how good government is in responding to the needs of the community quickly, or the needs of departments. However, for some reason the Attorney-General, in this instance, has sat on a recommendation for four years. It was not until the sentence that was handed down in the case of Mr Sargent, that the Attorney-General was galvanised into action. If this Attorney-General is good at responding to public expectations, public needs, and anticipating the needs of the public, she certainly missed the boat on this occasion.
Nevertheless, Madam Deputy Speaker, we on this side of the House will take the attitude that it is better late than never. I am disappointed for Mr Sargent, and the people who support Mr Sargent, that he has missed the boat because of this government’s tardiness.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I am pleased the opposition is supporting this legislation. It would have been somewhat strange if they had not because, for all the reasons stated, the principle of sentencing double jeopardy had provided that when an appeal court decides whether to allow a prosecution appeal against sentence and to exercise its discretion to re-sentence an offender, it is required to take into account the offender’s exposure to a type of double jeopardy; namely, that the offender has to undergo sentencing on a second occasion for the same offencec. Sentencing double jeopardy can distort sentencing practices because the sentence imposed by the appeal court will not reflect the sentence that it considers should have been imposed in the first place. This can reduce the guidance provided by appeal court sentences to other courts and the effectiveness of DPP appeals against sentence.
It is this issue of the effectiveness of DPP appeals against sentence when this matter came to my attention early this year - not four years ago, but early this year - in that very tragic case of the serious assaults inflicted on Mr Adam Sargent. There was public furore, which I thought was reasonable, regarding the sentencing imposed on the offenders in the Supreme Court. Each was sentenced to four-and-a-half year’s imprisonment with a 12-month non-parole period and, quite reasonably, the community does focus on that non-parole period in looking at the view of leniency of the sentencing.
The Director of Public Prosecutions at the time, early this year, advised publicly he would not be appealing the sentences. He cited as one of his reasons for his decision that:
It was these special constraints that the DPP was referring to as the principle of sentencing double jeopardy. That is why, as the Attorney-General, I sought further advice from my Department of Justice in this matter of sentencing double jeopardy, and pursued the remedy we have before us today in this parliament.
I have not sat on it for four years. In fact, there were similar tight time frames between the offence of breach of bail legislation and the sentencing appeals legislation we have in the criminal law amendment before us today.
In relation to the Council of Australian Governments, COAG, and the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General, SCAG, and the work they did in April, that actually went to a whole raft of double jeopardy provisions, many of which …
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: He cannot help himself. … many of which, I am advised by my Department of Justice legal officers, are highly complex and actually very difficult to work through. That is why this particular one, the sentencing double jeopardy, had not been dealt with previously because it was caught up in a raft of recommendations regarding double jeopardy arising out of the SCAG and COAG recommendations. It is not surprising, then, that only four other jurisdictions have actually moved to introduce this legislation themselves because many are working through the complexities of other double jeopardy provisions contained within the body of work that SCAG did that eventually went to COAG and was dealt with by COAG in 2007.
What I did was take one very real situation out of a raft of other double jeopardy provisions. One very real scenario that we saw, a constraint on our DPP in sentence appeals, was pulled out of the pack, if you like, of the double jeopardy matters that were raised by COAG with recommendations of how to proceed, because the rest of the pack, I am advised, is highly complex and difficult to work through and would have, if it had stayed in the pack, meant further delays in its introduction to parliament. So, whilst I am pleased there is support, I wanted to state on the record that the assertion by the member for Port Darwin that I had sat on this for four years is erroneous.
In the broader raft of COAG reforms regarding double jeopardy, the department has been working on a discussion paper to bring forward to me for my consideration, as Attorney-General. They will continue that work. However, in having a look at the Sargent matter regarding what we believe was lenient sentencing of the juveniles involved and, obviously, the constraints raised by the DPP, I pulled it out of the pack, and we proceeded with it expeditiously. It was pretty similar time lines as the previous legislation for the offence of breach of bail.
That is what government does. We see an issue, it arises, and you seek advice of what constraints there may be around that. The DPP was very forthcoming with his advice, and I thank him for that. A great body of work was done by my Department of Justice officers to proceed with this expeditiously because I did pull it out of a broader COAG reform package around double jeopardy and decided to pursue it separately to the broader raft of double jeopardy consideration.
I thank the opposition for its support of this. I hope it sends a clear message. It creates an ability for our DPP to appeal where there is a significant view that sentencing could be considered on the lenient side.
I know that this is always going to be a contentious debate amongst the legal fraternity in the Territory, and the broader community of the Northern Territory. I welcome that debate. The more we go to a consideration of sentencing and the punishment that is meted out through our judicial system, the more we are reminding people out there, who would commit or consider committing an offence, that there are actual consequences to their actions. So, I welcome any debate around sentencing.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I make no apology, as Attorney-General, for pulling this one out of the COAG raft of reforms on double jeopardy pack and bringing it forward and expediting its introduction as a result of my concerns, and my government’s concerns, of the sentencing of the offenders in the matter of Adam Sargent, who was heinously attacked and suffered significant injuries.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General) (by leave): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Continued from 23 February 2011.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, I indicate in the first instance the opposition’s general support for this bill. We certainly will not hinder its passage. Nevertheless, I cannot but forbear to make a few comments in relation to the bill that is before us now.
The bill seeks to amend the Electronic Transactions (Northern Territory) Act 2000 which was incorporated into the lexicon of the Northern Territory legislative structure in 2000 when it was introduced by the former government. The Electronic Transactions (Northern Territory) Act 2000 sought to formalise the Northern Territory’s commitment to a national and international agreement to give certainty to the electronic transactions with occur on a daily basis.
I am amused to look at the original second reading speech of the then Deputy Chief Minister, Mike Reed, who introduced the bill and boasted that there were ‘a number of businesses which were now connected to the Internet’. In a space of 11 years, that comment has changed from an accurate statement of the day - there are businesses that are now connecting to the strange thing called the Internet - to the age of the iPhone where there is not a human being alive, as far as I am aware - certainly in the western world - who is not connected to the Internet.
That was 11 years ago and, in accordance with the changes that have occurred in the passage of that time, problems and issues will have been noted in relation to the arrangements that standard form of legislation has entrenched into law. This bill is an attempt to address some of the minor issues - or major issues depending on how much money is riding on it - in relation to electronic transactions and deals, essentially, with the law of contract which is the nature of agreements. We find, unusually, we live in an age where we can contractually bind two parties together, where either party is actually unaware of the contractual arrangements to which they are being bound because of the way electronic equipment works in our community. So, this bill anticipates that and amends the original act accordingly.
I was drawn to one particular issue in the briefing that I had on this bill. That was the issue of the postal acceptance rule. I thank your staff for answering that question. The reason I raised that particular issue was that I am not unaware of the instantaneous communications rule, but the law tends to be somewhat unsettled in relation to how this may apply to e-mails. For those people who are unaware, the postal acceptance rule is quite an ancient rule in the modern world, where a contract can be accepted where the person making the offer is still unaware that the contract has been accepted, merely by the act of posting a letter. This means where a person who receives an offer walks to a post office box and slips the letter through the opening of the postal box, the Royal Mail, at the time, was considered to be so efficient the awareness of the offering party would have eventually become manifest by virtue of the fact that they would have absolutely received that letter.
The instantaneous communications rule does not seek to expand the operation of the postal acceptance rule. I can quote the House of Lords in what is called the Entores case – no, they confirm in the Entores case. The case I am relating to is Brinkibon Ltd v Stahag Stahl GmbH [1983] 2 AC 34. It reads:
I will repeat this so that members are aware:
The reason I talk about the postal acceptance rule and reflect upon the instantaneous communications rule is simply that I was struck by the authors of Contract Law in Australia - Fifth Edition - which is actually quite recent, yes, 2007 - Carter, Peden and Tolhurst, who made these observations:
I note this issue relates to an earlier passage in the book. Whilst what I have just read out reflects the operation of the electronic communications rule, Carter et al made the observation:
Madam Speaker, the bill which is before the House, I am aware, is also part, or an extension of, the international agreement which saw the introduction of the Electronic Transactions (Northern Territory) Act in 2000. I note also that the government went out of its way to address the issue of the postal acceptance rule in clause 13A(1)(b)(ii) of the bill which says:
I appreciate this particular notion in the legislation, but I find myself wondering if the House of Lords, in the original case which I described in relation to the electronic communications rule, should be heeded. I remind members that the issue which was raised is that no universal rule can cover all such cases. They must be resolved by reference to the intention of the party’s sound business practice and, in some cases, by a judgment where the risks should lie.
The risk of passing a legislative instrument which attempts to deal, in a single pen stroke, with an issue of the nature of when an offer is accepted, as described by the bill before the House, is the same risk you have when you cast any net into the future using a legislative instrument seeking to catch one variety of fish alone.
The issue I flag as a potential problem into the future is that, where circumstances exist that a person who is contracting, in all the circumstances, should be assumed to have received a communication, will, unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on which side of the argument you are on – find themselves in a position that they may use the awareness of that communication as a defence.
I am mindful of the caution that was sounded in 1955 by the House of Lords, and that by casting a single legislative line which creates an awareness on the part of the offeror can use simple awareness as a vehicle to avoid their contractual obligations. The legislative instrument says a person is bound when the addressee has become aware of the electronic communication. Whilst I appreciate there are some circumstances in this amendment which describe where electronic communications between machines would have the effect of binding parties, although they are not yet aware, the general proposition that an addressee has to become aware that the electronic communication has been sent to that address, it is conceivable that there is an outcome that a consumer may be deprived in certain circumstances simply by an offeror running a defence they were unaware of the communication.
This is a minor issue. The reason I raise it is more to put it on the record that this issue exists and, if any case comes up in the future where this defence is relied upon, I will be recommending to the Attorney-General that she may want to revisit that simple line at some point in the future.
Beyond that, Madam Speaker, the members on this side of the House support the bill. It is important to try to give some sort of certainty in the area of transactions. The contract law has been one of the great preserves of the common law. Legislation is rarely able to intrude upon contract law because of the nature of that form of law. On those occasions we do create legislation, I hope we do so both judicially and wisely.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the opposition will be supporting this legislation which is adopting the model legislation drafted by the New South Wales Parliamentary Counsel - that is, the model bill to amend the electronic transactions legislation - so Australia may implement its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts of 2005.
The bill will amend the Electronic Transactions (Northern Territory) Act 2000. We have come a long way since the original assent of the convention. The amendments certainly modernise Australia’s laws on electronic commerce to reflect internationally recognised legal standards and to enhance cross-border communications. It contains relatively minor amendments which clarify the traditional rules of contract formation to reflect internationally agreed principles, and to facilitate the use of electronic commerce. It will modernise our Territory’s law on e-commerce to reflect internationally recognised legal standards and enhance cross-border online commerce; increase certainty for international trade by electronic means and, thereby, encourage further growth of electronic contracting; and confirm our commitment to facilitating electronic communications in international trade transactions as reflected in free trade agreements.
Once the legislation is passed, my Department of Justice will advise key stakeholders of the implications of the amendments. I raised this legislation with the President of the Chamber of Commerce, who was very receptive to the fact we were upgrading the electronic transactions regime through this legislation.
I note the concerns raised by the member for Port Darwin in a somewhat lengthy contribution regarding the historic aspects of where all of this was generated from, who is, ultimately, concerned regarding the wording of ‘become aware of electronic communication’. I am quite satisfied that greater minds than mine and, indeed, perhaps greater minds than his, have considered this matter, raked it over, and have landed on a United Nations Convention view of this matter we are adopting into model law around our nation - obviously drafted by the New South Wales Parliamentary Counsel. There would be greater legal minds in that Parliamentary Counsel than my own or, indeed, the person who has never practised as a lawyer.
By all means, let us be alive and open to your concern, member for Port Darwin, and with bated breath we will wait to see if anyone finds a flaw where you have concerns. I am alive to any correspondence from you where you can identify any operational concerns the United Nations Convention had which were not duly considered in the establishment of model law. I open, genuinely, the opportunity for you to correspond with me, perhaps through Internet, electronically by e-mail in this new form of modern communication this legislation is embracing.
Madam Speaker, I commend the legislation to honourable members.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General) (by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, pursuant to Remuneration Tribunal Determination No 1 of 2010, I table the following reports for interstate travel: my own travel in January and February this year; the member for Fannie Bay’s travel in February; the member for Brennan’s travel this year; the member for Macdonnell’s travel in February/March this year; the member for Goyder’s travel - three items of travel in March and January/February of this year; and the member for Arafura’s travel in February.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Public Information Act - Review of Public Information referred to Auditor-General dated March 2011, Report to the Legislative Assembly.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report, and that I have leave to continue my remarks at a later hour.
Motion agreed to.
Debate adjourned.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I table the Environment and Sustainable Development Committee’s report, Northern Territory Capacity to Progress Environmentally Sustainable Agricultural Production, together with written submissions received and Hansard transcripts of public hearings.
MOTION
Print Paper – Environment and Sustainable Development Committee - Northern Territory Capacity to Progress Environmentally Sustainable Agricultural Production
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I move that the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report, and that I have leave to continue my remarks at a later hour.
Motion agreed to.
Debate adjourned.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, it is great to be back in Alice Springs. I say thank you to everyone in Alice for hosting the March 2011 parliamentary sittings, and for providing those of us visiting this great town with warm and genuine hospitality.
We all know there has been a considerable focus on criminal and antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs recently. I reassure the Alice Springs community that my government has listened, and has acted. I absolutely understand the very real concerns of business owners and the wider community about the impact increased antisocial and criminal behaviour has been having on the town.
That is why my government took immediate action, working with the Northern Territory Police to roll out an immediate increase in police numbers on streets in Alice Springs. It is also why my government provided funding for temporary lighting of known trouble spots throughout the town. I am pleased to report both these initiatives have already had a positive effect on reducing crime and improving safety throughout Alice Springs. Results of the police operation to date already include from 3 to 21 March: 1494 litres of alcohol confiscated; 64 arrests for substantive offences; 19 truancies reports issued; five child abuse reports submitted; and 70 youths and 26 adults taken home or to a safe place.
Alongside the increase in resources and roll-out of additional police, community groups have been working collaboratively to address the wider and underlying issues that exist. With the Minister for Central Australia, I have met with community groups including Indigenous leaders, tourism operators, business owners, and the Alice Springs Town Council. I believe there is goodwill to work together to get Alice back on track. In particular, I thank the Mayor, Damien Ryan, for his ongoing commitment to genuinely working to get things back on track.
As a community, we need to recognise the problems and face them together, and continue to work together to find some very real solutions, and a way to get Alice back to being the great place we all know and love. It is only by working together that we can conquer these issues. Those who try to exploit the current situation and the genuine concerns of the community do nothing more than trash the reputation of Alice Springs. And guess what? If we trash Alice Springs’ reputation, tourists are turned off from visiting, workers are turned from relocating and, if that happens, everyone suffers. Instead of trashing Alice and talking down the town, let us work together to address the issues to get Alice back to the great place we know and love.
As I mentioned, there is much work for our government to do. In what we have been doing here, we have a great many achievements to be proud of. I will highlight some of those programs now to demonstrate the inroads being made in tackling crime and antisocial behaviour, and building a thriving township, the central plank of which is my government’s plan to roll-out the toughest alcohol restrictions in the country. Only by reducing alcohol can we significantly reduce crime. Only by getting tough on grog will we adequately get tough on crime. Only by rolling out the toughest alcohol restrictions in the country can we really get serious about reducing crime and curbing antisocial behaviour.
That is what my government will do. We are serious about reducing crime. We are serious about tackling antisocial behaviour, and that means we have to be serious about turning off the tap to problem drinkers. The common thread in most violent incidents that happen on our streets and in our homes is alcohol. The link between problem drinking and antisocial behaviour is well documented. That is why we need to roll-out these tough laws on alcohol. We need to turn off the tap to problem drinkers. Enough is enough.
Other measures we have already introduced include the liquor licensing identification system. An electronic identification system for takeaway purchase was introduced on 23 June 2008. The system works by identifying people who are banned or restricted from buying alcohol. Our proposed reforms will go further and increase the number of problem drinkers on this register, turning off the tap to more problem drinkers.
I know the frustration and anger felt by many businesses and homeowners in Alice Springs who have had their properties broken into more than once. It is unacceptable, and that is why the Territory police have rolled out additional police resources to curb criminal behaviour. This year, the Property Reduction Crime Unit has made 102 arrests, submitted 18 summons files and three youth diversion files, totalling 269 charges. In February 2011, the role of monitoring the CCTV system within the Alice Springs CBD was transferred from the Alice Springs Town Council - in fact, it was the taxi operators in Alice Springs - to the Northern Territory Police. The ability for police to monitor cameras on a 24-hour daily basis greatly enhances the effectiveness of the system.
I will talk briefly about the Alice Springs Transformation Plan and the Youth Street Outreach Service. We know kids should not be on the streets at night. That is why we have worked with the Commonwealth to provide funding for an expansion of services for the Youth Outreach Service. We know kids have no place on the streets at night, but the sad reality is, for some young people home is not safe or is not a welcoming place to be. That is why these grassroots programs to engage young people are so critical. It is only by breaking the cycle of disadvantage and hopelessness that we will close the gap. The Youth Street Outreach Program has been running seven nights a week since 11 January with positive results.
When it comes to dealing with those parents who do not properly look after their children, we, with the Commonwealth, have income management to ensure people do the right thing when it comes to looking after their children. Through this, child protection officers can quarantine 70% of a person’s income support if they feel the money is not going towards caring for the child.
We all know education is vitally important and significant progress is being made in improving access, and the results of education, in Alice Springs. Alice Springs school principals have the opportunity to apply for funding to address specific issues that affect their students and impact on attendance and engagements. Project-specific Youth Action Plan grants have been allocated to eight of the nine Alice Springs schools. In addition, all nine will receive $4000 to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers to engage parents in activities that foster student support.
I speak passionately about the Clontarf Football Academy. The Clontarf Football Academy is a real success story in the Territory, especially in Alice Springs, linking young boys’ passion for football with attending school and post-school employment opportunities. Clontarf started in Alice Springs in 2007 at Alice Springs High School, ANZAC Hill High School, now Centralian Middle School and Yirara College. In 2011, there are 119 students enrolled at Centralian Middle School; 59 students at Centralian Senior College; and 63 at Yirara College. Attendance has remained at a remarkable and solid 80% since the program kicked off in Alice Springs. We now have Clontarf Football academies operating in 10 schools in the Northern Territory. To date, there have been impressive outcomes, with improvements in student attendance, retention, behaviour, and academic achievement. Almost 80% of Clontarf graduates have progressed to full-time employment, training or further education, and that is an amazing outcome.
Two senior attendance and truancy officers have also been employed in the Central Australian region to target absenteeism and to increase attendance. The Families as First Teachers - Indigenous Parenting Support Services program aims to increase access to parent and child services and promote positive outcomes for vulnerable children from Indigenous families with young children aged zero to three years old living in Northern Territory growth town communities by providing intensive, targeted and coordinated support for parents and children to improve child development, child safety and family functioning. The program also aims to help Indigenous parents overcome barriers to good family relationships by providing support through transition to childcare, preschool and primary school.
Access to housing is a significant issue in Alice Springs and solid steps are being taken in this area. For affordable housing for first home owners, six affordable house and land packages will be made available to first homebuyers in Alice Springs at Ridges Estate, Larapinta. The house and land packages will be offered at a price of no more than $385 000, and the packages will be sold through a public ballot. To see more housing, we need to develop more residential lots, and this week will see the sod turning of the new suburb of Kilgariff, demonstrating my government’s commitment to fast-tracking land release.
The second stage of the Larapinta land release was completed in November 2009, releasing 39 blocks. Six single dwelling and one medium density blocks were bought back by the government for affordable housing and a seniors public housing complex.
Development of 28 residential blocks of varying density with a potential capacity for 90 homes is nearing completion at Mt Johns Valley. A further 7 ha of land is ready for release for development on the completion of current works.
Talking about new public housing in Alice Springs, six public housing dwellings were constructed in Alice Springs under the Social Housing Initiative components of the Nation Building and Jobs Plan, the stimulus package, two four-bedroom houses in Araluen and Gillen, and four two-bedroom units in The Gap. Currently under construction, an 18-unit Larapinta Seniors Village has commenced and will be completed by the end of 2011.
As of 18 March 2011, 47 town camp houses have been refurbished and handed over to Territory Housing through SIHIP. Twenty-two new houses have been constructed and handed over. In total, 85 new houses will be built, and all 200 houses will be upgraded.
There is also a critical need for supported accommodation in Alice Springs and the Apmere Mwerre Visitor Park on Len Kittle Drive is now open and operating, providing safe accommodation in Alice Springs. I have been briefed today that forward bookings are very solid, and this has demonstrated what a great need there was for visitor accommodation in Alice Springs. It provides short-term accommodation for people coming into town from communities, and can house approximately 150 people. I had the opportunity to visit the accommodation park and can say it is an absolute plus for Alice Springs.
Keeping the pressure off housing in town, we also need to see more housing in our remote communities, and 449 houses have been refurbished on 19 communities, so far. All tenants in refurbished houses have entered into formal tenancy agreements and pay rent according to the Remote Housing Rental Framework. Property maintenance is contracted out to the shires, and regular planned maintenance visits by electricians, plumbers, builders, and pest control are designed to ensure tenants can be satisfied that, in almost all situations, their houses are of a safe, secure and healthy standard.
The Territory government has also invested $650 000 to improve public and school transport, including a new Route 500 servicing the hospital 15 times a day. We have introduced a new school bus service to Jay Creek. We have provided a special-needs bus with an on-board carer, and $5m has been allocated in the 2011-12 Budget for the revitalisation of the Alice Springs mall and central activity district. There are significant commitments in housing, education and transport in Alice Springs.
I will talk, importantly, about the economy in Alice Springs and the importance of service delivery of the National Broadband Network. Construction of the competitive optic fibre from Adelaide to Darwin has been completed in Alice Springs and, once construction has been completed to Darwin - the optic fibre link is commissioned in September 2011 - Nextgen will be able to offer wholesale connections to service providers throughout Central Australia. It is going to be significant competition for Telstra, driving down prices and connecting Alice Springs much more efficiently and effectively to the World Wide Web.
Tourism is critically important to Central Australia and Alice Springs. Tourism NT and our Minister for Tourism successfully brought Oprah Winfrey to the Northern Territory. What a huge coup that was for the Northern Territory, and what amazing publicity Uluru and Central Australia received as a result of us getting in early. I was lobbied very hard by the Minister for Tourism for some financial support, but it was certainly money well spent. It was a great promotion for Central Australia, Alice Springs and Uluru.
The group visited Gabarnmung Cave in Arnhem Land, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Mbantua Gallery in Alice Springs. In Uluru, the group met with local Anangu people and walked the Kuniya and Mala trails and participated in a dot painting workshop. The Northern Territory was showcased during the four episodes of Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure, taking the Territory into the living rooms of more than 50 million people in the United States alone. That is just a staggering number and great credit to Tourism NT, all the tourism operators in Central Australia, and the minister. It was a fantastic promotion.
Indigenous tourism is vitally important and Tourism NT is assisting the Hermannsburg Historic Precinct Information Centre with the finalisation of their fit-out. Tourism NT has secured third-year funding from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the operation of the Alice Springs Indigenous Tourism Hub.
One of the key responsibilities of government is investment in capital works. This is a long list but an important list for the people of Central Australia to understand that the road does not stop at Berrimah. We are conscious of the requirement to invest in our regions, and Central Australia certainly gets its fair share of that investment.
Looking at some of the roads in the region: the Tanami Highway, reconstructed and sealed an additional 26 km of road this financial year/next financial year, $12.8m; the Plenty Highway, construction and strengthen 39 km of the road, $7.3m; the Red Centre Way, construction and seal 47 km of the road, $19.5m; Sandover Highway, construction and seal 15 km of road, $2.9m; Maryvale Road, construct and strengthen 53 km of road, $4.3m; the Santa Teresa Road, construction and strengthen 30 km of the road, $3.5m; the Kintore Road, construction and strengthen 25 km of road, $1.5m; the Stuart Highway, strengthen and widen sections of the highway at $5.8m; and the Outback Way, the Docker River Road, construction and strengthen 32 km at $3.5m. This work has already been committed to.
Programs for the near future that have been fully funded are: Stuart Highway south, flood immunity works at $5.2m; the Utopia airstrip, reconstruct and provide a sealed strip, $2.5m; and the AZRI headworks at Kilgariff, provision of sewer, water and road headworks at $10m. This is investment the Territory government is making to ensure that when land is turned off at Kilgariff the property owners do not incur those costs of the provision of sewer, water and road headworks.
Other current projects with investments in capital programs in Alice Springs and the region are: Alice Springs Middle School is seeing an $11m upgrade - I am looking forward to visiting that school with the Minister for Central Australia because we held a media conference there last year and it will be great to see the upgrade to that school completed; Ross Park School, upgrade to $3m; upgrades to police housing in the southern region, nearly $1m at $950 000; the installation of hybrid solar diesel power systems at Watarrka Rangers Station, $460 000; the Alice Springs Hospital upgrade and rectification to central sterilisation department, $1.9m.
I am pleased to say at last, and very soon, government will be letting the tender for the complete rebuild of the emergency department at Alice Springs Hospital. There have been significant issues and sagas around that project regarding the absolutely appalling work done in previous upgrades at the hospital that needed to be retro-fitted and fixed. There is legal action surrounding that. I have had the opportunity to visit the emergency department in Alice Springs, and the staff and the people of Alice Springs will see a tender released very soon for a total upgrade of that facility.
At Alice Springs Hospital as well, there was installation of stairwell pressurisation, $1.5m; and Alice Springs Hospital upgrade and rectification of the mental health ward, $2.8m. We are looking at significant expenditure currently in design, and in the budget process we will talk about in the budget this year.
We have also seen recently projects delivered with the Commonwealth government: the Alice Springs Accommodation Park, an $8m commitment to construction in Alice Springs; the Bath Street Lodge, renal patient accommodation critical for people coming in from remote communities, to the value of $4.5m; and the Western MacDonnell Visitor Centre upgrade at $1.5m.
There has been significant commitment to sport and recreation in Alice Springs. I am really looking forward to the opening of the Aquatic and Leisure Centre which has been hit by the late Wet Season in Alice Springs. I am sure the families and kids of Central Australia cannot wait to access the new Aquatic and Leisure Centre at a cost of $8.1m, with funding from the Commonwealth government. That is going to be a great boost to the town, not only for the residents of Alice Springs but people visiting from communities.
There has also been great sporting action for Alice Springs, and I commend the minister for Sport in Central Australia. Every time we get one of the national sporting codes knocking at our door seeking government support to play games in Darwin, Karl is always there saying: ‘Only if you commit to doing something in Alice Springs’. As the minister, he has seen a great number of sporting events come to Alice Springs and these have been well supported by the community.
We have seen the Alice Springs NRL pre-season match, North Queensland Cowboys versus the Brisbane Broncos. We look forward to the national Indigenous Rugby Union from 4 to 6 April this year, and the Indigenous Festival of Football on 6 July 2011. I think football is the round ball game, is it, Karl? Yes. I was at the meeting in Darwin with the minister when they approached us to host this national Indigenous Festival of Football, and that is going to bring many people to Alice Springs in July.
Of course, we cannot deal with the issues in Alice Springs without dealing with the issues of alcohol. There has been solid debate in this parliament that will go backwards and forwards, but we can see the impacts of the current alcohol management plan, and the success it has had, although there is still such a long way to go. The alcohol management plan has been in place since October 2006 and covers takeaway hours, Monday to Friday, 2 pm to 9 pm, and cask wine and fortified wine is only available from 6 pm to 9 pm. When the plan was evaluated in 2009, it was found that the level of wholesale pure alcohol supply consumption had been reduced by 18% from the time the AMP was introduced in 2006. In 2009, there was an increase of 9% in the level of wholesale pure alcohol supply consumption. Primarily, this was due to the sale of cheap, cleanskin bottled wine, and our reforms will go to the heart of that issue. Overall, the level of wholesale pure alcohol supply consumption is still lower than prior to the introduction of the management plan and for the year 2002.
An electronic ID system was introduced in Alice Springs in June 2008. In 2009-10, there were 321 court orders issued banning people from purchasing takeaway alcohol and, in 2009-10, there were 9009 successful detection and refusals of sale to people banned and to people trying to purchase above daily supply restrictions; that is, one cask of wine or one bottle of port a day. For people who rail against the requirements to provide ID to purchase alcohol, I say again: the ID system does not record any data in regard to alcohol purchased, but purely provides an opportunity for the courts to ban people from purchasing alcohol. If you do not have an ID system, you cannot ban people from purchasing alcohol. Certainly, 9000 attempts to purchase alcohol above the supply restrictions in 2009-10 shows how effective a policy tool this register is, and is going to be, across the Northern Territory. If people abuse alcohol they will not get access to alcohol. The only way to ensure they do not get access to alcohol is to have a register and ban people from purchasing alcohol. That is what legislation introduced tomorrow will seek to do.
As I have outlined, there is a range of positive plans for the future of Alice Springs and surrounding communities currently being rolled out or about to commence. My government is committed to continue working with the local community to continue rolling out policies that improve Alice Springs, and to make Alice Springs a great place again - not just for the short term, but for generations to come.
Madam Speaker, in this statement to the House today, I have identified a range of issues that government is working on. Ministers will be talking in their portfolio areas in more detail about what is happening in Alice Springs. I say again: the level of crime this community experienced in January and February this year was unacceptable, and I have outlined measures to ensure that does not happen again.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): This is a challenging statement to respond to, Madam Speaker, honourable members, as it outlines a series of programs and amounts of money that are being spent in response to what is clearly a problem. The problem is acknowledged; it is quite obvious. The statistics demonstrate there is a real problem and it is not improving, as we have seen in the five times we have sat in the Centre.
The anger in the community is real. They are reasonable people who have responded in a manner which requires a genuine response. They have, in the latest exercise, produced a nine-point plan, nine points for which they call upon the government for a response. I would have thought the Chief Minister, rather than acknowledging them as being produced, would have responded to them in some specific way, because they give you some hints as to what really is the problem.
I acknowledge also, in an earlier debate, that the Independent member for Nelson urged us to work together in a bipartisan manner. That may give people a good feeling so they say: ‘We will all get together and agree, and we will all work this out together’. It presupposes we have clearly understood the problem. Just working together does not, of itself, solve a problem without acknowledging what the problem itself is. A number of members in this Chamber would have done the best they can to try to get a deeper understanding of the nature of this problem. They would have wondered why this matter of violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and sexual abuse, has troubled this community to this degree, and why commentators around the nation have focused upon this.
I find it of great concern that members of the Labor administration, the Labor government, see the Action for Alice group largely through a political prism and think this is organised to try to embarrass the government in the lead-up to the parliamentary sittings. The Chief Minister commented on the federal Opposition Leader, Mr Tony Abbott, making a response to what is clearly an issue of national significance. It is not just for Alice Springs, though it is brought to sharp focus in Alice Springs, that prompts a thoughtful response from the Opposition Leader, Mr Tony Abbott. Our Chief Minister sees that as a political ploy, even going so far as to say that Mr Abbott wants to create a problem for the Labor government in the lead-up to the sittings. He could read the signs; that letter was only produced because of the parliamentary sittings.
That, to me, betrays a mind that is more preoccupied with the politics of this and how they can respond to it to minimise political damage and get through these sittings, rather than responding to the nature of the problem itself, trying to get a grasp on it. I am not going to say I understand the problem, but I am observant enough to know that it is a very complex problem.
The Chief Minister outlined a list of programs and activities that, of themselves, constitute in the Chief Minister’s mind a satisfactory response to a problem that is not properly defined. I know the members for Stuart and Arnhem have spent a great deal of time trying to understand the nature of the problem and how we can best respond to it.
We have a war of words in the parliament. The member for Nelson said: ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if we all got together?’ I have had a couple of shots at that in my time in parliament, one with the Little Children are Sacred, and another time - and I remember it was with the former Chief Minister - where I asked members: ‘Let us see if we can find a place we can work together on this, acknowledging the enormity of this challenge and the complexity of it’. It was dismissed at that time. I do not think a bipartisanship approach is actually going to occur. That might give us a good feeling but we have not really gone to the degree of understanding the nature of this problem.
For example, we know the nature of this community has changed. No advertisement, whatever form, is going to properly explain what is going on and certainly not the one the Labor government put out to paint a rosy picture and say we are having a few issues but we are getting on top of them.
How many people are living in Alice Springs? Where are they living? How many of them are in the riverbank? How many are under the bridge? How many are living in the hills? How many children? How many are in the town camps? What is going on there? What is happening with the children in the afternoons? Where do they come from? Why are they here? What do they want done in order to return? Or, will they be staying?
In going through a previous speech, I noted similar questions to these from the member for Macdonnell. It is those deeper questions. I have driven around the place and I have had people explain to me what they are seeing, trying to interpret this. It is challenging and, if we do not have a genuine response to this - more than just programs; thinking that programs will fix the problem - we are deluded and we are letting the side down. This is a matter of national significance. It has been brought to sharp focus in Alice Springs, and a genuine response is required.
The Chief Minister could not even have the courage to front a group of residents who are genuinely concerned citizens of the Centre - who love their town and are concerned - and to take it and respond. I will give you a tip, Chief Minister, that would have won you respect. But, no, it is seen through a political prism. ‘I do not want to feed that kind of hysteria’. You are playing politics with it. The chief culprit is the Labor government itself. Otherwise, we would not have had, during the by-election, the rejection of the calls for increased security. Yet, in the lead-up to the sittings, we had that which was rejected during a by-election by the now member for Araluen – and by the member for Greatorex and by the former member for Araluen - for an increased police presence in the Centre. It was rejected at that time, now it is acceptable. Why now, not then? How is it that things have changed?
You cannot help see the cynicism from those who are observing the actions of this government - or should I say, the reactions of this government which, once again, appears to me to be seeing this through a political prism.
The next constant line of attack from the Chief Minister, of me and members of the opposition, is that we just want to pour more alcohol onto the problem. That might suit a line of political attack but it does not acknowledge the fundamental: alcohol is not the problem. The problem is the problem drinker. Your first response is not recognising what it is; not even thinking about that deeper question of what causes a person to have such a thirst that they drink alcohol in quantities that is going to harm and damage them and affect our community in such a damaging way. If you do not have that in mind, your only response is going to be: ‘Let us look at alcohol and control alcohol’.
You know prohibition does not work. You have the evidence in front of you, in your own streets, demonstrating that prohibition does not work. Why? The evidence: there has been a 9% increase in the consumption of alcohol whilst these measures have been in place. There has been a 25% increase in violent assaults in this community since those measures have been put in place. How can you run the simple and flawed argument of: ‘Our response is to increase the flow of alcohol, their response is to reduce the flow of alcohol and, therefore, if you follow our way, we will have an improved situation’? Prohibition does not work and your own figures demonstrate that. To be honest to your argument, give a genuine explanation as to how that is the case; why is there an increased intake of alcohol and a 25% increase in violent assaults?
The answer is this: the first place to start is recognising there has to be a response to those who have a problem with alcohol. The Chief Minister likes to say: ‘Our tough measures, probably the toughest in the universe, are going to see the tap turned off’. Well, so are the opposition’s, because if you are taken into protective custody three times in six months you will be required to go into treatment. There has to be that response otherwise we will make no progress at all. We will keep spinning our wheels, spinning our words, spinning our messages, putting out glossy brochures, creating an impression, and making no difference. We have to respond to the problem itself. I have spoken to traditional people. They want something tougher, something clearer; something which is essentially good but tough. They respect that. They want some proper rehabilitation effort.
The Corrections system is supposed to correct - it does not; it encourages. Who wants to go to gaol? Who is concerned about going there? Most people do not have a problem. I cannot see a Corrections system that creates a sense it is not an unpleasant place to go to and a consequence I would prefer to avoid. If you do not have that, how on earth is it going to work? A system has to have a genuine response (1) to the need for the maintenance of a standard, and (2) for the building of a capacity to make a better decision next time. The challenge is up to us in the Territory, in step with our community - and I am talking about all Territorians - to come up with a model that is far tougher but is, essentially, good and right, and it will be supported.
There are those who belong to an industry which has grown fat on the wealth of this nation; who have fed the problem because they have not seen the need to have clear standards and principles reinforced by a proper response to a real problem - behaviour. You have to respond to the behaviour then deal with the underlying problem.
We have a model under this Labor administration where you are dealing with the underlying problem, providing a context for excuse and a slap on the wrist, so people can have another shot at it. It is called the therapeutic model. Go through the Youth Justice Act and you will see there is no capacity for a meaningful response to bad behaviour. Every excuse under the sun is provided; every means made available for an alternative approach rather than accept responsibility and have a firm response. You do not raise kids like that; if you do they will treat you with contempt, and all standards and all law with contempt. That is what we have. There is no threat, no risk, and no concern for those who are, clearly, stepping across the line. Our community expects that. These are the responses that are required, not a listing of programs and the amount of money that is spent because they, of themselves, will make no difference. It does not affect behaviour; in fact, I believe it feeds the problem.
Case in point - and I look forward to further discussions on this with the minister for Education. This illustrates we have a problem; we have kids on the street. We all know kids should go to school. The most important thing is a good education. We should reinforce that notion as far as possible. There was a time we did not need to reinforce that notion because it was compulsory and, if you did not go to school, there was a consequence. That would require a tougher response to someone who does not send their kids to school and you reinforce that with sanctions of some kind. It appears you run programs now where you advertise the message that it is important to send your kids to school, as though they did not know. Then, if they do not, you help as much as you can. ‘Why not? Why are you not sending your kids to school?’ Every possibility is explored before a person is brought up short and told: ‘You have to send your kid to school because, if you do not, there will be a consequence’. There has been a capacity for a very long time - under the Country Liberals and for the last 10 years under the Labor government - for a simple fine of $200 to be imposed upon a parent who does not send their kids to school. It has not been imposed. I do not know of anyone who has ever been fined $200 for not sending their kids to school.
It could be argued that to condone that and provide scope for responses such as: ‘Let’s see if we can give you a hand as a parent and let’s not make you really responsible because there is a whole lot of issues there’. If you go into that space, well, they are certainly not going to change their behaviour at a rate of knots. However, if you say: ‘You know you need to send your kid to school’. ‘I know, but it is hard’. The fine is $200. It has not been used. If there are underlying problems you can respond to it then, but not first because excuses are provided. You have all dealt with it; you know what human behaviour is like: provide an excuse and enlarge on it. ‘You should not have done that; there is a consequence for doing that. Now, if you have problems, let us see if we can work through those’.
How is it that you have not had, to my knowledge, any $200 fine imposed for not sending kids to school? Now, you have a whole new measure where it is almost $2000. ‘We have become tougher all of a sudden’, says the Labor government. ‘Now you will be fined $2000 for not sending your kids to school’, as though that is going to frighten people. When it was $200 no one was fined. Now it is $2000, the rest of the community that sends their school will say: ‘Wow! That is really tough’. How is it that $200 was never applied? Do they think that $2000 is going to be applied magically, or this is to create the illusion that you are tough, to try to scare people with big words or an extra zero on the number?
The fact is, for practical application, it is more likely someone is going to be able to pay $200 and be given less opportunity for an excuse now that is enlarged to $2000. I know there is a range of other measures, as they will be widely broadcast and explained to people. However, we are in the business of changing behaviour. So, I am puzzled at how it is the government can create the impression that they really are now tough because they have increased the number to a much bigger number, when the small number of $200 was never applied. It shows me that, unless we deal with the underlying problem which is a therapeutic model, the welfare response, the excuse-creating scenario instead of punishment and consequence, then we are not going to have any change.
The Chief Minister likes to taunt - I have to call them empty taunts. Obviously he was not switched on during the 2008 election, nor has he listened or read anything that has been produced since that time. I will outline to him some of the thing we have committed to. Some of those things the Chief Minister has already described - appropriated, altered them slightly for himself, then says the opposition has nothing.
The first thing is based upon the principle that there has to be a consequence, there has to be a change in the Corrections system. That is why prison farms are essential. The Chief Minister would prefer to spend tens, hundreds of millions of dollars on a prison based upon the existing principle, which is of no threat or concern to the majority of people we need to respond to. So, we have more money spent on an existing model.
We have a different approach. We outlined, and continue to hold the position, that there needs to be a complete change in the way we operate Corrections. I notice the member for Barkly had appropriated much of what we put out in 2008. We will continue with that reform to the Corrections system and the way in which it operates - prison farms, work farms. I am on the record, in my many years in this parliament, of describing this - as well as the member for Nelson. That is the way we should go. After 10 years, we have the language change, but we do not have the accompanying action from government. That has to change.
During the last election, I launched in Alice Springs a paper called Return to Wildman River, which was the outline of the type of program that needs to be run for young offenders, based on my own experience. We need to have serious boot camps; a range of options based on the principle that there has to be a consequence and a rebuild of that young person to give them a chance, with some strong male leadership for the young lads in particular, some skill building, and some challenges. We had the language change from government, but we have not seen the action, even since 2008.
We had the constant call from the former member for Araluen, the current member for Araluen, the member for Greatorex, for extra police on the streets – denied, now accepted when it is more politically appropriate for the Labor government. The call for police dogs was rejected during the by-election; now we have them announced. There is a need for a firm approach for those who do not send their kids to school - change of language; we have not seen the accompanying action. These and a number of measures, and more to be described in greater detail to come, are needed, but the important thing - and do not miss it - is the manner in which these are applied that will be the difference. It is not about the spending of money. It is about the way in which that money is spent and what results are achieved from it.
Regarding alcohol, we need a direct response to what is clearly a problem. It will not be easy, but I can see the sort of programs we will be able to run in the Territory. We are required to do so, and the community will support us if we change the way in which we operate our rehabilitation services in combination with the Corrections system; that being the prison farms and serious rehabilitation efforts that deal with the underlying problem, build skills and capacity, and bring about changes in behaviour and opportunity.
That is why there was a call from the federal Opposition Leader, a man I respect. It is essential that we work together on the basis of the underlying principles that will bring about change to ensure that welfare reform occurs to harmonise with whatever changes we bring about with the Corrections system and our education system. We have to bring about the capacity for economic activity, but it has to be through the coordinated effort and a genuine response to a proper understanding of the problem through welfare reform.
I am encouraged by the call made by the Opposition Leader, Mr Tony Abbott. That is a space that I would be more than happy with. In fact, I have met with Mr Abbott to discuss how we can begin to reshape a response to the welfare challenges to create a motivation for work, and to ensure the money that is spent produces some social capital, rather than that which we have, which is the opposite.
I would like to hear a discussion about wet canteens. We have to go there, because you cannot just keep saying alcohol is the problem, turn the tap off and then the problem will go away. Alcohol is going to be with us, as is ganja, and all these other substances. You turn one tap off, another one comes on. We are going to have to recognise alcohol is here. How do we learn to live with it? How do we build the skills in a community to be able to respond to alcohol? It was good to see representatives of Tiwi Islands here and to see the way their canteen works. We need to begin to explore how we can have alcohol in communities, in step with communities. To achieve that, we have to recognise that alcohol is not going to go away. By saying no it is then displaced to other places and we create other problems. We need to look at that.
I look forward to discussions of that nature from many members opposite, those who have insights into this, because the simple premise is it will not go away. Therefore, how do we build the capacity within a community to be able to live with alcohol and consume it responsibly? That, after all, is our goal. You will not achieve that goal if we only consider prohibition as being the means to achieve that.
The notion of mutual obligation needs to be reinforced in how we handle the transaction in the payment of benefits, and the accompanying responsibility and obligation. These ideas are what we really should be discussing, rather than a list of programs which illustrate on the surface a response but, in their substance, will make little difference because we are not recognising, in that response from the Chief Minister, the nature of the problem itself. Until we begin that, there is no chance we are going to have this lovely feeling of bipartisanship if we cannot even agree on the terms of the problem. It is not a political problem, Chief Minister. It is a very real social problem that requires a proper response.
Mr HAMPTON (Central Australia): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, it is a privilege to be here in Alice Springs speaking about the issues and challenges we face in Alice Springs.
During today’s censure motion, I said that Alice Springs is the town at the centre of our country and holds a special place in our nation’s heart. As a government minister who lives here, whose kids have grown up here and gone to school here, who shops here, goes out for dinner and socialises with many people, the issues many parliamentary colleagues have talked about during this debate and the censure motion this morning are issues that I experience on a daily basis, just as everyone else does who lives in Alice Springs.
For me, it is reflecting and saying that Alice Springs is a major service centre for hundreds of communities across Northern Territory, but also into Western Australia and South Australia. People come here to shop, access medical and other services for education and training, to work, to socialise and to visit family.
There are also many other issues we have not touched on to date, particularly regarding medical services. One is renal dialysis treatment, a significant issue that, sadly, is a going to continue to be around for many years to come as the rate of renal disease increases. As a relative of a renal patient I felt the impact that renal disease had on that person’s life. Sadly, he passed away, probably over 12 months ago. He was a very close relative of mine. He lived in a remote community, and I saw the impact it had on him. He did not want to come to Alice Springs. He knew the issues that would come with having to move to Alice Springs to access treatment. The extended family came hoping to get a house in Alice Springs. There were issues of having to deal with extended family members visiting. These are the real issues for real people who face them on a daily basis.
We cannot forget that, in many ways, Alice Springs will have to deal with these issues for a long time to come, particularly when we are talking about renal patients in those remote parts. For a long time, we have assisted renal patients across borders. For many of these issues, there are no borders; we are all Australian. As a community at the heart of this country in Alice Springs, it is the responsibility that we have taken on for a long time, and one we will continue to take on.
Renal disease and dialysis treatment is a significant issue in people having to visit Alice Springs. We talked about the urban drift in regard to the intervention. I hear all the time in my electorate, of people having given up hope in many ways. The Leader of the Opposition talked about mutual obligations, but people feel hopelessness out there. With the intervention, we talk about the urban drift, but there is also the drift that people sometimes do not want. They have no choice when they are suffering from renal disease; it is a matter of life and death for them. From my personal experience with family members having to come in, it is not a shift people want to make; sometimes, they have no choice.
We need to look at the total picture of Alice Springs and Central Australia. It is a town undergoing some real demographic changes. The challenge for all of us - we have the politics in this House, the argy-bargy goes on, but the real challenge is how you respond to these issues. As I said during the censure motion, it is about dealing with these issues and challenges at a community level, a grassroots level, to reach the best outcomes. Through the process we have worked through over the last few months with the community - local problems, local issues being dealt with by local people looking for local solutions is the most powerful way and best way to achieve results. Government has responded in its way; governments have a duty to respond. We have heard many announcements, many programs; however, you need programs to be able to make change.
I will put on the public record some of the responses government has made to address the nine points raised by the Action for Alice group, not all of them, but many of them. The establishment of a new juvenile detention facility for Alice Springs - there has been much talk in the past about Giles House and the role that played in Alice Springs many years ago. That is now open in Alice Springs, very much with a focus on education. The minister for Corrections is driving those reforms. Juvenile detention facilities are an important place to rehabilitate, to re-engage these young people, and to turn their lives around. It is a big announcement; a very important one for Alice Springs to have a juvenile detention facility so there is a greater chance for those young people to turn their lives around.
The introduction of a new offence for breach of bail and a review of the Youth Justice Act - the Attorney-General announced today we have a former Country Liberal member of this parliament, Jodeen Carney, driving the review of the Youth Justice Act. That has been welcomed on both sides of the House and is the genuineness of this government not to play politics but do the right thing. Jodeen will certainly add credibility, enthusiasm and hard work to that review.
We have a Return to Country blitz, back to school. The Leader of the Opposition and many people will talk about truancy. My colleague, the member for Johnston, being the Education minister, is red-hot on the issue of truancy and getting kids to school. The member for Araluen today talked about the attendance rate at Lajamanu being 40%. That is in my electorate and I can tell you it is totally unacceptable. I was only there, probably a week ago, to open the Building the Education Revolution hall and facilities. We can build new classrooms and new halls, but what is the use of them if they are empty? Again, that takes a real response. The response has to come from the community. Governments can build new buildings and impose penalties; however, without the community playing an important role those classrooms will continue to be empty.
Targeted police patrols: we have made announcements about that. I have had quite a few meetings with the Police Commissioner and commanders in the southern region putting across points and issues people are talking to me about - constituents in Alice Springs or in my electorate - and it is really important we continue to talk to the police. They have a very important role, and the recent operations they have conducted have made some significant inroads. Operations Harpoon and Roland are making some big differences to the issues we are tackling in Alice Springs.
In relation to law and order, a police response is very important and the government has, over the past few months, given significant resources to the police to tackle the issues they face.
It is important that we get the community to drive the process we have undertaken it. We have had a couple of workshops over the past week, and there are a couple more which will be occurring. Many people from the community have worked hard over the last few months. I acknowledge the Mayor, Damien Ryan, and the aldermen of the town council, particularly Alderman Sandy Taylor - another born and bred local of Alice Springs who has been very active in these meetings, particularly the meeting with the Indigenous leaders and representatives, but also in the meeting with the broader group the Chief Minister and I conducted. Local people on the council are working with local people towards local solutions. The community action plan is one that should not be sitting on the shelf collecting dust. That is one of the benefits of community driving it: holding government to account. I am sure they will, in two years time when we get parliament back in Alice Springs.
The transformation plan is making a significant difference. We can talk about the dollars, a great deal of money - $150m going into the community of Alice Springs, particularly focusing on town camps - that is making a big difference to the lives of those people living on town camps. We know the figures but I will repeat them: 85 new houses, all 200 existing homes in town camps to be upgraded, 500 beds coming online by the end of the year, looking also at Percy Court for transitional accommodation, and The Lodge in Bath Street for renal patients. As I said previously, renal treatment in Alice Springs is a big issue, and renal accommodation is most needed. The Salvation Army homeless men is another group that sits out on the fringes of our community - homeless, single men who are trying to get their lives together. I had the pleasure of looking at the new rooms at the Salvation Army in Alice Springs. It is going to make a big difference. I know it is only small in the number of rooms - eight rooms to start with - but it is well received by the Salvation Army.
With the social programs, many are being put out to non-government organisations through the joint steering committee of the transformation plan. The joint steering committee should be congratulated. It is made up of the town council; Lhere Artepe, the native title holders of Alice Springs; along with the Tangentyere Council and Commonwealth and Territory government representatives. The joint steering committee takes on the submissions from NGOs and decides which programs are worthy of getting some of that funding to be able to initiate some of these social support programs. Many NGOs have benefited from that.
I again mention the Youth Action Plan. I am quite happy to offer a briefing to the opposition, particularly those members in Alice Springs, because the program has copped much criticism. It is probably hard to see what is going on there but, I can say the centre of the program is the Youth Hub, and it is really taking shape. The other one is the Centralian Middle School. As the Chief Minister said during his statement, much of money has gone in there. I have visited the academy for the girls at the centre, seeing how that program supports mothers and parents in keeping those young girls at school. The Clontarf Academy is another program that is well talked about here. They are getting youth facilities at CMS, as well as the cafeteria. I had the pleasure of meeting some of the students who are doing cooking lessons in the cafeteria and providing meals for students. A lot of work is going on to upgrade the computer lab, the IT room, and gymnasium to provide first-class facilities for kids in Alice Springs at the Centralian Middle School.
The Police Beat at Todd Mall, something Todd Mall traders have been singing out for, for many years, was opened before the expected opening date, and is great reassurance for Todd Mall traders.
There is also the extra safe accommodation for young people. This has been on the list of announcements this government has made in a genuine effort to address the issues. The juvenile safe houses should be opened soon, as well as the expanded juvenile alcohol and other drugs facility here in Alice Springs.
Regarding some of my portfolios, the Chief Minister talked about Sport and Recreation. It is a great portfolio; one that I really do enjoy having. As the Chief Minister said, when I am talking to national sporting bodies it is always front and centre of my mind that Alice Springs should also receive its fair share of top-class sporting events. I can attest to that with the Rugby League. This year, we have had the Cowboys and the Broncos. Unfortunately, it was not the Canberra Raiders, but the AFL …
Members interjecting.
Mr HAMPTON: Yes, I am. Mal Meninga. The AFL is very important. We had WNBL here last year, with the West Coast Waves. It might not sound much, but Hoops for Health is another great event with Timmy Duggan and the crew. It is important the young people of Alice Springs get to see some of their role models. It gives them an opportunity to meet them firsthand. Many of these national sporting teams do a lot of community engagement events. They go to the schools and hospitals, and that is reinforcing positive role models to our young people in Alice Springs.
My son, who is with GWS, was back for a weekend recently. I made him go down to the Clontarf room at Centralian Senior College and talk to the young blokes there. He is probably one or two years older than them, but it is important we give something back to the community. That is why, when I get these sporting teams here, very much part of that is getting these role models to our schools and out to the communities.
Alice Springs is pretty well served when it comes to communications and information technology. The construction of the competitive optic fibre from Adelaide to Darwin and Brisbane to Tennant Creek is almost complete. Nextgen, the company constructing the link, is already offering wholesale services in Alice Springs. The NBN will give rural, regional and remote communities throughout the Territory service on par with urban centres anywhere in Australia.
It is also important to acknowledge our sport and youth facilities in Alice Springs. The Commonwealth government and minister Macklin made some significant announcements recently with the Gap Youth Centre, which is a very important part of the jigsaw for providing youth with activities after hours. I have been pleased to provide them with a boxing ring, something that was probably happening at the Gap Youth Centre in the 1970s when I was growing up there. Getting Boyd Scully from Boxing NT - who has just received an award through the Territory Sports Awards - involved provides another great activity for young people, particularly young men, to get engaged, to let off a bit of steam and to teach them some discipline. I am looking forward to Boyd Scully. He has bridged the gap with the boxing community in the Territory. We were pleased to provide a boxing ring for the Gap Youth Centre to add to the list of activities provided.
Another great venue I have visited a number of times is the Riding for the Disabled at Blatherskite Park. We cannot forget our young people with disabilities. The Riding for the Disabled provides a great activity for those young people. They are linking up well with Acacia Hill, the special school in Alice Springs. The government was very pleased to provide some funding for their new clubhouse.
There are many positives but, in the challenges, government is genuinely putting in the effort to listen to the community, and to act. However, without the community owning the process from here on, I suppose we will continue to play the politics in here.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I am very optimistic of the way forward. I will continue to work as a local member here, as a local resident, with the communities and the groups to find a way forward, and continue to have hope that the community of Alice Springs will move forward.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I would have thought someone who is so passionate about Alice Springs could have delivered that with a bit more gusto. For a guy who claims that Alice is his home and he loves it and the whole bit - you can never get up and not read something, can you? Can you just say something from the heart? It would be wonderful.
Nevertheless, we have this ministerial statement which is, once again, a ministerial puff piece and aimed to filibuster and take up as much time as possible. However, there is one good thing about this: at least it is on Alice Springs and it gives us all an opportunity to speak about the town we know and love so much - some more than others, many would say. In fact, I do say some more than others; notably those on this side than those on the government benches.
Today in my censure motion speech, I alluded to: just watch this space. The Chief Minister will start to rattle off the old lines he constantly does with the clichs that have come out of the mouths of this government for many years, inherited by this Chief Minister from the previous Chief Minister and her various Cabinets and ministers. The old lines are about ‘recognising the problems’ - that features in here. Of course, those who dare to criticise any of the government’s initiatives are ‘talking down the town’ and ‘trashing the town’. That ‘talking down the town’ might have been a phrase coined by the member for Johnston some years ago and it seems to have stuck. They feel it has some sort of ring to it and they have stuck with it. They love to paint those who dare criticise the government’s lack of action towards returning Alice Springs to a safe and secure town as simply talking down the town and, indeed, trashing the town.
There is a line in here - here we go:
‘To get Alice back’ speaks volumes. Is that to suggest that Alice is not the great place we all know and love? And if that is the case, then what has happened? What has happened to the great Alice Springs, the great place that we all know and love? To get something back indicates that we have lost it. Have we lost the great Alice Springs, the place we all know and love? I say yes, we have. Clearly, the government admits that yes, it has dropped the ball on Alice Springs. It has completely failed the people of Alice Springs and, as the censure motion alluded to today, it is an abject failure of this government to protect the people of Alice Springs.
We now see the government, I suppose, admitting - albeit by default, I say - some pretty sloppy penmanship by one of the fifth floor spin doctors. To get Alice back, yes, it indicates you have lost your way and Alice is not the great place we all know and love, as you claim it is. So, some hypocrisy here but it is just some sloppy speech writing from the government.
Some of the other lines - which I suggested today the Chief Minister would use and, no doubt, he will continue to use over the course of the next couple of days – are that he absolutely ‘understands the very real concerns facing Alice Springs’ and ‘his government is going to take immediate action’. He suggested, as alluded to this morning, it has ‘made significant inroads’ into reducing crime, and then ran through a few statistics. What did he do? He did just that. He ran through a few of the statistics, a few of the things it has done. You will see it here on page 2: 1494 litres of alcohol confiscated; 64 arrests; 19 truancy reports; five child abuse reports; 70 youths and 26 adults taken home or to a safe place. He ran through a few stats, lumped them all together, and it sounded pretty impressive - that is the whole point of this.
He did just as alluded to, as predicted. He spoke about how he met with numerous community groups, tourism operators, business operators and the Alice Springs Town Council. He could not bring himself to speak to the crowd outside today. A pretty simple gesture I would have thought - pretty easy for a supposedly thick-skinned politician and Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. I would not have thought it would have been too hard to engage with the crowd. They only started shouting when he did not turn up. They were quite subdued, and simply voicing their concerns with their feet at the very beginning. There was really no hoo-hah. I saw on the news he did not want to get into some megaphone shouting match. If he turned up there would not have been any megaphone shouting.
Hardly engaging! Happy to engage on his own terms as we suggested today; if it suits him and he is playing to the right crowd and they are all singing on his hymn sheet, etcetera, he is more than happy to engage. Dare not criticise him, and dare not criticise his government’s initiatives because that will be viewed as talking down the town and trashing the reputation of Alice Springs. Once again, he suggested the television campaign is to be blamed for all the ill-will towards Alice Springs - this is resonating across the country. It is simply a symptom of the government’s abject failure. These are symptoms; these are not the problems. Nicholas Rothwell - how dare he sit back and write an article …
A member interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: Yes, no doubt. But, Nicholas Rothwell is being criticised by the government for writing an article in The Australian a few months ago. The local media, the national media, Radio National, 2GB were doing a few things and The Australian - what is happening here is all over interstate newspapers because it is their fault. It is the journalist’s fault; the newspaper’s fault for reporting on this. They are reporting on problems, I would have thought. Where does the problem go?
The Chief Minister talked about alcohol and the whole bit. Oh God, we have not mentioned alcohol - we are completely skimming over the issue. We have mentioned alcohol ad nauseum in this House. People know all too well where we stand on the alcohol issue, and to allude we are going to open up the bottle shops for an extra four hours and pour more alcohol onto the problem is quite absurd. It is not alcohol per se that is the problem. The people who have a problem with alcohol are the problem. It is like saying let us remove all vehicles from the road because there are too many road fatalities, so it is the car’s fault. It is this logic the government has in joining these dots which is totally illogical.
We understand completely the impact of alcohol on our society. We see it; we live it. We in Central Australia live and breathe this on a daily basis. We are all too well aware of the impact of alcohol on our society. The problem is this government’s alcohol policies have failed.
You started off very early - we go back to 2005 and the alcohol framework. This media release was not by the 81st most powerful person in the Territory, Mr O’Leary, but one of the whiz kids on the fifth floor: ‘Alcohol framework was to reduce risky drinking’ - that was October 2005. ‘Parliament passes tough antisocial behaviour laws’ - 26 February 2006. I move to Alice Springs, 4 May 2006, the Alice Springs Alcohol Task Force – yet another plank to an existing failed policy. ‘Let us bolster it up this way’. This was going to be the be-all and end-all of your alcohol reforms. In 2006, here we go: ‘Task Force bans tightening of takeaways’. 9 June 2006: ‘New takeaways restricted AS’. I am guessing that is supposed to be Alice Springs. Still more in 2006 - a lot of media releases in the space of a couple of months: ‘The Martin government proud of its track record on alcohol reform’ said that great guy, Syd Stirling, former Alcohol Policy minister on 25 July 2006. ‘Alice Springs alcohol plan – progress on alcohol but more to do’, ‘Crackdown on alcohol abuse continues’.
These are all your media releases. This was the member for Johnston, the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing: ‘Crackdown on alcohol abuse continues’. The former Minister for Central Australia: ‘Alice alcohol initiatives show progress’.
This is quite a lengthy category in this folder I have here, but you can see it illustrates we are up to you two years down the track, we have a dozen media releases about ways to bolster this so-called alcohol policy the government has. All it is doing is: ‘The previous policy was not working so, here we go, we are going to apply more layers to the existing policy because we have not quite got it right’.
‘Alcohol restrictions working in Alice Springs’, ‘Alcohol court discussion paper released’, ‘Alcohol initiatives working in Central Australia’ - yeah, right! - and so forth and so on. The buy-back of liquor licenses in Alice Springs - now this is a good one. You have yet to buy back one single liquor licence. That was announced, I think, in 2008 - it could have been 2007, but certainly three to four years old. The Northern Territory government was committed to buying back alcohol licences. I remember asking a question in estimates, something about Treasury having to come up with a price. No one could find an acceptable price for these, or agree on a price with the licensee and the government. Anyway, we are still yet to see that particular plank of this so-called alcohol management plan - or whatever they call it these days - initiated.
Essentially, the Country Liberals understand the impact of alcohol on our society. I have been on the record on numerous occasions in this House, in my former portfolio as shadow Alcohol Policy minister, engaging rigorously in the debate regarding alcohol and the impact of alcohol on our community. We do not shy away from that. We certainly do not think our only policy is to open up the bottle shops for an extra four hours, and that is it. That is all we are going to do; that is the only plank to our whole alcohol policy.
The government talks about solutions: ‘What are you guys going to do? You get up and bang on about things’. We have already said it. You do not listen, or you do not take the time, you are not careful. No thought goes into any of your arguments; you simply sit here and say: ‘The Country Liberals want to pour more grog, open up the rivers of grog’, etcetera. We have taken to an election the mandatory rehabilitation program. Mandatory rehabilitation was one of our major policy markers of the 2008 election platform - something the government did not have in place at the time but has since adopted.
Our boot camps and our youth camps would get young people on the road to recovery; off their wayward rails on the road to recovery. Mandatory rehabilitation, as I said, is about not filling up our prisons with drunks, but identifying those who have serious problems with alcohol - whoever they might be - and placing them into a mandatory rehabilitation facility so they cannot only dry out and quench that thirst for alcohol - pardon the pun - but quench the thirst for the demand for alcohol, not just the supply.
We believe this is where the government’s policies fall over. You say we do not talk about alcohol. Well, we are not just into supply restrictions; it has to be about demand as well. You need to diminish a person’s demand or desire for alcohol. You cannot just close this bottle shop down here, slap on a restriction over there, ban a person from drinking over here, and close your eyes and hope that this all going to work, because it will not and it has not. That person’s demand and desire for alcohol has to cease. That is exactly what our mandatory rehabilitation facilities were all about. It was getting that person off the grog and equipping them with some skills to re-enter society, if you like, in a meaningful capacity. Let them have some job skill: a ticket to drive a forklift, a diesel generator mechanic, or whatever it might be. There are diesel generators in communities all over the place, and there are hardly any mechanics to fix them.
Of course, it is about basic numeracy and literacy. It is not about just putting people into prisons, clogging up our prisons full of drunks to get them off the street because we are sick of seeing drunks around the place. Everyone is sick of seeing drunks around the place - there is no doubt about it. However, you cannot just have this one punitive measure; you have to think bigger.
We have thought bigger - at least we can go back to the 2008 election. We went to the 2008 election with that very clear policy. It was a very clear policy difference to the Northern Territory government at the time. Since then, the Northern Territory government has adopted, in most part, our policy, although there is still something in the language: ‘may’ be directed to a mandatory rehabilitation facility. There is still this wriggle room, this therapeutic jurisprudence approach by the Northern Territory government which is ingrained into the ideology of Labor governments - nothing about individual responsibility. They dumb it down to the lowest common denominator.
That was very clear policy we had in 2008 and we still have that policy. We are trying to further enhance it because, as time goes by, more information comes to hand and situations change - whatever it might be. Life moves pretty quickly and things change so you have to adapt with the times. We have a very clear policy when it comes to alcohol rehabilitation.
Boot camps - you only have to go back to 2004-05, before I was a member of parliament, and the member for Blain - in his capacity as shadow minister for just about everything, as it was in those days when there were only four members - introduced the discussion paper, Beyond Wildman River. This was a wonderful discussion paper about boot camps and taking it beyond that, trying to have some gap between being arrested and then automatically into a diversionary program. This started this whole boot camp approach by the Country Liberals. We have spoken about that on numerous occasions: boot camps and youth camps for our young people who find themselves in that situation, for all sorts of reasons - some through their own fault, others because they are just a victim of their circumstances.
We see so many tragic circumstances in the Northern Territory, with lack of parental guidance and that sort of stuff, and at so many levels. Some of these kids have no other choice. They do not know any better, never mind making a choice to get off the rails. That was another policy, another solution.
We have brought into this House numerous bills that are constantly defeated, addressing many of these issues. I do not know how many motions …
Mr CHANDLER: Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move an extension of 10 minutes for my colleague, the member for Greatorex, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr CONLAN: Thank you, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker. How many motions have we brought through this House? A simple look through old Notice Papers would show. I am sure the Clerks have some idea; they have seen it all before. We constantly bring motions, bills, and amendments to this place in keeping with our policies, and they are constantly defeated. I guess that is the cut and thrust of being in opposition as opposed to being in government.
Nevertheless, it is a bit rich to say we have no solutions, and that we just bang on about all the bad stuff that is going on around the joint. We are doing our damndest in opposition to improve the Northern Territory and make it a better place, by highlighting the areas you are failing in. I am terribly sorry if it gets a little heated and you get a little insulted by it, or just a little precious that the poor old opposition is having a go at the government. For goodness sake!
We see the same language coming from the government. We see smear campaigns, dirty tricks, and trying to hijack the parliamentary agenda to suit. Not only will the Chief Minister not go out and front the people today, I saw an e-mail that said at least Clare Martin had the intestinal fortitude to get out there and speak to those people. Yes, at least she did. She is in a whole different league to our current Chief Minister; there is no doubt about it. If you ever needed further proof, that was demonstrated today.
The Chief Minister will use all sorts of tactics to divert from the real problems. Crime is a real problem in the Northern Territory. It is a very real problem here in Alice Springs. As I said today, people have better things to do with their time than stand out here at 9 am, 10 am on a Tuesday when they should be at work or running their business, trying to desperately attract the attention of the government and plead for some kind of help. They have much better things to do with their time and money than to put it into television commercials to try to attract the attention of the government.
People want to get on with their lives. They want government to get out of their lives so they can get on with their lives. What is wrong with wanting to live in a safe and secure community, particularly in a small country town? I say country town but, as I said before, Alice Springs is a city - one of the most iconic ones in the country. It is still a nice country town; it is a small community. Everyone knows everyone or someone knows someone who knows someone. What is wrong with wanting to be able to go to work and walk across the street without being attacked, abused, or suffering numerous other sorts of assaults that take place - either physical or verbal assault or whatever it might be? Is that too much to expect? Is that too much to expect that we can, in the 21st century, live in a society like that where governments live up to their fundamental responsibility by providing a safe and secure town for its residents?
Yes, there are numerous other things to be tackled. We have problems with health. Health is not easy. Education is not easy. There are all these sorts of things that need the attention of government but, until you can arrest - for lack of a better term - the law and order problem, until you can give the community some sort of breathing space, you are never going to have the time or the luxury to be able to concentrate on those bigger issues. You are never going to be able to solve those issues.
We talked today about urban drift and the government was trying to paint some sort of division with the member for Fong Lim, who was simply stating there is absolutely nothing out there for people and that is why it is better they come into town. Of course, it is because there is nothing out in those communities for people in health clinics, schools, or basic infrastructure. There is not that sort of thing. Of course people should come into town if they want to have some quality of life. That is all he was saying.
We can improve the quality of life for people in the remote parts of the Northern Territory. We have suggested this on numerous occasions. If we could have some sort of access to this land, then you could start developing projects there which would create a population of sorts and, once you have a population and an economic base, then you could start putting hospitals and schools there. One of the ways we have suggested doing that is the patriation of the Land Rights Act. What is wrong with that in the 21st century?
Even the member for Braitling alluded to that in a roundabout way, talking about the town camps and getting the private sector in there – putting $150m into these town camps through the private sector; it is not that hard. The flights of fancy the government embarks on miss the point. You are wasting your and everyone’s time - wasting our time and the general public’s time and money. You are talking down to us. You say we are talking down the town and trashing the reputation of Alice Springs. I say you are talking down to the people of Alice Springs. You are trashing their reputation and insulting their intelligence by the constant stream of media releases - back-slapping and self-aggrandising puff.
I raise the interesting issue of the mobile police station. This was going to be the greatest thing to tackle crime in the Northern Territory - probably Australia, probably the world if you believe the media releases.
If you go back to June 2006: ‘New Mobile Police Station for Alice Springs’. Mobile police station targets crime anywhere, anytime. ‘Mobile police station a hit in Alice’ - this was in 2006. We have not seen too many more releases about the mobile police station. I will tell you where it is: it is near my office between the Yipirinya centre and the court. There is a little laneway at the back of the cells. The police station is sitting there every single day collecting dust. It never moves. In fact, I might start a Facebook campaign, take a photo of it every day and post it on Facebook to attract attention, because we all know once attention is attracted and the government’s failures start to be highlighted, then we might see something. There is a very expensive - the amount of money this costs is quite extraordinary; $100 000 - mobile police station, fully air-conditioned and has Intel, the whole thing. The government crowed about it incessantly when it came out - one in Alice, one in Darwin. You put one in Alice Springs: ‘It is going to really help you guys, it is going to be a great tool; an effective tool to combat law and order’. Yet, it just sits there - what a waste! How can we believe anything you say? How can we believe anything?
Dr Burns: I would not bring that one up?
Mr CONLAN: You can bring up anything up you like. Member for Johnston, I have your measure. You can bring on anything …
Members interjecting.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr CONLAN: I am looking forward to engaging in this pathetic motion brought before the House, once again to divert from the real issues of Alice Springs. To play into some leadership division, some wedge politics, is fine. People know you for who you are. They have stopped listening. I am looking forward to engaging in that debate. However, that is for another day, member for Johnston. I do not think you are the sort of person who can get on your high horse and start chest-beating about this stuff. No one can believe anything you say. People stopped listening to you a long time ago, particularly the member for Johnston in his utter failure in just about every portfolio known to man.
The fact is you guys say one thing and do another. The people of Alice Springs have lost confidence in you. You missed an opportunity; you wasted 10 years. You wasted probably one of the best decades of any Australian Labor Party in the history of Australian politics - you absolutely blew it and people know it all too well.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, once again we have this puff piece by the Chief Minister. I have treated it as it deserves - it is not worth the paper it is written on. In fact, the only good thing about this ministerial puff piece is it has the words ‘Alice Springs’ it in. It is great to see Alice Springs made mention of occasionally in this parliament.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, it is great to be here this evening to talk on what a great town Alice Springs is. It is a beautiful town; it has a rich history and a very dynamic future. When you get around town and listen to different business people, business is thriving and they have a very strong and positive attitude about business opportunities in this town at the moment.
Obviously, the tourism sector is hurting – as are tourism sectors across our great nation - particularly with the concerns the tourism operators have regarding the impacts on tourism in Alice Springs by the negative campaign being run by some sectors of the business community. This comes after a very positive period promoting tourism and Alice Springs by the dynamic Oprah with her visit to Uluru and her reach to millions of viewers worldwide. It was a real opportunity to capitalise on tourism opportunities for Central Australians and the service and tourism hub of Alice Springs. That is a body of work we will continue to do, and our Tourism Minister is very much at the forefront of driving that.
That is why the government has said the advertising undertaken by the Action for Alice group is trashing the town needlessly. I say needlessly because the government has come out with a raft of commitments for tackling the concerns the Action for Alice group had regarding the unacceptable levels of crime that occurred through the Christmas period. These commitments follow meetings the government had with the Action for Alice group in January - meetings I conducted with the Minister for Central Australia. We listened very intently to the concerns they had, packed together a body of work and responded in a very significant way to their concerns. I will go through those responses and what they mean in a practical sense.
That was all before the advertising campaign ran. I find the member for Greatorex somewhat disingenuous in his claim in his contribution to this debate that the protest was about those people just trying to attract the attention of government. I can say categorically the Action for Alice, the business people, and the residents of Alice Springs have the attention of government, have had the attention of government, and will continue to have the attention of government. Why? Because we are responsible for governing people wherever they live in the Territory.
We have a very strong Minister for Central Australia who advocates tirelessly at the Cabinet table, in all of our Caucus and government discussions, about how to improve the conditions in Alice Springs - whether it is sporting opportunities, health, youth services, or education. Alice Springs is a service hub for the remote communities in Central Australia. He has been a strong advocate for the Alice Springs Transformation Plan, the Alice Spring Youth Action Plan - and I will talk about the ANZAC Hill Youth Hub operating now - and, obviously, of land releases. Government has actually taken action on land release in Alice Springs. Without land release, it is going to be difficult to achieve the economic prosperity Alice Springs can realise due to its fantastic location as a key service hub for this entire region of our nation which, of course, gives it those tourism opportunities, including the service reach into Western Australia and South Australia, quite aside from the service provision for Territorians throughout Central Australia.
We are also looking at the bright prospects for the future in the resources sector and the work Arafura Resources is doing at Nolans Bore with the rare earth prospects. There is a lot of mining investment occurring in this town; so much so, I was talking to an astute businessman, a Territorian who is about to open up an office in Alice Springs for supplies to the mining sector. He sees that business is thriving.
When I talk about business thriving, it is not just what the Treasurer is saying. I actually take the time to engage with the banks. If you do not know what your financial institutions are doing in their loan books then you do not have a genuine picture about what is happening in economic growth in the private sector in a region or town. So, when you talk to the banks, the financial institutions, the lenders, they are saying they are doubling their loan’s book - have doubled their loan’s book to businesses in Alice Springs in the last year. What that means is the banks, in this very tough, tight economic climate post the global financial crisis, do not lend easy these days. They have moved much of their lending delegations south.
That is a key issue that I raise, as Treasurer, on behalf of businesses in the Territory constantly to the major lenders in the financial institutions. They have tightened up their lending practices and they do not lend very easily at all. When they do approve a loan to a business, there is a reason for it; it is a very viable enterprise. The growth is there …
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: No, we are not talking credit card overdrafts, clown for Port Darwin. We are talking business loans, written as investment from the financial institutions into the businesses thriving in Alice Springs - despite the doom and gloom of the member for Greatorex, who has a very narrow perspective on what it takes to grow a dynamic town such as Alice Springs.
The levers of land release are occurring. We were landlocked here prior to a Labor government because of the failed ideology of the CLP which would not negotiate with the traditional owners of Alice Springs. Labor came in, commenced negotiations, and we have had successful land releases at Larapinta with Rydges Estate, Sterling Heights, and we have the successful land release at Mt Johns Valley, showing that we can release land in Alice Springs. It is an investment in the growth of Alice Springs, providing for innovative planning for planning new subdivisions south of the town.
The new suburb of Kilgariff sits adjacent to that all-important airport land. We have worked with the airport authority to ensure we have federal government sign-off on their ability to release residential there as well. We have been moving industrial opportunities south of The Gap as well.
As I said, as a government, we recognise absolutely that a significant issue confronting Alice Springs now, and over a growing period of some years now, is the way alcohol is fuelling violence. It is absolutely unacceptable. Alice Springs went through a crime wave during the Christmas period, and the government has responded to that crime rate with police resources; with a new funded position with that Senior Sergeant to coordinate police patrols. We have responded with action in putting in place funding, resourcing, outfitting, and now operating a juvenile Corrections facility in Alice Springs. That facility is also running an education program, as the Chief Minister said. We are also undertaking two Return to Country blitzes to coincide with back to school.
We have announced our review of the Youth Justice Act. I note that the opposition has tried to play catch-up there. It rushed out a media release this morning about the Youth Justice Act. It has just come on the radar. Well, we were out there in January talking about it, and we have already announced who is leading that work for us, the former member for Araluen, Jodeen Carney.
The targeted police patrols have had a significant effect. We are getting some very real results out of them. I will talk in detail about that. Establishing a series of safe houses, providing for the police to take the kids off the street at night, is critical to making the streets safer, but also protecting children from being at risk. The work is under way to get those safe houses operational.
There is the provision - I think, a critical provision - of an expanded alcohol and other drugs juvenile facility. We have announced the site. We said it will be at the former Centre for Applied Technology site in Priest Street. We are working very closely with tiers of government and the non-government organisation in the box seat to operate that. BushMob is doing a good job; we have recognised that.
We have the most comprehensive action plan to focus on youth at risk and their families in making our community safer. We have been giving police, the youth service providers, the welfare agencies, and the courts greater tools to target and intervene early for youth at risk, and to tackle antisocial behaviour. These initiatives will continue. We will continue to work with the community. It needs to be at that grassroots level, with the non-government organisations. It needs to be with the families who are at risk to turn around the profile of the significant cohort of young people at risk on the streets, and get them into safer living environments, and attending school every day. We have the Every Child, Every Day policy that has been announced and also, importantly, resourced. We already have those truancy patrols up and running and doing their work. I know the minister for Education has worked tirelessly to get the legislation in place to support all of that.
When you talk about Alice Springs and the transformation of Alice Springs, whether it is an economic transformation or a social transformation, you cannot go past that significant historic investment in the town camps. If you had continued to neglect the town camps, as governments of the past have done, you are really not getting to the core of where the hub of the social problems are generated from in Alice Springs.
The town camp investment of $150m being spent here, into the pockets of local businesses to build 85 new houses, refurbish 200 houses, is about changing the living environment of the residents of Alice Springs for the better, forever, to transform them into normalisation. We have garbage services there now; streets being built; kerbing being put in; constructing housing; and refurbishing housing. It is literally transforming the way those town camps not only look, but the way they operate.
How do you also change the way they operate? By funding social services to deal with the dysfunction of families and the environment of risk that has occurred in the past in the town camps. It is still occurring today because we are still tackling that mountain of need. There is $15m going into social services to support the transformation of the Alice Springs town camps. When you look at what we have achieved to date with that program, 18 new houses have been built, 31 rebuilds and refurbishments have been completed, and 11 are under way.
Together with that accommodation growth are other accommodation facilities; for example, on South Terrace the new visitor park, Percy Court, The Lodge, the Salvation Army. Look at all that. We are putting 520 additional beds into Alice Springs, open and operational by the end of 2011 because, if you are genuinely going to deal with the social challenges of Alice Springs, you have to provide accommodation. And not just one set of accommodation. You have to provide a range of accommodation options, and that is what all of that work is doing.
Look at some of those support services that are up and running and funded as a result of the transformation plan for Alice Springs. There is the Domestic and Family Violence Outreach program; there is the ready and willing for school; there is a dog control program; a targeted family support program; family group conferencing; the safe and sober program that I believe Congress is doing a fantastic job operating; the alcohol rehabilitation unit fit-out; a community for children; the youth centre upgrade; a hostel fit-out; the sustainable tenancy support - and we know, you need to put sustainable tenancy support in place when you are building new houses and refurbishing existing houses; and there is assistance for a playgroup.
We also have that funded position to coordinate the patrols. When I met with several stakeholders through January when I was the Acting Chief Minister, the feedback I received was we recognised that the coordinator position for the patrols was a significant need, and we stepped up and filled it straightaway. I have to say you do get, despite the doom and gloom of the CLP, some genuinely positive feedback to actions you take from the groups which have been raising the concerns. I thank the people who gave us that positive feedback regarding the patrol coordinator position. That is not where it stops as far as I am concerned because the patrols have to improve. You have to coordinate them, but they have become improved patrols at the same time.
We are in the process of buying back liquor licences in Alice Springs. Negotiations are continuing with those three licensees. I am advised we are very close to finalising one, and we are in solid negotiations with two others. We have literally had to go through their books and financial audit to arrive at a price for the buy-back.
Regarding the Youth Action Plan in Alice Springs, that hub is operational at ANZAC Hill. I publicly recognise and thank John Adams. He has much experience in working with youth at risk in Alice Springs. He had done many years work with Tangentyere before he came on board to work for the government. He is coordinating and operating the Alice Springs Youth Action Plan. If anyone can pull together government service delivery and non-government organisations in the youth sector, John Adams can and is. He is proving he is worth his weight in gold and pulling together that ANZAC Hill hub. It is up and operational and will go a significant way in making inroads into the challenging behaviours and issues of our young people in Alice Springs.
You cannot do it without the parents. You cannot do it without sheeting responsibility back home to the parents. That is why we need to continue to focus on the entire family environment, not just the kids, and need to sheet home responsibility to the parents. That is why we put in place the youth safe house process to get the kids off the street at night.
There have been achievements. I know everyone in the opposition thinks nothing has happened in 10 years, that we are never going to do anything, and we do not care. Well, it is wrong. It is a pretty facile argument to run and it is wrong. We know the opposition is against Police Beats - it campaigned against them and publicly stated it would close them down. Despite that, we opened a Police Beat in the Todd Mall. Feedback from traders has been very positive.
The No School, No Service program has been pursued by the Minister for Central Australia. He has been successful in introducing the program and getting support from local businesses. I put on record my thanks to local businesses for getting behind the No School, No Service program.
The government provided additional funding of $75 000 to the Alice Springs Gap Youth Centre. You have to provide a range of youth diversion options, recreation activities, and also the important mentoring, getting in and dealing with the self-esteem and risk issues those kids have. The Youth Street Outreach Service is a government-funded service. It started off operating three nights a week and is now operational seven nights a week and has been so since late last year. They have moved into new premises at the ANZAC Hub. I put on record my thanks to those workers in the Youth Outreach Service. I have been out on patrol at night in Alice Springs with them, and they are doing a fantastic job. It is a dynamic service honed to understanding their clientele, the youth of Alice Springs.
We are under way with our planning work in the repairs and maintenance we have to undertake to create the safe houses. We are currently going through the process of spending some $6.4m in upgrading Centralian Middle School. The Minister for Central Australia spoke about those terrific, state-of-the-art facilities being put into the school, and also the capital and recurrent required for the ANZAC Hill Youth Hub.
Police and service providers are taking part in what we call inter-agency operations and patrols that target truancy and young people on the streets at night. You cannot do all this without improving your education services, getting kids to school, and providing the right supports at the schools, which we are funding and improving.
As Minister for Alcohol Policy, I am intent on introducing the raft of reforms to turn the problem drinker off tap. We are starting to get down to trite comments by the Leader of the Opposition such as ‘prohibition does not work’. Well, truly, Sherlock! We all know prohibition does not work. I did not use the quote accurately there; however, I am sure people know the quote. Well, Sherlock, prohibition does not work; we know it does not work. What we are introducing is not prohibition; it is turning the problem drinker off tap. We are not affecting the broader supply laws as they exist; we are not changing them. We are not saying the average person who is reasonable and responsible with their drinking, the average licensee who is reasonable and responsible with what they are doing - we are not changing that scenario.
However, if someone has a problem, if they are in and out of police protective custody three times in three months, they have a big problem and are being turned off the tap. If they are bashing another person in a domestic violence situation which is grog-fuelled, they are going to be turned off the tap. If they are committing crime and violence which are grog-fuelled, they will be turned off the tap. They will be banned from purchasing, possessing, or consuming alcohol. Yes, we have secondary supply measures in our reforms. Yes, we have a tribunal established to deal with the clinical assessments. Yes, we have mandatory treatment.
I go to the member for Greatorex’s 2008 election commitment. Oh, spare me! As the Treasurer, I went through your election commitments as presented and as costed. You had one rehab facility in those commitments in Katherine. Tell me how one rehab facility in Katherine was going to help the good folk of Alice Springs? Explain that one to me, member for Greatorex. In stark contrast, the government recognises you need a range of rehab …
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I move that the Treasurer be given an extension of time.
Motion agreed to.
Ms LAWRIE: Overwhelming support from parliamentarians, thank you; I truly appreciate that.
One rehab facility costed in their 2008 election commitment was not a mandatory treatment provider, I have to say. What you actually need is a range of rehab and medical interventions across the Territory because it is probably no surprise to Territorians that problem drinkers are everywhere in the Territory. They are not just in Alice Springs and Katherine; they are also in Darwin, Palmerston, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Nhulunbuy, and Groote Eylandt. In fact, it was the Groote Eylandt alcohol management plan that set our government on the path of understanding the complex myriad of reforms we are bringing into parliament tomorrow.
The member for Greatorex went through all the media releases about alcohol. Yes, we have been on a journey, as a government, to try to put in place the policy, tools, and settings to reduce the impact of grog on our community across the Territory. We make no apology for the alcohol management plans we have put in place, because we are seeing results out of those alcohol management plans. The Groote Eylandt reforms, for example, have led to a 75% reduction in assaults as a result of the Groote Eylandt alcohol management plan and permit system.
Nhulunbuy is getting similar great results in violence reduction. We have created the raft of the latest reforms out of the evidence we have seen in the success of those reforms in Groote and Nhulunbuy, and understanding how a reduction in pure alcohol sales has occurred through restrictions in Alice Springs and Katherine through the ID system, and why you need an ID system to support a banned drinker register. Otherwise, how are you going to identify the person who has been turned off the tap? However, the CLP is still choosing to bury its head in the sand on that particular issue and not respond.
If you look at Alice Springs and the alcohol restrictions to date, the Menzies report, which evaluated from 2006 to 2008, showed there was an 18% drop in pure alcohol sales. What we have seen, just from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010 - the last calendar year if you like - were 9009 times when the ID system in Alice Springs stopped people from buying grog when they were not allowed to – 9009 attempts to buy grog while prohibited or in breach of liquor supply plan. Can you imagine how worse it would be if there had not been those 9009 stoppages? We know it is bad. Can you imagine how much worse it would have been? The ID system has detected and refused the sales.
Late last year, a trauma surgeon at the Alice Springs Hospital reported there had been a significant drop in the number of women being treated for stab wounds. I will quote Dr Jacob who said:
That was 2009:
No one wants to see 146 women being stabbed, and we sure as hell do not want to see 250 a year being stabbed. We have a long way to go, but we are making inroads into reducing those serious assaults. Why? Because we stepped up to the plate and introduced alcohol restrictions.
Dr Jacob went on to say:
Like it or not, that is what a trauma surgeon at the hospital said.
Since the introduction of the alcohol management plan in 2006, the Menzies report analysis and evaluation showed serious assaults had dropped by 21% and, since 2000-01, serious assaults had dropped by 25 000.
No crime is acceptable. There is not a politician who will say crime is acceptable. We are all here to pass laws to provide a safer community, as well as a raft of improved government services. We have had extra police on the ground in Alice Springs running operations. Operation Harpoon, from 7 to 21 January of this year, targeted the increasing number of unlawful entries and youth activities in Alice by the engagement of youth, and both mobile and static patrols of identified hot spots – 26 offenders were arrested; 47 charges were laid.
Operation Overseer, from 9 February, was to address antisocial behaviour and youth concerns during the evening and night within Alice, with up to six additional officers per night in addition to response patrols and police teams. They focused on the CBD, 24-hour Store, Gap Road, and the Royal Flying Doctor lawns in Stuart Terrace. The outcomes: 494 incidents of protective custody, 394 incidents where liquor was tipped out, 28 arrests made, 15 summary infringement notices issued, 22 incidents of liquor banning notice, and one incident of breach of liquor banning notice. As I said, supporting these operations is the work undertaken by the new patrol coordinator and those all-important youth services, particularly the Youth Outreach Service at night.
From 3 to 30 March: 45 arrests; 451 protective custodies; 1028 litres of liquor tipped out; 1751 people moved on; 33 summary infringements; and 22 traffic infringements.
What we are hearing from the police is that Operation Roland is impacting on driving down criminal activity, particularly those unlawful entries that were spiking through the Christmas period, both in commercial and residential property. That is the government’s response: extra police, crackdown, bringing in new laws, toughening up, and putting in and funding a range of services. In response, the CLP want to have CCTV monitoring returned to Alice Springs. What that would actually mean is they want to take the police off the street in Alice and put them in front of TV monitors. Well, anyone who still thinks that is fabulous, have a look at the Peter McAulay Centre and the monitoring that is occurring 24/7 through CCTV now that has been brought into that monitoring hub.
We know the CLP wants to extend the supply of grog for another four hours a day - open it up, pour grog onto the street. That is really going to help people – not!
In the accommodation options, as I said, 520 beds are coming online in Alice Springs, and that is brought about by $8m at the accommodation park; $4.5m for the Bath Street renal accommodation; and we are spending $1.5m on a project in tourism to improve the West Macs Visitor Centre. The investment in civil infrastructure, over the last few years and currently, runs to the tens of millions of dollars. Current projects include: $11m on that middle school; $3m on the Ross Park School upgrade; $950 000 for upgrades to police housing; installation of a hybrid solar diesel power station at Watarrka Ranger Station at a cost of $460 000; approximately $2m upgrade at the Alice Springs Hospital just on their central sterilisation department; the hospital also has a $1.5m installation of stairwell pressurisation. The hospital also has an upgrade and rectification of the mental health ward at $2.8m.
In design, we have a whole raft of projects. This expenditure not only improves the facilities in Alice Springs, it also puts money into the pockets of local businesses, the local tradies, and that is a very fine outcome in business growth and opportunities in Alice Springs.
You can continue the doom and gloom of the CLP. You can continue to trash Alice Springs. The government will continue to say that Alice Springs is a dynamic, culturally diverse service hub for the centre of our great nation. We will support it through a range of improved services, from policing to education, to health. to sport, to youth, to housing. It is an entire construction and social transformation occurring in Alice Springs at a rate that has never occurred before in its history. There is also the vision of opening up land and building south of The Gap at the new suburb of Kilgariff sitting alongside the airport land, to provide certainty for the future residential and industrial growth of Alice Springs.
Part of the vision of understanding is that it actually takes a joint effort of work between the three tiers of government - federal, Territory and local - to pull together to work with the community to deliver a change in the social and the economic outcomes for the people of Alice Springs and the region which they service.
We are never going to stop listening; we are never going to stop engaging with the people. I know there is a great annoyance about our community forums running at the moment and the community plan, but it is about working with people. We are absolutely committed to continuing to work with the people of Alice Springs, continuing to work with the people who live in the region of Central Australia who are serviced by Alice Springs.
In closing, I point out to the member for Greatorex that he is wrong. There are health clinics and schools in remote communities. He stood in parliament today, in his debate, and said there are not. He needs to get out, visit the remote communities and see what is happening. We have improved the health clinics and the schools, and we are staffing them at levels they have never been staffed previously.
Madam Deputy Speaker, it is a real opportunity for the economic and social growth of our growth towns and supporting the communities around them. I believe that is a significant challenge we are all up for. We have been significantly down the path of improving the bush, and we will continue.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, at the outset, I have to say we have been talking about the doom and gloom, I suppose, and that is fair enough. However, last Sunday morning, I walked along the Stuart Highway on a beautiful Dry Season morning in Alice Springs and thought it was paradise. I know there are issues, but one thing I will certainly promote is how beautiful Alice Springs looked on that Sunday morning.
I was walking along and I noticed all the native plants along the Stuart Highway. I congratulate Geoff Miers who, for many years, has been a great spokesman for Alice Springs especially in the horticultural side of things. Years and years ago, the Department of Transport and Works, I think, was going to plant roses and all sorts of lovely things up and down the Stuart Highway. He stuck up for putting Alice Springs native plants along that highway. When I walked along there the other day, it reminded me of how someone had the foresight and the belief that Alice Springs should look like Alice Springs and not a suburb of Adelaide. It really was beautiful.
I must admit there were no problems at that time of the morning. It was very peaceful. Even though we have troubles which we have been talking about today and will be talking about more, I still think Alice Springs is a beautiful town. I do not want to go back to a cyclone; that is all I can say. That looks like what those who come from the north will be going home to on the weekend.
I do not want to say too much about what I have already said this morning, but I might be asking some questions to find out whether the government has considered some of the things I spoke about.
Naturally, one of the big issues - and the Chief Minister mentioned it in his statement - is alcohol. I am not going to talk all night on alcohol because the government has put forward its five-point strategy. That will raise many issues when it comes before parliament in the next sittings. I came across a document which I ask members to look at as part of the debate. It is called Dealing with alcohol in Alice Springs – an assessment of policy options and recommendations for actions. It was put together by a Maggie Brady, a visiting Research Fellow of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies in Canberra, and Dr David Martin, a Research Fellow of the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Australia National University. There is a foreword by Professor Jon Altman, foundation director of CAEPR, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, and Richard Preece, Regional Manager, ATSIC, Alice Springs, October 1999. The foreword talks about the report and who prepared it. The working group was made up of Richard Preece, John Elferink who was then member for Macdonnell, Peter Toyne, Gary Stoll and Bern Kilgariff.
Regardless of what your views are, this is a document worth reading. It may be a little out of date because some things have changed, but I thought I would highlight a couple of things. Sometimes in a discussion, people talk about whether alcohol is a major factor of crime. Table 4 is titled ‘Involvement of alcohol in homicides in Alice Springs area, 1 July 1990 to 30 July 1996’. Under the heading of whether the victim was under the influence or not, the list of offenders is quite small. When it comes to murders, there were 24 murders where the person was under the influence of alcohol. They got those figures from the Australian Institute of Criminology, National Homicide Monitoring Program. It says:
I just raise that point, and also raise another point to highlight that this is a very good document to read. There are other documents around. One I am reading at the moment is the Living with Alcohol document, which was a few years before this. On page 13 of the CAEPR document - I will read it as it is:
I recommend that to people when we start the debate about the effects of alcohol. One of the dangers in this debate is not having the facts. Another example of having the facts is I visited Newcastle over the Christmas period. People might know Newcastle changed its closing times, which had the effect of a 36% reduction in violence in the Newcastle CBD. I could just say that, but I have documents from a number of people at the University of Newcastle who produced a document based on statistics - based on a comparison of an area next to Newcastle, which shows a clear relationship between a relatively small change in the closing hours and something the government should consider for some places in the Territory.
Original closing hours were around 4 am. It was brought back to 3 am, and the government decided that was a bit harsh on the poor old AHA and brought it back to 3.30 am. The important thing was you could not leave after 1 am and go into any other licensed premises. Once you were in a pub, you stayed there after 1 am. You could drink until 3.30 am or 3 am. In the last half hour, I believe, you could not drink any more alcohol. That change, and others with it, basically reduced alcohol-related violence in the CBD by 36%.
I raise that because in a debate on alcohol we need to ensure we have our facts right. Certainly, there will be passion about it because there are many vested interests, and you will see the vested interests. You will see how much pressure the NSW Police Association has been put under by the liquor industry in New South Wales which opposed the changes in Newcastle.
What happened in Newcastle was there was a gentleman who got together residents concerned about what was happening. He got nurses, doctors, the ambulance people, and the police on side to say there had to be some changes. From that effort these changes occurred. Perhaps that is what has to happen in the Northern Territory as well. We need to be open to changes, but we also need to be open to ensuring those changes will be effective.
On a few other things which partially relate to alcohol, I said today I had been out on a patrol. I went on two patrols in Alice Springs, one on a Sunday night when it poured with rain and someone said: ‘Sometimes, you get the weather cops out’ because when it was raining there was hardly anyone on the streets. Two days later when it was dry, the sobering-up shelter was full by 10 o’clock, which says something: (1) many people are drinking and under the influence and, (2) there are not enough facilities in Alice Springs to cope with it.
I asked the police officer taking us around what happens to those people who cannot get into the sobering-up shelter? They go to the watch-house. Obviously, that is not good enough; the watch-house is for criminals. We normally do not regard people who are intoxicated as being criminals. That area needs to be expanded. You would hope we would not need sobering-up shelters - that is what we should be aiming for. However, if the problems in Alice Springs are that there are too many people for the existing sobering-up shelters then government needs to do something about it.
I am unsure if the Chief Minister has answered it but I am interested in whether Operation Roland is going to continue. It made a difference to Alice Springs and puts more police on the ground. The commander has said he will keep people here until Alice Springs is safe. I would like to know if it is the intention of the government to keep those police on the ground until people feel safe in Alice Springs. It is a concern because, while I was doing the rounds in Alice Springs, someone said to me that the enterprise bargaining award that has been put in place between the Police Association and the Northern Territory government limits the number of night rosters police can do over a set period. If that is the case, that needs to be looked at, because you would expect the majority of resources, when it comes to policing, to be where they are needed. If there is a need for more police to be out at night because that is when there is more trouble, you would hope the system worked so there were more police on patrol, not during the day. It is something we ought to look at.
There is much talk about the Youth Hub, and I went there as well. People have been talking about how wonderful it is. I was not that overly impressed. I was not overly impressed because two years ago we were talking about the youth hub in the same glossy terms, and it is only now being filled. There was talk about putting a dormitory there for young kids who did not have a home to go, or were too scared to go home, who were on the streets. They were not necessarily criminals, but when the police picked them up there was nowhere safe. That dormitory still has not been built and the government should really be ashamed of itself. It might have had problems about where that particular dormitory should go. I know it is looking for places for kids who are a little more vulnerable, and for another place to put that facility as well. Surely, we could have found a place for a few demountables, and a safe place for some of these kids. It is all very well to gloss over the fact that we spoke about this two years ago, yet, there is no building there. The government should be brought to task as to why that has not happened.
In relation to the government’s heading of this statement, I do not think you can talk about moving Alice ahead unless you talk about the region. The region of Alice Springs affects Alice Springs. We heard the Minister for Tourism talking today about how wonderful it would be to get Uluru as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Fantastic, but it is part of Central Australia. Tourism is all about Central Australia.
Another issue the government is putting forward as a new way of developing the area is growth towns. Yet, when I was here last, we asked why the new Indigenous art gallery could not be placed at Hermannsburg. Why are you not making the effort to take some of the art to where it belongs? Put in first-class facilities to attract people, not in Alice Springs necessarily, but out in the communities where it is painted. We cannot just look at Alice Springs in isolation from the rest of the community.
There are a couple of other issues. One is housing. There has been much discussion about urban drift. We need to get the statisticians out, get on to Centrelink, and find out exactly how many people have moved into Alice Springs and, then, somehow find out how many people have moved here permanently. Whether you like it or not, people are allowed to move across Australia. If people are going to move here permanently, what are the plans to house those people? What are the expansion plans for schools, for children? What plans do we have for an urban drift into town, for whatever reason they are coming? If they are coming because they want to live here permanently, they have every right to, as all citizens have in Australia. So, what are we doing about housing?
It has taken a long time to get Kilgariff. The headworks have now just gone out for tender. By gee, it has been a long time to get there. The government is talking about fast-track, but we were discussing this two years ago. Fast-tracking over two years - I know some things take a long time. I do not believe this piece of land was subject to native title, so I hoped this could have got off the ground much quicker, because there will be pressure. There was pressure on housing, and there continues to be pressure on housing. The government states there are places like Mt Johns Valley. I was out talking to Lhere Artepe the other day, who own the Mt Johns Valley subdivision, and they expressed the opinion that there will not be any affordable housing out there. This is a high-class development they want to make money out of - fair enough.
However, when you include it here as a development of 28 residential blocks with a capacity for 90 homes for the people who need affordable housing, this will not be the area where people can get that. We need affordable housing, especially in Alice Springs where the cost of land is so high and the amount of land available is so low. If you have urban drift, what are the government’s plans to ensure it keeps up with urban drift and there is enough room for people to be housed?
There has been much talk about town camps, and I get mixed messages about the town camps. I know the new houses there are good, but there are still some problems. I went out to Trucking Yards twice when I was here, at night, and it is pitch black. I spoke to some people and asked: ‘Why is it pitch black?’ It is because they still have not worked out the issues of the power. Until you get some lighting in there, you will still have problems. It was dark; you could hardly even find the turn-off to it.
There are still plenty of issues in relation to town camps. I hear on one side some people say they should be normalised; that is, they should be just like any other suburb. On the other hand, I know some people say they should have control over who goes in there. Well, you have to have one, and you cannot have the other ...
A member interjecting.
Mr WOOD: Yes, I do not think gated communities are the best way to go because that encloses people. To me, a gated community can be a little like South Africa.
There are other issues that concern me. When I had meetings with the Alice Springs Transformation Group, I asked about the long waiting list in Alice Springs for public housing. The houses in the town camps are public housing so, if there is a non-Aboriginal person who is on the waiting list, can they get a house in a town camp? They said no. I said it is public housing. They said no, because the original lease that was signed was that those houses would only be for Aboriginal people. If you have that tied within a lease, it is very difficult to have a normal town.
If people think the town camps should be part of the community as other suburbs are, then there are some basic, fundamental issues that need to be addressed. I would have thought that NT Housing gives housing to all those who need it, regardless of who they are. Otherwise, give them to a private group that only deals with a certain group of people. That, again, is a hindrance to whether some of these communities become part of the town.
Another issue that has been mentioned also is in relation to sport. I am skipping over a few things here because there were a number of issues I thought I would highlight tonight. I am told that, over the last few years, football in Alice Springs is all centred around Alice Springs, so all the communities come in to play here. You have to ask: is that part of the problem? Should we be looking at taking football back out into the bush? As someone who has umpired a fair bit of football, sometimes umpiring out in the bush can be an exciting process. That may be an area that could be looked at through the local Alice Springs AFL; that you take the football back to the communities so you have less chance of people coming into town, getting stuck in town, and then causing problems.
The last thing just quickly - the Chief Minister said today, as a community, we need to recognise the problems and face them together and continue to work together to find some real solutions. He said we need to continue to work together. Those words are nothing but hollow if this parliament cannot work together to find a solution. I say to the Chief Minister and to the Leader of the Opposition: deal with what is said here, work together to find some real solutions. Alice Springs will pat both sides on the back if they make that effort. It will be a courageous effort.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I know it is not easy, but it is something that is achievable if people have the will.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, keep in mind that the Assembly will be adjourning in five minutes.
Mrs Lambley interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, most definitely, but you will have five minutes.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Araluen): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, sitting back listening to the debate tonight makes me wonder what exactly the government thinks Alice Springs people were thinking when they stood outside the convention centre today and expressed much anger and emotion. What is it the government thinks these people are on about? What could it be that they are thinking when they are screaming, ‘enough is enough,’ ‘actions speak louder than words’, when they use those terms in a fairly heated manner?
If I was in government I would be saying to myself: ‘These people are angry. Gee whiz, we must not be doing something quite right or to their satisfaction’. I do not think I would be calling them a bunch of whingers, discounting them and writing them off as imbeciles, idiots, or unreasonable people. I would be taking them a little more seriously than I have heard the government interpret these people today. In fact, I believe their interpretation of the people of Alice Springs is no less than insulting, because Alice Springs people are a diverse, culturally rich group of people, as the Deputy Chief Minister stated earlier. We are an amazingly resilient bunch of people; we are tough; we are here living in the desert. Recently, it has been a lush, beautiful place to live but, quite often, we have adverse weather and living conditions. We are a tough breed of people who choose to live in Central Australia. Some people have not chosen to live here; they are the Indigenous people of the land who come from here. They are even tougher than the ones who have come here by choice. So, when the government talks about the people of Alice Springs, I do not think it should be writing us all off as just a fairly flippant, whingey bunch of people. We have real concerns in this town.
Today has been a marvellous day for the people of Alice Springs to stand up and express what they are feeling. Of course, what many people are feeling is anger, great disappointment, frustration, and much cynicism. Cynicism is something I have never seen in this town as it is at the moment. When I talk about cynicism, I am talking about doubt, scorn, suspicion, distrust, and pessimism.
These feelings people are conveying to me and the other members of parliament who represent the people of Alice Springs are not due to the fact that these people are innately negative people who are never satisfied. They have real concerns, and the onus is on the government of the day to take on board these concerns - not dismiss them, not put these people down for feeling the way they do, but to really listen and take on board. The theme of today’s discussion has really been about the inadequacy of this government to really listen to the people of Alice Springs.
In this rather inspiring documentation, the ministerial statement that was presented earlier tonight by the Chief Minister, I have to say there are some things that do spell out achievement. I am not going to write off everything I have heard from the Chief Minister that has been reiterated by the Deputy Chief Minister. There are some achievements. I believe many of those achievements are due to the transformation plan, the emergency response that brought about the intervention that meant a huge injection of finances into the Northern Territory.
The Northern Territory government has formed this partnership with the federal government and, thankfully, they have come up with some fairly decent programs. Some of them are better than others. Being an Alice Springs person, I am rather sceptical about how some of these programs are going to be evaluated; whether the processes they use are transparent, open, and really able to objectively evaluate the outcomes of these initiatives. On paper they look fabulous.
The Deputy Chief Minister reeled them off and accused us all of gloom and doom and being negative. In essence, people want to hear some positive things. They want to go away feeling the government has been given a bit of a lashing today and will follow through on some of these commitments that sound wonderful on paper - they sound wonderful coming from the mouths of our esteemed leaders from Darwin. However, the cynicism makes us believe we cannot fully trust this government, and there is a long history there.
We have heard about the failures of the CLP in the previous decade. We keep hearing about that, which I find quite hideous. Given this government has, to its great fortune, been in government for 10 years, the onus is fairly and squarely on it to come up with some actions and outcomes ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, given it is just after 9 pm ...
Mrs LAMBLEY: I am happy to continue tomorrow if possible.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Certainly.
Debate adjourned.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, in accordance with Standing Order 41A, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Deputy Speaker, tonight I talk about some incidents that arose during today’s Question Time around the subject of advertising on Imparja Television by a group known as Action for Alice, and some advertisements that were run and paid for by a group of business people involved with Action for Alice who wanted the government to respond to issues within this town in the short, medium and long term.
During Question Time, I asked the Chief Minister a specific question about whether he would apologise to members of the Imparja Board for trying to bully its members into pulling the advertisements. The Chief Minister said:
He also went on to say:
Later in Question Time, there was a mea culpa from the Minister for Central Australia when, responding to a second question I asked which was:
Much to the surprise, I am sure, of the Chief Minister who, as I said earlier, absolutely refuted that he or anyone in government pressured anyone, the Minister for Central Australia said:
Imparja Television is an Aboriginal board; an Indigenous board, if you like. It is a company made up of members, some from another sister company called CAAMA, the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Authority. In this time of great celebration of self-determination as we move forward to Aboriginal people having ownership, drive, and integrity, and being part of our economy and part of society and the way things really should be, we do not need to spell it out. To see, or to know, the minister is actively trying to bully the Imparja Board members to take these advertisements off is nothing but disgraceful.
We do not have state-owned media in this country. There is no right for minister Karl Hampton to actively pressure or bully board members to have advertisements taken off the television. The member for Stuart, Karl Hampton, must disclose exactly what pressure he brought to bear on Imparja and CAAMA Board members in his bid to shut down the television advertisements critical of the government’s response to surging crime and other issues in Alice Springs.
He was looking for a political fix, not a community fix. What the community wants is real answers and real action to our problems. We understand they are difficult. We understand they are long term. But we do not want a political fix. We do not want the minister getting involved in private sector business, trying to override an autonomous Indigenous board which, under the rights of self-determination, are setting forward their direction. We do not want the minister trying to tell a private sector media organisation how to run itself.
This is not Libya. We are not in the Middle East. This is not how we do business. The minister must hang his head in shame. I have called for his resignation today. I have called for the Chief Minister to sack him. The Chief Minister did not even know about this embarrassment that has been brought upon him, by the sound of his answers at Question Time. The mea culpa by the member for Stuart, Karl Hampton, saying: ‘Hang on a minute, I might have talked to the board members’. The minister admitting speaking to members of Imparja and the chairman of the board, expressing his disappointment with the advertisements, is an absolute disgrace. You cannot pressure board members in that regard.
Karl Hampton’s admission to parliament that he spoke to members of the Imparja Board is in direct conflict with what the Chief Minister said earlier in Question Time. At that time, Paul Henderson made a categorical denial to parliament, claiming he refuted him or anyone in government pressuring anyone. This is typical of a Chief Minister who will say anything to get himself off the hook, even without first checking the facts. I am surprised the minister actually ‘fessed up. He did say in his response that the board did not know about the ads. I can tell him that is a lie; the board members did know about the ads. The chairman knew about the ads. This is an autonomous Indigenous organisation that has the right to run a business professionally. They employ countless numbers of people in Central Australia and the Northern Territory; they contribute to our economy. If you do not like the message they are sending, fix what you are doing. Do not stand here and try to manipulate the media for your benefit. Do not try to play some Big Brother Aboriginal mafia politics on a board which is trying to run a business. That is not how we do things in Australia.
He also said the board members: ‘were not advised of the ads coming on’. Well, that is funny, because board members say differently. Is it the fact that the minister is misleading the House? Is it the fact that the minister is lying? Is that the fact?
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! The member well knows he cannot use such language, except by substantive motion. I ask him to withdraw.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. The Leader of Government Business is quite correct. Member for Braitling, if you could withdraw those remarks, please?
Mr GILES: I withdraw, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr GILES: Karl Hampton’s actions cut to the heart of the free independent media in Australia ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, I ask you to refer to members by their electorate titles.
Mr GILES: Sorry, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr GILES: The Minister for Central Australian’s actions cut to the heart of a free and independent media in Australia, and he should hang his head in shame. Imparja is an Indigenous organisation, and its efforts at self-determination and to maintain an independent business should be respected, and above political interference, particularly by the member for Stuart. What right does a government minister have to pressure a private business to withdraw advertising that presents his government in a negative light? The answer, of course, is none. He had no right to intervene in this regard. I find it completely appalling that a minister of our Territory thinks he has the given right to impede and intervene in the operations and the business of a private media organisation to get some sort of political fix to save his bacon.
The signs out the front said it all; that the minister failed. ‘The minister failed’ is what they said. He has been out there, trying to come up with some sort of political fix rather than fix the problems on our streets, rather than positively contribute to the debate for policy reform in Central Australia and in the Northern Territory. He should hang his head in shame.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Deputy Speaker, tonight I clarify something which was printed in the Northern Territory News on the weekend in the Public Notices section under a title ‘Thank You’. It read:
For the record, I would like people to know that I did not place this ad, and I did not have surgery last Monday. I thank the large number of people who have contacted my office and me directly who felt this was about an operation I had last Monday. In fact, this is from someone, who wished to remain anonymous, who I had sent some flowers to. Because of the nature of the operation she had, she did not want to have her name revealed because people did not know about it.
I am just saying that I am not dead yet, although some people might like me to be! I am quite well, and I hope the lady concerned who received the flowers is doing well.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Deputy Speaker, it is truly great to be here in Central Australia, a place where I spent considerable time some time ago. I visit this place often, because I absolutely love the desert; it is gorgeous. Unfortunately, it is not on good grounds that I speak tonight. It is regarding the shame the Chief Minister has laid himself and this Territory today. It is a shame that the eminent leader of the Northern Territory would not – and, in fact, refused to - confront, speak and communicate with the people who came to the parliament in which we represent the people. He failed to speak to them.
The Chief Minister, the leader of the Northern Territory, did not have the intestinal fortitude to stand before 300, well-represented - 400, 500, it could have been five for that matter - serious people, business people, good community people, employees of businesses within the Northern Territory. He did not have the intestinal fortitude to stand before them, answer their call, and speak to them. He is the elected Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. Stand up, for once, and become the leader you are supposed to be! Do not be a little mouse like the little mice scurrying around the fields, like your ministers here, hiding, ducking, and weaving from their responsibilities. Stand tall and be the leader you are supposed to be.
The people of Alice Springs have demanded you speak to them. They came here to speak to you. You have puff-pieced ever since you came here. In fact, you even insulted the business people and the victims of Alice Springs in the weeks leading up to coming here. The Minister for Central Australia has failed to do his job in Central Australia; to represent the people, the victims who have been harassed. They have been left hanging out to dry because you failed to do your job, minister.
When the Chief Minister last week made comments about how business owners should be better spending their money on programs than on an advertising campaign which highlighted this government’s failed delivery of any law and order, it was one of the most insulting political comments I have ever heard. He, essentially, told the people, the victims of crime, that they must pay for the benefit of offenders. It is not the responsibility of business people, the victims of your failed government and of crime in the Territory, to deliver programs for offenders. It is your responsibility. You are the ministers. Step up to the plate and do your job. It is not the victims’ responsibility to pay for crime. We are sick of seeing the victims being left behind. You are the government. Step up to the plate and do your job properly.
Chief Minister, when the people call upon you to front them and speak to them, be the man and do that. Go and speak to them. It is not hard. You should not be so scared. They are not violent people. They are responsible, educated business people. They are not a rent-a-crowd. They might have been hurt, disheartened, and passionate about their plight here in the Territory but they are not violent people. They are smart people. They are Territory people whom you were elected to represent. You are a failed Chief Minister. You should resign. He should stand down from the post because I have not seen another leader of any government in Australia act as abhorrently as he did today.
Four years ago, the then Chief Minister, Clare Martin, stood her ground. She took a shellacking. She had the intestinal fortitude to do so. This Chief Minister did not. He is weak. He is shameful. He has brought shame to the Northern Territory today. You should all look at yourselves and wonder what role you have played in that. What role can you play to change that?
We have seen some very bizarre things happen in this parliament today. We have seen dorothy dixers go wild and rampage loosely under the guise of lawfulness. You have disgraced yourself today and the people know - and they know across Australia - that the Chief Minister, the leading politician in the Territory, would not stand in front of 300 people and even say hello. He would not even say: ‘Good morning. I am here to listen to your concerns’, because it did not suit him. Guess what? You were voted to represent the people. That is your job.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to say a few words about an issue the Minister for Lands and Planning would be interested in. It is about some flooding in the Beddington Road estate, which is a relatively new estate in Herbert in the rural area of Darwin. That estate was established around 2006. It was approved by the Development Consent Authority under the statement that the area is considered suitable for proposed subdivision.
Since then, we have had a fairly heavy Wet Season. A number of blocks of land there have gone under water, meaning at least three premises in that subdivision, basically, have been uninhabitable, either because the house is surrounded totally by water or septic tanks have gone under water meaning people simply could not live there.
I was involved with this subdivision in 2006 as a local member. I have been following this subdivision for some time. This subdivision will eventually have about 147 2 ha blocks. Most of those blocks will be valued at around $270 000 to $320 000, so the developer will receive a great deal of money when the subdivision is finally finished. At the time of the subdivision of this area, I opposed it because it had what is sometimes called a sink hole - an area which filled up with water. Some of us believed it also helped fill up the aquifer, which is important as all people in this area have to rely on bores for their water.
Unfortunately, I believe this area was not mapped correctly. In fact, the department of NRETAS - which was not called NRETAS at that time - looked at that country and came back with a report saying the area was okay. They had done a test hole in April, and understood the land would be affected by some water; however, it was not enough to cause any problems. This year certainly has found them out.
The area is unusual. If you look at the country you can see a change in vegetation. That change in vegetation is a sign that either the land is dry or wet. In this case, that vegetation, which is made up of grevilleas, Lophostemon lactifluus, and some of the eucalypts that live in wet areas, are easily seen and show the definition of where the water will lie. Again, I do not believe enough work was done on finding out the exact location of this wet area.
The map given to the Development Consent Authority by the developer only showed a relatively small area that went under water. That map appears to be inaccurate, although it was accepted by the Development Consent Authority. As well, the Development Consent Authority approved this subdivision, going against a number of its own recommendations for approval for such a subdivision. For instance, you are not supposed to subdivide wet areas, and you should ensure there is 1 ha of dry land or, as they say, 1 ha above the Q100 or 1% AEP and seepage line. You should ensure the land is suitable for on-site absorption of effluent. You should be able to get a 100 m distance between bores and septics, and septic tanks should be 50 m away from any seepage line. None of those things have occurred in this particular subdivision, however, it was passed.
It is even worse when you read the requirements of the Building Board which looks after the siting of a septic tank. The developer has to show the exact position of the Q100 on the plans. There was no Q100 shown on the plans, so people put their septic tanks roughly 100 m from the bore, and all the septic tanks went under water.
I have written to the EPA which is looking at this, because NRETAS has decided to allow the developer to pump water out of this wet area. You normally cannot do that without a discharge licence. However, in this case, they decided to call this area of water ‘laying water’ - never heard of the term before in my life. It also said recently it is just storm water, therefore, the developer, who has a huge pump which has been pumping for 14 days, is free to pump this lagoon out as much as he likes. There does not appear to be anyone saying when he can stop pumping water. This sink hole, this beautiful little environmental area, is having the water completely pumped out. The reason they are giving is there is an emergency and people cannot live on their blocks. However, that is taking the easy way out.
From my point of view, it appears to be a mistake by the DCA, to some extent backed up by the departments and the developer, in approving land that should never have been developed. To get out of finding another block of land and paying compensation for the infrastructure that has been put there, the department is washing its hands of this and saying: ‘You can pump the water out. This will sort the problem. We will eventually put a drain in and everything will be solved’. It is like people trying to cover up their mistakes, taking the easy way out, instead of finding a long-term solution.
This should not have happened. The rules for subdivision are clear. This happened in 1970 on Power Road. People there are flooded at the moment, but it is an old subdivision. It happened in 1960 in Howard Springs - people flooded; there were no rules. There are rules now and they have been around a long time. There was no reason for this decision to be made; it was a bad decision.
The minister has written to me because I have also written to the minister, as I have also written to the Ombudsman. The minister wrote back to me, and this is part of what he said:
I was very disappointed to read that. I am a local MLA; it is my job to help people. One of these people he is referring to was the first person to ring up and say their house was flooded. I investigated. It is not in my electorate, it is just nearby, but the person the minister quotes as not wanting to leave their property was the person who came to see me.
I have been on the Development Consent Authority for about six or seven years at various stages. I was on Litchfield Council for 13 years. I have been a local member for 10 years. I have a background in horticultural science - and the minister quotes scientists looking at the vegetation in this area. I am not beating my breast and saying I am an expert, but I do, by experience, know when blocks are wet, when subdivisions have been poorly subdivided and they should not have been.
This is a case where the government is now trying to cover up the mistakes of its department and the DCA. We should not be avoiding this by saying that I am a ‘self-appointed third party’. I am a local member of parliament whose job is to protect people from injustice.
These people have bought land for $275 000 to $300 000 a block and cannot live on it. They will not be able to sell this land because they will have to tell people it is wet. Even if they go back, their septic tank will be under water. Mistakes have been made by various government departments. I am asking the government to step in here - not dig a drain, not empty the lagoon, but go back to these people, find them a new block of land, work with the developer because the developer has a part to play in this, compensate them for the infrastructure - the housing, the fences, the septics, the chook shed, the yards they have put in - and let them start again. If it does not happen, it is a disgrace.
I will not let go of this, minister. Mistakes have been made. I am not a self-appointed third party. I am a local member of parliament trying to do the right thing by the people in this electorate.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, I will pick up on the comments made by the member for Nelson. I have some sympathy for the argument if what he asserts in that argument is correct. Of course, all he has to do is speak to the Chief Minister; make him become part of the coalition he already is part of properly, and become the minister for Planning. Then, he will be able to sort that out. It really is that simple. Of course, we will not see the member for Nelson doing that because it is all care and no responsibility.
I speak tonight about a couple of issues. The first deals with the progress of works at McMinns Street which, miraculously, seem to have had some attention paid to it in recent times. Nevertheless, the Northern Territory government has just spent $59 650 to find out what went wrong, or what was causing the delays in the McMinns Street area.
I note a section of the retaining mesh has captured a rock slide, which is what it is supposed to do. That is good. However, what is supposed to happen with that retaining mesh is that the concrete anchors that hold the mesh up are supposed to remain firmly fixed in place. This they have not done. These concrete anchors have given way under the weight of the material caught in the mesh. Indeed, these anchors were placed inside the zone where the rock fall occurred. Moreover, I am nothing shy of surprised to find that what is clearly an easement running from Harry Chan Avenue to the McMinn Street area, which carries along it sewerage, water, electrical conduits, as well as telecommunication conduits, seems to have been dug up.
I would like the minister to advise this House whether the works that have occurred inside that easement were intentional works which have led to what appears to be damage to a section of the water pipe, certainly appears to have damaged the telecommunications network, and has substantially exposed the electrical conduits, and also seems to have damaged the sewerage works. I suspect, looking at the sewerage work, that may have been intentional - I am uncertain.
The works in the McMinn Street area have been going since 2009. They are not yet complete but with recent attention paid to them, it appears that some work has been commenced.
I am deeply concerned for what looks like to be Telstra infrastructure lying upended inside that particularly easement, and that the Telstra conduits have been broken and, what I presume is fibre-optic cable, exposed and lying free there. If the minister would like to catch up with me afterwards, I will happily show him the photographs I have taken of those conduits and exposed pipes.
I would like to know whether those exposed electrical conduits carry live electrical wires, and whether they are the property of the Power and Water Corporation. I suspect, with the number and size of them, they are. Telstra has infrastructure that appears to be damaged in that place. Water pipes have been broken and are being repaired. I would like to know if that was intentional, and whether the damage, or the removal of the sewerage pipes, was an intentional part of the project.
Is this a separate piece of work in the McMinn Street works? Or is this, minister, some different contract from which the McMinn Street works are quite separate? All of these questions could be answered this evening by the minister. I am glad to see that he is in the House, as he always is, paying attention. I would be grateful for some information in relation to the matter.
The McMinn Street works have taken too long. They should not have been a major project, and they seem to have run into troubles because the Northern Territory government has sought to probe what is actually going on in the McMinn Street works. So, a full explanation by the minister to this House would be a useful thing.
I also speak tonight on another issue in my electorate, which is the area of Harriet Place. I start by congratulating the police, and I place on the record my particular appreciation to Superintendent Jamie O’Brien, who has assisted me with my issues in relation to Harriet Place. Of course, they are not my issues; they are the issues of business. We, tonight here in Alice Springs, have spoken at length about the social problems that have occurred in Alice Springs, and it is no less true that in the seat of Port Darwin we have, certainly not as pronounced problems, but serious problems relating to issues of public drunkenness, particularly concentrating in Harriet Place at the moment. Another area of concern is the old railway corridor leading towards Salonika, which is also seeing increased numbers of drunks.
What I am concerned about is that current government policy has the effect of policing, but only moving these people around. I raised the issue of the No 2s being delivered in the Fannie Bay area, and the police responded to that. Many of those people who were delivering those poos to the people in Fannie Bay have moved into the Darwin CBD and continued on their merry way, doing exactly the same thing. The policing has improved in the Harriet Place area, but more could be done. I am anxious to see the business people in the Harriet Place area being properly supported by a police force which actively and regularly patrols the area.
I will also be seeking, in the very near future, to arrange meetings between the Harriet Place business community and, possibly, some other businesses with Superintendent O’Brien, in an effort to ensure the issues in Harriet Place are looked after.
The issue of public drunkenness is an ongoing issue in our community. It dates back to the earliest Parliamentary Records of this Chamber. It has become worse. It is deteriorating throughout the Northern Territory. Harriet Place in the area of Port Darwin is no exception to that ongoing deterioration. I urge the government to make the drinkers themselves responsible. I am still unsatisfied its policy, such as it is, will achieve those outcomes. Time will tell.
Madam Deputy Speaker, should there be a change of government, the Country Liberals’ habitual drunks policy will be enforced, and it will mean that drunks who are identified to be habitual drunks will be in custody having their health issue dealt with. I make no bones about the fact that a Country Liberals government will be prepared to use the criminal justice system in an effort to pursue a health outcome.
It is not unreasonable and, considering the seriousness of the problem in our community, I believe it is a fair and just way to proceed for all concerned, particularly the good burghers of Darwin, Alice Springs, and the rest of the Northern Territory.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Welcome to Alice Springs Sittings
Welcome to Alice Springs Sittings
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, students, welcome to the fifth regional sittings of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory being held in Alice Springs. I am sure honourable members will join with me in saying how much we enjoy visiting the Centre and sharing the Territory’s parliamentary democracy with the people of Central Australia.
Over the past six months, the Legislative Assembly has worked hard preparing for these sittings. I hope many of you visiting today or listening to the parliamentary broadcast will take the opportunity to watch your parliament in action over the next few days. I remind people listening that you can follow the proceedings online.
Before formal proceedings commence at around 10 am, it is proposed to celebrate our visit with speeches and music. At the end of the welcome, a morning tea will be served in the courtyard area to which guests are invited to join those honourable members who are able to leave the Chamber.
I now call on We R 1 Choir to lead us in the singing of the national anthem. I ask you to stand.
The National Anthem was sung.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much to the We R 1 Choir.
WELCOME TO COUNTRY
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I acknowledge the Arrernte people, the traditional owners of the area. I invite the Deputy of the Administrator of the Northern Territory, Dr Pat Miller AO, to welcome us to country.
Dr MILLER (Deputy of the Administrator): Good morning, Madam Speaker. Good morning, everyone. I acknowledge the presence of the Administrator, Mr Tom Pauling, and Mrs Tessa Pauling. I also acknowledge the presence of the ministers, the Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, and the Opposition Leader, Mr Terry Mills.
As an Apmereakwetwe person, a traditional owner of the Arrernte country, I welcome you here and also acknowledge the native title holders from the Lhere Artepe prescribed body corporate. The native title groups are Irlpme to the north, Untulya to the east and Mparntwe which is the country we are standing on now. Mparntwe people have always welcomed people to Alice Springs and today is no different. Historically, we used to stop people at the Gap and ask what presence did they want to have free passage through here. Today, we know what business you have here, and it is very important business. The way we welcome people today is not the historical way where we challenge you. Today, there are other methods of communication which we use, and one of them is the presence of traditional owners here today.
I acknowledge the traditional owners, past and present, many of whom passed away far too young in today’s society, and those of us who are considered not so old being called elders at 50 years old. So, I acknowledge the sadness that Arrernte people and other people have stressed to go through.
I also acknowledge the presence of our Mayor, Mr Damien Ryan.
Once again, welcome to Arrernte country, Apmereakwetwe for this land.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much, Dr Miller.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I thank our Deputy of the Administrator, Pat Miller, for her welcome to country. As the Chief Minister, I also acknowledge the traditional owners and native title holders of this Central Arrernte land we are on, and thank them for allowing us to hold parliament in Alice Springs. It is very special.
I acknowledge our Administrator, Tom Pauling and Mrs Tessa Pauling - it is great that you have made the trip from Darwin for these sittings; the Right Worshipful Mayor of Alice Springs, Mr Damien Ryan; Leader of the Opposition; fellow parliamentarians; former member for Araluen, Jodeen Carney; and all the people of Alice Springs and Central Australia who are here today.
It is great to be back for the fifth sittings of parliament in Alice Springs. I cannot believe we have been here five times - the first in 2003 - and it is great to see so many people here today.
This is all about bringing parliament to the people and giving the people of Central Australia an opportunity to see their parliament and democracy in action. It is a great opportunity for schoolchildren in this region to visit parliament; to see parliament in action and improve their understanding of the democratic process. I have had a chance to talk to the children and teachers from Nyirripi School and Bradshaw Primary School, as well as the drumming group, and I know they are really looking forward to their morning. Talking to the Bradshaw kids, I know they have had an opportunity to do some role playing in regard to parliament. I spoke to a young boy at the back who took on the role of Chief Minister. It is great to bring parliament to the people in Alice Springs, particularly our children. It is about giving people an opportunity to see democracy in action.
The next few days will certainly see a focus in this parliament on Central Australia and Alice Springs. There will be robust debate, as there always is in parliament, whether it is in Darwin or Alice Springs. We will be talking a lot about the future of this great part of Australia, Central Australia.
Holding sittings in Alice Springs does not happen without an enormous amount of work; it is a huge logistical effort to bring parliament to Alice Springs. I pay tribute to you, Madam Speaker, together with your Legislative Assembly staff, because it really is a huge logistical effort to make this happen. Congratulations also for promoting the parliament in Alice Springs and Central Australia. Thank you, Madam Speaker, and all your staff. I know you enjoy bringing parliament here and getting out to engage the community around parliament - the art competitions and talking to the kids. It is fantastic.
I look forward to the week ahead. I hope people from Alice Springs and the Central Australian region enjoy witnessing their parliament at work. It is a great opportunity for all of us over the next three days, for the time the parliament sits. I really enjoy getting into the galleries, when I am not required to be speaking here, to sit down and talk with people from Central Australia about some of the issues. That is a great opportunity for us, because we always have a bigger crowd in Alice Springs than we do in Darwin. I am sure all of us look forward to that opportunity over the next three days.
Madam Speaker, it is great to be back in Alice Springs for the fifth sittings of the parliament. It is will be a robust three days, but it is going to be an enjoyable three days. I thank members of the Central Australian community who support parliament coming to Alice Springs, especially the schoolchildren. It is going to be fantastic to see between 600 and 700 students attend over the next three days.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, welcome Administrator Tom, and Tessa; the Deputy of the Administrator, Pat; Mayor of Alice Springs, Damien; and Madam Speaker and parliamentary colleagues – government, opposition, and Independents. A special welcome to, and acknowledgement of, former Speaker and minister, Loraine Braham, and to Jodeen Carney, a colleague and former Opposition Leader.
This is the fifth visit and, as the Chief Minister has acknowledged, time has flown by. Paul and I came into this parliament on the same day and we have shared a similar journey, though on opposite sides of the Chamber. We acknowledge that being in the Centre for the fifth time is a symbol of the parliament at work for the people. However, we want to ensure this is more than just a symbol, that those who gather, who take an interest in these proceedings, will see that this symbol has power - power to ensure there is a change in our community, and a response; not a reaction, but real action that is sustained and ongoing that effects real change.
I trust we will leave something behind at the end of our proceedings that will show this symbol of this parliament has power to make a difference in the classrooms, for those who think schooling is optional - it is not; that those families feel it is safer in this community as a result of the power this parliament does have to change direction; and that business has the capacity to prosper, grow, and provide extended employment opportunities in the Centre.
Madam Speaker, parliamentary colleagues and members of this community, I trust this symbol will be demonstrated at the end of this to be something which has potency to respond to the challenges we have; that it is a demonstration of the will of the community - you will see that in action and there will be encouragement at the end of our time together. I look forward to this time we will spend together, very mindful of a community that has high expectations and perhaps some growing cynicism as they do have in the instruments of parliament. Let us ensure that does not occur.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have great pleasure in inviting the Mayor of Alice Springs, His Worship Mr Damien Ryan, to address the parliament.
Mr RYAN (Mayor, Alice Springs): Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to address the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory at these Alice Springs sittings. I acknowledge the Central Arrernte people who are the traditional owners and custodians of Alice Springs. I welcome His Honour the Administrator, Mr Tom Pauling and Mrs Pauling; Dr Pat Miller, the Deputy of the Administrator; Hon Paul Henderson, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory; Madam Speaker, Hon Jane Aagaard; Mr Terry Mills, Leader of the Opposition; and honourable members.
I start by recognising what a momentous year 2011 is for the Northern Territory. Together, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of being separated from South Australia. It is also the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Alice Springs Town Council.
As stated by others, we are here today for the fifth sittings of the Northern Territory parliament in Alice Springs. Whenever parliament sits in Alice Springs it is always well attended by local residents. Witnessing parliament in action is always intriguing and inspiring. Often what people do not see is the layers of government - local, Territory and federal - and the complexity in which the three tiers of government work together for their community.
To further demonstrate these intricacies, and running parallel with the parliamentary sittings this week, the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory will hold its general meeting in Alice Springs. This is an opportunity for mayors and presidents from across the Territory to meet to address issues which impact on their municipalities and shires.
I extend a welcome to all parliamentarians in the House and, if they have time, to drop by the Alice Springs Town Council Civic Centre later in the week and say hello.
A key issue of local government is the impact of urban drift on our communities. I hope this is an issue firmly on the agenda of the Northern Territory parliament. All our communities are suffering the effects of urban drift and solutions require a united, long-term approach.
As Mayor of the town, I have one fundamental request of all of you: seize this opportunity before you to make some much-needed, constructive change for our community. Please put aside your differences and work together for the betterment of Alice Springs, its people, and our way of life.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Mayor. I like your words that the sittings are intriguing and inspiring – I look forward to that.
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Art Competition Winners
Art Competition Winners
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, in conjunction with these sittings the parliament ran an art competition on the theme 100 Years of Being a Territory. The winners are depicted on the program which you have in front of you. The entries were of a very high standard and showed both the artistic and historical knowledge of the students. Assisting with the judging this year was the Director of the Araluen Cultural Precinct, Mr Tim Rollason, and the winner of last year’s Portrait of a Senior Territorian Art Award, Dr Al Strangeways. I thank them for their contribution.
I now invite the Chief Minister, Hon Paul Henderson and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Terry Mills, to present the first prize. On this occasion we have a shared first prize. Chief Minister, please present the shared first prize to Acacia Hill School. The prize is to be collected by Sarita Morrison and Tiffany Malthouse. Their painting is on the front of the program. Congratulations to those students.
The shared first prize is $2000 to each of the schools.
Leader of the Opposition, please present the shared first prize to Braitling Primary School. The prize is to be collected by Haley Sneddon and Tim Shaw.
Minister for Central Australia, Mr Karl Hampton, please present the runner-up prize to Ross Park Primary School. The prize is to be collected by Kiarra Tilmouth and Chloe Southam which is $500 for their work.
I also call the shadow Minister for Central Australia, Mr Matt Conlan, who will accept the People's Choice Award on behalf of the Gillen Primary School of $500.
While Matt is there, I congratulate him and his wife, Elara, who had a baby just three weeks ago; young Cleo. I believe Harvey is also there. I had better mention him because I know the older child always gets upset. Congratulations on the birth of your child.
Congratulations to the Gillen Primary School.
Thank you very much, honourable members, for your assistance, and congratulations to the winning schools.
Honourable members, I invite Drum Atweme, comprising students from Yipirinya School, to perform their special drumming presentation.
Thank you very much to the students from Yipirinya.
Honourable members, that concludes the opening ceremony for our fifth regional sitting in Alice Springs. I ask the Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms to escort our guests from the floor of the parliament so we can start the official proceedings.
________________________
Madam Speaker Aagaard read Prayers.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, excuse me …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, we have the formal business of the Assembly. If you wish to speak at the end of this you may do so; not while I am speaking during the formal business of the Assembly.
Mr Conlan: Madam Speaker, this is relevant to business of the Assembly. Without diminishing the tragic events in Japan …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, can you just speak …
Mr Conlan: I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent this House from censuring the Northern Territory government for its failure …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, please resume your seat. This is the formal part of the opening of the parliament. As you would be aware, on every sitting day I have a number of announcements. If you wish to move such a motion, you need to do so at the end of the formal part of this ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! There is no question before the Chair at the moment. The member is fully entitled …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker, I ask to be heard.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I ask to be heard. There is no question before the Chair. The process of this House is quite straightforward. He is seeking a motion to suspend so much of standing orders …
Madam SPEAKER: I am aware of that. Thank you very much, member for Port Darwin, you may resume your seat.
There are a number of formal items, particularly on the first day of every Assembly, which need to be discussed. Then, you can move that motion and we will see what happens. I note there is a condolence motion, which is sought to be moved by the Chief Minister. I remind you that Standing Order 125 indicates that a condolence motion has precedence over all other motions in this House. So, member for Port Darwin, resume your seat.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! There is no condolence motion before this House. There is merely a proposed condolence motion. The motion which is proposed by the member for Greatorex seeks to suspend so much of standing orders as would prevent a censure motion proceeding.
I ask that the people of Alice Springs be heard when it comes to the important issue which is to be raised, rather than sticking to process.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, the formal business of the Assembly still needs to be dealt with.
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of the Administrator of the Northern Territory, His Honour Mr Tom Pauling AO QC and Mrs Pauling; Dr Pat Miller AO, Deputy of the Administrator of the Northern Territory; His Worship the Mayor of Alice Springs, Mr Damien Ryan; and former member of the Legislative Assembly, Ms Jodeen Carney.
I extend a warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence of Year 5/6 students from Bradshaw Primary School, accompanied by Ms Andrews; and students from Nyirripi School accompanied by Ms Wendy Jones.
On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Televising Proceedings
Televising Proceedings
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise that parliamentary proceedings will not be of television quality because of the landline to Darwin.
I have approved television cameras in the Chamber during Question Time, and at other times with approval. The Internet vision will continue and may be used in the usual way.
MESSAGE FROM ADMINISTRATOR
Message No 24
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received from His Honour the Administrator Message No 24 notifying assent to bills passed in the February sitting of the Assembly.
COMMONWEALTH DAY MESSAGE 2011
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received the Commonwealth Day Message 2011 from Her Majesty the Queen, dated 14 March 2011:
Women – Agents of Change!
- Last week, on 9 March, we marked the 100th anniversary of the first International Women’s Day. The idea of having a women’s day was first proposed against the backdrop of the rapid industrialisation of the early 20th century. From small beginnings, this idea has grown to become a widely recognised way of celebrating women around the world. While some people use this day to acknowledge the love, admiration and respect for women, others use it to remember the great social and political strides made both by and for women in the last 100 years. There is no right or wrong approach.
In the Commonwealth, every year, 26 million girls are born; and this equates to one new baby girl arriving almost every second of ever day. In the time it takes to hold the Commonwealth Observance Service at Westminster Abbey, nearly 4000 girls will have been born in Commonwealth lands. And every one of these births marks the start of a new life, a journey which begins with the hopes of parents, families and communities, and which is continued through the aspirations of these girls themselves.
This year, the Commonwealth celebrates the important role that women already play in every walk of life and in every Commonwealth country – from the richest to the poorest areas, across continents and oceans, from villages to places of international debate, in every culture and faith – recognising that women are ‘agents of change’ in so many ways: as mothers and sisters, teachers and doctors, artists and craftspeople, smallholders and entrepreneurs, and as leaders of our societies, unleashing the potential of those around them.
And also this year, the Commonwealth reflects on what more could be achieved if women were able to play an even larger role. For example, I am encouraged that last year the Commonwealth launched a global effort to train and support half a million more midwives worldwide.
In all this work the commendable goal is to create a greater opportunity for women as children and adults to pursue their hopes and dreams, to attain their goals, and to make best use of their talents and knowledge.
This year, and on Commonwealth Day especially, as governments continue to search for new ways to tackle these important challenges, let us all give a thought to the practical ways in which we, as individuals or as groups, can provide support to girls and women – so that everyone can have a chance of a fuller and more rewarding life, wherever they happen to be born.
14 March 2011.
PETITIONS
General Aviation Aerodrome in
Greater Darwin Area
General Aviation Aerodrome in
Greater Darwin Area
Ms PURICK (Goyder)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I present a petition not conforming with standing orders from 49 petitioners relating to a general aviation aerodrome in the greater Darwin area. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
- To the honourable Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory,
We the undersigned respectfully showeth that we are strongly supportive of the need for the general aviation aerodrome to be established in the greater Darwin area to service the growth in the aviation industry.
Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that the Northern Territory government immediately identify land that could be used for an aerodrome, undertake preliminary work on the design, layout and construction, and undertake discussions with the aviation industry.
And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.
Amalgamation of Dundee and
Marrakai into a New Shire
Marrakai into a New Shire
Ms PURICK (Goyder)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I present a petition not conforming with standing orders from 427 petitioners relating to the forced amalgamation of the areas of Dundee and Marrakai into a new shire. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
- To the honourable Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory,
We the undersigned respectfully showeth that we are strongly opposed to forced amalgamation of the areas of Dundee and Marrakai into a new shire or council or to be forced to be part of Litchfield Council. The residents strongly believe that the current process under way to force residents into a shire or council is without benefits and the areas of Dundee and Marrakai wish to remain as unincorporated areas.
Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that the Northern Territory government does not proceed with this forced amalgamation and leaves the areas of Dundee and Marrakai as unincorporated areas as that is the wish of the residents in the two areas.
And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.
Rezoning Sections of
Hundred of Strangways
Hundred of Strangways
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 195 petitioners praying that the rezoning of the sections of Hundred of Strangways does not proceed. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders. Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
- To the honourable Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory,
We the undersigned respectfully showeth that we are strongly concerned by the NT government’s application to amend the NT Planning Scheme by rezoning sections 325, 324 and part of section 4558, Hundred of Strangways, on Gulnare Road, Bees Creek from zone Future Development to zone Rural Living and zone Conservation to facilitate the development of five acre blocks. The parcels of land are completely unsuitable for small acre development as the soils are waterlogged from moderate to extreme for extended periods and because the land is valuable conservation and recreation area. Moreover, the parcels of land potentially may suffer from saltwater intrusion and are located in the midge zone.
- Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that the Northern Territory government does not proceed with this application and proposed development and that immediately embarks on consultations with residents, the community and the Litchfield Council as the rezoning to either organisational recreation or public open spaces.
And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.
RESPONSES TO PETITIONS
The CLERK: Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 100A I inform honourable members the responses to petitions Nos 43 and 44 have been received and circulated to honourable members. The text of the responses will be placed on the Legislative Assembly website. A copy of the response will be provided to the member who tabled the petition for distribution to petitioners.
Petition No 43
Building on Vacant Land Opposite Karama
Shops
- Date presented: 26 October 2010
Presented by: Ms Lawrie
Referred to: Minister for Lands and Planning
Date response due: 26 February 2011
Date response received: 24 February 2011
Date response presented: 29 March 2011
- Response:
On 28 May 2010, a development application for the purpose of 16 x one-bedroom and 60 x two-bedroom multiple dwellings in two x three-storey and four x four-storey buildings, including ground-level car parking located in a Zone MR (Medium Density Residential) site at 30-38 Kalymnos Drive, Karama, commenced public exhibition.
Public exhibition of the proposed development was undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Planning Act. Fourteen public submissions, including three group submissions, were received during the exhibition period. On 22 July 2010, the Development Consent Authority conducted a public hearing which was attended by a number of submitters.
Following this hearing the Development Consent Authority, which is an independent statutory authority, determined that the development should be approved and a Notice of Determination was issued. A Third Party Appeal was subsequently received, and is currently going through the statutory appeals process with the Lands, Planning and Mining Tribunal.
Whilst I note public concerns to the process, the matter is now the subject of a formal tribunal process. I have forwarded this petition to the Chairman of the Development Consent Authority so that he is also aware of the community concerns in relation to the development.
Petition No 44
Nganmarriyanga/Palumpa Store – Return to
Community Control
- Date presented: 23 November 2010
Presented by: Mr Knight
Referred to: Minister for Local Government
Date response due: 29 March 2011
Date response received: 24 March 2011
Date response presented: 29 March 2011
- Response:
- The Northern Territory government is committed to ensuring that remote communities have access to strong and effective local government and to economic development opportunities.
The government acknowledges that resident in Nganmarriyanga/Palumpa require access to safe and healthy food and the opportunity to engage in economic development.
The government will continue to work with the residents of Nganmarriyanga/Palumpa, the Victoria Daly Shire Council and the Commonwealth government in respect of the operations of the store.
Officers of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Regional Services will continue to liaise with the Victoria Daly Shire Council in regard to transfer of the store operations to a community-based operational structure in a sustainable manner.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I understand we are moving to a condolence motion; however, before that we had a point of order. I call the member for Greatorex.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS
Move Proposed Motion of Censure
Move Proposed Motion of Censure
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I said, without diminishing the events in Japan, local issues are far more pressing.
Madam Speaker, I move that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent this House from censuring the Chief Minister and his government for its abject failure to protect the people of Alice Springs ...
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 125, which you have already alluded to, about the precedence of condolence motions over all other business ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Dr BURNS: The government realises the importance of the matters the member for Greatorex is bringing forward. We will deal with the censure after the condolence.
Madam Speaker, I move that the motion be put.
The Assembly divided:
- Ayes 13 Noes 12
Mrs Aagaard Ms Anderson
Dr Burns Mr Bohlin
Mr Gunner Mr Chandler
Mr Hampton Mr Conlan
Mr Henderson Mr Elferink
Mr Knight Mr Giles
Ms Lawrie Mrs Lambley
Ms McCarthy Mr Mills
Mr McCarthy Ms Purick
Ms Scrymgour Mr Styles
Mr Vatskalis Mr Tollner
Ms Walker Mr Westra van Holthe
Mr Wood
Madam SPEAKER: The question now is that the motion be agreed to.
Motion negatived.
CONDOLENCE MOTION
People of New Zealand and Japan
People of New Zealand and Japan
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I move –
That the Legislative Assembly:
- (a) express its profound condolences to the people of both New Zealand and Japan following the devastation caused by earthquakes in their countries;
(b) commends the efforts of those involved in the relief effort including Northern Territory Police, Fire, and Emergency Services personnel who travelled to New Zealand to assist the people of Christchurch in rescue and recovery efforts; and
(c) further commends the efforts of community groups involved in fundraising and those involved in efforts to assist victims, families, and relatives who have been exposed to these tragedies.
We recently witnessed a series of truly devastating natural events, both at home and abroad. We were all deeply affected by the unparalleled flooding in large sections of Australia, most notably Queensland early this year. However, fate seems to dictate that natural disasters occur in groups. More recently, there have been catastrophic earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan. The Japanese earthquake was coupled with a tsunami. In both cases, nature exacted a cruel toll in both human and economic terms.
To watch the television images and hear reports of both earthquake-related tragedies puts the challenges we face in the Territory into perspective. The people of the Fukushima region of Japan are struggling to survive in the aftermath of the twin blows of earthquake and tsunami, in freezing temperatures, whilst coping with lack of food, water and basic supplies, under the pall of potential nuclear contamination. I am sure all members of this House have been moved by the suffering of the people of New Zealand and Japan.
Christchurch residents are facing the wretched task of trying to pick themselves up for a second time in less than six months after the destruction of the earthquake. Christchurch was still recovering from the events of September last year, only to have their city rocked by an even more devastating earthquake on 22 February this year. The final death toll from the 22 February quake is expected to top 200 people. The damage bill is still to be fully tallied, but current estimates put the cost at more than $A11bn. It has been the most costly natural disaster in New Zealand history.
The New Zealand government estimates, in addition to the massive devastation of Christchurch CBD which is likely to result in major commercial buildings being razed, 10 000 houses may need to be demolished, whilst a further 100 000 houses will require repairs. The New Zealand Prime Minister said following the second quake inside six months, there are now likely to be areas of Christchurch which may never be rebuilt. More than 60 000 people, or one sixth of the population, have fled the city.
We, of course, share the strongest of bonds with New Zealand. Australians and New Zealanders are mates. In fact, Australians and New Zealanders are almost cousins. The Territory is also home to a significant number of New Zealand ex-pats.
Territorians have responded magnificently to the plight of the people of Christchurch. We have rallied to provide financial assistance for our cousins across the ditch. Three separate contingents of Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services personnel have travelled to Christchurch to help the people of the city. On 1 March, a disaster victim identification team of four left for New Zealand. I met those police officers before they left. I thanked them for the work they were about to do, which was absolutely challenging in identifying dead bodies - men, women and children - to provide some sense of closure for relatives. I can only think of the horror those police officers would have found.
Then, on 4 March, an urban search and rescue assistance team of four - three NT Emergency Services members and a member of the NT Fire Brigade - headed to Christchurch. A general policing assistance team of seven flew to Christchurch on 11 March. I met those police officers on their return on Friday at Darwin Airport, and they were all absolutely confronted and astounded with the devastation they saw. They could not believe the power and the force of Mother Nature to completely destroy what was once a very beautiful city. They also had to withstand a number of what people called aftershocks. One of those aftershocks was actually an earthquake of 6.1 on the Richter scale, which was truly very frightening.
Those who travelled to Christchurch were understandably moved by the circumstances they found themselves confronted with. The Territory teams performed magnificently and we should all be very proud of those personnel. On behalf of all Territorians, I commend the efforts of our relief teams who worked under the most trying of circumstances. The members of the relief teams can be justly proud of the assistance they rendered to the people of Christchurch. I expect all of them will carry this memory with them for the remainder of their lives, and I trust it is an event they will look back upon with pride.
The devastation wrought by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan on 11 March was even greater than that inflicted on Christchurch, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those thousands of people who have lost their lives. Not long after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, I was in Canberra and took the opportunity to visit the Japanese Embassy to pass on the condolences of all Territorians to our friends in Japan. I was deeply honoured to be the first person to sign the Embassy’s official book of condolences for the tragedy. I also commend you, Madam Speaker, for having an official condolence book for Territorians to sign. I advised the Ambassador we would formally forward that condolence book to the Ambassador in Canberra.
The earthquake triggered the destructive tsunami of waves of up to 20 m. The waves wrought destruction along the Pacific coast of Japan’s northern islands and well inland. It was the waters of the tsunami which caused the greatest destruction. In places, the waves washed over the top of Japan’s extensive anti-tsunami sea walls, which in some places stand up to 12 m high. I recall my feelings when I saw the initial images from Japan on the television. I was actually in the lounge at Alice Springs Airport returning to Darwin, and sat down and looked at the television and thought: ‘What on earth is that?’ It was very early on; broadcasts of the tsunami rolling across the ocean to Japan. Everyone in the Alice Springs Airport was transfixed with total horror, looking at what was unfolding live in Japan, and the horror of that tsunami building momentum coming to shore.
Damage affected 18 separate prefectures and has reportedly moved Honshu Island more than 2 m to the east. The before and after images we have all seen from some of the worst affected prefectures are confronting, challenging, devastating, and traumatic. These pictures show little more than rubble, with no obvious structural remains evident. The number of dead is currently estimated to be around 20000 people, with thousands still missing or unaccounted for. More bodies are being discovered every day. The number of deaths has forced authorities to dispense with the normally elaborate Buddhist cremation ceremonies favoured by the Japanese, opting instead, tragically, for mass burials. Japan is a beautiful country, where 99% of the dead are now cremated and, in some places, burials are banned by law.
More than 450 000 have been forced into shelters, with an estimated 120 000 buildings damaged or destroyed. Estimates of the likely cost of the damage range as high as $300bn, making this the most expensive natural disaster of all time. The Japanese government has described the challenges of dealing with the current situation as the greatest crisis to confront the country since World War II.
Fuel shortages are complicating relief efforts, as is the cold. Overnight temperatures in the affected areas are hovering at or below 0C. Then there is the potential threat of nuclear contamination from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. This disaster has affected all of us. I have friends and neighbours who have a daughter on a teacher exchange program living 60 km from the Fukushima plant. The trauma that family went through trying to get their daughter out of Japan was immense. She is now safe and at home. One can only think of what they went through, day after day, news report after news report, about those nuclear power plants and the potential total meltdown of those plants and a radioactive wave that could have decimated thousands of lives. Their daughter was 60 km away from that particular facility.
Despite the gravity of the nuclear threat, news reports suggest that nuclear contamination is not the major priority for quake survivors. It is a notion that really puts the miserable plight of the quake survivors into stark perspective. Even so, the reports and images in relation to the damage to the Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant are apocalyptic. The failure of the cooling system at the Fukushima 1 power plant resulted in the evacuation of thousands of nearby residents and the declaration of a state of emergency.
For New Zealand and Japan, the road to recovery will be long and difficult. The long-term impact on survivors will also be immense.
Both of these countries are great friends of Australia and the Territory. As Chief Minister, I have had the opportunity to visit Japan on many occasions. I have always found the Japanese people courteous, hospitable, entertaining, and devoted to family and children. I could not believe what I saw. I have made numerous phone calls to people in business, in the community, and the Japan Australia Friendship Society in Darwin. I have spoken to teachers across the Northern Territory who teach Japanese. I am sure the thoughts and prayers of all Territorians are with the people of Japan and Christchurch at this very difficult time.
This past weekend at the Waterfront in Darwin we had a major festival of multiculturalism to support Harmony Day. The Japanese community was there showing people how to make paper cranes, and also had a condolence book available. There were stands from all countries around the world, but more people were at the Japanese community stand. Everyone wanted to make a paper crane, or take a paper crane away, and everyone was queueing up to sign the condolence book.
I know that the thoughts of all members of this House are with the people of both countries. I know our schoolchildren who are learning Japanese are sending post cards and electronic post cards, and messages of sympathy to schoolchildren in Japan. That is magnificent, and I commend all those schools - including Alice Springs High School – which are doing everything they can to support people in Japan.
Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I know the thoughts of all members of this House are with the people of both countries. Our thoughts and prayers are with those in distress in both regions. I am sure we will all, as members of parliament in our electorates, do everything we can to support the fundraising efforts of our community to support people in New Zealand and Japan at this tragic time.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I support this motion of condolence for those in New Zealand, Christchurch in particular, and Japan, the north in particular.
A condolence motion is a motion which, on behalf of the people, expresses our sorrow at their sorrow, and our concern and response to their misfortune and the grief of families, a nation, and of a people. We also, in support of this motion, acknowledge the relief efforts. It is right and fitting that a civil society would respond to neighbours in need, as has the Territory, and that is to be commended. We all have to give a little, and we give as much as we can at times such as this. To those in our community who have gathered together to have any number of community events to raise funds and send support, we commend those efforts as well - all evidence of a community that responds to neighbours’ need. This response, some words in a parliament, gives some definition to what is, in fact, a complete response of a community as best we can, and is to help us get some sense of what has occurred. We are all involved in this one way or another. When we acknowledge such events have occurred, we reflect on what has occurred in recent times, as the Chief Minister has already acknowledged.
It does not seem so long ago this parliament paused to reflect on the devastating bushfires in Australia which still bear a mark on families and friends in this community. It does not seem so long ago we paused and reflected on the floods in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and the in the Gascoyne and Tasmania prior to that. In our last parliament, we had Cyclone Yasi and, then, in the same sittings we had news of Christchurch. All these things seem to be growing around us causing us to reflect. It is right and fitting there is a response; however, what we see here is beyond our control. In responding, we try to understand what it would be like to be in Christchurch. Those who have been to Christchurch have helped to explain what this means. I have not been there. If you have not been, you ought to find someone who has, or someone with a connection to New Zealand, to help you understand what this really means for people, for families so you can make that response.
As the Chief Minister described, I am sure everyone will have a memory of the first images from Japan. It was almost impossible to believe, to comprehend, what we were witnessing. Those events I have just described seem to fall into a different place. When we see walls of sea water crashing across Japan, washing away villages, towns and cities, and people’s homes with everything contained therein, and you hear stories of people who are in relief accommodation, and all they want is to go back to their home to see what is left, that gives the very human side of this whole tragedy.
For those in New Zealand, for those in Japan, there is an echo of response around the globe and in this parliament. We ask what is important when we see what people cling to, what they desire. It brings things into sharp relief with food, clothing, and shelter highest priorities. The next, of course, is safety. Those are the concerns at this moment.
Regarding the issues of safety, it is best we, they and the agencies can respond to increase the safety of the citizens. There is so much work to be done. But there are issues of safety in a community we do have some control over, such as the matters which will be reflected in this Chamber. It helps us to see the difference between matters of national safety and perils which are beyond the control of citizens, such as earthquakes and floods. There are matters which create a sense of a need for safety and security which are within our control. I believe that is something to consider in this; that there is something we can do to increase the safety of our citizens. It helps bring some focus to the things of concern to the people of this community that would be a fitting response.
This condolence motion is supported - of course it is - in acknowledging our human response to families in other places, and all families who have suffered in recent times with natural disasters; for those who have provided relief and are continuing to provide relief. I look forward to meeting those who have been there; we will want to hear their stories to help us understand what it was like for those citizens who are in these most unfortunate circumstances. For those who are gathering in community responses across the Territory and across the nation, good on you and thank you for evidence of that beautiful human response to those in need.
Yes, there is a special connection to New Zealand, as there has been in recent times with Japan in our commemoration of the Bombing of Darwin with the Consul-General of Japan present. It was a powerful moment. It was not so long after we had to make contact and say: ‘We are standing with you, what can we do?’ The phone calls and the responses will be ongoing. It is times like this which bring people together.
Chief Minister, thank you for bringing this motion; it has our support.
Ms LAWRIE (Deputy Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s motion and join with members of this Assembly in offering my deepest condolences to the people who have been affected by these most recent natural disasters and tragedies.
Two great friends of the Territory, New Zealand and Japan, have fallen victim to significant natural disasters. The people of the Territory are no strangers to the destructive power of Mother Nature, and we strongly identify with such natural disasters and significant tragedies. To hear of the loss of life reminds us of what is truly important in our lives – our family, our friends, and our community.
In the Canterbury region of New Zealand, two major earthquakes struck within six months of each other, causing major damage and multiple fatalities in the city of Christchurch and surrounding areas. On 11 March, less than three weeks later, a powerful earthquake of 9.0 magnitude struck off the coast of Japan and triggered an extremely destructive tsunami with waves up to 23 m high.
Territorians had, some six months earlier, breathed a sigh of relief when an earthquake near Christchurch caused damage and power outages in that beautiful city and its surrounding towns but miraculously spared its residents. We were glued to our televisions as the story unfolded, and marvelled that with so much damage the residents had come away relatively unscathed. Just six months later, while Christchurch was still recovering and rebuilding in an extensive cleanup, it was struck by a massive after shock early in the afternoon on 22 February.
The residents were not fortunate this time; the quake caused widespread damage and multiple fatalities. Once again, we were gripped, with television coverage showing us the latest news on the disaster and showing us that, this time, lives had not been spared. We all watched in horror as the news unfolded. For Australians, this news was a great shock to us. The Kiwis are our cousins across the Tasman. They stand proudly with us as ANZACs. The Territory has a significant number of former Kiwis who call the Territory home. I am sure everyone in this parliament has heard, watched or read the news, and felt for our friends, our cousins across the Tasman. At least 166 people have been confirmed dead as of 17 March, with the final death toll expected to be at least 182. This toll will have an enduring effect on the communities that cannot be measured.
During tragedies such as this, some comfort can be taken in the strength of the human spirit. It is often said that hardship brings out the best in people, and I sincerely believe this is true. Within hours of the earthquake, search and research teams from across the globe and from our own nation were preparing to assist the local dramatic and heart-wrenching efforts in Christchurch. Teams from Australia, the UK, USA, Japan, Taiwan, China and Singapore all assisted the Kiwis in the search and rescue effort in a physically and mentally demanding environment. These teams must be applauded. I remember news footage of a team from South America who were not accredited, but were a rescue team in Christchurch to assist.
Medical, humanitarian and welfare support came flooding in from overseas. Many of those providing help did so in a volunteer capacity. It is encouraging to see there are so many people willing to make personal sacrifices in order to help others. Local community groups in the Territory rallied in their fundraising efforts. Many individuals and organisations throughout the Territory contributed to the relief efforts in New Zealand, and followed up swiftly with Japan. I acknowledge the great work done by Red Cross in the Northern Territory in responding to these natural disasters and being a point at which Territorians can contribute in a very meaningful way. Three groups of the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services’ teams travelled to Christchurch to help in their fields – a disaster victim identification team, a search and rescue team, and a general policing unit.
I had been visiting New Zealand shortly after that earthquake; I went to Wellington to attend the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General. It was stark as you arrived at Wellington airport to see humanitarian teams greeting the people of Christchurch who were trying to find shelter and support in another city in New Zealand. Wherever you went in New Zealand, support was being rallied - real support for the human victims of that earthquake.
When we were still in shock, the devastating news unfolded at a magnitude we have never seen with the earthquake off the coast of Japan and the devastating blows of that incredible tsunami. We were gripped to that morbid news footage of the horrors unfolding, literally live on our television screens, across Japan. The death toll is a staggering 20 000 lives lost, with many thousands more still missing. The disaster has wiped out entire villages and towns; 450 000 people are displaced, struggling to get through the day. Of those displaced, many have lost so many members of their families. There was footage of the schools built earthquake-proof on high ground. The children were at school, they survived and they have come out in the hope someone will find their parents. That hope starts to be extinguished as time rolls by and they have not found their parents.
It is a sign of humanity that we live in a global community these days. In the Territory, we are close friends with Japan; we have many economic and community links. The Chief Minister moved swiftly to contact the Japan Australia Friendship Association in the Northern Territory, to ensure our school and education links - that our school-to-school support, children-to-children support between the Territory and Japan, those links of friendship - were immediately extended.
We watched in horror at the Fukushima meltdown and the potential catastrophe that could come out of that nuclear event. We learn with some relief that the radiation spread was not the catastrophic event that many of us feared for so many days.
As a Territory, we will continue to work with our friends in New Zealand and Japan. We will continue to extend whatever support we can, as a small jurisdiction. We value the people who have been lost. We extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to their family, their friends, and their community. Quite a few of us in this Chamber have been through natural disasters. We absolutely empathise with what they are going through.
The sheer scale of the rebuild in Christchurch and Japan is significant. As a Treasurer, I note that, essentially, it will create an economic stimulus for the growth of Japan. The debate around nuclear power has somewhat shifted, with Germany putting its expansion plans on hold for review. Out of tragedy, there is new hope. The economic hope out of the Japanese tragedy is the growth of the oil and gas industry of which, of course, the Northern Territory is well placed to reap those rewards.
Madam Speaker, at the end of the day, it is fitting that the parliament of the Territory takes time to pause and recognise the devastating and tragic loss in both New Zealand and Japan, send our deepest condolences to our friends, and recognise we each can make an effort to support our friends, our family, our community, and that we are a global community. What happens somewhere else does affect us. Fundamentally, it reminds us to strip away all the things in your life. What is absolutely of utmost importance is your family, your friends, and your community. I join with members in this condolence motion. I support it.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for bringing this condolence motion to the House, to express our deepest sympathies to the people of Christchurch in New Zealand, and to the people of Sendai and surrounding villages in Japan on the great loss of life, livestock, livelihoods and property. There is no doubt that the task of rebuilding lives, families and towns will take years, if not decades, and much support will be needed from all around the world, and from countries like Australia.
As we have heard, we have great relationships with both countries and Australia and the Northern Territory is ready to help, and has helped, get the people, their families, and communities back on their feet in any way possible.
We all join in our support and our condolences to the people of Christchurch and to the people of Japan, and hope and pray they will rebuild their lives. Whatever we can do to assist, I am sure we will do it. My condolences, Madam Speaker, to the people of those countries, and I thank the Chief Minister for the motion.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I also extend my condolences to the people of Christchurch and Japan. In the last sittings, the member for Goyder drew my attention to the beginning of the earthquake, and all of us would have been transfixed by the photographs, particularly of the concertinaed building – I think it was the television building. It was absolutely dreadful. Then, just such a short time later we saw the horrific scenes in Japan. It seems to me that Mother Nature is much more terrifying than any terrorist act.
Honourable members, I thank you for all of your contributions to this debate.
Motion agreed to.
Members stood in silence for one minute as a mark of respect.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, honourable members. I understand the member for Greatorex is on a point of order.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS
Move Proposed Motion of Censure
Move Proposed Motion of Censure
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I move –
That so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent me censuring the Chief Minister and his government for his abject failure to protect the citizens of Alice Springs.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, the government accepts the censure motion from the opposition and we postpone any other government business to take this censure motion on immediately.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Before calling on the censure motion, I acknowledge the presence in the gallery of Larapinta Primary School Year 5/6 together with Mrs Candy Kerr and Mrs Adi Smith. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
MOTION
Proposed Censure of Chief Minister and Northern Territory Government
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I move –
That this Assembly censure the Chief Minister and his government for:
- 1. its abject failure to protect the people of Alice Springs;
2. its failure to respond to the crime wave that has washed through Alice Springs;
3. for lying to the people of Alice Springs about the government’s commitment to take real action;
- 4. for ignoring the seriousness of crime and antisocial behaviour besetting the town;
- 5. its facile and cynical use of propaganda to perpetrate the deceptionof the people of Alice Springs; and
- 6. its policy failures in remote communities causing an urban shift into our major centres generally.
Madam Speaker, the Chief Minister and his government should be censured for the abject failure by this government to protect the people of Alice Springs. All we have to do is look at some of the crime statistics which highlight the government’s abject failure.
It is interesting that the government is prepared to accept this censure after a condolence motion which is purely symbolic. What is happening in our community of Alice Springs is very real and affecting the lives of residents of Alice Springs as we speak. The crowds have gone – dispersed - so it is okay, let us bring on the censure motion - quite prepared to do it now.
Crime statistics under this government’s watch over the last 10 years - and if we just take Alice Springs, it has felt the brunt of Labor’s failed law and order policy. Since 2004-05, robbery has increased by 450%; assault by 87%; sexual assault in Alice Springs by 97%; house break-ins by 64%; commercial break-ins by 185%; motor vehicle theft by 97%; and property damage by 71%. Crime rates in the Northern Territory, as a whole, are twice as high as the Australian average in most categories and, in some, are significantly higher.
The crime stats paint a pretty bleak picture; however, this is nothing new to the people of Alice Springs. We are all very aware of the government’s failed law and order policies and its abject failure to protect the people of Alice Springs. Only last week, we had a two-year-old girl brutally physically assaulted and in quite a serious condition in hospital. We have more – this is in the space of 10 days. On 14 March - this is from a series of police media releases over the course of 10 days - unlawful entries in Alice Springs; on Tuesday, 15 March there was a stabbing in Alice Springs; on Tuesday, 22 March a tourist was assaulted in Alice Springs. That is over and above the German tourist who was stabbed earlier in the year while walking back to her backpackers after enjoying what many backpackers around the world do which is a night out on the town - the town, in this case, being Alice Springs. That backpacker was stabbed on her way back to her accommodation. Tuesday, 22 March, a tourist was assaulted. Wednesday, 23 March, a person in Alice Springs was sexually assaulted. As I said, on Wednesday, 23 March, a two-year-old was brutally assaulted in Alice Springs – just last week.
It is hardly protecting the people of Alice Springs. It is hardly protecting the people of this community. In fact, it could be very well described as an abject failure by this government to protect the people of Alice Springs and uphold its fundamental responsibility of providing law and order and a safe and secure town.
The Chief Minister - well, he blames everyone. It is quite extraordinary, the lengths he will go to, to blame every single living person on earth, except himself. He will blame the business operators of the town - it is all their fault. He will blame the residents of the town. In fact, he will not only happily blame the residents of the town, but he will not have the intestinal fortitude to actually stand out the front and speak to the people of Alice Springs and address some of their concerns. He blames the television commercials airing around the Territory and the radio commercials aired around Alice Springs. He blames The Australian newspaper journalist, Nicholas Rothwell - it is all his fault for talking down the town. Nicholas Rothwell wrote an expos on what is happening in Alice Springs. Indeed, Ted Egan wrote in a subsequent article in The Australian newspaper that Nicholas Rothwell was actually playing down some of the instances highlighted in his story – it was understated.
He blames the local media for the coverage. He blames the opposition. Naturally, it is the opposition’s fault. He blames you, out there in the public gallery, out there listening to this broadcast, and all those couple of hundred of people who were out the front today - he blames you. Yes, indeed, he blames everyone else but himself. Talk about tilting at windmills! This fellow, the Chief Minister, is tackling an imaginary enemy, fighting futile battles. He is afraid to admit responsibility for the abject failure to protect the people of Alice Springs.
We all know the television commercials being aired across the Northern Territory, all the protests we see, the public meetings, the talkback radio calls, the national media coverage the Northern Territory has received as a result of the failure by the Northern Territory government to protect the people of Alice Springs, is all just a symptom of the problem. It is not the problem, but the Chief Minister will tell you that is the problem. He and the Minister for Central Australia are more than happy to take pot shots at the people at the protests, the people out the front, the people airing the television commercials, those who created the television commercials - more than happy to take pot shots at those organisations such as the Action for Alice group and various others. What he fails to realise is they are just a symptom of the problem.
The problem, Chief Minister, is you. You and this government are the problem. That is what Alice Springs has been facing for a number of years - indeed, some would say 10 years, but certainly over the last five.
Since the previous protest we had here in 2007, when the then Chief Minister, Clare Martin, the former member for Fannie Bay, was booed by some 500 people, crime has increased. This is after the Chief Minister then declared, hand on heart: ‘We are listening to you, Alice Springs, we care. I understand your problems. I am going to embark on a series of forums, workshops and summits to understand and get a real feeling of what is happening and come up with some real solutions’. Well, crime has actually increased 47% since 2007, since that protest.
I also pick up …
Members interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: I think there are more pot shots coming over here from the peanut gallery, which is the member for Stuart. No, no, that is you there, member for Stuart - Mr Peanut, peanut gallery. I think it was something to do with turning up to meetings and what have you. I see you are happy to take pot shots in the newspaper.
Let me say I have, as the Speaker pointed out today, been blessed with a baby girl, born two-and-a-half weeks ago. Without going into too much detail and being too personal, we had some subsequent complications - child birth ain’t an easy thing, so they say. Of course, that had to shuffle some priorities around, member for Stuart, and I make no apologies for putting my priorities into my family. To be quite honest, I have just about had a gutful of meeting after meeting, after forum, after summit, after meeting, after workshop, after meeting, in which we seem to be going around and around. We have been going around and around for a number of years: ‘Let us get together and have another meeting’. The Chief Minister said: ‘I will not come out the front today. I will not meet the protestors out the front, but I will have a meeting with you afterwards’.
It is very interesting that that is exactly what happened a couple of years ago when the former Chief Minister was booed out the front. She embarked on a series of summits and crime forums. We can have a look through some of this. Let us go to 19 June 2007 - this is from the Northern Territory government, from Richard O’Leary who, I believe, was the 87th most powerful person in the Northern Territory at the time. Good old Richard wrote this:
- The first of six forums has been held in Alice Springs ahead of the crime summit …
So, not only did we have six forums, but the six forums were actually a precursor to the crime summit. This was in 2007:
- Chief Minister Clare Martin said the forums from today until 27 June will include representatives from a cross-section of Central Australia.
Here we go, another gab fest, Minister for Central Australia. On 25 July:
- The ideas put forward at the antisocial behaviour forums in Alice Springs in recent weeks will be presented at a summit in the town next month.
There we go, we had a series of forums culminating in a summit:
- Tough action for tough problems.
The NT government has announced the most comprehensive package of antisocial behaviour busting initiatives …
- … the most comprehensive package of antisocial behaviour busting initiatives ever put in place in one community in Australia.
Well, whoopee doo, can you believe that? They were supposedly the most comprehensive package of antisocial behaviour-busting initiatives ever put in place in one community in Australia, yet, since the time of that media release, crime has skyrocketed 47% in Alice Springs in the last five years. So much for antisocial behaviour-busting initiatives and the most comprehensive in Australia.
That was 2007. Let us fast forward to 2010. We do not have summits or forums. It has been re-badged because they have already used that; now we have workshops:
- Over the past few weeks there has been considerable publicity about crime and antisocial problems in Alice Springs …
You bet there has:
- The government has taken immediate action to address many of these concerns including increased police patrols and more lighting of hot spots.
Thank you very much for the extra police; I hope they remain permanent. The government is about to develop some workshops:
The workshops being held to develop the community action plan will help reconnect various community sectors …
And the themes for the series of workshops include economic development, youth services, crime prevention, and alcohol, etcetera.
Pardon me if I am just a little jaded, member for Stuart, about these talkfests, forums, summits, and the like. It is a revolving door of sitting down with a cup of tea and talking to people – there is not much action going on. People want some action on the street. What is wrong with that? What is wrong with some action on the streets, I ask you, Minister for Central Australia? Chief Minister, what is wrong with some action? Surely, the people of Central Australia deserve something.
It is quite incredible that, in January, I called for more police - although it is hard for the opposition to ‘call’ for police, but I asked, I begged, I screamed: ‘Please, can we have some more police here?’ Of course, I was told my comments were insulting to the local constabulary, and I should shut up and mind my own business, and the police have it all under control, and what have you. Lo and behold, all of a sudden, we heard the Assistant Police Commissioner, only a few weeks ago, say there actually had been some gaps in our policing programs in Central Australia; there had been some problems, so what they were going to do was deploy a handful of police – some have suggested up to 18.
I am not sure exactly how many we have, but there has been an increase in police numbers in Central Australia over the last four weeks. It has been quite remarkable – police work! Chief Minister, extra police on the street does work. It is not the panacea, it is not the be-all and end-all, you know that, but it does give the community some breathing space. It allows people to feel safe in their community. To see a police presence gives people that breathing space. We can take a deep breath and get on with our business knowing we can walk down the street, not just at night but also in the middle of the day, without being assaulted or attacked or abused. This is the type of thing which has been happening on the streets of Alice Springs.
Before we can do anything else - and I have said this in previous speeches in this House - we really need to give the people of Alice Springs some breathing space so they can get on with their business, so they are not spending all their time turning up at protests, trying to put commercials together, trying to run this campaign to capture government’s attention. People have better things to do with their lives than sit around and campaign on behalf of the town they love. They expect the government to love their town just as much. Unfortunately, this government does not appear to love this town. It says it does; we have all seen the advertisement in the Centralian Advocate. We all love Alice Springs; yes, we all want it to be a great place where we can live, work and raise a family - that good old chestnut. The people of Alice Springs are not convinced. We are not seeing any real evidence of that type of thing.
People have much better things to do. They want government to get out of their lives and provide a nice, safe, secure town so it can be a great place where we can live, work and raise a family. That is why I came to Alice Springs, because it is a wonderful town. Look at this weather - it is absolutely spectacular. The place is a wonderful town to raise a family, a small country town like Alice Springs, one of the most iconic cities. It really is a city. We call it a town but let us make no bones about it, it is, indeed, a city, and one of the most iconic and important places in the national identity of Australia. There is no doubt about it. We have talked about the economic drivers of Alice Springs, particularly with tourism and the like. Alice Springs is no small fish and it deserves much more respect than it is getting from this government. People expect much more, but they are not getting that from the Northern Territory government at this stage.
Police do work; more police numbers help stem the problem, and certainly stems the angst and bridges that psychological gap the town of Alice Springs is suffering from at the moment. I hope those police who have been deployed here do not just pack up and follow this roadshow back to Darwin. I hope they stay here - and stay here permanently. We have committed to extra police on the beat in Alice Springs. If you look back at some of the media releases from the government about the increase in police numbers, they said: ‘We have put more police on the beat since 2001. The CLP ripped all the police, shredded the police resources’, etcetera. You are only doing your job.
I have done some research. In 1950, we had 80 police in the Northern Territory. As the population grows you need more police. Putting more police on the beat as the population grows is nothing to get overly excited about. You are just doing your job as a government. I hope you continue to put more police on the beat in Alice Springs.
This is not the only problem. The motion talks about urban drift and the problems we are facing in our remote communities. They are directly related to the issues we are all facing in town, and the member for Braitling will expand on that when he speaks to this censure motion. However, the extra police give the community that breathing space and allows it to get on with its business without fear of the persecution being experienced on the streets at the moment. I hope those police stay - I am not convinced they will. We have seen it before in a number of media releases from the government. I hope the Chief Minister will keep them there, and not just until the Prime Minister, who I believe is visiting Alice Springs - I believe the police were going to return to Darwin after the sittings. I also believe the Prime Minister has flagged a visit to Central Australia, as she should come here and have a look. No doubt, the police will stick around and keep the place squeaky clean for her. Once the Prime Minister has departed and this roadshow has returned to Darwin, Alice Springs will return to what we all know and have been experiencing for such a long time.
Over the next few days, you can bet London to a brick the Chief Minister will use certain language - just watch. I ask everyone in the gallery, everyone listening to this, and everyone who is showing an interest in the government’s commitment – or lack of commitment, I say - to Alice Springs. Listen for some key words and key language. Government has been doing it for a long time now and is getting pretty good at it. It is getting good at the spin and will use this sort of language to reel people in, increase their confidence to soften the mood a little. So, keep an ear out for certain things. The Chief Minister will, no doubt, move to ‘reassure’ - that is the word you will hear a fair bit of - the community he has ‘listened’. It is very interesting, ‘listening’.
This is a folder of media releases going back - all related to police, law and order, antisocial behaviour - stack of media releases from the Northern Territory government about its actions towards law and order. I cannot find it at the moment; however, it is full of words like ‘listening’. It has been saying it has been listening for a long time and, no doubt, you will hear that come up over the course of the next three days. Keep an ear out for that – words like: ‘We want to assure the community that we are listening’. You can bet London to a brick we will hear that sort of thing.
We will also hear things like: ‘We understand the problems; we really understand’. The Chief Minister, and the rest of the government, will no doubt use this sort of language: ‘We understand, we are listening; we want to assure you we are doing these things’. They will use words like: ‘We are taking action’; ‘we are taking serious action, real action to get tough on crime’.
Here we are, 10 August 2007:
- Tough action for tough problems.
The NT government has announced the most comprehensive package …
That is one I just read out - that was terrific; tough action. Let us see: ‘Indigenous Task Force Opens’, ‘Cross-Border Justice’, ‘Breaking the Cycle’, ‘Safer Streets’, ‘Crackdown on Crime,’ ‘Security Boost for Alice Springs’ - it is all in here and makes wonderful reading. If anyone has some time I am more than happy to let you have a look at that. It is terrific. You can see things like ‘tough action’ is a bit of a recurring theme from this government when it comes to addressing issues such as Alice Springs. He will suggest they have ‘made significant inroads’; I am sure that will come up. This is more key language: ‘significant inroads’ will be used in reducing crime and then he will run through a few statistics.
No doubt, it will mention a whole stack of things it has done and the alcohol statistics like how many people they have arrested, how many litres of alcohol they have tipped out, how many crimes have been reported, or assaults, and all this sort of stuff. They will run through all that trying to set this up - this warm and fuzzy, ‘We are really good guys. We really love Alice. Just believe me’.
He will talk about the numerous meetings he has had as the member for Stuart. He is obsessed with meetings; it is all he cares about. He is just going to meetings - not much, just a typical sit-around with a whole bunch of people to bounce around ideas and all of that sort of stuff, but he never does anything or follows through on anything. And he wonders why I am a bit cynical about meetings. I put my newborn and my family in precarious circumstances above that sort of stuff? He is kidding; I make no apologies for it. We will hear about numerous community groups that he has met with - tourism and business operators and the like, and that sort of thing – and has spoken with. We will hear about that. The ‘need to recognise problems’ - get ready to hear that stuff, the recognition: ‘I understand. Not only do I understand, but I have listened, and I recognise the problems, and I have met with all these people’.
I guarantee, as I stated earlier in this speech, it is not his fault. Remember, this is not the fault of the government - it is your fault. It is everyone else’s fault. It is your fault out there sitting in the gallery. It is your fault out there listening to this broadcast. It is not the Chief Minister’s fault - and he will be at pains to ensure he gets that message across, one way or another. He will talk about those people who had the audacity to criticise or suggest that their town is not what it once used to be: ‘They are talking down the town’. Get ready for that stuff. All those people who have some concerns - people like you, who are out the front - because you do not have anything better to do with your life; you would rather spend a couple of hours on a working day to stand out the front of Parliament House. Yes, right! People like you, of course, are talking down the town. You are trashing the reputation. It is everyone else’s fault.
The only trashing that has been going on is the abject failure of the Northern Territory government to protect the people of Alice Springs. That is the actual trashing. It is all cart-before-the-horse things. ‘It is everyone else’s fault except mine’. That is the message we will be getting. ‘I have done all these things. I have listened and I understand, and I recognise, and I have met with people, and all these other people that are just trashing the town. They are being so mean to me and they are talking down the town. Can you believe the sort of stuff that is going on?’ Well, this is the stuff that will appear over the next couple of days; you can guarantee it.
There is no doubt also, just to try to bolster the argument and add a little sweetener to the end, we will have a list of achievements and all the things they have done. After a quick look at some of those achievements – they will fill up a few A4 pages - you will see a few of them. It happens all the time; you see it in this. I have it listed in here. Some are mentioned twice, just in different wording to make it look like: ‘We have done a whole stack of stuff. Lump it all together and it is not that bad. We are not that bad, really’. Well, you are that bad, Chief Minister, and the people of Alice Springs know that you are that bad. You have been neglectful in your fundamental responsibility …
A member interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: Yes, at best exactly. … in your fundamental responsibility to protect the people of Alice Springs for a long time.
All we have to do is look at the win in New South Wales by Barry O’Farrell. If there is ever an opportunity, with such an election result, to nurture and regain the seats they never thought they would ever win - swings like 37% in Bathurst. The Labor Party only won one seat on first preferences. There were enormous inroads into territory that was off limits; it was Labor heartland territory. If there was ever an opportunity for Barry O’Farrell and the Liberal National Party now to go forward and really consolidate that win it is now.
If there was ever an opportunity for the Northern Territory government to consolidate its position and win the hearts and minds of the people of Alice Springs, it was at least 10 years ago; it may well have been five years ago. However, you have blown it. I am certain that people are tired of listening to you. They are sick of hearing the rhetoric, of hearing how you have understood, of hearing how you are tackling the problems. They are tired of it, they have switched off.
You have had 10 years to do this. You have had 10 long years to address these problems. You have failed the people of Alice Springs. Can you imagine what another four years will be like with the Northern Territory government - with this mob, another four years? Can you imagine, with another four years of this mob, what the place would look like? Can you imagine what the town would look like? Can you imagine, if the member for Stuart had anything to do with it, how many more meetings we would have in the next four years before we would see any real action? The number of media releases, the number of talkfests, forums, gabfests, summits - the whole stack.
We do not need any more summits or media releases. We want some real action and some new direction. We need it. The people of Alice Springs deserve it. We need people who have the very best interests of Alice Springs at heart. You may talk the talk, Chief Minister, and you profess to talk the talk, but you cannot walk the walk. You stand condemned today for your abject failure to protect the people of Alice Springs.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, in debating this motion, we will certainly be voting against it. That has to be the most facile and inane contribution I have ever heard in this parliament in regard to very complex, serious, and genuine issues affecting Alice Springs and Central Australia.
The potential future minister in a potential future CLP government offered not one solution - not what they would do if they were in government, just invective, bile, amplification and hysteria in regard to the very genuine issues, raised with me by very genuine people in Alice Springs. In this debate, this community deserves to hear from the opposition. What would they do if they were in government to confront these issues? We do not hear any solutions from the potential alternate government. Twenty-five minutes to articulate: this is the problem, these are the faults of the government, here is our proposed solution - nothing, just empty rhetoric from the honourable member.
I am very clear in saying the issues of crime and antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs, particularly over January and February of this year, were unacceptable. The government has listened and the government has responded. I say to the member who spoke earlier in regard to the demonstration outside this morning, and put on the record regarding the Action for Alice group, when they first started their campaign during the January/February period, I was on leave; it was towards the end of January. My Deputy Chief Minister, the Acting Chief Minister, came to Alice Springs and met with the community and announced a series of actions the government was to take. On two occasions, I phoned the leader of the Action for Alice campaign, and left messages on his phone to give me a call to talk about the issues affecting the community and the group. He did not return my phone calls. We had to chase him to return my phone calls. I have met with …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Well, it is important to get the facts right here. I met with the Action for Alice group on two occasions - both with the Minister for Central Australia - in a very civil, cordial way to talk about their plans regarding proposals to put to the government. We had a good meeting. I said that, for about 70% of the things they put on the agenda, we were acting on those in various ways - certainly not with the language contained in the document, but we recognised those were serious issues and we were taking action. I did say to them: ‘I will be honest with you about what we can and cannot do, and what we will and will not do’. That was a very cordial meeting.
I invited the Action for Alice group to meet with a broader community group, with the Minister for Central Australia, where we had representatives from the tourism industry, the Chambers of Commerce, shires, Indigenous leaders, and the Action for Alice group. I commend the Lord Mayor in the leadership he has shown. We had a very productive meeting. Out of that meeting, endorsed and supported by the Action for Alice members who were at that meeting, was that the community needed to come together and put together a community plan around three issues, and the government needed, obviously, to continue to focus on the issues we were focusing on. There was a strong desire at the meeting for the community to come together to propose community-based solutions to three following issues: (1) was the issue of youth on the streets at night and being disengaged from education here in Alice Springs - an absolute passionate commitment by everyone at that meeting that all of us, government, community and, most importantly, parents have a responsibility to ensure kids are safe and go to school, and what the community was going to do to assist in keeping those kids safe and kids at school.
The second issue people agreed with - and the member just continued on about the fault; me and the government, attributing fault to everyone. What he did not acknowledge was the bleeding obvious, to coin a phrase. The bleeding obvious in the fault and the cause of so much of the antisocial behaviour and crime we see in Alice Springs is alcohol and the abuse of alcohol. We see it every day, not only in Alice Springs but around the rest of Australia. That is the fault; the issue that needs to be tackled. It does not matter what else you do, unless we turn off the rivers of grog to the people who abuse alcohol, nothing will change. The honourable member talked about attributing faults, but totally neglected the bleeding obvious in regard to where the real fault lies. Alcohol was an issue that the community said we need a community response to as well as a government response.
The third issue was, as the mayor addressed in his statement to the parliament today, the issue of urban drift. This is a reality; it is not going to go away. What are we going to do to better accommodate people coming to and from Alice Springs? That was a community response, and a solution the Action for Alice group was endorsing. They certainly did not speak against it at that particular meeting. I encourage people to participate. What we now have is a process where, through a number of forums being held around Alice Springs – they have been very well attended; I am receiving very good reports. I have committed to the community that report will be handed to the government within a month and we will take on board those issues. The feedback I am getting is there are very positive engagements on those particular issues, as there should be.
So, we have had a consultation process, we have engaged, I have consulted, and have met with people. However, I am not, as the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, about to inflame issues here in Alice Springs. We need a calm, considered evidence-based policy approach - not just, as a member for Greatorex did, get up and amplify all of the problems of Alice Springs.
I also say there are many very good people in Alice Springs who are concerned, not only about the issues, but about how the town is being portrayed. The group of people outside today was a representation of part of this community of Alice Springs. There are many other people in the community in Alice Springs who are appalled at the negative portrayal of Alice Springs through the media and its damage to tourism. I have been Tourism minister, and know many of the tourism businesses in this town are appalled at the antics of people whipping up this issue in the media. Once this town gets a reputation, it is going to be very hard to claw it back. Tourism operators have inundated my office, and the Tourism Minister’s office, regarding those concerns.
I have also been inundated with business people who have been trying to recruit tradespeople from interstate, and people saying they will not come because of the media portrayal of Alice Springs orchestrated and shown interstate ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: We have a responsibility. This is about being responsible in government as opposed to standing there with a megaphone amplifying the problems without putting forward any solutions. As a government, you have a responsibility to lead and protect the reputation of your community. We have a responsibility to provide nurses to this community. We have a responsibility to provide teachers to this community. We have a responsibility to provide health professionals to this community. We have a group of people who, for their own political ends, are whipping up the crime which occurs in this community, tragically fuelled by alcohol - and I will talk about our plans in that regard in a moment - not offering any solutions and whipping up a political campaign.
I am quite happy to have a political campaign run against the government; however, to seek to destroy the reputation of this community, nationally and internationally, is recklessly irresponsible ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin!
Mr HENDERSON: You tell those tourism operators who might go broke because of the reputation of Alice Springs …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Tell that to the good people …
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … the good business people in Alice Springs who are appalled at what is going on.
In regard to evidence of the politicisation of this particular campaign, the dysfunction and the division in the opposition is terminal at the moment in what is being leaked to the government. Day after day, we are getting e-mails and conversations come to us about what is going on. There are people opposite who are very concerned about the political game that is being played.
I table a copy of a leaked e-mail from the member for Araluen to ‘Dear Geoff and the Action for Alice Team’, and I will speak from this e-mail. This is a community-based campaign, so we are led to believe. I quote from the e-mail from the member for Araluen:
- The TV advertisements are brilliant; hard hitting and confronting. The Northern Territory government has no idea how to respond. I believe you have beaten them.
That is really constructive stuff, isn’t it?
- They must be truly dreading the sittings in Alice Springs …
I can tell you, we are not - we are really looking forward to them ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Araluen, I ask that you stand and withdraw that comment, thank you.
Mrs LAMBLEY: I withdraw my comment, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr HENDERSON: In conclusion:
- As a suggestion (and possibly you already have this on the agenda) it would be great if future advertisements could include the community’s solutions to lawlessness in Alice Springs. I know that cost is always the prohibitive factor.
Congratulations, and best wishes.
Here we have a member of parliament whipping up a fear campaign in the community for political advantage - a political campaign to spread fear throughout the community. We have the member for Greatorex saying the government has to fix all of these problems, yet you have the person sitting next to him saying: ‘It would be great if the community solutions could be brought forward as well’. So, totally dysfunctional. Another leaked e-mail that absolutely demonstrates the political nature of what has been going on, whipped up by the opposition to the detriment of tourism, tourism businesses, other businesses in Alice Springs – long-term business people I have known for many years who are absolutely appalled at what is going on – and the government’s ability to recruit doctors, nurses, and teachers to Alice Springs.
We have a responsibility to fix those problems. At the core of those problems is the abuse of alcohol. Let us talk about that for a moment because, as I said, everyone acknowledges the issues surrounding alcohol are absolutely front and centre in Alice Springs. The difference between us and the opposition on alcohol is we will be introducing three bills this week to tackle alcohol abuse here, and antisocial behaviour right across the Territory. The challenge is, if the opposition was serious about dealing with those issues, it will support this legislation ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: We have the empty vessel, the member for Port Darwin, who does not have any solutions to any problems.
What we will do through this legislation is directly target problems drinkers - people who have such an abuse of alcohol they are taken into protective custody and taken to the sobering-up shelters night after night. What we will be giving police the powers to do is, if they take people into protective custody three times in three months, there will be a banned drinkers’ register that will occur right across the Northern Territory, and people will be banned from accessing alcohol. That is a very significant response in banning people from alcohol.
These are not only people who, tragically, are caught up in a cycle of alcohol abuse that is destroying their own lives, but are contributing to horrendous acts of domestic violence and to the neglect of children and communities. So, we absolutely have to deal with this issue. It will be interesting to see whether the opposition supports the proposal to ban people from accessing takeaway alcohol if they are taken into protective custody three times in three months.
We will also have procedures for compulsory rehabilitation, and it will be interesting to see whether they support those plans as well.
Through legislation we will also be targeting the irresponsible sale of alcohol in Alice Springs - tackling it not only in Alice Springs, but across the Northern Territory. The licence to sell alcohol is a privilege, not a right, and there should be a social responsibility that goes with the sale of alcohol, not just the profit motive. We will be significantly strengthening the powers of licence inspectors and police in regard to people who sell alcohol without any social conscience at all, to the detriment of the community in the Northern Territory. It will be interesting to see whether the opposition supports those measures, or supports vested interests in the alcohol lobby - the small number of vested interests; the vast majority of people who retail alcohol do so responsibly. However, there is a small number of totally irresponsible people. It will be interesting to see whether they support those proposals by the government as well.
There are significant issues facing this community. At the heart of that dysfunction is the abuse of alcohol, and we will be introducing legislation in this parliament to further deal with those issues to clean up and give people relief and respite from alcohol abuse. We heard nothing from the member for Greatorex regarding what I said was the absolute obvious, stark vision that you see every day here; that so much of the crime and the dysfunction is in relation to alcohol.
They will have an opportunity. The community will have an opportunity to see whether the opposition is serious about this. Or does it just want to continue to run with a politicised campaign on these particular issues?
In regard to police activity and operations, there has been a significant devotion of extra police to Alice Springs. I have an absolute commitment from the Police Commissioner that those resources will stay here as long as they are required. The Police Commissioner has also determined to provide a general purpose police dog here on a permanent basis, which I believe is a very sound decision. I was speaking to a couple of police officers last night who thought that would make a very significant difference. The police activity has been significant, and it will continue. The absolute commitment I have from the Police Commissioner is it will continue for as long as it needs to.
Additional to what we are doing in Alice Springs, we have opened – I believe as of today - the new juvenile detention facility at Alice Springs. One of the issues the Deputy Chief Minister spoke about when she came to Alice Springs in January was that the courts had no dedicated facility in Alice Springs to refer juveniles. We made the commitment; it is up and running. As well as the detention facility, there is also a school operating out of that facility, which is providing education for kids who have been sentenced or on remand.
In these sittings, we will be debating a new offence for the breach of bail. It will be interesting to see whether the opposition supports what the government is doing in making an offence for the breach of bail. We acknowledge that there are too many people who are being bailed and are breaching their bail. It is not an offence at the moment; it will be. It will be interesting to see whether the opposition supports this or not, or are they just going to continue to talk about the problems?
The Attorney-General has made a commitment to review the Youth Justice Act. The terms of that reference for review, and decisions about who is going to head up that review, will be announced very soon, because we agree there needs to be significant amendments to the Youth Justice Act. We need to engage with the community around those issues. That particular proposal will be brought to the parliament in the next sittings.
We have had a Return to Country blitz to get kids back to school. Everyone I talk to in Alice Springs is saying that is, singularly, the biggest issue: kids not going to school every day. What we now have is a new dedicated truancy patrol in Alice Springs to get kids back to school. I was talking to a teacher last night who is working at Larapinta Camp, I believe, at the moment, and Gillen Primary School. She was imploring me to visit to see what is happening at Larapinta Camp and Gillen Primary School in getting these town camp kids to school every day. It is fantastic to see the community coming together.
I urge everyone who is really passionate about education to get behind the Clontarf program and the Girls in the Centre program in Alice Springs because this is transforming kids’ lives. It is transformational in getting kids to Year 12 and transitioning them into a job. Last year, we had 22 Indigenous boys graduate with a Year 12 qualification, 18 of whom are now in full-time employment in Alice Springs. Prior to the Clontarf program being put in place in Alice Springs, there were no Indigenous boys at all in Alice Springs getting to Year 12 – none. They were all dropping out of school …
Madam SPEAKER: I remind whoever’s mobile phone that is, there are no mobile phones allowed in the Chamber, thank you.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. … no kids getting to Year 12. This is transformational. There will be 40 kids graduate this year – 40 - when there were none prior to this particular program.
This program is absolutely required. Its funding is a third from the Commonwealth government, a third from the Territory government, and a third from the business community. That is the requirement of the foundation. Tragically, in Alice Springs, apart from a couple of well-known businesses that are doing the right thing, virtually all of the money for the Alice Springs program is coming from the business community in Melbourne. I say to the business community in Alice Springs: get behind this program; it is about giving the kids an opportunity for work experience and transitioning them into a job in a structured pathway. It is absolutely tragic that the money for this program is coming from the Melbourne business community and not from Alice Springs.
I call on the local members here - because I know the Minister for Central Australia talks about Clontarf all the time – to get out amongst your business contacts and implore them to commit to this foundation. It is tax deductible. Provide work opportunities and opportunities for work experience for these kids. That is something positive you could do in giving kids who would previously have dropped out of school an opportunity and hope for the future. When they have children, they will ensure their kids go to school every day and get work because that is what they have done – they have broken the cycle.
These are some positive things happening in Alice Springs, and the opposition and local members need - and I implore the business community in Alice Springs - to get behind something which is working. The girls academy is just commencing. I had the opportunity to visit the girls academy. Again, the change in the girls has been fantastic. So, get behind things that work.
In regard to things that work, I also had the opportunity yesterday to visit the Youth Hub at the old ANZAC Hill senior school. It was amazing to see non-government organisations which are going to come together to provide a single point of contact, a one-stop shop for youth services here in Alice Springs. Some of the people from Families and Children’s Services who are working out of there are inspirational. The kids who are just starting to engage in programs being run out of there were saying: ‘This is absolutely fantastic. We have needed this for a long time’. Within a couple of months, that will be a real hive of activity, a positive place for young people to be. There are opportunities and rooms for family counselling. Where families have real difficulties with teenage children, there are support services. It is an absolutely fabulous initiative. I commend the Minister for Central Australia who has been driving this. I commend the department, and the non-government organisations and youth organisations in Alice Springs that are seizing this opportunity.
We will be providing accommodation for youth services and non-government organisations in Alice Springs, purely cost recovery. At the moment, many of these people are paying commercial rents. They will be able to put those savings back into youth programs in Alice Springs. So, it is a great initiative and I urge those members opposite to get behind it and support it, instead of continuing to rail about the problems in Alice Springs.
I also make an absolute vote of thanks to the Australian government in regard to its financial commitments to Alice Springs, and to transforming Alice Springs, particularly the town camps. What we are seeing is unprecedented investment by the Australian government in Alice Springs - over $150m - $100m for new housing and upgraded infrastructure in the town camps. Twenty-one new houses have been built so far; in total 85 new houses will be constructed and all 200 existing houses will be upgraded with a longer-term plan to transfer these as suburbs in Alice Springs. This is unprecedented commitment. I have the opportunity, coming to Alice Springs, to see the work being done and talk to people in their new or renovated house. They are paying proper rents for the first time. Territory Housing will be managing these town camps on a proper tenancy management system. People I have spoken to are saying this is the best thing that has ever happened: ‘I have my own home and I am working’. It is a very positive investment from the Australian government. It has never happened before.
There is also a total of nearly $14.8m or $15m for social support services in Alice Springs: early childhood services, alcohol rehabilitation, tenancy support, and family violence. I believe we have around 500 new units of accommodation coming on stream in Alice Springs this year courtesy of majority Commonwealth funding and Territory government funding – accommodation this town desperately needs. It is about supporting the things which are working here in Alice Springs, not just talking about the problems of the town.
I do not pretend I have all the solutions at all - not for a moment. However, what we need to do is engage with the community, and that is what we are doing. Most of the best initiatives come from a community base and a community perspective. The member for Greatorex is saying he is not interested in sitting in more meetings. He must think he has all the answers. If he thinks engaging with the community and listening to their proposals is a waste of time, obviously, he has all the answers. However, we did not hear any answers; we heard nothing but empty rhetoric from the member for Greatorex. The best solutions come from the community and, once again, we are engaged with the community around all these issues.
As a government, you have a responsibility to listen and to lead, and we have been listening and working with this community to deal with the issues, particularly the very significant impact of break and enters. My heart goes out to those business people who have properties broken into over and over again. It is totally unacceptable and police assure me it is now under control. You are never going to eliminate all crime; police are going to commit to keep the resources here until they are convinced they are not required any more.
This community will not move ahead unless we tackle the very significant and tragic alcohol issues that affect so many people, both directly and indirectly. In the course of the next three days, we will be introducing significant legislation to go to the heart of this issue. The proof will be in the pudding to see whether the opposition stands for anything - stands for solutions - or just wants to amplify problems.
Madam Speaker, the government opposes the motion.
Madam SPEAKER: I remind honourable members that because this has been a suspension of standing orders, lunch will not be called at 12 o’clock. We will continue until the motion has finished.
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Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: I acknowledge two school groups from Sadadeen Primary School, Year 4/5 and 5/6, with teachers Ms Sharma and Ms Haynes, Mrs Denise Simon, Ms Heather Lysaght and Ms Killingbeck. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Mrs LAMBLEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, I speak to the censure motion of the government for its abject failure to protect the people of Alice Springs, its failure to respond to the crime wave that has washed through Alice Springs, for lying to the people of Alice Springs about the government’s commitment to take real action, for ignoring the seriousness of crime and antisocial behaviour besetting the town, its facile and cynical use of propaganda to perpetrate the deception of the people of Alice Springs, and its policy failures in remote communities causing an urban drift into our major centres.
The general theme of this censure is failure - this government’s failure to respond and protect the people of Alice Springs and Central Australia; its failure to implement a well-coordinated and planned response to the social problems of this town, this community, and the problems of law and order.
This government has squandered 10 years of unlimited opportunity and time to make amends; to do something. It has never implemented a consistent approach in dealing with the problems of law and order in this community. We, in the words of the minister, are experiencing the proof in the pudding. This neglect is obvious to all of us.
In response to some of the comments the Chief Minister made, the Action for Alice group would never have undertaken the campaign to highlight the problems in this town several months ago if this government had been doing its job. If it had been genuinely talking and listening to the people of Alice Springs, Action for Alice would not have even been created. This group is a product of the incompetence of this government.
Regarding truancy in Central Australia, in Alice Springs, yes, I am very pleased to hear the member for Johnston has put together a dedicated truancy patrol. This is another example of what should have been implemented many years ago. We have known for a long time that truancy has been a problem, not just throughout Central Australia but throughout the whole of the Northern Territory. When it comes to truancy we, the opposition, when we finally get to government, will definitely be making parents send their children to school.
Lajamanu School has an attendance rate of 40% - which would be horrific to anyone who hears that figure. I spoke to a senior member of that community the other day. I asked: ‘What do you do about truancy in Lajamanu?’ He said: ‘Similar to No School No Pool - No School No Shop’. There are community solutions to truancy; it does not have to be one solution for everyone. However, I am encouraged to hear of these truancy patrols. This is something we would prioritise if we get to govern in 2012.
Alcohol restrictions in Alice Springs: we are the guinea pigs of the Northern Territory when it comes to alcohol restrictions. I take great offence listening to the government talk about how they are going to implement more alcohol restrictions in this town when this community is fed up to the eyeballs being used as a guinea pig by this government. We have, all of us, suffered the impacts of these restrictions and they, by and large, have been completely ineffective. The proof of the pudding is the increased rate of crime in our community.
The alcohol restrictions were implemented to stem the problems of crime, antisocial behaviour, alcohol-induced crime against children and families throughout this community, six, maybe seven years ago. The problems are still there; nothing has improved. In fact, many people would argue these problems have become worse. So, when you talk about alcohol restrictions, Chief Minister, you need to be very well aware you are talking to a community that has firsthand experience of the impacts of these restrictions not only on access or supply of alcohol, but on how we go about our day-to-day life.
People in Alice Springs do not want to be preached to in a way which makes it sound like we do not care. We do care. We have been forced to be a party to this process. With more alcohol restrictions and more alcohol reform on the agenda, it is deeply offensive to this community to have the Chief Minister tell us we do not care and we have not been a party to it, or we reject the sentiment of what was trying to be achieved. The fact that alcohol restrictions have failed needs to be considered by everyone in this room.
Urban drift: this is a phenomenon that has been well known to communities throughout the world for decades. Why has this government not been addressing the issues around urban drift for the last decade? There has been no action on this. Once again, we hear rhetoric about how this is causing many social problems in town. Again, the Chief Minister accuses us, the opposition, of not having solutions, but we do not hear too many solutions from the Chief Minister on how he has gone about tackling the problems associated with urban drift in the town of Alice Springs and Central Australia for the last 10 years.
The token round of community consultations the government has undertaken over the last few weeks is continuing into April. Yes, the government has listened - it has listened for about six weeks, no longer than six weeks. The government came here, yes. We heard the story about how the Action for Alice group did not return a phone call. However, the government marched in and formed a meeting with 19 people, I hear, at the Desert Knowledge Precinct, invited all the relevant stakeholders from their perspective - their very narrow perspective I might add. They had a meeting and, from that meeting, the Chief Minister commissioned a contractor, Jane Munday and her company, to produce a report in one month. We get one month to itemise every single community solution possible in addressing youth, business, early child intervention, and education problems. We are bound to see that in the next month or two, because that is what the Chief Minister has ordered from the contractor, and that is what she will provide.
My feedback on these consultations has been a bit different to the feedback the Chief Minister has received. He called the feedback he has received ‘very positive engagement’. I have spoken to a group of business people who attended the business consultation meeting last Thursday, and the feedback I got was that it was insulting. These people have been speaking out loudly and strongly for a long time and, all of a sudden, we have a consultation process in place, and they have to repeat themselves, yet again, to a government which has chosen not to listen to the last 10 years, but is kind of listening now because it suits their agenda.
People in Alice Springs are not silly and I believe that is why you witnessed some anger out the front of the convention centre this morning; people are fed up to the eyeballs. A ‘calm and considered response’, the Chief Minister described. Well, how calm can anyone be after 10 years of neglect, of no response, of complete incompetence when it comes to Alice Springs? I am not calm, and I am probably struggling to be well considered at times, when I think about the mess this government has left the town of Alice Springs in.
How this town has been portrayed in the public media of late: well, let us turn it all around and look at it from a realistic perspective. This town has been allowed to slide. You do not need a camera or audio equipment to capture what is visible on the streets of Alice Springs most nights of the week. The scenes we see of violent behaviour, antisocial behaviour, and drunkenness are there because of the alarming crime rates, law and order problems you are probably unlucky to see anywhere else in Australia. Those problems are there because the government has allowed them to fester, and become almost an institution in this town.
The fact that Action for Alice has got up off their backsides, got themselves together, yet again - four years ago a very similar group was in existence. It was Advance Alice, now it is Action for Alice. I absolutely take my hat off to these people. If the Chief Minister wants to quote the e-mail I sent to those fantastic members of this fantastic community of Alice Springs, then go ahead. I have absolutely nothing to hide. I sent that e-mail knowing full well that it could leak to the dirty hands of people who would use it in an inappropriate way, and that is exactly what happened. I embrace the Chief Minister quoting me. Well done, and thank you.
The difficulty in recruiting staff in Alice Springs: the Chief Minister accused the opposition, and particularly me, of whipping up crime in Alice Springs. I am at a loss! I am a fairly ordinary person, and I go about my business in a fairly sane and orderly fashion. I do not know how I could have whipped up any crime in Alice Springs. However, I will leave that one out there to think about for a while. Regarding recruiting staff in Alice Springs, it is not about the publicity we have had in recent times. This publicity has been constructive. It has you guys on the hop. It has the government responding for the first time in 10 years, and we should all be thankful for that. The Chief Minister should not be shooting the messenger, as he loves to do - we have all seen many examples of that over the last few months. I personally can vouch for that. This problem is all about the lack of action of this government.
Compulsory rehabilitation: the Chief Minister discussed the fact that we, the opposition, do not have any strategies, and the government is bringing in a system of compulsory rehabilitation. The Country Liberals had a policy of compulsory alcohol rehabilitation on the table well before the government. They seem to have forgotten that, conveniently. I remind the parliament that this is a policy of our party and we support the government in implementing this policy.
The Chief Minister also mentioned something about the Australian Hoteliers Association. I believe the Labor Party was supported by this association to the tune of about $300 000 at the election in 2008. If you are going to talk about conflicts of interest, that is a classic example. The Labor Party has been supported by the alcohol industry, so I really do not think people in glass houses should throw stones.
Regarding the Chief Minister’s reference to the Police Commissioner saying he is committed to providing adequate police services in Alice Springs - well, I am sorry, but cynicism is a bit of a flavour of the decade for Alice Springs. We are very cynical about these figures, particularly when you hear from local businesses that many of the police who were put on recently, the 20 police who came from Darwin to assist Alice Springs in this crime wave, are checking out on Saturday which, to me, speaks volumes. They are checking out on Saturday, 2 April, and going back to Darwin. Obviously there has been a change in the weather, perhaps parliament finishes soon - who knows?
The final point the Chief Minister raised that I would like to respond to is the Clontarf Foundation, which is a fantastic program offering hope and opportunity for young people throughout the Northern Territory, including Alice Springs. The Chief Minister went on ABC radio last week and condemned the Alice Springs business community for not supporting the Clontarf Foundation in Alice Springs. He said that Alice Springs businesses were disgraceful. Well, the Chief Minister is disgraceful for having said that publicly.
Alice Springs businesses are struggling to survive, many of them because of the crime wave in this town. The extra money they might have to donate to wonderful foundations like the Clontarf Foundation is being used to pay for their insurance premiums, the broken glass, the building repairs due to vandalism, break-ins, and so forth. There are people here today who can testify to that. Once again, the Chief Minister is throwing stones and being quite unreasonable when it comes to this issue of sponsoring the Clontarf Foundation. Ridiculing, criticising our businesses is, quite frankly, underhanded and not necessary.
The good, old Youth Hub. The Minister for Central Australia loves to talk about the Youth Action Plan. We have heard loads about it …
Mr Giles interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Braitling, cease interjecting, please.
Mrs LAMBLEY: I have barely been in this job for six months, but I can guarantee you every time I have heard the Minister for Central Australia speak in parliament he has talked passionately about the Youth Action Plan. The Youth Action Plan has been a toothless tiger. However, in recent weeks we may have seen a substantial change to what has been going on within that plan. The new Youth Hub opened yesterday at 3.30 pm. I found out about the opening at 3 pm. Yes, I am still getting over the fact that I do not get invited to the openings and gala shows the government has.
However, I digress. Youth services in Alice Springs are very disorganised and uncoordinated. There is a major problem in this town when it comes to the provision of youth services. I think there are 38 youth services in Alice Springs at the last count. There is duplication of services and, indeed, gaps in services. Then, of course, we have the Department of Children and Families which has been in meltdown for 10 years. I still get anonymous calls and reports from people within this community describing the office of the Department of Children and Families as a diabolical mess that has systemically failed the people and the children of the Northern Territory for many years.
When you talk about youth services in this town, Chief Minister, please do not rattle on about how wonderful youth services in this town are. Do not play us as idiots or fools, because there are serious problems in the way youth services are provided in this town and there needs to be much work done. We have lost 10 years of opportunities; in10 years we could have had youth services up and running much better than they are now.
In thanking the federal government for the amount of financial assistance Central Australia has been receiving over the last few years through the transformation plan and policies, I thank Mal Brough for initiating the Northern Territory Emergency Response in the first place. Mal Brough was a very bold and courageous leader - the intervention was not a perfect policy; it has had its problems. In hindsight, we can all reflect on those policies as, perhaps, the second phase of intervention is about to begin. Mal Brough was bold and courageous, which is more than I can say for the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, who failed to go outside this morning and address the good people of Alice Springs. Those people took time off work, they are committed members of this community, they have contributed their life, their soul and their possessions to making this place a worthwhile place to live. The Chief Minister of this Northern Territory - this honoured position in the lives of every Territorian - could not walk several hundred metres to the front of this building and give recognition for why they were there. The Chief Minister was unable to recognise the problems they are advocating for, and that these people need to be given some credit. I am absolutely ashamed ...
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex!
Mr HAMPTON (Central Australia): Madam Deputy Speaker, I welcome you, my colleagues on this side of the House, and parliamentary colleagues to Alice Springs, a place I am proud to call home.
Alice Springs is at the centre of our country and holds a special place in our nation. It is still seen as being on the frontier, on the edges, and people come here from all around the country and the world to spend a little time or, perhaps, a lifetime. It is a small town with a big reputation on the national stage. As the Chief Minister said, we have our very own issues in Alice Springs right now. As a government minister living here, whose kids go to school here, who shops here, who goes out to dinner and socialises here, I experience those issues just as everyone else who lives in Alice Springs does.
Alice Springs is a major service centre for hundreds of communities across the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and South Australia. People come here to shop, to access medical and other services, for education and training, to work, and to socialise and visit family. Many people for many reasons decide to stay in Alice Springs, and that is as true for bush people as it is for people from interstate or overseas. It is a town undergoing some real demographic changes. It is how we deal with, and plan for, these changes which is critical. We cannot, and should not, slam the door shut on Alice Springs. While these changes are presenting us with some very real challenges, it is about how we work together as a community to tackle these issues and capitalise on the opportunities that will build a strong future for my home town of Alice Springs.
The government has taken immediate action and has listened to the community. Now, we have to build for the medium- to long-term future of this town. The reality of Alice Springs is it is a town where many people from many different cultural backgrounds visit and make their home. Reality for the government is we have to ensure we are planning to meet these challenges and opportunities these fundamental changes throw at us.
As a community, we have to work together, and with government, in finding solutions - local issues, local solutions, by local people. Many people and organisations in Alice Springs are taking their time and making the effort to come together to find solutions, to share stories about what has worked and what is working in solving some of the issues facing our town.
In my role in all this, obviously, there have been some critics. However, I am quite happy to place on the public record what I have been doing, particularly over the past couple of months; that is, getting people together. As the member for Greatorex said, he does not like having meetings, he does not like listening to people, but I certainly do and I will continue to do that.
While I was on leave over Christmas with my family, there was a protest outside my office by the group from Action for Alice. I acknowledge that because we live in a democracy, which I totally respect. Since the rally, I have worked hard to listen to those people and to sit down in a room with them, because I am not shying away from the issues. This is my home town and I live here.
I have talked to the Action for Alice people on numerous occasions where we have had very good discussions. I acknowledge the work from some of those people from Action for Alice, because some of those people are genuine and want to see solutions as well. They have gone further down the track with a broader community meeting we had with the Chief Minister, people from the Aboriginal sector and the tourism sector because, be it culturally, socially or economically, we are all important to the future of this town. I acknowledge the good people in Action for Alice who have taken that journey and taken on that commitment.
I also convened a meeting with Aboriginal leaders, probably some six or eight weeks ago, because there were people calling for leadership from the Aboriginal community. I know people on this side of the House were calling for it during the last sittings in February. I know people from Action for Alice were calling for it. So, I took on those concerns and that question and got people together. From the Aboriginal community, we had over 70 Aboriginal people attend at Kungkas Can Cook, a great local Aboriginal business. People were fairly worked up and passionate about it, but keen to move on; keen to meet with people from Action for Alice, to talk to the tourism sector, to talk to the business sector. That really gave me a lot of heart, to see the passion from the Aboriginal community and the real commitment to work together as a community.
I have also attended meetings with the tourism sector and with the Chief Minister and the Chamber of Commerce. I met with the Action for Alice people on three occasions. I also attended the meeting Mayor Damien Ryan hosted. It was great. The mayor did a fantastic job, as well as the aldermen of the town council. It is very difficult to hear all the voices in Alice Springs. In our population of 30 000, you are not going to hear all the voices. However, I acknowledge the mayor and the town council for opening it up for public discussion. There were over 300 people there, and I was very pleased to be part of that meeting. I acknowledge the presence of the members for Araluen and Braitling there.
The recent town meeting hosted by Mayor Damien Ryan was great. It was great for me to hear so many people speak up, to put forward ideas in a positive and constructive way. The member for Araluen heard them and I am sure, like me, she came away heartened that so many people had put so much thought and passion and their time into the solutions they were putting forward. People like Rex Neindorf who has had more than his fair share of break-ins and troubles at his business, spoke very passionately about his belief that all children should have the support and opportunity to get a good education. We heard this morning of the issue of truancy, and that is so true. We all see the kids in the street during the daylight hours when they should be at school.
There are many critics of the Youth Action Plan, but I am happy to provide a briefing to the local members in Alice Springs about the action plan, and what it is doing. Part of that is addressing the issues of truancy through the department of Education with the school-based constables and the Aboriginal and Islander Education workers. However, there is no simple solution to fixing it, but people are out there on the streets trying very hard to address that. We also need the families to be involved with that particular issue of truancy.
Dr John Boffa spoke at the large public meeting about the need to ensure there is a focus on early childhood programs to ensure good cognitive development in young children, so they can and are able to make the most of their learning when they get to school age. Dr Boffa spoke about the programs run by organisations such as Congress aimed at mums and young babies - very important - that will make a huge difference in the health of young children in the years ahead.
People spoke up at this meeting about the need for programs aimed at building relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people - again very important to the future of this town, the need for restitution from perpetrators of crime, and the need for media to portray the positive stories that abound in Alice Springs. What I thought was very interesting, at this meeting and many others that I have attended over the past few months, is that people are keen to share their knowledge about programs and initiatives that are already in place and making a difference.
The Alice Springs Transformation Plan, as the Chief Minister talked about in his contribution today, is making a real transformation of our town camps in and around Alice Springs. I also acknowledge that the members for Araluen and Braitling have had a briefing on this; they will be able to speak about this from their briefings and from their experiences as local members.
We all know the figures, as stated by the Chief Minister in the House: 85 new houses, all 200 existing homes in town camps to be upgraded, 500 extra beds coming online in Alice Springs by the end of the year, new facilities to tackle homelessness, and more than $25m going into social support programs. But it is the stories from the people themselves that really inspire me about how this plan is transforming their lives. That gets the real picture across.
It is about hearing people like Purina Anderson, who has moved with her partner and children into one of the new houses at Hidden Valley Town Camp. Purina is enormously proud of her home. She has bought some new furniture and has decorated it beautifully. She is enjoying having a new home that is so much more comfortable and easy to keep clean, where her children can live and play safely. It is meeting people like the Kantawarras at Trucking Yards who are enjoying their new and refurbished homes. What it does mean is less overcrowding, so kids can get a good night’s sleep and go to school refreshed in the morning. It is meeting old people on camps like Hidden Valley who no longer worry about being attacked by dogs as they walk around their community. It is hearing that the town camps have better utilisation of the weekly wheelie bin service that other parts of Alice Springs take for granted. It is about talking to clients, as I have, at the drug and alcohol services facility in Alice Springs, who are trying hard to kick their addiction and become better parents.
I am encouraged when I hear about programs like the Ready and Willing for School program run by Congress, in partnership with the Education department, which has been funded under the transformation plan to conduct health checks and full family assessments on more than 300 young Indigenous children as they start school. Under this program, there have already been 150 home visits to families with children eligible to enrol in preschool, and 70 child health checks.
The Alice Springs Women’s Shelter is also making a huge impact with their funding from the transformation plan by funding an expansion for the Domestic and Family Violence Outreach Program. The program has already received 70 referrals and is case-managing 64 women who have a combined total of 110 children in their care.
These stories about the hard work that is going on behind the scenes are just as real as all the negative stories we are constantly hearing about Alice Springs. It is these sorts of stories that do not get the headlines, that politicians do not offer up to the national media to get their names in lights. They are the stories that paint a picture of an alternate reality here in Alice Springs. It is a reality that is just as true - even truer and more real than the one we see in the news reports and media releases.
The Chief Minister touched on the community action plan being developed and driven by the local Alice Springs community and supported by government. As I said before, local problems, local solutions by local people – very important. The suggestion for a community action plan came out of the meetings the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and I held with a number of local leaders and representatives, as well as at the Mayor’s town meeting.
A strong message we heard from all these meetings is that people are sick of the negativity and the divisiveness and want to see positive action from the grassroots supported by government. This is exactly what the community action plan process is all about. It will give the town a strategic way forward, incorporating ideas and suggestions that are being put forward at workshops and meetings, and presented to the independent consultant coordinating the plan, or by e-mail.
I hope the community plan will harness the passion and ideas I have been learning and hearing about from some sectors and the local community over recent months. The plan will also capture what has already been done to tackle the issues. We do not want to reinvent the wheel, but we need to ensure we are supporting those measures which work and make a difference.
We have already seen a difference in Alice Springs. I often go out and look for myself. I have been out with the youth services team, as well as police officers. I take a drive around town many times at night by myself, and I see those people, especially young people, out there at night. My observations are backed up by the police figures and the reports from the Youth Street Outreach Service. There has been much derision of the Youth Action Plan, but the fact is it is getting results. I am proud of the achievements under the Youth Action Plan such as the establishment of the Centralian Middle School, the Police Beat in the Todd Mall, and the extra safe accommodation for young people at risk.
Yesterday, the Chief Minister and Minister for Children and Families were at the Youth Hub, and I know the member for Nelson has also take time in his busy schedule to look at the Youth Hub during a recent visit.
I agree with the member for Nelson that the Youth Hub has not happened fast enough, but I have to say under the guidance of the Youth Services Coordinator, John Adams, we are starting to see some real results - and that is what is most important about this. The hub is already a hive of activity with 14 staff working with Family Support Services, a Youth at Risk team, Youth Street Outreach Service, and a Youth Coordinator all based at the hub. The youth services providers are looking at basing themselves at the hub and running events and activities at the space. I see the hub becoming a one-stop shop for youth support services in Alice Springs - a space where a young person and their family can be housed in a friendly way, and assisted in closing the gaps they have, as well as service provision gaps. There has been much interest from non-government organisations in the hub, either with running activities or utilising space.
The youth service organisations have also come together to offer ideas and solutions in the current debate. They have put forward ideas about developing a smarter way of ensuring young people who commit crimes take responsibility for their offending; about building a culture of community service among young people in Alice Springs; about innovative ways of supporting children at risk so they do not commit crimes - just to mention a few of the ideas they have brought forward. An important part of the process of drawing together the community action plan is recognising the work that has already been done and what has been achieved.
I will touch on a couple of my other portfolios which are also very important in this censure motion. As the minister for Natural Resources and the Environment, I will touch on some of the achievements in this area, which particularly address point five of the censure motion, this government’s policy failures in remote communities causing an urban drift into our major centres generally. Natural Resources and Parks and Wildlife are a very important part of addressing that particular part of the censure.
In Parks and Wildlife, training and support has been provided to Indigenous ranger groups for wildlife survey monitoring as part of land management activities on Indigenous protected areas, or IPAs, on Aboriginal Land Trusts. I will mention some of those projects which are making a difference in Central Australia particularly. There is training in threatened species monitoring and surveying endangered species such as the Princess Parrot, the Great Desert Skink, the Bustard or Bush Turkey, Mulgara and Quantong and Desert Sand Skipper. There is also training in general survey techniques for various ranger groups through Papunya, Atitjere and the Anmatjere Rangers, also collaborative scoping studies for reintroduction of culturally and ecologically important species back onto Aboriginal lands ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This is a censure of government for ...
Madam SPEAKER: This is not a point of order. Resume your seat.
Mr ELFERINK: It is relevance, Madam Speaker, and this is hardly relevant - the parrots in the MacDonnell Ranges ...
Madam SPEAKER: Resume your seat, member for Port Darwin!
Mr HAMPTON: I will not parrot the member for Port Darwin, Madam Speaker. I am actually pointing to point 5 of the censure, which says: ‘this government’s failure in remote communities causing an urban drift into our major centres’. What I am trying to say ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HAMPTON: What I am trying to say is that, on this side of the House, we absolutely respect and are committed to providing jobs in the bush such as the Indigenous rangers. Part of stopping the urban drift is getting people into jobs in the bush, and part of that are the rangers. The member for Port Darwin does not like it but that is what government is doing. It helps people get jobs and it helps people earn a living.
NRETAS has contributed to traditional owner run eco-tourism ventures focused on the threatened and extremely rare Princess Parrot on the Haasts Bluff Aboriginal Land Trust land. It was my pleasure recently to launch the $3m Red Centre Way West Macs Discovery Centre in Alice Springs. This is promoting our region and promoting jobs in the bush.
I do not support the censure motion. This government has listened to the community of Alice Springs. We sympathise with those businesses, and I have said that quite often. I sympathise with the businesses being broken into and will always be there to listen to those concerns. However, we now have a community process in place. Local problems need local solutions by local people.
I thank my side of the House, particularly over the last couple of months. The Attorney-General has come out with some very strong measures to deal with the issues in Alice Springs, and I am sure she will go through those shortly. We have seen a strong response from government. I look forward to working with the community to see the community action plan evolve, and for solutions to come to fruition and improve the lives of people in Alice Springs.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Speaker, I can hear the member for Arafura is looking forward to my speech today. I can see the violins coming out already - it is going to be fantastic. Unlike the member for Stuart, I do not have a prepared speech. I speak from the heart and from what I know of the issues in town. I do not have a bureaucracy of 22 000 people who can write my speeches for me …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GILES: This morning I made several dot points and wondered what I would speak about today. Where to start! I will start by acknowledging some actions the Chief Minister has taken and some actions the federal government has taken.
Many people will know I have been conversing with different people to find long-term solutions to the problems in town. Some short term, also some long term. I have been a passionate advocate for policy reform in many areas, particularly Indigenous affairs, over a long period of time, and will continue to do that. Much of what I will touch on today will be reflective of that.
Where do I start with some of the failures? It is important, in this censure motion brought on by my good colleague, the member for Greatorex, supported by my other good colleague, the new member for Araluen. The Chief Minister and the member for Stuart spoke about the transformation plan in Alice Springs. I ask those two ministers to reflect on what is being transformed in Alice Springs. Over the last 12 months, there has been a decline of 4% in the number of businesses in Alice Springs. Businesses are actually leaving. We have had a migration loss of people leaving town for a number of reasons. We have born and bred Alice Springs residents, Aboriginal Alice Springs residents as well, leaving town because they are sick and tired of the crime. I do not need to go through the crime.
Horrendous crimes have been committed in this town, from businesses having smashed windows, people’s cars being broken into and keyed, sexual assaults on Lyndavale Drive in Larapinta, and people getting spat on and bashed because they are white. That is simply not good enough in any society. You know that, and I know that. That is appalling. I become upset every morning as I receive a text message or a phone call at 6.30 am saying this or that happened last night. People are asking me, as the local member, what can be done about it. We can hold this government to account for failures, and I go back to the transformation plan. What is this government really doing to transform Alice Springs?
We can look at the Carey Builders fiasco which happened some time ago. There has not been an adequate response by government - there has not been any legislation introduced into parliament to rectify that situation. There is a draft circulating but it still has not occurred; there has been no adequate response to the victims of Carey Builders in Alice Springs. If the government had done its job it would have known this man was an undischarged bankrupt from Queensland and not issued him a licence and the victims of Carey Builders would not be in the position they are today. There is a long list of failures in that regard.
Have a look at a simple thing such as the Telstra tower at the back of Gilbert Place and Patterson Crescent in Larapinta. There has been some community reaction about the siting of that tower. Would the government respond to more adequately relocate that facility so we could still access our normal Telstra services while not reducing the amenity and property price of the people who live around there? Absolutely not! It is not interested in responding. I recognise some of my constituents from Larapinta who are affected by that Telstra tower in Larapinta. Again, I ask: what are they transforming?
Have a look at the announcement of this new carbon tax the federal government is proposing. We heard when Kevin Rudd was the Prime Minister that this government was supportive of the ETS and the way it was going to move to the carbon pollution reduction scheme by the Rudd government. However, now that Rudd has gone and we have Gillard, we have this carbon tax that is going to come into Australia. It is going to affect the Northern Territory. It will affect Alice Springs and regional and remote areas of Australia, but more particularly the Northern Territory. We know that, on average, petrol prices will go up by 6.5 a litre, but in Alice Springs they will go up more because we have more transport costs. We have more cost on fuel for the trucks to get the petrol to Alice Springs. What is the government doing to transform the cost of petrol in Alice Springs?
What is the government doing to transform the cost of grocery prices in Alice Springs? What is it doing to address the grocery prices for mums and dads who have a difficult time paying the exorbitant rents in this town, or the exorbitant mortgage repayments?
What is the government doing to address the simple things such as the price of concrete in Alice Springs? You want to have a building boom in Alice Springs, let us look at the fundamentals. How is the transformation plan addressing some of the fundamentals of supporting our industry, particularly the construction industry, where we should be having so many jobs? We look particularly at the transformation plan.
SIHIP, the housing component of the intervention by Mal Brough and John Howard in 2007 - and I will go back to that old chestnut, that old war horse, the gift that keeps on giving. That was announced in 2007, coming up to four years ago. There is $100m for town camp redevelopment. We heard the minister and the Chief Minister talk about: ‘Sensational, redefining town camps in Alice Springs’. Redefining? I would say it is absolutely absurd.
I will tell you what you are getting for $100m - from my briefing, but I knew already. We are getting 64 new buildings for $100m. Anyone work out the mathematics for me. That is a disgrace - 64 new buildings. What we are getting is 43 three-bedroom houses. Hopefully, they are all core filled because you know when they put the two walls up in these houses in the town camps, you have to pour concrete. Hopefully, they all have concrete in them. I know we had some problems before. Then, we are getting 21 four-bedroom duplexes; that is, two by two properties.
So, we will get 64 new buildings on our town camps. It will still be under the same management regime, albeit there may be some leases, which is a positive reform and I commend the government on that. We will start to see people paying proper rent. There will be a few refurbishments here or there. There are 20 town camps in Alice Springs. Only 18 of them fall under the transformation component in the SIHIP redevelopment works. Only four of those will actually have any major civil works done. What do we get for $100m? If you really want to transform this town, make those town camps private land, change the tenure, and use the $100m to leverage the private sector. You might find you would get 1000 new houses and roads for Africa, lights - you would get everything. This is what transformation is about.
All we are seeing from government is welfare. It is all institutionalised welfare, individual welfare, organisational welfare. If you keep pouring money into programs and not enforcing policy and not having a reformist agenda, you will not change anything. It is not a transformation plan in this town. It is not a transformation at all. We have just heard the debacle about the Yuendumu people. This is a perfect example of how the government gets things wrong. These people fled Yuendumu of their own will because they felt they were not safe. Those people have gone to Adelaide and back three times. They have been staying at the new accommodation visitor park at Blatherskite Park for the last two weeks. They were told yesterday that their time was up because they cannot stay any more than two weeks.
The government had arranged, either through the Chief Minister’s Office or the Minister for Central Australia’s office here, for those people to be relocated back out bush. They have been paying their accommodation and their food, they have been looking after the buses, and they were going to send people out. People yesterday said: ‘We are not going out bush as we fear for our safety’. I do not get on either side of the argument, it is not my job, but I have to ensure that men, women and children are adequately protected in the Northern Territory, and particularly Alice Springs and Braitling.
These 66 men and women, the 35 children and the two babies or infants, left the accommodation park last night, kicked out because their tenure had expired. There was no response by government, no visit from the Minister for Central Australia, no visit from the Chief Minister, no visit from the Deputy Chief Minister, no visit from the Indigenous policy minister, and these kids were going to stay on the street last night. It was not until I sent an e-mail, and I had visited these people three times yesterday, went for the fourth …
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: The Deputy Chief Minister can try to interject all she likes, but she knows her Minister for Central Australia is really a failure and should be sacked ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GILES: I sent an e-mail - I think it was around 5 pm last night - to the Chief Minister and all the media organisations I could find locally, and a few nationally and interstate, saying I was calling on the Minister for Central Australia to protect those children last night, to ensure they had somewhere to sleep. It was not until then the minister called a media conference and said: ‘I have decided they can stay at Blatherskite Park’ - under immense pressure by the member for Braitling who is out there trying to lead from opposition to get some solutions for these poor kids. Only then did he say they could stay there.
Then, there is a welcome function last night - and this is a real issue which shows the failure of the Minister for Central Australia - where politicians were hobnobbing. I got a phone call: ‘Adam, Karl never let us get into the Blatherskite Park, we are still sitting out the front of the hostel. How do we get in? How do we move all our stuff down there?’ Oh, right, no worries. The member for Macdonnell and I went there. The police had opened it up just before we got there, about 7.30 pm last night. While they are hobnobbing over here, these people were walking down there - children in bare feet, babies in nappies - to Blatherskite Park, into a big tin pavilion where people slept last night - no food, no water. So, at 9.30 pm last night, there I was, ordering all the food that Kentucky Fried Chicken had in Alice Springs to give these people a feed.
If these people were allowed to just sleep on the street and I had not intervened, there would have been trouble in the town last night. We are talking about child protection in part of this conversation - two infants and 35 kids, none of them going to school. Oh, we have truancy officers - there are 35 kids and two babies. Who is looking after those people, apart from the parents who are sleeping in a pavilion? This is a failure at the forefront.
Part of the reason why we are here in this censure is because of the hard-working action by the people of the Action for Alice group. Those people came together out of frustration. Geoff Booth, who is often declared as a front man for Action for Alice, was texting me two or three times a day about all the break-ins he was receiving. He has a right to be very cranky. He formed a group. It was not a political group. It was an action group of the people of Alice Springs. It was not the old Advance Alice; it is a new group of people who have had enough. You talk about what business policies people have, what about a business policy that says: ‘We will stop the crime on your property. We will stop the inflationary pressures that are going to put the cost of living up in your business’? What about those sorts of things? So the Action for Alice group was formed, they got some money together from interested businesses, organisations and individuals. People threw their money together and have put ads on television.
What does the action man - or the non-action man - the Minister for Central Australia do? He rings up board members from Imparja: ‘Pull those ads. You want government money? Pull those ads’. What else? ‘Oh, we had better ring up the other organisations around town, all the Indigenous organisations which get money from government, Territory and federal. You had better put some pressure on Imparja. You want to keep getting money? Put some pressure on Imparja’. Then, we saw the chairman of Imparja resign under pressure. We are talking about self-determination and giving Aboriginal people a voice and a say and, as soon as they get it, you put government pressure on it. We are not Libya, we are not a country in the Middle East, and we do not have state-owned media. You cannot control the media. There are Aboriginal people on the board of Imparja, one of the biggest employers in our town, who are running ads on a commercial basis to bring action about this government.
If you do not like the message, bad luck. If the member for Stuart does not like the heat in the kitchen, pull the pin. The town has lost confidence in you. Just resign. Bring us the member for Karama. She is not the most popular person in town, but we know she is a woman of action. We know the member for Karama would actually do things in town. She would listen to sound debate and sound judgment. I am calling on the Chief Minister to sack the Minister for Central Australia and give us a minister who will help us in this town. Give us someone who understands economics. At least the member for Karama, who is the current Treasurer, understands how you can leverage $100m to get better outcomes for town camps. These are the things we should be doing.
The fifth part of the censure is about policy failures in remote communities causing an urban drift into our major centres generally. I would have used different terminology, but I hear the drawl coming from the member for Arafura over there in the back of my ear …
Ms Scrymgour interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GILES: I will break for a joke. We hear her speaking up, but it is interesting when we go back to that point in time when she spat the dummy, so to speak, and left the Labor Party before she came back. She left on a point of principle, as I understand it, relating partly to homeland policy.
We talk about urban drift. I am a person who believes people can come and go as they please. It is how we manage our process; people can come and go as they please. It is a fact that people are moving into towns and larger centres for many different reasons, some because people are getting better access to services – health, dialysis, education, whatever. Other people are coming to the bright lights and big cities because this government has failed to develop economies in the bush, particularly the growth towns.
We reflect on the homelands policy. The homelands policy - there was an agreement in about 2007 - and I am sure the member for Arafura will correct me if I am wrong – for five years, $20m a year for $100m. There was a transitional agreement from the federal ownership of outstations or homelands to the Territory government with that $100m. There is a policy of this government that is hidden away somewhere about the future of homelands. There was a discussion paper put out when the member for Arafura was the Deputy Chief Minister. I did not speak negatively at all about that. I was waiting for the follow-up to see want happened - I can tell you nothing has happened. Part of the reason people are coming into town is because there is no policy on homelands.
What is the future? I visited the Laynhapuy Homelands a while ago. It was fantastic talking to the board, some of the staff, and the CEO. There are many homelands which do a fantastic job and we should be supporting those homelands. But that is part of the failure. I have never had a knock on my door saying: ‘Good day, Adam, would you listen to our idea about homelands and maybe you might support it, maybe you might not?’ There is none of that. There has been no political argy-bargy on this policy at all. There has been barely anything on the growth towns, apart from the fact that you picked it for political reasons.
The main point is, when we come back to homelands or look at the failures of the shire councils and the way it took away Aboriginal people’s voices, what is missing from this whole debate is the voice of the people in the bush, the cultural authority of Aboriginal people to have ownership over the policies that set their future. I am not talking about a two-pronged system. I am not talking divisive; I am talking about how we engage Aboriginal people, traditional owners - not CEOs of organisations, with all due respect to those people. I am talking about the traditional owners having a say in a culturally authoritative format about their future and the future of the Northern Territory more generally.
We are not going to fix problems until we start giving those people a voice in the Territory - in Alice Springs, in Braitling, in Central Australia, in the Territory, in regional Central Australia. That is part of the solution: how we engage night patrols, elders, and senior men and women in dealing with the issues in our town and in our bush.
The member for Stuart spoke about how he has had meetings - I think it was hundreds of meetings, like the Labor reviews they always have - but it is about action. I have called for meetings on a number of occasions, and I have had my colleagues, the members for Araluen and Macdonnell, co-chair these meetings. We have had Indigenous, non-Indigenous, business leaders, councils, and so forth around the table talking about the problems. We are democratically elected. We should be making decisions. We have constituents who talk to us all the time. We have to come together as leaders. Whether we like it or not, we are democratically elected; we are leaders and we have to make decisions.
We have sat around and have talked about issues. We have talked about how we can solve some of the problems in the short-term, and what some of the longer-term issues are. Aboriginal people are having their say. They are calling for - well, they are not calling for it, but they are saying in those meetings: ‘We want 100% quarantining for alcoholics. If you do not send your kid to school, 100% quarantining. If you do the right thing you should not be quarantined at all’. That is what they are saying. They are saying that everyone who lives in Alice Springs has to earn, has to learn, has to do some sort of mutual obligation participation, whether it is work for the dole or CDEP, or whatever it might be in work gang mentality, or you get 100% quarantining. That is it. Get part of the economy. You want to transform the town? There is a transformation opportunity. I could go on and on.
In the media this morning there was mention of letters signed by traditional owners in Alice Springs calling on Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott to come here with no media and sit down in the dirt and have a chat. That is a fantastic idea. We do not need media; we do not need bully-boy tactics by advisors and all these things involved in the process. We need those two leaders to sit down in the dirt and have a chat with traditional owners - give those people back some cultural authority. Recognise the fact that you have two ears and one mouth; sit down and listen twice as hard as you talk. Sit down and listen to what people are saying because you will find people are not that far away from what we are saying in the Chamber, particularly our side of the Chamber. We know Labor is losing the Indigenous vote. People are coming to the fold of the Country Liberals because they are sick of the lies and promises by Labor that have not been delivered. Whether it is shire council reform, homeland policy, the promise of jobs and economic development, nothing has changed.
This government should be condemned and censured for its failure in Alice Springs, on Indigenous policy, and the crime wave, and for lying and for its facile and cynical approach to the people of Alice Springs. More importantly, the Chief Minister must sack his Minister for Central Australia. He has not done his job, he has dropped the ball. He went on holidays twice when there were significant issues in this town. Part of being a leader is about being here, being in control, making changes for the future, and taking a reformist agenda so we can have a future. Losing 4% of business, losing people, seeing people bashed, murdered, raped in our town is a disgrace and he should hang his head in shame.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, the government had no issue whatsoever with accepting the censure debate. We welcomed it. We respect, of course, the process and procedure of parliament where you deal with a condolence motion first and foremost. It shows how narrow-minded the opposition is to not accept the precedence of a condolence motion. We welcome the censure because we want to put right back at the opposition the empty, hollow rhetoric they espouse. We listen to the debate from them and we are waiting, searching, for the proactive, constructive solutions to come forward.
You do not get it. The closest you get is we have to listen; we are starting to listen; it has been 10 years and we have not been listening. What a load of rot - what a load of rot! The new member for Araluen is complaining about urban drift. The member for Braitling is welcoming urban drift. They are all over the shop on that issue. The new member for Araluen is complaining about urban drift and then congratulating Mal Brough for his intervention. Some of us have been around a fair while. Some of us were around during the period of Mal Brough’s thought bubbles, and the people of his constituency spoke loud and clear - he was thrown out of office at the next federal election.
That being said, we pointed out at the time to Mal Brough, in the midst of his thought bubble, as Territorians, as duly democratically elected leaders in our communities, if he put blanket prescribed areas across the remote areas of the Northern Territory for grog prohibition it would create an immediate urban drift of a size different to the normal social urban drift that occurs. Here we are, years later, where it is accepted that is what happened. Tony Abbott, in his letter to the Prime Minister, recognised that is what happened ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: You congratulated Mal Brough on the intervention while complaining about an urban drift, when he was the architect of the wave of urban drift of people following the path of grog. You are so narrow; you do not understand.
On the subject of grog, the member for Araluen complained saying we do not want to be guinea pigs of alcohol reforms - Alice Springs has been the guinea pig before. Clearly, she has not read one single document put out about the grog reforms the government is introducing in legislation because the reforms are Territory-wide, not just for Alice Springs. We are going to introduce the most significant reforms in our nation to tackle the problem drinkers and it is Territory-wide, it is not just Alice Springs. We believe it will have a very positive effect on Alice Springs because it will stop the drift and the movement of people following grog - in stark contrast to the opposition who want to ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, the member for Greatorex has not stopped. He is just yapping in the background ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Greatorex! Member for Greatorex, cease interjecting!
Ms Scrymgour interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Arafura!
Ms LAWRIE: The member for Greatorex is also showing his ignorance in saying it is not for the entire Territory, it is just for Alice Springs. I repeat: the alcohol reforms the government is introducing in the three bills in parliament tomorrow, which were issued as exposure draft legislation in the October sittings of last year, have been the subject of consultation through forums right across the Northern Territory - online material available, fact sheets available, and the draft legislation available. They have been in the public domain and debate since September last year and are Territory-wide. They affect everyone anywhere in the Territory, and they go to turning the problem drinker off the tap.
These are the alcohol reforms the member for Araluen seems to have escaped, whilst there have been significant debates, including a ministerial statement in the parliament of the Legislative Assembly after her election to the parliament. One wonders where she has been. One wonders what little bubble she is existing in regarding grog reforms. I will talk more in detail about the grog reforms.
The member for Braitling started his speech by going to cost of living. I was pleased he focused on some of the issues that affect the ability of residents to live in Central Australia, particularly in a regional hub, a service centre like Alice Springs. There are very real historic cost imposts in regional centres in cost of living, and government will use whatever tools and levers available. He talked about the impact of the price of petrol and groceries on people. He is absolutely right in recognising and calling for a debate on those cost of living impacts. However, he was also saying the government is ignoring these cost of living pressures, and that we are doing nothing about them - and nothing could be further from the truth.
When the ACCC was called upon to do an inquiry into petrol prices in Alice Springs, as a government we said we were fully supportive of an ACCC inquiry. We believed they were too high; we agree they are too high. So, to say the government is in the space of just ignoring it is wrong. In what we do to address cost of living in Alice Springs, in the Territory, we are the lowest taxing jurisdiction in our nation for small- and medium-sized businesses. We have saved businesses hundreds of millions of dollars in money they would have otherwise paid in taxes if we had not been reducing our tax rates, if we had not been increasing the tax-free threshold since we came to government 10 years ago. We are the lowest taxing jurisdiction in our nation for small- and medium-sized businesses.
The member for Braitling talked about businesses closing; the business environment doom and gloom in Alice Springs. Well, talk to the major bank lender in Alice Springs and you get a completely different picture. What you are hearing from the main lender in this region is that they have doubled their loans book in Alice Springs to businesses in the last year. We are talking about tens of millions of dollars of business growth occurring right here, right now, in Alice Springs today - completely different to the rhetoric coming from the member for Braitling who is doom and gloom.
He talked about Alice Springs transformation and how you need a real transformation. It took two Labor governments, lined up, to remove the political blame game, to actually get signature on an agreement for the expenditure for the Alice Springs transformation plan - $150m invested in construction, in changing the housing environment of the town camps, $15m invested in the social services and support to deal with the generational crisis of the dysfunctional families who have been living in abject poverty in those town camps - to all of our shame - here in Alice Springs. It took two Labor governments - a federal Labor government and a Territory Labor government - to end the blame game and sign up to that transformation plan.
Regarding the rhetoric of the opposition on how many houses - the member for Braitling said it is only delivering 85 houses. Not true. Very clearly, you heard from the Chief Minister 85 new houses and 200 refurbs. Anyone who wants to see what is occurring, get out to the town camps and you will see the extent of the refurbs. You are literally turning a shell of a house into a fully functional, new, clean and appropriate house. We are putting in place the social support and services. You can build your shelter, you can change the home environment, but unless you are addressing the people and the way they are approaching their living circumstances you are wasting your time and effort.
So, we are going in with those complex social services programs run by Congress, such as the Safe and Sober program - programs you will never hear the opposition talk about because they do not want a genuine debate, they just want their narrow, ‘Whip up a bit of fear and loathing rhetoric, and let us get in and out of this and pretend nothing is happening; that the government does not care’. Well, what a load of rot!
The Minister for Central Australia is a strong and consistent advocate and voice for the people of Alice Springs. He sits at the Cabinet table and advocates for the people of Alice Springs every single week. If you look at government expenditure into Alice Springs since he has been the Minister for Central Australia, it is the most significant expenditure in the history of any government in the Territory. You talk about real delivery - the Minister for Central Australia has delivered more in financial investment in both construction and social services into Alice Springs than any other minister in the history of the Territory - any other Minister for Central Australia.
Where are the results? Taking in whatever area you want to look at, the results are improved housing, land being turned off, children attending school, the Youth Hub up and operational, and alternative education being provided out of there. The results are in a juvenile detention centre, operational right now out of the Alice Springs Correctional Services facility. The results are in tackling what we know is the core cause of crime in our community.
I was fascinated listening to the member for Braitling. I was waiting for him to get to the heart of the social problems and dysfunction here, which is grog-fuelled violence. He did not go there. The closest he got to even mentioning grog in his entire contribution was talk about welfare quarantining of 100%, an idea from the community - not his idea. He did not go there. You dodged the big issue, the elephant in the room, which is grog-fuelled violence. How embarrassing, member for Braitling, you dodged the elephant in the room. Sixty-six percent of all violent crime in Alice Springs is fuelled by grog. If you want to get real about tackling the cause of crime and bringing down the crime rate and making a safer place to live, you have to tackle grog - you absolutely have to tackle grog that is fuelling the violence.
How is our government doing it? We have announced the toughest reforms in the nation and, to what I believe will be their eternal shame, the CLP is opposing those reforms. Members are burying their head in the sand and saying: ‘No, no, we are opposing those reforms’. We will introduce the legislation into the parliament tomorrow - three bills, as the Chief Minister said - all supporting our alcohol reform. For the first time in the Territory, when our legislation is passed from 1 July, they will turn the problem drinker off tap wherever they are. We will be able to say that person was three times in and out of police protective custody - and quite a few of the cohort we are talking about will knock over that rate within days and weeks. So, we are talking about the problem drinker not being able to, through an automatic banning system - automatic bans, not go to court and have an argument about it, automatic bans - through the watch-house: ‘You are banned, you are off tap, problem drinker. You cannot purchase, you cannot possess, and you cannot consume grog in the Northern Territory’.
There is no, ‘Oh, I got turned off tap in Alice, I might head to Tennant and get on tap there’. Oh, no. Nowhere in the Territory can you purchase, possess and consume grog. First time, no one is doing it. Secondary supply and the sanction if you breach? Well, it is a breach and you are off tap for an even longer period of time. The more times you try to breach something like this, the longer you are off tap. Your three months goes to six months, your six months goes to 12 months. You are absolutely mandated to appear before a tribunal the govenment will establish.
The tribunal has mandatory treatment powers and orders. It has powers to ban. This is genuinely the toughest reform in tackling problem drinkers anywhere in the nation, and we are challenging anywhere in the world. What does the CLP do? It is going to reject it. It would rather play politics than deal with the cause of crime in our community, and the dysfunction of the individual and the harms they are perpetrating on themselves and their families and, most ashamedly, their children.
We have stepped up, we are taking it on, and we are introducing the legislation. My challenge is laid down to the CLP to support it: get over your political rhetoric, get over your political ideology and support the grog reforms. The AMA does, NTCOSS does, AMSANT does, the two different alcohol lobby groups in Alice Springs do, the Australian Hotels Association does, and the Liquor Stores Association does. At the moment, the only one who is not is the CLP. Tony Abbott wrote in his letter to the Prime Minister that we have to tackle grog. Well, Tony Abbott, get on the phone, call whoever is leading the CLP on the day – because we know they are tearing themselves apart internally, so you probably have to make a few phone calls – make a few phone calls to a few different members of the CLP ...
A member interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: Make a few calls, because we do not know who is rowing the boat at the moment, and say: ‘Guys, support the grog reforms in the Territory’. They are absolutely innovative and they are leading edge. They are the right thing to do if you are going to change the drinking culture and the harm that grog is doing in our community, and the way it is fuelling violence.
We gave a series of commitments when I was here in January regarding the crime wave in Alice Springs. Never once have we denied the crime wave, by the way, guys. We recognised there was an unacceptable spate of crime in Alice Springs, both commercial and residential property crime, and also an unacceptable level of violent crime in Alice Springs, and we are going to support our police and the police operations. They had already run a special operation over December; they were running a new operation in January; they ran an additional operation in February. They are maintaining that very high operational response to crack down on crime. We are seeing data coming through that the police have been successful. We recognise the great job our officers in Alice Springs have been doing; working significant overtime to do it and, as you heard from the Chief Minister, getting the support from the Police Commissioner for additional resources - support we are delighted to see come to Alice Springs, and are very supportive of, as a government.
What did we say we would do in January - prior to the advertisements running, by the way? The CLP would have everyone believe we decided to do things because there were advertisements running on television - what are called ‘attack ads’. It is not true. The announcements I made here with the Minister for Central Australia in January occurred prior to any advertising occurring, just to dispel that little myth you are kidding yourselves about.
A new offence of breach of bail is being debated today. We have settled the terms of reference for a review of the Youth Justice Act. We looked at who could lead that Youth Justice Act review because it will go to the law, but it will also go to the operational; it will go to how you get the energised youth sector linking in with the government sector, the NGOs and government working together. In the operation of the Youth Justice Act, I looked for who had good expertise regarding the Territory; understanding the nature of the Territory, the service providers and the NGO sector, the court system, and the police. I can say I have asked the former member for Araluen, Jodeen Carney, to head up the Youth Justice Act review, and she has agreed ...
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: I can hear the empty vessel, the member for Port Darwin, bleating in the background.
We have undertaken the Return to Country school blitz twice, and we have had success in getting people back to country. In targeted police patrols, we have increased operations; I have talked about that. We put in place a new patrol coordinator, a Senior Sergeant position. We have a series of safe houses being modified to implement the Safe House strategy where we can take children off the streets at night into safe houses. With the expanded juvenile alcohol and drug facility, we are working to secure the Child Abuse Taskforce site. It is an obvious site for that facility. We are already in discussions with BushMob for the operations at that site.
To say we said we would do things but are not doing them is not true. All the things we said we would do we are delivering on - and we said it all before attack ads were running. We talked about the importance of getting kids to school. There are already truancy officers operational, and we have a very strong No School No Shops program. The Minister for Central Australia has been at the forefront of engaging local businesses to uphold that program. He has been doing a great job getting across the broad sector of the local community and involving them in community responses to what is a broad social issue and the challenges that have been confronted in Alice Springs. I might add that the challenges have been confronted elsewhere in the Territory - let us not pretend about this. These are common challenges across all our major regional centres, including our capital. Local solutions are good; however, you need to come across with consistent policies such as our grog reform policy that will be Territory-wide.
We have welcomed the censure today. I have not had the chance to talk about the alcohol management plans being introduced in remote communities across Central Australia. We will continue all that work. Despite the empty rhetoric of the opposition, we will get on with the job of making the Territory a safe place to live, of turning around the generations of dysfunction fuelled by grog and the problem drinkers we have. We will take the tough actions to make it safer, and will also provide for economic opportunities along the way.
We have a cultural diversity, and our minister for Indigenous policy is working with the Indigenous Advisory Council to drive through the complex issues of the homelands policy and how to provide strong growth in our growth towns, while also supporting the vibrant, dynamic homelands.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I am stating the obvious when I say there have been some major problems in Alice Springs in recent times. My comments will not just be about the problems of Alice Springs, they will also be about the rest of the Territory because Alice Springs is not the only part of the Territory that faces these problems. That does not diminish the importance of these issues to the people of Alice Springs who are affected by antisocial behaviour.
It is important to identify the antisocial issues that have been spoken about in recent times. Two weeks ago I came to Alice to look for myself. I spoke to many people in the streets and in businesses, pubs, the police, the local pollies and Aboriginal people. I should say before I forget there are many good people working very hard for the benefit of young people in Alice, and those people, and their efforts, can be forgotten in the noise of the protests. Thank you for those efforts. Do not give up, Frankie Curtis, Brad Puls and people like them. I also thank Damien Ryan and the council for their efforts. They do not have control over law and order and planning but do their best anyway.
In talking to many people, including the police, it seems there is a number of groups in town involved in the antisocial behaviour. There are locals, black and white, some town campers and the countrymen from out bush. There are people in town who are just criminals involved in crime and, as gangs, compete with one another in relation to how much damage they can inflict on the community. There are those who are after grog, throwing rocks, harassing and humbugging people for money or smokes, and whose general behaviour is disrespectful.
We should not forget there are many people who do not do this but, sadly, end up being lumped in with the rest and, sometimes in this whole discussion, are tarnished with the same brush. I met some of them too.
How to fix the problem? The answer, in the short term, was to bring in more police, and that is what the government did when cries went out that antisocial behaviour was getting out of hand. That is fine; residents of Alice Springs have the right to go out at night without being harassed, threatened, intimidated or bashed. However, I have a few questions. What does the Night Patrol do? Why is it the job of police to pick up drunks? If the sobering-up shelters are full, what are the expansion plans? What is the future of Operation Roland? Is it to finish at the beginning of April or, as Commissioner Payne said in the Centralian Advocate, these staff will be here for as long as it takes people to feel safe in their community?
I also wonder about the call centre. On 13 March, I rang 131 444 and after five-and-a-half minutes it rang out. I tried again, and after two-and-a-half minutes I got an answer and then it dropped out, so I gave up. I know Mr Abbott wants more police in Alice Springs. He said there should be 100 more police. I want to know why we are not using the numbers of police in Alice Springs more efficiently. There are more police in Alice Springs per head of population than anywhere else in Australia. The question I ask the government is: has this something to do with the enterprise bargaining award where police have negotiated a limit on the number of hours they can work on night shifts? If so, I ask whether it should be renegotiated?
If we are arresting more people and magistrates are not letting them out on bail as before, where are we putting these people? The government closed down Aranda House, and now it is opening it up again - or something similar. They closed down Wildman River and that sends out a message that governments have taken their eye off the ball. I question again what happened to the dormitory that was to be built at the Youth Hub?
That is about the short term. What are we going to do about the long term? Just to try to put an overall perspective on it - and this could relate to anywhere - the problems in Alice Springs relate to a breakdown in family life, a breakdown in parenting skills, a breakdown in discipline, excessive consumption of alcohol and other drugs, unemployment, boredom, lack of respect, lack of taking responsibility for doing some things yourself, lack of leadership, non-attendance at school, migration of people from the bush to the town, overcrowding, insufficient housing in town camps - and I suppose I could go on.
What are the causes? There has been much talk about whether it is the intervention, but you need more than anecdotal evidence to say that is the case. If you asked the women at Hermannsburg, would they say it was a problem? They possibly support it. Are those people who have an anti-intervention agenda using antisocial behaviour to push their agenda instead of looking at what the real issues are? Is it a movement from the rural or remote areas around Alice Springs caused by the same thing that happened hundreds of years ago with the Industrial Revolution? People moved from the country to the city for the bright lights, for a chance to get a better life, because where they lived was boring, their houses were dirty, there was overcrowding, and there was no work.
Has anyone asked the people in Alice Springs - the people we are talking about - why they are here? Even though I am putting forward ideas, I want to know whether anyone has walked around and found out why people are actually here. Perhaps it is because of the amalgamation of the councils. One thing I found in my travels is people seem to have lost their sense of ownership and belonging since the smaller councils have been removed and replaced with the very large councils.
Is it because some communities are dry? That is a reasonable question. Alcohol continues to be a major reason for some of the social disorder, and it will continue to be a major problem until drastic measures are taken. It is not only a black problem; it is a problem throughout Australian society. Do we conveniently forget the alcohol nightclub bashings we see down south or problems in Mitchell Street? How many drunks stagger out of certain Alice Springs pubs at 2 am? Is there any protest about their behaviour or is that a bit close to home?
Is a breakdown in family life, parenting, and discipline also a part of the problem? Domestic violence is widespread, and when children are not being cared for because parents are drinking, playing cards, or out on the town, what hope is there for young children? There are young girls who are pregnant at an early age who have no idea how to parent, and they have no skills. What hope is there for a well-balanced child of the future?
Discipline is frowned on by society as a dirty word, but is something that needs to be reinforced at home, at school, and in the community. It is not about belting; it is about firmness, respect and love, and teaching people to take responsibility for their actions. It is also not wrapping kids up in cotton wool so they learn by mistakes and failures.
Respect, or lack of it, is another major reason for things like property damage. It all shows up in a disregard for others. How many people still say please and thank you? How many swear as if it was the norm and okay? Some of the language I hear on the football field really makes me wonder where people learn that language.
How many people even say hello to a stranger or open a door for another person? I came here two weeks ago, and what we tried to do was say hello to everyone in the street. I sometimes wonder whether there is enough of that; whether there is a group of people out there we are not willing to talk to, to find out who they are. They are all human beings and you will be amazed, when you talk to some of these people, what their background is.
Is it so out of fashion to even stand up for an older person or a woman? We have let our standards drop, so why are we surprised at the outcomes? What about taking responsibility over our own lives and not waiting for someone else to do it for us? People drop rubbish around the place; who ticks them off and tells them to pick it up? You see rubbish around Alice Springs, a tourist town. Something needs to be done. Talking is one thing, enforcement is the other, and they both need to go hand-in-hand.
People play cards all night and on weekends and then take their children to the clinic because the kids are sick. Then, the health workers have to look after the child. Where is the responsibility of the parent? Someone said to me recently that we are turning our communities into nursing homes – no slight on nursing homes – where people sit around and expect things to happen with little effort from themselves. I could go on.
Solutions – and these are my suggestions and locals, I am sure, will have other ideas. I believe there should not be welfare in the Northern Territory. The Commonwealth should hand over all its money to councils or like-minded organisations, and top it up so a proper wage can be paid. Do not call it work for the dole; call it a job. Add enough money for capital equipment and extra management and say there will be a job for anyone who wants it.
Talking to a businessperson in Alice Springs, his concern is that, eventually, the people who drive industry in Alice Springs will leave this town because of antisocial behaviour. It will be replaced by a welfare economy which will be to the detriment of this community. I believe much work has to be done getting people off welfare. There is plenty of work in towns and communities for people to be employed. Work is good for the individual, it is good for the economy, and it is good for the community. It will not be popular, but neither will the destruction of generations of people. If you want some money, then you have to earn it; it is not a right.
I should mention the good work that Centrefarm is doing. I called in at Ali Curung recently. Although there are difficulties getting people to work, it would be interesting to see, if there was no welfare there, whether that would change.
Alcohol: there are many things I could say about alcohol as I have witnessed, and still witness, the destruction it wreaks in our community. Ask how many people are in gaol because of alcohol offences; how many of the crimes committed recently were related to alcohol. I do not oppose restrictions on alcohol if it can have real outcomes and, of course, this has to happen, otherwise the restrictions are pointless. The government said it intends to introduce a new five-point plan, and I suppose there will be critics of it. However, we are all part of a community and we all have to try to find solutions, especially when it comes to the excessive use of alcohol. You might not like what the government is doing, but who has the magic solution? You must try, and if it fails, then try again.
I would question, though, what consideration the government is giving to a floor price for alcohol. We know that reducing the sale of cheap casks reduced the consumption of alcohol and, from that, there were subsequent benefits. Now we have the sale of cleanskins which are cheap and appear to be the cause of increased consumption. If we have a floor price based on the average price of a standard drink of beer, then we may reduce the amount of alcohol consumed. The government needs to take action on this front, not just have the five-point plan. It is a pity some of our supermarkets and some liquor outlets do not wait for this to occur, but do the right thing and take the cheap stuff off the shelf. They are part of the problem; they need to be part of the solution.
There is drunkenness. Once upon a time it was a crime to be drunk in public. Now, it is okay as long as you have Sober Bob or catch a taxi home. It is similar to the safe sex message: no questions asked about the morality or the dangers as long as it is safe. It seems that society now says it is okay to get drunk. What it means is society supports losing control. Where does that lead? Damage to one’s health, street violence, pregnancy, domestic violence, inappropriate behaviour and, more than likely, gaol. What sort of example does it give to others, especially the ones we criticise the most - Aboriginal people? Why should they not get drunk too? White society says it is okay.
You also only have to look at the subtle advertising campaigns of the powerful alcohol industry. How much responsibility does the alcohol industry take for the issues we face in the NT? I reckon the alcohol industry puts the shareholders first. I would love to see the Living with Alcohol scheme come back. If Ms Macklin and Mr Abbott are coming, ask them to put the large amount of taxation they have received from alcohol sales in the Northern Territory back into trying to fix the problems we have in this town and in other parts of the Northern Territory.
I would like to see the setting up of modern, well-run clubs in growth towns, not the same as what was written in The Age today. After all, if the government says that growth towns are to be normal, then should pubs or clubs not be included? There is one at Gunbalanya. Believe it or not, Elliott is a growth town and it has a pub in the centre. I understand that also needs the permission of the people who live in that community, and I would not, in any way, be trying to take away their ability to say whether they agree or not. However, I am putting that out there as a possibility. Obviously, the Liquor Commission would put out advertisements in the paper asking people whether they agreed that a liquor licence should be set up in a growth town. I am not trying to say people should not have a say, but I am saying this is possibly a way we should be doing things.
In relation to alcohol, I have said - and I believe it is part of the five-point plan the government put out, and I think the CLP also supports it - it is time to see compulsory rehabilitation centres. We need to say it is our job to look after those people who cannot look after themselves. I visited on the way down Strongbala in Katherine and was very impressed with the hard work those Aboriginal men are doing to try to uplift men in that community. That could be an area which may run one of these compulsory rehabilitation centres.
Boredom: I look at Alice Springs and, from a sporting perspective, this place does very well. There are first-class sporting facilities here. You have to ask why these people are bored. I look at the drop-in centres, the three community recreation centres; two of them are pretty well worn out and the other one is tucked around the back near K-Mart, I believe. Why don’t we put the money into building one modern community recreation centre with adequate land and facilities which is not for one particular group but all youth in this town? It should be part of an early intervention scheme.
Non-attendance at school: I believe, as the member for Braitling said, that welfare is an important tool. If children are not going to school, why not refuse to pay welfare until children go to school? Somewhere along the line, we have to turn this around. It has been going on too long and it is going to require a big effort and some courageous decisions to turn it around.
However, there are good stories. I was at Milikapiti the other day and 90% of kids go to primary school in that community. We need mentoring and early intervention. It is no good if we have kids leaving school and they are unemployed and disappear. We need to ensure young people are encouraged to get a job, to go through secondary school, and to help them all the way; otherwise we will continue to have the problems we have today.
What do we do with the people who are picked up for antisocial behaviour, who are breaking the law? We need more prison farms, we need more work camps. We should be doing what Tony Bohning, a member of Correctional Services in Alice Springs for many years did - setting up juvenile work camps out bush for kids. That is a great idea.
Madam Speaker, I could go on. There is plenty of talk, and others will have their own ideas as well but, in the end, talking is cheap if nothing concrete happens. There needs to be a concerted effort from all sides of politics and all levels of government. It does not help if Canberra just makes statements from afar. A plan has to be put together that reflects the views of the people of this region, because this is not just about Alice, it is about the region around Alice and, in many ways, the rest of the Territory.
I think about the state of the world today. There is fighting and tension in many parts of the world because people cannot get on and live in peace. We are critical of these people for being at war, but maybe we need to look at our own situation. Are we at peace in our own society? I do not think so. I get annoyed when someone lumps all white fellows like me together as if we are the same. I might be white but I have beliefs which are not relevant to my colour, politics or where I was born; what I believe is not relevant to those classifications.
I am a Catholic and believe in one of the fundamental tenets of that faith: to love your neighbour, and the much harder tenet, especially sometimes in this place, to love your enemy and, of course, a belief in forgiveness because, for me, that is the only way to true peace. Not easy. By the way, Christ was not a white bloke. He was born in Galilee; he was a Jew. When I look around and see the fighting and payback out at Yuendumu, the stories of different clans which cannot get on together, when I see the bashing of an umpire at the footy, or the bashing death of an Aboriginal man a year or so ago, when I see and read about domestic violence that occurs, then I say to our leaders to unite, to drop the party politics that can be so restrictive, hurtful and self-centered, and join hands and not concentrate on the things they disagree with but, rather, the things they agree on.
I wonder if those who preach reconciliation should not first reconcile amongst themselves before they tell others to do so. We need leadership, unity, and bipartisanship. We need to strive for peace in our community. We do not need more protests and rhetoric. We do not need even more glossy brochures, year in and year out. We want leadership and if our two leaders cannot get on, how can we expect the rest of the people to do the same?
I am asking the Chief Minister today, as part of the agreement I have with him, to sit down with Terry Mills, the Leader of the Opposition, and work out a bipartisan approach to moving Alice Springs and the Alice Springs region forward. I am asking Terry Mills to do the same, and enter into the discussion also free of party politics, because I am scared that could get in the way of bipartisanship. G K Chesterton, a famous English author, once said:
- The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected.
I am happy to play my part as well, but Paul Henderson and Terry Mills are the main players and they need to grasp the moment. This will be the last time parliament will sit in Alice Springs until after the next election. This will be the last time these leaders will formally be together in Alice Springs, and it is a real opportunity for them to do something during the sittings of parliament. When they get together they need to invite other leaders from the Commonwealth and local governments, and local politicians and leaders within the community. Leadership requires the ability to step into the unknown, into unchartered waters; leadership also requires an effort.
I implore both leaders to show the people of Alice Springs they are committed to their welfare, not the welfare of their own parties, and sit down, meet and make it happen. If you cannot do it, how can you expect the community to do the same?
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I have listened with great interest to this debate since coming into the Chamber this morning.
I am advised there were some 200 to 300 people out the front of this Chamber this morning desperately angry because government has failed to perform its most fundamental function at a Territory and state level; that is, looking after and protecting the interests of people in the community, specifically in relation to criminal matters.
The government has a series of priorities set as an intermingled form of solutions where welfare and policing responses are seen as extensions of the same thing. It is unclear thinking when you change your priorities in such a way that you can no longer see your fundamental and core priorities next to other priorities. That is one of the major and fundamental flaws of the thinking of members on the other side of the House.
I listened to the plea from the member for Nelson in relation to working together. I often hear these types of pleas, and they sound wonderful; they sound like the type of stuff people would like to hear. However, what you have to do when you come together in that way is determine exactly what your fundamental presumptions are.
One of the reasons we have such difficulty agreeing with government on these issues is we do not agree with their fundamental assumptions. It comes down to a matter of ideology and personal belief. I believe, as many of the members on my side of the House believe, issues of crime are matters of an abandonment of personal responsibility. Members on our side of the House determine that the response from government to people who abandon their personal responsibilities and see other people's property as their own is to hold them to account through the judicial system. Members on the government benches of this parliament see the response as needing to intervene in these people's personal lives. As a consequence, the fundamental choices you make as a government are in question.
Policing responses are the first response; they are the ones you have to address in their most immediate construct. You then have to determine what you do next. And this is where the government’s mind is not clear. We see this again and again when we are talking about issues of crime and, all of a sudden, the matter of parrots in the MacDonnell Ranges is part of the solution. I understand the logic; I can follow the bouncing ball. However, the point is: is the parrot solution in the MacDonnell Ranges the answer to an immediate crime problem as far as the minister is concerned, because he does not separate the two issues?
An immediate crime problem has to be dealt with immediately, and that is not what we are hearing from government. Once again, one could well be forgiven for listening to the Deputy Chief Minister - that she is on track, she has all these plans, the review is coming – that this government has solutions. However, these are the same solutions they have offered us in the past.
I heard with interest that the review of the Youth Justice Act will be conducted by the former member for Araluen, Jodeen Carney. She is a good choice because she is the very person who, as the member for Araluen, criticised the Youth Justice Act in 2005, if memory serves me, when it was introduced, for a raft of fundamental legislative flaws. I find it curious the government which would tell us the Youth Justice Act is currently flawed is exactly the same government which introduced the act in 2005. So, it had a solution in the past and the solution has fundamentally and abjectly failed. Now, it is the case of: ‘Trust us, trust us, because we are going to get a solution, we are going to get a review in place’.
Well, after 11 or 10 years of government, a full decade, they have still not been able to achieve the results they promised 10 years ago let alone the result they are promising today - and all the promises they have made between the year 2001 when they formed government and the current year 2011.
I have also heard comments about alcohol, and how alcohol is a major problem in our community. To that I agree: alcohol is clearly a major problem in our community. We have a Liquor Act which was equally thick to our whole Criminal Code in an effort to regulate and police the supply and consumption of alcohol in our community. This legislation has been policed to varying degrees of success over the years. The government believes if it introduces new legislation and puts the same lukewarm effort into policing it, it will get a different result. We know what the definition of insanity is, and that is exactly what the government is advocating now; trying the same thing again and seeking a different result.
How many prosecutions are brought before the Liquor Commission - a few, a handful? Yet, I am supposed to believe from this government that it is aware of a raft of situations which would reflect breaches of the current Liquor Act. But it does not police it; its effort and mind is elsewhere. It is quite happy to do the legislation, but policing it is a completely different matter.
I heard the outlining of the alcohol banning orders from the Deputy Chief Minister again - in her role as the Attorney-General, I presume - and again I have not heard from her how the system will work in an ultimate sanction. We will be opposing the legislation, because it does a couple of things: (1) it makes every individual person in the community responsible, from the clubs to the person who tries to buy alcohol - as you currently have to do, I understand in Alice Springs, by producing a drivers’ licence. This is going to fix the problem? No, I tell you it will not, because when I was a policeman working in the bush in Central Australia, there was no alcohol allowed on the communities I worked, and the vast majority of the work I did was directed particularly and exactly at the business of policing grog runners.
Several things will happen when they introduce these alcohol banning orders. Yes, it is conceivable that people who are subject to these orders will be unable to purchase liquor. However, other people will purchase liquor on their behalf and, if the liquor becomes a valuable enough drug, people will run that grog from other jurisdictions. It is how it works. When I was a copper in the bush - goodness, 15 to 20 years ago - when you were dealing with grog runners, a cask of wine which was purchased, if memory serves me, for about $5 or $6 in town retailed out of the back of a grog runner’s car for about $50 in a community. People will pay the premium for their passion.
However, the philosophy the government would have us accept is it will impose upon the whole community restrictions on alcohol. I ask a simple question: if the whole community is responsible for the consumption of liquor then why did the Northern Territory government lay on the table free grog last night at the function? If we all have the problem, if it is all our problem, then surely lemon squash and soda water would have been the order of the day? It was not, because government knows that when you have one of these functions the people who turn up will consume one, maybe two, light beers, possibly a glass of wine or a champagne, they will set their half-empty glasses down on the table, and they will drive home quite lawfully because they have not got close to the 0.5 limit.
The fact is, you cannot advocate whole-of-community responsibility and then start to signal that you believe, if you like, that certain members of the community are exempt. A community is either collectively responsible, or merely individuals within that structure are responsible. Serving alcohol last night at the function - and it will occur again - demonstrated the government does not believe that the whole of the community is responsible. What it will demonstrate is it believes these people will drink responsibly at these functions. And that is true; it is actually correct.
The problem is not necessarily with further regulation of the industry. We have regulated. The Americans tried regulation by changing their Constitution, and the only amendment they ever introduced which had been repealed was the amendments to the Constitution which brought about the age of prohibition in the United States. The effect in the United States was precisely what I described as happens in remote Aboriginal communities: you create a black market.
What you do by creating banning orders is you seek to ban individual drinkers. Okay, I get that. However, through the process every person in the community is affected because of the structure you have to create. Then, you go through a process of if you get picked up for being drunk three times in three months, I think is the standard, the benchmark - remarkably similar to the policy we brought to the last election - you will then become subject to a banning order and you will be forced to go to rehabilitation. It would not be a custodial form of rehabilitation. No, it will be a form of rehabilitation that you will be expected to attend in some sort of community group through an NGO, possibly a Health delivered service. However, if you do not go to that course, your banning order is extended. If you get picked up for being drunk again, your banning order will be extended. So what happens when you breach your banning order under the government’s plan? The answer is your banning order is extended but, if you breach it again, your banning order will be extended. If you breach it again - where does this stop? It does not. The fact is the worst the government will do is to simply continue to ban drinkers, who will then seek other means to get hold of alcohol because they remain at liberty.
The Country Liberals’ policy, on the other hand, will identify drinkers through a similar mechanism: you get picked up three times in six months. I accept what the Attorney-General said; that these frequent flyers will be through the cells three times in two weeks. However, once you get these frequent fliers they will become subject of a banning order similar to what the government is proposing. The fundamental difference is that, under our system, if you breach a banning order you will become subject to a judicial review; that is, you will get charged with the offence of breaching a banning order.
Under the government’s system, there is no effective judicial review, there is no administrative appeals tribunal, so you are committed under the government’s system to whatever the government tells you to do. We will still incorporate the court system but, upon conviction for breaching a banning order, you are then incarcerated for a period of three months where you will go to an institution of rehabilitation. You will be out of the parks and gardens of our community, and out of our bedrooms and living rooms where you are breaking in to steal for your habit, and threatening people in the community with weapons so you can extract money to support your habit. You will be out of circulation. The fundamental difference between the government and our side of the House is we are prepared to bite the bullet and make the judicial system part of a health outcome which is compulsory - compulsory to the point where your liberty will be taken away and you will be placed in an institution where you will face rehabilitation.
I pick up on some of the comments made by members in this House, particularly the member for Nelson, in relation to welfare. It has been an astonishment to me over the years that I have lived and worked in the Northern Territory, that one tier of government – namely, the federal government - pours millions of dollars every month, every week, into the Northern Territory to fuel a problem the Northern Territory government spends millions of dollars responding to with police effort. There clearly needs to be an arrangement in place where the welfare expenditure of the federal government does not have a deleterious effect on the people who live in Darwin, Alice Springs, and the rest of the Northern Territory.
Passive welfare has clearly failed in all its intents. Changes need to be made to the welfare process. I, for one, believe in a compulsory work for the dole scheme: if you are not at school and you are not on a pension, then you must be working for the dole. I urge the current government - and if I form a part of a future government in the Northern Territory, I will certainly be pursuing the federal government - to change the arrangements in relation to the payment of welfare in the Northern Territory to all people, regardless of race or location.
This is not to be tough and seen to be tough. This is because work provides dignity. The absence of work, particularly in the remote communities of the Northern Territory, has demonstrably resulted in a loss of dignity for the traditional people who occupy those remote communities. Equally so, those people who depend on welfare in our larger communities are stripped of dignity. Welfare recipients in Brooklyn, Brixton, or Redfern are cut from exactly the same cloth. It is a human condition we are discussing, not merely a condition of the Northern Territory.
Madam Speaker, the reason I seek to support this censure motion is that government, whilst long on promises, has been short on delivery. For government, the answer to a solution is to throw money at it: ‘We have spent X number of dollars on this program, we have spent this much money on that program’. And for what? If you look at the amount of crime that has been generated in this community, particularly in the last few months, clearly mere expenditure alone is not a sufficient solution. Yet, the government says it will continue reviewing and continue spending money on all these noble pursuits, throwing good money after bad.
This government, over the last decade, has had its opportunity to make the changes, to engage in its philosophy using the people particularly of Alice Springs as the Petri dish for its social experiment. Finally, the results of that experiment have come home to roost, and it is not how they said it would be. The fundamental presumptions about human nature, the goodness of people, all those things it ascribes to when talking about the evolution of government in the Northern Territory to a kinder and softer government, has led to a harsher and more dangerous environment.
The road to hell is paved with the corpses of many good intentions. This government is not any different. Whilst it continues to preach that it is tough on crime, the actual policies - the alcohol court, the SMART court, those sorts of things - are intended to keep people away from punishment, not in environments where they would seek punishment. The fundamental flaw of the Youth Justices Act, which we now know is under review, is it is a vehicle by which responsible people can avoid responsibility.
That is the fundamental difference between the two sides of the House. On this side of the House, we believe if you break into a person’s house you are personally responsible, regardless of your circumstances. On this side of the House, we believe that if you set fire to someone’s car, or throw a rock, you are responsible, regardless of your circumstances. If poverty was really the catalyst for crime, then all people who are poor would be criminals. It is just not true. The assumptions this government brings into this House, again and again, see repeated failure, again and again.
It is time this House passed a failed report card on this government which meant it is censured by this House and, in reflection, by the community of the Northern Territory. It is all well and good to make noble calls, but it is also a time when you have to stand up and be responsible. I urge the member for Nelson in particular, with his noble calls, to bring responsibility to the Northern Territory government. But no, he has already indicated he supports government.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Speaker, I will continue from where the member for Port Darwin left off. I, with him and others from our side of the House, support the censuring of the Chief Minister and his government for all the reasons outlined in this motion.
I was, with other people in this Chamber, highly embarrassed to be out front this morning to see that gathering of people call for the Chief Minister to address them, and the Chief Minister in hiding, as such, in here failing to do that. That is reprehensible. Whilst the Chief Minister can ramble on about how he is prepared to sit down with a small group of the Action for Alice people, the fact is there are many other people from Alice Springs not involved in that group who also want answers. The Chief Minister showed himself to be a complete coward by …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, I ask you to withdraw that comment, thank you.
Mr TOLLNER: Okay.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: I withdraw. I suppose if the boot fits - anyhow.
Madam SPEAKER: Just withdraw, thank you.
Mr TOLLNER: I did withdraw, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: No comments, please. Thank you.
Mr TOLLNER: I did withdraw.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much.
Mr TOLLNER: I was saying if the shoe fits you should be able to wear it.
The Chief Minister showed himself to be devoid of moral courage in refusing to front that group this morning, and it was a shameful moment for this government. For that reason the government should be censured, the Chief Minister in particular.
I was also horrified to hear the Chief Minister’s response to this motion that, somehow, the member for Araluen was fuelling crime in Alice Springs by supporting the Action for Alice group. I cannot imagine how that is possible, and I cannot imagine why the Chief Minister would say what the Action for Alice group is doing is somehow bad for Alice Springs. I do not know how calling attention to the plight of people in the town can be bad.
The Chief Minister talked about the damage to tourism and businesses. The fact is I was a shadow minister for Business and Tourism at one stage in this parliament, and travelled up and down the track and spoke to businesses right across the Territory, not just in Alice Springs. Singularly, when you are ask ‘What is your chief concern?’, everyone says crime. Whether you are in Katherine, Tennant Creek, Gove, Darwin or, of course, Alice Springs, the biggest issue anyone sees they are facing in business, particularly the tourism industry, is crime. How can you have tourists having their pockets picked, their cars stolen and trashed, and expect the tourism industry to just lie down and take it? That absolutely defies logic. These guys have made the hard decision.
We have a gaping, pustular, cancerous wound in the Northern Territory stinking up the whole place, and the Chief Minister, somehow or other, expects we are going to ignore it. The fact is, it needs cauterising because, if you do not cauterise those sorts of wounds, you will eventually die. That is what the Action for Alice group is doing: acknowledging the problems they have here. They are not isolated problems either; these problems affect business right across the Territory - and not just businesses, but all sorts of organisations.
Someone has to call attention to it, and good on the people of Alice Springs for getting in there and doing exactly that. They have not just done it in the Northern Territory, but they have done it on a national basis. So, now, we have a whole national spotlight focused on Alice Springs. I dare to say the nation is looking very closely at what is going on in these sittings. Hopefully, they will take notice of the gutless reaction of the Chief Minister in failing to get out there and defend himself this morning. Ultimately, we need action. The people of the Territory are demanding action and, without that action, things will just fester and continue to get worse, and that gaping, pustular sore will continue to stink up the Territory - it is a horrible thing to see.
The Chief Minister banged on this morning about alcohol, and the tough approach to alcohol. I have a different view about the way we treat alcohol to many people in the community. Last week, there was a story in The Australian newspaper about an animal bar in Alice Springs that people were demanding should have been closed down. My view is the appropriate place to drink is in pubs, in hotels, and we should be encouraging people to drink in pubs and in hotels - those licensed premises. People should not be encouraged to go to Coles or Woolworths or the nearest corner store, and get drunk in the mall, on river banks, or in our parks. To me, that just defies logic. To constantly belt publicans around the ears for the way they manage their premises is completely wrong.
The fact is, when you have a group of people in a licensed establishment, you can actually control them. You know where they are, you know how drunk they are getting, and you can deal with them. It is far easier than having big mobs of police trying to police every park, every bit of river bank, every corner of school grounds and the like, trying to track down drunks. To me, that is a very difficult way of policing alcohol.
Getting around the Territory and into a few pubs and actually looking at the way publicans manage their establishments, I have to say the vast majority of them - the extremely vast majority of them - are incredibly responsible. I know most bottle’os and the like in Alice Springs will not let people walk in and purchase alcohol on foot; you have to be in a vehicle to purchase alcohol. I have seen bottle’os in Darwin where they flat out refuse to serve people and, yet, the drunk will go across the road or down the street into the nearest Woolworths or corner store, and purchase their liquor from there. I believe the focus needs to be placed on some of these places because, quite frankly, the crime we have emanating out of hotels pales into insignificance when compared with the alcohol-related crime that seems to emanate from Coles and Woolworths and the other establishments that sell takeaway alcohol. Restaurants are very responsible in the way they serve alcohol and the way they deal with people who have too much to drink. In that regard, we are going into completely the wrong direction when we start trying to close down animal bars.
It has been said by other colleagues that maybe we should be looking at some licensed premises in the bush - out there in communities, where people can be encouraged to drink responsibly. I get a bit disheartened at times when I see the number of drunks on the streets around my electorate office, in the parks, and beside the road in my electorate. I think particularly about Aboriginal people in that regard. They cannot drink on Aboriginal land, they cannot drink at most pubs as they are not allowed access, and they cannot drink in Housing Commission units. It is good to see the minister here; I know he has worked very hard cleaning up the Housing Commission units. Hats off to him.
However, where, in all reality, can an Aboriginal person drink legally? The fact is most of them are bound; if they are alcoholics, they have to go to some sort of takeaway place, be it a bottle shop or a corner store, to purchase alcohol. The only place they can drink that is in a park. They cannot go home and drink it responsibly at home. They cannot go, in many cases, into a licensed premises. The only place they can drink is around the streets, and this creates all sorts of problems for us as a community.
With the intervention of 2007, I was on the record at the time of saying that I did not think the alcohol provisions of the intervention were the right thing. I wholly supported John Howard and Mal Brough with the Northern Territory intervention, but I did have concerns at the time about the alcohol components of it. My view is people need to be taught to live with alcohol. As so many people here scream out, prohibition does not work. You create a black market, a whole bunch of criminals and the like and, before you know it, you are running around chasing up people who should be, in all reality, in licensed premises.
I remember when I first came to Darwin, almost 25 years ago now, there were a number of what we termed ‘animal bars’ around town. The beauty of those places was they might have looked rough, they might have given the impression we were, somehow or other, running some sort of an apartheid system up here, but the reality was you had a whole bunch of people in an establishment paying full tote odds for alcohol - they were not going into bottle shops and the like buying things at massively discounted rates - and police knew exactly where they were. They knew where they had to be at 10 o’clock at night when the place closed down. You look at it now: 10 pm and it seems the whole of Darwin can be a war zone at times. Certainly, that is what the people here in Alice Springs have been experiencing for quite a long time.
We need a serious rethink on alcohol policy. It is always good to hear the Chief Minister and the Treasurer say that the CLP wants to introduce rivers of grog - but what nonsense. What absolute nonsense! We want to see people drinking in a regulated way. We want to see people being responsible with alcohol. That is the simple fact of the matter.
The other thing that concerns me is some comments I have heard from people, not just from the government, but even some people on our side and I think the Mayor of Alice Springs this morning referred to it; that is, the concern about urban drift. I do not have the same concerns. In fact, I am all in favour of urban drift; there should be more of it. The fact is most of these communities are hellholes. I cannot imagine wanting to grow up in a remote community; to raise kids in those places. What hope do people have? There are no jobs, no one works, and there is a lack of education and health services.
The reality is the only way many of these people have any hope at all is to get into an urbanised environment. They need access to jobs - to real jobs, not some type of beat-up CDEP welfare-type created job – where they can actually contribute to the community. They need proper education services for their kids. These things are always going to be very difficult to provide in remote areas; similarly health services. The major urban centres across the Territory have these services and I believe Indigenous people have a right to these services. The question which really infuriates citizens of the towns and cities the length and breadth of the Territory is the fact that when these people arrive in town there is nothing for them.
We saw the absolutely disastrous occurrence with the Yuendumu people in the last couple of days. They were put up for two weeks at a hostel just outside Alice Springs; yesterday, they were kicked out of there and had to live at the showgrounds. Clearly, they do not want to go back to their community; they fear all types of punishments and violence if they go back there. What is there for them here? Where do we accommodate them? Public housing numbers have dropped to alarming levels in the Territory. I suppose this is a spin-off of the fact that we do not have adequate public housing facilities. You cannot, in all conscience, put these people into town camps. Town camps, quite frankly, are ghettoes where you would not send your worst enemy. As far as I am concerned, those town camps need to be bulldozed and people need to live a decent life as part of our whole community, rather than shoved into a ghetto when they get into places like Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Darwin.
I believe urban drift should be encouraged. I believe the Labor Party should ditch its Back to Country policy, because people want decent lives; they want to be able to live like normal people. To be sent back to places where there is no employment, no access to decent education services, no access to decent health services, is completely wrong. We are simply perpetuating problems in our community. While we continue to do this, we are not going to grow as a Territory, and we are not going to thrive as a Territory.
Almost 30% of Territorians are Indigenous people; the vast majority of them are living in remote communities with little or no hope at all for the future. We need to get these people into meaningful jobs, and we need to give them good education services and good health services. That cannot be done in remote areas because, quite simply, we cannot access the teachers, the doctors, and the nurses. For goodness sake, we have enough trouble trying to find those people to move into places like Darwin, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Katherine. The difficulty in finding people to live in remote communities is enormous. So, in that regard, I disagree with some of the speakers.
As I said from the outset, I wholeheartedly support this censure motion. The government is all at sea on this issue. It is completely lost, and bereft of ideas. The member for Nelson called for bipartisanship. Well, in many ways, you can only hope that could happen because at least some people can give these guys some idea on what to do. As far as they are concerned, they just want to sweep this problem under the carpet and act as if it does not exist. Let us be honest, you just want to send the trouble-makers, Indigenous people, back to communities where no one will notice them and, hopefully, these problems will occur in the dark where people do not see them happening.
Madam Speaker, the government is out of ideas and needs to hang its head in shame. The Chief Minister, particularly for his gutless actions today, should hang his head in shame. I call on all decent-thinking members of this House to support this censure motion because these things cannot be allowed to continue.
_______________________
Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Year 4/5 Bramley at Gillen Primary School with principal, Mr David Glyde, Mrs Jacqui Bramley, their AIEW, Mr Robert Clair, and support assistants, Abe Kozeluh and Chanara Coombe. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
________________________
Madam SPEAKER: The question is the censure motion as moved by the member for Greatorex be agreed to
The Assembly divided:
- Ayes 11 Noes 12
Mr Bohlin Mrs Aagaard
Mr Chandler Dr Burns
Mr Conlan Mr Gunner
Mr Elferink Mr Hampton
Mr Giles Mr Henderson
Mrs Lambley Mr Knight
Mr Mills Ms Lawrie
Ms Purick Ms McCarthy
Mr Styles Mr McCarthy
Mr Tollner Ms Scrymgour
Mr Westra van Holthe Mr Vatskalis
Ms Walker
Motion negatived.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Centralian Middle School Year 7 with Ms Leigh Birkenhead and Ms Majella Bowden. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Luncheon Adjournment
Luncheon Adjournment
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, as we suspended standing orders to have the censure motion the entire suspension for lunch has expired. We have set hours. I will suspend the House now being aware that there have been a number of members who have had to reorganise meetings, including me. I will recall the parliament at 3.30 pm.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. I have suspended the House.
Assembly suspended.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Member for Macdonnell
Member for Macdonnell
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have given my leave to the member for Macdonnell to make a personal explanation. I remind honourable members this is not a debate, and I seek your agreement that we do not make it into a debate.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Speaker, I place on the public record that I was misrepresented in Question Time at the last sittings by the Chief Minister.
In response to the member for Araluen during Question Time, the Chief Minister stated:
- I call on the members for Araluen and Macdonnell, after this Question Time, to immediately report to police any allegations they have of child prostitution. To make an allegation and not report it to police is putting children at risk and is an offence.
I urge the member for Macdonnell to arrange to meet with police immediately. I am advised that the member for Macdonnell did raise an allegation with police. Police have been trying to arrange a meeting with her to go through these allegations. They have been unable to connect at a point in time to do that. I urge her to see the police as soon as possible and give them the information she have.
I am disappointed that the Chief Minister clearly was not made aware of the facts in regard to my recent letter to the Police Commissioner. Instead, it appears that operational issues were utilised for political purposes in the arena of parliament. Here are the facts, Madam Speaker.
I e-mailed a letter to the Police Commissioner on 9 February, clearly reporting what I observed on Alice Springs streets on 7 and 8 February. In that letter, I invited the commissioner to contact me if any further clarification was required. This letter was forwarded by the commissioner to Commander Murphy in Alice Springs. A meeting was arranged between Commander Murphy and me for 11.30 am on Friday, 11 February. I cancelled this meeting on 11 February after I was notified late that morning that my niece had attempted suicide in Alice Springs and was in ICU. My office sent the commander an e-mail later that day stating further facts which had come to light in relation to illegal sales of alcohol in Alice Springs.
I travelled to Darwin that weekend to attend the parliamentary sittings from 15 to 24 February. On the morning of the 24 February, the commander arranged a meeting through my office for 3 March. Michael White, the Superintendent, also contacted me through my office on the morning of 24 February and, as I did not want to discuss the content of my letter over the phone, my electorate officer arranged for Superintendent White to also attend the meeting with the commander on 3 March.
All of these arrangements were made before 10 am on Thursday, 24 February, a full four hours prior to the start of Question Time. However, these facts apparently were not made clear to the Chief Minister prior to Question Time and, because of that, false statements have now been placed on public record.
I find it hard not to conclude that the result is a breach of the important separation between operational arm and the parliamentary government.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker …
Madam SPEAKER: Is it a point of order, member for Fong Lim?
Mr TOLLNER: No, Madam Speaker. I am wondering if I might be able to ask you a question.
Madam SPEAKER: No. Question Time has finished.
Mr TOLLNER: No, I have a question for you as the Speaker. An operational matter, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: No, member for Fong Lim. Resume your seat, thank you, it is not Question Time. You can see me afterwards if you wish to. Resume your seat. Thank you, member for Fong Lim.
BAIL AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 150)
(Serial 150)
Continued from 23 February 2011.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, the thrust of this legislative amendment brought by the Northern Territory government before this House is, in essence, a political one to deal with a political issue. We have already seen in this House the positioning the government has engaged in to sell it as a political issue.
The Bail Amendment Bill seeks to make a criminal offence out of a person who breaches bail. It is my understanding that in other jurisdictions – in fact, all other jurisdictions - that is currently the law. It is not my belief that we slavishly follow all other jurisdictions by mirroring their legislation. It has not been the practice of this government until it suits them for political purposes. The Bail Amendment Bill, essentially, seeks to make an offence out of bail.
The reason we on this side of the House have such deep reservations about the government’s intent in relation to making bail a criminal offence is that, after 10 years of being in power, it has not considered it necessary, until such time as it wanted to go on the latest round of demonstrating how tough it is on crime. We know it is not tough on crime and we can demonstrate that by simply examining how the practice of bail and its treatment by the Northern Territory government has been followed up until this point.
During a briefing with the minister’s department, I asked for some numbers to be forwarded to me - which I have not yet received - in relation to how many bail agreements are set aside in front of the courts. I remind honourable members that bail agreements are entered into, substantially with police officers, but also entered into with the courts from time to time.
Bail is, essentially, the right to be at liberty rather than in custody. One has to remember when you are bailed for an offence, more often than not, you have not been found guilty of anything. What a person does is enter into an agreement between themselves and either a police officer in charge of a police station or a court in what is, essentially, the nature of a civil agreement or contract: they promise to turn up to court otherwise they will pay an amount of $500.
There are various forms of bail, and there is a scale of bail outlined in the Bail Act. At the lowest level, the lowest form of bail after you have been arrested is simply ‘I promise to turn up to court’. No amount of money is attached to it and there is no promise of amounts of money attached to it. That form of bail is very rarely used. In fact, I am unaware of it ever having been used. What is far more common is the next one up the scale, which is the own recognisance bail.
Own recognisance bail is, basically, an agreement: a person will turn up to court on such and such a date otherwise they will pay an amount of X dollars. You then go up through the different scales where you can get a surety to make the same promise on your behalf. You can place cash bail before a court or a police station. You can have a surety put up cash, which is not uncommon in the United States - you see that quite a bit. You can also subordinate yourself to other bail proposals such as the handing in of a passport. All that as an aside, I return to the most common form of bail which is the own recognisance bail.
The own recognisance bail is, as I described, a promise to pay a certain amount of money when you appear before a court. The problem I have with this is, almost as a matter of course, own recognisance bails are set aside when a person breaches that bail. What normally happens is a person enters into a bail agreement, promises to pay, let us say a sum of $500, and then does not appear. Under the government’s proposal, that person would be committing an offence if they did not appear. However, we cannot take that proposal seriously because all those agreements entered into are set aside by the court with the acquiescence of the prosecution. When I say all, all but one or two I am aware of in 14 years of policing. The prosecutor stands in front of the court when someone is picked up on a warrant which is issued for arrest - it is called a means warrant, or it was a few years ago, I presume it still is - for breach of bail. They go before a court, and then the amount of money on the bail agreement is set aside.
Moreover, to demonstrate the government is not particularly serious about this issue, if you are picked up on breach of bail - I am sure members of the public will be surprised to hear - you will have a right to bail for the offence of breach of bail under this legislation. What happens if you are arrested for breaching bail under the government’s proposal is you will be brought before a court or a police station, and you will get bail despite the fact you now have a proven track record that you do not turn up for your bail. I am under-whelmed by the proposal of this government in relation to this matter, because it is doing what it always does; making it look like government is doing something: ‘We are tough on crime because we are making breach of bail an offence’.
You are not, because what you are engaged in is making breach of bail a media release so you can encourage people in the Northern Territory to believe you are tough on crime. That is simply not the truth. You are not tough on crime when you do not make breach of bail an offence for which the presumption of bail is against you, rather than for you.
The minister is also wrong in other areas in relation to her comments about bail. I was fascinated to hear her say there is no right to bail in our community; that bail was a privilege granted by the state rather than a right. I draw the Attorney-General’s attention to section 8(2) in Division 2 of the act, where it says:
- A person accused of an offence to which this section applies is entitled to be granted bail in accordance with this act ...
That means this parliament, in the past, has demonstrated there is an entitlement to bail as a right, unless certain circumstances exist. The act goes on to describe those circumstances. It is a handful of offences relating to offences like murder, treason, serious drug offences, and certain types of domestic violence offences and assaults in which the presumption for bail is reversed. It is not correct for the Attorney-General to announce, contrary to the intentions of this parliament in the past, that breach of bail is not a right, when it clearly is enshrined in section 8 of the Bail Act. The vast majority of offences which are committed in the Northern Territory do not qualify within the list of exceptions outlined in section 8 and other parts of the Bail Act.
Once again, we are seeing the sloppy approach this Attorney-General has brought to so many legislative instruments, simply in her and this government’s haste to get a message out saying: ‘We are tough on crime. Quick someone find me a message to say that I am tough on crime’. Then, you see a minister, and a government, who approaches duties in a haphazard and slack fashion, asserts things in the second reading speech which are not correct; to be tough on crime by introducing the offence of breach of bail; and then allowing the presumption of bail to work in favour of that legislative instrument. Basically, whilst she may well have gained our support if this had been done properly, this side of the House will not support government by media release, glossy brochure, and knee-jerk reaction in pursuit of its attempt to deceive the people of the Northern Territory about what it is doing.
Government has been reduced to a series of Pavlovian responses. The stimulus in this Pavlovian response is some form of criticism or bad news, and the resulting salivating dog is the introduction of a bill which is ill-considered, misrepresented and, frankly, dishonest. If the government is serious about introducing a breach of bail offence, the Attorney-General is quite able to negotiate with this side of the House to bring something in that reflects the expectations of the people of the Northern Territory - not some facile and shallow attempt to demonstrate activity in the face of criticism.
Madam Speaker, the opposition does not support this bill.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I support the bill, but I have a number of concerns. It is a bill that sounds good, but I am not sure it makes much difference. I could say I support the bill simply because it probably does not do any harm, but I am not sure it is going to do a great deal of good. The reason I say that is because I am no lawyer. I get confused, if someone goes to court and the judge decides instead of going to remand because they have not been found guilty he will put them on bail. Part of the bail is that they must stay at their residence; they cannot leave that residence. Then, a week later, they are back in front of the magistrate and he says: ‘Why are you here?’. He says: ‘I broke my bail’. ‘What did you do?’ ‘I left the home when I was not supposed to’.
The problem I have is why is that person not sent to remand immediately? There might be good reasons for that person breaking bail. It could be there was an emergency, and the judge would certainly have to take that into account. However, it seems that it is like telling someone, ‘You promise to do this?’, and they say ‘Yes’, and they come back and they have not done it. Then, you say: ‘You promise to do this?’ and they go away again, and they come back. It seems to me if you make an agreement with someone, like the magistrate - and that is what bail is about - if you do not keep that promise, then, surely, the consequences are that you will go into remand.
The second reading speech said, in the case of this amendment, ‘the government is sending a clear message to defendants on bail’. Further on it said: ‘You may end up with a conviction on your criminal record and face imprisonment or a fine’. If someone has a fairly serious offence and knows there is probably a fair chance he is going to gaol, they may say: ‘I could not care less because I am in trouble already and, more than likely, I am going to go to prison, so who cares?’ It is also, as the member for Port Darwin said, that you can get bail even though you have been found guilty of breaking bail.
I understand this has tightened the bail conditions to accord with some other states. It brings us into line with - I think it mentions Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania, and so be it. However, I still find it difficult to understand, if you break a promise to a magistrate, why someone is allowed a second chance and a third chance? Hasn’t that been one of the big issues the public has been saying is wrong; that people are continually getting bail; that magistrates are continually letting people off? I have heard - and again, this is only anecdotal - that magistrates have tightened up on those circumstances in Alice Springs. That is one reason why Alice Springs prison has many more people in it than it normally does.
The point is, it seems to me there is a basic philosophy. If I was a kid and my mum said: ‘Go and do something or else’, and I did not do it, the first thing I got when I got home was the ‘or else’, unless I had a pretty good reason. I was not told and got a second chance; I usually got a whack on the backside or a dressing down. I do not know how you put respect back into law and order if decisions are sometimes made in front of a magistrate where those requirements are ignored and your reward for ignoring those is to get another chance and, perhaps, you break it again and your reward is to get another chance. Does that send out the right message?
I know there are complications. I know magistrates have to consider, especially with Aboriginal offenders, deaths in custody. I know there are circumstances where there may be a requirement for the magistrate to give bail a second time, and maybe even a third time, but I would regard that as the exception rather than the rule. Many in our community are concerned offenders do get off - and it is via the courts - when they break bail. That is an area not really being addressed by this legislation. It appears on the surface to sound tough, but for someone who really does not care it may have no effect at all.
Madam Speaker, whilst I support the bill, I do not think it will achieve a solution, to any greater extent, for the problems we have at the present time.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the support of the member for Nelson, and I thank him for his support. I also acknowledge the concerns he has raised which, effectively, go to whether this is going to be enough of a deterrent to get people to change the way they will breach their contract in a willingness to breach bail. We have to send clear messages. This is not just a political tool, or a stunt, or a media release, as the member for Port Darwin said. We are genuine. We are genuine in sending a very clear message to offenders, people who are up on charges, people who have got bail through the pathways of bail that are available in the Territory - and I will talk to some extent about that - that we are introducing it as an offence to breach bail with the maximum penalty of 200 penalty units. In dollar terms, that is not insignificant; that is $26 600 or two years imprisonment. So, if you are going to breach bail you face a conviction on your record. Before you have even had the substantive matter dealt with, you are facing that. That is a significant shift in the way we are approaching the messages we are sending about the importance of bail in our community.
We did this at the request of the police of the Northern Territory. I know the member for Port Darwin is a former police officer, but you would appreciate, member for Port Darwin, that one of the hallmarks of a good government would be to actually listen to the officers at the coalface who are dealing with these matters. They very clearly articulated that they wanted to see, for the first time in the Territory, an offence of breach bail.
These were concerns I, as Attorney-General, took on board and went to my ministerial colleagues and, ultimately, my Caucus colleagues to discuss. I said we have already put a presumption against bail into our most serious offences, as the member for Port Darwin talked about. That was a very clear message in relation to those very serious offences, but we wanted to send a clear message that it is an offence to breach bail - a message we cannot currently send because we do not have that law in the Territory, while the law exists elsewhere in our nation.
Whilst I acknowledge the concerns from the member for Nelson - and I share those concerns - we will continue to work with the judicial officers of the Territory and have those conversations. There is a reason why the government has gone down the path of introducing legislation to make it an offence to breach bail. We want this matter to be taken very seriously. I have had those discussions with the Chief Magistrate, with magistrates, and with police. I will continue, as the Attorney-General, to have those discussions, and send and reiterate those messages.
I believe, in part, you answered some of your concerns when you said there is anecdotal advice coming to you regarding the decisions being made by the court in putting prisoners into remand and getting those offenders out on bail. I believe it is one of the advantages of being a small jurisdiction in that, when the government has an intent and follows that intent with legislation, it can be the cornerstone of very real discussions that occur at the coalface with the practitioners, whether they be the police, the judicial officers, the magistrates - and with regard to this legislation, also the judges of the Supreme Court because they have taken jurisdiction in this matter - that we have that debate and we send very clear messages.
This may be viewed through the prism of a political lens by the opposition, but it is actually a genuine intent by this government to send a very clear message to people out on bail: do not take that bail for granted. Do not breach bail, whether it is by reoffending or breaching a condition of bail.
I will go to, essentially, the point of difference between the opposition and government. That is the point of difference in presumption. The opposition says if you put presumption against bail in, you would have support for this legislation. I will still, as the Attorney-General of the Territory, take advice from very good legal minds in the Territory regarding where you progress your law. The best advice is that to put presumption across all offending parameters that attract bail would be the wrong approach to take. Why? Because sometimes there are very good reasons why people breach bail.
People can breach bail by breaching their curfew condition; for example, they were meant to be in the place at a particular time, and something has occurred, they had to take their kid to the hospital - whatever it is – and they have failed to appear in court. In the Territory, you would appreciate many offenders are not necessarily residing in an urban environment. For those offenders getting to court is, sometimes, something which does not come off smoothly. There are circumstances where people have genuinely made an attempt to appear at the time they are required to, and are in breach of their bail conditions because they did not.
For all those reasons, I took on the best legal advice and have brought in legislation that is common around our nation, but has failed to exist in the Territory. By failing to exist, it is yet another message we were not sending regarding the importance of meeting bail and bail conditions. Looking at the penalty units of 200 penalty units being a monetary value of $26 600, we have set it pretty high as a clear intent of where we stand on this matter. Making it a two-year imprisonment is a pretty tough response in where we stand in relation to people who would commit an offence by breaching their bail undertaking by either failing to appear in court or breaching a condition of their bail such as a good behaviour, reporting to police, or being subject to a curfew.
This offence applies to both adults and juveniles to ensure there is a fairness of reasonable excuse in why we have not gone ahead with the presumption against bail the member for Port Darwin pursued. In wanting to score points on the floor and repeat the attack the member for Port Darwin likes to make on me - I have no issue with that, member for Port Darwin, by all means continue it. What I meant by the comment that bail is a privilege not a right I believe, and will say for clarification, that it is not an absolute entitlement. I should have been more defined in the second reading speech. I will put it on the public record: in the second reading speech I should have said bail is not an absolute entitlement.
The Bail Act provides for presumptions in favour of bail for most offences, particularly for those less serious offences, and provides a presumption against bail for a number of serious offences such as murder and the many drug and sexual offences. We put the presumption against bail into that category of serious offences, bearing in mind this legislation of an offence to breach bail covers those minor offences, which is why we did not go the entire pathway of presumption against that the opposition would have.
It also provides a presumption against bail for certain categories of defendants, such as a person charged with a serious violent offence other than murder alleged to have been committed within five years after the defendant has been found guilty of an earlier serious violent offence. Depending on a defendant’s antecedents and current circumstances they might be granted bail despite presumption against, or not granted bail despite a presumption in favour. In other words, there is nothing absolute about being granted bail or not.
If a defendant is granted bail, responsibilities are attached. The most important of these is to appear in court on the date required in the bail undertaking. Courts will often impose other conditions and it is important defendants comply with these conditions. The purpose of this bill is to make it clear to defendants who are granted bail that they must comply with their bail undertaking and conditions. If not, as a result of this legislation, there will be consequences. If defendants do not take the responsibilities attached to the grant of bail seriously they stand to lose out on continuing bail. They risk incurring a criminal conviction. Again, I remind members by creating the offence of breach of bail it brings that maximum penalty of 200 penalty units, in dollar terms $26 600, or two years imprisonment.
Some figures were sought by the member for Port Darwin in a briefing, and I have had the Department of Justice working through the system to provide figures. They have told me in 2010 some 7472 people were granted bail at some time during the prosecution process. A total of 77% - some 5780 - of the initial grants of bail in 2010 were made by police. The remaining 33%, 1692, represents the number of people who either did not apply for, or were refused police bail in the first instance and were subsequently granted bail by the court. Of the 7472 people granted bail, there were 574 instances of either the defendant’s recognisance being forfeited or the recognisance put up by the defendant’s surety being forfeited. That is the extent of the information that the Department of Justice has been able to extract,
Clearly - and we listened to the police and our community - we believe people who were taking too flippant an attitude towards bail are being sent a very clear message with the introduction of an offence to breach bail with the legislation we have before the House today.
The task will be, if this legislation passes - and with the support of the member for Nelson I am presuming this will pass - getting the information out to people to ensure they are aware there will be a penalty for breaching bail; it will be an offence. We will be providing notices and posters to the courts and the police stations for display; information will be made available on our Safe Territory website through the Department of Justice website; information will be downloadable; and we will get the information out to all the key legal stakeholders.
We will be sending the clear message through all the mediums and ways we can, not as a political tool or stunt but because, genuinely, this government does have an intent to bring home a very clear message to people who are on bail: do not abuse the opportunity of bail, meet your bail conditions, turn up to court when you are required to, meet all the reasonable bail conditions imposed by the courts, and the conditions agreed to through the police bail process. It is a clear message that has worked elsewhere in Australia. It is a message, I believe, with good intent, after strong dialogue in a small jurisdiction involving all of those legal organisations so they can talk to their clients, involving the magistrates, the judges, and the judicial processes including, of course, the police and the role they play.
We are sending a clear message. I do not believe it is a message which will be ignored. If it is, we are always open to evolving where we go. I believe where we have landed on this one is extremely fair and reasonable because, as I said, the nature of offenders in the Territory means there are often challenges - real and genuine challenges - in meeting their bail conditions. That is why we have landed in a very reasonable space that has served our nation well elsewhere in an offence to breach bail.
Madam Speaker, I commend the legislation to members.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Madam CHAIR: Honourable members, the committee has before it the Bail Amendment Bill 2011 (Serial 150) in the name of Ms Lawrie.
Bill taken as a whole, by leave:
Mr ELFERINK: My first question to the Attorney-General is in relation to how this act works in tandem with the Youth Justice Act. Just to make sure I have not missed anything, I presume there are no amendments arising out of this which relate to the Youth Justice Act?
Ms LAWRIE: No.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. That being the case, I presume there are no amendments to the regulations of the Youth Justice Act?
Ms LAWRIE: I am advised no.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. The reason I raise the issue is that without an amendment for the Youth Justice Act - and I do not have a copy of the act in front of me - the Youth Justice Act is quite clear about how matters are dealt with and which matters are referred to the process of diversion, etcetera - the four options of warning, diversion, etcetera. Without an amendment of the Youth Justice Act, how will you proceed with offences committed against the Bail Act, now that you have made bail an offence?
Ms LAWRIE: I will get advice from officers and I will get back to that. Do you want to go on with other questions?
Mr ELFERINK: I am surprised the minister does not know how the Youth Justice Act – well, the Youth Justice Act was the minister’s own act, introduced into this House in 2005 and lauded for all its successes. It is a straightforward question. I am surprised that she struggled with a straightforward answer to it …
Ms LAWRIE: I will point out that the Youth Justice Act does not sit under my portfolio.
Mr ELFERINK: Whatever. I will wait for the advice to come back because the minister does not know. In relation to this, did you approach the police, or did the police approach you about this change to the legislation?
Ms LAWRIE: The police raised it with me.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. So I presume it was the new commissioner who brought it forward?
Ms LAWRIE: No, your presumption is wrong. It arose at a briefing I had with police in Alice Springs. Police Command in Alice Springs raised it. They felt it would be useful to the situation they saw of the number of people going up on repeat bail applications to create an offence to breach bail. I provided an undertaking to them that I would look into the matter and get back to them. I looked into it. I saw the legislation exists elsewhere. I discussed it with my Department of Justice officers regarding its workability. I had discussions with a senior magistrate, because the Chief Magistrate was currently on leave at the time, regarding the workability. Would it assist magistrates in the functioning of the courts in achieving, hopefully, a reduction in recidivism regarding breaching a bail? The view was, yes, it would be a matter that would assist them. Based on that, I pursued the drafting of the legislation and took it through the normal Cabinet and Caucus processes.
Mr ELFERINK: When did the Alice Springs police raise the issue with you?
Ms LAWRIE: In January.
Mr ELFERINK: This year?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. So it was under Commissioner McRoberts as the Police Commissioner. Did you speak to the Police Commissioner about this?
Ms LAWRIE: I certainly have spoken to the Police Commissioner about this.
Mr ELFERINK: When did you speak to the Police Commissioner about this?
Ms LAWRIE: I do not have recall on the exact date and time, but the police have been in the loop in the drafting and provision of the legislation.
Mr ELFERINK: Perhaps I misunderstood your answer earlier. This matter was raised by the Alice Springs police; you then sought advice from the Department of Justice. At what stage did you raise the issue with the Commissioner of Police?
Ms LAWRIE: Prior to making a decision on whether to introduce the legislation.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. So the Commissioner of Police was also aware of it. Did he support it?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. Thank you. So, why did we not just hear from you earlier, saying that you had the support of the Commissioner of Police prior to you proceeding with the bill? It is not that hard to answer these questions.
Ms LAWRIE: Because you said, ‘I presume this was instigated by the Commissioner of Police’. I had to correct that, because I have actually stated the facts.
Mr ELFERINK: All right, fine. How are we going with the Youth Justice Act question?
Ms LAWRIE: An officer has not returned with the information, if you can continue with your questions.
Mr ELFERINK: All right. It is a bit hard to continue with questions when you do not know the answers. However, I will …
Ms LAWRIE: I have provided answers to every other question so far.
Mr ELFERINK: You made a reference in the second reading speech that bail is a privilege and not a right. Is that a correct assertion?
Ms LAWRIE: As I said in my closing remarks, theoretically, strictly speaking, it is not absolutely 100% correct. I have said the comment absolutely goes to the intent that bail is not an absolute entitlement.
Mr ELFERINK: So, you accept the advice you gave this House in your second reading speech - singularly the most important form of legislative speech that occurs in this House - was actually wrong?
Ms LAWRIE: Theoretically, it is not correct. As I said in my wrapping up, I made it very clear that my intent is right. It should not be seen as a right; it should be seen as a privilege, absolutely. We are sending a clear message with the passage of legislation which really ought to be supported by the opposition. I am not surprised you are not supporting it, by the way. It is sending a clear message: this is not an absolute entitlement; it should never be seen as an absolute entitlement.
Mr ELFERINK: I never suggested for one second that the entitlement was absolute. You have just said you considered the fact it is a right and not a privilege to be something that you disagree with. Do I then take it from you that you anticipate bringing an amendment into this House declaring bail to be merely a privilege?
Ms LAWRIE: No.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. So you have an opinion which is contrary to the will of this parliament. Are you prepared to assert that, during your second reading speech, your opinion was contrary to the wishes of this parliament?
Ms LAWRIE: No.
Mr ELFERINK: However, you then said it is a theoretical error. What is the difference between a theoretical error and a real error, minister?
Ms LAWRIE: Do you have any real questions to do with the legislation?
Mr ELFERINK: I have real questions to do with the legislation. I also have questions to challenge and to test the quality of thinking that has gone into this process. Clearly, the quality of thinking that has gone into this process is being found wanting. You have already admitted errors in your second reading speech.
Ms LAWRIE: One.
Mr ELFERINK: One is one too many, Attorney-General, I tell you. You have admitted in this Chamber that you have made incorrect statements in, singularly, the most important speech you could possibly make as the Attorney-General in this House. As far as I am concerned, and the members on this side of the House are concerned, that pulls you up short in your responsibility. This is why we make the assertion in this House that this matter is being done on the run. We are always hearing from the Attorney-General how carefully we must proceed with these legislative changes. Yet, we hear the inspiration for this legislative change was created in January. Why the haste, minister?
Ms LAWRIE: A many-faceted, lengthy question but I will go to the essence of it. As I said, this request was made by police at a meeting I had with Police Command in Alice Springs in January. I took the request on board seriously; I made a commitment at that meeting to consider the request. I tested the request with legal officers in my Department of Justice including, of course, the CEO of the Department of Justice - as I ought to.
I also then consulted with other people whose views generally are those which I ought to take on board as the Attorney-General, including a senior magistrate because the Chief Magistrate was on leave.
All the advice I received is that this would be a good offence to introduce; the breach of bail would be a useful tool and would send a clear message, and the provision in the law which is the norm throughout our nation would be an appropriate law here. I also consulted with the Police Commissioner in that process. The police have been consulted through the drafting of the legislation. Other agencies have been consulted in the circulation of the Cabinet submission which has led to this legislation.
I believe it is a good thing for government to do. When you get a genuine request from people at the coalface, such as police operating in these matters all the time, you take it on board; you follow up your commitment to consider it; you take those considerations to people who would have a very clear, expert view on whether that was the right step to take; you take on board their advice which I did; and then you proceed through the due and normal processes of government.
I make no apologies for being able to introduce legislation in the last sittings and seek passage in these sittings. That is government responding to the commitment it made publicly in Alice Springs after having heard concerns raised by police and following my consultations and taking on board expert advice. We made a public commitment on, I believe it was 27 January, to introduce the breach of bail. That is a good thing, not a bad thing.
Mr ELFERINK: So you would expect that this legislation is vigorously policed and enforced?
Ms LAWRIE: I would expect the legislation is.
Mr ELFERINK: According to the figures I heard you give - and I am surprised it was as high as one in 14 own recognisance arrangements are enforced. Why has this legislation not been reinforced rigorously in the past?
Ms LAWRIE: This legislation has not been passed.
Mr ELFERINK: This is the Bail Act; we are talking about own recognisance arrangements. You just read the numbers into the Parliamentary Record. Could you please advise why the own recognisance arrangements have been so poorly policed by you in the past? Their job is to ensure the Bail Act works, is it not?
Ms LAWRIE: I am advised what happens in those instances is police proceed with making applications and the courts have refused them.
Mr ELFERINK: You are telling me it is a normal course of police prosecutions to seek enforcement of the own recognisance agreements and the courts have refused to enforce those own recognisance arrangements? Do I understand that correctly?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, I am advised it does happen. My advice is it does not happen all the time; however, I am advised it does happen.
Mr ELFERINK: How often does it happen?
Ms LAWRIE: I do not have the figures.
Mr ELFERINK: One in 14 was the number you said in this Chamber. Can you come back to advising me of the policy in relation to police prosecutors, as well DPP prosecutors, enforcing these own recognisance arrangements, and why has the enforcement level being so awfully low?
Ms LAWRIE: I am advised from the figures provided we can tell how often forfeiture has occurred, but we do not have the figures on how many times applications have occurred.
Mr ELFERINK: You have read in the forfeitures - the numbers I heard were about one in 14 – 507 000 was the number I heard? Could you please explain to members of this House, and the Northern Territory public, why the performance and seeking the enforcement of these own recognisance arrangements has been so low?
Ms LAWRIE: I provided figures to the House that said 574 instances of recognisance or surety being forfeited, not 507 000.
Mr ELFERINK: No, I am asking the question. Goodness gracious, you really struggle with this stuff. You have told this House that some 7000 bail agreements had been entered into, of which 574 of these own recognisance arrangements had not been set aside. Can you explain to this House why the enforcement of the current legislation has been so low and so poorly addressed?
Ms LAWRIE: It goes back to my previous answer. I know you do not like my answers, but they are the facts. I advise again, we do not have the data on the applications.
Mr ELFERINK: I can tell you from personal experience, as well as complaints by police, the enforcement rate is very low. Can you tell me how many own recognisance bail arrangements have been enforced by the courts and how many have been set aside?
Ms LAWRIE: I am advised the question does not make sense. It is how many recognisances or sureties have been forfeited, and that is the data we have provided.
Mr ELFERINK: The bottom line is it barely ever happens. The fact is it has been very poorly pursued in the past. The issue I raise, and the question I keep asking, is why has it been so poorly pursued in the past? Why are recognisance bails set aside all the time?
Ms LAWRIE: I will repeat: I do not have the application data here with me. I can say considerations are taken with issues of hardship and the like. So, you can swim around in circles for as long as you want, member for Port Darwin, or you can proceed with other questions.
Mr ELFERINK: I am asking some very straightforward questions. The swimming around in circles is the almost incomprehensible answers we are receiving in relation to it. The reason I raise this issue is that, when own recognisance bail arrangements are entered into, they are rarely enforced or sought to be enforced in the courts. They are set aside after the means warrants are executed. The reason I continue to raise this issue is simple: if all of these arrangements are so conveniently set aside on such a regular basis, what comfort do I and members on this side of the House have that the prosecution of criminal bail forfeiture is going to be any more tightly policed than the Bail Act has been up until now?
Ms LAWRIE: I doubt that anything I have to say in response to that question will satisfy you, member for Port Darwin. What I will say is the work that has occurred regarding the debate and the discussion around whether to introduce an offence of breach of bail has had a significant focus from both the courts’ officers involved in Justice, the DPP, the prosecutors - and very vigorous discussions between senior police heading up police prosecutions. There has been a very real, improved dialogue between all of the officers in this matter of police procedures in issuing bail, the courts’ own process in issuing bail, and the pursuit of the very real issue we have in recidivous behaviour in breaches of bail.
I am far more comforted now, as a result of the pathway we have gone down to introduce this legislation, and the dialogue that genuinely has opened up between the parties who are at the coalface and are doing this work - being police, prosecutors and, of course, the magistrates and judges. It has been a very useful debate to have with people who are working at that coalface, focusing on the issue of the recidivous breaches of bail.
Mr ELFERINK: So if the issue you have in relation to this matter is recidivism, why do you not reverse the presumption of bail for breaches of bail?
Ms LAWRIE: For all the reasons I explained in my summing up.
Mr ELFERINK: Jog my memory.
Ms LAWRIE: As I said, we already have presumption against bail for those very serious offences, and that is appropriate - absolutely appropriate. We do not believe it is appropriate to put presumption against bail for minor offences. We did so on good, considered legal advice, recognising the nature of the Territory, recognising that, with people often on bail, they are often residing in remote locations and could, despite best intent to appear at their court date - I used the example when I introduced legislation last sitting of road access issues and the like. A presumption against bail would not be reasonable in the jurisdiction of the Territory, we believe, in the minor offences that this captures.
Mr ELFERINK: The problem you now have, of course, is that if you were to reverse the onus of bail, you would then be capturing minor offences - like street offences, for argument’s sake - for which bail is issued. So, you have the problem of not being able to create a presumption against bail because of the effect of minor offences. Is that correct?
Ms LAWRIE: I have answered the question already.
Mr ELFERINK: Yes. The problem is I am trying to test the quality of your knowledge. You have told me what everyone else has said, but not what you actually think. When it comes to being a minister of the Crown, what you think should be the primary driver. However, we know what you think is errant, simply because you have already had to admit to one mistake in this debate. This, then, drags me back to the Youth Justice Act. How are we going? Do we have an answer on that?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, I am advised under section 39 of the Youth Justice Act, diversions will continue to apply. Under this provision, a diversion is not granted for serious offences where the youth has previously participated in a diversion or it would be unsuitable to grant a diversion.
The offence of a breach of bail will not be prescribed in the regulations because, although it is serious, it is not sufficiently serious an offence so as to always be removed from the diversionary process. Bail can be breached in many ways. It would not be appropriate to remove from the diversionary scheme.
Mr ELFERINK: So, in accordance with section 39(2) of the Youth Justice Act, if this clear message of firmness on breaching of bail - this new offence you are trying to describe - under section 39(2)(a) of the Youth Justice Act, the full penalty which would extend to a juvenile who breaches bail would be to, ‘give the youth a verbal warning’. Is that correct?
Ms LAWRIE: No, because there is discretion as to whether a juvenile gets a diversion, so your assertion is not correct.
Mr ELFERINK: Well, then I struggle with this. I read that whole section 39(2) out to you:
- The officer must, instead of charging the youth with the offence, do one or more of the following as the officer considers appropriate:
The first one is to give a verbal warning. Can you describe to me how ‘officer must’ translates into a discretionary power?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, I am advised it will depend on the youth antecedents as to whether they are granted a diversion or not.
Mr ELFERINK: I will go back to the question. On the first time that a juvenile offends, then the worst they can expect is a verbal warning. Is that correct?
Ms LAWRIE: No, because you are failing to go back to the actual section 39(2)(a) which reads, ‘one or more’.
Mr ELFERINK: Section 39(2)(a)?
Ms LAWRIE: The provision you quoted.
Mr ELFERINK: Which was:
- The officer must, instead of charging the youth with the offence, do one or more of the following as the officer considers appropriate:
Oh, so, we then get to section 39(2)(b), which is, ‘give the youth a written warning’. Is that correct?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, I have answered the question regarding the way it works. You can continue down a dead end all you like, member for Port Darwin.
Mr ELFERINK: It is not a dead end because, under your own Youth Justice Act, if a kid on a first instance, or even on a second instance, breaches bail, one of four things only can occur: give the youth a verbal warning; give the youth a written warning; cause a youth justice conference involving the youth to be concerned; and refer the youth to a diversion program. For a first offender, what do you anticipate the effect on the youth will be?
Ms LAWRIE: You are talking about a juvenile who has yet to be convicted of anything. They are charged with their first charge. Within the Youth Justice Act, clearly there is a series of one or more actions officers can take.
Mr ELFERINK: Yes, one of the four I just described. Do I understand when you say that this applies to youth, and then you combine that with the operation of the Youth Justice Act, if this youth is a first or second offender, the youth will not be charged with breaching bail?
Ms LAWRIE: As I have pointed out in everything I have said, this is clearly about tackling the recidivist behaviour of people who are paying scant regard to the provision of bail. You are going out on a limb and finding a first offender juvenile - first offender juvenile - someone who has not actually been convicted, and looking at the provisions within the Youth Justice Act whereby the youth can be given a verbal warning, can be given a written warning, can cause a youth justice conference involving the youth to be convened or, indeed - and you are very selective in what you are quoting, as you always are - refer the youth to a diversion program.
Mr ELFERINK: Yes, I was not actually quoting all four, so it would be helpful if you actually listened to the questions. Getting back to the issue, when you say this is about ensuring we are tough on crime and telling juveniles, as well as adults, this bill will operate to ensure they answer their bail conditions, in fact, if a juvenile of a first or second offence - a recidivist offender in the case of a second offence - still commits the offence, the best they could possibly hope for is to receive a youth diversion program. How is this, minister, in your estimation, tough on bail offenders?
Ms LAWRIE: I will go to section 39(3), where it says the verbal warning, the written warning, the youth justice conference, and the referral to a youth diversion program does not apply if the youth has left the Territory or the youth’s whereabouts is unknown; the alleged offence is a serious offence; the youth has, on two previous occasions, been dealt with by the youth justice conference or a diversion program, or on one of the occasions by the youth justice conference and, on the other, by a diversion program; or the youth has some other history that makes diversion an unsuitable option, including a history of previous diversion or previous convictions.
Mr ELFERINK: Right, so, as a first offender - I will go back there again so we are following the same bouncing ball - or a second offender only the operation of section 39(2), which is verbal warning through to diversion, applies. Is that correct?
Ms LAWRIE: What I am being advised is, if a juvenile is charged with an offence they have, obviously, not done a diversion program of the subsections you are referring to. They are appearing in court; they have been charged with the offence.
Mr ELFERINK: Okay. They are charged with an offence and not yet found guilty, but have not answered their bail. That still does not change the circumstances of the juvenile and the offence in relation to the Youth Justice Act. I hope you and the staff behind you can see where this is going.
Madam CHAIR: Are there any further questions?
Mr ELFERINK: All right. Having to spell it out for the minister, the point is this actually creates a small anomaly in the operation of the legislation. The anomaly is that a juvenile who is charged with an offence, but not yet found guilty of the offence, commits the new offence - the second offence that you are in the process of creating - and is arrested on a means warrant for failing to turn up on their bail, thus committing the offence. That youth can still be subject to the operation of the Youth Justice Act despite the fact they have been charged with an offence under another act.
Ms LAWRIE: I will point out the advice is that they are on bail, they have not been summonsed, and they are not on a diversion program. They are on bail.
Mr ELFERINK: The anomaly still exists. They have not been convicted of this other offence for which …
Ms Lawrie: No, it does not.
Mr ELFERINK: … they have been charged and the anomaly will continue to exist.
Ms LAWRIE: No, you are wrong.
Mr ELFERINK: So far, all I have heard you do is admit about how wrong you have been in this House. I do not believe I am wrong. I am concerned that little consideration has been given by you in relation to this particular issue. This is the reason I go back to making the statements that I made during the second reading of the speech; that this is ill-considered legislation which has been rushed through for the sake of appearances. I have no further questions.
Ms LAWRIE: You are wrong.
Bill agreed to without amendment.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
CRIMINAL LAW AMENDMENT
(SENTENCING APPEALS) BILL
(Serial 151)
(SENTENCING APPEALS) BILL
(Serial 151)
Continued from 23 February 2011.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): I thank honourable members for their indulgence.
Madam Speaker, I can say at the outset that members of this side of the House will be supporting the legislation brought forward by the Attorney-General. I will make some comments which will seek not only support for this, but support for some other concepts which relate to this matter.
The amendment before the House deals with the issue of double jeopardy which relates to matters in sentencing - a matter which has been somewhat contentious in this country for the last 15 or so years on a range of issues, which includes the matter of Kable - I have forgotten the rest of his name – who went to the High Court. Whilst it does not quite touch on the matters before the parliament now, it does raise the issue of double jeopardy as a concept.
For members not aware of the concept of double jeopardy, it was originally invoked in history as a vehicle by which the state was restrained from unusual prosecution and sentencing practices which would see people who were objectors to the conduct of the state being not prosecuted once but on several occasions by the state in an effort to either bankrupt that person or in some way capture them. The principle has long history in the common law that once the Crown has, through its various organs, prosecuted a person - and in this instance sentenced a person - that person cannot be sent to trial again for the offences which they had already been tried, or for that matter sentenced on a second occasion for a matter they have already been sentenced upon. That issue was raised in Kable’s case in the late 1990s, if memory serves me.
The essence of that case helps to draw the distinction of the issue before the parliament at the moment. The parliament of New South Wales sought, through a regulatory instrument, a statute, in the process naming the person who was the target of that statutory change - if memory serves me it was a Michael Kable, but I could be corrected on that – a particularly unpleasant fellow who was being held in the custody of Correctional Services of New South Wales. The parliament of New South Wales sought to introduce a legislative instrument which would have the effect of extending his period of custody beyond the sentence he had already received. That matter was adjudicated upon finally in the High Court of this country. It was determined that because of the nature and structure of that particular legislative instrument he was unable to be kept longer in gaol than the original sentence provided for.
However, the process of double jeopardy has also prevented outcomes which the Attorney-General considers clearly to be unjust, as do we on this side of the House. What has motivated the Attorney-General is clearly the case - in fact she refers to it directly - of the victim of a crime in Darwin, Adam Sargent. For those people in the gallery and those members not aware of this crime, Mr Sargent came home with his wife, his infant child in his arms, to be confronted by two young rascals - to put a kind word on it - who had or were in the process of breaking into Mr Sargent’s house. These two wicked young gentlemen - or one of them at least - was armed with a knife and proceeded, whilst Mr Sargent was holding his infant child, to stab Mr Sargent repeatedly. Mr Sargent turned his back upon his assailant, using his own body as a shield to protect his infant child. As a consequence of the assault, he finally collapsed. If memory serves me, he was stabbed about his abdomen and thorax a number of times - I think 10 stab wounds were reported; I stand correct on the exact nature.
The young gentlemen involved were, thankfully, quickly brought to justice and, because of their age, they were treated as juveniles. As a consequence, the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory handed down a sentence of four-and-a-half years with 12 months to serve. If you allow for time in custody, I would have suspected the sentence would have been completed fairly quickly. Whilst we consider that the assault was very serious, and whilst we - or at least the lawyers amongst us - recognise the four-and-a-half years of sentence being fairly stiff, the community, nevertheless, does not see the sentence in those terms. The community sees the sentence as being 12 months to serve for what some people believe should have been dealt within an offence of attempted murder.
I am certain the police, and the DPP who prosecuted the matter, carefully considered the matter and chose the appropriate charges. Nevertheless, the charges for which Mr Sargent’s assailants were charged carried much heftier sentences than the court deigned to bring down.
The government has pointed out that the Director of Public Prosecutions went down the path of not appealing the sentences which were handed down. This was in the middle of an enormous public response to these sentences. Never have I been witness to such a profound and deep sense of public resentment about a court’s decision to hand down a sentence which, in the public imagination, was trivial to say the least. The Director of Public Prosecutions, as the Attorney-General quite correctly outlined, cited that one of his reasons for making the decision not to pursue the matter was:
- Because of the special constraints that apply to prosecution appeals, an appeal against sentence would not succeed.
The DPP also, surprisingly, added to its observations in relation to this matter that the sentences were within the range of sentences you would expect under the circumstances.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, in relation to defending his decision not to appeal the matter, referred to a case called Simmons v Hill 1986, 38 NT 31, where he quoted Justice Maurice, who said:
- … the retributive aspect … is, at best, of secondary importance. Even lower in the scale if, indeed, it has any place at all, is deterring others.
He was saying that in relation to the sentencing of youths in particular.
What the Director of Public Prosecutions has said in his defence of his decision not to appeal the matter is that we do not want to punish children because the courts have established that the punishment of children is of secondary importance and, indeed, on the lower end of the scale in these considerations. It is my understanding that the assailant in this matter was a child of the age of 17 years. One could well understand the public’s exasperation at the leniency of the sentence, which was issued in such a serious assault.
Madam Speaker, the Director of Public Prosecutions also referred to the case of Dinsdale v The Queen (2000) 202 CLR 321, and he quoted Justice Kirby at paragraph 62. I will read the whole quote because it is worthwhile:
- For reasons of legal history and policy, the position of Crown appeals against sentence has long been regarded, in Australia and elsewhere, as being in a class somewhat different from that of an appeal against sentence by a convicted offender. When first introduced, Crown appeals were considered to cut across ‘time-honoured concepts’ of the administration of criminal justice in common law legal systems. For this reason, it has sometimes been said that, as a ‘matter of principle’, such appeals should be a comparative rarity. The attitude of restraint reflected in such remarks has often been justified on the basis that a Crown appeal against a sentence puts the prisoner in jeopardy of punishment for a second time, a feature that is ordinarily missing from an appeal, or application for leave to appeal, brought by those who have been sentenced. The consequence is that where the Crown appeals, it is normally obliged to demonstrate very clearly the error of which it complains. The further consequence is that, where such a demonstration succeeds, it is conventional for the appellate court to impose a substituted sentence towards the lower end of the range of available sentences. This convention tends to add an additional restraint upon interference, given the strong resistance that exists against appellate ‘tinkering’ with sentences.
One of the grounds which honourable members and, I am sure, the public, would be aware of in relation to these particular matters for appeal is the grounds of manifest inadequacy of the original head sentence. The head of the DPP was fully aware of that restraint, which is why he continued to run his defence of his determination not to appeal in relation to Simmons v Hill.
Madam Speaker, it is this principle of double jeopardy that the parliament now has before it. The double jeopardy proposal brought before this House by the Attorney-General will recognise the Double Jeopardy Law Reform COAG Working Group recommendations.
I now express a certain level of disappointment in relation to this particular matter, because the sentence in Mr Sargent’s case will not be affected by the legislative instrument that we pass in this House today. That is not my understanding. In fact, it is not a retrospective organ. If it were, it would be breaching the double jeopardy provisions this legislation seeks to address. The reason this disappoints me is that the working group report from COAG was handed down - and I will quote Recommendation 4 so people understand what the recommendation is about:
- All jurisdictions should implement reforms to provide that when a court is considering a prosecution appeal against sentence, no principle of ‘sentencing double jeopardy’ should be taken into consideration by the court when determining whether to exercise its discretion to impose a different sentence, or in determining what sentence to impose.
My disappointment is simply that it took the assault on Mr Sargent for the Attorney-General to determine it was necessary to bring forward a proposal which was decided in 2007. If the government of the day had been on its toes and had been able to respond to this particular issue more effectively, then this government would have introduced this legislative arrangement - I presume with the support of members on this side of the House - years ago.
We heard in the debate prior to this one how good government is in responding to the needs of the community quickly, or the needs of departments. However, for some reason the Attorney-General, in this instance, has sat on a recommendation for four years. It was not until the sentence that was handed down in the case of Mr Sargent, that the Attorney-General was galvanised into action. If this Attorney-General is good at responding to public expectations, public needs, and anticipating the needs of the public, she certainly missed the boat on this occasion.
Nevertheless, Madam Deputy Speaker, we on this side of the House will take the attitude that it is better late than never. I am disappointed for Mr Sargent, and the people who support Mr Sargent, that he has missed the boat because of this government’s tardiness.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I am pleased the opposition is supporting this legislation. It would have been somewhat strange if they had not because, for all the reasons stated, the principle of sentencing double jeopardy had provided that when an appeal court decides whether to allow a prosecution appeal against sentence and to exercise its discretion to re-sentence an offender, it is required to take into account the offender’s exposure to a type of double jeopardy; namely, that the offender has to undergo sentencing on a second occasion for the same offencec. Sentencing double jeopardy can distort sentencing practices because the sentence imposed by the appeal court will not reflect the sentence that it considers should have been imposed in the first place. This can reduce the guidance provided by appeal court sentences to other courts and the effectiveness of DPP appeals against sentence.
It is this issue of the effectiveness of DPP appeals against sentence when this matter came to my attention early this year - not four years ago, but early this year - in that very tragic case of the serious assaults inflicted on Mr Adam Sargent. There was public furore, which I thought was reasonable, regarding the sentencing imposed on the offenders in the Supreme Court. Each was sentenced to four-and-a-half year’s imprisonment with a 12-month non-parole period and, quite reasonably, the community does focus on that non-parole period in looking at the view of leniency of the sentencing.
The Director of Public Prosecutions at the time, early this year, advised publicly he would not be appealing the sentences. He cited as one of his reasons for his decision that:
- Because of the special constraints that apply to the prosecution of appeals, an appeal against sentence would not succeed.
It was these special constraints that the DPP was referring to as the principle of sentencing double jeopardy. That is why, as the Attorney-General, I sought further advice from my Department of Justice in this matter of sentencing double jeopardy, and pursued the remedy we have before us today in this parliament.
I have not sat on it for four years. In fact, there were similar tight time frames between the offence of breach of bail legislation and the sentencing appeals legislation we have in the criminal law amendment before us today.
In relation to the Council of Australian Governments, COAG, and the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General, SCAG, and the work they did in April, that actually went to a whole raft of double jeopardy provisions, many of which …
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: He cannot help himself. … many of which, I am advised by my Department of Justice legal officers, are highly complex and actually very difficult to work through. That is why this particular one, the sentencing double jeopardy, had not been dealt with previously because it was caught up in a raft of recommendations regarding double jeopardy arising out of the SCAG and COAG recommendations. It is not surprising, then, that only four other jurisdictions have actually moved to introduce this legislation themselves because many are working through the complexities of other double jeopardy provisions contained within the body of work that SCAG did that eventually went to COAG and was dealt with by COAG in 2007.
What I did was take one very real situation out of a raft of other double jeopardy provisions. One very real scenario that we saw, a constraint on our DPP in sentence appeals, was pulled out of the pack, if you like, of the double jeopardy matters that were raised by COAG with recommendations of how to proceed, because the rest of the pack, I am advised, is highly complex and difficult to work through and would have, if it had stayed in the pack, meant further delays in its introduction to parliament. So, whilst I am pleased there is support, I wanted to state on the record that the assertion by the member for Port Darwin that I had sat on this for four years is erroneous.
In the broader raft of COAG reforms regarding double jeopardy, the department has been working on a discussion paper to bring forward to me for my consideration, as Attorney-General. They will continue that work. However, in having a look at the Sargent matter regarding what we believe was lenient sentencing of the juveniles involved and, obviously, the constraints raised by the DPP, I pulled it out of the pack, and we proceeded with it expeditiously. It was pretty similar time lines as the previous legislation for the offence of breach of bail.
That is what government does. We see an issue, it arises, and you seek advice of what constraints there may be around that. The DPP was very forthcoming with his advice, and I thank him for that. A great body of work was done by my Department of Justice officers to proceed with this expeditiously because I did pull it out of a broader COAG reform package around double jeopardy and decided to pursue it separately to the broader raft of double jeopardy consideration.
I thank the opposition for its support of this. I hope it sends a clear message. It creates an ability for our DPP to appeal where there is a significant view that sentencing could be considered on the lenient side.
I know that this is always going to be a contentious debate amongst the legal fraternity in the Territory, and the broader community of the Northern Territory. I welcome that debate. The more we go to a consideration of sentencing and the punishment that is meted out through our judicial system, the more we are reminding people out there, who would commit or consider committing an offence, that there are actual consequences to their actions. So, I welcome any debate around sentencing.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I make no apology, as Attorney-General, for pulling this one out of the COAG raft of reforms on double jeopardy pack and bringing it forward and expediting its introduction as a result of my concerns, and my government’s concerns, of the sentencing of the offenders in the matter of Adam Sargent, who was heinously attacked and suffered significant injuries.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General) (by leave): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS (NORTHERN TERRITORY) AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 154)
(Serial 154)
Continued from 23 February 2011.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, I indicate in the first instance the opposition’s general support for this bill. We certainly will not hinder its passage. Nevertheless, I cannot but forbear to make a few comments in relation to the bill that is before us now.
The bill seeks to amend the Electronic Transactions (Northern Territory) Act 2000 which was incorporated into the lexicon of the Northern Territory legislative structure in 2000 when it was introduced by the former government. The Electronic Transactions (Northern Territory) Act 2000 sought to formalise the Northern Territory’s commitment to a national and international agreement to give certainty to the electronic transactions with occur on a daily basis.
I am amused to look at the original second reading speech of the then Deputy Chief Minister, Mike Reed, who introduced the bill and boasted that there were ‘a number of businesses which were now connected to the Internet’. In a space of 11 years, that comment has changed from an accurate statement of the day - there are businesses that are now connecting to the strange thing called the Internet - to the age of the iPhone where there is not a human being alive, as far as I am aware - certainly in the western world - who is not connected to the Internet.
That was 11 years ago and, in accordance with the changes that have occurred in the passage of that time, problems and issues will have been noted in relation to the arrangements that standard form of legislation has entrenched into law. This bill is an attempt to address some of the minor issues - or major issues depending on how much money is riding on it - in relation to electronic transactions and deals, essentially, with the law of contract which is the nature of agreements. We find, unusually, we live in an age where we can contractually bind two parties together, where either party is actually unaware of the contractual arrangements to which they are being bound because of the way electronic equipment works in our community. So, this bill anticipates that and amends the original act accordingly.
I was drawn to one particular issue in the briefing that I had on this bill. That was the issue of the postal acceptance rule. I thank your staff for answering that question. The reason I raised that particular issue was that I am not unaware of the instantaneous communications rule, but the law tends to be somewhat unsettled in relation to how this may apply to e-mails. For those people who are unaware, the postal acceptance rule is quite an ancient rule in the modern world, where a contract can be accepted where the person making the offer is still unaware that the contract has been accepted, merely by the act of posting a letter. This means where a person who receives an offer walks to a post office box and slips the letter through the opening of the postal box, the Royal Mail, at the time, was considered to be so efficient the awareness of the offering party would have eventually become manifest by virtue of the fact that they would have absolutely received that letter.
The instantaneous communications rule does not seek to expand the operation of the postal acceptance rule. I can quote the House of Lords in what is called the Entores case – no, they confirm in the Entores case. The case I am relating to is Brinkibon Ltd v Stahag Stahl GmbH [1983] 2 AC 34. It reads:
- Since 1955, the use of Telex communication has been greatly expanded, and there are many variants on it. The senders and recipients may not be the principals to the contemplated contract. They may be servants or agents with limited authority. The message may not reach, or be intended to reach, the designated recipient immediately: messages may be sent out of office hours, or at night, with the intention, or on the assumption that they will be read at a later time. There may be some error or default at the recipient’s end which prevents receipt at the time contemplated and believed in by the sender. The message may have been sent and/or received through machines operated by third persons. And other variations may occur. No universal rule …
I will repeat this so that members are aware:
- No universal rule can cover all such cases; they must be resolved by reference to the intentions of the parties, by sound business practices and in some cases by a judgment where the risks should lie.
The reason I talk about the postal acceptance rule and reflect upon the instantaneous communications rule is simply that I was struck by the authors of Contract Law in Australia - Fifth Edition - which is actually quite recent, yes, 2007 - Carter, Peden and Tolhurst, who made these observations:
- Recent legislation concerning electronic transactions has been enacted. However, this legislation does not seem to change the existing law, as similar issues arise as to the method and place of an effective acceptance (including the issue of an effective receipt). The legislation covers the time and place of despatch and receipt of electronic communications, unless regulations exempt particular electronic communications. It supplies default rules that apply if the parties have not agreed otherwise. The relevant section in the legislation provides that electronic communications will be taken to have been despatched when they enter a single information system out of the control of the originator. Furthermore, if the addressee has designated an information system for the receiving of electronic communications, then the time of receipt will be when that communication enters the information system. However, if there is no designated system, then receipt will be the time when the communication comes to the attention of the addressee. The legislation provides no guidance as to when information system will be ‘designated’ and it is a question of construction.
I note this issue relates to an earlier passage in the book. Whilst what I have just read out reflects the operation of the electronic communications rule, Carter et al made the observation:
- The case of e-mail communications is still unclear. Some suggest the postal acceptance rule would apply, whereas others disagree. There may also be a distinction between cases of contracting by e-mail (where perhaps the postal acceptance rule should apply) and contracting over the Internet through a merchant’s website (where perhaps the receipt rule should apply).
Madam Speaker, the bill which is before the House, I am aware, is also part, or an extension of, the international agreement which saw the introduction of the Electronic Transactions (Northern Territory) Act in 2000. I note also that the government went out of its way to address the issue of the postal acceptance rule in clause 13A(1)(b)(ii) of the bill which says:
- … the addressee has become aware that the electronic communication has been sent to that address.
I appreciate this particular notion in the legislation, but I find myself wondering if the House of Lords, in the original case which I described in relation to the electronic communications rule, should be heeded. I remind members that the issue which was raised is that no universal rule can cover all such cases. They must be resolved by reference to the intention of the party’s sound business practice and, in some cases, by a judgment where the risks should lie.
The risk of passing a legislative instrument which attempts to deal, in a single pen stroke, with an issue of the nature of when an offer is accepted, as described by the bill before the House, is the same risk you have when you cast any net into the future using a legislative instrument seeking to catch one variety of fish alone.
The issue I flag as a potential problem into the future is that, where circumstances exist that a person who is contracting, in all the circumstances, should be assumed to have received a communication, will, unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on which side of the argument you are on – find themselves in a position that they may use the awareness of that communication as a defence.
I am mindful of the caution that was sounded in 1955 by the House of Lords, and that by casting a single legislative line which creates an awareness on the part of the offeror can use simple awareness as a vehicle to avoid their contractual obligations. The legislative instrument says a person is bound when the addressee has become aware of the electronic communication. Whilst I appreciate there are some circumstances in this amendment which describe where electronic communications between machines would have the effect of binding parties, although they are not yet aware, the general proposition that an addressee has to become aware that the electronic communication has been sent to that address, it is conceivable that there is an outcome that a consumer may be deprived in certain circumstances simply by an offeror running a defence they were unaware of the communication.
This is a minor issue. The reason I raise it is more to put it on the record that this issue exists and, if any case comes up in the future where this defence is relied upon, I will be recommending to the Attorney-General that she may want to revisit that simple line at some point in the future.
Beyond that, Madam Speaker, the members on this side of the House support the bill. It is important to try to give some sort of certainty in the area of transactions. The contract law has been one of the great preserves of the common law. Legislation is rarely able to intrude upon contract law because of the nature of that form of law. On those occasions we do create legislation, I hope we do so both judicially and wisely.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the opposition will be supporting this legislation which is adopting the model legislation drafted by the New South Wales Parliamentary Counsel - that is, the model bill to amend the electronic transactions legislation - so Australia may implement its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts of 2005.
The bill will amend the Electronic Transactions (Northern Territory) Act 2000. We have come a long way since the original assent of the convention. The amendments certainly modernise Australia’s laws on electronic commerce to reflect internationally recognised legal standards and to enhance cross-border communications. It contains relatively minor amendments which clarify the traditional rules of contract formation to reflect internationally agreed principles, and to facilitate the use of electronic commerce. It will modernise our Territory’s law on e-commerce to reflect internationally recognised legal standards and enhance cross-border online commerce; increase certainty for international trade by electronic means and, thereby, encourage further growth of electronic contracting; and confirm our commitment to facilitating electronic communications in international trade transactions as reflected in free trade agreements.
Once the legislation is passed, my Department of Justice will advise key stakeholders of the implications of the amendments. I raised this legislation with the President of the Chamber of Commerce, who was very receptive to the fact we were upgrading the electronic transactions regime through this legislation.
I note the concerns raised by the member for Port Darwin in a somewhat lengthy contribution regarding the historic aspects of where all of this was generated from, who is, ultimately, concerned regarding the wording of ‘become aware of electronic communication’. I am quite satisfied that greater minds than mine and, indeed, perhaps greater minds than his, have considered this matter, raked it over, and have landed on a United Nations Convention view of this matter we are adopting into model law around our nation - obviously drafted by the New South Wales Parliamentary Counsel. There would be greater legal minds in that Parliamentary Counsel than my own or, indeed, the person who has never practised as a lawyer.
By all means, let us be alive and open to your concern, member for Port Darwin, and with bated breath we will wait to see if anyone finds a flaw where you have concerns. I am alive to any correspondence from you where you can identify any operational concerns the United Nations Convention had which were not duly considered in the establishment of model law. I open, genuinely, the opportunity for you to correspond with me, perhaps through Internet, electronically by e-mail in this new form of modern communication this legislation is embracing.
Madam Speaker, I commend the legislation to honourable members.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General) (by leave): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
TABLED PAPERS
Remuneration Tribunal Determination - Interstate Travel Reports – Members for Nightcliff, Fannie Bay, Brennan,
Macdonnell, Goyder and Arafura
Remuneration Tribunal Determination - Interstate Travel Reports – Members for Nightcliff, Fannie Bay, Brennan,
Macdonnell, Goyder and Arafura
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, pursuant to Remuneration Tribunal Determination No 1 of 2010, I table the following reports for interstate travel: my own travel in January and February this year; the member for Fannie Bay’s travel in February; the member for Brennan’s travel this year; the member for Macdonnell’s travel in February/March this year; the member for Goyder’s travel - three items of travel in March and January/February of this year; and the member for Arafura’s travel in February.
TABLED PAPER
Auditor-General’s Report to the Legislative Assembly - Public Information Act –
Review of Public Information
Auditor-General’s Report to the Legislative Assembly - Public Information Act –
Review of Public Information
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Public Information Act - Review of Public Information referred to Auditor-General dated March 2011, Report to the Legislative Assembly.
MOTION
Print Paper - Auditor-General’s Report to the Legislative Assembly - Public Information Act – Review of Public Information
Print Paper - Auditor-General’s Report to the Legislative Assembly - Public Information Act – Review of Public Information
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Note Paper - Auditor-General’s Report to the Legislative Assembly - Public Information Act – Review of Public Information
Note Paper - Auditor-General’s Report to the Legislative Assembly - Public Information Act – Review of Public Information
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report, and that I have leave to continue my remarks at a later hour.
Motion agreed to.
Debate adjourned.
TABLED PAPER
Environment and Sustainable Development Committee - Northern Territory Capacity to Progress Environmentally Sustainable Agricultural Production
Environment and Sustainable Development Committee - Northern Territory Capacity to Progress Environmentally Sustainable Agricultural Production
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I table the Environment and Sustainable Development Committee’s report, Northern Territory Capacity to Progress Environmentally Sustainable Agricultural Production, together with written submissions received and Hansard transcripts of public hearings.
MOTION
Print Paper – Environment and Sustainable Development Committee - Northern Territory Capacity to Progress Environmentally Sustainable Agricultural Production
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I move that the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Note Paper - Environment and Sustainable Development Committee - Northern Territory Capacity to Progress Environmentally Sustainable Agricultural Production
Note Paper - Environment and Sustainable Development Committee - Northern Territory Capacity to Progress Environmentally Sustainable Agricultural Production
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report, and that I have leave to continue my remarks at a later hour.
Motion agreed to.
Debate adjourned.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Taking Real Action for Alice Springs
Taking Real Action for Alice Springs
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, it is great to be back in Alice Springs. I say thank you to everyone in Alice for hosting the March 2011 parliamentary sittings, and for providing those of us visiting this great town with warm and genuine hospitality.
We all know there has been a considerable focus on criminal and antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs recently. I reassure the Alice Springs community that my government has listened, and has acted. I absolutely understand the very real concerns of business owners and the wider community about the impact increased antisocial and criminal behaviour has been having on the town.
That is why my government took immediate action, working with the Northern Territory Police to roll out an immediate increase in police numbers on streets in Alice Springs. It is also why my government provided funding for temporary lighting of known trouble spots throughout the town. I am pleased to report both these initiatives have already had a positive effect on reducing crime and improving safety throughout Alice Springs. Results of the police operation to date already include from 3 to 21 March: 1494 litres of alcohol confiscated; 64 arrests for substantive offences; 19 truancies reports issued; five child abuse reports submitted; and 70 youths and 26 adults taken home or to a safe place.
Alongside the increase in resources and roll-out of additional police, community groups have been working collaboratively to address the wider and underlying issues that exist. With the Minister for Central Australia, I have met with community groups including Indigenous leaders, tourism operators, business owners, and the Alice Springs Town Council. I believe there is goodwill to work together to get Alice back on track. In particular, I thank the Mayor, Damien Ryan, for his ongoing commitment to genuinely working to get things back on track.
As a community, we need to recognise the problems and face them together, and continue to work together to find some very real solutions, and a way to get Alice back to being the great place we all know and love. It is only by working together that we can conquer these issues. Those who try to exploit the current situation and the genuine concerns of the community do nothing more than trash the reputation of Alice Springs. And guess what? If we trash Alice Springs’ reputation, tourists are turned off from visiting, workers are turned from relocating and, if that happens, everyone suffers. Instead of trashing Alice and talking down the town, let us work together to address the issues to get Alice back to the great place we know and love.
As I mentioned, there is much work for our government to do. In what we have been doing here, we have a great many achievements to be proud of. I will highlight some of those programs now to demonstrate the inroads being made in tackling crime and antisocial behaviour, and building a thriving township, the central plank of which is my government’s plan to roll-out the toughest alcohol restrictions in the country. Only by reducing alcohol can we significantly reduce crime. Only by getting tough on grog will we adequately get tough on crime. Only by rolling out the toughest alcohol restrictions in the country can we really get serious about reducing crime and curbing antisocial behaviour.
That is what my government will do. We are serious about reducing crime. We are serious about tackling antisocial behaviour, and that means we have to be serious about turning off the tap to problem drinkers. The common thread in most violent incidents that happen on our streets and in our homes is alcohol. The link between problem drinking and antisocial behaviour is well documented. That is why we need to roll-out these tough laws on alcohol. We need to turn off the tap to problem drinkers. Enough is enough.
Other measures we have already introduced include the liquor licensing identification system. An electronic identification system for takeaway purchase was introduced on 23 June 2008. The system works by identifying people who are banned or restricted from buying alcohol. Our proposed reforms will go further and increase the number of problem drinkers on this register, turning off the tap to more problem drinkers.
I know the frustration and anger felt by many businesses and homeowners in Alice Springs who have had their properties broken into more than once. It is unacceptable, and that is why the Territory police have rolled out additional police resources to curb criminal behaviour. This year, the Property Reduction Crime Unit has made 102 arrests, submitted 18 summons files and three youth diversion files, totalling 269 charges. In February 2011, the role of monitoring the CCTV system within the Alice Springs CBD was transferred from the Alice Springs Town Council - in fact, it was the taxi operators in Alice Springs - to the Northern Territory Police. The ability for police to monitor cameras on a 24-hour daily basis greatly enhances the effectiveness of the system.
I will talk briefly about the Alice Springs Transformation Plan and the Youth Street Outreach Service. We know kids should not be on the streets at night. That is why we have worked with the Commonwealth to provide funding for an expansion of services for the Youth Outreach Service. We know kids have no place on the streets at night, but the sad reality is, for some young people home is not safe or is not a welcoming place to be. That is why these grassroots programs to engage young people are so critical. It is only by breaking the cycle of disadvantage and hopelessness that we will close the gap. The Youth Street Outreach Program has been running seven nights a week since 11 January with positive results.
When it comes to dealing with those parents who do not properly look after their children, we, with the Commonwealth, have income management to ensure people do the right thing when it comes to looking after their children. Through this, child protection officers can quarantine 70% of a person’s income support if they feel the money is not going towards caring for the child.
We all know education is vitally important and significant progress is being made in improving access, and the results of education, in Alice Springs. Alice Springs school principals have the opportunity to apply for funding to address specific issues that affect their students and impact on attendance and engagements. Project-specific Youth Action Plan grants have been allocated to eight of the nine Alice Springs schools. In addition, all nine will receive $4000 to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers to engage parents in activities that foster student support.
I speak passionately about the Clontarf Football Academy. The Clontarf Football Academy is a real success story in the Territory, especially in Alice Springs, linking young boys’ passion for football with attending school and post-school employment opportunities. Clontarf started in Alice Springs in 2007 at Alice Springs High School, ANZAC Hill High School, now Centralian Middle School and Yirara College. In 2011, there are 119 students enrolled at Centralian Middle School; 59 students at Centralian Senior College; and 63 at Yirara College. Attendance has remained at a remarkable and solid 80% since the program kicked off in Alice Springs. We now have Clontarf Football academies operating in 10 schools in the Northern Territory. To date, there have been impressive outcomes, with improvements in student attendance, retention, behaviour, and academic achievement. Almost 80% of Clontarf graduates have progressed to full-time employment, training or further education, and that is an amazing outcome.
Two senior attendance and truancy officers have also been employed in the Central Australian region to target absenteeism and to increase attendance. The Families as First Teachers - Indigenous Parenting Support Services program aims to increase access to parent and child services and promote positive outcomes for vulnerable children from Indigenous families with young children aged zero to three years old living in Northern Territory growth town communities by providing intensive, targeted and coordinated support for parents and children to improve child development, child safety and family functioning. The program also aims to help Indigenous parents overcome barriers to good family relationships by providing support through transition to childcare, preschool and primary school.
Access to housing is a significant issue in Alice Springs and solid steps are being taken in this area. For affordable housing for first home owners, six affordable house and land packages will be made available to first homebuyers in Alice Springs at Ridges Estate, Larapinta. The house and land packages will be offered at a price of no more than $385 000, and the packages will be sold through a public ballot. To see more housing, we need to develop more residential lots, and this week will see the sod turning of the new suburb of Kilgariff, demonstrating my government’s commitment to fast-tracking land release.
The second stage of the Larapinta land release was completed in November 2009, releasing 39 blocks. Six single dwelling and one medium density blocks were bought back by the government for affordable housing and a seniors public housing complex.
Development of 28 residential blocks of varying density with a potential capacity for 90 homes is nearing completion at Mt Johns Valley. A further 7 ha of land is ready for release for development on the completion of current works.
Talking about new public housing in Alice Springs, six public housing dwellings were constructed in Alice Springs under the Social Housing Initiative components of the Nation Building and Jobs Plan, the stimulus package, two four-bedroom houses in Araluen and Gillen, and four two-bedroom units in The Gap. Currently under construction, an 18-unit Larapinta Seniors Village has commenced and will be completed by the end of 2011.
As of 18 March 2011, 47 town camp houses have been refurbished and handed over to Territory Housing through SIHIP. Twenty-two new houses have been constructed and handed over. In total, 85 new houses will be built, and all 200 houses will be upgraded.
There is also a critical need for supported accommodation in Alice Springs and the Apmere Mwerre Visitor Park on Len Kittle Drive is now open and operating, providing safe accommodation in Alice Springs. I have been briefed today that forward bookings are very solid, and this has demonstrated what a great need there was for visitor accommodation in Alice Springs. It provides short-term accommodation for people coming into town from communities, and can house approximately 150 people. I had the opportunity to visit the accommodation park and can say it is an absolute plus for Alice Springs.
Keeping the pressure off housing in town, we also need to see more housing in our remote communities, and 449 houses have been refurbished on 19 communities, so far. All tenants in refurbished houses have entered into formal tenancy agreements and pay rent according to the Remote Housing Rental Framework. Property maintenance is contracted out to the shires, and regular planned maintenance visits by electricians, plumbers, builders, and pest control are designed to ensure tenants can be satisfied that, in almost all situations, their houses are of a safe, secure and healthy standard.
The Territory government has also invested $650 000 to improve public and school transport, including a new Route 500 servicing the hospital 15 times a day. We have introduced a new school bus service to Jay Creek. We have provided a special-needs bus with an on-board carer, and $5m has been allocated in the 2011-12 Budget for the revitalisation of the Alice Springs mall and central activity district. There are significant commitments in housing, education and transport in Alice Springs.
I will talk, importantly, about the economy in Alice Springs and the importance of service delivery of the National Broadband Network. Construction of the competitive optic fibre from Adelaide to Darwin has been completed in Alice Springs and, once construction has been completed to Darwin - the optic fibre link is commissioned in September 2011 - Nextgen will be able to offer wholesale connections to service providers throughout Central Australia. It is going to be significant competition for Telstra, driving down prices and connecting Alice Springs much more efficiently and effectively to the World Wide Web.
Tourism is critically important to Central Australia and Alice Springs. Tourism NT and our Minister for Tourism successfully brought Oprah Winfrey to the Northern Territory. What a huge coup that was for the Northern Territory, and what amazing publicity Uluru and Central Australia received as a result of us getting in early. I was lobbied very hard by the Minister for Tourism for some financial support, but it was certainly money well spent. It was a great promotion for Central Australia, Alice Springs and Uluru.
The group visited Gabarnmung Cave in Arnhem Land, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Mbantua Gallery in Alice Springs. In Uluru, the group met with local Anangu people and walked the Kuniya and Mala trails and participated in a dot painting workshop. The Northern Territory was showcased during the four episodes of Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure, taking the Territory into the living rooms of more than 50 million people in the United States alone. That is just a staggering number and great credit to Tourism NT, all the tourism operators in Central Australia, and the minister. It was a fantastic promotion.
Indigenous tourism is vitally important and Tourism NT is assisting the Hermannsburg Historic Precinct Information Centre with the finalisation of their fit-out. Tourism NT has secured third-year funding from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the operation of the Alice Springs Indigenous Tourism Hub.
One of the key responsibilities of government is investment in capital works. This is a long list but an important list for the people of Central Australia to understand that the road does not stop at Berrimah. We are conscious of the requirement to invest in our regions, and Central Australia certainly gets its fair share of that investment.
Looking at some of the roads in the region: the Tanami Highway, reconstructed and sealed an additional 26 km of road this financial year/next financial year, $12.8m; the Plenty Highway, construction and strengthen 39 km of the road, $7.3m; the Red Centre Way, construction and seal 47 km of the road, $19.5m; Sandover Highway, construction and seal 15 km of road, $2.9m; Maryvale Road, construct and strengthen 53 km of road, $4.3m; the Santa Teresa Road, construction and strengthen 30 km of the road, $3.5m; the Kintore Road, construction and strengthen 25 km of road, $1.5m; the Stuart Highway, strengthen and widen sections of the highway at $5.8m; and the Outback Way, the Docker River Road, construction and strengthen 32 km at $3.5m. This work has already been committed to.
Programs for the near future that have been fully funded are: Stuart Highway south, flood immunity works at $5.2m; the Utopia airstrip, reconstruct and provide a sealed strip, $2.5m; and the AZRI headworks at Kilgariff, provision of sewer, water and road headworks at $10m. This is investment the Territory government is making to ensure that when land is turned off at Kilgariff the property owners do not incur those costs of the provision of sewer, water and road headworks.
Other current projects with investments in capital programs in Alice Springs and the region are: Alice Springs Middle School is seeing an $11m upgrade - I am looking forward to visiting that school with the Minister for Central Australia because we held a media conference there last year and it will be great to see the upgrade to that school completed; Ross Park School, upgrade to $3m; upgrades to police housing in the southern region, nearly $1m at $950 000; the installation of hybrid solar diesel power systems at Watarrka Rangers Station, $460 000; the Alice Springs Hospital upgrade and rectification to central sterilisation department, $1.9m.
I am pleased to say at last, and very soon, government will be letting the tender for the complete rebuild of the emergency department at Alice Springs Hospital. There have been significant issues and sagas around that project regarding the absolutely appalling work done in previous upgrades at the hospital that needed to be retro-fitted and fixed. There is legal action surrounding that. I have had the opportunity to visit the emergency department in Alice Springs, and the staff and the people of Alice Springs will see a tender released very soon for a total upgrade of that facility.
At Alice Springs Hospital as well, there was installation of stairwell pressurisation, $1.5m; and Alice Springs Hospital upgrade and rectification of the mental health ward, $2.8m. We are looking at significant expenditure currently in design, and in the budget process we will talk about in the budget this year.
We have also seen recently projects delivered with the Commonwealth government: the Alice Springs Accommodation Park, an $8m commitment to construction in Alice Springs; the Bath Street Lodge, renal patient accommodation critical for people coming in from remote communities, to the value of $4.5m; and the Western MacDonnell Visitor Centre upgrade at $1.5m.
There has been significant commitment to sport and recreation in Alice Springs. I am really looking forward to the opening of the Aquatic and Leisure Centre which has been hit by the late Wet Season in Alice Springs. I am sure the families and kids of Central Australia cannot wait to access the new Aquatic and Leisure Centre at a cost of $8.1m, with funding from the Commonwealth government. That is going to be a great boost to the town, not only for the residents of Alice Springs but people visiting from communities.
There has also been great sporting action for Alice Springs, and I commend the minister for Sport in Central Australia. Every time we get one of the national sporting codes knocking at our door seeking government support to play games in Darwin, Karl is always there saying: ‘Only if you commit to doing something in Alice Springs’. As the minister, he has seen a great number of sporting events come to Alice Springs and these have been well supported by the community.
We have seen the Alice Springs NRL pre-season match, North Queensland Cowboys versus the Brisbane Broncos. We look forward to the national Indigenous Rugby Union from 4 to 6 April this year, and the Indigenous Festival of Football on 6 July 2011. I think football is the round ball game, is it, Karl? Yes. I was at the meeting in Darwin with the minister when they approached us to host this national Indigenous Festival of Football, and that is going to bring many people to Alice Springs in July.
Of course, we cannot deal with the issues in Alice Springs without dealing with the issues of alcohol. There has been solid debate in this parliament that will go backwards and forwards, but we can see the impacts of the current alcohol management plan, and the success it has had, although there is still such a long way to go. The alcohol management plan has been in place since October 2006 and covers takeaway hours, Monday to Friday, 2 pm to 9 pm, and cask wine and fortified wine is only available from 6 pm to 9 pm. When the plan was evaluated in 2009, it was found that the level of wholesale pure alcohol supply consumption had been reduced by 18% from the time the AMP was introduced in 2006. In 2009, there was an increase of 9% in the level of wholesale pure alcohol supply consumption. Primarily, this was due to the sale of cheap, cleanskin bottled wine, and our reforms will go to the heart of that issue. Overall, the level of wholesale pure alcohol supply consumption is still lower than prior to the introduction of the management plan and for the year 2002.
An electronic ID system was introduced in Alice Springs in June 2008. In 2009-10, there were 321 court orders issued banning people from purchasing takeaway alcohol and, in 2009-10, there were 9009 successful detection and refusals of sale to people banned and to people trying to purchase above daily supply restrictions; that is, one cask of wine or one bottle of port a day. For people who rail against the requirements to provide ID to purchase alcohol, I say again: the ID system does not record any data in regard to alcohol purchased, but purely provides an opportunity for the courts to ban people from purchasing alcohol. If you do not have an ID system, you cannot ban people from purchasing alcohol. Certainly, 9000 attempts to purchase alcohol above the supply restrictions in 2009-10 shows how effective a policy tool this register is, and is going to be, across the Northern Territory. If people abuse alcohol they will not get access to alcohol. The only way to ensure they do not get access to alcohol is to have a register and ban people from purchasing alcohol. That is what legislation introduced tomorrow will seek to do.
As I have outlined, there is a range of positive plans for the future of Alice Springs and surrounding communities currently being rolled out or about to commence. My government is committed to continue working with the local community to continue rolling out policies that improve Alice Springs, and to make Alice Springs a great place again - not just for the short term, but for generations to come.
Madam Speaker, in this statement to the House today, I have identified a range of issues that government is working on. Ministers will be talking in their portfolio areas in more detail about what is happening in Alice Springs. I say again: the level of crime this community experienced in January and February this year was unacceptable, and I have outlined measures to ensure that does not happen again.
Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): This is a challenging statement to respond to, Madam Speaker, honourable members, as it outlines a series of programs and amounts of money that are being spent in response to what is clearly a problem. The problem is acknowledged; it is quite obvious. The statistics demonstrate there is a real problem and it is not improving, as we have seen in the five times we have sat in the Centre.
The anger in the community is real. They are reasonable people who have responded in a manner which requires a genuine response. They have, in the latest exercise, produced a nine-point plan, nine points for which they call upon the government for a response. I would have thought the Chief Minister, rather than acknowledging them as being produced, would have responded to them in some specific way, because they give you some hints as to what really is the problem.
I acknowledge also, in an earlier debate, that the Independent member for Nelson urged us to work together in a bipartisan manner. That may give people a good feeling so they say: ‘We will all get together and agree, and we will all work this out together’. It presupposes we have clearly understood the problem. Just working together does not, of itself, solve a problem without acknowledging what the problem itself is. A number of members in this Chamber would have done the best they can to try to get a deeper understanding of the nature of this problem. They would have wondered why this matter of violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and sexual abuse, has troubled this community to this degree, and why commentators around the nation have focused upon this.
I find it of great concern that members of the Labor administration, the Labor government, see the Action for Alice group largely through a political prism and think this is organised to try to embarrass the government in the lead-up to the parliamentary sittings. The Chief Minister commented on the federal Opposition Leader, Mr Tony Abbott, making a response to what is clearly an issue of national significance. It is not just for Alice Springs, though it is brought to sharp focus in Alice Springs, that prompts a thoughtful response from the Opposition Leader, Mr Tony Abbott. Our Chief Minister sees that as a political ploy, even going so far as to say that Mr Abbott wants to create a problem for the Labor government in the lead-up to the sittings. He could read the signs; that letter was only produced because of the parliamentary sittings.
That, to me, betrays a mind that is more preoccupied with the politics of this and how they can respond to it to minimise political damage and get through these sittings, rather than responding to the nature of the problem itself, trying to get a grasp on it. I am not going to say I understand the problem, but I am observant enough to know that it is a very complex problem.
The Chief Minister outlined a list of programs and activities that, of themselves, constitute in the Chief Minister’s mind a satisfactory response to a problem that is not properly defined. I know the members for Stuart and Arnhem have spent a great deal of time trying to understand the nature of the problem and how we can best respond to it.
We have a war of words in the parliament. The member for Nelson said: ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if we all got together?’ I have had a couple of shots at that in my time in parliament, one with the Little Children are Sacred, and another time - and I remember it was with the former Chief Minister - where I asked members: ‘Let us see if we can find a place we can work together on this, acknowledging the enormity of this challenge and the complexity of it’. It was dismissed at that time. I do not think a bipartisanship approach is actually going to occur. That might give us a good feeling but we have not really gone to the degree of understanding the nature of this problem.
For example, we know the nature of this community has changed. No advertisement, whatever form, is going to properly explain what is going on and certainly not the one the Labor government put out to paint a rosy picture and say we are having a few issues but we are getting on top of them.
How many people are living in Alice Springs? Where are they living? How many of them are in the riverbank? How many are under the bridge? How many are living in the hills? How many children? How many are in the town camps? What is going on there? What is happening with the children in the afternoons? Where do they come from? Why are they here? What do they want done in order to return? Or, will they be staying?
In going through a previous speech, I noted similar questions to these from the member for Macdonnell. It is those deeper questions. I have driven around the place and I have had people explain to me what they are seeing, trying to interpret this. It is challenging and, if we do not have a genuine response to this - more than just programs; thinking that programs will fix the problem - we are deluded and we are letting the side down. This is a matter of national significance. It has been brought to sharp focus in Alice Springs, and a genuine response is required.
The Chief Minister could not even have the courage to front a group of residents who are genuinely concerned citizens of the Centre - who love their town and are concerned - and to take it and respond. I will give you a tip, Chief Minister, that would have won you respect. But, no, it is seen through a political prism. ‘I do not want to feed that kind of hysteria’. You are playing politics with it. The chief culprit is the Labor government itself. Otherwise, we would not have had, during the by-election, the rejection of the calls for increased security. Yet, in the lead-up to the sittings, we had that which was rejected during a by-election by the now member for Araluen – and by the member for Greatorex and by the former member for Araluen - for an increased police presence in the Centre. It was rejected at that time, now it is acceptable. Why now, not then? How is it that things have changed?
You cannot help see the cynicism from those who are observing the actions of this government - or should I say, the reactions of this government which, once again, appears to me to be seeing this through a political prism.
The next constant line of attack from the Chief Minister, of me and members of the opposition, is that we just want to pour more alcohol onto the problem. That might suit a line of political attack but it does not acknowledge the fundamental: alcohol is not the problem. The problem is the problem drinker. Your first response is not recognising what it is; not even thinking about that deeper question of what causes a person to have such a thirst that they drink alcohol in quantities that is going to harm and damage them and affect our community in such a damaging way. If you do not have that in mind, your only response is going to be: ‘Let us look at alcohol and control alcohol’.
You know prohibition does not work. You have the evidence in front of you, in your own streets, demonstrating that prohibition does not work. Why? The evidence: there has been a 9% increase in the consumption of alcohol whilst these measures have been in place. There has been a 25% increase in violent assaults in this community since those measures have been put in place. How can you run the simple and flawed argument of: ‘Our response is to increase the flow of alcohol, their response is to reduce the flow of alcohol and, therefore, if you follow our way, we will have an improved situation’? Prohibition does not work and your own figures demonstrate that. To be honest to your argument, give a genuine explanation as to how that is the case; why is there an increased intake of alcohol and a 25% increase in violent assaults?
The answer is this: the first place to start is recognising there has to be a response to those who have a problem with alcohol. The Chief Minister likes to say: ‘Our tough measures, probably the toughest in the universe, are going to see the tap turned off’. Well, so are the opposition’s, because if you are taken into protective custody three times in six months you will be required to go into treatment. There has to be that response otherwise we will make no progress at all. We will keep spinning our wheels, spinning our words, spinning our messages, putting out glossy brochures, creating an impression, and making no difference. We have to respond to the problem itself. I have spoken to traditional people. They want something tougher, something clearer; something which is essentially good but tough. They respect that. They want some proper rehabilitation effort.
The Corrections system is supposed to correct - it does not; it encourages. Who wants to go to gaol? Who is concerned about going there? Most people do not have a problem. I cannot see a Corrections system that creates a sense it is not an unpleasant place to go to and a consequence I would prefer to avoid. If you do not have that, how on earth is it going to work? A system has to have a genuine response (1) to the need for the maintenance of a standard, and (2) for the building of a capacity to make a better decision next time. The challenge is up to us in the Territory, in step with our community - and I am talking about all Territorians - to come up with a model that is far tougher but is, essentially, good and right, and it will be supported.
There are those who belong to an industry which has grown fat on the wealth of this nation; who have fed the problem because they have not seen the need to have clear standards and principles reinforced by a proper response to a real problem - behaviour. You have to respond to the behaviour then deal with the underlying problem.
We have a model under this Labor administration where you are dealing with the underlying problem, providing a context for excuse and a slap on the wrist, so people can have another shot at it. It is called the therapeutic model. Go through the Youth Justice Act and you will see there is no capacity for a meaningful response to bad behaviour. Every excuse under the sun is provided; every means made available for an alternative approach rather than accept responsibility and have a firm response. You do not raise kids like that; if you do they will treat you with contempt, and all standards and all law with contempt. That is what we have. There is no threat, no risk, and no concern for those who are, clearly, stepping across the line. Our community expects that. These are the responses that are required, not a listing of programs and the amount of money that is spent because they, of themselves, will make no difference. It does not affect behaviour; in fact, I believe it feeds the problem.
Case in point - and I look forward to further discussions on this with the minister for Education. This illustrates we have a problem; we have kids on the street. We all know kids should go to school. The most important thing is a good education. We should reinforce that notion as far as possible. There was a time we did not need to reinforce that notion because it was compulsory and, if you did not go to school, there was a consequence. That would require a tougher response to someone who does not send their kids to school and you reinforce that with sanctions of some kind. It appears you run programs now where you advertise the message that it is important to send your kids to school, as though they did not know. Then, if they do not, you help as much as you can. ‘Why not? Why are you not sending your kids to school?’ Every possibility is explored before a person is brought up short and told: ‘You have to send your kid to school because, if you do not, there will be a consequence’. There has been a capacity for a very long time - under the Country Liberals and for the last 10 years under the Labor government - for a simple fine of $200 to be imposed upon a parent who does not send their kids to school. It has not been imposed. I do not know of anyone who has ever been fined $200 for not sending their kids to school.
It could be argued that to condone that and provide scope for responses such as: ‘Let’s see if we can give you a hand as a parent and let’s not make you really responsible because there is a whole lot of issues there’. If you go into that space, well, they are certainly not going to change their behaviour at a rate of knots. However, if you say: ‘You know you need to send your kid to school’. ‘I know, but it is hard’. The fine is $200. It has not been used. If there are underlying problems you can respond to it then, but not first because excuses are provided. You have all dealt with it; you know what human behaviour is like: provide an excuse and enlarge on it. ‘You should not have done that; there is a consequence for doing that. Now, if you have problems, let us see if we can work through those’.
How is it that you have not had, to my knowledge, any $200 fine imposed for not sending kids to school? Now, you have a whole new measure where it is almost $2000. ‘We have become tougher all of a sudden’, says the Labor government. ‘Now you will be fined $2000 for not sending your kids to school’, as though that is going to frighten people. When it was $200 no one was fined. Now it is $2000, the rest of the community that sends their school will say: ‘Wow! That is really tough’. How is it that $200 was never applied? Do they think that $2000 is going to be applied magically, or this is to create the illusion that you are tough, to try to scare people with big words or an extra zero on the number?
The fact is, for practical application, it is more likely someone is going to be able to pay $200 and be given less opportunity for an excuse now that is enlarged to $2000. I know there is a range of other measures, as they will be widely broadcast and explained to people. However, we are in the business of changing behaviour. So, I am puzzled at how it is the government can create the impression that they really are now tough because they have increased the number to a much bigger number, when the small number of $200 was never applied. It shows me that, unless we deal with the underlying problem which is a therapeutic model, the welfare response, the excuse-creating scenario instead of punishment and consequence, then we are not going to have any change.
The Chief Minister likes to taunt - I have to call them empty taunts. Obviously he was not switched on during the 2008 election, nor has he listened or read anything that has been produced since that time. I will outline to him some of the thing we have committed to. Some of those things the Chief Minister has already described - appropriated, altered them slightly for himself, then says the opposition has nothing.
The first thing is based upon the principle that there has to be a consequence, there has to be a change in the Corrections system. That is why prison farms are essential. The Chief Minister would prefer to spend tens, hundreds of millions of dollars on a prison based upon the existing principle, which is of no threat or concern to the majority of people we need to respond to. So, we have more money spent on an existing model.
We have a different approach. We outlined, and continue to hold the position, that there needs to be a complete change in the way we operate Corrections. I notice the member for Barkly had appropriated much of what we put out in 2008. We will continue with that reform to the Corrections system and the way in which it operates - prison farms, work farms. I am on the record, in my many years in this parliament, of describing this - as well as the member for Nelson. That is the way we should go. After 10 years, we have the language change, but we do not have the accompanying action from government. That has to change.
During the last election, I launched in Alice Springs a paper called Return to Wildman River, which was the outline of the type of program that needs to be run for young offenders, based on my own experience. We need to have serious boot camps; a range of options based on the principle that there has to be a consequence and a rebuild of that young person to give them a chance, with some strong male leadership for the young lads in particular, some skill building, and some challenges. We had the language change from government, but we have not seen the action, even since 2008.
We had the constant call from the former member for Araluen, the current member for Araluen, the member for Greatorex, for extra police on the streets – denied, now accepted when it is more politically appropriate for the Labor government. The call for police dogs was rejected during the by-election; now we have them announced. There is a need for a firm approach for those who do not send their kids to school - change of language; we have not seen the accompanying action. These and a number of measures, and more to be described in greater detail to come, are needed, but the important thing - and do not miss it - is the manner in which these are applied that will be the difference. It is not about the spending of money. It is about the way in which that money is spent and what results are achieved from it.
Regarding alcohol, we need a direct response to what is clearly a problem. It will not be easy, but I can see the sort of programs we will be able to run in the Territory. We are required to do so, and the community will support us if we change the way in which we operate our rehabilitation services in combination with the Corrections system; that being the prison farms and serious rehabilitation efforts that deal with the underlying problem, build skills and capacity, and bring about changes in behaviour and opportunity.
That is why there was a call from the federal Opposition Leader, a man I respect. It is essential that we work together on the basis of the underlying principles that will bring about change to ensure that welfare reform occurs to harmonise with whatever changes we bring about with the Corrections system and our education system. We have to bring about the capacity for economic activity, but it has to be through the coordinated effort and a genuine response to a proper understanding of the problem through welfare reform.
I am encouraged by the call made by the Opposition Leader, Mr Tony Abbott. That is a space that I would be more than happy with. In fact, I have met with Mr Abbott to discuss how we can begin to reshape a response to the welfare challenges to create a motivation for work, and to ensure the money that is spent produces some social capital, rather than that which we have, which is the opposite.
I would like to hear a discussion about wet canteens. We have to go there, because you cannot just keep saying alcohol is the problem, turn the tap off and then the problem will go away. Alcohol is going to be with us, as is ganja, and all these other substances. You turn one tap off, another one comes on. We are going to have to recognise alcohol is here. How do we learn to live with it? How do we build the skills in a community to be able to respond to alcohol? It was good to see representatives of Tiwi Islands here and to see the way their canteen works. We need to begin to explore how we can have alcohol in communities, in step with communities. To achieve that, we have to recognise that alcohol is not going to go away. By saying no it is then displaced to other places and we create other problems. We need to look at that.
I look forward to discussions of that nature from many members opposite, those who have insights into this, because the simple premise is it will not go away. Therefore, how do we build the capacity within a community to be able to live with alcohol and consume it responsibly? That, after all, is our goal. You will not achieve that goal if we only consider prohibition as being the means to achieve that.
The notion of mutual obligation needs to be reinforced in how we handle the transaction in the payment of benefits, and the accompanying responsibility and obligation. These ideas are what we really should be discussing, rather than a list of programs which illustrate on the surface a response but, in their substance, will make little difference because we are not recognising, in that response from the Chief Minister, the nature of the problem itself. Until we begin that, there is no chance we are going to have this lovely feeling of bipartisanship if we cannot even agree on the terms of the problem. It is not a political problem, Chief Minister. It is a very real social problem that requires a proper response.
Mr HAMPTON (Central Australia): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, it is a privilege to be here in Alice Springs speaking about the issues and challenges we face in Alice Springs.
During today’s censure motion, I said that Alice Springs is the town at the centre of our country and holds a special place in our nation’s heart. As a government minister who lives here, whose kids have grown up here and gone to school here, who shops here, goes out for dinner and socialises with many people, the issues many parliamentary colleagues have talked about during this debate and the censure motion this morning are issues that I experience on a daily basis, just as everyone else does who lives in Alice Springs.
For me, it is reflecting and saying that Alice Springs is a major service centre for hundreds of communities across Northern Territory, but also into Western Australia and South Australia. People come here to shop, access medical and other services for education and training, to work, to socialise and to visit family.
There are also many other issues we have not touched on to date, particularly regarding medical services. One is renal dialysis treatment, a significant issue that, sadly, is a going to continue to be around for many years to come as the rate of renal disease increases. As a relative of a renal patient I felt the impact that renal disease had on that person’s life. Sadly, he passed away, probably over 12 months ago. He was a very close relative of mine. He lived in a remote community, and I saw the impact it had on him. He did not want to come to Alice Springs. He knew the issues that would come with having to move to Alice Springs to access treatment. The extended family came hoping to get a house in Alice Springs. There were issues of having to deal with extended family members visiting. These are the real issues for real people who face them on a daily basis.
We cannot forget that, in many ways, Alice Springs will have to deal with these issues for a long time to come, particularly when we are talking about renal patients in those remote parts. For a long time, we have assisted renal patients across borders. For many of these issues, there are no borders; we are all Australian. As a community at the heart of this country in Alice Springs, it is the responsibility that we have taken on for a long time, and one we will continue to take on.
Renal disease and dialysis treatment is a significant issue in people having to visit Alice Springs. We talked about the urban drift in regard to the intervention. I hear all the time in my electorate, of people having given up hope in many ways. The Leader of the Opposition talked about mutual obligations, but people feel hopelessness out there. With the intervention, we talk about the urban drift, but there is also the drift that people sometimes do not want. They have no choice when they are suffering from renal disease; it is a matter of life and death for them. From my personal experience with family members having to come in, it is not a shift people want to make; sometimes, they have no choice.
We need to look at the total picture of Alice Springs and Central Australia. It is a town undergoing some real demographic changes. The challenge for all of us - we have the politics in this House, the argy-bargy goes on, but the real challenge is how you respond to these issues. As I said during the censure motion, it is about dealing with these issues and challenges at a community level, a grassroots level, to reach the best outcomes. Through the process we have worked through over the last few months with the community - local problems, local issues being dealt with by local people looking for local solutions is the most powerful way and best way to achieve results. Government has responded in its way; governments have a duty to respond. We have heard many announcements, many programs; however, you need programs to be able to make change.
I will put on the public record some of the responses government has made to address the nine points raised by the Action for Alice group, not all of them, but many of them. The establishment of a new juvenile detention facility for Alice Springs - there has been much talk in the past about Giles House and the role that played in Alice Springs many years ago. That is now open in Alice Springs, very much with a focus on education. The minister for Corrections is driving those reforms. Juvenile detention facilities are an important place to rehabilitate, to re-engage these young people, and to turn their lives around. It is a big announcement; a very important one for Alice Springs to have a juvenile detention facility so there is a greater chance for those young people to turn their lives around.
The introduction of a new offence for breach of bail and a review of the Youth Justice Act - the Attorney-General announced today we have a former Country Liberal member of this parliament, Jodeen Carney, driving the review of the Youth Justice Act. That has been welcomed on both sides of the House and is the genuineness of this government not to play politics but do the right thing. Jodeen will certainly add credibility, enthusiasm and hard work to that review.
We have a Return to Country blitz, back to school. The Leader of the Opposition and many people will talk about truancy. My colleague, the member for Johnston, being the Education minister, is red-hot on the issue of truancy and getting kids to school. The member for Araluen today talked about the attendance rate at Lajamanu being 40%. That is in my electorate and I can tell you it is totally unacceptable. I was only there, probably a week ago, to open the Building the Education Revolution hall and facilities. We can build new classrooms and new halls, but what is the use of them if they are empty? Again, that takes a real response. The response has to come from the community. Governments can build new buildings and impose penalties; however, without the community playing an important role those classrooms will continue to be empty.
Targeted police patrols: we have made announcements about that. I have had quite a few meetings with the Police Commissioner and commanders in the southern region putting across points and issues people are talking to me about - constituents in Alice Springs or in my electorate - and it is really important we continue to talk to the police. They have a very important role, and the recent operations they have conducted have made some significant inroads. Operations Harpoon and Roland are making some big differences to the issues we are tackling in Alice Springs.
In relation to law and order, a police response is very important and the government has, over the past few months, given significant resources to the police to tackle the issues they face.
It is important that we get the community to drive the process we have undertaken it. We have had a couple of workshops over the past week, and there are a couple more which will be occurring. Many people from the community have worked hard over the last few months. I acknowledge the Mayor, Damien Ryan, and the aldermen of the town council, particularly Alderman Sandy Taylor - another born and bred local of Alice Springs who has been very active in these meetings, particularly the meeting with the Indigenous leaders and representatives, but also in the meeting with the broader group the Chief Minister and I conducted. Local people on the council are working with local people towards local solutions. The community action plan is one that should not be sitting on the shelf collecting dust. That is one of the benefits of community driving it: holding government to account. I am sure they will, in two years time when we get parliament back in Alice Springs.
The transformation plan is making a significant difference. We can talk about the dollars, a great deal of money - $150m going into the community of Alice Springs, particularly focusing on town camps - that is making a big difference to the lives of those people living on town camps. We know the figures but I will repeat them: 85 new houses, all 200 existing homes in town camps to be upgraded, 500 beds coming online by the end of the year, looking also at Percy Court for transitional accommodation, and The Lodge in Bath Street for renal patients. As I said previously, renal treatment in Alice Springs is a big issue, and renal accommodation is most needed. The Salvation Army homeless men is another group that sits out on the fringes of our community - homeless, single men who are trying to get their lives together. I had the pleasure of looking at the new rooms at the Salvation Army in Alice Springs. It is going to make a big difference. I know it is only small in the number of rooms - eight rooms to start with - but it is well received by the Salvation Army.
With the social programs, many are being put out to non-government organisations through the joint steering committee of the transformation plan. The joint steering committee should be congratulated. It is made up of the town council; Lhere Artepe, the native title holders of Alice Springs; along with the Tangentyere Council and Commonwealth and Territory government representatives. The joint steering committee takes on the submissions from NGOs and decides which programs are worthy of getting some of that funding to be able to initiate some of these social support programs. Many NGOs have benefited from that.
I again mention the Youth Action Plan. I am quite happy to offer a briefing to the opposition, particularly those members in Alice Springs, because the program has copped much criticism. It is probably hard to see what is going on there but, I can say the centre of the program is the Youth Hub, and it is really taking shape. The other one is the Centralian Middle School. As the Chief Minister said during his statement, much of money has gone in there. I have visited the academy for the girls at the centre, seeing how that program supports mothers and parents in keeping those young girls at school. The Clontarf Academy is another program that is well talked about here. They are getting youth facilities at CMS, as well as the cafeteria. I had the pleasure of meeting some of the students who are doing cooking lessons in the cafeteria and providing meals for students. A lot of work is going on to upgrade the computer lab, the IT room, and gymnasium to provide first-class facilities for kids in Alice Springs at the Centralian Middle School.
The Police Beat at Todd Mall, something Todd Mall traders have been singing out for, for many years, was opened before the expected opening date, and is great reassurance for Todd Mall traders.
There is also the extra safe accommodation for young people. This has been on the list of announcements this government has made in a genuine effort to address the issues. The juvenile safe houses should be opened soon, as well as the expanded juvenile alcohol and other drugs facility here in Alice Springs.
Regarding some of my portfolios, the Chief Minister talked about Sport and Recreation. It is a great portfolio; one that I really do enjoy having. As the Chief Minister said, when I am talking to national sporting bodies it is always front and centre of my mind that Alice Springs should also receive its fair share of top-class sporting events. I can attest to that with the Rugby League. This year, we have had the Cowboys and the Broncos. Unfortunately, it was not the Canberra Raiders, but the AFL …
Members interjecting.
Mr HAMPTON: Yes, I am. Mal Meninga. The AFL is very important. We had WNBL here last year, with the West Coast Waves. It might not sound much, but Hoops for Health is another great event with Timmy Duggan and the crew. It is important the young people of Alice Springs get to see some of their role models. It gives them an opportunity to meet them firsthand. Many of these national sporting teams do a lot of community engagement events. They go to the schools and hospitals, and that is reinforcing positive role models to our young people in Alice Springs.
My son, who is with GWS, was back for a weekend recently. I made him go down to the Clontarf room at Centralian Senior College and talk to the young blokes there. He is probably one or two years older than them, but it is important we give something back to the community. That is why, when I get these sporting teams here, very much part of that is getting these role models to our schools and out to the communities.
Alice Springs is pretty well served when it comes to communications and information technology. The construction of the competitive optic fibre from Adelaide to Darwin and Brisbane to Tennant Creek is almost complete. Nextgen, the company constructing the link, is already offering wholesale services in Alice Springs. The NBN will give rural, regional and remote communities throughout the Territory service on par with urban centres anywhere in Australia.
It is also important to acknowledge our sport and youth facilities in Alice Springs. The Commonwealth government and minister Macklin made some significant announcements recently with the Gap Youth Centre, which is a very important part of the jigsaw for providing youth with activities after hours. I have been pleased to provide them with a boxing ring, something that was probably happening at the Gap Youth Centre in the 1970s when I was growing up there. Getting Boyd Scully from Boxing NT - who has just received an award through the Territory Sports Awards - involved provides another great activity for young people, particularly young men, to get engaged, to let off a bit of steam and to teach them some discipline. I am looking forward to Boyd Scully. He has bridged the gap with the boxing community in the Territory. We were pleased to provide a boxing ring for the Gap Youth Centre to add to the list of activities provided.
Another great venue I have visited a number of times is the Riding for the Disabled at Blatherskite Park. We cannot forget our young people with disabilities. The Riding for the Disabled provides a great activity for those young people. They are linking up well with Acacia Hill, the special school in Alice Springs. The government was very pleased to provide some funding for their new clubhouse.
There are many positives but, in the challenges, government is genuinely putting in the effort to listen to the community, and to act. However, without the community owning the process from here on, I suppose we will continue to play the politics in here.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I am very optimistic of the way forward. I will continue to work as a local member here, as a local resident, with the communities and the groups to find a way forward, and continue to have hope that the community of Alice Springs will move forward.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I would have thought someone who is so passionate about Alice Springs could have delivered that with a bit more gusto. For a guy who claims that Alice is his home and he loves it and the whole bit - you can never get up and not read something, can you? Can you just say something from the heart? It would be wonderful.
Nevertheless, we have this ministerial statement which is, once again, a ministerial puff piece and aimed to filibuster and take up as much time as possible. However, there is one good thing about this: at least it is on Alice Springs and it gives us all an opportunity to speak about the town we know and love so much - some more than others, many would say. In fact, I do say some more than others; notably those on this side than those on the government benches.
Today in my censure motion speech, I alluded to: just watch this space. The Chief Minister will start to rattle off the old lines he constantly does with the clichs that have come out of the mouths of this government for many years, inherited by this Chief Minister from the previous Chief Minister and her various Cabinets and ministers. The old lines are about ‘recognising the problems’ - that features in here. Of course, those who dare to criticise any of the government’s initiatives are ‘talking down the town’ and ‘trashing the town’. That ‘talking down the town’ might have been a phrase coined by the member for Johnston some years ago and it seems to have stuck. They feel it has some sort of ring to it and they have stuck with it. They love to paint those who dare criticise the government’s lack of action towards returning Alice Springs to a safe and secure town as simply talking down the town and, indeed, trashing the town.
There is a line in here - here we go:
- As a community, we need to recognise the problems and face them together, and continue to work together to find some very real solutions, and a way to get Alice back to being the great place we all know and love …
‘To get Alice back’ speaks volumes. Is that to suggest that Alice is not the great place we all know and love? And if that is the case, then what has happened? What has happened to the great Alice Springs, the great place that we all know and love? To get something back indicates that we have lost it. Have we lost the great Alice Springs, the place we all know and love? I say yes, we have. Clearly, the government admits that yes, it has dropped the ball on Alice Springs. It has completely failed the people of Alice Springs and, as the censure motion alluded to today, it is an abject failure of this government to protect the people of Alice Springs.
We now see the government, I suppose, admitting - albeit by default, I say - some pretty sloppy penmanship by one of the fifth floor spin doctors. To get Alice back, yes, it indicates you have lost your way and Alice is not the great place we all know and love, as you claim it is. So, some hypocrisy here but it is just some sloppy speech writing from the government.
Some of the other lines - which I suggested today the Chief Minister would use and, no doubt, he will continue to use over the course of the next couple of days – are that he absolutely ‘understands the very real concerns facing Alice Springs’ and ‘his government is going to take immediate action’. He suggested, as alluded to this morning, it has ‘made significant inroads’ into reducing crime, and then ran through a few statistics. What did he do? He did just that. He ran through a few of the statistics, a few of the things it has done. You will see it here on page 2: 1494 litres of alcohol confiscated; 64 arrests; 19 truancy reports; five child abuse reports; 70 youths and 26 adults taken home or to a safe place. He ran through a few stats, lumped them all together, and it sounded pretty impressive - that is the whole point of this.
He did just as alluded to, as predicted. He spoke about how he met with numerous community groups, tourism operators, business operators and the Alice Springs Town Council. He could not bring himself to speak to the crowd outside today. A pretty simple gesture I would have thought - pretty easy for a supposedly thick-skinned politician and Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. I would not have thought it would have been too hard to engage with the crowd. They only started shouting when he did not turn up. They were quite subdued, and simply voicing their concerns with their feet at the very beginning. There was really no hoo-hah. I saw on the news he did not want to get into some megaphone shouting match. If he turned up there would not have been any megaphone shouting.
Hardly engaging! Happy to engage on his own terms as we suggested today; if it suits him and he is playing to the right crowd and they are all singing on his hymn sheet, etcetera, he is more than happy to engage. Dare not criticise him, and dare not criticise his government’s initiatives because that will be viewed as talking down the town and trashing the reputation of Alice Springs. Once again, he suggested the television campaign is to be blamed for all the ill-will towards Alice Springs - this is resonating across the country. It is simply a symptom of the government’s abject failure. These are symptoms; these are not the problems. Nicholas Rothwell - how dare he sit back and write an article …
A member interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: Yes, no doubt. But, Nicholas Rothwell is being criticised by the government for writing an article in The Australian a few months ago. The local media, the national media, Radio National, 2GB were doing a few things and The Australian - what is happening here is all over interstate newspapers because it is their fault. It is the journalist’s fault; the newspaper’s fault for reporting on this. They are reporting on problems, I would have thought. Where does the problem go?
The Chief Minister talked about alcohol and the whole bit. Oh God, we have not mentioned alcohol - we are completely skimming over the issue. We have mentioned alcohol ad nauseum in this House. People know all too well where we stand on the alcohol issue, and to allude we are going to open up the bottle shops for an extra four hours and pour more alcohol onto the problem is quite absurd. It is not alcohol per se that is the problem. The people who have a problem with alcohol are the problem. It is like saying let us remove all vehicles from the road because there are too many road fatalities, so it is the car’s fault. It is this logic the government has in joining these dots which is totally illogical.
We understand completely the impact of alcohol on our society. We see it; we live it. We in Central Australia live and breathe this on a daily basis. We are all too well aware of the impact of alcohol on our society. The problem is this government’s alcohol policies have failed.
You started off very early - we go back to 2005 and the alcohol framework. This media release was not by the 81st most powerful person in the Territory, Mr O’Leary, but one of the whiz kids on the fifth floor: ‘Alcohol framework was to reduce risky drinking’ - that was October 2005. ‘Parliament passes tough antisocial behaviour laws’ - 26 February 2006. I move to Alice Springs, 4 May 2006, the Alice Springs Alcohol Task Force – yet another plank to an existing failed policy. ‘Let us bolster it up this way’. This was going to be the be-all and end-all of your alcohol reforms. In 2006, here we go: ‘Task Force bans tightening of takeaways’. 9 June 2006: ‘New takeaways restricted AS’. I am guessing that is supposed to be Alice Springs. Still more in 2006 - a lot of media releases in the space of a couple of months: ‘The Martin government proud of its track record on alcohol reform’ said that great guy, Syd Stirling, former Alcohol Policy minister on 25 July 2006. ‘Alice Springs alcohol plan – progress on alcohol but more to do’, ‘Crackdown on alcohol abuse continues’.
These are all your media releases. This was the member for Johnston, the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing: ‘Crackdown on alcohol abuse continues’. The former Minister for Central Australia: ‘Alice alcohol initiatives show progress’.
This is quite a lengthy category in this folder I have here, but you can see it illustrates we are up to you two years down the track, we have a dozen media releases about ways to bolster this so-called alcohol policy the government has. All it is doing is: ‘The previous policy was not working so, here we go, we are going to apply more layers to the existing policy because we have not quite got it right’.
‘Alcohol restrictions working in Alice Springs’, ‘Alcohol court discussion paper released’, ‘Alcohol initiatives working in Central Australia’ - yeah, right! - and so forth and so on. The buy-back of liquor licenses in Alice Springs - now this is a good one. You have yet to buy back one single liquor licence. That was announced, I think, in 2008 - it could have been 2007, but certainly three to four years old. The Northern Territory government was committed to buying back alcohol licences. I remember asking a question in estimates, something about Treasury having to come up with a price. No one could find an acceptable price for these, or agree on a price with the licensee and the government. Anyway, we are still yet to see that particular plank of this so-called alcohol management plan - or whatever they call it these days - initiated.
Essentially, the Country Liberals understand the impact of alcohol on our society. I have been on the record on numerous occasions in this House, in my former portfolio as shadow Alcohol Policy minister, engaging rigorously in the debate regarding alcohol and the impact of alcohol on our community. We do not shy away from that. We certainly do not think our only policy is to open up the bottle shops for an extra four hours, and that is it. That is all we are going to do; that is the only plank to our whole alcohol policy.
The government talks about solutions: ‘What are you guys going to do? You get up and bang on about things’. We have already said it. You do not listen, or you do not take the time, you are not careful. No thought goes into any of your arguments; you simply sit here and say: ‘The Country Liberals want to pour more grog, open up the rivers of grog’, etcetera. We have taken to an election the mandatory rehabilitation program. Mandatory rehabilitation was one of our major policy markers of the 2008 election platform - something the government did not have in place at the time but has since adopted.
Our boot camps and our youth camps would get young people on the road to recovery; off their wayward rails on the road to recovery. Mandatory rehabilitation, as I said, is about not filling up our prisons with drunks, but identifying those who have serious problems with alcohol - whoever they might be - and placing them into a mandatory rehabilitation facility so they cannot only dry out and quench that thirst for alcohol - pardon the pun - but quench the thirst for the demand for alcohol, not just the supply.
We believe this is where the government’s policies fall over. You say we do not talk about alcohol. Well, we are not just into supply restrictions; it has to be about demand as well. You need to diminish a person’s demand or desire for alcohol. You cannot just close this bottle shop down here, slap on a restriction over there, ban a person from drinking over here, and close your eyes and hope that this all going to work, because it will not and it has not. That person’s demand and desire for alcohol has to cease. That is exactly what our mandatory rehabilitation facilities were all about. It was getting that person off the grog and equipping them with some skills to re-enter society, if you like, in a meaningful capacity. Let them have some job skill: a ticket to drive a forklift, a diesel generator mechanic, or whatever it might be. There are diesel generators in communities all over the place, and there are hardly any mechanics to fix them.
Of course, it is about basic numeracy and literacy. It is not about just putting people into prisons, clogging up our prisons full of drunks to get them off the street because we are sick of seeing drunks around the place. Everyone is sick of seeing drunks around the place - there is no doubt about it. However, you cannot just have this one punitive measure; you have to think bigger.
We have thought bigger - at least we can go back to the 2008 election. We went to the 2008 election with that very clear policy. It was a very clear policy difference to the Northern Territory government at the time. Since then, the Northern Territory government has adopted, in most part, our policy, although there is still something in the language: ‘may’ be directed to a mandatory rehabilitation facility. There is still this wriggle room, this therapeutic jurisprudence approach by the Northern Territory government which is ingrained into the ideology of Labor governments - nothing about individual responsibility. They dumb it down to the lowest common denominator.
That was very clear policy we had in 2008 and we still have that policy. We are trying to further enhance it because, as time goes by, more information comes to hand and situations change - whatever it might be. Life moves pretty quickly and things change so you have to adapt with the times. We have a very clear policy when it comes to alcohol rehabilitation.
Boot camps - you only have to go back to 2004-05, before I was a member of parliament, and the member for Blain - in his capacity as shadow minister for just about everything, as it was in those days when there were only four members - introduced the discussion paper, Beyond Wildman River. This was a wonderful discussion paper about boot camps and taking it beyond that, trying to have some gap between being arrested and then automatically into a diversionary program. This started this whole boot camp approach by the Country Liberals. We have spoken about that on numerous occasions: boot camps and youth camps for our young people who find themselves in that situation, for all sorts of reasons - some through their own fault, others because they are just a victim of their circumstances.
We see so many tragic circumstances in the Northern Territory, with lack of parental guidance and that sort of stuff, and at so many levels. Some of these kids have no other choice. They do not know any better, never mind making a choice to get off the rails. That was another policy, another solution.
We have brought into this House numerous bills that are constantly defeated, addressing many of these issues. I do not know how many motions …
Mr CHANDLER: Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move an extension of 10 minutes for my colleague, the member for Greatorex, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr CONLAN: Thank you, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker. How many motions have we brought through this House? A simple look through old Notice Papers would show. I am sure the Clerks have some idea; they have seen it all before. We constantly bring motions, bills, and amendments to this place in keeping with our policies, and they are constantly defeated. I guess that is the cut and thrust of being in opposition as opposed to being in government.
Nevertheless, it is a bit rich to say we have no solutions, and that we just bang on about all the bad stuff that is going on around the joint. We are doing our damndest in opposition to improve the Northern Territory and make it a better place, by highlighting the areas you are failing in. I am terribly sorry if it gets a little heated and you get a little insulted by it, or just a little precious that the poor old opposition is having a go at the government. For goodness sake!
We see the same language coming from the government. We see smear campaigns, dirty tricks, and trying to hijack the parliamentary agenda to suit. Not only will the Chief Minister not go out and front the people today, I saw an e-mail that said at least Clare Martin had the intestinal fortitude to get out there and speak to those people. Yes, at least she did. She is in a whole different league to our current Chief Minister; there is no doubt about it. If you ever needed further proof, that was demonstrated today.
The Chief Minister will use all sorts of tactics to divert from the real problems. Crime is a real problem in the Northern Territory. It is a very real problem here in Alice Springs. As I said today, people have better things to do with their time than stand out here at 9 am, 10 am on a Tuesday when they should be at work or running their business, trying to desperately attract the attention of the government and plead for some kind of help. They have much better things to do with their time and money than to put it into television commercials to try to attract the attention of the government.
People want to get on with their lives. They want government to get out of their lives so they can get on with their lives. What is wrong with wanting to live in a safe and secure community, particularly in a small country town? I say country town but, as I said before, Alice Springs is a city - one of the most iconic ones in the country. It is still a nice country town; it is a small community. Everyone knows everyone or someone knows someone who knows someone. What is wrong with wanting to be able to go to work and walk across the street without being attacked, abused, or suffering numerous other sorts of assaults that take place - either physical or verbal assault or whatever it might be? Is that too much to expect? Is that too much to expect that we can, in the 21st century, live in a society like that where governments live up to their fundamental responsibility by providing a safe and secure town for its residents?
Yes, there are numerous other things to be tackled. We have problems with health. Health is not easy. Education is not easy. There are all these sorts of things that need the attention of government but, until you can arrest - for lack of a better term - the law and order problem, until you can give the community some sort of breathing space, you are never going to have the time or the luxury to be able to concentrate on those bigger issues. You are never going to be able to solve those issues.
We talked today about urban drift and the government was trying to paint some sort of division with the member for Fong Lim, who was simply stating there is absolutely nothing out there for people and that is why it is better they come into town. Of course, it is because there is nothing out in those communities for people in health clinics, schools, or basic infrastructure. There is not that sort of thing. Of course people should come into town if they want to have some quality of life. That is all he was saying.
We can improve the quality of life for people in the remote parts of the Northern Territory. We have suggested this on numerous occasions. If we could have some sort of access to this land, then you could start developing projects there which would create a population of sorts and, once you have a population and an economic base, then you could start putting hospitals and schools there. One of the ways we have suggested doing that is the patriation of the Land Rights Act. What is wrong with that in the 21st century?
Even the member for Braitling alluded to that in a roundabout way, talking about the town camps and getting the private sector in there – putting $150m into these town camps through the private sector; it is not that hard. The flights of fancy the government embarks on miss the point. You are wasting your and everyone’s time - wasting our time and the general public’s time and money. You are talking down to us. You say we are talking down the town and trashing the reputation of Alice Springs. I say you are talking down to the people of Alice Springs. You are trashing their reputation and insulting their intelligence by the constant stream of media releases - back-slapping and self-aggrandising puff.
I raise the interesting issue of the mobile police station. This was going to be the greatest thing to tackle crime in the Northern Territory - probably Australia, probably the world if you believe the media releases.
If you go back to June 2006: ‘New Mobile Police Station for Alice Springs’. Mobile police station targets crime anywhere, anytime. ‘Mobile police station a hit in Alice’ - this was in 2006. We have not seen too many more releases about the mobile police station. I will tell you where it is: it is near my office between the Yipirinya centre and the court. There is a little laneway at the back of the cells. The police station is sitting there every single day collecting dust. It never moves. In fact, I might start a Facebook campaign, take a photo of it every day and post it on Facebook to attract attention, because we all know once attention is attracted and the government’s failures start to be highlighted, then we might see something. There is a very expensive - the amount of money this costs is quite extraordinary; $100 000 - mobile police station, fully air-conditioned and has Intel, the whole thing. The government crowed about it incessantly when it came out - one in Alice, one in Darwin. You put one in Alice Springs: ‘It is going to really help you guys, it is going to be a great tool; an effective tool to combat law and order’. Yet, it just sits there - what a waste! How can we believe anything you say? How can we believe anything?
Dr Burns: I would not bring that one up?
Mr CONLAN: You can bring up anything up you like. Member for Johnston, I have your measure. You can bring on anything …
Members interjecting.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr CONLAN: I am looking forward to engaging in this pathetic motion brought before the House, once again to divert from the real issues of Alice Springs. To play into some leadership division, some wedge politics, is fine. People know you for who you are. They have stopped listening. I am looking forward to engaging in that debate. However, that is for another day, member for Johnston. I do not think you are the sort of person who can get on your high horse and start chest-beating about this stuff. No one can believe anything you say. People stopped listening to you a long time ago, particularly the member for Johnston in his utter failure in just about every portfolio known to man.
The fact is you guys say one thing and do another. The people of Alice Springs have lost confidence in you. You missed an opportunity; you wasted 10 years. You wasted probably one of the best decades of any Australian Labor Party in the history of Australian politics - you absolutely blew it and people know it all too well.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, once again we have this puff piece by the Chief Minister. I have treated it as it deserves - it is not worth the paper it is written on. In fact, the only good thing about this ministerial puff piece is it has the words ‘Alice Springs’ it in. It is great to see Alice Springs made mention of occasionally in this parliament.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, it is great to be here this evening to talk on what a great town Alice Springs is. It is a beautiful town; it has a rich history and a very dynamic future. When you get around town and listen to different business people, business is thriving and they have a very strong and positive attitude about business opportunities in this town at the moment.
Obviously, the tourism sector is hurting – as are tourism sectors across our great nation - particularly with the concerns the tourism operators have regarding the impacts on tourism in Alice Springs by the negative campaign being run by some sectors of the business community. This comes after a very positive period promoting tourism and Alice Springs by the dynamic Oprah with her visit to Uluru and her reach to millions of viewers worldwide. It was a real opportunity to capitalise on tourism opportunities for Central Australians and the service and tourism hub of Alice Springs. That is a body of work we will continue to do, and our Tourism Minister is very much at the forefront of driving that.
That is why the government has said the advertising undertaken by the Action for Alice group is trashing the town needlessly. I say needlessly because the government has come out with a raft of commitments for tackling the concerns the Action for Alice group had regarding the unacceptable levels of crime that occurred through the Christmas period. These commitments follow meetings the government had with the Action for Alice group in January - meetings I conducted with the Minister for Central Australia. We listened very intently to the concerns they had, packed together a body of work and responded in a very significant way to their concerns. I will go through those responses and what they mean in a practical sense.
That was all before the advertising campaign ran. I find the member for Greatorex somewhat disingenuous in his claim in his contribution to this debate that the protest was about those people just trying to attract the attention of government. I can say categorically the Action for Alice, the business people, and the residents of Alice Springs have the attention of government, have had the attention of government, and will continue to have the attention of government. Why? Because we are responsible for governing people wherever they live in the Territory.
We have a very strong Minister for Central Australia who advocates tirelessly at the Cabinet table, in all of our Caucus and government discussions, about how to improve the conditions in Alice Springs - whether it is sporting opportunities, health, youth services, or education. Alice Springs is a service hub for the remote communities in Central Australia. He has been a strong advocate for the Alice Springs Transformation Plan, the Alice Spring Youth Action Plan - and I will talk about the ANZAC Hill Youth Hub operating now - and, obviously, of land releases. Government has actually taken action on land release in Alice Springs. Without land release, it is going to be difficult to achieve the economic prosperity Alice Springs can realise due to its fantastic location as a key service hub for this entire region of our nation which, of course, gives it those tourism opportunities, including the service reach into Western Australia and South Australia, quite aside from the service provision for Territorians throughout Central Australia.
We are also looking at the bright prospects for the future in the resources sector and the work Arafura Resources is doing at Nolans Bore with the rare earth prospects. There is a lot of mining investment occurring in this town; so much so, I was talking to an astute businessman, a Territorian who is about to open up an office in Alice Springs for supplies to the mining sector. He sees that business is thriving.
When I talk about business thriving, it is not just what the Treasurer is saying. I actually take the time to engage with the banks. If you do not know what your financial institutions are doing in their loan books then you do not have a genuine picture about what is happening in economic growth in the private sector in a region or town. So, when you talk to the banks, the financial institutions, the lenders, they are saying they are doubling their loan’s book - have doubled their loan’s book to businesses in Alice Springs in the last year. What that means is the banks, in this very tough, tight economic climate post the global financial crisis, do not lend easy these days. They have moved much of their lending delegations south.
That is a key issue that I raise, as Treasurer, on behalf of businesses in the Territory constantly to the major lenders in the financial institutions. They have tightened up their lending practices and they do not lend very easily at all. When they do approve a loan to a business, there is a reason for it; it is a very viable enterprise. The growth is there …
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Ms LAWRIE: No, we are not talking credit card overdrafts, clown for Port Darwin. We are talking business loans, written as investment from the financial institutions into the businesses thriving in Alice Springs - despite the doom and gloom of the member for Greatorex, who has a very narrow perspective on what it takes to grow a dynamic town such as Alice Springs.
The levers of land release are occurring. We were landlocked here prior to a Labor government because of the failed ideology of the CLP which would not negotiate with the traditional owners of Alice Springs. Labor came in, commenced negotiations, and we have had successful land releases at Larapinta with Rydges Estate, Sterling Heights, and we have the successful land release at Mt Johns Valley, showing that we can release land in Alice Springs. It is an investment in the growth of Alice Springs, providing for innovative planning for planning new subdivisions south of the town.
The new suburb of Kilgariff sits adjacent to that all-important airport land. We have worked with the airport authority to ensure we have federal government sign-off on their ability to release residential there as well. We have been moving industrial opportunities south of The Gap as well.
As I said, as a government, we recognise absolutely that a significant issue confronting Alice Springs now, and over a growing period of some years now, is the way alcohol is fuelling violence. It is absolutely unacceptable. Alice Springs went through a crime wave during the Christmas period, and the government has responded to that crime rate with police resources; with a new funded position with that Senior Sergeant to coordinate police patrols. We have responded with action in putting in place funding, resourcing, outfitting, and now operating a juvenile Corrections facility in Alice Springs. That facility is also running an education program, as the Chief Minister said. We are also undertaking two Return to Country blitzes to coincide with back to school.
We have announced our review of the Youth Justice Act. I note that the opposition has tried to play catch-up there. It rushed out a media release this morning about the Youth Justice Act. It has just come on the radar. Well, we were out there in January talking about it, and we have already announced who is leading that work for us, the former member for Araluen, Jodeen Carney.
The targeted police patrols have had a significant effect. We are getting some very real results out of them. I will talk in detail about that. Establishing a series of safe houses, providing for the police to take the kids off the street at night, is critical to making the streets safer, but also protecting children from being at risk. The work is under way to get those safe houses operational.
There is the provision - I think, a critical provision - of an expanded alcohol and other drugs juvenile facility. We have announced the site. We said it will be at the former Centre for Applied Technology site in Priest Street. We are working very closely with tiers of government and the non-government organisation in the box seat to operate that. BushMob is doing a good job; we have recognised that.
We have the most comprehensive action plan to focus on youth at risk and their families in making our community safer. We have been giving police, the youth service providers, the welfare agencies, and the courts greater tools to target and intervene early for youth at risk, and to tackle antisocial behaviour. These initiatives will continue. We will continue to work with the community. It needs to be at that grassroots level, with the non-government organisations. It needs to be with the families who are at risk to turn around the profile of the significant cohort of young people at risk on the streets, and get them into safer living environments, and attending school every day. We have the Every Child, Every Day policy that has been announced and also, importantly, resourced. We already have those truancy patrols up and running and doing their work. I know the minister for Education has worked tirelessly to get the legislation in place to support all of that.
When you talk about Alice Springs and the transformation of Alice Springs, whether it is an economic transformation or a social transformation, you cannot go past that significant historic investment in the town camps. If you had continued to neglect the town camps, as governments of the past have done, you are really not getting to the core of where the hub of the social problems are generated from in Alice Springs.
The town camp investment of $150m being spent here, into the pockets of local businesses to build 85 new houses, refurbish 200 houses, is about changing the living environment of the residents of Alice Springs for the better, forever, to transform them into normalisation. We have garbage services there now; streets being built; kerbing being put in; constructing housing; and refurbishing housing. It is literally transforming the way those town camps not only look, but the way they operate.
How do you also change the way they operate? By funding social services to deal with the dysfunction of families and the environment of risk that has occurred in the past in the town camps. It is still occurring today because we are still tackling that mountain of need. There is $15m going into social services to support the transformation of the Alice Springs town camps. When you look at what we have achieved to date with that program, 18 new houses have been built, 31 rebuilds and refurbishments have been completed, and 11 are under way.
Together with that accommodation growth are other accommodation facilities; for example, on South Terrace the new visitor park, Percy Court, The Lodge, the Salvation Army. Look at all that. We are putting 520 additional beds into Alice Springs, open and operational by the end of 2011 because, if you are genuinely going to deal with the social challenges of Alice Springs, you have to provide accommodation. And not just one set of accommodation. You have to provide a range of accommodation options, and that is what all of that work is doing.
Look at some of those support services that are up and running and funded as a result of the transformation plan for Alice Springs. There is the Domestic and Family Violence Outreach program; there is the ready and willing for school; there is a dog control program; a targeted family support program; family group conferencing; the safe and sober program that I believe Congress is doing a fantastic job operating; the alcohol rehabilitation unit fit-out; a community for children; the youth centre upgrade; a hostel fit-out; the sustainable tenancy support - and we know, you need to put sustainable tenancy support in place when you are building new houses and refurbishing existing houses; and there is assistance for a playgroup.
We also have that funded position to coordinate the patrols. When I met with several stakeholders through January when I was the Acting Chief Minister, the feedback I received was we recognised that the coordinator position for the patrols was a significant need, and we stepped up and filled it straightaway. I have to say you do get, despite the doom and gloom of the CLP, some genuinely positive feedback to actions you take from the groups which have been raising the concerns. I thank the people who gave us that positive feedback regarding the patrol coordinator position. That is not where it stops as far as I am concerned because the patrols have to improve. You have to coordinate them, but they have become improved patrols at the same time.
We are in the process of buying back liquor licences in Alice Springs. Negotiations are continuing with those three licensees. I am advised we are very close to finalising one, and we are in solid negotiations with two others. We have literally had to go through their books and financial audit to arrive at a price for the buy-back.
Regarding the Youth Action Plan in Alice Springs, that hub is operational at ANZAC Hill. I publicly recognise and thank John Adams. He has much experience in working with youth at risk in Alice Springs. He had done many years work with Tangentyere before he came on board to work for the government. He is coordinating and operating the Alice Springs Youth Action Plan. If anyone can pull together government service delivery and non-government organisations in the youth sector, John Adams can and is. He is proving he is worth his weight in gold and pulling together that ANZAC Hill hub. It is up and operational and will go a significant way in making inroads into the challenging behaviours and issues of our young people in Alice Springs.
You cannot do it without the parents. You cannot do it without sheeting responsibility back home to the parents. That is why we need to continue to focus on the entire family environment, not just the kids, and need to sheet home responsibility to the parents. That is why we put in place the youth safe house process to get the kids off the street at night.
There have been achievements. I know everyone in the opposition thinks nothing has happened in 10 years, that we are never going to do anything, and we do not care. Well, it is wrong. It is a pretty facile argument to run and it is wrong. We know the opposition is against Police Beats - it campaigned against them and publicly stated it would close them down. Despite that, we opened a Police Beat in the Todd Mall. Feedback from traders has been very positive.
The No School, No Service program has been pursued by the Minister for Central Australia. He has been successful in introducing the program and getting support from local businesses. I put on record my thanks to local businesses for getting behind the No School, No Service program.
The government provided additional funding of $75 000 to the Alice Springs Gap Youth Centre. You have to provide a range of youth diversion options, recreation activities, and also the important mentoring, getting in and dealing with the self-esteem and risk issues those kids have. The Youth Street Outreach Service is a government-funded service. It started off operating three nights a week and is now operational seven nights a week and has been so since late last year. They have moved into new premises at the ANZAC Hub. I put on record my thanks to those workers in the Youth Outreach Service. I have been out on patrol at night in Alice Springs with them, and they are doing a fantastic job. It is a dynamic service honed to understanding their clientele, the youth of Alice Springs.
We are under way with our planning work in the repairs and maintenance we have to undertake to create the safe houses. We are currently going through the process of spending some $6.4m in upgrading Centralian Middle School. The Minister for Central Australia spoke about those terrific, state-of-the-art facilities being put into the school, and also the capital and recurrent required for the ANZAC Hill Youth Hub.
Police and service providers are taking part in what we call inter-agency operations and patrols that target truancy and young people on the streets at night. You cannot do all this without improving your education services, getting kids to school, and providing the right supports at the schools, which we are funding and improving.
As Minister for Alcohol Policy, I am intent on introducing the raft of reforms to turn the problem drinker off tap. We are starting to get down to trite comments by the Leader of the Opposition such as ‘prohibition does not work’. Well, truly, Sherlock! We all know prohibition does not work. I did not use the quote accurately there; however, I am sure people know the quote. Well, Sherlock, prohibition does not work; we know it does not work. What we are introducing is not prohibition; it is turning the problem drinker off tap. We are not affecting the broader supply laws as they exist; we are not changing them. We are not saying the average person who is reasonable and responsible with their drinking, the average licensee who is reasonable and responsible with what they are doing - we are not changing that scenario.
However, if someone has a problem, if they are in and out of police protective custody three times in three months, they have a big problem and are being turned off the tap. If they are bashing another person in a domestic violence situation which is grog-fuelled, they are going to be turned off the tap. If they are committing crime and violence which are grog-fuelled, they will be turned off the tap. They will be banned from purchasing, possessing, or consuming alcohol. Yes, we have secondary supply measures in our reforms. Yes, we have a tribunal established to deal with the clinical assessments. Yes, we have mandatory treatment.
I go to the member for Greatorex’s 2008 election commitment. Oh, spare me! As the Treasurer, I went through your election commitments as presented and as costed. You had one rehab facility in those commitments in Katherine. Tell me how one rehab facility in Katherine was going to help the good folk of Alice Springs? Explain that one to me, member for Greatorex. In stark contrast, the government recognises you need a range of rehab …
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker! Pursuant to Standing Order 77, I move that the Treasurer be given an extension of time.
Motion agreed to.
Ms LAWRIE: Overwhelming support from parliamentarians, thank you; I truly appreciate that.
One rehab facility costed in their 2008 election commitment was not a mandatory treatment provider, I have to say. What you actually need is a range of rehab and medical interventions across the Territory because it is probably no surprise to Territorians that problem drinkers are everywhere in the Territory. They are not just in Alice Springs and Katherine; they are also in Darwin, Palmerston, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Nhulunbuy, and Groote Eylandt. In fact, it was the Groote Eylandt alcohol management plan that set our government on the path of understanding the complex myriad of reforms we are bringing into parliament tomorrow.
The member for Greatorex went through all the media releases about alcohol. Yes, we have been on a journey, as a government, to try to put in place the policy, tools, and settings to reduce the impact of grog on our community across the Territory. We make no apology for the alcohol management plans we have put in place, because we are seeing results out of those alcohol management plans. The Groote Eylandt reforms, for example, have led to a 75% reduction in assaults as a result of the Groote Eylandt alcohol management plan and permit system.
Nhulunbuy is getting similar great results in violence reduction. We have created the raft of the latest reforms out of the evidence we have seen in the success of those reforms in Groote and Nhulunbuy, and understanding how a reduction in pure alcohol sales has occurred through restrictions in Alice Springs and Katherine through the ID system, and why you need an ID system to support a banned drinker register. Otherwise, how are you going to identify the person who has been turned off the tap? However, the CLP is still choosing to bury its head in the sand on that particular issue and not respond.
If you look at Alice Springs and the alcohol restrictions to date, the Menzies report, which evaluated from 2006 to 2008, showed there was an 18% drop in pure alcohol sales. What we have seen, just from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010 - the last calendar year if you like - were 9009 times when the ID system in Alice Springs stopped people from buying grog when they were not allowed to – 9009 attempts to buy grog while prohibited or in breach of liquor supply plan. Can you imagine how worse it would be if there had not been those 9009 stoppages? We know it is bad. Can you imagine how much worse it would have been? The ID system has detected and refused the sales.
Late last year, a trauma surgeon at the Alice Springs Hospital reported there had been a significant drop in the number of women being treated for stab wounds. I will quote Dr Jacob who said:
- … on average we used to get 250 female victims every year. Last year …
That was 2009:
- … the number has been significantly reduced to 146.
No one wants to see 146 women being stabbed, and we sure as hell do not want to see 250 a year being stabbed. We have a long way to go, but we are making inroads into reducing those serious assaults. Why? Because we stepped up to the plate and introduced alcohol restrictions.
Dr Jacob went on to say:
- Various things have contributed to this, but I think alcohol restrictions is a major factor.
Like it or not, that is what a trauma surgeon at the hospital said.
Since the introduction of the alcohol management plan in 2006, the Menzies report analysis and evaluation showed serious assaults had dropped by 21% and, since 2000-01, serious assaults had dropped by 25 000.
No crime is acceptable. There is not a politician who will say crime is acceptable. We are all here to pass laws to provide a safer community, as well as a raft of improved government services. We have had extra police on the ground in Alice Springs running operations. Operation Harpoon, from 7 to 21 January of this year, targeted the increasing number of unlawful entries and youth activities in Alice by the engagement of youth, and both mobile and static patrols of identified hot spots – 26 offenders were arrested; 47 charges were laid.
Operation Overseer, from 9 February, was to address antisocial behaviour and youth concerns during the evening and night within Alice, with up to six additional officers per night in addition to response patrols and police teams. They focused on the CBD, 24-hour Store, Gap Road, and the Royal Flying Doctor lawns in Stuart Terrace. The outcomes: 494 incidents of protective custody, 394 incidents where liquor was tipped out, 28 arrests made, 15 summary infringement notices issued, 22 incidents of liquor banning notice, and one incident of breach of liquor banning notice. As I said, supporting these operations is the work undertaken by the new patrol coordinator and those all-important youth services, particularly the Youth Outreach Service at night.
From 3 to 30 March: 45 arrests; 451 protective custodies; 1028 litres of liquor tipped out; 1751 people moved on; 33 summary infringements; and 22 traffic infringements.
What we are hearing from the police is that Operation Roland is impacting on driving down criminal activity, particularly those unlawful entries that were spiking through the Christmas period, both in commercial and residential property. That is the government’s response: extra police, crackdown, bringing in new laws, toughening up, and putting in and funding a range of services. In response, the CLP want to have CCTV monitoring returned to Alice Springs. What that would actually mean is they want to take the police off the street in Alice and put them in front of TV monitors. Well, anyone who still thinks that is fabulous, have a look at the Peter McAulay Centre and the monitoring that is occurring 24/7 through CCTV now that has been brought into that monitoring hub.
We know the CLP wants to extend the supply of grog for another four hours a day - open it up, pour grog onto the street. That is really going to help people – not!
In the accommodation options, as I said, 520 beds are coming online in Alice Springs, and that is brought about by $8m at the accommodation park; $4.5m for the Bath Street renal accommodation; and we are spending $1.5m on a project in tourism to improve the West Macs Visitor Centre. The investment in civil infrastructure, over the last few years and currently, runs to the tens of millions of dollars. Current projects include: $11m on that middle school; $3m on the Ross Park School upgrade; $950 000 for upgrades to police housing; installation of a hybrid solar diesel power station at Watarrka Ranger Station at a cost of $460 000; approximately $2m upgrade at the Alice Springs Hospital just on their central sterilisation department; the hospital also has a $1.5m installation of stairwell pressurisation. The hospital also has an upgrade and rectification of the mental health ward at $2.8m.
In design, we have a whole raft of projects. This expenditure not only improves the facilities in Alice Springs, it also puts money into the pockets of local businesses, the local tradies, and that is a very fine outcome in business growth and opportunities in Alice Springs.
You can continue the doom and gloom of the CLP. You can continue to trash Alice Springs. The government will continue to say that Alice Springs is a dynamic, culturally diverse service hub for the centre of our great nation. We will support it through a range of improved services, from policing to education, to health. to sport, to youth, to housing. It is an entire construction and social transformation occurring in Alice Springs at a rate that has never occurred before in its history. There is also the vision of opening up land and building south of The Gap at the new suburb of Kilgariff sitting alongside the airport land, to provide certainty for the future residential and industrial growth of Alice Springs.
Part of the vision of understanding is that it actually takes a joint effort of work between the three tiers of government - federal, Territory and local - to pull together to work with the community to deliver a change in the social and the economic outcomes for the people of Alice Springs and the region which they service.
We are never going to stop listening; we are never going to stop engaging with the people. I know there is a great annoyance about our community forums running at the moment and the community plan, but it is about working with people. We are absolutely committed to continuing to work with the people of Alice Springs, continuing to work with the people who live in the region of Central Australia who are serviced by Alice Springs.
In closing, I point out to the member for Greatorex that he is wrong. There are health clinics and schools in remote communities. He stood in parliament today, in his debate, and said there are not. He needs to get out, visit the remote communities and see what is happening. We have improved the health clinics and the schools, and we are staffing them at levels they have never been staffed previously.
Madam Deputy Speaker, it is a real opportunity for the economic and social growth of our growth towns and supporting the communities around them. I believe that is a significant challenge we are all up for. We have been significantly down the path of improving the bush, and we will continue.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, at the outset, I have to say we have been talking about the doom and gloom, I suppose, and that is fair enough. However, last Sunday morning, I walked along the Stuart Highway on a beautiful Dry Season morning in Alice Springs and thought it was paradise. I know there are issues, but one thing I will certainly promote is how beautiful Alice Springs looked on that Sunday morning.
I was walking along and I noticed all the native plants along the Stuart Highway. I congratulate Geoff Miers who, for many years, has been a great spokesman for Alice Springs especially in the horticultural side of things. Years and years ago, the Department of Transport and Works, I think, was going to plant roses and all sorts of lovely things up and down the Stuart Highway. He stuck up for putting Alice Springs native plants along that highway. When I walked along there the other day, it reminded me of how someone had the foresight and the belief that Alice Springs should look like Alice Springs and not a suburb of Adelaide. It really was beautiful.
I must admit there were no problems at that time of the morning. It was very peaceful. Even though we have troubles which we have been talking about today and will be talking about more, I still think Alice Springs is a beautiful town. I do not want to go back to a cyclone; that is all I can say. That looks like what those who come from the north will be going home to on the weekend.
I do not want to say too much about what I have already said this morning, but I might be asking some questions to find out whether the government has considered some of the things I spoke about.
Naturally, one of the big issues - and the Chief Minister mentioned it in his statement - is alcohol. I am not going to talk all night on alcohol because the government has put forward its five-point strategy. That will raise many issues when it comes before parliament in the next sittings. I came across a document which I ask members to look at as part of the debate. It is called Dealing with alcohol in Alice Springs – an assessment of policy options and recommendations for actions. It was put together by a Maggie Brady, a visiting Research Fellow of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies in Canberra, and Dr David Martin, a Research Fellow of the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Australia National University. There is a foreword by Professor Jon Altman, foundation director of CAEPR, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, and Richard Preece, Regional Manager, ATSIC, Alice Springs, October 1999. The foreword talks about the report and who prepared it. The working group was made up of Richard Preece, John Elferink who was then member for Macdonnell, Peter Toyne, Gary Stoll and Bern Kilgariff.
Regardless of what your views are, this is a document worth reading. It may be a little out of date because some things have changed, but I thought I would highlight a couple of things. Sometimes in a discussion, people talk about whether alcohol is a major factor of crime. Table 4 is titled ‘Involvement of alcohol in homicides in Alice Springs area, 1 July 1990 to 30 July 1996’. Under the heading of whether the victim was under the influence or not, the list of offenders is quite small. When it comes to murders, there were 24 murders where the person was under the influence of alcohol. They got those figures from the Australian Institute of Criminology, National Homicide Monitoring Program. It says:
- Such figures, of course, must be seen as the tip of the iceberg in terms of the overall impact of heavy alcohol consumption on Aboriginal individuals and society.
I just raise that point, and also raise another point to highlight that this is a very good document to read. There are other documents around. One I am reading at the moment is the Living with Alcohol document, which was a few years before this. On page 13 of the CAEPR document - I will read it as it is:
- At the time, the Country Liberal Party’s Central Council Working Party opposed the suggestion on the grounds that no relationship between hours of sale and quantities consumed had ever been demonstrated. It is certainly true that generally speaking, changes in hours and/or days of sale do not affect overall consumption. But we now know that such changes do affect resultant alcohol-related problems. Research cited in the World Health Organisation best practice reviews … demonstrates that changes to hours and days of sale can produce measurable reductions in adverse consequences such as drunkenness, domestic disturbances, and violence.
I recommend that to people when we start the debate about the effects of alcohol. One of the dangers in this debate is not having the facts. Another example of having the facts is I visited Newcastle over the Christmas period. People might know Newcastle changed its closing times, which had the effect of a 36% reduction in violence in the Newcastle CBD. I could just say that, but I have documents from a number of people at the University of Newcastle who produced a document based on statistics - based on a comparison of an area next to Newcastle, which shows a clear relationship between a relatively small change in the closing hours and something the government should consider for some places in the Territory.
Original closing hours were around 4 am. It was brought back to 3 am, and the government decided that was a bit harsh on the poor old AHA and brought it back to 3.30 am. The important thing was you could not leave after 1 am and go into any other licensed premises. Once you were in a pub, you stayed there after 1 am. You could drink until 3.30 am or 3 am. In the last half hour, I believe, you could not drink any more alcohol. That change, and others with it, basically reduced alcohol-related violence in the CBD by 36%.
I raise that because in a debate on alcohol we need to ensure we have our facts right. Certainly, there will be passion about it because there are many vested interests, and you will see the vested interests. You will see how much pressure the NSW Police Association has been put under by the liquor industry in New South Wales which opposed the changes in Newcastle.
What happened in Newcastle was there was a gentleman who got together residents concerned about what was happening. He got nurses, doctors, the ambulance people, and the police on side to say there had to be some changes. From that effort these changes occurred. Perhaps that is what has to happen in the Northern Territory as well. We need to be open to changes, but we also need to be open to ensuring those changes will be effective.
On a few other things which partially relate to alcohol, I said today I had been out on a patrol. I went on two patrols in Alice Springs, one on a Sunday night when it poured with rain and someone said: ‘Sometimes, you get the weather cops out’ because when it was raining there was hardly anyone on the streets. Two days later when it was dry, the sobering-up shelter was full by 10 o’clock, which says something: (1) many people are drinking and under the influence and, (2) there are not enough facilities in Alice Springs to cope with it.
I asked the police officer taking us around what happens to those people who cannot get into the sobering-up shelter? They go to the watch-house. Obviously, that is not good enough; the watch-house is for criminals. We normally do not regard people who are intoxicated as being criminals. That area needs to be expanded. You would hope we would not need sobering-up shelters - that is what we should be aiming for. However, if the problems in Alice Springs are that there are too many people for the existing sobering-up shelters then government needs to do something about it.
I am unsure if the Chief Minister has answered it but I am interested in whether Operation Roland is going to continue. It made a difference to Alice Springs and puts more police on the ground. The commander has said he will keep people here until Alice Springs is safe. I would like to know if it is the intention of the government to keep those police on the ground until people feel safe in Alice Springs. It is a concern because, while I was doing the rounds in Alice Springs, someone said to me that the enterprise bargaining award that has been put in place between the Police Association and the Northern Territory government limits the number of night rosters police can do over a set period. If that is the case, that needs to be looked at, because you would expect the majority of resources, when it comes to policing, to be where they are needed. If there is a need for more police to be out at night because that is when there is more trouble, you would hope the system worked so there were more police on patrol, not during the day. It is something we ought to look at.
There is much talk about the Youth Hub, and I went there as well. People have been talking about how wonderful it is. I was not that overly impressed. I was not overly impressed because two years ago we were talking about the youth hub in the same glossy terms, and it is only now being filled. There was talk about putting a dormitory there for young kids who did not have a home to go, or were too scared to go home, who were on the streets. They were not necessarily criminals, but when the police picked them up there was nowhere safe. That dormitory still has not been built and the government should really be ashamed of itself. It might have had problems about where that particular dormitory should go. I know it is looking for places for kids who are a little more vulnerable, and for another place to put that facility as well. Surely, we could have found a place for a few demountables, and a safe place for some of these kids. It is all very well to gloss over the fact that we spoke about this two years ago, yet, there is no building there. The government should be brought to task as to why that has not happened.
In relation to the government’s heading of this statement, I do not think you can talk about moving Alice ahead unless you talk about the region. The region of Alice Springs affects Alice Springs. We heard the Minister for Tourism talking today about how wonderful it would be to get Uluru as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Fantastic, but it is part of Central Australia. Tourism is all about Central Australia.
Another issue the government is putting forward as a new way of developing the area is growth towns. Yet, when I was here last, we asked why the new Indigenous art gallery could not be placed at Hermannsburg. Why are you not making the effort to take some of the art to where it belongs? Put in first-class facilities to attract people, not in Alice Springs necessarily, but out in the communities where it is painted. We cannot just look at Alice Springs in isolation from the rest of the community.
There are a couple of other issues. One is housing. There has been much discussion about urban drift. We need to get the statisticians out, get on to Centrelink, and find out exactly how many people have moved into Alice Springs and, then, somehow find out how many people have moved here permanently. Whether you like it or not, people are allowed to move across Australia. If people are going to move here permanently, what are the plans to house those people? What are the expansion plans for schools, for children? What plans do we have for an urban drift into town, for whatever reason they are coming? If they are coming because they want to live here permanently, they have every right to, as all citizens have in Australia. So, what are we doing about housing?
It has taken a long time to get Kilgariff. The headworks have now just gone out for tender. By gee, it has been a long time to get there. The government is talking about fast-track, but we were discussing this two years ago. Fast-tracking over two years - I know some things take a long time. I do not believe this piece of land was subject to native title, so I hoped this could have got off the ground much quicker, because there will be pressure. There was pressure on housing, and there continues to be pressure on housing. The government states there are places like Mt Johns Valley. I was out talking to Lhere Artepe the other day, who own the Mt Johns Valley subdivision, and they expressed the opinion that there will not be any affordable housing out there. This is a high-class development they want to make money out of - fair enough.
However, when you include it here as a development of 28 residential blocks with a capacity for 90 homes for the people who need affordable housing, this will not be the area where people can get that. We need affordable housing, especially in Alice Springs where the cost of land is so high and the amount of land available is so low. If you have urban drift, what are the government’s plans to ensure it keeps up with urban drift and there is enough room for people to be housed?
There has been much talk about town camps, and I get mixed messages about the town camps. I know the new houses there are good, but there are still some problems. I went out to Trucking Yards twice when I was here, at night, and it is pitch black. I spoke to some people and asked: ‘Why is it pitch black?’ It is because they still have not worked out the issues of the power. Until you get some lighting in there, you will still have problems. It was dark; you could hardly even find the turn-off to it.
There are still plenty of issues in relation to town camps. I hear on one side some people say they should be normalised; that is, they should be just like any other suburb. On the other hand, I know some people say they should have control over who goes in there. Well, you have to have one, and you cannot have the other ...
A member interjecting.
Mr WOOD: Yes, I do not think gated communities are the best way to go because that encloses people. To me, a gated community can be a little like South Africa.
There are other issues that concern me. When I had meetings with the Alice Springs Transformation Group, I asked about the long waiting list in Alice Springs for public housing. The houses in the town camps are public housing so, if there is a non-Aboriginal person who is on the waiting list, can they get a house in a town camp? They said no. I said it is public housing. They said no, because the original lease that was signed was that those houses would only be for Aboriginal people. If you have that tied within a lease, it is very difficult to have a normal town.
If people think the town camps should be part of the community as other suburbs are, then there are some basic, fundamental issues that need to be addressed. I would have thought that NT Housing gives housing to all those who need it, regardless of who they are. Otherwise, give them to a private group that only deals with a certain group of people. That, again, is a hindrance to whether some of these communities become part of the town.
Another issue that has been mentioned also is in relation to sport. I am skipping over a few things here because there were a number of issues I thought I would highlight tonight. I am told that, over the last few years, football in Alice Springs is all centred around Alice Springs, so all the communities come in to play here. You have to ask: is that part of the problem? Should we be looking at taking football back out into the bush? As someone who has umpired a fair bit of football, sometimes umpiring out in the bush can be an exciting process. That may be an area that could be looked at through the local Alice Springs AFL; that you take the football back to the communities so you have less chance of people coming into town, getting stuck in town, and then causing problems.
The last thing just quickly - the Chief Minister said today, as a community, we need to recognise the problems and face them together and continue to work together to find some real solutions. He said we need to continue to work together. Those words are nothing but hollow if this parliament cannot work together to find a solution. I say to the Chief Minister and to the Leader of the Opposition: deal with what is said here, work together to find some real solutions. Alice Springs will pat both sides on the back if they make that effort. It will be a courageous effort.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I know it is not easy, but it is something that is achievable if people have the will.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, keep in mind that the Assembly will be adjourning in five minutes.
Mrs Lambley interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, most definitely, but you will have five minutes.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Araluen): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, sitting back listening to the debate tonight makes me wonder what exactly the government thinks Alice Springs people were thinking when they stood outside the convention centre today and expressed much anger and emotion. What is it the government thinks these people are on about? What could it be that they are thinking when they are screaming, ‘enough is enough,’ ‘actions speak louder than words’, when they use those terms in a fairly heated manner?
If I was in government I would be saying to myself: ‘These people are angry. Gee whiz, we must not be doing something quite right or to their satisfaction’. I do not think I would be calling them a bunch of whingers, discounting them and writing them off as imbeciles, idiots, or unreasonable people. I would be taking them a little more seriously than I have heard the government interpret these people today. In fact, I believe their interpretation of the people of Alice Springs is no less than insulting, because Alice Springs people are a diverse, culturally rich group of people, as the Deputy Chief Minister stated earlier. We are an amazingly resilient bunch of people; we are tough; we are here living in the desert. Recently, it has been a lush, beautiful place to live but, quite often, we have adverse weather and living conditions. We are a tough breed of people who choose to live in Central Australia. Some people have not chosen to live here; they are the Indigenous people of the land who come from here. They are even tougher than the ones who have come here by choice. So, when the government talks about the people of Alice Springs, I do not think it should be writing us all off as just a fairly flippant, whingey bunch of people. We have real concerns in this town.
Today has been a marvellous day for the people of Alice Springs to stand up and express what they are feeling. Of course, what many people are feeling is anger, great disappointment, frustration, and much cynicism. Cynicism is something I have never seen in this town as it is at the moment. When I talk about cynicism, I am talking about doubt, scorn, suspicion, distrust, and pessimism.
These feelings people are conveying to me and the other members of parliament who represent the people of Alice Springs are not due to the fact that these people are innately negative people who are never satisfied. They have real concerns, and the onus is on the government of the day to take on board these concerns - not dismiss them, not put these people down for feeling the way they do, but to really listen and take on board. The theme of today’s discussion has really been about the inadequacy of this government to really listen to the people of Alice Springs.
In this rather inspiring documentation, the ministerial statement that was presented earlier tonight by the Chief Minister, I have to say there are some things that do spell out achievement. I am not going to write off everything I have heard from the Chief Minister that has been reiterated by the Deputy Chief Minister. There are some achievements. I believe many of those achievements are due to the transformation plan, the emergency response that brought about the intervention that meant a huge injection of finances into the Northern Territory.
The Northern Territory government has formed this partnership with the federal government and, thankfully, they have come up with some fairly decent programs. Some of them are better than others. Being an Alice Springs person, I am rather sceptical about how some of these programs are going to be evaluated; whether the processes they use are transparent, open, and really able to objectively evaluate the outcomes of these initiatives. On paper they look fabulous.
The Deputy Chief Minister reeled them off and accused us all of gloom and doom and being negative. In essence, people want to hear some positive things. They want to go away feeling the government has been given a bit of a lashing today and will follow through on some of these commitments that sound wonderful on paper - they sound wonderful coming from the mouths of our esteemed leaders from Darwin. However, the cynicism makes us believe we cannot fully trust this government, and there is a long history there.
We have heard about the failures of the CLP in the previous decade. We keep hearing about that, which I find quite hideous. Given this government has, to its great fortune, been in government for 10 years, the onus is fairly and squarely on it to come up with some actions and outcomes ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, given it is just after 9 pm ...
Mrs LAMBLEY: I am happy to continue tomorrow if possible.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Certainly.
Debate adjourned.
ADJOURNMENT
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, in accordance with Standing Order 41A, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Deputy Speaker, tonight I talk about some incidents that arose during today’s Question Time around the subject of advertising on Imparja Television by a group known as Action for Alice, and some advertisements that were run and paid for by a group of business people involved with Action for Alice who wanted the government to respond to issues within this town in the short, medium and long term.
During Question Time, I asked the Chief Minister a specific question about whether he would apologise to members of the Imparja Board for trying to bully its members into pulling the advertisements. The Chief Minister said:
- … I absolutely refute that I, or anyone in government, pressured anyone.
He also went on to say:
- … there is nothing to apologise for because the alleged action did not take place.
Later in Question Time, there was a mea culpa from the Minister for Central Australia when, responding to a second question I asked which was:
- Will you categorically deny that you spoke to any Imparja or CAAMA board members about the Action for Alice ads on Imparja Television? … will you categorically deny you asked, or sought to influence, or implied any influence about those ads being removed from Imparja Television?
Much to the surprise, I am sure, of the Chief Minister who, as I said earlier, absolutely refuted that he or anyone in government pressured anyone, the Minister for Central Australia said:
- I am related to probably half the Imparja board members and I speak to them on a daily basis.
- I spoke to the chairman of the board about the ads and expressed my disappointment with the ads, because I believe they did not follow the objectives and aims of Imparja Television ...
Imparja Television is an Aboriginal board; an Indigenous board, if you like. It is a company made up of members, some from another sister company called CAAMA, the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Authority. In this time of great celebration of self-determination as we move forward to Aboriginal people having ownership, drive, and integrity, and being part of our economy and part of society and the way things really should be, we do not need to spell it out. To see, or to know, the minister is actively trying to bully the Imparja Board members to take these advertisements off is nothing but disgraceful.
We do not have state-owned media in this country. There is no right for minister Karl Hampton to actively pressure or bully board members to have advertisements taken off the television. The member for Stuart, Karl Hampton, must disclose exactly what pressure he brought to bear on Imparja and CAAMA Board members in his bid to shut down the television advertisements critical of the government’s response to surging crime and other issues in Alice Springs.
He was looking for a political fix, not a community fix. What the community wants is real answers and real action to our problems. We understand they are difficult. We understand they are long term. But we do not want a political fix. We do not want the minister getting involved in private sector business, trying to override an autonomous Indigenous board which, under the rights of self-determination, are setting forward their direction. We do not want the minister trying to tell a private sector media organisation how to run itself.
This is not Libya. We are not in the Middle East. This is not how we do business. The minister must hang his head in shame. I have called for his resignation today. I have called for the Chief Minister to sack him. The Chief Minister did not even know about this embarrassment that has been brought upon him, by the sound of his answers at Question Time. The mea culpa by the member for Stuart, Karl Hampton, saying: ‘Hang on a minute, I might have talked to the board members’. The minister admitting speaking to members of Imparja and the chairman of the board, expressing his disappointment with the advertisements, is an absolute disgrace. You cannot pressure board members in that regard.
Karl Hampton’s admission to parliament that he spoke to members of the Imparja Board is in direct conflict with what the Chief Minister said earlier in Question Time. At that time, Paul Henderson made a categorical denial to parliament, claiming he refuted him or anyone in government pressuring anyone. This is typical of a Chief Minister who will say anything to get himself off the hook, even without first checking the facts. I am surprised the minister actually ‘fessed up. He did say in his response that the board did not know about the ads. I can tell him that is a lie; the board members did know about the ads. The chairman knew about the ads. This is an autonomous Indigenous organisation that has the right to run a business professionally. They employ countless numbers of people in Central Australia and the Northern Territory; they contribute to our economy. If you do not like the message they are sending, fix what you are doing. Do not stand here and try to manipulate the media for your benefit. Do not try to play some Big Brother Aboriginal mafia politics on a board which is trying to run a business. That is not how we do things in Australia.
He also said the board members: ‘were not advised of the ads coming on’. Well, that is funny, because board members say differently. Is it the fact that the minister is misleading the House? Is it the fact that the minister is lying? Is that the fact?
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! The member well knows he cannot use such language, except by substantive motion. I ask him to withdraw.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. The Leader of Government Business is quite correct. Member for Braitling, if you could withdraw those remarks, please?
Mr GILES: I withdraw, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr GILES: Karl Hampton’s actions cut to the heart of the free independent media in Australia ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, I ask you to refer to members by their electorate titles.
Mr GILES: Sorry, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr GILES: The Minister for Central Australian’s actions cut to the heart of a free and independent media in Australia, and he should hang his head in shame. Imparja is an Indigenous organisation, and its efforts at self-determination and to maintain an independent business should be respected, and above political interference, particularly by the member for Stuart. What right does a government minister have to pressure a private business to withdraw advertising that presents his government in a negative light? The answer, of course, is none. He had no right to intervene in this regard. I find it completely appalling that a minister of our Territory thinks he has the given right to impede and intervene in the operations and the business of a private media organisation to get some sort of political fix to save his bacon.
The signs out the front said it all; that the minister failed. ‘The minister failed’ is what they said. He has been out there, trying to come up with some sort of political fix rather than fix the problems on our streets, rather than positively contribute to the debate for policy reform in Central Australia and in the Northern Territory. He should hang his head in shame.
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Deputy Speaker, tonight I clarify something which was printed in the Northern Territory News on the weekend in the Public Notices section under a title ‘Thank You’. It read:
- Jane Aagaard MLA. I wish to thank you for your kind thoughts and the flowers delivered to me after my surgery on Monday. It made me and my family’s day brighter. Thank you.
For the record, I would like people to know that I did not place this ad, and I did not have surgery last Monday. I thank the large number of people who have contacted my office and me directly who felt this was about an operation I had last Monday. In fact, this is from someone, who wished to remain anonymous, who I had sent some flowers to. Because of the nature of the operation she had, she did not want to have her name revealed because people did not know about it.
I am just saying that I am not dead yet, although some people might like me to be! I am quite well, and I hope the lady concerned who received the flowers is doing well.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Deputy Speaker, it is truly great to be here in Central Australia, a place where I spent considerable time some time ago. I visit this place often, because I absolutely love the desert; it is gorgeous. Unfortunately, it is not on good grounds that I speak tonight. It is regarding the shame the Chief Minister has laid himself and this Territory today. It is a shame that the eminent leader of the Northern Territory would not – and, in fact, refused to - confront, speak and communicate with the people who came to the parliament in which we represent the people. He failed to speak to them.
The Chief Minister, the leader of the Northern Territory, did not have the intestinal fortitude to stand before 300, well-represented - 400, 500, it could have been five for that matter - serious people, business people, good community people, employees of businesses within the Northern Territory. He did not have the intestinal fortitude to stand before them, answer their call, and speak to them. He is the elected Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. Stand up, for once, and become the leader you are supposed to be! Do not be a little mouse like the little mice scurrying around the fields, like your ministers here, hiding, ducking, and weaving from their responsibilities. Stand tall and be the leader you are supposed to be.
The people of Alice Springs have demanded you speak to them. They came here to speak to you. You have puff-pieced ever since you came here. In fact, you even insulted the business people and the victims of Alice Springs in the weeks leading up to coming here. The Minister for Central Australia has failed to do his job in Central Australia; to represent the people, the victims who have been harassed. They have been left hanging out to dry because you failed to do your job, minister.
When the Chief Minister last week made comments about how business owners should be better spending their money on programs than on an advertising campaign which highlighted this government’s failed delivery of any law and order, it was one of the most insulting political comments I have ever heard. He, essentially, told the people, the victims of crime, that they must pay for the benefit of offenders. It is not the responsibility of business people, the victims of your failed government and of crime in the Territory, to deliver programs for offenders. It is your responsibility. You are the ministers. Step up to the plate and do your job. It is not the victims’ responsibility to pay for crime. We are sick of seeing the victims being left behind. You are the government. Step up to the plate and do your job properly.
Chief Minister, when the people call upon you to front them and speak to them, be the man and do that. Go and speak to them. It is not hard. You should not be so scared. They are not violent people. They are responsible, educated business people. They are not a rent-a-crowd. They might have been hurt, disheartened, and passionate about their plight here in the Territory but they are not violent people. They are smart people. They are Territory people whom you were elected to represent. You are a failed Chief Minister. You should resign. He should stand down from the post because I have not seen another leader of any government in Australia act as abhorrently as he did today.
Four years ago, the then Chief Minister, Clare Martin, stood her ground. She took a shellacking. She had the intestinal fortitude to do so. This Chief Minister did not. He is weak. He is shameful. He has brought shame to the Northern Territory today. You should all look at yourselves and wonder what role you have played in that. What role can you play to change that?
We have seen some very bizarre things happen in this parliament today. We have seen dorothy dixers go wild and rampage loosely under the guise of lawfulness. You have disgraced yourself today and the people know - and they know across Australia - that the Chief Minister, the leading politician in the Territory, would not stand in front of 300 people and even say hello. He would not even say: ‘Good morning. I am here to listen to your concerns’, because it did not suit him. Guess what? You were voted to represent the people. That is your job.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to say a few words about an issue the Minister for Lands and Planning would be interested in. It is about some flooding in the Beddington Road estate, which is a relatively new estate in Herbert in the rural area of Darwin. That estate was established around 2006. It was approved by the Development Consent Authority under the statement that the area is considered suitable for proposed subdivision.
Since then, we have had a fairly heavy Wet Season. A number of blocks of land there have gone under water, meaning at least three premises in that subdivision, basically, have been uninhabitable, either because the house is surrounded totally by water or septic tanks have gone under water meaning people simply could not live there.
I was involved with this subdivision in 2006 as a local member. I have been following this subdivision for some time. This subdivision will eventually have about 147 2 ha blocks. Most of those blocks will be valued at around $270 000 to $320 000, so the developer will receive a great deal of money when the subdivision is finally finished. At the time of the subdivision of this area, I opposed it because it had what is sometimes called a sink hole - an area which filled up with water. Some of us believed it also helped fill up the aquifer, which is important as all people in this area have to rely on bores for their water.
Unfortunately, I believe this area was not mapped correctly. In fact, the department of NRETAS - which was not called NRETAS at that time - looked at that country and came back with a report saying the area was okay. They had done a test hole in April, and understood the land would be affected by some water; however, it was not enough to cause any problems. This year certainly has found them out.
The area is unusual. If you look at the country you can see a change in vegetation. That change in vegetation is a sign that either the land is dry or wet. In this case, that vegetation, which is made up of grevilleas, Lophostemon lactifluus, and some of the eucalypts that live in wet areas, are easily seen and show the definition of where the water will lie. Again, I do not believe enough work was done on finding out the exact location of this wet area.
The map given to the Development Consent Authority by the developer only showed a relatively small area that went under water. That map appears to be inaccurate, although it was accepted by the Development Consent Authority. As well, the Development Consent Authority approved this subdivision, going against a number of its own recommendations for approval for such a subdivision. For instance, you are not supposed to subdivide wet areas, and you should ensure there is 1 ha of dry land or, as they say, 1 ha above the Q100 or 1% AEP and seepage line. You should ensure the land is suitable for on-site absorption of effluent. You should be able to get a 100 m distance between bores and septics, and septic tanks should be 50 m away from any seepage line. None of those things have occurred in this particular subdivision, however, it was passed.
It is even worse when you read the requirements of the Building Board which looks after the siting of a septic tank. The developer has to show the exact position of the Q100 on the plans. There was no Q100 shown on the plans, so people put their septic tanks roughly 100 m from the bore, and all the septic tanks went under water.
I have written to the EPA which is looking at this, because NRETAS has decided to allow the developer to pump water out of this wet area. You normally cannot do that without a discharge licence. However, in this case, they decided to call this area of water ‘laying water’ - never heard of the term before in my life. It also said recently it is just storm water, therefore, the developer, who has a huge pump which has been pumping for 14 days, is free to pump this lagoon out as much as he likes. There does not appear to be anyone saying when he can stop pumping water. This sink hole, this beautiful little environmental area, is having the water completely pumped out. The reason they are giving is there is an emergency and people cannot live on their blocks. However, that is taking the easy way out.
From my point of view, it appears to be a mistake by the DCA, to some extent backed up by the departments and the developer, in approving land that should never have been developed. To get out of finding another block of land and paying compensation for the infrastructure that has been put there, the department is washing its hands of this and saying: ‘You can pump the water out. This will sort the problem. We will eventually put a drain in and everything will be solved’. It is like people trying to cover up their mistakes, taking the easy way out, instead of finding a long-term solution.
This should not have happened. The rules for subdivision are clear. This happened in 1970 on Power Road. People there are flooded at the moment, but it is an old subdivision. It happened in 1960 in Howard Springs - people flooded; there were no rules. There are rules now and they have been around a long time. There was no reason for this decision to be made; it was a bad decision.
The minister has written to me because I have also written to the minister, as I have also written to the Ombudsman. The minister wrote back to me, and this is part of what he said:
- I have discovered that the two owners of the houses which were actually impacted by the water do not want to leave their properties and, having said that, I think it is important that politicians reflect on the intrinsic values present and internalised by their constituents in building and establishing homes that are not necessarily accommodated by political resolutions decided upon by self-appointed third parties presumably acting in their best interests.
I was very disappointed to read that. I am a local MLA; it is my job to help people. One of these people he is referring to was the first person to ring up and say their house was flooded. I investigated. It is not in my electorate, it is just nearby, but the person the minister quotes as not wanting to leave their property was the person who came to see me.
I have been on the Development Consent Authority for about six or seven years at various stages. I was on Litchfield Council for 13 years. I have been a local member for 10 years. I have a background in horticultural science - and the minister quotes scientists looking at the vegetation in this area. I am not beating my breast and saying I am an expert, but I do, by experience, know when blocks are wet, when subdivisions have been poorly subdivided and they should not have been.
This is a case where the government is now trying to cover up the mistakes of its department and the DCA. We should not be avoiding this by saying that I am a ‘self-appointed third party’. I am a local member of parliament whose job is to protect people from injustice.
These people have bought land for $275 000 to $300 000 a block and cannot live on it. They will not be able to sell this land because they will have to tell people it is wet. Even if they go back, their septic tank will be under water. Mistakes have been made by various government departments. I am asking the government to step in here - not dig a drain, not empty the lagoon, but go back to these people, find them a new block of land, work with the developer because the developer has a part to play in this, compensate them for the infrastructure - the housing, the fences, the septics, the chook shed, the yards they have put in - and let them start again. If it does not happen, it is a disgrace.
I will not let go of this, minister. Mistakes have been made. I am not a self-appointed third party. I am a local member of parliament trying to do the right thing by the people in this electorate.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, I will pick up on the comments made by the member for Nelson. I have some sympathy for the argument if what he asserts in that argument is correct. Of course, all he has to do is speak to the Chief Minister; make him become part of the coalition he already is part of properly, and become the minister for Planning. Then, he will be able to sort that out. It really is that simple. Of course, we will not see the member for Nelson doing that because it is all care and no responsibility.
I speak tonight about a couple of issues. The first deals with the progress of works at McMinns Street which, miraculously, seem to have had some attention paid to it in recent times. Nevertheless, the Northern Territory government has just spent $59 650 to find out what went wrong, or what was causing the delays in the McMinns Street area.
I note a section of the retaining mesh has captured a rock slide, which is what it is supposed to do. That is good. However, what is supposed to happen with that retaining mesh is that the concrete anchors that hold the mesh up are supposed to remain firmly fixed in place. This they have not done. These concrete anchors have given way under the weight of the material caught in the mesh. Indeed, these anchors were placed inside the zone where the rock fall occurred. Moreover, I am nothing shy of surprised to find that what is clearly an easement running from Harry Chan Avenue to the McMinn Street area, which carries along it sewerage, water, electrical conduits, as well as telecommunication conduits, seems to have been dug up.
I would like the minister to advise this House whether the works that have occurred inside that easement were intentional works which have led to what appears to be damage to a section of the water pipe, certainly appears to have damaged the telecommunications network, and has substantially exposed the electrical conduits, and also seems to have damaged the sewerage works. I suspect, looking at the sewerage work, that may have been intentional - I am uncertain.
The works in the McMinn Street area have been going since 2009. They are not yet complete but with recent attention paid to them, it appears that some work has been commenced.
I am deeply concerned for what looks like to be Telstra infrastructure lying upended inside that particularly easement, and that the Telstra conduits have been broken and, what I presume is fibre-optic cable, exposed and lying free there. If the minister would like to catch up with me afterwards, I will happily show him the photographs I have taken of those conduits and exposed pipes.
I would like to know whether those exposed electrical conduits carry live electrical wires, and whether they are the property of the Power and Water Corporation. I suspect, with the number and size of them, they are. Telstra has infrastructure that appears to be damaged in that place. Water pipes have been broken and are being repaired. I would like to know if that was intentional, and whether the damage, or the removal of the sewerage pipes, was an intentional part of the project.
Is this a separate piece of work in the McMinn Street works? Or is this, minister, some different contract from which the McMinn Street works are quite separate? All of these questions could be answered this evening by the minister. I am glad to see that he is in the House, as he always is, paying attention. I would be grateful for some information in relation to the matter.
The McMinn Street works have taken too long. They should not have been a major project, and they seem to have run into troubles because the Northern Territory government has sought to probe what is actually going on in the McMinn Street works. So, a full explanation by the minister to this House would be a useful thing.
I also speak tonight on another issue in my electorate, which is the area of Harriet Place. I start by congratulating the police, and I place on the record my particular appreciation to Superintendent Jamie O’Brien, who has assisted me with my issues in relation to Harriet Place. Of course, they are not my issues; they are the issues of business. We, tonight here in Alice Springs, have spoken at length about the social problems that have occurred in Alice Springs, and it is no less true that in the seat of Port Darwin we have, certainly not as pronounced problems, but serious problems relating to issues of public drunkenness, particularly concentrating in Harriet Place at the moment. Another area of concern is the old railway corridor leading towards Salonika, which is also seeing increased numbers of drunks.
What I am concerned about is that current government policy has the effect of policing, but only moving these people around. I raised the issue of the No 2s being delivered in the Fannie Bay area, and the police responded to that. Many of those people who were delivering those poos to the people in Fannie Bay have moved into the Darwin CBD and continued on their merry way, doing exactly the same thing. The policing has improved in the Harriet Place area, but more could be done. I am anxious to see the business people in the Harriet Place area being properly supported by a police force which actively and regularly patrols the area.
I will also be seeking, in the very near future, to arrange meetings between the Harriet Place business community and, possibly, some other businesses with Superintendent O’Brien, in an effort to ensure the issues in Harriet Place are looked after.
The issue of public drunkenness is an ongoing issue in our community. It dates back to the earliest Parliamentary Records of this Chamber. It has become worse. It is deteriorating throughout the Northern Territory. Harriet Place in the area of Port Darwin is no exception to that ongoing deterioration. I urge the government to make the drinkers themselves responsible. I am still unsatisfied its policy, such as it is, will achieve those outcomes. Time will tell.
Madam Deputy Speaker, should there be a change of government, the Country Liberals’ habitual drunks policy will be enforced, and it will mean that drunks who are identified to be habitual drunks will be in custody having their health issue dealt with. I make no bones about the fact that a Country Liberals government will be prepared to use the criminal justice system in an effort to pursue a health outcome.
It is not unreasonable and, considering the seriousness of the problem in our community, I believe it is a fair and just way to proceed for all concerned, particularly the good burghers of Darwin, Alice Springs, and the rest of the Northern Territory.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016