2012-02-16
- Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 10 am.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Year 5/6 Malak Primary School students accompanied by Miss Erin Francis, Ms Jo Wrench, Miss Sylvia Sun and Ms Natalie Hansen. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
PETITION
Remote Shire Structure
Remote Shire Structure
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Katherine)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I present a petition not conforming with standing orders from 62 petitioners relating to remote shire structure. I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read.
- To the Honourable the Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
We, the undersigned, respectfully showeth that we urge the Northern Territory government to put true to their word and listen to the people of the Northern Territory by dismantling the inefficient and ineffective remote shire structure and replacing it with regional councils that are developed from and through local input by local people on cultural boundaries and that are owned and managed by local people in regional areas.
Further, the areas known as Dundee Beach, Cox Peninsula and Marrakai are supported to develop their own community structure of governance relating to local government if that is the wish of the people.
Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that the NT government listen to the people of the Northern Territory, in particular the people who live in rural and remote areas as they too are Territorians.
And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.
MOTION
Commemoration of the Bombing of Darwin
Commemoration of the Bombing of Darwin
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move - That the Assembly express its profound regret and sadness for the terrible losses caused by the Bombing of Darwin to the residents of Darwin and their families, and to the servicemen and women stationed in and around Darwin.
This coming Sunday, this nation will commemorate the first enemy attack on Australian land when, on 19 February 1942, Darwin came under attack from the Japanese in World War II. It is going to be a very emotional time for many hundreds of ex-servicemen and residents of this city who were here in 1942, and will be commemorated with a significant series of events. Darwin will play host to the Governor-General, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Ambassadors of the United States, Japan and Indonesia.
At last this nation has recognised what happened in Darwin on 19 February 1942. The history of what happened here, and for the next two years across northern Australia, is now part of the national psyche. For many years, it was history most Australians did not know.
At 9.35 am on 19 February 1942, coast watcher, Father John McGrath, sent a radio message from the Catholic Mission at Bathurst Island to the Department of Civil Aviation’s Darwin Air Radio Station and the message was: ‘Big flight of planes passed over going south very high. Over’. The message was acknowledged by the Darwin station. Almost immediately, Japanese aircraft began the first ever direct enemy attack on Australian soil. An American freighter aircraft was destroyed on the ground at the Bathurst Island Aerodrome, and at least 14 machine gun bullets hit the mission’s church building. One Tiwi man, Fernando, was hit in the leg by a bullet. This Tiwi man was the first person on Australian shores who suffered a wound from enemy action.
I am quoting from Peter Forrest’s book Battling: Territorians and Their War regarding the force that attacked Darwin:
- As the Zeros came over the sea towards Darwin, an extremely powerful and experienced force that had been among the main elements of the Pearl Harbour attack was delegated to deal with Darwin.
One part of the attack would be mounted by 188 aircraft (36 Zero Fighters, 81 Torpedo bombers and 71 dive bombers) which would take off from four aircraft carriers at a position between Darwin and Timor. These aircraft were to attack the shipping in Darwin Harbour, related harbour facilities and the nearby town area. A measure of the importance attached to the attack was that it was to be led by the Japanese hero of Pearl Harbour, Commander Fuchida Mitsuo.
A second strike force was to comprise 54 medium bombers, led by Vice Admiral Tsukaharo Nishizo. These aircraft were to take off from land bases in the Celebs and Ambon and their special task, was to destroy Darwin’s air force base.
In the first attack which lasted 40 minutes, the harbour, the military and civilian aerodromes, and the hospital at Berrimah were bombed. An hour later, the second attack commenced and involved high altitude bombing of the Royal Australian Air Force Base at Parap.
The two raids killed at least 243 people and wounded between 300 and 400. All up, it was estimated 683 bombs were dropped on Darwin that day. It was carnage. The post office, where this parliament now stands, and the postmaster’s residence were destroyed and nine people hiding in the buildings were killed, including the postmaster, his wife and child, and six telegraphers. We have a plaque outside in the great hall which marks this spot.
Also, I am pleased a significant mural was unveiled at Stokes Hill Wharf by our Minister for Arts and Museums yesterday as a real tribute to the seafarers and waterside workers who lost their lives in that first bombing raid. The mural honours the known 23 waterside workers and 48 seafarers who lost their lives at Stokes Hill Wharf during the bombing raids on 19 February 1942. The mural tells the stories associated with the bombing. It is understood about 80 wharfies were working at what was then called Town Wharf when the bombs hit. Some of the first bombs fell on the recreational shed adjacent to the wharf killing six men as they were enjoying their morning smoko.
The mural, which is 3 m high and 6 m long, and adjoining interpretative signs, were developed by local creative team, Associated Advertising and Promotions, and a smaller photographic mural is also installed on a divider screen in the Stokes Hill Wharf eatery area. A significant service, hosted by the Maritime Union of Australia, will take place at Stokes Hill Wharf at 9.30 am on Sunday as part of a suite of commemorative events.
I am very pleased, after all these years, that we finally have a significant and lasting testimonial and commemoration of what happened on our wharf and due recognition of those wharfies and seafarers who lost their lives.
Of course, we are commemorating the 70th anniversary, but part of the history of this period is Darwin was bombed 64 times from 1942 until November 1943. For the civilian personnel and people who were here at that time - many people were evacuated - and our military personnel both Australians and forces from the United States, they must have been very difficult times.
It was not just Darwin that came under attack - Adelaide River, Katherine, Pine Creek, Milingimbi, Townsville, Wyndham, Derby, Broome and Port Hedland. It is a story most Australians do not know.
Part of the suite of commemorative events this year is to not only acknowledge the Defence personnel who, inadequately equipped, were deployed to Darwin and the Northern Territory to maintain the security of this nation. Many stories have been told about the bravery of our Defence personnel, but the series of events this weekend will also commemorate the civilian population of Darwin - the people who lost their lives, the people who were evacuated and the very many stories from that time.
I would like to read into the Parliamentary Record the story of well-known matriarch of Darwin, Mary Lee. Mary was one of the five people from that time I introduced to the President of the United States when he was here in November last year to commemorate the loss of just over 90 US sailors on the USS Peary. It was a very proud and moving moment for me to introduce Mary Lee, along with Anthony Duke, Margaret Heron, Riley Wing and Freda Williams to the President of the United States and also to our Prime Minister. All those people were overwhelmed by the occasion. I have said before in this House, I was touched by the very genuine way the President of the United States greeted each of those survivors and, in the case of Anthony Duke, his father, and listened to their stories.
I would like to read Mary Lee’s story into the Parliamentary Record. This is from the preface to the book I Remember:
- I am really pleased that over the last few years we have been recognising that the war in the Northern Territory wasn’t only about the soldiers. There was a civilian community too, people who died and people whose lives were turned upside down. My own case is just one of thousands of possible examples.
- At the end of 1941 I was 10-years old and living in Police Paddock, Darwin, with my mother, Louisa, and my father, John (Juan Rocque) Cubillo. I was a third generation Darwinite. My father’s grandparents were the Scottish storekeeper in Darwin, George McKeddie, and his Larrakia partner, Annie Duwun. My father’s father was Antonio Cubillo, a Filipino who worked on the pearling luggers. My father’s mother was Lily McKeddie. My mother, Louisa, was born near Pine Creek in 1906, she was of Aboriginal/Chinese descent and she was raised at the Bathurst Island mission from the time she was about six years old.
- With a background like that, none of my family ever thought of leaving Darwin, unless it was to go to sea to look for pearl shell or perhaps a trip to the Philippines. Darwin was where we belonged, where we fitted in, where we thrived. But, at the end of 1941, my mother was told to pack a few things, not many, and take herself and her nine children south.
We got as far as Katherine and stayed with relatives there for a few weeks. Dad stayed behind, he worked on the wharf and he was needed there. We heard about the bombing of Darwin and about men being killed on the wharf but we were not too worried because we thought that Dad had been rostered off that day. A few days later, our Uncle Norm Ballard told Mum that Dad had been killed by some of the first bombs.
- Then Katherine was bombed, on 22 March, and all the civilians were told to leave the town. We went by train to Larrimah, by Army truck to Alice Springs, then by train again to Adelaide. It felt like it took years to get there and we were always hungry.
The Army men did the best they could for all the refugees - they only had Army rations themselves but they shared what they had with us. In Adelaide we were met by the Red Cross and Salvation Army. I remember it was very cold, and the Red Cross gave us some warm clothes. Then we were put on a train to Balaklava and taken to the race course.
That race course was our home until 1946. Billy McCoy was welfare officer there, and his wife was a nurse, they were good people. The first job for the boys was to fill bags with straw to make beds for us. We children walked into town to school at St Joseph’s Convent. All the locals thought we were very strange, they obviously had not seen coloured people before, they didn’t know if we spoke English. They were frightened of us.
A few of the kids got friendly but the parents never did. At first we were segregated at school, kept behind a partition. In Darwin no one thought anything about colour, but down there we felt the colour bar. People would cross the street whenever they saw us. When we heard that the war had ended we all wanted to get back to Darwin, it was our home, people felt that they had good lives and social acceptance in Darwin; we had been born and bred there.
- The government didn’t want us to go back, they kept us waiting at Balaklava. Then the women protested and demanded to go back. Eventually, we came back by train to Alice, the government paid the fare that far, and then said we were on our own. We got a lift back on top of a semi-trailer from Alice back to Darwin. Eventually we found places to live, first in Police Paddock then at Parap Camp, in the huts the Army had left, still with many bullet holes in the iron. We were well off compared to some people who had nowhere to live at all.
We were lucky, we survived, we came back, we started our lives again in the only place we ever wanted to live. I got married and raised my children in Darwin and it is still my home. A lot of other people were not so lucky, they found it very hard to put their lives back together again.
So, seventy years on from that day when the first bombs killed my father, we should remember what war really means. And we should never forget that it happened right here in Australia. We must help people to know and understand the truth.
That is one of many thousands of stories from civilian Territorians who had their lives changed forever by the war and, in Mary’s case, losing her father.
I am very pleased that after many years of lobbying, the Bombing of Darwin and what happened in northern Australia is now part of the national history curriculum. As Education minister, I fought hard to ensure that was part of the curriculum and am very pleased to say it now is.
There has been bipartisan support and lobbying of the federal government to have 19 February declared as a day of national remembrance. I commend all those who were part of that lobbying; it is a significant advance.
On Saturday, I will be officially opening, with the Governor-General, the Defence of Darwin Experience at East Point alongside the current RAAA Military Museum. This will be a world-class exhibit for not only residents of Darwin and the Northern Territory, but also tourists to our city, schoolchildren from the Territory and around Australia to really experience, not from a static historical display of memorabilia behind a glass case, but an audio visual and digital experience of what it was like to be in Darwin as the bombs fell from the sky. The experience acknowledges the sacrifice of those who lost their lives and the courage of all those who served in the defence of the Northern Territory and Australia.
For the first time we will hear the important stories from ordinary Territorians who will have an opportunity to preserve, in a digital format, their own experience or their family’s experience in the Northern Territory and in Darwin through a story share digital recording lab. I am very proud to see this as part of this experience because there are so many stories that have yet to be told in regard to families and relative’s experiences in Darwin and the Northern Territory in World War II. There will now be an opportunity for people to have their story recorded and catalogued for other people to access and, ultimately, through the Internet as well. Those stories will be shared with visitors via touch screens throughout the display. That will be a significant addition to the history of what happened in Darwin. That history will be shared with many thousands of people who will visit our city over the years and learn more about what happened here in 1942 and 1943.
There are many other stories to recount and other people will speak in debates on this motion. A story from the book which really touched me was from Ella Shepherdson, and her story of three Sisters from the Catholic Mission at Port Keats. The book details her experience and that of the Sisters, in particular, of what happened at Milingimbi:
Three Sisters from the Catholic Mission at Port Keats, on the coast south-west of Darwin, sailed into Darwin on the mission lugger, Saint Francis, on the afternoon of 20 February. The boat was also carrying a number of children who were to be evacuated. At the entrance to the harbour a shot was fired across Saint Francis’ bow. ‘Most thought the Japanese had us’, one of the Sisters wrote.
‘All sorts of debris began to float by. Then we saw the harbour! The whole wharf was still burning and smoking ... everywhere boats had gone down ... we could see the wounded being brought down on stretchers to be taken across to the damaged hospital ship. It was a dreadful sight. Some of the poor soldiers had lost an arm or leg. Others were just a mass of bandages. Some were unconscious, others suffering shockingly’.
The nuns and the children were taken to the Darwin presbytery but then they were told by Army officers to leave the town within ten minutes. Two priests, Fathers Henschke and Cosgrove, drove the group on trucks to Adelaide River - the three nuns were said to have been the last female Europeans civilians to leave Darwin. At Adelaide River the party joined the nuns and children who had come from Melville Island and had left Darwin the previous day.
To the east of Darwin, in January 1942 the Methodist mission vessel Larrpan had picked up 34 mission staff and families from Arnhem Land mission stations. The group sailed around to the Anglican mission at Roper River. There, the evacuees were provided with Army trucks for movement to the railway at Mataranka.
One woman, Mrs Ella Shepherdson, remained in Arnhem Land ‘for the duration’. She was one of the very few white females who stayed in the far north of the Territory throughout the war. She and her husband Harold had been based at Milingimbi island which was being developed as an RAAF base in 1942. The Shepherdsons decided to withdraw to an unsettled place on the nearby mainland, where many Aborigines had gone for safety. ‘At Milingimbi, the church and dispensary had been destroyed and houses had been strafed ... our Spitfires intercepted Zeros and shot several down. Hundreds of airmen were stationed there ... often we would see them flying out on operations and we wondered if we would see them return. We had a trench dug and a kit bag packed with a few essentials so that we were ready to go bush at a moment’s notice ... Every day we listened anxiously to the wireless ... the news was not very cheering’ Ella Shepherdson wrote.
And the story continues.
Madam Speaker, what happened here was not confined to Darwin. Many parts of the Northern Territory experienced the tragedy of what happened in Darwin including the islands to our north. It is going to be a very moving weekend. There will be a significant number of events to commemorate what happened here 70 years ago. Those commemorations kicked off last Saturday when there was a commemorative football game between the Tiwi Bombers and the Darwin Buffaloes. The Tiwi Island dancers performed their very famous bombing dance, and there were special mementoes for all the players and a special trophy for the Tiwi Bombers who won that game.
On Monday, I had the opportunity, together with our Administrator, to place a plaque on a plinth which will sit on the seabed of Darwin Harbour next to the USS Peary, to commemorate the 90, 91 or 92 - depending on which historians are winning the debate at the time - US sailors who lost their lives. That was a gift from our Administrator, on behalf of all Australians, to the President of the United States. That plinth will forever be on the floor of Darwin Harbour recognising that sacrifice.
On Friday, we will have a very significant event to commemorate the many, many hundreds of Darwin families who suffered at the time of the Bombing of Darwin. That is going to be a very moving event where many of the old families will come together and share their stories.
On Saturday, the Governor-General and I will be opening our Defence of Darwin Experience at East Point. On Saturday evening, jointly hosted by me and the Mayor of Darwin, Graeme Sawyer, we have the Frontline Australia Ball, which will see many hundreds of people from Darwin come together.
On Sunday, there will be some significant commemorations at the USS Peary, at the Cenotaph, Darwin Wharf, a reception in the great hall of Parliament House, a Canada plaque unveiling, a RAAF and a USA flag raising, a veteran’s dinner, and a US naval vessel in Darwin as part of the commemorations.
It is very appropriate for this parliament, on behalf of all Territorians, to pause our debate this day and remember what happened here 70 years ago. I have said before in this House I am one of the lucky generation of Australians, I am going to celebrate my 50th birthday this year and have never been called up to serve my country. Young enough to miss Vietnam and Korea, and we have not had conscription in regard to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Often, when I read these stories and the history of World War II - my father served in World War II in the Pacific, both with the Australian and also the US Armed Forces - I often think how I would have been able to respond and serve my country. The horror of war is always a daunting thought process - how people served their country under what would have been extraordinarily traumatic and frightening times. It is appropriate this parliament pause to commemorate and thank those who served, recognise the sacrifice of those who lost their lives, and also the sacrifice of the citizens of the Northern Territory who suffered so badly 70 years ago.
Madam Speaker, I commend the motion to the House.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for bringing this motion forward.
This event, which occurred 70 years ago, is growing larger. It has been always present with those in the Northern Territory, particularly in the Top End, who have travelled down the Stuart Highway and seen the signs. It has been large in the minds of those involved and their families who have heard the stories. However, it has been small in the mind of the nation because it was obscured for a number of reasons. Now, 70 years on, it is now becoming larger. I reflect there was a time when Anzac Day services were waning and support seemed to be shrinking. There was consideration that there would come a time when people would march no more, as in the words of the famous song. However, as time has passed and we have moved further from those events, it appears those events have grown larger.
One of the explanations for that is the event itself - the event of war - is very hard to comprehend and we need the passage of time to allow us to gain the perspective on what happened and grasp the circumstances and how they would have impacted upon people there at the time.
Seventy years on, and those who watched TV last night saw the reunion of those who age has wearied - in their 90s - meeting at the airport. It was a precious moment, through the lens of a camera and on the television, to watch their interactions and recognise these were young men 70 years ago. They were looking at each other and, I assume, were seeing their colleagues of 70 years ago - they were seeing the young men and were reliving what happened here. What really got my attention was one of them referred to the bombing of the post office and said to the others: ‘Do you remember those who came to grief at the post office; how they were covered with sheets of iron and were in the street? Do you remember that?’ The others looked.
It must have been horrific, and he saying that gave me an insight into what these men, who were perhaps the age of my son, would have gone through at that time. It would have been raw, frightening and horrible. Fear would have been very high. The lines of communication were broken. It was a surprise.
I appreciate the Chief Minister putting on the record the voice of one who reflects on that time and what it meant to them as a family. It is so important that those voices are captured and preserved because if we cannot look at history we do not grow and we do not gain the adequate and wise perspective on where we are today.
Therefore, the need for urgent collation of oral history is further reinforced. Those stories must be recorded and must be preserved. It is a very high priority and must be in the future. If I have anything to do with that it will be a very serious priority - the taking of those stories; those voices from the past to help us pause and reflect.
I acknowledge and support what the Chief Minister has said. I would like to take a different angle on this so those who may read this in time to come will see another aspect of the story. This is a Territory story, an Australian story, a story of humankind. It is a story of our history and the history of those in our region. The story includes Japan, Indonesia, Timor, Indigenous people, and also the Dutch who were occupying the Dutch East Indies at the time, which is now Indonesia. It involves many people, many families.
That is why in the passage of time looking back we start, if we are careful and humble enough, to put it together and apply those lessons to today. There are challenges today these lessons of the past would assist us with and allow us to approach with grace some of the things unspoken and perhaps ignored and to process those things.
A time of war when bombs are dropped on a peaceful place like Darwin with the intent of killing people, breaking up families and destroying lives, is something hard to comprehend. We recoil at the idea of violence, but one nation making a decision to bomb a city or a town - it is hard for us as Australians to fathom that as it is for anyone.
The sight of a flag at the Australian War Memorial which bears the marks of bullet and shrapnel tearing as a result of gunfire and explosions on Australian soil - that was at the Administrator’s residence - is something that should cause us to pause and reflect that we really are a part of this region. It is still important that flag be here. They can have a copy down there, but the flag should be here as we begin to grow and begin to look at this and recognise Darwin has a significant place in this region. It has been reinforced with recent events which we have already spoken of.
What does this mean? I would like to go back and - I have walked through this a few times - consider Australians learning, not through the Internet, but through the paper and the radio, about what was going on in the world far from here. In my own family, on the next door farm, my father’s cousin was called up and I have heard stories of those early times and how many of the young farmers had gone off to Europe - they were in Crete.
Then came the shocking news in December 1941 - consider that, December when we were on holidays, not that long ago - the news came that Japan had bombed Pearl Harbour. When that news broke it would have sent a shock wave through families gathering around radios thinking: ‘What does this mean?’ It was already bad enough with the war in Europe after Germany’s invasion of Poland and our response, in the words of Menzies: ‘We therefore are at war’. To then find Pearl Harbour - it would not have taken long for some people around radios to start considering it would become worse. I can imagine fear and anxiety levels would have risen. This brings it into our arena. That is December 1941.
Then consider the response of Australian families as they heard the news Singapore had fallen. That was just weeks later. Pearl Harbour brings the United States into it. It is going to get much worse. No one expected Singapore to fall. What effect did that have on the morale and the concerns of family’s right across Australia?
Farmers, people in small country towns, many of them had their loved ones in Singapore. They were captured and taken to Changi and many of them served on the Burma Railway. They did not hear from them for months and years, as you would have seen on television last night. ‘I was in Changi’ said one of them, ‘and I served on the Burma Railway’. We did not know what that meant. They were captured and Singapore had fallen. Imagine what that meant to families around Australia in country towns listening to the radio: ‘What is going to come next?’ We then had an urgent repositioning of troops into the Dutch East Indies - Kupang and then Dili. Dili should not have been, but it was. Dili was under the control of the Portuguese and was neutral but such was the concern of the impending threat that troops from Gull Force and Sparrow Force were quickly moved into Kupang and some were positioned across into Dili.
It was an illegal operation because that was neutral Territory, but such was the level of fear and concern at the time. That occurred just before January 1942, but in January 1942, around Australia Day, several divisions of Japanese paratroopers landed in Kupang and then into Dili within days of each other. Those divisions were also captured, and Sparrow Force and some of Gull Force had to escape into the hills of East Timor and were lost from contact.
Darwin was right in the position where it was starting, as a community, to realise this was going to get much worse, particularly when a ship went to supply Kupang and had come under enemy fire on the way back. Imagine the feeling in this town - something was going to happen. That was on 30 January.
On 14 February, just a few weeks later, there came the almighty attack on Darwin itself, a colossal attack. In fact, there was more ordnance dropped on Darwin than on Pearl Harbour. The same squadron that attacked Darwin attacked Pearl Harbour and it dropped more here than on Pearl Harbour. A great concentration of material in Pearl Harbour, consequently a greater loss of life, but more ordnance was dropped on Darwin.
It is not difficult to comprehend those in government, those in command working out what they should do, the level of anxiety and fear in this nation would have been so high, and the consequences and the managing of this – we think of a cyclone – imagine managing something like this. Therefore, the decision was made not to talk much about the fall of and loss of troops in Timor, not to talk much of what happened in Darwin because of the need to manage the morale of the people of Australia. They needed their morale levels high in order to support what was going to be a very important defence – the defence of our nation.
Whether Japan was intending to invade and take control of Australia is under dispute. Were they just seeking to gain control of the means whereby their invasion of the Dutch East Indies and Papua could be managed by destroying airfields and supply resourcing from the Top End? That is a story for historians to debate; no one could process that at the time. Australia was under threat make no mistake about it. You can imagine those who worked in the post offices around the country trying to get information; they could not go on the Internet, they were trying to get information word-of-mouth and people would tell stories about what they thought it meant or what it could mean. No news from those who were lost in Singapore. Most of those lost in East Timor were Western Australians and Tasmanians – absolutely no news, they just assumed they had all been lost. They did not want to tell too much about Darwin because that would have panicked the nation – we are just not accustomed to these things.
That is the context. No wonder it takes time to get past that and look back and gain a view which helps us process it. What comes from such an event? Some people came back from the prisoner of war camps bitter and hurt and could not buy a Japanese car, even to this day. Others, you read their stories, completely transformed; they have come to a place of forgiveness. I know an old farmer in Western Australia who loves the Japanese - he was on the Burma railway - different responses.
Out of that comes some powerful stuff. I admire you, member for Nelson, for what you have done to bring the connection with Strauss Base and the Strauss family, and the people of the Northern Territory. That is really good stuff. Out of these events come connections that would never have been possible.
Having those few Peary survivors come and remember their fallen comrades has connected us, because of the loss to families in the United States, in such a powerful way.
I would like to move to one aspect of this story we do not often talk about. I have raised this with INPEX. I said there was something we have to talk about as a community. We cannot just skirt around this, and it is done with the utmost respect and humility, but we have to talk about what people would describe as an elephant in the room to allow us to process this and move to a new place.
Darwin is now in a very new place, but it is interesting we have had the US President here, in 1943 or 1944 we had Bob Hope here entertaining the troops - I am not making any connection between Bob Hope and Obama - we had a very significant US presence here. It is an indication of the US presence and the importance of it, and the number - it is colossal. The investment of the US in the defence of this region was significant. So, we had the US president visit. We have one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Australia by Japan right now. Darwin is once again in the forefront of two nations’ minds. We will be supplying Japan with gas. The US has strengthened its presence here because of the change in the region. Indonesia has noticed there is an increased presence here and is processing what that means. As Bob Dylan says: The Times They Are A-Changin’. It was interesting times to get your head around - 1941, 1942, 1943 - as they are now too.
However, going to Japan, what many people may not know - I found out only by taking a book off a shelf at the Palmerston Library - is the story of the man who led the raid on Pearl Harbour - Fuchida. Those of you who have seen the movie Tora! Tora! Tora!, which is tiger - he is the man who issued the command, which was the code signal for attack: Tora! Tora! Tora! He tells how he had risen to that position and said it was the best day of his life. The mission came together perfectly, the enemy was caught completely unaware, and it was a complete success he says in his journal.
However, on reflection, he discovered 70 of his fellow officers had lost their lives in that raid. When he looked back on it and began to process the cost he started to weigh up what that all meant. He was then instructed by the powers that be, Japan High Command, to bomb Darwin. He had never heard of Darwin and, in fact, the words were something like he just followed instructions and bombed Darwin. He was involved in the Coral Sea, was wounded in the Battle of Midway, and ended up back in Japan not far from Nagasaki. He was there when the atomic bomb was dropped. He went, as one of the first ones on the scene, to report what he had seen. Most of those he walked across that scorched earth with died within months, he had no ill effect.
As the whole enterprise, in his mind, completely collapsed, Japan, and all that he believed in, was completely broken and he did not know what to do. He did what men do - they retreat to their cave. In this case, he retreated to the family farm in Osaka, I believe it was, and he worked on the land a depressed and demoralised man.
‘He then began to write a book on peace. He started to reflect on what he had been involved in and was trying to process it. Peace could not be built, he thought, unless it was built on some kind of foundation. He could not work it out. He commenced writing the book, but could not work it out. He then began to hear of stories of those who had been imprisoned by the Allies and had come back to Japan. He was expecting them to tell stories of how they were badly treated, just as Japan, and its code, had treated prisoners, but many of them came back with stories saying they were treated very kindly, particularly by some people. They referred to these people and why they did it. They did it because they had chosen to forgive. He then had to work through that. The end of the story is, and relevant to now, that Fuchida decided to be part of making some restoration for what he had been involved in.
He took the lead, with Billy Graham, to have a reconciliation service at Pearl Harbour. He led that raid and took a stance to bring about healing between the two nations. It was many, many years ago. This man passed away in 1974 and he spent the rest of his days serving the interests of reconciliation and forgiveness. He worked all around the world.
Where it comes to now is last time we had the wreath laying inside the entertainment centre and Dr Kohara was there. It was a powerful moment when Dr Kohara stood up, no speech, was acknowledged, and laid a wreath on behalf of the people of Japan. It does something when you see that. That is what sits behind this and, as we move 70 years on and are able to look back, we have an opportunity to explore this.
We are seeing the leadership shown in Pearl Harbour with Fuchida, admitting his role in something that destroyed and seeking to find reconciliation, forgiveness and a new way forward - that unleashed something. We saw pretty special things happen at Pearl Harbour. However, I predict there will be significant things happen in Darwin because of what we saw with Dr Kohara and some other wreaths that were laid - we are beginning to engage it in a different way. It will build a stronger link between Australia and Japan here in Darwin. My prediction is something pretty good is going to come out of this. We are in for a very special bond between the people of Japan and Australia here in Darwin.
It is significant, historically, that the US presence has increased. It is for us, if we have the courage, to be able to look at these things and work through them. Something good can come out of it. It should, otherwise we have not learnt anything from the lessons of the past.
Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the contribution of the Chief Minister and thank him for that. This in an important moment 70 years on and this event, as we move further from it, will grow larger in its significance.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for bringing this motion forward. I would also like to thank the member for Blain for a wonderful speech. Although on Sunday we will remember the 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin, it has to be bigger than that. The member for Blain has mentioned some very important aspects I did not think about.
When we stand there on Sunday we will remember it was not just a one day event. As the member for Blain said, historical things were happening in the region at that time. There were also two-and-a-half years of war in the Northern Territory that had to happen and 107 raids in the Northern Territory that still had to happen. There are also those concepts about how we reconcile our past with our present, which is really important. We also have to learn the lessons of war. As people sometimes say, war is futile. No matter how much we want peace in this world, for some reason humans do not seem to want to get on together at certain times in our history. Sometimes, war can be justified as a means of bringing peace. At other times, war is just a means of overpowering and conquering another country, and imposing one’s wishes on another people.
No matter which way you look at it, war is a tragedy. What we will remember this Sunday is there was tragedy on both sides. We will remember all the civilians, the sailors, the soldiers, the pilots who died on that day. We have to remember the families affected by those deaths, but we also have to remember the Japanese who died on that day and their families.
Two things have come to my mind in recent time. I was reading a book called The Bone Man of Kokoda by a reporter from The Age. He tells a story of a soldier who, as a civilian, was an engineer in Tokyo. He was conscripted and he describes the brutality of the Japanese military system and how the soldiers were, basically, bashed into submission. They were sent to war, and when people talk about how brutal they were, they were part of a brutal system. He fought on the Kokoda Trail. When you hear his story, you realise on both sides terrible things occurred. This gentleman promised the Japanese soldiers who died that he would take their bones back to Japan. I do not know how many years of his life he spent doing it. He broke up with his family, disappeared to Papua New Guinea, and took the bones back to Japan.
When I read that history I realised he was a person just like any of us who, through circumstances not of his own, was turned into a killing machine who fought in a brutal campaign. When you read of Kokoda and some of the battles that occurred in New Guinea; it was not pleasant; it was hand-to-hand fighting. It was horrible.
I saw recently, I think on Australian Story on the ABC, a lady down south who had a diary given to her that her husband had kept. It was from a Japanese naval officer. They did not know where that diary had come from but, eventually, through working with the Japanese Embassy, they were able to find the daughter of that naval officer. She was able to meet that person and take that book. When you see the connection between an Australian and a Japanese you feel we are no different; the pain of war does not distinguish between Japanese or Australian. It brings home more and more that we have to reconcile because we have to move on.
When you look now at the political arena, Japan is one of the most democratic countries we have in this part of the world. Our attachment with Japan should be encouraged. Look around to see how many other democratic countries there are. There are not many. We should work hard to encourage good relationships with that democracy.
Those are some of the ideas that went through my head while I was listening to the member for Blain, because what he spoke about is really important. I will go back to what I was going to talk about now, but I felt it was worth supporting what the member for Blain was talking about - that was a really good thing about INPEX coming here. If we can use that as a way of bonding our nations, of having a greater relationship between the Northern Territory and Japan - and we have that special relationship because of war – then something really positive can come out of that relationship.
As I said, the war did not happen only on one day. It continued for nearly two-and-a-half years until the first prisoners of war came back from Malaya and Burma. There used to be a small plaque at the wharf, although I am unsure if it is there now because there is work on the wharf. It was a yellow ribbons plaque. I always thought yellow ribbons were an American thing, but there is a yellow ribbons memorial plaque for the prisoners of war when they came home. I have always felt it was an Australian thing because it was our prisoners of war who arrived on the jetty. That is the first place they arrived after being released from captivity in Malaya and Burma.
As I said, there were at least 107 raids from 19 February 1942 to June 1944. The names of places the raids occurred are still very much part of the Northern Territory, which makes this whole thing so real. There was one raid on Katherine, Knuckeys Lagoon, Hughes Airstrip, Noonamah, Birdum, Cox Peninsula, Batchelor, Pell, Southport, Strauss, Coomalie, Milingimbi, Fenton, Long, Parap and Adelaide River. Bathurst Island, as the Chief Minister said, was attacked as the Japanese approached Darwin and shot up a Douglas C53 from the United States Army Air Forces. The Tiwis were famous when Matthias Ulungura captured a Japanese pilot, Hajime Toyoshima, on Melville Island. He was the first Japanese to be captured on Australian soil. Unfortunately, that Japanese pilot went to the prisoner of war camp in Cowra and was part of the escape. He blew the bugle, which was the sound for them to escape. He was killed and buried there.
The Chief Minister mentioned Peter and Sheila Forrest’s book, which has only just come out. I have not had a chance to look at it, but the latest book by Bob Alford, titled Darwin’s Air War, is a fantastic book if you want to look at the history. It is exact history about what happened in this part of the world. There are facts and figures about the Americans, the Australians, the Dutch, the British, the Japanese, the types of planes flown, the numbers of attacks that occurred and the people who died and the places affected. There is also a good book by Bob Alford and Howard Pearce which is A Wartime Journey: Stuart Highway Heritage Guide. That is a fantastic book for people to get an idea of the war time heritage of the Northern Territory.
When I say heritage, when you read those books, you understand the whole of the Territory was affected. Go down the track to Gorrie Airstrip just north of Larrimah; it was probably one of the biggest bases in the Northern Territory. I was told it was the largest town in the Northern Territory during the war. There was a church, a picture theatre, all types of things. You need to drive in there when going down the track ...
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Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, I wonder if we could acknowledge these students, please.
I advise honourable members of the presence in the gallery of Year 5 Nakara Primary School students accompanied by Mr Hayden Woodroffe, Mr G, and Mrs Karen Newman. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Nelson.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Names like Banka Banka - there was a hospital there on the left hand side ...
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, can I remind you there is to be no extra sound from some of these new audio-visual things we have, iPads, or from phones. There have been many interruptions in the last two days, thank you.
Mr WOOD: Gove was a site, as was Newcastle Waters, Birdum and Larrimah. Birdum was the American base. They were put there in the black soil plains and the Australians were at Larrimah ...
A member: The Americans were at Larrimah.
Mr WOOD: Yes, but, unfortunately, Birdum was not a great place to put a base because it was difficult to get out of that area during the Wet Season. There was Elliott, Alice Springs, Howard Springs - my area. In fact, there was a small area near where the bow hunters are that does not seem to be recognised too often. There are quarries at that site and if you go in there you will see where the materials were taken from the area for road building and for the railway. It is still there in pretty good nick. Because it is part of the bow hunters’ site, it is not often seen by the public.
There is Camp Rushmore at the 17 Mile which the government has just put a walking track through. That is on the corner of Lambrick Avenue and the Stuart Highway, a really interesting place. Again, you can get more information from some of these books. They are names of places that exist today and they are really important. I have always believed we need to retain this heritage, not just because of the historical side, but also to teach younger people this part of the world was part of the war. People lived here, people died here and, as the Chief Minister mentioned, there is a tourist angle; there is an economic angle to keeping these sites.
We have the opening of the Darwin Experience at East Point this weekend, but we also have these airstrips down the track. They are not just airstrips, they are not just pieces of bitumen, they are where people worked and lived and, in many cases, never returned to. You need to look at some of these pictures to realise how many people did not return.
You have other things that remind you of the past. If people watch war movies they hear the names. They hear about the Liberator, the Fortress, the Mosquito, the Hudson, the Beaufort, the Catalina and the Beaufighter, all names of aeroplanes that were part of the defence of this area. I have been to places like Long and Fenton Airstrips, and you need to go to those places to realise how far away some of these people lived from their home. The Americans were in Fenton with the Liberator. They flew sorties to Timor from Fenton. What was Fenton like in 1942? It was the end of the earth. There were no lights around the place and it was in the middle of nowhere. They would fly to Timor and back then try to land on this little airstrip in the middle of nowhere and, of course, many died not just from being shot down, but from not being able to land properly. Brave people flew these sorties.
I give the Americans a plug every now and then because, if you read this book, there were 10 P-40s in Darwin on the day of the first bombing. They were the United States Army Air Forces. They were shot down bar, I believe, one. Australia did not have any RAAF planes defending for quite some time - eight months after the first raid. It was the United States Army Air Forces with their P-40s that were defending this part of the world, and I sometimes become a bit annoyed. I do not mind people criticising the Americans; however, sometimes we need to keep things in perspective. Without them we really had no defence at all. We had the USS Peary in Darwin Harbour and it was sunk.
When you read these books - John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Bob Hope all came here. General MacArthur landed at Batchelor. We were part of a bigger picture and the Americans were, thankfully, here to help us. Sometimes we talk about our brave soldiers at Anzac, how they left Australia and went to the shores of Gallipoli, a foreign country thousands of miles away. As the member for Blain said, I followed the life of Captain Strauss, who Strauss Airstrip is named after, who came from Youngstown, Ohio. He was aged 25 and had a Bachelor of Chemistry. He decided to do his patriotic duty and joined the Air Force. He ended up first in the Philippines, then returned and was sent to Adelaide River. If you come in from the south of Adelaide River and look on the right hand side, probably only 2 km out, you will see a fairly flat paddock with a few trees. That was the emergency landing area for planes and the original base for his squadron to take off. They flew from a dirt airstrip south of Adelaide River and defended Darwin.
When I think of it, Youngstown would have been a large industrial city in Ohio, and he ended up at Adelaide River, which probably would not have been visible on a map. You then realise some of these people also did their Gallipoli. They travelled far from their homes and ended up in a godforsaken place, especially at certain times of the year, wondered where they were, and died.
In the case of Strauss, three weeks after the first bombing on 27 April, he was shot down with one of his fellow pilots in a dog fight over Darwin Harbour. We should recognise the Americans played a major part, especially in the initial defence of Darwin. It is important to remember.
The last member of the Strauss family passed away in January this year. Lila Dodd was his sister and I met her when I went to America. That generation of the Strauss family has now passed away.
I also need to mention even from my own family - not my direct family, my wife’s father, Harry Morgan, an Aboriginal person, worked as the cook on the Peron Islands, which was not the easiest place to get to. There was an Army radio base which became a radar base. There are many other stories we could tell about what happened. We could talk about the nuns at Garden Point who had to pack up and move the children to South Australia.
We could talk about, as the Chief Minister said, places like Milingimbi, where people had to evacuate - Croker Island. There were Aboriginal people who helped defend Australia as well. You will see pictures of them in these books with guns. They were the Nakaroos, who were like a guerrilla force in places like Timber Creek. There is a great photo in the library of them crossing the river all on horseback ...
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move an extension of time for the member for Nelson, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, member for Johnston.
There are terrific stories around which exemplify what I am saying: it is not just about the Bombing of Darwin, it is about so many other things which occurred at that time. So many people were affected and that is what we should remember as well.
For me, the day will be a day the Territory needs to look at carefully and how we approach it from now on. Is it simply going to be a day we celebrate the bombing on 19 February? Is it going to be a day we celebrate that period when the Northern Territory was at war? When we had the 50th anniversary of this day in 1992 we celebrated it as the Battle of Australia. My understanding is many soldiers who fought in the Territory were never recognised because they had not fought overseas. A special medal was produced for those people.
I remember going to Wishart Siding on the corner of the Arnhem Highway and the Stuart Highway, where a plaque was laid to remember all the people who worked on the railway - the locomotive people, the drivers, the fettlers, the people who worked on the line. They had to cart soldiers and ammunition from Birdum to Darwin, which was not a particularly safe job, especially if the Japanese decided to bomb one of those trains. We remember them.
The Litchfield Shire Council, at that time, put up signs all the way down to the end of the shire giving mileages. In the days during the war everyone knew it as the 1 Mile, 2 Mile, 3 Mile or 17 Mile - that is how it was recognised. That gave veterans a chance, when they came back to Darwin, to recognise certain areas of the Stuart Highway which would not be recognisable today if there had not been the signage.
In my own area, Howard Springs is a great little reminder of World War II. It was built by the soldiers. It was built originally as a water supply for Darwin, and was then used for swimming - something that would still be nice if it happened. Historically, the Howard Springs Nature Park, as we know it today, was built by soldiers to supply water. I imagine there are many other stories. I have only just touched on a few today; other people might have much more to say.
Madam Speaker, in summing up, the other part we need to think about for this particular day is not only to remember all those who died, those who sacrificed their lives, those who were evacuated, those who came to Darwin to help defend from whatever country - that certainly should be remembered - can we use it as an occasion to reflect on war? Can we use it as an occasion to reflect on reconciliation with an enemy from 70 years ago? Can we use it to benefit, to make our place where we live a better place, an example to other parts of the world where we can show that, even though we had a painful past, we now can work together for a more peaceful future? That would be a much more long-lasting legacy than plaques or flags - which are important. In the end, if we can use this day for the benefit of humanity it is well worth remembering.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, all speakers who have preceded me have given a unique perspective on the Bombing of Darwin and the war time. The member for Nelson has raised a very important issue about widening our commemoration of this very important event beyond the Bombing of Darwin to what happened in the Top End during the war. I like to think the Bombing of Darwin has become part of the fabric of the Northern Territory - the physical fabric, the historical fabric. People have touched on the sites that were bombed, the sites that were raised in the defence of the north - but also our psychology. I will turn to that a little later.
In regard to the commemoration over the coming weekend, much is happening. Most of us attend the USS Peary memorial. I will also be attending the wreath laying by the MUA at the wharf to commemorate those who lost their lives in those attacks - the workers - the reception at Parliament House, and the flag raising for the American Ambassador at East Point. It is going to be a very busy time; it is going to be a time for reflection.
Briefly, regarding my portfolio of Education, it is fantastic that the Bombing of Darwin is now part of the national curriculum. Its profile, particularly after President Obama said Darwin is Australia’s Pearl Harbour, has focused many Australians’ attention on what happened here. It is important the message of exactly what happened in Australia’s north gets out to children as they grow up in Australia.
Some of the school activities around this commemoration - and I will confine them to schools in this area - Darwin High School has tested the ABC’s iPod walking tour, the Bombing of Darwin. They will meet and greet veterans and VIPs as they arrive for the ceremony on The Esplanade. One student from Darwin High will recite The Ode, and they will also be the custodian of a bomb relic at the Chief Minister’s reception. A number of students from Darwin High will accompany veterans on an excursion to Adelaide River.
Larrakeyah Primary School, of course, is in the member for Port Darwin’s electorate. The children there, about 120 of them, have made model planes as part of their art course. These were included in the Darwin City Council Department of Veterans’ Affairs exhibition of students’ art. It will be very interesting to see that artwork and how kids have interpreted the planes and the war machines of that time. I am sure the boys in that primary school, in particular, will be very interested. At Parap Primary School, a whole school commemorative photograph display has been set up in the school library. At Ludmilla Primary, once again, there is a display. There is much happening within our schools and in public events for the commemoration.
I mentioned the fabric of the Bombing of Darwin. In this Parliament House, as everyone knows, there is a plaque in the great hall which commemorates the site where the bomb dropped and took the lives of people working in the post office. We can see the photos of those people, many in their younger years, tragically taken by that event.
I am a Westpac customer; I go to the Westpac Bank. When I go there I remember that building was severely damaged. It still bears some scars, as we all know, from the Bombing of Darwin.
As part of my ministerial duties, I once flew over Labelle Downs Station in a helicopter. The very knowledgeable helicopter pilot said: ‘In the jungle down there’ - there was a swampy jungle - ‘there is a Japanese plane that was shot down during the attacks on Darwin’. I am sure the member for Katherine is going to talk about some of the physical damage there. Many years ago, going out to Jabiru with one of the Alderson family, I was shown various places where Japanese planes had been shot down. I understand a Japanese airman was captured out there. The list could go on. Much of the physical fabric of Darwin, and stories, relate to that.
The Chief Minister described that first attack: 243 people dead; 300 to 400 wounded; 700 bombs dropped; the events at Darwin wharf; and over the period of the war Darwin was bombed 64 times, as well as the surrounding areas. We have talked about the mural at Darwin wharf, the commemoration at the USS Peary, Strauss airfield and the contribution by those US airmen during the Bombing of Darwin in the defence of Australia. They are to be commended and commemorated along with the sailors of the USS Peary who went down, guns firing, with courage. That is very important. We remember the horrors of war.
The Leader of the Opposition talked about the young men of 70 years ago. Well, here is one. I will table that. That is my father ...
Members: Hear, hear!
Dr BURNS: He served in the RAAF here. He was here for the Bombing of Darwin. He enlisted in July 1940. This has his initials as HD; his initials were actually HB - he was Harold Bruce. As a family, we have extracted his war record which shows his service in southern Australia, in Richmond, after he enlisted, and also here in the Territory. We also know he served in New Guinea, although that is not shown on his war records. The records kept at the time probably were not as complete as they could have been.
The member for Blain raised a very important issue - and the member for Nelson - about reconciliation after 70 years, and about the INPEX project. It was something I was going to mention today as well. It is very important, as the members for Blain and Nelson said, that the Japanese Consul has come to Darwin and been part of those ceremonies. We know many servicemen who went through World War II, understandably, had bad feelings about the Japanese. In fact, in my childhood, I knew men who had been prisoners of war and would not eat rice, would not buy a Japanese car, would not let their kids have a Japanese transistor in their house, and I understand that.
Some examples have been raised here today. We know Tom Uren worked very hard over the decades for reconciliation, and my father was one of those. He did not like to talk about the war at all; he avoided it. It comes back to what the member for Blain talked about: the horrors of war. Like many of his generation, he had been through the Great Depression and through war. They did not like to talk about those things. It is important that, as the members for Blain and Nelson said, we strive for reconciliation. When I was Business minister, it was my privilege to travel to Japan and meet senior INPEX executives and I told them about our family history in a spirit of reconciliation.
It is an important step we take here. The member for Nelson is right when he says we need to expand this commemoration beyond bombs dropping out of the sky. We need to commemorate the fabric, the comradeship and the relationship with the United States of America because that is crucially important. President Obama visited last year and that is a mark of where Darwin is now, strategically, in our region and our history.
We have very strong links with the United States; we are building our links with Japan economically, and socially. I often look at the many young backpackers who come through Darwin and hope they learn about the Bombing of Darwin and about that history. I understand, to some degree, that may have been hidden in Japan, or not openly spoken of, but we need to speak about these things in the right spirit and the spirit of reconciliation.
Madam Speaker, I, for one, will be going to the facility at East Point. I am hoping to get there very soon. Those who have been give very positive reports about the way in which it is presented, the reality, and the way in which it has made them reflect on that event. It is very important it has been built, and it will become a central part of Darwin and people’s experience when they visit Darwin. There are great things to do in Darwin. There are fantastic restaurants, there are things to see, but this is a more serious side people need to appreciate, not only to appreciate history, but also for us to move forward in the future. I will say it again: strategically we are still at the pointy end in the Northern Territory.
Whilst my father never liked to speak about things, he did tell my mother a few things about the Bombing of Darwin on that fateful day. The harbour was burning, they had to rescue those who had been killed, those who were badly burnt, the harbour was on fire from oil, and the absolute fear of bombs ripping through. They were camping in corrugated iron with bits of hessian and were horribly exposed. He did not like to speak about it. Many of his generation did not like to speak about their war experience; they did not like to glorify war, they knew firsthand the horrors of war.
Madam Speaker, I have been a little personal today, but it is personal for me. I certainly commend this motion to the House.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, there may be any number of noble reasons to go to war, but there is nothing noble in its execution, and the Bombing of Darwin is symbolic of that thought.
Before I proceed, I have taken the opportunity to ask the attendant - and I thank the attendant - to look at the photograph tabled by the member opposite. It struck me that this young man who appears in the photograph was pulling on a uniform, possibly with a nebulous idea of what he was fighting for in regard to the democracy he was defending. As I looked at this photograph and cast my eyes across the Chamber, I see his son sitting here practicing and engaged in the very things his father pulled the uniform on for. For that reason alone, I believe the father would have great cause to be proud of the son.
Madam Speaker, that is a reflection and a thought, but is this what this was about? This was about defending something that was right and noble. Unfortunately, the process of that defence is often unspeakably disgusting. I speak of my own parents - my mother spent four years in a concentration camp in Yogyakarta on the island of Java interned under the Japanese. My father would often relate stories - he was arrested for the purposes of forced labour, and escaped under the Nazis in Holland. He knew what war meant. He was too young to be conscripted. He was 14 when the war broke out, but he used to tell me about the formations of bombers that would fly over his house in Enschede on the Dutch German border, and he would count up to 1500 bombers in those formations. It is worth pausing for a second to think about what is in the bellies of 1500 bombers as they fly, not to a military target, but to a city full of men, women, boys, girls and memories. You cannot but imaging the death that is going to rain out of an aircraft formation of that size.
It is interesting also to note the book by Jonathan Glover, Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth Century touches on this at some length. When Hitler started to fly his aircraft toward Britain and take out the British defences, his targets were primarily military. The formation of the Junkers that would fly in that direction were loosely packed, lightly armed, twin-engine bombers targeting airfields and were dispersed, but were not really well organised formations.
I ask honourable members to contrast that with the allied formations of 1945, which would form up over Britain and head deep into enemy territory, of 1500. The moral change which occurred between 1939 and 1945, on a global scale, is worth reflecting on.
The Nazis, the dark forces of evil at the beginning of the war - and by no means am I defending them - were still deploying their bombers in a loose strategic fashion where the military target was considered to be planes and airfields to lay the way for the invasion of Britain, which never occurred because of the enormous defence in the Battle of Britain. Within six years it was legitimate military consideration to see a city, with all of its occupants, including children, was a legitimate military target. Children and women were seen as a vehicle by which munitions may be produced and, consequently, their elimination was seen as an acceptable consequence of the conduct of bombing operations.
It is that thinking, and that moral shift from a military target being an airfield with aircraft to women and children in a city that needed to be obliterated. That moral shift occurred in six years. The obliteration of cities like Dresden was calculated, deliberate, considered and delivered with technologies which, at the end of the war, were really decades ahead of what they were at the beginning of the war. The Norden bombsight, which enabled the delivery of bombs with accuracy from high altitudes - I forget the acronym for it, I think it was K - was an electronic bomb sighting system for aircraft flying at night.
The bombing plans were designed in such a way that, in the case of a city such as Dresden, a particular part of the bombing raid was to deal with a particular area of the city and, then, another area was to be covered and, then, another was to be covered. I am sure you have heard the expression ‘carpet bombing’, but that is literally what it was; you covered the whole city with bombs. Every single building would be damaged. The idea was to deliver bombs in such a way that those bombs developed certain results. Fire bombing was something that - these sound like almost quaint terms. However, a fire bombing is - and the residents of Tokyo would know this. General Curtis LeMay said bombing Tokyo, which was largely wood and paper, with incendiary bombs would cause a localised weather pattern inside the city and, as the city started to burn, the rising air from the heat sucked air in from the side and created, literally, a fire storm. That is what they called them: fire storms. The target for Curtis LeMay was a military target - the city of Tokyo - because that is what Tokyo had become in the eyes of the allies. Curtis LeMay admitted after World War II that had he been on the losing side, he would have, in every likelihood, been on trial for crimes against humanity.
The Bombing of Darwin reflects the transitional period of that moral shift, and it happened on both sides. The Japanese Imperial advance through Asia often was brutal and, whilst the official start date for World War II is 1 September 1939, you could legitimately suggest the official start date for World War II could well have been 1937 in Manchuria. The Rape of Nanking was disgusting, ugly, and brutal. If you read books like An Intimate History of Killing by Joanna Bourke, another extraordinary insight into the human mind in relation to how you kill other people and the processes involved in it, the dehumanisation of the enemy by the Japanese, particularly through the expression of Bushido as practised by the Japanese, led to some pretty disgusting outcomes.
The Australian experience of those disgusting outcomes was things such as the Burma Railway. The Dutch East Indies’ experience of those disgusting outcomes was things such as the concentration camp into which my mother was interred. The Chinese experience was things such as the Rape of Nanking and the imposition of P'u Yi, a puppet emperor.
When Japan visited itself upon Australia it already had a moral construct. You can see that in the bombing maps of Darwin that were produced after the initial attack. If you look at what was attacked in Darwin - yes, the airfield was attacked, but the majority of bombs did not fall on the airfield. The majority of bombs fell right here where we are standing, just outside - we have all seen the plaque in the hall; it was a post office. The victims, if you look on the walls, are the Stasinowsky sisters; sisters wearing petticoats – a threat to the Emperor of Japan?
Mr Vatskalis: The Mullen sisters.
Mr ELFERINK: Sorry?
Mr Vatskalis: The Mullen sisters.
Mr ELFERINK: The Mullen sisters, sorry, and Stasinowsky. I stand corrected. Were these petticoat wearing Australian girls a direct threat to the Emperor of Japan? That is the moral construct that has to be created to justify the approach to a bombing raid.
Both sides did it. Bomber Harris was held personally responsible for the bombings of Dresden. Even at the time, people were finally starting to say: ‘Whoa, hang on, is this entirely necessary?’ Dresden had some military significance but, ultimately, it was just a way of reducing a nation to rubble.
It is small wonder that, in 1945, little consideration was given to the use of the ultimate weapon in war in the modern era by President Truman - the nuclear bomb. Truman knew, from the reports he had received of the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos - because of the detonation in New Mexico - that this weapon was ‘the destroyer of worlds’, as Oppenheimer obliquely referred to it. He was given this weapon to deliver to the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - one uranium bomb the other a plutonium bomb. However, I will not go into the details. What was the consideration of Truman? The justification was that -- by any standard a fair justification – the projection of American casualties on the invasion of Japan was going to be so high that it was legitimate to use these weapons to protect American interests.
By that time in the war, Japanese interests meant absolutely nothing. There was also a need to send a signal to the Soviets, who were already being seen by that stage as clear rivals in the post-World War II period, that you had this thing. There was a propaganda reason to do it and, depending on whose history you read - and remembering Code Purple had been broken well in advance - it was pretty clear Japan was on the verge of capitulation anyhow.
So, why use the weapon? Political reasons, good military reasons if you are going to carry out an invasion but, also, because the moral impediment against the use of such a disgusting weapon had been completely removed. We were now so used to obliterating cities, the question was now what means to use rather than should it be done at all.
Whilst I realise this does not have much to do with the Bombing of Darwin, what I learnt from this is the end result of these decisions, as morality decays in the face of necessity for victory and the victims pile up - in the case of World War II 55 million dead, depending on whose figures; sometimes it goes up to 60 million. However, let us not quibble over 5 million. Fifty-five million dead – the population of Australia two-and-a-half times over - around the world. The moral imperative of the time was to finish the war by any means.
That is the lesson I take from war. Whilst I would not say I would never send anybody to war, I would never go to war, I find war disgusting and reprehensible, but there are still reasons for it. Corporal Burns had a reason. His son honours his father’s memory by practising those reasons in his everyday life. It is a very significant thing we have to remember as politicians, should we ever champion the cause of war that, as I said at the outset, the execution of it is anything but noble. We are talking dismemberment. If you look at the entrance to our library, there is a big chunk of steel bolted to the wall. It is a section of an old bomb.
I ask honourable members to think about how fast that piece of steel was moving when the charge it was wrapped around detonated. I suggest the chances are, at one stage, it was moving faster than the speed of sound. I defy any member of this parliament to suggest that a chunk of steel, probably weighing 3 kg or 4 kg, moving at the speed of sound, is not going to do some damage when it hits a person. It does not discriminate. It does not care if it hits a soldier, a girl wearing a petticoat, or a baby.
Madam Speaker, it is that moral understanding that any war decays morality because the end must justify the means. When any person argues in favour of it, they had better be sure it is justified.
I turn to people like Corporal Burns. In symbolising the almost innocent and simple nature of people who wore the uniform, particularly the young kids half my age and less who wear the uniform in defence of their country, there should be good local examples worth holding up as just that - examples of the types of people who stand up. I am aware of a fellow by the name of Dick Butler.
Gunner Dick Butler lived in the Northern Territory between 1908 and 1987 and served in Darwin as part of the Black Watch, notably because of the dark colour of his skin. He was what would have been called in those days a half-caste. He served with honour, he served well, and he received all the appropriate medals. He continued to live in Darwin and serve the people of Darwin as the gardener of the Administrator’s residence until his retirement. He died in Darwin. When Dick Butler was finally sent to his grave, they drove past the Administrator’s residence and the Administrator, if I understand it correctly, laid a wreath on his coffin before he was interred.
What I like about Dick Butler is there is nothing particularly remarkable about him. He was a decent honest guy, worked for a living his whole life, and was never so profoundly ambitious to pursue lofty goals. However, in so many ways he represented the average soldier who pulled on a uniform who, in a very non-average way, was prepared to lay down his life in defence of the country, which in Dick Butler’s case did not probably look after him as well as it could have.
I think the pressure Diane Butler, his daughter, is putting on the government to have him recognised in the War Museum should be followed up. I notice Tom Lewis, Museum Director, on 19 February 2011 wrote to Rosemary Butler that he would appreciate talking further with the Butler family in relation to this matter. Diane Butler has written to the Chief Minister and is yet to receive a written response. However, to use this man as an example of service to the community from the perspective that he represented the vast majority of the community is a good, solid idea. I encourage Tom Lewis and the Chief Minister to continue talking to the Butler family so Dick Butler can be recognised and remembered not only for the service he gave the people of the Northern Territory and this nation, but for the service so many others gave. When the war was over these people pulled off the uniforms and went back to their farms, their factory jobs or their middle management jobs and disappeared into the background like it had almost never happened. It is that symbolism that can be captured in an individual like Dick Butler.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move that the member be granted an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
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Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Year 6 Nakara Primary School students, accompanied by Mrs Vicky Manley, Mr Shaun Andre and Miss Catherine Nunn. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I shall not be too much longer. However, to acknowledge the efforts of the Dick Butlers of Darwin during World War II I believe is an important thing, and I certainly hope the government makes good on its promise to the Butler family to continue working in order that Dick Butler is properly remembered in the history of Darwin.
Speaking more generally, Carl von Clausewitz once offered the observation that war was merely an extension of politics. Having spent some time studying war and the reasons surrounding war, and the memories of people like Neville Chamberlain waving bits of paper around and claiming peace in our time, I do not agree with von Clausewitz’s rationale. War is a product of the failure of politics and it is incumbent upon us, as politicians, wherever we can, be it at a state level, local level or national level, to dedicate ourselves to the restraint of this nation engaging in war. Should we choose to step down that path, we only do so with the most noble and upright of reasons. When you counsel to do such a thing, you give counsel to what will follow as a form of conduct which will see people killed in the most horrible and obscene way.
Mr HAMPTON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, it is an honour to participate in this debate which has had many parts to it. It has had history, it has had discussions around reconciliation, it has provided stories on unsung heroes, and many other aspects. It has been a really important debate for this parliament, and a very important debate for the people of the Northern Territory. As the minister for Heritage, I am honoured to be able to contribute, and also as a Territorian and someone whose family played a role way back in 1942 as part of the efforts of World War II.
Turning to my portfolio of Heritage, the Northern Territory government has invested a great deal to ensure the 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin receives the recognition it deserves as an historical event of national importance.
Members will be aware on 18 February the Chief Minister will be opening the new $10m Defence of Darwin Experience at East Point. The development of the Defence of Darwin Experience falls under the portfolio responsibility of my colleague, the member for Barkly, and Minister for Arts and Museums, and I will leave it to him, and the Chief Minister, to say more about this fantastic new facility. However, I want to take this opportunity to discuss our actions over the years to conserve World War II heritage.
The World War II heritage of the Darwin region is unique. This was the place where the war came to Australia and, as President Obama called it, Australia’s Pearl Harbour. It is the only area on the Australian mainland which was subjected to sustained enemy attack during World War II. There are many sites in the Darwin region directly associated with that time which remain today relatively intact. Until recently, this was not well appreciated by the Australian public and, perhaps, is still not well appreciated. As the member for Blain said, each year interest and awareness is growing.
In the Territory we have understood these things for some time. Since the introduction of the Heritage Conservation Act in 1991 there has been bipartisan support for the protection of World War II heritage, and many sites associated with the war have been protected by being declared as heritage places. This government, since 2001, has listed 22 World War II sites as heritage places, mostly in the Top End. This speaks of our genuine commitment to conserving our World War II heritage, and that commitment is now paying off.
Making the decision to protect these places has established a platform upon which the government has been able to build the unique Defence of Darwin Experience. Members, and the general public, may not be aware of the new Defence of Darwin Experience, but it was always envisaged as a hub complemented by a distributed experience in the Darwin region.
Visitors to the new facility at East Point will be strongly encouraged to follow-up their experience by visiting a range of World War II sites in the Darwin region. Nine sites make up the distributed experience, including East Point military complex, the RAAF explosive stores at the Charles Darwin National Park, the World War II oil tunnels on Kitchener Drive, Sandy Creek Watch Post at Casuarina Coastal Reserve, the 17 Mile camp on the corner of Lambrick Avenue and Stuart Highway, Strauss Airfield on the Stuart Highway, Noonamah, the USS Peary Memorial on The Esplanade, Quarantine Anti-Aircraft Battery, East Arm, and Survivor’s Lookout near Government House.
All these sites have a unique story to tell and, together, offer the visitor an unparalleled insight into the impact of World War II on the Top End. Visitors will learn about the failed strategy of fixed defensive positions that dominated allied thinking in the 1930s; about the shock of the bombing and the terrible loss of life on that first day; how the troops based themselves on what they thought was an inevitable land invasion; and how the allies fought back and slowly gained the upper hand. Almost all sites are declared heritage places under the custodianship of the Northern Territory government. Therefore, conservation work can be funded under our conservation program for government owned heritage assets managed through my Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport. The program has been in place since 2004-05, and underpins the government’s commitment to lead by example in the conservation of the Territory’s unique and diverse heritage.
This government decided, well over a year ago in the lead-up to the 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin, to prioritise work on World War II sites destined to make up the distributed experience in order to ensure they were in the best possible condition for visitors. In 2009-10, under the conservation program, just over $21 000 was invested in improving safety in the World War II oil tunnels and, in 2010-11, another $52 000 was invested in painting and repairs to the tunnels. In that same year, $8000 was invested in the RAAF explosive stores at Charles Darwin National Park, and just over $102 000 at Strauss Airstrip cleaning and clearing overgrown taxiways south of the strip. A major capital works program worth $406 000 for the 17 Mile site on the corner of Lambrick Avenue and Stuart Highway was completed this year, and another $77 000 has been spent on interpretation at the site, including a new shelter. In total, the Territory government has invested over $670 000 in that last two years on sites that make up the distributed experience. I put on the record my gratitude for the commitment and hard work of those involved in much of that work.
I would like to talk in more detail about the 17 Mile. This is, in many ways, the jewel in the crown in the distributed experience, and something the member for Nelson touched on during his contribution. I am proud of the role the government has played in taking this little-known site and turning it into a place which has the capacity to transform people’s understanding of what it was like in those desperate days following the Bombing of Darwin. The 17 Mile site was first occupied in February 1942 by US troops in the immediate aftermath of the bombing. The US troops christened it ‘Camp Rushmore’. Subsequently, Australian troops moved in under the command of Major General Herring. In anticipation of a Japanese land invasion, he set up a defensive perimeter around the camp designed to stop any enemy advance along either the north-south road as the Stuart Highway was known back then, or along the route of the North Australian Railway.
I take the liberty of quoting directly from orders issued to Allied troops in the Darwin area on 27 March 1942, including those at the 17 Mile camp. The orders state at the outset:
- It is expected that the enemy will attempt to land in the Darwin area in the next few days. Troops are ordered to take up a series of positions and …
In capital letters, the order states:
- … THE AREAS WILL BE HELD TO THE VERY END.
We can only imagine how tense the situation must have been and the level of fear experienced by those young soldiers. Troops hurriedly built defensive positions out of whatever they could find. Remarkably, the remains of these positions made up of local rocks piled one on top of the other, usually in a semicircular pattern, can still be seen at the 17 Mile site today, along with slit trenches and the remains of more mundane aspects of camp life such as pit toilets and shower blocks.
Pathways have now been built through the site, and there is a new interpretive shelter with other interpretive signs throughout the site as well. The visitor experience will be enhanced by information available on the web and by a smartphone application specifically developed for the distributed experience.
I am pleased with the work carried out at the 17 Mile site, and at the other sites that make up the distributed experience of the defence of Darwin experience. Other similar projects have been undertaken in advance of the 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin. With all the talk of croc insurance at the time of President Obama’s visit to Darwin in November last year, an important element of the story did not receive much coverage. It was the unique gift presented to President Obama by the Northern Territory Administrator, the Honourable Sally Thomas. The gift was a framed duplicate of a plaque intended to be placed on the harbour floor adjacent to the wreck of the USS Peary. Thinking about that, on the day of the bombing there were 47 vessels in the harbour. Next time you look at the harbour, imagine 47 vessels there - it would be an awesome sight.
Madam Speaker, the Administrator said earlier this week the gift commemorates the tragic loss of more than 90 American sailors on board the USS Peary which was sunk while defending Darwin during the first air raid by Japanese forces which attacked Darwin on 19 February 1942. Ninety American soldiers lost their lives that day ...
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, I will ask you to continue your remarks after Question Time. Honourable members, the Chair will resume at 2 pm.
Debate suspended.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of staff from the Department of Construction and Infrastructure. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
MOTION
Commemoration of the Bombing of Darwin
Commemoration of the Bombing of Darwin
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr HAMPTON (Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage): Madam Speaker, I will begin where I left off this morning and that was regarding the unique gift presented to President Obama by the Northern Territory Administrator, the Honourable Sally Thomas. The gift was a framed duplicate of a plaque intended to be placed on the harbour floor adjacent to the wreck of the USS Peary.
As I said, on 19 February 1942 there were about 47 vessels in the harbour - a massive fleet. The Administrator said earlier this week this gift commemorates the tragic loss of more than 90 American sailors aboard the USS Peary which was sunk while defending Darwin during the air raid by the Japanese forces. There is a memorial to the USS Peary on the Esplanade with a gun salvaged from the ship pointing to where the wreck lies. The plaque will complement this memorial. It will be a touching moment for people who dive on the wreck of this once mighty ship to see this plaque on the harbour floor, serving as it does, as a reminder of the terrible loss of life on that day and the destruction and tragedy of war.
The plaque is illustrated with a silhouette of the USS Peary with the inscription ‘USS Peary 1920-1942, Sunk during the first Japanese air raid, Darwin Harbour, 19 February 1942’. The plaque is mounted on a large concrete plinth that weighs about 1 tonnes. I commend all those involved with this unique project, including the Darwin Port Corporation, which has taken responsibility for manufacturing the concrete plinth and placing it on-site.
Another project my department has been involved with is the publishing of a book that will serve to enhance people’s understanding of the impact of the war on the Territory as a whole. In 2006, the then Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts published A Wartime Journey: Stuart Highway Heritage Guide. I quote from the introduction of the book:
- For many years what is now known as the Stuart Highway was little more than a track beside the Overland Telegraph Line. Known as the ‘north-south road’, it followed in the footsteps of the explorer John McDouall Stuart who successfully crossed the continent from south to north in 1862.
This all changed with the advent of World War Two. Darwin was isolated from the south and relied on sea lanes to maintain supplies. The threat of those sea lanes being cut by enemy submarines meant an overland supply route was vital to Australia’s defence strategy.
In a remarkable feat of engineering and sheer determination, the rough dirt track was turned into a highway in the space of a few months. By September 1940 the first military convoys were taking men and supplies through to Darwin. Further work to strengthen and seal the road was completed in October 1943, and the road was named the Stuart Highway.
The Stuart Highway was the scene of an extraordinarily amount of activity during the war. Supplies critical to the war effort were carried up the highway, the injured were brought back down to field hospitals, and aircraft took off and landed from roadside airstrips to intercept enemy planes and to launch attacks against Japanese-held territory to the north.
Madam Speaker, other colleagues in the House spoke about their personal family involvements in World War II, particularly in Darwin and the Northern Territory. I would like to share some stories of my family’s association and involvement during this time. There are plenty of books, particularly in the Northern Territory Library in Parliament House, and I would like to commend the NT Library for the display it has.
There is a book called Federation Frontline by Peter and Sheila Forrest. I am very proud they have included a short story about my grandparents, Timothy and Sarah Hampton who, in 1942, did not have to evacuate Darwin because they were living at Barrow Creek where they had a mining lease. My grandparents had an important role in providing supplies and produce to the Army as they travelled along the Stuart Highway through Barrow Creek. They were able to grow vegetables, keep goats and supply produce to the Army on their trips up and down the highway.
Like many parents at that time, my grandparents’ eldest son, Reginald Hampton, enlisted at Mataranka. They saw their eldest son go off to war and, unfortunately, never return. In those days there were no mobile phones, and to have your eldest son enlist in the Army, tour overseas and fight for Australia was heartfelt for them. Many families in those days saw their sons go off to fight in the war at a very young age, many never to return.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the role of Central Australia during this time. World War II also had a significant impact on Central Australia. During the war years, the town was an active staging base – No 9 Australian Staging Camp - and a depot base for troops and materials heading to the Top End. The population of Alice grew further when Darwin was evacuated and large numbers of civilians, including officials and government workers, were shifted south. In fact, Alice Springs became the evacuation of Darwin war time civilian capital of the Northern Territory.
The war left behind many material assets. For instance, the historic Totem Theatre created for the entertainment of the troops is still the site of great community theatrical productions. Seven Mile Aerodrome was constructed, and the highway was sealed between Alice and Larrimah. The town’s water supply was also upgraded to cope with the increased population, and the railhead was also improved. The Alice Springs RSL Club has developed a great online museum which outlines much of the history of the town during the war. Many of the exhibits at the Alice Springs RSL also focus on the town during the war years, and I would recommend members pop into the RSL for a drink and look at the displays.
I have no doubt this book, A Wartime Journey: Stuart Highway Heritage Guide, will help bring alive these remarkable years. You will also find it is rich in information about the broader sweep of the history of the Northern Territory. This excellent publication has enjoyed a steady sale so far and is still as relevant today as it was back when it was first published. I am pleased to announce a second edition will be shortly released. There is likely to be an increased interest in its publication, given it is the 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin.
I thank everyone for their contribution today. I am honoured to speak to this motion and discuss the work undertaken by staff in my department of Heritage, as well as the other parts of the department. I wish to also thank the Department of the Legislative Assembly, the staff, and the NT Library staff for the displays and exhibits in Parliament House.
Madam Speaker, many great words were spoken by other members; however, on reflection, there are no winners in war, only victims. This is a time when we need to think about reconciliation; about how we strive for peace not only across the Southeast Asia-Pacific region, but across the world. It is important also that we show empathy, particularly for those seeking refuge from war. In the current political climate, particularly in Canberra, that is lost in the debate. It has been a privilege to speak on this motion. I am happy to support it and inform the House of the great work we are doing to preserve the heritage.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Speaker. I too wish to talk to the motion today and thank the Chief Minister for bringing it forward. Growing up in New South Wales, the Bombing of Darwin is something I did not know anything about. I did most of my schooling in New South Wales and it was not part of the curriculum then. However, on coming to Darwin as a member of the Royal Australian Air Force, I soon learnt what happened in Darwin 70 years ago.
Life is a fascinating thing when it is all about timing. It was mentioned earlier today that 70 years ago we were three days away from the House we are standing in being bombed. Whilst we have our wars from one side of the Chamber to the other, I would prefer to be living in this time where we are not drawing swords, we are not throwing rocks, and we are not shooting each other. We may use words to fight each other today, but I prefer to live in the democratic world we have in Australia.
If it was 70 years ago, it would be quite different. If it was 1000 years ago, it would be quite different again. Over the years, some nations have got their act together, grown up and become a democracy. However, it has taken wars to get to where we are today. Some countries are still warring and, one day, hopefully, will see peace.
We often talk about who has done what over the years; however, we cannot change the past but we can do everything to change the future. We all aspire to make it a better world for our children and our children’s children. However, we cannot be blamed for what might have happened in the past.
I listened to the member for Blain speak about the Japanese and the difference we see with them investing in the Northern Territory; the difference because the democratic world we live in provides that opportunity. We cannot blame the Japanese of today for what happened 70 years ago. In the world of politics we often blame. The Labor government blamed the previous CLP government for things that may or may not have happened, or blame us today. You cannot blame anyone for what has happened in the past, but we can all work for a better future.
I also pay tribute to the member for Solomon who tabled, in September, a motion to make 19 February a national day of significance which was unanimously supported by the federal parliament. Since then, the member for Solomon has sent a great leaflet around her electorate which gives some insight to the time line. I would like to read from it:
Bombing of Darwin Time line
15 February 1942 - Allied military forces on Singapore surrender to the Japanese. 130 000 allied personnel taken prisoner, including 15 000 Australians;
On the back of this pamphlet is a message from Dr Tom Lewis: Dr Tom Lewis OAM is a military historian whose best-selling book A War of Home covers the events of the first two Darwin raids. His latest work is Darwin’s Submarine I-124, coverage of the January attacks on Darwin. He is a serving Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Australian Navy and the Director of the Darwin Military Museum. The message says:
- In Darwin on 19 February 1942, 251 people were killed due to enemy attack on Australia. It remains one of the largest war losses of life in a single event for our nation, and the sinking of the Montevideo Maru, a ship carrying POWs off Rabaul in July 1942 in which 1050 Australians were killed. But if the deaths of those of our countrymen were not enough the Darwin raids have a huge significance. Through that event we suddenly saw that war could come across our moat to strike us. The age of the aircraft had arrived and we could be bombed from the air. Australia was suddenly fighting for its life.
On that day our nation changed in another way. We were part of the British Empire, but that collection of countries was already struggling for survival a world away. Britain and its far-flung forces - including our own troops - could do little to help the daughter nation. But, America could, and it did. We had fought alongside Americans before, in the Western Front in World War I. Now they were here for us: the entire air defence of Darwin on that day was flown by Americans in 10 Kittyhawk fighters.
In the harbour, 89 of her sons died on one destroyer, the fighting USS Peary. Five of the 10 ships sunk as a result of the raid were in American service. Over the coming years thousands of Americans would pass through Australia to push back a totalitarian enemy who would have otherwise crushed us once they had taken New Guinea. Our nation had a new friend and a new alliance that continues today.
I had about three years service with the Army Reserve prior to joining the Air Force in 1985. I was fortunate to be part of the Defence Force when we were not actively fighting in other countries. Although we were involved in many exercises - some potentially dangerous - here and in Malaysia, we lived in a relatively stable time. The work we did every day was to train and to get ready. No one can understand what it would be like to go through a terrible day like the Bombing of Darwin, or any other place where people are actively fighting wars.
There is a big difference between the adrenalin pumping through one’s body in a heightened exercise when firing blanks compared to someone witnessing their best buddy beside them dead. No one can really describe, no one can understand or appreciate what those people have been through. Although I was a very proud member of the RAAF, and still proud when I get the chance to march on Anzac Day, it was not about the medals one might have won or the things one might have done. It was about what you belong to - a family.
The Defence Force in this country is a family and whether it is Navy, Army or Air Force - and some real rivalry goes on with that bunch - the reality is they serve this country. On days like Anzac Day, you are extremely proud to march with your friends, with those people who have served, and take some relief that you were not sent overseas to fight a war. That could happen at any time. Even today’s members of our Defence Force live in a world where they are required to go overseas and help establish, hopefully, democratic countries. Their job today is far more dangerous than at the time I spent in the Defence Force. We have to take our hats off to them.
Madam Speaker, on a day like the 70th anniversary there will be tears in the eye just like Anzac Day. People will remember people they served with, people who are no longer here with us, and those who have gone before us to fight for a flag and fight for what we have here today. If it was not for our American friends defending the line, we would not enjoy standing in this room today.
Mr McCARTHY (Construction): Madam Speaker, I am honoured to have the opportunity this afternoon to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin. It is particularly poignant to be able to do this in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly on the site of the old post office where nine people lost their lives on the morning of 19 February 1942.
Seventy years ago this Sunday, Australia came under attack for the first time. World War II came to Australia. I love history and I love Territory history. It has been great to listen to each member’s contribution, led by the Chief Minister, and listening to the wonderful historical stories with the underlying theme of commemorating this event in history that changed not only the course of the Northern Territory, but the course of the nation.
I acknowledge that across the regions we share in the history of the Bombing of Darwin in many ways. The member for Nelson did a great summary, and the member for Stuart, as the minister for our heritage and culture, outlined many of those sites with historical significance relating to the Bombing of Darwin. I can reflect on some of the incredible photos I have seen in Tennant Creek, and more particularly Elliott, where these were very strategic places and staging points for the development of the military in northern Australia. They then became very important places for the evacuation of civilians coming from the Top End after the Bombing of Darwin, and those subsequent raids over the following two years.
I would like to talk about the late Mr Nugget Smith from Lake Nash, who was living and working at Lake Nash. He told me that as a young fellow of about 13 the station manager took him to Camooweal, to the Barkly Highway, where the American Army was constructing a highway. He travelled with the manager and met his first African American gentleman who was working on the Barkly Highway. I said, ‘You must have felt quite esteemed to be chosen by the manager to travel to Camooweal and the Barkly Highway and meet those American soldiers’. Mr Nugget Smith’s reply was: ‘No, I was just the gate opener for the manager’. You can imagine the amount of gates there would have been to open in those days. This links the whole of the Territory to this event, and the event is now of significance right across Australia because the story is finally being told.
I grew up in Sydney and was very fortunate to be from a family where grandparents and parents told the stories of our culture and our family history. My mother’s family, through Word War II, were living on the headland at Maroubra. They saw regular shipping activity, they heard sirens, and were very much aware of what was happening in the world and in the Pacific. They heard the stories of the midget submarines that went into Sydney Harbour and attacked ferries and shipping. As a young child, I went to Canberra and visited the national War Memorial and saw those submarines, so that story was very much alive in our imagination as kids.
I came to the Northern Territory just over 30 years ago and was very fortunate to spend the first 12 months in Tennant Creek. As part of my job as a teacher, I was chosen to support two teachers who had organised an excursion to Katherine and Pine Creek. I believe to this day I was recruited because I could drive the bus, change tyres and also supervise the male students, because they were two female teachers. They had organised an incredible excursion plan. We looked at a great deal of history and heritage around Katherine, as well as Indigenous culture and the natural features of the gorge and the river.
We went to visit Mr Lansdowne’s hut, a very historic spot on the banks of the Katherine River. Mr Lansdowne was a wonderful host and told the children great stories of history and culture in Katherine. I happened to notice – I had better clarify this – I am from Greenacre in Sydney, so I grew up in the wild west and happened to notice there were quite a few bullet holes through this building where we were sitting listening intently to Mr Lansdowne. As we were leaving, I said to him as a joke: ‘I come from Greenacre and have just noticed the bullet holes in the hut. It must be a bit of a rough neighbourhood’. He said, candidly, ‘Oh no, that was from strafing by the Japanese Imperial Forces in World War II’. I was 22 at the time and was taken aback. I had never heard anything like this before. I knew the history of the war in Australia from a Sydney perspective, I had been through school, I had been through teacher’s college, but I had never heard the story. When I looked at it geographically, I thought it was an amazing story and I had to learn more.
The 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin is now being told, not only throughout the Territory, but throughout the country and throughout the world. I am in a very privileged position as the Minister for Arts and Museums to be able to work with this iconic part of our history and work with our government. I would like to take the opportunity to commend the Chief Minister for his successful lobbying of the Australian government to have 19 February declared a national day of remembrance. This recognition, along with the introduction of this important part of Australia’s history into the national curriculum, will ensure the stories of courage and sacrifice are preserved. They are both monumental achievements from the Northern Territory.
There are so many individuals who gave so much during the Bombing of Darwin, generally in the military. However, there are also many civilians who are being acknowledged in the 70th commemoration and ongoing.
I have another quick story to tell from great family friends from Sydney which relates to a good mate of mine, Gary Taylor. I am pleased to say Sergeant Cliff Taylor, his father, Gary Taylor and his brother, Peter Taylor are arriving in Darwin to spend time with me and my family and attend the commemoration of the Bombing of Darwin. Sergeant Cliff Taylor manned an AKAK battery at East Point. Again, relating to the history of your family and the history you grew up with, I did not realise Cliff had been in active service in Darwin during the war. I was living and working in the Territory and travelling back to Sydney to see family and friends and the conversation came up in respect to the Territory - good, old Territory yarns - and Gary Taylor alerted me to the fact that his dad, Cliff, who I knew, had served in an AKAK battery as a sergeant at East Point, Darwin.
I started to gain more insight into that period of history in Darwin and the Northern Territory from a digger with active service. Cliff, and his two sons, arrive today. It will be a very emotional experience for him to come back to Darwin and see the commemorative activities of the 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin.
Cliff should also be acknowledged for the work he did in lobbying the Australian government. It went right back to the Empire; right back to the British government to get those service men and women from the Top End acknowledgement that they participated in active combat. Sergeant Cliff Taylor is going to be back in the Territory and is a special person in the journey that secured the true recognition for those diggers, for those service men and women that defended our northern shores and defended our country in World War II. I am very much looking forward to catching up with the Taylor family later today.
There is no Territory story without a crocodile, and Cliff Taylor hits that mark. When we discussed the family history and Cliff’s service record in Darwin at East Point, I was made aware there is an interpretive sign at East Point at the sight of the AKAK battery where he served which relates to a story told by Sergeant Cliff Taylor. I remember when two of my boys were travelling with me we went on a search to find this. The site was quite overgrown with Coffee Bush and we ploughed our way through the scrub and discovered the sites. We then found the sign and took a couple of photos and sent them to Cliff and the family in Sydney - they were thrilled. The site has now been thoroughly cleared. It is one of the many sites commemorating the military activity that occurred here.
He is acknowledged as telling the story that the men he was in charge of were like many Aussies camped in the bush at that time. They suffered from lack of a good, balanced diet and decided fresh fish and seafood was the way to supplement their diet. They made some fish traps and had them on the beach at Fannie Bay just down from the battery. They were sent down, as part of their duties, each evening to check the fish traps and collect the fish which were supporting their nutrition. There was one particular occasion where three soldiers were walking out in shallow water to check the fish traps and the first soldier, under Cliff’s direction, stepped up onto the log, over that log and kept walking. The second soldier stepped onto the log and the log took off. Well, it was quite a start for the three soldiers when they realised there was quite a big crocodile at Fannie Bay just off East Point.
That story is now immortalised on an interpretive sign at the battery. I will take great delight in getting Cliff out there with his two sons and have him stand next to that story and start telling a few yarns from his time here as an active serviceman. We will get some photos for history’s sake.
The other thing that is really important - and I am so proud to be a part of this on two levels - is the new Defence of Darwin Experience at East Point. That will become a new side of commemoration when it is officially opened on Saturday. This facility is the first kind in Australia providing the interactive multimedia experience to tell the story of the Bombing of Darwin.
The Bombing of Darwin Gallery will reveal, through film, what it was like to be in Darwin on the morning of 19 February 1942. Character cards will guide visitors through the personal experiences of civilians and military personnel telling what it was like to be in Darwin during World War II. Survivors and their families will be able to share their own stories in a dedicated recording space. Using technology, a Smartphone application has been developed to guide visitors to historical sites of significance in other locations in and around Darwin. We are very proud of this. The Defence of Darwin Experience which now complements the Darwin Military Museum will draw visitors to hear more about the Bombing of Darwin story for many years to come, from across the country and across the globe.
I acknowledge all staff at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory and the Northern Territory Archives for the incredible work they have done with these high-tech designers to put this incredible state-of-the-art interpretive facility together to showcase this very special story to the rest of the world. I also acknowledge those incredible public servants from the Department of Construction and Infrastructure because it has been a challenging project, but it has been an extremely rewarding project. Once again, it is Territorians building public infrastructure which will support the incredible telling of that story, getting the recognition for that story out to a national audience and beyond.
Yesterday, I was honoured to open a mural commissioned by the Darwin Port Corporation to tribute the seafarers and wharfies who lost their lives on 19 February 1942 in an around what was then known as the town wharf. It is a beautiful mural on Stokes Hill Wharf and commemorates those waterside workers and seafarers who lost their lives on that tragic day. It was a wonderful ceremony. Dorothy Fox, a direct descendent of Mr Cubillo who was killed on that day, was there. It was a touching moment, as we were exploring that mural and talking about the artistic presentation, when she pointed out a black silhouette running along the wharf as the bombs are exploding, as the infrastructure is collapsing, the men are diving into the water and people are being killed. She said: ‘Do you know what? I think that is the silhouette of my Dad’. That was a very moving moment, and that is what Territory history is all about - experience it with the people.
It is also a commemoration from the Maritime Union of Australia. I acknowledge the department of Arts and Museums which has been assisting the MUA with the preparations of a memorial to the waterfront workers killed during the bombing raids in Darwin on 19 February 1942. Once again, the Chief Minister and the Chief Minister’s Office are working with the Waterside Workers Union on construction of the memorial. It will be unveiled this weekend, which will be a significant 70th commemoration of this incredible event.
Madam Speaker, I will conclude by reading a biographical summary of a waterfront worker who was killed at the wharf. It has been supplied by the Northern Territory Archives. It is a very short bio on Alan Byers, and gives us an insight into the time and the period, and what happened when World War II came to the shores of Australia:
- Alan Byers worked on the Darwin wharf. He was one of many workmen who came to Darwin as a part of the increase in defence-related activities in the Top End during the late 1930s. Initially he got a job clearing scrub and camped at Frog Hollow before finding work with the gangs on the wharf. During his stay in Darwin, Byers went under the assumed name of A J (Alan) MacDonald. He confided in a workmate at the wharf that he had come to Darwin to escape ‘trouble at home’ in New South Wales.
Byers was badly injured during the first bombing strike on 19 February 1942. Shortly after the first bombs had been dropped he was seen by wharfie George Tye in the water, struggling to stay afloat, having lost his leg and right eye. According to a nominal role of casualties he had also suffered abdominal injuries. Tye was able to assist some other men in rescuing Byers by tying him to a pile using ropes. Despite their best efforts. however, Byers would not recover. Six days later he died of his injuries on the hospital ship Manunda. He was buried at sea on 26 February.
Byers real identity may never have been discovered if he hadn’t revealed details of his past to a workmate. Fortunately, due to his confession, the police eventually unravelled the deception and were able to tell his parents of his death almost three years after the bombing.
Madam Speaker, I would like to conclude ...
Mr BOHLIN: Madam Speaker, I move that the member be granted an extension of time pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Mr McCARTHY: Thank you, member for Drysdale, but I will not need it. I support this motion and commend the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, and the Henderson government, for the incredible work which has gone into this. It will support the Darwin City Council, the Territory opposition, and our Territory community in what will be a significant commemoration of this historical event, the 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, today I speak on probably one of the best motions we have seen in this parliament for some time. It is truly an honourable motion and I am very pleased to support it.
Unfortunately, I will take a five second snipe at the member for Stuart having a little dig at me during Question Time. If he was awake more in the Chamber, he would have been aware of the questions I asked of the Chief Minister, and the Education minister, in October 2011. Never mind, perhaps he will wake up one day. I enjoyed the stories of how his family assisted in the war effort.
The Territory, unbeknownst to many Australians, played a massive pivotal role in the war at the time. Those who travel - I know many of our members travel up and down our highway - can clearly see the signs, the remnants of war, and the many markers. It does not matter whether you are at Ti Tree, the Highway Inn, Larrimah or Adelaide River; they are everywhere and assist tourists. They are also a reminder of what our allies in America did for Australia, and how real the fight was on the shores of Darwin.
The plaque on our granite floor in the hall of Parliament House shows where so many lost their lives on 19 February. It is great to see Australia finally opening up its eyes to what happened in the Northern Territory. It is truly heartening that, progressively, Australia will learn the truth and the importance of what happened in Darwin and right through the Territory.
Madam Speaker, when I went through high school I studied World War II. We studied a little about the midget subs in Sydney, but that was the extent of it. Not one mention of the build up throughout the Northern Territory. Not one mention of the Bombing of Darwin and, to me, that is disappointing. Like my colleague the member for Brennan, I served in the armed forces in Australia from the age of 16, when I joined the Australian Army. I pursued a trade as a mechanic - one of the old Army apprentices - and, surprisingly enough, we were not even taught about the importance and relevance of the Bombing of Darwin and down the track. It was surprising to come to Darwin on a posting with the Army and discover that. In many regards it is quite shameful.
I would like to take some time - it has been mentioned and documented before - to talk about 19 February 1942 and make mention of the Imperial Japanese Navy A6M2 Zero Serial No 5349 tail code BII-124 - the Zero that was shot down and crashed-landed on Snake Bay. It is said the reason it crashed was because a single bullet from a .303 rifle pierced its oil tank resulting in the motor seizing, shearing the propeller off and forcing the pilot, Flight Sergeant Hajimi Toyoshima, to crash. One bullet from somewhere, perhaps amongst our Darwin defenders, brought this plane down. We will probably never know who that person was. However, we know there are reports of one to two aircraft being taken down, and one taken down by a machine gunner not far from here. Without doubt, it may well have been Lieutenant Oestricher, and that is the only other name mentioned. Was that lieutenant manning the machine gun at the time and doing his bit, or was it Dick Butler, who was mentioned earlier, who was in a pit around the oil tanks? The question will probably never be answered.
As the member for Blain said, it is important we act to record that history as best we can because time is well and truly ticking. I will do everything I can, with the member for Blain, to ensure we get that history recorded. What we have is brilliant. It would be a shame to see it lost forever.
I would like to read from a piece I found on the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre’s website:
- The Mitsubishi Zero on Display.
Japanese naval fighter powered by a 14 cylinder Nakijima radial engine developing 940HP (720Kw). Capable of 328 mph, it was the most agile fighter in the early stages of the Pacific Theatre during WW2. This aircraft crashed at Snake Bay on Melville Island, shot down by a .303 bullet in the engine oil tank during the first raid on Darwin on 19 February 1942. The pilot, Hajime Toyoshima gave a fictitious name because of his belief in the Bushido code of Warriors and was transferred to Cowra as Todao Minami. He died during the infamous Cowra breakout in August 1944. This aircraft also took part in the carrier task force that attacked Pearl Harbour and was flown by a flight leader.
- Aircraft are on display courtesy of Milikapiti Council Melville Island. This Zero BII-124 was not recorded as the first aircraft shot down during the Darwin raids on 19 February 1942 but it was the first that had the pilot captured on Australian soil. The first downed Japanese aircraft was credited to a machine gunner firing from a site at Winnellie near the Aviation Heritage Centre.
We were attacked by the best of the Japanese Imperial Forces, not an element that casually wandered by and had a go. It was the best machinery the Imperial Japanese had. I have read not only was it the best machinery they had, the plane – BII-124 – was the first plane captured by the Allies relatively intact. That meant aviation engineers were able to study the plane, help us combat it in the air, and better understand why such a nimble and powerful machine could take quite a hit.
That, without even talking about the Cowra breakout, was very significant in the war, particularly the war in the air throughout the Asian region and throughout the world. Sometimes we overlook how important these things are, and I am glad it is now getting the recognition it deserves.
Mr Toyoshima, the pilot, without a doubt never surrendered his honour. He blew the bugle which led the Cowra breakout. I believe, but could be corrected, 241 people died in that breakout. Catastrophic! I remember watching the movie many years ago and did not understand the man who led that breakout had been captured in Darwin and the role his plane, being captured almost intact, had in combating the Imperial Forces at the time. That airman was truly brave; he would not give up. He would be respected as much as our soldiers were, and that is where part of the understanding, honour and respect from both sides can be developed and built on.
With the opportunities in Darwin now it is time to work together as two separate countries with one friendship and a very strong common bond. It was not a very pleasant time, but relationships have been formed since that time.
I have heard the former Administrator talk many times about the salvage crews which came here and the respect they gained. It has not just happened, it has been building over time and it is right to continue to forge those bonds.
The Defence of Darwin museum is due to open soon. I am still looking for that invitation, minister; however, it is another step as well. It is an eye-opener to how we should be considering the opportunities of such significant events and how we should make positive use to bolster our tourism, to bolster Australia’s and the world’s awareness of the role of Darwin during that time. We should also be very proud of what our soldiers, airmen, naval personnel, including our maritime people, did defending Darwin.
That brings me back to Dick Butler. I made two notes on Dick Butler. One of Dick Butler’s children came to my office not long ago. Dick Butler was a man without divide. Dick Butler served Australia in the defence of its people. Dick Butler was Indigenous. His race was not an issue and he served alongside his mates, defended his mates, and defended his beautiful country. He did not stop there. He helped set up the East Point Museum. He also had considerable links, in perhaps the simplest form, to the administration of the Northern Territory working for so long at the Administrator’s residence and gaining much respect. His involvement with the Buffaloes was very significant. He was a man without divide, a man who served Australia in the defence of its people. His family should be very proud of him, the Territory should also be very proud.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the government for bringing this motion forward. I fully support it; it is one of the best motions in a long time. I look forward to sharing the very powerful day, Sunday, 19 February, at The Esplanade.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
STATEMENT BY DEPUTY SPEAKER
Bombing of Darwin Display
Bombing of Darwin Display
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, the Speaker has asked me to remind members that there is a display set up in the main hall. I thank the staff of the Parliamentary Education Unit for putting the display together. I encourage each of you to have a look, and encourage your constituents, if visiting, to also have a look.
TABLED PAPER
Pairing Arrangement - Members for Wanguri and Goyder
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, I need to advise of a pairing arrangement which is in effect from 3 pm until close between the members for Wanguri and Goyder. That arrangement has been signed by both Whips. I table that document.
CARE AND PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AMENDMENT (INFORMATION SHARING) BILL
(Serial 194)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr VATSKALIS (Children and Families): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
Honourable members would be aware of the Board of Inquiry into the Child Protection System in the Northern Territory and its report to government on 18 October 2010, Growing them strong, together. They would also be aware that on that same day, this government committed to an implementation of each of the report’s 147 recommendations.
Recommendation 113 of the report provides that the Care and Protection of Children Act be amended to:
(1) provide a workable framework that permits and encourages the exchange of information between public sector organisations, between these organisations, the non-government sector and, where appropriate, individual community members, where that exchange is for the purpose of making a decision, assessment, plan or investigation relating to the safety and/or wellbeing of a child or young person; and
The board of inquiry identified that the coordinated delivery of services to children and their families is enhanced by an accessible and workable framework for the exchange of information between government agencies and community organisations, and that such a framework must facilitate the exchange of complete, relevant and accurate information in a timely manner. The board of inquiry also reported on the severe consequences for children when obstructions to information sharing means that government and non-government organisations fail to work cooperatively. These observations and recommendations are consistent with those of the Little Children are Sacred report, coronial inquiries into child deaths in the Northern Territory and interstate, and generally accepted best practice.
Information is a core resource in child protection and for ensuring child safety and wellbeing more generally. This is due to the interconnected nature of services involved, and the need to deal with such issues as domestic violence, substance abuse, gambling, mental health and homelessness that cross traditional agency boundaries. No single agency can address the full spectrum of these complex concerns and they must work together collaboratively. An effective legislative framework is a key enabler for this collaborative approach.
Chapter 11 of the board of inquiry report is devoted to information sharing and service coordination. Within that chapter there is some detail as to what form the information sharing framework should take. The bill stays true to the board of inquiry’s requirements of simplicity, accessibility and workability, and places child safety and wellbeing, and the free movement of information to ensure that end, above all other considerations.
Similar information sharing frameworks to that in this bill are found in the child protection legislation of New South Wales and Tasmania. The Northern Territory bill closely follows the New South Wales model with some important changes. The Northern Territory bill authorises some specific individuals such as teachers, foster carers, doctors and nurses as well as organisations to share information, whereas New South Wales limits its information sharing mechanism to organisations. Further, the Territory bill authorises information sharing for the safety and wellbeing of children up to the age of 18, while New South Wales stops at 16. Both of these variations are due to specific directions in the board of inquiry report, and are designed to meet the needs of children and those supporting them in the Territory.
The Information Act regulates the collection and disclosure of information by public sector organisations and contains its own, separate information sharing framework. The Office of the Information Commissioner has been consulted throughout the development of this bill and advises that information sharing authorities should be clear as to which framework they are operating under so they can share information under the Care and Protection of Children Act with confidence they are not breaching the Information Act. Accordingly, this bill seeks to introduce a provision to the Information Act which will remove any doubt that that act does not operate to obstruct information sharing under the Care and Protection of Children Act.
This framework was not informed by Chapter 11 of the Growing them strong, together report alone. My department undertook a thorough consultation process which included stakeholders in Darwin, Nhulunbuy, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs who provided a good overview of the problems resulting from poor information sharing. I believe this legislation will go a long way to addressing these problems. Those consulted include other government departments, the Children’s Commissioner, the Information Commissioner, the legal fraternity and, most importantly, the non-government sector. I particularly thank the Northern Territory Council of Social Services and its members, and members of the Foster Carers Association for their valuable input.
The bill enables information sharing authorities, in possession of information which they believe would assist another authority to provide a service for the safety and wellbeing of a child, to share that information without fear of criminal or civil liability. The bill also enables information sharing authorities to request information from another authority. The requested authority then considers the request, namely, whether in fact the person making the request is in an information sharing authority and whether that information specified would assist that authority to do the thing specified.
This bill does not require, nor does it enable, a requested authority to provide more information than it considers relevant to the requesting authority’s intended use.
While the bill removes the legal barriers to information sharing when it is for the safety and wellbeing of a child, it does leave some opportunity for information sharing authorities to refuse a request for information for reasons other than irrelevance. An information sharing authority may also refuse a request in circumstances where the release of specified information could endanger a person’s life or physical safety, or contravene legal professional privilege. These provisions do not, on their own, block the sharing of information. However, they do provide the requested authority with discretion to refuse. The reason for refusal must be given in writing.
Any authorisation to share information, especially confidential personal information as may be authorised by these provisions, inevitably runs into issues of privacy. This bill suitably caters for privacy considerations in a number of ways.
First, it only authorises the sharing of specific and relevant information to certain stipulated information sharing authorities and only where it assists them to do something related to the safety and wellbeing of a child. If the information sought is not relevant to the thing the particular authority intends to do or the service it provides, this bill does not authorise its disclosure.
Second, once information has been shared under this framework the information sharing authority who receives that information must not use or disclose that information for any purpose unrelated to the safety or wellbeing of the child. This information sharing framework does not in any way authorise what could be considered ‘gossip’, nor does it enable the transfer of personal information for any reason other than when it assists an information serving authority to do a thing for the safety or wellbeing of a child.
The authorisation to share information effectively comes into effect once an information sharing authority forms a reasonable belief that the information would assist another authority to do a thing pertaining to the safety or wellbeing of a child. The bill itself is deliberately silent on what factors can be considered to inform that belief; however, the bill requires guidelines to be published by the CEO. These guidelines will include factors which may be considered by information sharing authorities to inform the formation of that belief, as well as circumstances where a person’s consent should be sought before the personal information is shared.
Further to implementation of an information sharing framework, this bill makes two important changes to the Care and Protection of Children Act. The first of these changes is:
this bill will broaden and clarify the information requesting powers of the investigative officers so it is clear that they are able to request information pertaining to someone other than the child if that information directly or indirectly relates to the inquiry. Further, this bill allows investigative officers to make that request of any person whom the officer reasonably believes has the specified information.
Second:
the Chief Magistrate has identified an obstruction in the requirements of the act for service of court documents, which at the moment restrict the court in making a protection order in circumstances where the parents of the child are not able to be located. This amendment will allow the court to hear an application even in those cases where the parents cannot, after all avenues are exhausted, be found. It therefore helps to provide certainty and stability for those children whose court matters are at the moment unresolved.
Finally, I extend thanks for the efforts of the Office of Parliamentary Counsel who assisted staff within my department in the preparation of these amendments.
I commend the bill to honourable members and table the explanatory statement accompanying the bill.
Debate adjourned.
DISABILITY SERVICES AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 196)
(Serial 196)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr VATSKALIS (Health): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
I am pleased to bring before the Legislative Assembly the Disability Services Amendment Bill 2012.
The purpose of this bill is to amend the Disability Services Act to create provisions to enable the delivery of involuntarily assessment, treatment and care services to a small group of adults who present a significant risk of harm to self and/or others.
The provisions only apply to those persons who reside in a residential facility operated by the agency.
The bill defines three categories of residents that the Aged and Disability Program provide service to, and to whom the amendments apply:
an adult admitted into a secure care facility under either a treatment order or a supervision order;
In addition, this bill creates provisions which create equity in the safeguards applied to this cohort of vulnerable clientele and protects their rights.
In March 2009, this government announced $13.9m capital and $11.4m operational funding per annum for the establishment and operation of secure care services for children and young people with complex needs and adults with a cognitive disability. These services aim to meet the needs of those clients with a chronic history of severe risk taking behaviour likely to cause serious harm to themselves or others who require full-time secure supported accommodation and therapeutic services to gain an effective, sustained change in behaviour to reduce the risk of harm.
Two levels of secure care services have been developed:
11 Assessment and Stabilisation beds, co-located within the mental health inpatient settings in the Royal Darwin and Alice Springs hospitals.
A series of amendments were required to enable the delivery of involuntary containment for children and adults across these secure care services settings.
The Mental Health and Related Services Act was amended in November 2011 to enable the admission of adults into an improved treatment facility for the acute stabilisation and assessment service.
The Department of Children and Families is progressing the drafting of amendments to the Care and Protection of Children Act for admission of children into both secure care service types.
Amendments to the Disability Services Act create the legislative basis from which to operate the adult secured care group homes. Involuntary admission into secure care is intended to be a service response option of last resort.
The amendments empower the Department of Health to deliver statutory service to a small group of adults who present a significant risk of harm to self and/or others where other service options have been exhausted or are not appropriate.
The secure care model aims to provide intensive therapeutic support to clients aimed towards stepping adults down to a less restrictive care option as expediently and safely as possible.
The amendments empower the Department of Health and allow the program to take a proactive approach in delivering therapeutic interventions to the clients who meet the criteria for involuntary assessment, treatment and care to prevent the escalation of the risk and behaviours resulting in serious incidents or criminal offences.
The new provisions ensure a transparent and accountable secure care service delivery framework by:
clearly articulating the target group eligible to be admitted into a secure care adult group home;
Madam Speaker, the Disability Services Act also required amendment to create statutory provisions and appropriate safeguards for the use, authorisation and monitoring of restrictive practices for clients supported in direct residential services delivered by the Aged and Disability Program.
The proposed amendments align the Northern Territory with contemporary disability legislation and policy already in place in other Australian jurisdictions.
A positive behaviour support approach is contemporary best practice for disability services supporting clients with high risk and challenging behaviour. This approach involves systematic gathering of information, functional behavioural assessment and the design, implementation and evaluation of a behaviour support plan.
Immediate response strategies for the management of serious episodes of behaviour are included, but there is a strong emphasis on proactive studies and skill development to prevent these incidents from occurring.
In some cases, as a last resort, a form of restriction may be required to prevent immediate harm to the client or someone else. A restrictive intervention is considered any intervention used to restrict the resident’s right or freedom of movement. However, a restrictive intervention can only be used when the form and circumstances of its use is documented in the approved behaviour support plan that demonstrates it will be of therapeutic benefit to the person.
The amendments ensure that where restrictive interventions are used there are provisions for reporting and monitoring of these to ensure transparent and accountable service delivery.
A further driver for the amendments to the Disability Services Act was the December 2010 amendments to Part IIA of the Criminal Code Amendment (Mental Impairment and Unfitness for Trial) Act. Under this act, adults charged with a crime and found not guilty may be subject to supervision orders made by the Supreme Court.
The amendments to the Criminal Code made provisions for the Supreme Court to authorise persons approved by the Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Health to use reasonable force and assistance in order to enforce a supervision order in the community. In accordance with the amendments, the Chief Executive Officer gazetted supervision directions for the Department of Health’s use of such force and assistance.
The supervision directions provide a protocol for the Department of Health to use reasonable force required to enforce a client’s supervision order. However, amendment to the Disability Services Act presented an opportunity to create statutory powers to inform the delivery of specialist therapeutic disability supports and interventions.
The Disability Services Amendment Bill has been developed to address this gap and complement the provisions in the Criminal Code and supervision directions.
I commend the bill to honourable members and table the explanatory statement accompanying the bill.
Debate adjourned.
RADIATION PROTECTION AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 197)
(Serial 197)
Bill presented and read a first time.
Mr VATSKALIS (Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a second time.
The purpose of this bill is to amend the Radiation Protection Act to allow the radiation dose history for uranium mining and milling workers over the period of their employment anywhere in the industry in Australia to be stored in a single national database.
In 2008, the Australian government announced that an Australian National Radiation Dose Register would be established and administered by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency. The register has been established to collect, store, manage, and disseminate records of radiation doses received by workers in the course of their employment in a centralised database.
The Northern Territory has committed to participate in the national register. In order for this to occur, amendments are required to the Radiation Protection Act 2004. In implementing this bill, the Northern Territory government is honouring its commitment to allow radiation dose information to be transmitted to the Australian National Radiation Dose Register to help protect uranium mining and milling workers.
Pursuant to section 35 of the Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978 and Regulation 4 of the Northern Territory (Self-Government) Regulations, the executive authority of the Northern Territory is limited to certain matters when it comes to uranium.
Regulation 4(2) of the NT (Self-Government) Regulations exclude the Territory from making certain decisions unless specific provision had been agreed. It is for this reason an agreement has been sought with the Australian government so the Northern Territory has legislative capacity to transmit workers’ records to the Australian National Radiation Dose Register. This bill now ensures that uranium mines in the Territory, specifically the Ranger Uranium Mine, comply with the Australian National Radiation Dose Register guidelines for the collection, storage, and transfer of radiation dose information of Northern Territory uranium mine and milling workers.
Madam Speaker, I commend the bill to honourable members and table the explanatory statement to accompany this bill.
Debate adjourned.
MOTION
Note Paper – Treasurer’s Mid-Year Report 2011-12
Note Paper – Treasurer’s Mid-Year Report 2011-12
Continued from 1 December 2011.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I respond to this. It was a mere 10 years ago that we saw this government come into the House and abuse the outgoing CLP for its fiscal recklessness. Professors were rolled in to demonstrate the incompetence of the former CLP government, shrill screams were made by the new Labour government about the black hole that had been left for it, by the way, was a fabrication of its making ...
Members interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: ... fabrication of its making. I hear the Leader of Government Business laugh. This is the bloke who talked about the crocodile jaws. I remember him looking for all the world like Lord Voldemort over his cauldron, producing little graphs and talking about crocodile jaws about this $100m gap in the budget!
By the way, as a result of decisions taken by the Labor Cabinet, the decision not to sell the NT Fleet increased the deficit. That was a Labor decision. Small wonder it generated for itself a budget deficit which it used to great effect to fabricate a story which was largely swallowed by the community and the press. However, we move on because that was 10 years ago.
In the intervening 10 years, it went from a $2.2bn budget to a $4.5bn budget for the general government sector. In that time, government had a golden opportunity to follow the example set by the Gallop Labor government - I have had this conversation before - and the Howard Liberal government, and reduce that gap to zero. It could have done so! Yet, today in Question Time I listened to the Leader of Government Business whingeing about the fiscal position this government finds itself in, and the fiscal challenges it is facing. These are challenges and outcomes of this government’s own decision-making process and he has been in Cabinet the whole way through - every step of the way - applauding all the decisions. It was like the government believed the rivers of gold would last forever. It was warned; it was told time and time again the rivers of gold would not last forever.
Nevertheless, the government spent it all. Yes, there was a small reduction in debt. Did it go to zero? No, it did not. When confronted with a few infrastructure challenges, out came the credit card. That takes us up to today. Let us talk about the projections into the future.
Madam Speaker, if you want to see crocodile jaws, this yawning chasm at the other end of the income line on the graph, when compared to the debt line on the graph, is ugly. Factor in - the Treasurer does not like to do this - the general government sector - the Treasurer does not want to talk about the total government sector because it is not the language she uses to talk about her debt situation, the income and those types of things. If you accommodate that, as well as the outstanding superannuation liability, the product at the end of it - if you follow the projections adding those items together - is an ugly, scary product.
Recently I calculated all of that, put it in a graph and started showing a few people, who were horrified. They were genuinely horrified because they had been told that is not the case, this is not happening. However, it is happening, and it is real, and the Treasurer says: ‘Well, in the general government sector at the moment the debt to GSP ratio is 9%, which was dutifully reported’. However, she did not say what that was going to be if you factor in all those other components in four years time. The reason for that is because it would, invariably, produce a figure which would be a great deal more than the 9% she ran with.
It is all about smoke and mirrors. It is astonishing that the shrill hysteria a $100m deficit produced has not been reduced for a projected $400m deficit in the general government sector alone. If I understand correctly some of the material coming back to me, it is going to be substantially more than the figures reproduced in this document.
This government has a financial strategy. I draw honourable members’ attention to page 24 of the mid-year report, the document we are discussing at the moment. The target in the area of sustainable service provision is expenditure growth not to exceed revenue growth, including Commonwealth funding. Fail! Fail!
Ms Lawrie: No.
Mr ELFERINK: The Treasurer wants to talk about the general government sector, but from her perspective, for some reason, the superannuation debt is not a real debt, and from her reasoning the total government sector debt and non-financial public sector debt is not a real debt. We only really want to talk about the general government sector. People expect to be paid that money, nevertheless. It is an outgoing which has to be paid from Territory government coffers, or from the coffers of corporations run by the Northern Territory government. The Treasurer does not want to talk about that and says expenditure growth is not exceeding revenue growth. Why are we then running deficits? That has to be the straightforward question. If expenditure growth is not exceeding revenue growth, why are we running deficits?
The second area, infrastructure for community development, notes that updated fiscal projections continue to project infrastructure spending in excess of target measures partially funded through additional borrowings. So, we are borrowing more - partially funded. Of course, some of it will be coming from our annual budget and through our sources of income; however, partially funded through annual borrowings means we are borrowing. This is about the credit card.
The next item, a competitive tax environment, is to ensure that the Territory taxes and charges are competitive with the average of the states and territories - pass. That is occurring. However, it is not difficult for us to maintain that position because so small a section of our budget is drawn from own source revenue that we can pretty much afford to stay in that area. Pass - that is being achieved. The prudent management of liabilities - the part that concerns me is: ‘... reduce debt to pre-GFC levels once the economy rebounds’. The assessment goes on to say: ‘... once the economy improves’. Which economy? The Territory economy? If it is the Territory economy we are relying on that is an error. Because such a large slice of our budget is made up from sources outside the Northern Territory, when we are relying on economic improvement for an income increase in the Territory we are relying on an economy which is strong nationally, as well as internationally, because of the links to the national economy.
Once you have less expenditure in consumables, as we have seen over the last 12 months - why? There is this huge desire to start saving, people are unsure, the GST revenue would accordingly contract one would expect, and we know that because in this document one of the excuses government makes about its current difficult financial situation is the GST pool has contracted. We heard the Leader of Government Business today admit to the difficult financial situation the government finds itself in. He alludes to the fact there is less money coming from the GST - less than we predict - and those are meant to be conservative predictions.
Consequently, the government finds itself in a position where it says ‘once the economy improves’. The Territory economy is, in part, a source of income for the Northern Territory budget, but it is by no means exclusive. In fact, the Territory economy only provides a fraction of income for the Territory budget. Most of it comes from a combination of the national partnership agreements, SPPs, and the GST revenue base, all of which are reliant on a national economy that is doing well. That is not the case and can be found in our income. Look at our projected income. We lose income in the general government sector pushed out in the next two years. It goes backwards as debt goes up.
In that case, the prudent management of liabilities is a fail. So, on their strategies, three fails and one pass. That is something Territorians and I should be, and I am, concerned about. Repeated through this document in several places is a presumption that the economy is in some way going to improve to the pre-GFC environment. The GFC has come and gone. The great threat at the moment to the international economy is not the GFC. The credit markets have opened up somewhat since the GFC, so credit is now flowing and is available and the financial crisis has contracted. However, it has been replaced by a much more present crisis, which is the situation in Europe which is giving markets the jitters.
The situation in Europe is fairly straightforward in that somebody has racked up a large amount of money on the credit card and has no way to pay it back. Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain and Northern Ireland have these problems. At the moment we read, day in and day out in any number of financial papers, the difficulties felt in Europe sorting out what is going on in the Eurozone. There is pressure in German domestic politics at the moment where they are saying to Angela Merkel: ‘Do not bailout the Greeks; we will drop out of the Eurozone’. That is a concern because even if bailout packages are put together, they are not going to do anything other than restore the marketplace to the state of tentativeness it is currently in. They are trying to avoid a crash. The reason that is important for the Northern Territory is because of the assumption built into this document - and I will quote it: ‘Return to budget surplus once the economy improves’.
If consumption drops in Europe, consumption of raw materials will drop in China, which provides many of the goods sold in Europe as well. We have, out of this nation, a marketplace in Europe for our raw materials. That means the Australian economy is affected, and we see those numbers across the board in the federal domain.
The question is: will the world economy improve to assist the assumption the current Treasurer asserts - that the economy will improve and we can return to pre-GST levels. The answer is, I suspect, no. The world economy, and every indication I can find, is this is the new reality. What we see now will probably go on for five, possibly 10 years into the future. This restrained growth, this paying back of European debt, this lack of confidence which has now been around for four or five years, will continue. There is no indicator it will go away.
When the Treasurer says once the economy improves we can look at surplus budgets, there is no indication that is going to be the case. She must be referring to the national economy in regard to the Northern Territory’s revenue because the Northern Territory’s revenue is affected, most substantially, by the national economy rather than the local economy. The only way you could tap into the local economy to increase your own source revenue, in part, would occur with increased royalties being paid by new operators in the Northern Territory. However, that is not a huge amount and will not offset the flattening of the income sources we have on a national level. It is written large in this document that is what is happening.
GST revenues have fallen because people have lost much of their confidence. They are no longer spending; they are saving. Those savings mean an effect on the Northern Territory.
My great criticism arising out of this is the missed opportunity to deal with a situation people have been saying will happen. It is the way of the world. This stuff comes and this stuff goes’.
On page 31 of this document we are promised a surplus. I quote:
- ... government’s strategy remains the commitment to retire debt and return the budget to a surplus position as soon as it is economically prudent to do so.
When? What date? If I go to the Uniform Presentation Framework at the end of this document all I see is minus signs. There is no reference in the Uniform Presentation Framework which says there is going to be a return to a budget surplus at any of the forward projections - as far as you can project.
I draw members’ attention to the General Government Sector Cash Flow Statement. For the budget in 2011-12 it was $388m, blown out to $396m. In the next financial year it will become $269m, the financial year after that the deficit will be $729m in the general government sector alone. Do not even talk about the non-financial sector and the total public sector. In the general government sector alone there is going to be a deficit of $729m followed by another deficit, as far as Treasury can project, to $192m. If we look at the balance sheet to be sure that is happening, from a current projected debt of $1.59bn for the general government sector alone, in four years time that will become $2.8bn - nearly a doubling of the general government sector debt.
Surely, we need to be concerned about that. You add in the non-financial public sector and that debt, in four years time, becomes $4.5bn. Add to that the superannuation liability, and you add another $2.7bn on the $4.5bn - and all that is real money.
This government’s shrill shrieking about crocodile jaws - gone. ‘This is a difficult time; it will pass us by. Once it has passed by, everything will be sweetness and light again’. What evidence is there to suggest this is going to pass us by or that the economic situation means our income, as a jurisdiction, is going to go up, up, up? You have no stated date for a return to surplus. You say: ‘I am going to return to surplus’. Well, I can say I am going to return to surplus. However, there is no predicted date for a return to surplus, and there is no suggestion where I can see that things are going to be sweetness and light in a few years time.
It bothers me that we are going to lose income in the next couple of years and the government’s answer is to rack it up on the credit card. The prudent management of financial liabilities is a joke that, if it was not so serious, would be one of the funniest jokes in the history of the Northern Territory. The prudent management of financial liabilities is what this government prides itself on. There is nothing prudent in the numbers I see in this document - nothing prudent at all. The government has always used the debt to income ratio figures – in this document they are the worst in the Territory’s history. The government has always used it to bash up the Country Liberals’ last budget. Well, the Country Liberals have not been in power for 11 years. The Labor Party has been in power for one-third of the time since self-government. It is now time this government started acting and behaving responsibly rather than just rack up debt.
The arguments from the Treasurer are going to be: ‘Oh, you are going to let all these businesses go to the wall’ etcetera. No, what we would have done is not compete directly with the public sector during the good times, and ensured money was held in reserve for the bad times.
Why on earth would a government compete directly with a heated-up economy by engaging in the waterfront development? Why not wait a couple of years and undertake the waterfront development last year, when Territorian jobs were drying up and 3500 people left the jurisdiction to find work elsewhere? Why did they not do it last year as unemployment crept from 2.2% because everybody left the jurisdiction at the time ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, that phone was outside, I believe.
Mr Tollner: It is broken, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: It will be broken, yes. Member for Port Darwin.
Mr ELFERINK: What I seek from this Treasurer is an acknowledgement that the last 12 months in the Territory have been very tough. I have seen many media releases on how great things are going and how great they are going to be. Reliance on the Access Economics reports about the future is so bright you will need sunglasses to look at it. That might be the case, but people need to put dinner on the plate tonight; business owners need to feed their kids tonight. Over the last 12 months, that has not been happening. The government will claim it spent money on infrastructure projects at a time when it was competing directly with an overheating economy. It was not countercyclical spending; it was sympathetic cyclical spending and had the effect of amplifying the good times and, then, the amplifying the bad times.
Yesterday, in this House I heard the member for Stuart acknowledge there are economic difficult times in the Territory at the moment. The government has been called the wallflower at the party by Access Economics. Even today in Question Time, the Leader of Government Business was quite happy to acknowledge there are tough fiscal times at the moment and that the government was facing tough fiscal decisions. What a wasted opportunity the last 10 years have been!
I know the rhetoric we are about to hear from the Treasurer in relation to this, all the denials; however, the denials of the Treasurer in the face of businesses going broke, engineering firms shutting down and people struggling to make ends meet will ring hollow in their ears. The disappointing thing is whilst the emperor thinks she is completely clad, many Territorians can see the condition of her deportment for what it is. The emperor is definitely wearing her new clothes and you will hear it in a second.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, a nothing but predictable contribution from the member for Port Darwin. He sticks to a consistent theme - debt, debt, debt. We should have saved in the good times; there were rivers of gold and we should have reduced debt to zero and it was a missed opportunity; we should not have had growth in our capital program through that decade because it was not really necessary. Well, you are wrong. I urge you, because you purport to be someone who wants to understand the cycles of the Territory’s economy, talk to the industry organisations around the capital program alone, because you use the waterfront as an example - that was a significant capital project.
Talk to the industry organisations through the period of the past decade. They have needed a year-on-year growth in capital expenditure to ensure they have been able to maintain growth in the construction workforce rather than see the rapid and dramatic reduction in the construction …
Mr Elferink: Three–and-a-half thousand jobs gone is not growth.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: I listened in silence, member for Port Darwin. Your arrogance does you no good. Wander off, but I listened in silence.
Through the decade, the year-on-year growth in the capital program was necessary to keep a construction workforce here in Territory. In the late 1990s - it really started to turn in 1999, kicked in dramatically in 2000, and we inherited the situation in 2001 with 0% economic growth - the capital program had not been dynamic and not kept that all-important construction workforce in the Territory. In fact, they were heading interstate in droves to find a job.
That issue of ‘people need dinner on the plate tonight’ was stark. It was a very real situation in the Territory. We were losing people in droves. So we made some tough economic decisions very early in government to put in some very tight fiscal parameters. We used efficiency dividends to rein in expenditure and reset the mindset of the public sector to ensure they look for and find efficiencies within their budgets to help fuel the growth we would need to sustain across the capital program to do a couple of things.
It is important to build the infrastructure needed in the Territory because we are a developing jurisdiction. We need to build the roads and clinics, improve the hospitals and schools, and build schools in the bush in many communities for the first time. We needed to build the infrastructure to help with the developing jurisdiction we had. Did we balance and temper that? Absolutely, with tough fiscal parameters we applied across the public sector. During that period we were able to turn around the budget to that bottom line, turn around the debt situations - which I will go to - and drive down debt by $582m. The member for Port Darwin says there was a slight reduction in debt. By anyone’s call on the size of our fiscal parameters, a $582m reduction in debt is not slight.
I want to put that debt reduction in context for him, because although he does not like to acknowledge it, it is fact. Notwithstanding the fact the Territory inherited significant debt with self-government which meant we had a higher debt platform than other jurisdictions in Australia - so those high debt levels were sitting there prior to the global financial crisis - our government, through that 2001 period onwards, reduced nett debt levels by almost half in a period where we significantly, year-on-year, increased infrastructure spending. Also, as you would be well aware, we had to rebuild critical areas of frontline service delivery - putting dollars into the recurrent areas. In health, we had to get nurses and doctors back into the hospital and across the Territory. Obviously, police, and I will talk some of those numbers during my contribution. We had to build child protection from scant numbers and build it up through that period. There was also a significant increase in the number of teachers. I will talk to those numbers.
Whilst we built our frontline service delivery agencies so Territorians could have confidence in their health system, get quality through the schooling system and schooling across the Territory regardless of where people lived, we also had to restore confidence in our police force, which had been on a recruitment freeze for four years. We had to rebuild the police force and drive down property crime as a result. Once we did both those things, we halved nett debt. Nett debt in 2001-02 was $1.3bn, we reduced it to $719m - a 48% reduction in nett debt in that period.
The spurious argument from the member for Port Darwin that we really did not do the right thing, we did not drive down debt - we did. We drove down debt at the same time we were building the Territory in a physical sense with critical infrastructure, improving roads, schools, hospitals, health clinics and police stations. Wherever we looked it was either rundown or non-existent and we had to build. We also had to build in those key frontline service delivery agencies of nurses in hospital wards, reopening hospital wards, doctors, teachers and police officers.
During the same period, when you look at that nett debt to revenue we took it from 61% down to 15%. That was a 75% reduction in nett debt to revenue. This is fact the member for Port Darwin chooses to ignore.
When you look at the ratio of nett debt to revenue in the general government sector, we are projecting a 62% down in 2014-15. If you include superannuation, the ratio is 137%. The increase to nett debt predominantly reflects that reduction in Territory revenue, notably the GST, together with the financial effect of the Darwin Correctional Facility of $495m. In the absence of the Darwin Correctional Facility, the nett debt to revenue would be at 51% out in 2014-15.
To counteract falling revenues, the Labor government has put in place a series of budget improvement measures, underpinned by our fiscal strategy, restricting expenditure growth to below that of revenue growth. Fact! We are doing it, even though the member for Port Darwin likes to perpetrate the myth we are not. It is a fact that we are. I want to remind you, member for Port Darwin, because you propose to be a future Treasurer of the Territory, that when you make things up, when you espouse fables, when you create your own world and misinformation and take on these figures, the entire department of Treasury hears you. Try to stay in the realms of fact rather than your flights of fantasy. Prior to the full effects of the global financial crisis, the Northern Territory government had reduced nett debt to revenue from 61% down to 15% and nett financial liabilities from 133% down to 85%.
It is interesting to look at the jurisdictional comparison because you say: ‘Well, really we should be like Western Australia. It did the right thing’. Ignore what they were receiving in royalties during the period. You can set that fact aside in their revenue capacity compared to our revenue capacity. If you look at their position compared to our position now - and it is the case across all jurisdictions in our nation - Western Australia is predicting a $2.5bn deficit in the 2011-12 financial year and a $2bn deficit in 2012-13. It is not even predicting a surplus in the out years either.
If you look across the other resource-rich jurisdictions you might want to compare the Northern Territory to Queensland. In the 2011-12 financial year, Queensland is predicting a $6.9bn deficit. We are predicting a $396m, not billion, deficit. Again, if you look at the deficit projections in Queensland in outgoing through the years - in 2012-13 it is predicting a $7.4bn deficit, $3.8bn, and a $1.8bn deficit.
Every jurisdiction across our nation, including the Commonwealth, is in deficit. The Commonwealth has that very strong stated ambition of going into surplus in 2012-13. If you listen to the economic commentators - the member for Port Darwin likes to see himself as an economic commentator, and gave us his homily and view on the global financial crisis and now the Euro crisis and his predictions on it. I wonder how he thinks he can do that given he does not have PhD in Economics ...
Mr Elferink: Do you?
Ms LAWRIE: ... I tend to rely on the economic commentary of highly qualified economists. If you look at ...
Mr Elferink: Who keep getting it wrong.
Ms LAWRIE: .. the commentary of the economists around our nation is perhaps it is not prudent to rush forward into surplus at this stage. They really have been quite up against the strongly held views of the Commonwealth government in regard to the rapid return to surplus.
If you take that down to our industry views in the Territory - the Chamber of Commerce, the Master Builders Association, REINT, through the period and the commentary when I hand down a budget - they have all supported the government’s strategy of dramatically increasing the infrastructure spend, which is what has taken us into deficit. It is not the recurrent; it is the infrastructure, the one-off.
To put that into context, I could be in surplus today if I shaved 25% of the infrastructure off the capital spend. What does that mean? That is 800 jobs gone. That is an argument the member for Port Darwin has been pushing for some time – get us to return to surplus, what is the date? At the same time, quite hypocritically, he says it is about the family, having a job and putting dinner on the table. Do you think you can have it both ways, member for Port Darwin? You are inconsistent in your argument.
However, in regard to the capital spend, whilst we have lost in excess of $600m in GST revenue through this three budget cycle period post-GFC, we have doubled the capital spend. We have taken it up to $1.7bn, and that is a $4.9bn spend across three years. That is where the deficit is generated from and where the debt has been generated from. Yes, when we talk about an economic recovery we are talking about the national economic recovery, without a doubt.
In regard to our revenue base, it is highly GST reliant. That is not the making of the Labor government. Before the GST was introduced there was reliance on the Capital Grants Commission reliance. We have 100 000 taxpayers in the Territory. You will be reliant on Commonwealth revenue and, unless the taxation distribution regime changes in our nation, this will continue to be the case.
Unless a federal government in Canberra decides to change the taxation distribution system to the states and territories and follows the example of Germany or Canada and starts to give us back income tax or, indeed, give us some of the company tax, we all are going to be, to varying extents reliant, on the GST. Hence, the annual GST debate between the states and territories, and the annual arm wrestle with the Commonwealth about where those relativities sit. There is a review under way at the moment. We are so small with, 100 000 taxpayers, it makes us the most reliant on Commonwealth revenue.
We have spread some of that. We were much more reliant on a percentage of GST revenue than we are today. We have spread some of that reliance through aggressively going after special purpose payments which lock in, over several years, a funding arrangement across those critical areas of health, education, training, and housing. We have also aggressively pursued national partnership funding with the Commonwealth and Closing the Gap is a classic example. That sits at around a $200m investment in the Territory per annum.
Yet, you saw the spectacle here yesterday of the Country Liberal Party arguing against that investment by the Commonwealth. We are getting used to that because it argued against the $200m-plus infrastructure investment from the Commonwealth into our schools and, then, quite hypocritically, started turning up to the opening of the new facilities across our schools. We are extremely used to them being inconsistent with what they say and what they argue, and not being able to maintain a common thread through their arguments.
The reality is, and the facts are, we would be in surplus today if the GFC had not hit. As a responsible government, we could not ignore that. We could not sit on our hands and watch thousands and thousands of Territorians lose their jobs. Critical to that, we could not sit on our hands and lose our construction workforce because, once they go, they are hard to claw back from the big resource-rich jurisdictions of Queensland and Western Australia. We have had, year on year, growth across our capital program to get that all-important construction workforce back. You might ask yourself why? It is because our government has always had a vision. Our government has always aggressively pursued the energy projects. We have always known the vast energy resources sitting offshore, and the vast mineral resources sitting onshore, would mean we are extremely well-positioned to pursue the growth of major private investment in the Territory - onshore and offshore. To have the capacity to pursue that, deliver it, and provide a sustainable workforce into it, we had to hold up that all-important construction sector.
We did that by working very closely with and listening to industry, industry views, and industry needs. We have literally fed that, year after year, budget after budget. We know it is always an easy slap on government once it steps into deficit – that is the easiest slap. Slap a government for deficit - for adding onto debt. However, it takes a strong and sensible government in this fiscal environment, particularly with the economic conditions prevailing in private investment, to shoulder the burden.
Out of that what did we get? We got the fulsome, strong, and vocal support of the Chamber of Commerce, Master Builders Association, Real Estate Institute of the Northern Territory - they all understood we were doing the right thing ...
Mr Elferink: They understood someone else was paying the bills.
Ms LAWRIE: Even a former CLP minister - their longest-serving minister of some 17 years - Daryl Manzie, got it. He gave us an eight out of 10 for those decisions. The person who does not get it is the member opposite, the member for Port Darwin, who has these bizarre and spurious fables he likes to trot out to scare people. He says we are Greco-Roman. That is one of the more absurd of the many absurd things he says. Greco-Roman is his weird illusion to doom and gloom. We are like the economies of Greece and Italy, the PIGS - Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain. He raised it again in debate today - doom and gloom, beware. What nonsense when you go to the facts. The facts are Northern Territory nett debt, as a percentage of GSP, is 8.8%. Let us look at Greece ...
Mr Elferink: Where will it be in four years?
Ms LAWRIE: ... this chart represents where the Northern Territory sits at 8.8%. Our national debt, as a percentage of GSP, is at 8.9%. Greece is at 165% …
Mr Elferink: Is that for the general government sector?
Ms LAWRIE: ... and this is the comparison the strange member for Port Darwin makes. He is comparing the Northern Territory, at 8.8%, to Greece at 165%. Even my kids with their basic Maths do graphs, charts and percentage comparisons and can work out you are wrong on that one. This chart is an accurate depiction ...
Mr Elferink: Because the Greek figures include their superannuation and pension liabilities.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Elferink: Your 8.8% does not.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: The man does not get it. He runs around spreading doom, gloom and fear; it is a very strange thing. He consistently comes out with things which are factually wrong. It makes my job easier in the broader public debate because he will say something with great excitement and I show the facts and you see he is wrong and it is like, ‘Oops! He is wrong again. Oh, he is wrong again’. One of the strange things he came out with in the debate last sittings …
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move that the member for Karama be given an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, member for Katherine.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: I love listening to you.
Ms LAWRIE: I know you love me tearing you apart. I used to tear you apart before they dumped you. It is all good. You love him feeling the pain instead of you, member for Katherine. I can appreciate that feeling. It is very gracious of you. I acknowledge that and thank you for it.
With regard to the $7.5bn debt figure the member for Port Darwin bandied around, I was curious because it does not appear anywhere and I wondered, ‘Are you making it up’? He is referring to nett financial worth in the non-financial public sector which, of course, is a sector which includes Power and Water as well as general government. It is wrong on two counts. You are using the wrong number and the wrong sector. First, the accepted sector for comparisons with other jurisdictions is the general government sector.
Again, you do not want to compare apples …
Mr Elferink interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: … with apples. Do not compare apples with apples. Make it up to look the way you want it to look. This is the accepted sector for comparisons because it is supported by taxes and grants. You are using nett financial worth rather than nett debt. Nett financial worth includes liabilities, superannuation, employee entitlements and payables, not just the financial liabilities - borrowings.
Mr Elferink: That is not correct.
Ms LAWRIE: The nett debt figure for this sector is $4.5bn not $7.5bn.
Mr Elferink: Add the superannuation liability.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Port Darwin, you do not have the call.
Mr Elferink: Well, she is being very misleading, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, you do not speak back to the Speaker.
Ms LAWRIE: He cannot help himself, Madam Speaker, because it is all about him. We know that and hear it from his colleagues; it is all about him …
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim, you do not need to join in.
Mr Tollner: Well, Madam Speaker, she is ...
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim, you do not speak back to the Speaker. Order! Minister, you have the call.
Ms LAWRIE: Madam Speaker, he shifts all over the place; he likes to describe us as Greco-Roman in our debt position even though it is nonsense to compare 8.8% with 165%. Are you for real? That is seriously leading with your chin in a very silly way, member for Port Darwin. You really need to calm down on that one because it makes you look silly.
Then you talk about the rivers of gold. I have explained we put tight fiscal restraints in place for our wise use of efficiency dividends. We ramped that up post-GFC. We have been even tighter in the use of efficiency dividends. We put a staffing cap in place to keep our expenditure below our revenue and we have shaved something like $65m in savings through those measures. We have shaved $582m of debt through eight consecutive surpluses in the past 10 years.
At the same time, we have delivered better schools, better hospitals, better health clinics, infrastructure upgrades on our roads and improved our R&M program across our roads, which industry was crying out for. We have put more police, nurses, teachers and doctors out there to provide a better public service, which the taxpayer, quite rightly, expects. We know the CLP has a plan to hack 800 public servants from our public service, and that is a conservative figure. We know it does not want the department of Local Government. Let us do the calculation on that because that was one of the recommendations in their CTC report.
We have put 720 extra nurses in, 250 extra doctors and 127 extra hospital beds. You can now turn up at Royal Darwin Hospital with confidence - into the new revamped emergency department while you are at it. We have put in place palliative care - that fantastic hospice in the Royal Darwin Hospital precinct; accommodation at Barbara James House for cancer patients; the first medical school; major upgrades at Royal Darwin Hospital, including a new emergency department, birthing centre, theatres, RAPU and the trauma centre.
Also, police: there was a four-year freeze on police recruitment; no wonder we had spiralling property crime. We recruited police. We have an extra 400-odd police; a 43% boost in police numbers driving down property crime by half.
We were able to do the things the taxpayer quite rightly wants to see a government do - improve service delivery. We were able to extend service delivery across all regions of the Territory rather than put blinkers on and pretend it should only be in major urban centres. We were able to, year on year, improve the capital program to support the all-important construction sector, driving up economic growth during the entire period, and we were able to shave debt down by $582m. We did all those things and then the GFC hit. Then we took the strong decision, the right decision as it turns out, because we have maintained either the lowest or the second-lowest unemployment rate in our nation through the toughest years at 4.2%, and it is holding steady.
Again, you saw the strange takings of the member for Port Darwin today in Question Time trying to make out that was a bad result. At the same time, the Chamber of Commerce is saying what a good result it is. Seriously, you stand on your own with your views. Find a friend, John. Find someone.
Every jurisdiction in our nation ...
Mr Elferink: Using public servants as a human shield.
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Port will cease interjecting.
Mr Elferink: Using the department as a human shield - you are a coward.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, you will withdraw that comment, please.
Mr ELFERINK: I withdraw ‘coward’.
Ms LAWRIE: He does not like it when I press his buttons, Madam Speaker. I understand he is sensitive.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr Elferink: I do not like your dishonesty and the fact you use public servants from your own department as a human shield.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, you do not have the call. Yes, member for Katherine?
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: The interjections from the member for Port Darwin might not be necessary if the Treasurer directed her comments through the Chair rather than speaking across the Chamber.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Katherine, resume your seat.
Ms Lawrie: I have been consistently directing my debate through the Chair.
Mr Elferink: You are a dishonest person.
Ms LAWRIE: Again, you cannot bury your head in the sand and pretend the GFC has not hit. You cannot bury your head in the sand and pretend the impacts are not still being felt. I listened with interest to the contribution from the member for Port Darwin when he said the credit markets have returned to normal. No, they have not ...
Mr Elferink: Well, they have improved.
Ms LAWRIE: ... yes, you said it. Tell the developers of the Northern Territory that the financial lending institutions are treating them the same as before GFC. Tell the mums and dads of the suburbs the financial lending institutions are treating them the same as before GFC. It is a piece of nonsense. The impacts are still being felt today and will continue to be felt. The Euro shock is having an impact today. I am not going to crystal ball gaze, unlike you, on where that will go. I will leave that to highly capable economic commentators.
I will say is this: if you want to head to a body of experts, choose the International Monetary Fund. Its advice has been consistent in the spending practices of governments to deal with the shocks of the GFC, the shocks that are still reverberating, and it has been to spend.
It has not been a message for developed nations like ours who are in a good fiscal position with good debt levels - it has not been to sit on it, which was very much the ranting and ravings of the CLP over the last few years. It has been to step up and spend to support the economies. We have seen the result of that. We are in economic growth. Access Economics predicts us to be the second fastest growing jurisdiction in the nation through the next five years, having just leapfrogged Western Australia in their latest predictions and second only to Queensland.
Every jurisdiction in the nation is in deficit, every jurisdiction in the nation is increasing debt, but every jurisdiction in our nation, to varying degrees, has manageable levels of debt sitting around the 8% of nett debt to GSP ratios. We are in the pack, but where we are ahead of the pack is the opportunity of jobs for Territorians. We have landed the second largest project in our nation’s history. A final investment decision on the Ichthys project and, if you listen to the CLP, the government had nothing to do with it, the public servants had nothing to do with it, and it was all a commercial decision.
I prefer to listen to Chairman Kuroda from INPEX. He has made it very clear the project would not be here if our government had not (a) pursued them, and, (b) with drive and vigour maintained our pursuit and given them certainty. At the FID press conference when asked why, fundamentally, they made the decision to bring the project to Darwin, it was certainty provided by this government ...
Mr Elferink: Of bipartisan support.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Note Statement - Supporting Territorians
Note Statement - Supporting Territorians
Continued from 15 February 2012.
Ms McCARTHY (Local Government): Madam Speaker, our Territory-wide jobs Northern Territory Employment Strategy 2010 to 2012 has worked to increase the level of sustainable employment outcomes for Indigenous Territorians. The target of 3000 Indigenous Territorians commencing in employment across the public and private sectors during the life of the strategy has been achieved. We are now working toward the next stage which focuses on the Indigenous workforce staying and advancing in their jobs.
In regard to the SIHIP investments, over 200 Indigenous people are currently employed to deliver SIHIP. We ensured a target of 20% Indigenous employment was set across this program. This target has been exceeded, with over 1200 Indigenous people employed since the commencement of SIHIP.
Property management agreements with shires include a minimum target of 40% local Indigenous labour to be employed in the delivery of works, either directly or indirectly. We are currently working to review our programs in the area of municipal and essential services with a view to more long-term certainty and clarity for residents of outstations and homelands about the type of support available from the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments over the next decade. It is an area in which our government has been incredibly vigilant - very conscious of the concern of people wanting to know about financial support.
Turning to my tourism portfolio, I am pleased to say this is another area where Tourism NT and I are working hard to ensure benefits for all Territorians. The Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction in Australia to provide 100% subsidy for tourism operators to list on the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse. The Australian Tourism Data Warehouse is a central distribution and storage facility for tourism industry products and destination information from all Australian states and territories.
We are also supporting our tourism businesses with over $2m in funding to our regional tourism organisations and visitor information centres. Grants of up to $100 000 are available to support small-scale projects based on a dollar-for-dollar matching contribution from the grant application.
To maximise the Northern Territory’s opportunities, Tourism NT has offered financial assistance to accredited operators to engage business consultants to prepare their TQUAL grant applications. Four accredited Territory tourism operators accessed this support from Tourism NT, with three businesses successful in the TQUAL application, receiving between $40 000 and $100 000 from the Australian government. Projects included the establishment of semi-permanent campsites along the Larapinta Trail, the development of an interactive cultural experience at a backpacker accommodation venue in Alice Springs, and construction of new exhibits at the Katherine Museum. The second round will be offered this year, and Tourism NT will again provide financial support for grant application writing and work with accredited operators to leverage the Commonwealth funding to improve the Northern Territory tourism industry.
In Alice Springs, we are supporting a water-smart accommodation project designed to assist accommodation providers in Alice Springs reduce water consumption. Tourism NT contributed $100 000 towards the project in 2010-11, which has been matched by the Australian government through the National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns initiative. The project is a subcomponent of a two-year water reduction plan, Alice Water Smart, which aims to reduce annual water consumption in Alice Springs by 1600 million litres. This equates to two months worth of annual water supply in the town.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Regional Services’ Water Safety Branch leads our work in this area across the Territory, building on and adding to the work of key non-government organisations such as Surf Life Saving Australia and the Royal Life Saving Society. This includes a government grant to the Royal Life Saving Society for delivery of the free under-five water safety awareness program. The water safety awareness program is aimed at reducing the rate of drowning in the Northern Territory by developing children’s confidence and ability in the water, and teaching general water safety and rescue techniques.
The program provides vouchers for five free water safety lessons for parents or guardians and their children in urban, rural, and remote areas of the Northern Territory. It is important this program is available through rural and urban providers in Nhulunbuy, Katherine, Darwin, Palmerston, Batchelor Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Jabiru and DEFCOM members at Defence establishments. In remote areas, families can attend sessions when the provider visits their community or, alternatively, choose to attend sessions in the rural or urban centre.
Local government is an important area in regard to water safety. Our primary vehicle for improving facilities and services is a special grant program. For example, community facilities such as halls, ovals, playgrounds parks, and sporting facilities are funded through the Special Purpose Grant pool. In 2010-11, a total of $2.9m was distributed to local government organisations through the Special Purpose Grant pool. These grants indirectly support Territorians by providing improved sport and recreation facilities, and other infrastructure for all Territorians to enjoy.
Our government is working in a coordinated and connected way to support Territory families and make a difference for our families, no matter where they live.
Madam Speaker, I commend the Treasurer’s statement to the House.
Dr BURNS (Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I support the Treasurer’s important statement which highlights the commitment of this government to support Territorians. We know the Territory has one of the best lifestyles on offer in the nation and children growing up here today can look forward to a life full of opportunities. However, that is not to say we do not face challenges. We know there are people out there doing it tough. Families, in particular, have to juggle different priorities and, as a local member, I know their stories. They see me to talk about some of these issues. Our challenge as a government is to ensure we have the right programs in place to support Territorians so the Territory remains one of the best places to live.
As government, we have done a great deal to reduce the cost of living pressures to support Territorians on a range of positive fronts. These efforts have been firmly focused on delivering good outcomes for families. We are also focused on younger and older Territorians to ensure they have access to as much opportunity and support as families. Low- to middle-income earners are also an important group the Henderson government works to support. Our commitment is to support Territorians to ensure they benefit from the strong economic and population growth that will be driven by major projects like INPEX. We have many programs in place already and intend to keep building upon these so there are long and lasting benefits to Territorians.
I turn to education and training. Education and training is a top priority of our government. We are committed to ensuring all children, regardless of where they live, have access to an affordable and quality education. It is not just about going to school. We know the learning and development of a child prior to starting school is vital, which is why we are doing a great deal of work in the area of early childhood development.
Back to school payment: only a few weeks ago we saw 44 000 students head back to schools across the Territory - that is the combination of government and non-government schools. From memory there, about 33 000 or 34 000 are in government schools and the remainder attend non-government schools. We all know the start of the school year can put pressure on the finances of families with uniforms, stationery, books; it all adds up. That is why the Territory government introduced the back to school payments in 2006. The vouchers help cover those costs for over 44 000 students in the government and non-government school sectors. The vouchers were increased to $75 per student in 2009, and we know families welcome the payments that help support them meet important education costs.
We know families appreciate the whole range of support we give them in this regard. We provide free bus transport for students. Getting kids to and from school when you have working parents can also be a challenge for families. Since 2009, the Territory government’s free bus travel package has provided free bus travel seven days a week for students on the school and public bus network. The Territory government was the first in Australia to provide free bus travel to students cutting the cost of travel and reducing carbon emissions. It is an initiative of which we are very proud.
Regarding scholarships, as government, we want to support our best and brightest students when they leave school to take up higher education. Each year 40 scholarships worth $3500 a year are provided to school-leavers who are going to university to take up full-time study. Students with the top 10 ATAR results receive an extra $1500 in their first year at university. We give them this support with the view to encouraging them to look at using the skills they gain at university and embarking on a career in the Northern Territory. It was particularly pleasing to see many students who received scholarships this year took up study at CDU, particularly in the medical faculty.
With regard to teachers, we want to support more Territorians to become teachers and boost our homegrown teaching workforce. We are committed to a quality teaching workforce and know good teachers make great schools. To encourage and support Territorians to take up teaching careers, we offer support in the form of a Teacher Education Scholarship. This year, 20 scholarships were offered targeting people looking to teach in our government schools when they graduate. We want the best, so academic performance is taken into account as well as applicants who are looking to teach in specialised areas. The Teacher Education Scholarship program supports teacher education students to commence and complete a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning, Double Bachelor in a teacher education program, or a Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning. Scholarships up to an amount of $15 000 per annum are available through this program.
More Indigenous teachers: the Territory government also has the More Indigenous Teachers program so there are more Indigenous people teaching in our schools. It has been my pleasure to meet a number of those people who have graduated or are currently studying through that program in various schools as I move around the Territory. It is great to see their enthusiasm and their interaction with the kids. They are a great asset to education in the Northern Territory. This program offers opportunities for Indigenous Territorians to study Bachelor and Postgraduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning.
Over the past four years, the program has seen 39 Indigenous Territorians graduate with a teaching qualification and we want to see more. Thirty-four of the program graduates are currently in the Northern Territory schools teaching service. It is fantastic that, of the 39 graduates, 34 are currently in our system. That retention is really pleasing. Approximately 50% of current recipients are under the age of 25, so that bodes well for the future. I congratulate the member for Arafura, who is front and centre in developing this program and fostering it. I am sure she is very pleased with the results coming through at present.
The Northern Territory Child Care Subsidy: it is well-researched and documented that a child’s learning starts well before school. We also know in today’s world the reality for most parents is their child will attend some form of childcare in the years prior to starting school. As government, we are providing support on two levels. The first is supporting families, and the second is supporting industry in building the capacity in numbers of qualified staff through government assistance and support. For many parents, accessing childcare centres so they can work full-time puts pressure on the family budget. To offset this, the Territory government provides a subsidy to all licensed childcare services to help contain the cost of childcare fees for working families.
The Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction in Australia to do this. This provides a $1433 break to parents annually, or over $27 per week off the childcare bill for a child under two. For children over two years of age, the childcare subsidy amounts to $1050, or $20.20 per week. In 2010-11, 81 licensed services received this subsidy, and the total annual expenditure for the subsidy was $4.2m.
I know, particularly in Alice Springs, there have been issues. Issues have been raised by the member for Araluen, and others. I want to assure the people of Alice Springs that we are working with the Commonwealth on this issue. The Commonwealth has allocated $50 000 for a scoping study to look at, amongst other things, what opportunities might exist with facilities for childcare in Alice Springs and how to increase capacity in Alice Springs. There has already been a small but significant increase in capacity in Alice Springs and we want to see more. I understand the concerns of the member for Araluen in this regard. The Minister for Central Australia and I are working very closely with minister Kate Ellis in Canberra to facilitate an increase in childcare capacity in Alice Springs. Initially, the member for Araluen was writing letters to me, then the Minister for Health, and others on this issue. We pointed out to her that childcare has always been a national responsibility preceding the Gillard government, preceding the Howard government - it is always a national responsibility.
I attended a meeting of the United Voice Union in Darwin on Saturday morning and heard more about their campaign for better wages for childcare workers. I support that union. I have to place on the record I am a proud member of the United Voice Union and have been for a number of years. I support its campaign. They have asked me if I might work for a day in childcare centres in Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs. I understand arrangements are being made for that after the sittings. I understand the member for Araluen is also interested in that and, possibly, the member for Brennan.
I urge members of parliament to get right behind the union’s campaign for better pay. They are some of the lowest paid workers in the country and have such an important job of looking after our children when parents go to work. Many of them are qualified and, yet, as they say themselves, can make more money working in Woolies or working in other areas of employment. I am not putting down people who work in Woolies, far from it. However, one would expect if someone is qualified, if they have the important job of looking after and educating our very young children, we would be paying them more.
That is going to be an intense campaign. They have asked for my support and I am proud to be front and centre with the United Voice and proud to be a member of the United Voice. The member for Fong Lim has a long association with the union movement. He might join me working for a day in the childcare industry - that would fun. I am sure the kids would enjoy the member for Fong Lim and his jolly personality. We can talk about that another time.
Scholarships for early childhood educators have been introduced which will assist childcare providers in meeting the new early childhood teaching qualification requirement in long day care services and preschools. The Territory and federal governments have a $4m scholarship program – an early childhood workforce plan that includes up to 200 scholarships. This will support more Territory early childhood educators attend university to achieve their early childhood teaching qualification. I thank Charles Darwin University for the work it has done to help ensure the university is well-placed to meet the demands for those places.
Earlier this week I mentioned mobile preschools and Families as First Teachers. Those years before kids go to school are essential and, as government, we are heavily investing in that.
I move to my portfolio area of Public and Affordable Housing, something which is essential for supporting Territorians. Home start programs like HOMESTART NT - since 2004 this program has helped almost 1500 low- to middle-income earner families buy their own home. We want to keep families in the Territory which is why, through the HOMESTART NT program, the Northern Territory government kicks in up to 30% of the purchase price of the home. We regularly review this program to ensure it continues to meet our goal of supporting Territorians to achieve affordable home ownership. We increased the income and purchase limits for HOMESTART NT in the last budget and immediately saw a jump in the number of inquiries and purchases through the program. It shows this program is spot on in continuing to meet the needs of Territorians looking to get a foot in the door of the housing market.
The member for Brennan last year said the CLP policy would be to scrap this program and let the open market determine prices. I am unsure whether he put forward any cogent arguments in regard to that. Perhaps, Cam et al, on the fourth floor said: ‘We want you to say this’. I implore the member for Brennan to ask some questions. The questions - if someone had asked me to do that I would not have done it - would have been: ‘How are these low- to middle-income earning families going to get a foot in the door, Cam? What alternatives do we have, Cam? What am I going to say, Cam, if they ask me that question?
The opposition has not really answered that question. Perhaps it is trying to save money through scrapping programs like this so it can reach the blinkered goal. I have the policy here and will wave it around again. It seems to really upset the opposition. The sight of its own policy document sets it into an apoplectic frenzy. It is just incredible – a red rag to a bull. It says:
- Government must meet its debt obligations. Provision has to be made for the repayment of recurrent debt.
The CLP is galloping towards a budget surplus and does not really care about low- to middle-income families getting a foot in the door, get equity, etcetera. What it sees is ballast overboard in the lead balloon of the CLP. ‘Oh, well, here is one we can chuck overboard. There go 750 public service jobs overboard. We need to get a little more off the ground and a bit more apparent motion. We want those odds to be better than $1.75 to $2.05’. Many things will be sacrificed by the CLP driven by the member for Port Darwin. He is going to drive things and say: ‘Oh, we cannot spend money there, we cannot spend money there. They have been spending money in the area of education. Member for Brennan, you cannot spend that anymore’. You are going to find yourself in a tough position, member for Brennan. I counsel you to not go along with everything they tell you, member for Brennan. You have to look after what you think are the best interests of Territorians.
Affordable housing: we have set aside 15% of new land release for public and affordable housing. Bellamack Gardens has been criticised. When I was minister many spears were thrown at me about Bellamack, both through the media and in this House. There was talk about Velcro on the walls and whatever. However, when people - including the member for Nelson - had a good look at it they were quite complimentary. The people who live there are very happy to do so. We have to break out of this mould that they are just 700 m2 or 800 m2 blocks with a house, etcetera. People in this day and age want a whole spectrum of housing. This government is looking at the market and listening to people and their various needs.
Bellamack house and land packages: 21 lots between $342 000 and $420 000; Johnston land release ballots: 19 lots at $140 000; Johnston affordable units: 21 units - they were beautiful units, I looked at them - $320 000 to $390 000; Rydges Estate Larapinta: six house and land packages for first homebuyers at $385 000 each.
BuildBonus: in this year’s budget the Northern Territory government introduced BuildBonus to support those Territorians who are building and buying a new home. A grant of $10 000 is available to homebuyers, and it has been extended until June - another support for families.
Public housing: we are building 150 new public house dwellings. We have invested $49m in that endeavour. Our senior Territorians represent the fastest growing group of public housing tenants. I spoke earlier this week about government trying to redevelop some of our larger blocks, or even join some of our larger blocks together to have duplex or triplex developments for seniors or those who may be disabled, and encourage seniors to move into those duplexes and triplexes to free up houses for families ...
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move an extension of time for the minister, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Dr BURNS: I was recently at Bellamack with the Chief Minister to open the new 40-unit seniors village. We have Larapinta Seniors Village due for completion soon; a great facility in Alice Springs. We had a luncheon at Bellamack Seniors. There are some very old Territory families - the Jeffrey family was there. They are very strong in Palmerston, very strong in the sporting and cultural life of Darwin, and a very well-known and respected family in the Northern Territory. They have been here forever; everyone knows them and they are great people. It was great to catch up with the Jeffrey family in Bellamack. Which electorate is Bellamack in? Is it Brennan?
A member: No, it is not.
Dr BURNS: It must be in Blain, is it? Oh Blain, lovely.
In addition to our investment in public housing, there has also been $55m invested in transitional, crisis, supported and affordable housing by the Australian government stimulus package. Bear in mind the stimulus package, in all its forms, was opposed by the coalition in Canberra and its ventriloquists in the Northern Territory. The main conduit is the member for Fong Lim. He is still in very close contact with all his old mates in Canberra. Even people on the Labor side are very fond of the member for Fong Lim, as am I. Stuart Blanch is a very close friend of the member for Fong Lim. Obviously, not one of those green Nazis we hear about in his Lyndon LaRouche ravings the other day. Stuart must be a very reputable green. He must be some other colour; he may be topaz or something like that. However, I digress. So, $55m invested in that; 450 beds in the Territory.
I spoke about the affordable rental housing company earlier this week. It is great to see it finally established in the Territory. I have put on the record a number of times that it took much longer than I would have liked, but I understand the affordable rental housing company has to do due diligence. It wants guarantees from government. It is a very hard-headed board. There are some heavy hitters on that board and they extracted a hard but fair deal with government. In return, we are getting experience, vitality, and a really strong direction ahead in this sector. We had to wait a little longer but it shows how businesslike this entity is. I commend it, and if members opposite would like me to arrange a meeting with the affordable rental housing company for them to find out more about it I am more than happy to do so. I hope we would have a bipartisan approach on this issue.
Rent and bond assistance is offered by the Territory government. I know from constituents of mine this is a very important aspect of support, particularly in the tight housing rental market.
I spoke about public employment today. We have put on 700 extra nurses, 250 extra doctors, 400 extra teachers and 400 extra police officers. To support Territorians in the core services, this is a government which has invested.
The Treasurer spelt out, very plainly, to the member for Fong Lim why government has spent and invested on our recurrent expenditure. It was on the back of GST earnings from the Commonwealth. Now we face the problem, as does every government around Australia regardless of political colour, of a downturn in GST revenue and hard decisions have to be made. However, the decision we made is not to have cuts in our public service. That will become evident as we move closer to the election and through the Fiscal Integrity and Transparency Act. Both sides of politics have to place on the public record - we will be have our budget in a matter of months - and any extra promises or undertakings we make during the election campaign will have to be costed. That goes for the opposition as well.
As I said in Question Time, the shadow ministers developing policies need to ensure the costings are okay - it all balances out - because Treasury, as an independent entity, will be looking very closely at the costings. I am not sure who the member for Port Darwin is getting his Treasury advice from. Perhaps Col is helping him in between sharpening the knife! I like Col, he is a great bloke. I am a little tongue and cheek, but there is going to be much pressure in relation to that. The opposition needs to have its costings right because people will be looking at how responsible it will be. It would be futile for the opposition to make promises it cannot keep through not having the right costings, or show where it is going to get the expenditure from and whether that might be through cuts in the public service. There is going to be a very strong searchlight - a microscope is going to look at this and it will be interesting, to say the least.
Madam Speaker, I commend the Treasurer’s statement. It is very important that we support Territorians. Territorians will be judging, coming into the election, the policies of both sides and will be looking very closely at who is going to support them in the most appropriate way.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Speaker, it is always interesting to listen to the member for Johnston. He always has a lighthearted approach, something we sorely need. He also has the ability, as my colleague said, to live in a parallel universe, like all members opposite do, because their reality is not the reality for many Territorians. As far as they are concerned everything is rosy.
It was good to hear the minister acknowledge that hard decisions are going to have to be made in the future because of the downturn in GST receipts coming our way. Interesting observation, minister, and it reinforces what the member for Port Darwin has said over time. We have seen GST windfalls coming into the Northern Territory, in fact, more than $1bn. More than $1000m has come to the Northern Territory since 2001, which was a windfall. An unexpected $1bn is quite a significant amount of money. We all knew what was coming; we all knew GST receipts would fall at some stage. However, we do not see a prudent government, not a fiscally conservative government that would hive away some money for a rainy day knowing there would be troubled times ahead. Simple fact of life: the sun does not shine every day. Sooner or later it is going to be dark and gloomy outside, and that is why we put a little away for a rainy day. Going way back to Syd Stirling, this government did not do that. It did not put anything away.
Now we get to a situation where things are looking gloomy and the minister says: ‘Oh, hard decisions have to be made. You had better dot your i’s, you better cross your t’s. Count up every cent’. We are doing that because of the reckless spending of the past. I look at the Treasurer, smiling wryly thinking: Oh, I am wonderful because I got all this money out the door when the global financial crisis hit’. The global financial crisis is sitting as an observer watching the glee on the faces of these Labor people because it meant Labor got to do what Labor does best - spend money. Get money out the door - spend, spend, spend, spend, spend! Every time the Treasurer stands up she talks about her ability to spend money.
Look at, federally, the enormous amount of money wasted in the global financial crisis. During the first one the government had to increase retail spending so it sent $900 cheques to everyone. Joe Hockey put it pretty well when he said: ‘They spent $10bn to get a $390m jump in retail sales’. Labor thought that was a wonderful thing - just send out cheques. It was sending cheques out to dead people! It was sending cheques to people who did not even live in Australia! It did not matter. As far as it was concerned it just had to get the money out the door.
Look at federal Labor and see the things it has done. There has been $50bn spent on the NBN. No cost benefit analysis, no business case made, and no checks and balances. This is something Australia needs so roll it out.
We spent two decades, starting with Mr Hawke, privatising our telecommunications industry in Australia to the point where we had a thriving, competitive, varied telecommunications industry. We now have a new socialist Labor government which says: ‘Hang on, Labor in the past got it all wrong. Mr Hawke got it wrong, Mr Keating got it wrong and Mr Howard got it wrong. We are now going to be the biggest owner of telecommunications equipment in Australia - $50bn’. The government seems to think that is a good use of taxpayers’ funds.
Building the Education Revolution: the minister likes to talk about how good it was in the Northern Territory. I have visited schools where classrooms have been opened and are welcome in some electorates; however, look around the rest of the country. It is known as the school halls fiasco. Every one refers to it. Do you think that happens for no reason?
The pink batts scheme is another good example. It was a nightmare. So many millions of dollars were budgeted and it cost five times that repairing roofs. Four people died, hundreds of homes were burnt down, but, again, this was Kevin Rudd being fiscally responsible. He did not care; he had to get the money out the door.
Whatever happened to Cash for Clunkers? Dumped! Hospital reforms – dumped! It does not matter where you look. Computers in schools was a $1.4m blowout and less than half the computers were delivered. The Solar Homes and Communities Plan was shut down after a $0.5m cost blowout. The Green Car Innovation Fund was thrown away. The Solar Credits scheme was scaled back. It does not matter where you look, everything was a complete failure. FuelWatch was abandoned. Grocery watch was abandoned. The Solar Hot Water Rebate was abandoned. These are the people this government supports.
We now see a situation where federal Labor came into government, had a massive surplus, had savings in the bank and, all of a sudden, we are looking down the barrel of a huge debt. What is it doing now? Let us have a mining tax. Let us have a carbon tax. Let us get rid of the private medical cover health rebate in order to save money. Why do we need to save money like this? Because we went on a big spending spree only a few years ago! It is interesting when you compare what the federal government does to the way this government operates because, after all, they are the same people. It is the same bunch. It does not matter whether you are a Labor premier in Western Australia, a Labor backbencher in Queensland, a Labor Chief Minister in the Northern Territory or Julia Gillard; you are tarred with the same brush.
You are very good at spending money and not very good at saving money. You are very good at increasing debt and creating a whole range of new taxes.
It is interesting to listen to the way the Treasurer likes to reinvent history. In Question Time today she said our economy was flatlining. The Treasurer seems to have an interesting grasp on history because, in 2001, we had the tick off by ConocoPhillips. At that time, it was being lauded as a foundation for our oil and gas industry. That took some work. Our 100-year dream of having a railway line built to the Northern Territory was finally realised – a huge commitment. We invested money into infrastructure - income producing vehicles and assets. Unlike Labor, who believes it is good to throw around $900 cheques, spend $700 for set top boxes when you can go to Harvey Norman and buy for one-tenth of the price, and it is okay to burn houses down with you pink batts. Labor thinks that is all right and is a sensible way to spend money. Well, it is not.
The Treasurer likes to quote Labor governments all around the country who went into a frenzy when the global financial crisis hit because it gave them the opportunity to throw money around left, right, and centre. However, the Treasurer might want to look at what has happened in New Zealand, because it went a completely different way to the rest of the world. New Zealand had endured a decade of Labour rule before the global financial crisis and, unlike Australia, New Zealand had no money in the bank, no surplus budget and was up to its eyeballs in debt; the country was struggling. They booted out the Labour Prime Minister, Helen Clark, and a new fellow was elected - John Key. When the global financial crisis hit John Key said: ‘Well, in New Zealand, we are not going to throw money at the global financial crisis because we do not have any to throw. We are going to streamline the public service and make it easier for people to do business in New Zealand’. He said: ‘We are also going to ease some industrial relations laws and make our economy more flexible’. He introduced their version of Work Choices at a time when our Labor government was completely dismantling it, because he wanted flexibility in the workplace.
There were three things: he said he was not throwing money at it; he was going to streamline the public service, cut red tape; and, at the same time, introduce laws that would allow flexible workplace arrangements thereby greasing the skids for a strong economy. What has happened since then? New Zealand has been through some damn big crises. We talk about the floods in Australia, it has had earthquakes - some terrible disasters have occurred in New Zealand. However, look at where New Zealand is now. It started at the bottom of the pile prior to the GFC and now, a few years later, New Zealand is packing quite a punch internationally.
It is an interesting take when you put things in perspective because you see our Treasurer, Wayne Swan in Canberra, every Labor Premier around the country, Barak Obama, all madly trying to spend money and, quite clearly, it has not helped.
Also, when government says it is supporting the Territory that is not quite true. There is not too much this government does support apart from its Labor cronies interstate. It is not prepared to buck the system. It will never take the fight to its federal colleagues in Canberra, not even during our live cattle crisis. The Chief Minister refused to take Joe Ludwig or the Prime Minister to task. In fact, when we were in the depths of the crisis our Chief Minister, highly embarrassingly, was televised across the nation standing behind Julia Gillard nodding like a smiling dog. How embarrassing!
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker! He has crossed the line in regard to offensive words.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, it is ...
Mr TOLLNER: Okay, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker ...
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, no. Member for Fong Lim, I ask that you withdraw and refer to the Prime Minister as the Prime Minister or by her electorate, also the Chief Minister.
Mr TOLLNER: ... and the Chief Minister, the member for Wanguri, was standing behind the member for Lalor nodding like a smiling dog ...
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker! The member for Fong Lim has been asked to withdraw that. He was very precious at Question Time about something he found offensive. I ask he withdraw that remark, thank you.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, I ask that you withdraw.
Mr TOLLNER: A little clarity, please. Is it the member for Wanguri, the Chief Minister, Julia Gillard, the member for Lalor? What ...
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, you know very well what I am asking you to withdraw.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I was asked ...
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, either withdraw or sit down. Withdraw what you were asked to. I ask you to withdraw what you were calling the Chief Minister.
Mr TOLLNER: I am sorry, I did not call the Chief Minister anything. For the purposes of this House, I will withdraw.
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: I withdraw. I am at a loss to understand. I was pulled up for referring to Hendo as the Chief Minister, or Julia Gillard or ...
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, get on with your speech. You know very well what you were asked to withdraw. Move on with your speech.
Mr TOLLNER: What I was talking about, and what has offended everyone, is the fact they do not like being reminded the Chief Minister is nothing but a great big suck hole to the member for Lalor in Canberra.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Offensive language.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, I ask you to withdraw that.
Mr TOLLNER: I withdraw. However, the truth hurts. They do not like people drawing attention to the fact the Chief Minister was never prepared to tackle the Australian government about its unconscionable actions to Territory cattlemen. That really galls them because they like to spin it that the Chief Minister did something because he ran down there and lambasted a couple of independents and said they were on the wrong track. That is beating the chest standing up for the Territory. However, what did he do when it came to the people who made that abhorrent disgusting decision to throw our cattlemen into crisis? He agreed with it! He said we needed a circuit breaker! What a pathetic individual!
What happens when the duly elected members of this parliament, the majority of whom voted to oppose introduction of the carbon tax in the Northern Territory - does the Chief Minister say, ‘I have heard the will of the people’? Does he say: ‘I honour the institution that is the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory and honour its wishes?’ A motion was passed and supported but this Chief Minister arrogantly turned his back on this parliament, on the people of the Northern Territory, and toddled down to Canberra supporting Julia Gillard with her big brand new tax on everything. How disgusting!
You talk about supporting Territorians, what hypocrisy. This government does not care about Territorians. All it cares about is staying in power and doing everything it can to keep those cronies, that moribund mob in Canberra, in government. What a joke. Four Corners the other night showed what a rabble they are. Not only are they a rabble, but they are conniving; they are Machiavellian. They are everything most people despise in what they call a bad politician - people who do deals in back corridors, sticking knives in one another, plotting and scheming. It is appalling what is happening in Canberra at the moment. However, does this government defy them in any way?
In Question Time several days ago it was asked if the government supported the plans to roll back the private health rebate. We had a lame response from the minister saying: ‘Oh, well, we do not think a person on $180 000 should be subsidising a cleaner’. What about the Northern Territory? What regard does the minister have for the Northern Territory? If people start dropping health cover ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker! I move an extension of time for the member to continue his remarks, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr TOLLNER: Thank you, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I appreciate your support. Do we hear the minister stand up when asked whether he supports the abolition of the private health rebate? Do we hear the minister say: ‘Goodness me, if they do that it will put even more pressure on Territory hospitals and more pressure on our accident and emergency’. When people drop out of private health cover they no longer go to their local GP, they front at accident and emergency at our hospital and we foot the bill not an insurance company.
At the moment in Australia we have the luxury of the government doing a great big favour to all the states by providing support for people who want to get into private health cover because they want to have a choice of doctor, a choice of specialists, a choice of hospital and all those things that takes pressure off the public health system. The Australian government is supporting people doing that.
The Northern Territory government is predominantly preoccupied with public health and providing hospitals, government doctors and government specialists. You would think the last thing a Health minister in the Northern Territory would want would be a swag of new patients presenting themselves to the public health system. What sort of Disneyland is this minister in if he is welcoming that? Of course, he does not even think about that. The only thing that preoccupies our Health minister is supporting the cronies in the federal parliament. It is wrong!
Every aspect of life you look at, every attack on the Northern Territory is somehow deemed acceptable when there is a federal Labor government. These people do not care. What did this government say to Peter Garrett when he decided, by lack of action, to shut down McArthur River Mine? Did the Chief Minister go down and kick some heads? Did he deal with those people? Did he try to ensure the mine stayed open and the 400 direct and indirect workers who supply work and services to that mine had jobs? Did he care about those people? Of course not! The only thing he cared about was Peter Garrett would save face. He would not publicly support Territorians and it was an utter disgrace from a Chief Minister who would not support an industry like that.
That mine, at the time, was 5% of the gross state product of the Northern Territory, the lifeblood of the Borroloola community, and many communities across the Top End. It helped Indigenous people around Borroloola, and helped Indigenous people in Borroloola own a share of a barge industry, have shares in other industries, and helped them become established in private enterprise. There is so much that mine has done for the local area. Where was the Chief Minister when it was in a bind, when it needed somebody to stand up for it? He was missing in action.
In fact, we had a number of Labor MPs oppose the mine and wanted to see it shut down. I recall there was a big rift in the party because several people wanted to keep it open but no way known did they have the courage to trot off to Canberra and give Peter Garrett a mouthful.
Supporting Territorians is a statement of complete hypocrisy because this government is not interested in supporting Territorians and never has been. The government is interested, primarily, in one thing - supporting Julia Gillard and that pack of fools that hang around her in the federal parliament. It will never ever go up against Julia Gillard.
Something the government always likes to bring up is Tollner’s nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station. The government spent almost $2m in the 2004 campaign at show circuits around the Northern Territory collecting signatures on petitions, putting out fliers, sticking up banners and running the worst government-funded smear campaign I have ever seen in my time in politics.
Then, bingo! We have the election of federal Labor. It decides: ‘We will repeal those laws’, introduces exactly the same laws and this government does nothing. The Chief Minister says: ‘Oh, no, we do not want it here’, but is he spending $2m at the next election to campaign against federal Labor. Is he going to spend one cent at the next federal election to campaign against federal Labor for this great imposition? I do not think so. It will not spend one single cracker. In fact, I do not hear the government saying too much about it at all. It has gone into hiding. The whole thing is a joke.
Madam Speaker, I know you have seen the pink sign which says: ‘Stop Tollner’s Nuclear Dump - Vote Labor’. I have had it framed and it hangs in my office. I am so thankful to the booth worker at the election campaign who gave me the marvellous yellow banner which hung in front of the booth I was in when we were packing up. I said: ‘Do you mind if I have that?’ and he said: ‘Well, we have about 50 of the damn things; they are only going to the dump’. I said: ‘Oh, thank you very much’. They are wonderful little mementos.
Every time I look at that poster it reminds me of the hypocrisy and deceitfulness of the Labor Party because it will say one thing and do something completely different. Every time I walk into my office I see that poster hanging on the wall and know why I am in politics: to put a bit of integrity back into the game ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr TOLLNER: ... to put some integrity back into the game, because there ain’t none over there. There ain’t none over there - absolutely zero. I have been here for 30 minutes and have not touched on one topic for more than three minutes. I have gone through a list as long as your arm and every single one has been an example of Labor hypocrisy. Every single one has been an example of Labor not supporting the Northern Territory, or Territorians. When you come into this parliament and see what is going on and have to respond to a statement called Supporting Territorians - when I was first elected I was horrified; I could not believe you people had the gall to do it. Now, it is a bit of ho-hum. I think: ‘Oh, here we go again. They are reinventing history, reinventing the truth, trying to convince us that black is white, and white is black and the Northern Territory was a barren waste hole desert before Labor finally arrived to show us the beautiful paradise that can exist without a CLP government’.
Nothing ever happened here. The economy was flatlined; we were in massive debt. Then Labor turned up and saved us all. Thank God because it put in pool fencing and increased the price of car rego. Then it stopped everyone smoking in pubs. Now, we have to take plastic bags when we go shopping. By the way, we also have to ensure we have ID when we go to the pub if we want to take a beer home.
The other night I turned up at the pub at 9.45 pm, got a bottle of wine, a carton of beer and was thinking: ‘Oh, it has been a big day’. The guy says: ‘Do you have your ID?’ I said: ‘You have to be joking!’ He says: ‘No, have you got your ID?’ I said: ‘Mate, it is 9.45 pm; I do not carry my licence everywhere I go’. He said: ‘Sorry, mate’. I said: ‘I understand. Thank you, Labor. It is such a wonderful place to live now. Goodness me, I feel great having you intrude in my life every second of the day’. Then you have the gall to say you are supporting me. What a joke!
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to follow the member for Fong Lim. Thank you, member for Fong Lim. I felt like I was listening to the member for Solomon’s speech; there was a heavy focus on Canberra.
I found his reference to New Zealand interesting. The member for Fong Lim has much say in setting opposition policy. He spent quite some time talking about streamlining the public service and we know he has a strong say in the party room. We saw him overturn the climate policy and the Angela Pamela policy. We now hear him talking about streamlining the public service and that being the way to go. It was very interesting listening to support for the management of the economy in New Zealand and the streamlining of the public service. There was, obviously, much more to what the member for Fong Lim had to say. It was very interesting to hear …
Mr Tollner: Caught on one line. He streamlined the public service. Did I say he sacked anyone?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr GUNNER: Streamlined. Maybe you are going to put them all on a diet, member for Fong Lim.
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim! Order!
Mr GUNNER: They are all going to join Weight Watchers. We know what streamlining means.
The Territory is a very big place and we have many challenges with a small population. That is not a new thing. Yesterday, speaking to a different statement, I mentioned Tennant Creek in the 1930s when my great-granddad arrived. There were 500 people by the side of a creek, no bitumen road - living by the creeks as that was the water supply. We have come a long way since then. However, being a big place with a small population we have to find ways to support our people because they are our biggest resource. That is what this statement is about: how we support people living in the Territory.
There are probably three big phases …
Mr Tollner: Come on, Michael, tell us how you support people.
Mr GUNNER: You should have read what the Treasurer said, member for Fong Lim. You do not read things, do you, member for Fong Lim?
Mr Tollner interjecting
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim!
Mr GUNNER: This is generalising. Everyone has to make decisions at the time. There are probably three …
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I draw your attention to the state of the House.
Madam SPEAKER: Ring the bells. A quorum is called. A quorum is present. Member for Fannie Bay.
Mr GUNNER: There are three moments in life when you make some really big decisions about where you live. When you leave school, usually in grade 12, where are you going to go? That is mainly about opportunity. When you have a young family you probably make a decision about where you are going to live, and when you retire. They are the three key periods to focus on in supporting Territorians. The best way to support someone leaving school and looking to move on with their career or their education is to provide opportunity.
In the Territory we can say to our students who are leaving high school looking for further education, a trade, training, or going to university, that there will be a job for them afterwards. We are now celebrating 12 months of the medical school at Charles Darwin University. Fantastic! We now train our own doctors to provide care for Territorians. With many projects, particularly INPEX coming to town, there are jobs in the Territory. Youth unemployment can be a problem in other parts of the world. Around the world there are interesting things happening economically, mainly bad, but in the Territory we have a good story to tell and we can say to young Territorians that they have opportunities here.
That is what sound management and a strong economy delivers. The Treasurer needs to take a great deal of credit for big decisions around how you manage your budget - during the mid-year debate we heard differing views on how you manage your budget - the Treasurer put the case very strongly for the need to invest in infrastructure, the need to invest in jobs, and how you have to make decisions from year to year which affect the long term. We do not want to see Territorians leave. We need to ensure those jobs stay in the economy. We need to ensure people can go home with a pay cheque and afford a roof over their head and food on the table.
We care about people, and what the Treasurer has delivered in this statement is how we provide that care. Leaving school, you want those opportunities. For a young family looking after children in the Territory it is a very difficult and expensive time regardless of where you live.
We are the only jurisdiction in the country to subsidise the cost of childcare. For children under two years we provide a $1433 annual break, or $27 a week off the childcare bill. For children over two, the annual subsidy amounts to $1050 or $20.20 a week. That is a big subsidy and it takes the edge off. Essentially, you are trying to reduce some of that pain and make it easier for people living in the Territory by supporting them. We are a big place with a small population. We have many challenges and it is important to look after the people who live here. That is a critical program. The federal government has overall responsibilities for childcare, but in the Territory we have made the decision to help. We want to support families with young kids and that is what we are doing. It is well received by everyone I know who has young kids - taking the edge off. It is a big decision.
When you have young children you have to think about going back into the workforce and how to manage. Anything we can do to help take that edge off is very important. The big thing about the childcare rebate is it makes that bit of difference for a family with young kids. We want to make it easier for a family with young kids to stay in the Territory because it is at that point in life where you make decisions about where you might be living, often around where the grandparents are. You might want to be closer to family. We want to make decisions which help make living in the Territory a little easier. We also want to keep the grandparents. I will get to that later, because it is important that we have policies in place to keep our senior Territorians.
When kids get a little older and are at school it is still an expensive time. No matter how old your children are it is expensive. Back to school in late January early February is often when the credit card bills are starting to come through from Christmas. There is much pressure on families and we have the $75 Back to School voucher - over $3m annually for 43 000 Territory schoolchildren which makes a real difference to families. I was at Parap Primary School with the Treasurer the other day talking to some young parents with young kids about how this scheme helps them. It is a conversation you have all the time with parents about the importance of education, the difficulties involved sometimes, and the costs. We really want to help Territorians through what can be a difficult period so the Back to School voucher is a really good program that puts money there at the start of the school year. It can go towards any costs involved with education making it a little easier getting kids to school, especially after that Christmas period, particularly in my family when most of our birthdays are in January and are always a little broke come February. It is a really important initiative we have there to help young families with children at school.
That is not the only thing we are doing. I mentioned senior Territorians. We want to keep our grandparents in the Territory. Where grandparents are, you often find grandchildren. It is important we have benefits and concessions for our seniors. I often hear the Minister for Senior Territorians say we have the most generous pensioner concession scheme in the country, with up to $585 off power bills, up to $265 off water bills, up to $275 off sewerage bills ...
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 36.
Madam SPEAKER: Standing Order 36, is that about the state of the House?
Mr GILES: Yes, I draw your attention to the state of the House.
Madam SPEAKER: Ring the bells! A quorum is called. I remind honourable members the state of the House is not simply about the government, it is also about the opposition. A number of opposition members have walked out fairly recently.
A quorum is present.
Mr GUNNER: It is really important we make it easier for our senior Territorians to stay. One way we can do that is to help them out with those bills in their retirement years - the basics, water, power and sewerage. We take some of the pressure off them to meet those bills. We also discount rates - a 62% discount worth up to $200 a year to help with some of the basic bills. There is a discount on motor vehicle registration, free public transport for our seniors and carers, and also for students. It was a really good decision to make public buses free for seniors and students.
Many tourists fall into that category too. They love the fact they can hop on a bus for free. Building passenger numbers for our public bus network and building greater users into our public bus network has been a really good decision. There are many seniors and students who love knowing they can just hop on a bus. They do not have to think about it; a bus is there and if they want to catch it they can. We need to build our passenger numbers for our bus network because looking forward to the next five, 10 or 15 years, you want a stronger public transport network. Building passenger numbers now, getting people into those habits - seniors and students - is a really good thing.
That is an excellent initiative we have brought in recently which will get more attention as more seniors learn of it. Not everyone realises; it is one of those things that take time for people to realise what is available to them. To be able to catch a bus whenever you want has been a really good decision.
Spectacles: I was talking to my father in Alice Springs about this recently. Glasses can be expensive. We have a provision for free spectacles on a biannual basis. I imagine that is very popular. My father does not qualify yet, but it can be quite expensive getting spectacles. I am one of the lucky Gunners - I do not need glasses and I still have my hair. My uncles and my Dad are bald with coke glasses, but, touch wood! Spectacles can be very important.
It is essential we find ways to take the pressure for those bills off our senior Territorians. It is also important to provide them with opportunities and options when they look at retirement - where they are going to live. We have made land available at the old Waratah Oval in Fannie Bay, the federal government has made available aged care beds, and we have seen Southern Cross establish a supported aged care facility and retirement village. It is a quality investment. The supported aged care is fantastic. The people who work there are quality people providing quality care, and the retirement villas had the first people move in mid-January.
I have been down to welcome them and they love it. They are local senior Territorians from around Ludmilla, Parap and Fannie Bay moving into old Waratah Oval. Some are moving in from the rural area and other areas. It is great to see local senior Territorians choosing to retire in the Territory. They chose old Waratah Oval because they believe it is a quality development in a great suburb in a great electorate. Fannie Bay is a beautiful spot, and they love the fact they had that choice where they did not before.
Over the next five, 10, 14 and 20 years we will continue investing in those opportunities and options for our senior Territorians because it is critical we keep senior Territorians. They are a big part of what makes the place we live in special. They have helped build the Territory, have amazing corporate knowledge, are strong contributors to the community and we do not want to lose them or their grandchildren.
Often, where you find grandparents your find grandchildren. That is a big part of reducing the churn of the Territory. We have a large turnover, that is no surprise, and it has been that way for a long time. We have been trying to find ways to support Territorians, slow that churn down and ensure we keep our senior Territorians. A big part of that was the Home North scheme - trying to help Territorians get into a home where they might not have qualified for a loan from the bank.
Home North helps you buy your house. You can do it through the shared equity scheme where you own 70% of your house and we help you out to ensure you can get a house. Once you pay stamp duty we know you are less likely to leave. In some respects it is a population retention tax - if you own your own property, investing in your own home, making a home, doing little jobs around the garden and other things around the house you want to stay. If we can help you buy a house we know you are going to stay in the Territory. That is a really good way to support Territorians.
When you look at lifestyle, a big thing which has happened over the last 10 years is a greater investment in the outdoors. This is warm climate and you cannot swim in our beaches - crocodiles and stingers. I have spent the last 22 years in Darwin and have swum at the beach three times. I am not a beach person. In the Wet Season when I want to go swimming it is hotter in the water than out, and is full of crocodiles and stingers.
We made an investment into water because water is important. We probably have the highest rate of back yard pools in the country. That was definitely the case a few years ago and I am sure it is still the case now, which is why pool safety is very important. The Member for Fong Lim had some issues with pool fencing, but we have probably the highest rate of back yard pools in the country. We have a hot climate and people do not swim at our beaches, they love their back yard pool.
We have made an investment into outdoor lifestyle options like the wave pool, a fantastic investment - people love the wave pool. Also, Leanyer Water Park, and what is going in at Palmerston. They are really important decisions because they open up our back yard and the Territory’s back yard. You see people enjoying those places on a Sunday afternoon where in the past - we do not have, unfortunately, a strong beach culture in Darwin because of crocodiles, stingers and no waves, so you see people enjoying those outdoor lifestyle areas, which is fantastic.
I do not want to leave Alice Springs out. Alice Springs has a fantastic pool. It has a better pool then any pool in Darwin. I am very jealous of the aquatic centre in Alice Springs. We hear them complain about Leanyer Recreation Park, but we do not hear them talk about how good their pool is. It has been a massive investment in Alice Springs and is a fantastic facility. We want to see those opportunities and options all across the Territory not just in Darwin.
I spoke briefly about HOMESTART NT. The minister for Housing spoke about the affordable housing rental company, which is a very exciting program – an important initiative. Some of the first stock is going to be 35 units in Parap. As we have seen with similar companies down south, as their stock builds they will make more and more homes available for people who might not quite be able to afford the private market - and definitely do not qualify for public housing - providing an opportunity for somewhere to live in Darwin and Palmerston. We do not want to price low-income workers out of the inner city. I am really pleased some of their first stock will be in Parap.
I am sure they will have other stock through Parap, Fannie Bay, Stuart Park, the CBD, and elsewhere. It is really important we ensure low-income workers can afford to stay in the inner city; they can be close to where they work. They might be working in Casuarina. Obviously, the affordable housing rental company is going to be looking at places around the Territory. It is a very important venture and I am excited to see it. It will have stock in Parap. A roof over their head is one of the best ways to support Territorians.
The affordable housing rental scheme will be critical over the next 10 or 20 years in addressing an emerging need, not just in the Territory but around the country, in that gap between public housing and the private market for rent and purchase. Purchase, essentially, is where HOMESTART NT loans are targeted; ensuring we can get loans to people who might not qualify for a bank loan. We have confidence and believe they can meet their loan obligations and deserve to invest in a piece of Darwin and own some land in the Territory. That is a critical housing program.
Madam Speaker, the Treasurer outlined much more than I have touched on - some significant ways in which we are supporting Territorians and Territory families. We want them to stay in the Territory; we do not want to lose our Territorians. We want to support our Territorians, which is why we made big decisions around the budget and our economy to ensure we keep people in a job. We want to keep people here. We have some practical initiatives to ease the burden on people at the big times in life: young kids, family at school, retirement, providing opportunities for graduating from high school. When you are looking around where do you go, what do you do? Stay in the Territory! You can get a job here. We have excellent education opportunities here. We want you to stay and will keep backing you. That is why I commend this statement to the House.
Ms WALKER (Nhulunbuy): Madam Speaker, I will not be talking for too long, coming to the end of the debate as we are. We have had a number of contributions. Each of our ministers has clearly outlined a whole raft of initiatives in their various areas of portfolio responsibility where they have implemented fantastic schemes which assist Territorians to make ends meet, assist families, assist workers, assist senior Territorians and young Territorians. I will go through some of the statements our ministers have made and, perhaps, comment on them in reference to my own electorate.
The statement was delivered by the Treasurer. She covered a number of different initiatives. The first one she talked about, childcare, is really important. I had my three children go through childcare. I took 12 months maternity leave with each of my babies. My husband and I, as many working families do, made the choice that we wanted to go back to work, and are strong believers and supporters in childcare being good, strong, healthy places for children to be where they are well cared for and as a precursor to school.
By the same token, I would not, for a moment, detract from any person who chooses not to utilise childcare but stay at home and raise their children. Good on them. However, these subsidies provided to Territorians through childcare - the only jurisdiction in Australia to do so - are significant. Whilst my children were going through childcare, I had 11 continuous years of contact with our local childcare centre, Nhulunbuy Community Childcare Centre. I served for a number of years on the committee as president or secretary, or as a general committee member. Probably the most difficult issue we had to deal with as a community-based childcare centre was costs - trying to weigh up wanting to pay our staff above award wages because we know, for far too many, childcare is the domain of short-term employment. The wages are not that great, but they should be because of the important work childcare professionals do.
We would have to juggle meeting the cost of what we wanted to pay our workforce in the childcare centre along with trying to ensure it was still affordable by way of fees we were asking parents to pay. With the investment of $4m a year to deliver this childcare subsidy - the Treasurer outlined if you have a child over 2-years-old the annual subsidy amounts to $1050 or $20.20 a week, a significant saving for families.
In Nhulunbuy we are blessed to have two childcare centres. The second one came along as a result of the G3 expansion where the community based childcare centre was full. It had a waiting list and people were not taking jobs at Rio Tinto if they had children who needed care because they needed a childcare centre. I have listened to the debate about the issues in Alice Springs. I feel for the community of Alice Springs and families who are finding that tough. Our minister for Education, who has responsibility for early childhood in the Northern Territory, is working hard in that arena. It is a federal government responsibility and I am sure debate and negotiation will continue. I wish the people of Alice Springs all the best in resolving that issue.
Back to school: as the member for Fannie Bay said, we have come back from the Christmas and New Year holiday period and credit cards and finances are often stretched at that time. It is a real bonus to come back and find each of your children, whether they be in the private or the government sector, receives a bonus of $75. They do not receive $75 in their hands. In fact, that is one of the good things about the scheme. Since it has been in place, each year something about it is streamlined making it more user friendly, not to mention two years ago it increased from $50 per child to $75.
This year, from an administrative perspective, parents do not have to have a piece of paper. Previously, they had to hang on to a voucher they would take to the school which would be signed off if they spent say $35 on the school uniform shirt. They would take that voucher away with them and would get reminders from the school that it had to be used by the end of term 2 or term 3, I am not sure which. They no longer have to carry that paper; that record keeping is done by the school. I trust it is not putting too much burden on school front offices to administer the program; however, it makes it much easier for families.
The program has been extended. The $75 now includes preschool children and, where it used to be just for necessities like school book packs and uniforms, it has expanded now to include the costs associated with school excursions. That is particularly important in my electorate. Every year the Year 6 children from Nhulunbuy Primary School and Year 6 children from Nhulunbuy Christian School take trips interstate. For Nhulunbuy Christian School it may be in to Darwin, and the fact families can use that $75 towards those considerable costs is welcomed by people.
The fact that we have free transport for school aged children through to university students is a real bonus as well. We have that service at Nhulunbuy, but in relation to public transport I want to comment on the Gove Peninsula bus service which has been operating for nearly 18 months. It is a two-year trial service. It was launched in September 2010, and September last year was the 12 month anniversary. I heard the Minister for Transport talk about that service and the results we have seen in the first 12 months of operation. There have been 12 000 passengers on the Gove Peninsula bus service. Approximately 6000 are on their way to work or training, and the remaining 6000 are people utilising the service for all sorts of reasons, perhaps travelling to Nhulunbuy to shop, to visit sport and recreation facilities or for appointments. Whatever the reason, it provides a very affordable service at $5 a ticket. The service runs Monday to Friday.
They revised the timetable recently because there is a committee that oversees it which meets every month or so to monitor how the service is going and what improvements might be made. We are into the second year of this trial bus service operating between Yirrkala, Nhulunbuy and Gunyangara, also known as Ski Beach. I have been on the bus a few times myself to see how it was going, chat with the driver, and chat with the passengers. Everyone agrees it is a great service and provides a good alternative to costly taxi services people have been using to date. People are still using the taxi services, but I can only imagine fewer, because people are using this bus service. It is a fantastic project funded by the Northern Territory government with a contribution of $180 000, and also funding contributed through Rio Tinto Alcan. The East Arnhem Shire is supporting it, and Indigenous contracting company YBE is operating the bus. There is a special ticketing system inside the bus, and it is operating really well.
I have heard a number of people talk about support provided to senior Territorians in the Northern Territory. There are concessions such as free drivers’ licences. There was an incredible bonus last year, not only for senior Territorians but all Territorians, with the lead-up to the introduction of the Banned Drinker Register to enable people to have appropriate ID that would be recognised at the point of sale at liquor outlets. Free drivers’ licences were offered, free marriage certificates, and free birth certificates so people could get their ID in order. That was open for several months, I believe, Treasurer? Thousands of people took up those options. The scheme was extended for a further period to allow people to utilise it.
A number of Indigenous communities seized that opportunity, not because they wanted ID to be able to purchase alcohol - all the homelands in my electorate are alcohol free and the people are teetotallers. In one community in particular, Marparu, the entire community from children through to adults who did not have the appropriate ID - with the support of a person there who advocates strongly for that community, John Greatorex, every person in that community now has the correct birth certificate, marriage certificate or drivers licence. That is an incredible bonus coming from that scheme and I would like to thank the Treasurer for that initiative.
Madam Speaker, my parents in South Australia are quite elderly. They have joked with me about how they would consider moving to the Northern Territory to take advantage of some of the schemes to support senior Territorians. I know they are only joking when they say that because they would never survive the heat, but they have enjoyed their visits during the Dry Season to see how things are in the Territory. They make observations while they are here, they watch the news - they are avid news junkies. They always want to watch the news or read newspapers. If anything, they can understand why I came to the Territory, why my family and I have been here for so long, and why we will continue to stay - Territorians are very well supported here.
Sport and recreation: coming from a small community as I do, sporting and community focus groups are so often the lifeblood of small communities, and in the Gove Peninsula we are no different. I had the Minister for Sport and Recreation visit my electorate a couple of weeks ago. We had a really full on day visiting all types of organisations. It was mainly about Cash for Containers and meeting with ranger groups, but we also took the opportunity to visit one of our key sporting clubs in town, the Gove Peninsula Tennis Club. A couple of years ago, Gove Peninsula Tennis Club benefitted from the infrastructure grants available through the Department of Sport and Recreation. I believe it was 2009 that Gove Peninsula Tennis Club received a grant of $50 000 to upgrade the local tennis courts. They are the first tennis courts in the Territory to have turned blue and are a fantastic surface to play on. Our club, at the end of last year - I am on the tennis club committee - had just over 500 members. Now, not even two months into the new year, membership is at just over 300.
Investing money in the infrastructure of your sporting groups attracts people to join your club and be part of it. It is a really strong club and last year was recognised nationally, through Tennis Australia, as the community club of the year and, with it, won $25 000. That money has to be spent on infrastructure within the club, and that is fantastic.
The same year the tennis club received $50 000 from the government for its tennis courts, the squash club also received $50 000 to upgrade its courts. In the same year, Gove Peninsula Surf Life Saving Club also received $50 000 to upgrade its infrastructure.
I want to talk briefly about the Gove Peninsula Surf Life Saving Club. It must be the oldest club in Nhulunbuy. It celebrated 40 years last year and was in the news last week because it suffered a significant fire. The entire club has not burnt down, but a major piece of infrastructure in the centre of the club, the boat shed that houses all the club’s equipment - it houses the kitchen - much catering goes on at that club every Friday night. Every Friday night, rain or shine, assuming we can get the volunteers which generally we do, a barbecue operates. There is a barbecue, there is a bar, and half the town comes down. That is where people go for tea on a Friday night and it is a great fundraiser for the club.
They lost their kitchen. They also lost the caretaker’s quarters. A beaut bloke by the name of Pete Richards lives there as the caretaker. Pete works at Perkins but resides there. He is security to keep the place safe at night and looks after the gardens and what have you. Pete lost everything bar the clothes he was standing in, but the place will get back on its feet. We are just going through the process of the insurance assessment which occurred last Friday. Someone was out there doing the job of inspecting the damage and I am waiting to hear what their requirements will be and how far the insurance will meet the costs.
They also have a grant for $150 000 previously organised by my predecessor, Syd Stirling. They have a reasonable building fund sitting there ready to go. If there is a silver lining, it is that it has taken a couple of years to negotiate with the NLC on extending their boundaries such that they have not spent any of the building fund yet. So, fingers crossed they get back on their feet. I am sure they will. They are a very determined club and I am proud to be their patron.
Also in regard to sport, the grassroots development grants. Just about every club in Nhulunbuy has applied and been successful at one point in time. You can apply for $3000 and it is about bolstering your club’s resources, about trying to attract young people in. Nhulunbuy Amateur Swimming Club has received one of those grants, so has the touch club and also our junior soccer club.
People in Gove, and I am sure it is true around the rest of the Territory, are very good at writing submissions for these grants and I know they will continue to do so.
Apart from sporting grants, I wanted to make mention of the huge benefit Territorians receive from the Community Benefit Fund. The Community Benefit Fund was set up by this government. Money comes into the fund from the profits of gambling and, rather than that money going back into revenue, a big chunk goes back out to communities. Some of it goes into gambling amelioration programs as well as research into gambling.
The Community Benefit Fund allows community organisations to apply for grants of up to $5000. In Nhulunbuy, people are repeatedly applying for those grants.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms WALKER: In December last year, Gove Boat Club was successful in attracting funding through the CBF. Anglicare was successful in receiving a grant of around $4000 to allow them to refurbish some respite accommodation. Without that money, they would be really strapped other than running raffles to find the money. Our little playgroup, which is also nearly 40 years old, received some funding to do tidy-up work around the premises. Those buckets of funding are really quite significant to these small groups run by volunteers. Basically, their effort at fundraising ranges from sausage sizzles to chook raffles, and all other types of creative fundraising. To have access to that money through CBF is a real bonus.
The CBF scheme also, whilst small in number, has ex-government fleet vehicles become available. For the first time since becoming the member, I have seen one come into my electorate, which is fantastic. The arts and craft centre at Yirrkala has a Troopie it received through that fund. It makes a huge difference for the centre. When they need to go out bush collecting bark or timber to make their poles, the larrakitj, it is a fantastic bonus for them.
Speaking of the arts, I acknowledge the great work our minister for Arts does in supporting regions. This is about not only supporting Territorians who live in Darwin, Alice Springs and the major centres but, quite noticeably, supporting people in the bush and the regions. Gove Peninsula Festival was resurrected last year. They would not have been able to put that festival on if it were not for a grant of some $20 000 from the Northern Territory government. Unfortunately, I was not in town when the festival was on but, by all accounts, it was a huge success, so much so that the community have got themselves together again. I went to the AGM for the festival committee in January; a date has been set and they are working towards another festival. The minister’s office has been very proactive. I know letters ...
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move the member be given an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms WALKER: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. I was saying the minister’s office, obviously, made contact with all those regional festivals saying if they are planning a festival next year here are the dates for submission, and reminding people of the process they need to go through if they wish to seek funding once again.
In sport and recreation, there was a very important activity in Nhulunbuy. For anyone who has been out there - or maybe you do not have to have been there to hear the fishing in Nhulunbuy is second to none. We have a very active fishing club, the Nhulunbuy Regional Sports Fishing Club, of which I am a member. In the last couple of years, Nhulunbuy Regional Sports Fishing Club has received in the vicinity of $365 000 to upgrade the boat ramp in Melville Bay. It really is a fantastic facility, and I know the value of the work is much greater than that because Nhulunbuy Regional Sports Fishing Club was able to get a real bang for the buck by utilising much volunteer labour and doing much of the engineering themselves to enhance this facility. There is a fantastic boat ramp, a car parking area that has been sealed, additional safety equipment put in, a car wash-down bay, and it would be the envy of many fishing clubs around the Darwin area. Without government putting funding into the construction of boat ramps it would not have happened.
Our Minister for Health talked about the significant spending in health, and noted health funding in the Territory has more than doubled since 2001 - up by 149%. Again, that health spend is not only in the major centres; it is in the regions and the bush as well. We will have a new emergency department at Gove District Hospital - there is around $13m for that. I have seen the plans. The minister will be coming to visit us some time in the new year to look not only at the plans, but also the fantastic new units of accommodation we have on the campus at Gove hospital - six very nice two-bedroom units critical to attracting and retaining staff. Importantly, those units were built by a local construction company, which is great because I am keen to see local businesses working and receiving important government contracts. That same contracting company, B.I.G. Carpentry is in the throes of finishing the BER project at Nhulunbuy Primary School. We will have a fantastic new covered area at the school based on the same plans as Millner Primary School. It will be great when that happens.
In health, Elcho Island has been earmarked for a new clinic - around $8m for that. We have recently seen $250 000 spent on the dental clinic in Gove to upgrade those facilities, which was long overdue. Two years ago there was completion of an $850 000 upgrade to Yirrkala Clinic …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms WALKER: … and in Darwin the establishment of the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre …
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Tollner: She is very provocative, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim!
Ms WALKER: The Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre means people who require oncology care no longer have to travel interstate. To have that unit in Darwin is great. People from remote areas still have to travel from their homes in order to receive treatment, but what makes it easier for them is having access to a fantastic place like Barbara James House. I visited that several years ago after I heard from one of my constituents who was coming over for treatment about this place where she had stayed, so I had a good look through and it is a beautiful facility. A transport service is provided from Barbara James House to the cancer care centre and we are very lucky to have it.
I wanted to speak about maternity services as well. In 2009, we had difficulties in Gove attracting GPs with the obstetric skills to deliver babies. In Nhulunbuy, around 200 babies are delivered every year. There was never any suggestion government was closing down maternity services; however, the reality was trying to attract doctors to support women and families having babies there became a real challenge. I thank the minister for the work he did at the time to secure professionals. We are now very well off for GP obstetric specialists.
Quite apart from reviewing the packages they were being offered, there has also been a training program put in place to ensure we continue to train, through the Royal Darwin Hospital, GPs to have the necessary obstetric skills to work remotely. As someone who has had three babies at the hospital in Gove, I can understand why people would want to have their babies there and not travel away from home and family. Maternity services in Nhulunbuy are very healthy.
I might add, in 1996 I think it was, the CLP wanted to close the maternity ward. Well, there is nothing like getting a group of cranky Gove women to give …
A member: You blokes closed the maternity ward at Tennant Creek.
Ms WALKER: Madam Speaker, I might turn to education. The minister for Education covered that area quite thoroughly himself and I spoke on the issue of education yesterday in the Gearing up for Growth debate. I want to acknowledge this government is supporting all Territorians - young Territorians, regardless of where they live and the investment in education and in young people’s lives is significant. It is an area that, in the bush, was seriously under-resourced before Labor took government. Programs such as Families as First Teachers, which support families with young children to ensure they are healthy and ready for school, are critical. The spend on infrastructure is second to none.
Last year, the Minister for Education and Training came with me to the official opening of the Baniyala Garrangali School. That was a $2m-plus investment in a school building which sees that community with its own full-time school with two teachers. The investment also included two teacher houses. That is a small school in its own right. It is no longer a homeland learning centre with visiting teachers that come and then leave at the end of the week. We would hope to see more of those schools progress, but the reality is we only have so much money. The investment in homeland learning centres has extended to training centres. Within the last six months we have seen the completion of training centres at Dhalinybuy, Garrthalala, Gan Gan, Burrawuy and Rurrangala which provide fantastic classroom space and, importantly, accommodation for teachers. There is accommodation so teachers can stay overnight.
I take my hat off to our hard-working teachers who work in the bush. They have, and continue to, take a swag and a mozzie net and camp in a classroom for a night when they have to. The investment we have put in has seen our homeland learning centres improve dramatically in the conditions and the learning environment, and that has to be a real bonus.
I was going to make one last comment. Our Minister for Local Government was talking about local government matters and the fact we have 149 elected council positions to be filled. Elections are coming up on 24 March. I want to make the point that it is very sad that, on 24 March, we will not see elections for candidates for the Statehood Convention. We hear them banging on over that side about Canberra this, Canberra that. That was the perfect opportunity for statehood and for the Northern Territory to have its own voice, its own right, to be on an equal constitutional footing - the members opposite singlehandedly have taken statehood off the agenda ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms WALKER: ... shame on you! Shame on the Leader of the Opposition! That is spineless and is not supporting Territorians by any stretch of the imagination.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I am aware there is an MPI, so I will be brief in wrapping up the Supporting Territorians statement. I thank everyone who has contributed to the statement. All ministers have pointed out the range of programs, grants and opportunities right across the various government agencies. I also thank my colleagues, the members for Fannie Bay and Nhulunbuy, for participating with a very genuine perspective of how that dribbles down to local community level. We can be very proud in the Territory of the range of subsidies we provide. It is the most comprehensive range provided of any part of our nation. We use these to generate and create jobs, and to support people in their jobs. We use these for a range of initiatives to support our businesses, to grow and train our own, and provide opportunities through skills and employment.
We also recognise, through a range of these Supporting Territorians measures, that families can often do with a helping hand. That is why we are the only jurisdiction in Australia to provide that all-important subsidy to the cost of childcare - that investment of $4m per year to help ease that burden on families. It is a significant contribution. Obviously, a very popular scheme is the $75 Back to School voucher every child is eligible for. There is more than $3m per annum to support that initiative across 43 000 Territory schoolchildren.
For older Territorians we have the most generous carer and pensioner scheme in the nation. We have increased funding in our budget to over $1m to cover that generous scheme, rising to $16.6m - a range of discounts there. Our sport and lifestyle facilities are second to none in this great nation. There is a range of world-class facilities across our major urban centres and you heard members talk about that.
We have a raft of affordable housing options and the opportunities are great. We have a range of things to support ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Ms LAWRIE: ... Territory business, being the lowest taxing jurisdiction in our nation. All these policies and initiatives are very supportive.
I was going to finish, but I know the member for Port Darwin would want to be present to start his MPI. You have the LCAC?
With our policies to support jobs, we have seen a growth of 28 000 new jobs in the Territory. Let us not overlook those real grants that help people, the Workwear/Workgear Bonus grant of $300 grant to apprentices and trainees to help with the cost of buying work clothes and gear. For those in training, the identified skill shortage grant increases to $1000 - all good.
Members on the other side like to wallow in doom and gloom; however, when you look through the range of grants, subsidies and support right across government, generated through agencies, it is something the Territory can be proud of. I genuinely thank all my ministerial colleagues for taking the time to speak about the opportunities, grants and subsidies across government in their agencies. I sincerely thank my backbench colleagues for explaining, in a genuine way, how that helps people in their respective electorates.
Thank you for supporting this statement.
Motion agreed to; statement noted.
TABLED PAPER
Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee – A Report on the Statehood Program
Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee – A Report on the Statehood Program
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Deputy Speaker, I table the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee report titled A Report on the Statehood Program.
MOTION
Print Paper – Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee – A Report on the Statehood Program
Print Paper – Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee – A Report on the Statehood Program
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Note Paper – Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee – A Report on the Statehood Program
Note Paper – Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee – A Report on the Statehood Program
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Deputy Speaker, I present the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs’ final report for this Assembly on the statehood project.
It was a privilege one year ago to be able to bring to the House a plan for a people’s constitutional convention, a plan which reflected the bold and innovative vision of the Statehood Steering Committee for the people of the Territory to develop their own constitution for a new state.
After five years of consultation around the Territory, the Statehood Steering Committee developed a plan for a convention with all delegates to be elected from each of the Assembly’s electoral divisions around the Territory. To promote grassroots rather than institutionalised participation, sitting members of the parliament were to be ineligible to stand as delegates. Also, anyone on the electoral role from the age of 16 was to be eligible to vote and stand as a delegate.
The Statehood Steering Committee also recognised that writing a constitution required social, economic and technical expertise. It therefore recommended the delegates be supported by panelists to assist the delegates in their deliberations. These panelists would be able to advise delegates and participate in debates, but not be able to vote or move motions at the convention.
The first of two conventions was to be held in Darwin to give directions on the initial draft of the constitution. This draft was then to be subject to community discussion for up to 12 months before the convention reconvened in Alice Springs to finalise its recommendations to the Assembly.
This vision of the Statehood Steering Committee was welcomed by the Assembly when I tabled that committee’s final report a year ago. In response to the recommendations of the Statehood Steering Committee, the Assembly empowered the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee to establish the Northern Territory Constitutional Convention Committee, or NTCCC, to advise the LCAC on preparations for the convention.
The NTCCC met 11 times over 12 months and developed detailed plans for the convention. These plans have been included in this report so they may be subject to public comment and be available when the parliament determines the convention should proceed. The report sets the officers, organisations, and individuals that have been invited to be panelists for the convention. The panelists were to play a vital role in the convention. While all decisions were to be left to the elected delegates, the panelists were invited to help inform the convention of the implications of different options for the constitution from the perspective of the discipline or sector in which they held expertise.
Invitations to panelists will need to be reviewed and refreshed following any future decision to proceed with the program and hold the conventions as envisaged by the relevant committees and detailed in this report.
The report also sets out the draft program and rules for the convention. The convention program provided for the detailed consideration of six themes before debating the final resolutions of the conventions on the final two days.
The six themes proposed for consideration for the convention were: the executive and judiciary; the parliament; land and minerals; Aboriginal matters; regions and local governance; and rights in the preamble. The themes were to be introduced in a plenary session after lunch on different days then considered within working groups during the afternoon. Debate on the theme would resume the following day, first in working groups, then in plenary session, concluding with votes on motions proposed by the working groups. After consideration of all themes, final resolutions would be drafted by the chairs of the working groups based on the outcomes of the earlier votes, for consideration on the final days of the convention.
The draft rules for the convention set out in the report aimed to give all delegates ample opportunity to raise issues of concern within an environment sufficiently structured to allow the convention to reach agreed outcomes. On the first day of the convention, each delegate was to make a three-minute introductory statement on their aspirations for the constitution. In addition, most days were to start with an opportunity for delegates to make two-minute statements on any issue of concern or interest regarding the constitution. After the two-minute statements, delegates would be able to move motions for the inclusion of additional matters within the program. For much of the convention, the delegates were to divide into working groups where they could discuss matters in detail in a less structured manner. More formal rules for debate, with time limits, were to apply in the plenary sessions.
To help the convention develop clear statements reflecting the will of the convention, the chairs of the working groups, with the assistance of the convention chair and two panelists, were to form a resolutions group to review the motions proposed by the working groups, and draft the final resolutions and communiqu of the convention.
The report also includes a constitutional framework document prepared for the committee by one of Australia’s pre-eminent scholars on state constitutions, Professor Anne Twomey from the University of Sydney Faculty of Law, to assist the convention. The LCAC commissioned Professor Twomey to draft a suggested template for a constitution. Professors Cheryl Saunders from Melbourne and George Williams from New South Wales also provided assistance to Professor Twomey on this work, and feedback was also received from Mr Michael Grant QC, the Solicitor-General for the Northern Territory.
The framework document provides a model for the essential elements of a constitution, based on the Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act, and the constitutions of the existing states. The document was to be circulated prior to the convention and available to the convention for adoption, adaptation, or merely for information as it considered the various aspects of a new constitution. The framework document, I note, is not a draft constitution. It was developed to save the convention having to develop provisions on a range of mechanical matters, and provide a possible template for the basic components of the constitution. It was to foster discussion by providing an example of the essential elements of a constitution.
The report also outlines the LCAC’s planning for an information campaign for the convention. This campaign was well-developed and under way when the convention was deferred, at which time, further work on the campaign ceased. Much of the planning for the campaign will be relevant for a new campaign when a new date for the convention is set.
On 30 November last year, the LCAC had a complete plan for the holding of the constitutional convention in April. That plan reflected the Statehood Steering Committee’s vision for a convention controlled by the people, discussing the issues of concern to the people. This report sets out that plan. There will still be significant work in arranging the convention in the future, such as informing the people of the Territory of the process so they can participate, renewing invitations to panelists, arranging venues, procuring accommodation and transport for participants, and arranging technical and staffing support. This report can provide a firm basis for proceeding with that work as soon as the government of the day in the new Assembly sets the date.
With the plans for the convention made but the timing unknown, the LCAC has resolved to discontinue any work on its existing reference on constitutional development, including any move towards statehood for the duration of the existing Assembly. This is a direct consequence of the decision of the Assembly last year to postpone any convention to an unspecified date.
The committee has also resolved to disband the Office of Statehood. Once again, this is a consequence of the decision last year not to support the proposed election and convention dates. The Office of Statehood in the Department of the Legislative Assembly is being disbanded, and the department is working to redeploy staff where possible. There will no longer be an office to provide public information on a statehood program, as there is no such program for the time being. Nor will there be dedicated staff to stimulate public consideration of the issues that need to be addressed if we are to continue to approach statehood.
Those with an interest in progressing statehood for the Territory, or an interest in how any new state should operate may take this report to help focus their thinking and action. This is regrettable and highly disappointing from my perspective, but a direct consequence of the deferral of the convention. It would be particularly disappointing for those hundreds of people who had registered to be a candidate or their interest in being a candidate. The constitutional framework document provides a guide to what a new constitution may look like. The six themes of the convention highlight the areas that need to be addressed and the convention plans show the important role delegates will play in forming a draft constitution.
Many people have helped bring the statehood program to the point where we are today, with detailed planning for a convention of elected Territorians and legislation for electing those delegates. The LCAC continues to extend thanks to the former members of the Statehood Steering Committee for their extensive work and innovative recommendations. I also acknowledge the former members of the LCAC who, together with the Statehood Steering Committee, have been working intensely on the statehood program for over seven years.
We are also grateful to the members of the Northern Territory Constitutional Convention Committee for their thoughtful advice. The NTCCC has done an excellent job of taking the proposals of the Statehood Steering Committee and developing an effective plan for the convention. Our thanks go to Ms Fran Kilgariff AM, the co-Chair of the NTCCC; Ms Lynette de Santis; Mr John Rawnsley; Mr Matthew Storey; and Professor George Williams AO. I also thank my parliamentary colleagues who served on the NTCCC, the members for Arafura and Goyder.
I particularly extend my thanks to the Office of Statehood, which has provided excellent work around the Territory to inform people of the statehood program and supported the work of the Statehood Steering Committee and the NTCCC. Nora Kempster, the Community Engagement Officer, has been building communication on statehood in remote, regional and urban areas of the Territory since 2005. Matthew James, the Project Officer, has been involved in events management, organising promotional activities and developing marketing collateral on statehood in the Territory since 2009. Dennis Meehan, the Statehood Program Manager, has been responsible for planning communications strategies and the logistics for the convention from 2010, and Pauline Lewis, the Administrative and Research Officer has supported the office since mid last year.
Special recognition also goes to Michael Tatham, the Deputy Clerk, who started his career with the Department of the Legislative Assembly as Executive Officer to the Statehood Steering Committee and has continued to date as the Secretary of the NTCCC. I have found Michael’s advice and support on the statehood program to be very helpful and he has been a tremendous support to all members of the committee.
The committee is also grateful to the assistance received from the Committee Office, particularly Russell Keith, who has assisted with the statehood program in addition to providing secretariat support to the LCAC.
I also extend my thanks to the Chief Minister and the Minister for Statehood. Without their support and commitment to statehood it would not have been possible to bring the recommendations of the Statehood Steering Committee so close to fruition.
I thank the members of the LCAC who have strived together to develop a bipartisan model for a people’s constitutional convention.
Before finishing, I draw your attention to page 18 of the report which summarises the spending on statehood since 2004. To date it has crossed $5.4921m including $820 000 in the current financial year. I sincerely hope Territory monies have not been totally wasted.
It is my hope that the Territory becomes a state in my lifetime. We deserve equality with other Australians and not continue being second class citizens constitutionally. The delay in the process is not helpful but unfortunately politics, particularly personal politics, frequently gets in the way of useful change.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Nightcliff for her comments. I commend this report to the parliament. It is a comprehensive report and an excellent summary of the work which has gone before us today from the Statehood Steering Committee through the NTCCC, the work of the staff of the Office of Statehood, who should all be congratulated and commended. It has been a long journey, and I fully expect the journey will continue after August this year in a forthright manner if I have anything to do with it.
It is a journey which has crisscrossed the Northern Territory with members of the Statehood Steering Committee, members of the Office of Statehood, and members of this parliament going to various communities. The member for Nightcliff went to Mutitjulu and other places, and met with people in Yuendumu. I was not quite so brave to go that far out bush, but I did go to some of the places in the rural area - and that is where you really have to be brave.
Many members on the Statehood Steering Committee, and other committees, took the statehood to the people, and of course, the ubiquitous show circuit of the Northern Territory - staff did much work. The Office of Statehood did much work, as did some of the members by supporting them. Interestingly, Steve Hatton, former Chief Minister, was here today and I was talking to him briefly about statehood. He said - I am not sure if it was when he was Chief Minister or a minister, but when he started the push for statehood - I remember that time clearly. They took statehood on the show circuit explaining to people what statehood was all about, the rights of the Territory, and what rights we did not have. He said he personally went to some 80 communities across the Northern Territory talking about statehood, talking about what was involved and what it meant for the Northern Territory. Today he is still one of the greatest champions for statehood and would be most interested to participate in any future discussions and debate regarding a statehood convention.
What happened late last year in many ways is regrettable, but we have to move on from that. We need to put the move towards statehood on everyone’s agenda, collectively and individually. The Country Liberals are very committed to statehood. I personally am very committed to statehood and will do everything in my power to ensure we do not lose momentum, albeit we have stalled for a short time, but we are going to keep moving forward. I sincerely hope we get statehood in my lifetime, all our lifetimes.
Dr BURNS (Education and Training): Madam Deputy Speaker, I will speak in this debate. There is an MPI coming on and I do not propose to speak for too long; however, certain elements in this report deserve comment.
The Speaker has drawn attention to page 18, which details the total cost since 2004-05 of $5.4m, nearly $6m in the quest for statehood. That is not an inconsiderable amount and, as she pointed out, in the 2011-12 year $800 000 was allocated on a basis of moving forward with statehood. On page 19 and over to page 20, a time line is given for the statehood project which goes back to 1986. It then gives an outline of the process and the milestones in statehood.
Interestingly, referring to 2011, page 20 says:
- November - Assembly passes Constitutional Convention (Election) Bill with agreement that the timing of the election will be determined by the government in the next Assembly.
That is probably putting the best possible light anyone could on what happened in November - an optimistic view. It was good both the members for Goyder and Nightcliff - although what happened in November was sad - tried to put a positive outlook on statehood and the Northern Territory achieving statehood. It is fair to say the events in this parliament in November have not advanced statehood. In fact, it has put it into a holding pattern and some might even say it has put a hex on statehood, a kibosh on statehood, and put the whole issue of statehood in some doubt.
To remind members what happened in November, the Chief Minister was moving a bill about the statehood elections. The agreement was those elections were to be held as part of the local government elections which are coming up in March. We had something extraordinary happen on the floor of this parliament where the member for Fong Lim, not speaking in that debate but speaking to a statement, said he did not agree with it and, basically, it was downhill from there. The date was taken out of the bill. From memory, there were amendments and, as the time line states:
- ... agreement that the timing of the election will be determined by the government in the next Assembly.
That was a fallback position, a compromise position agreed to by both sides of this parliament in an effort to rescue statehood because it was a very difficult situation.
In his speech on the Constitutional Convention (Election) Bill, the Leader of the Opposition said:
- Madam Acting Speaker, the Chief Minister and I have been in this parliament for 12 years. Most of my time in this parliament has been spent in opposition. The committee I have spent a greater part of my time on has been the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee. Being on the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee and then being given an opportunity - and, in fact, a privilege - to be involved in the Statehood Steering Committee, has been an experience I recognise as being an historic involvement.
- Further along he says:
... let me make it absolutely clear: the Country Liberal Party has a proud tradition, a heritage we must honour as members of the Country Liberal Party, that we fully and without reserve support statehood. We fully recognise the lessons of the past and, being a participant of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, we believe it was necessary we move to the phase where we now have a Constitutional Convention of elected members. We accept the conclusion of history that that Constitutional Convention must involve the citizens of the Northern Territory ...
At that stage, the Leader of the Opposition was supporting the election date of March. That was on 30 November.
On 22 November, we had the member for Fong Lim, in a prelude to all this, say: ‘What an absolutely pathetic joke’. He is talking about the government, of course. That is the way he always addresses the government:
- They say they support statehood; they do not give a rat’s about statehood, it is a political football for them. It is something to be used in a political fight to get re-elected, which is what they are doing right now with this whole process. Rather than say: ‘All right, let it just cool off until after the Territory election when we will not have any distractions or disturbances’, no, they want to run it across a general election. They do not give a stuff about the logistical problems ...
He went on to say he did not support having the election for delegates at the same time as the local government elections.
That torpedoed the whole thing and the parliament had to find a fallback position. It was interesting to see how the Leader of the Opposition had to scramble to explain things because he had members who were part of the committee and he had been part of the discussions. In fact, he had been to the media and supported this whole date and process and then had to backpedal. It is interesting to read some of the interviews he did around that time.
Here is a radio interview:
- The interviewer says: ‘Now, the 24 March date was announced in June by a committee that included a representative from the Country Liberals’.
- Mills: ‘Mmmm’.
- The reporter: ‘I mean we have known since June that is was going to be that date’.
Mills: ‘Yes’.
- Reporter: ‘Now, if there is going to be a meaningful debate about any concerns that we have had over the election of delegates for the Constitutional Convention being dovetailed with the local government election that was June, it is now November. We have had plenty of time to air our dirty washing’.
- Mills: ‘Well, there is - you know, there is a time for reconsidering and a closer assessment of the implications of this date’.
Here we have the Leader of the Opposition in full back-pedalling mode. Well, not quite full. In this very expansive response in another interview he says something like: ‘And I wanted to speak to the Electoral Commission to find out how this actually works because I am con ...’. He stopped on the word ‘confused’. ‘I am concerned’, so he changed, ‘that there will be confusion, we will have a process but we will not have a proper outcome’. He was talking to Daryl Manzie, who, incidentally, was very upset about this whole issue. He even wrote a letter to the paper about it he was so upset:
He also said: ‘Daryl, I assumed the selection of the date had been done with the full support and understanding of all involved. I did not know at the time that the date had been selected by the government’. Well, that is not completely right because the committee had discussions about it and had agreed on it. ‘I did not know LGANT had expressed very serious concerns about having the election of delegates on the same day as their election. I understand that LGANT were ambivalent on that issue. I did not know how this was actually going to work in a practical sense’.
Here he was, involved in the process. The member for Fong Lim gazumped him and determined the policy of the party, and he had to backpedal in a fairly embarrassing fashion. It is very regrettable, given the importance of statehood. However, as said before in this House in another debate, it is not the first time it has happened. It is not the first time the Leader of the Opposition has not been able to bring his party room with him. He has not been able to communicate with his party room and reach agreement in his party room about something as important and fundamental as statehood.
I also talked about the time in 2004 when Elliot McAdam was the Chair of the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, where he had a motion before the Chair. He was moving that the parliament:
(a) endorse the terms of reference of the Northern Territory Statehood Committee; and
(b) authorise the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs to appoint the membership of the Northern Territory Statehood Steering Committee in accordance with the terms of reference tabled this day; subject to the Speaker tabling in the Assembly for its adoption ...
(c) notwithstanding paragraph 4, the Terms of Reference, may, by resolution, dissolve the Northern Territory Statehood Steering Committee.
Then we had, as I said before, the former member for Macdonnell speaking straight after the then member for Barkly, saying:
- Madam Speaker, I advise honourable members that I will not be a opposing this motion. The motion brings before the parliament an outline of a set of terms of reference for a Northern Territory Statehood Steering Committee ...
... to pursue what has been a long-held passion of mine and many other members and former members of this House.
- Madam Speaker, I had not intended speaking on this particular motion. I say at the outset that I believe that the member for Barkly, as chairman of the standing committee, and also now proposed to be Chairman of the Statehood Steering Committee, comes to this responsibility and this debate with the utmost integrity...
He then went on to say:
- To come in now and expect this parliament to pass those terms of reference with the amount of notice that certainly I have received - I have received some briefings from members of the committee to me that things are moving along – but I have never seen these terms of reference before.
- Madam Speaker, this is an amazing turn around at the 11th hour in regards to the genuine bipartisan way that this committee has been working through the issue for some months now. I pay a tribute to my colleague, the member for Barkly …
So on and so forth. Then he said:
- Until this extraordinary turnaround, to my understanding, 15 minutes before the bells were ringing for the commencement of the session this afternoon we had bipartisan support for this motion. The extraordinary thing that has emerged this afternoon is that the Leader of the Opposition is actually on this committee. The Leader of the Opposition has been consulted at great length in a bipartisan way to come to these terms of reference that are here. As of 15 minutes before coming into this Chamber, we had agreement with the opposition, and with the Independent member of the committee. At the last minute, we have the member for Brennan trapezing here seeking a last minute amendment.
What that shows on this side of the House is that the member for Brennan is outside of the circle. He is dissenting from the position of the Leader of the Opposition who has signed up to these terms of reference in a bipartisan way and is now, at the last minute, seeking to exert his authority back on the leadership of the parliamentary wing. It is absolutely outrageous.
You talk about a parallel universe; here is something so parallel it is history repeating itself on this very important issue of statehood. It illustrates, as it did then with Denis Burke, tensions within the leadership of the parliamentary wing of the CLP, the inability of the Leader of the Opposition to deliver, to bring his troops with him, to consult with his troops, to get the respect of his troops so he can have a definitive position.
Territorians should look at this very closely because here is someone who, unfortunately, cannot lead. He is not a leader and is not the right person to lead the Northern Territory after the next election. However, that will be a matter for the people of the Northern Territory. They, in their wisdom, will make a decision about that, member for Blain. I do not wish you any ill personally, but, regarding these things, it is history repeating itself. You would not be able to handle the position of Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. That is not a decision for Chris Burns, member for Johnston, it is a decision for the people of the Northern Territory. We will see what they say in August this year.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Deputy Speaker, the honourable member made a contribution which commenced with his line of argument around the expenditure and built a case which, effectively, ended up not being about statehood at all. However, I do not wish to be drawn into that because the extraordinary lengths the member - who has significant responsibility to administer in the Northern Territory - has taken to craft a scenario for a political narrative - for political advantage - belittles and diminishes the respect some people hold this man, particularly the office that he holds.
That aside, if it be the case that the money spent is wasted as a result of the expenditure that ignores the passage of time. It has been the case that money has been spent; it has been ebb and flow and a number of activities have occurred over the period of time and we, as a community, are still on that pathway. Make it absolutely clear, that which has been stated remains the case. There is an unreserved commitment to the process of statehood. That was simply a position taken to ensure we strengthen that process and provide the opportunity for the community to have an exclusive and single focus on the principle question - the formation and representation of delegates on that constitutional convention.
The commentary made by the member opposite, who prefaced his statement by saying he did not intend to speak - he had done a great deal of preparation, even went back to 2004, and has cast his eye and ruler over it to construct a narrative which is all a part of a clear plan. I have been around long enough; I can see what is going on. It is not to be used as a political football, and I will not be drawn into it on that front, in spite of the temptations for short-term political gain, leave that aside.
The fact remains LGANT expressed legitimate concerns and those concerns had to be taken on board. The conspiracy theory of the member opposite is an unhealthy obsession. He is using this as an opportunity to craft, develop and strengthen a narrative, which I am sure we will see reappear. I am accustomed to it, I have seen it before. I am still here and am going to continue on.
What he has omitted in that conspiracy theory is the involvement of the Independent member. The Independent member and I had been in discussion. We were both developing concerns about the effect this would have on local government. Those were considerations and conversations if you wish to check, so you can reset your conspiracy theory based on truth and find out what occurred before. You have omitted completely the role of the Independent and the legitimacy of his arguments and concerns, which were mirrored through conversation and assessment and resulted in a changed position. I acknowledge that.
There were logistical concerns. There were legitimate concerns from LGANT. Factor that in, honourable member, and it might alter some of the framing of your theory which is used for a political purpose.
With that said, there is enough on the record. I say again the commitment from the Country Liberals and, as far as I am concerned as leader of the Country Liberals, is as soon as the August election has passed the highest priority will be resetting the date and allowing exclusive focus on the important question Territorians can adjudicate on: who will represent them on that constitutional convention. The intent, fundamentally, was designed to strengthen the process and not to diminish it.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I reflect once again on the comments made by the honourable member opposite. What was the real purpose? Why spend that amount of time crafting that narrative? Was it to advance and strengthen statehood, or was it to be used as a political tool to serve your political ends? Shame on you!
Mrs AAGAARD (Nightcliff): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank all members who have spoken in this debate. As I am also Speaker, I should probably not make too many comments on the more political remarks made today. I would like to thank, particularly, the member for Goyder for her continued support on the matter of statehood.
In relation to what happened last year, I would have to say in my time in this Assembly - about 11 years - it is probably the most disappointing thing I have seen happen. Bipartisanship is something which does not happen all that often, and when you have a program which you have worked very hard on for many years it is extremely disappointing to see all that work go up in smoke. For those people involved in this for many years it has been a sad time. I am sad that the staff who are working in the Office of Statehood have to be redeployed. I am sorry we have to stop the program at this stage, but it is six months until the proroguing of the parliament.
I am heartened to hear the Leader of the Opposition say, if he becomes Chief Minister, there will be a move towards statehood. There may be a bit of a cry wolf here, because what are the people of the Northern Territory thinking about this? It is all very well to say we are pausing the process and will bring it on again in a year, or a year-and-a-half which is, practically, the time you could do it in, but we have to be able to take the people with us, and will they be listening next time?
Those are my concerns. I will not make other concerns known to the Assembly simply because I am Speaker. I thank all those who spoke in debate today, and I hope, as I said earlier, that in my lifetime I, and my children, will be citizens in the state of the Northern Territory.
Motion agreed to; report noted.
MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Regulatory Framework that Promotes the Accountability of Individuals in Relation to Property Crime
Regulatory Framework that Promotes the Accountability of Individuals in Relation to Property Crime
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, the Speaker has received the following letter from the member for Port Darwin:
Madam Speaker,
I propose for discussion this day the following definite matter of public importance:
The need for a regulatory framework that promotes the accountability of individuals in relation to property crime.
Yours sincerely,
John Elferink MLA
Member for Port Darwin
Is the proposed discussion supported? The proposal is supported.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, I start by thanking my colleagues on this side of the House for their forbearance in relation to the timing of this MPI; however I acknowledge the imposition the delay has caused them.
The reason I speak tonight is probably not well explained by the need for a regulatory framework that promotes the accountability of individuals in relation to property crime because that is a fairly nebulous concept and would cover large slabs of the Criminal Code, criminal law, etcetera. It is a specific issue I wish to raise and I alerted the Attorney-General’s office to it yesterday. I hope the Attorney-General’s staff notified him of the issues because I wanted the Attorney-General to be properly versed with the issue. It is not in any way a criticism of the Northern Territory government. That is not what this is MPI is about.
It is about an anomalous problem we have within the criminal system as it washes over from the Northern Territory jurisdiction and the effect of Commonwealth legislation on the Northern Territory jurisdiction. Generally speaking, the issue to which I refer is the matter of restitution.
From time to time a villain will come before a court and, upon a finding of guilt, a new process starts. You have the legal process which presumes innocence until that finding of guilt and, at that point, the sentencing process starts.
Implied in property offences is also an almost civil concept of damages. Damages are generally paid for breach of contract arising out of tort law, and those damages come in the form, usually, of a pecuniary payment. If a contract is breached damages are sought by a party bringing an action against a contracting party for failing to meet their contractual obligations. Those damages are often in a form of payment.
Similarly, when a court determines under the law of tort a party has breached its duty of care to another party and an injury has flowed from that, damages are paid normally in the form of some pecuniary payment. They may be exemplary damages, or sometimes they will be damages assessed on an actual loss.
The reason I refer to the matter in criminal law is one form of damages which comes with a criminal conviction is an order of restitution. An order of restitution occurs when a court is convinced a party has committed a criminal offence against the property of another. That party is not only due to suffer for their criminal penalty which is a fine, a sentence to gaol, or a good behaviour bond or whatever that criminal penalty may be, but the victim of that crime may seek a form of damages called restitution, generally speaking. Restitution is then extracted in any number of possible ways.
Normally, a restitution order will be requirement of a cash payment to cover the loss suffered by the victim of the crime. For argument’s sake and to make it simple, if I was to have my $1000 computer stolen by a person and that person was convicted, not only would they suffer the criminal penalty, the court may then make a further order that restitution be paid to the amount of $1000 to put me back into a position I was in prior to the crime being committed.
Sometimes, however, damages have to be paid piecemeal. Many people who are convicted of criminal offences in our judicial system are not the subject of restitution orders simply because the court will form the opinion the person who has been convicted of the crime simply does not have the capacity to pay the damages sought in the restitution order. That is a shame because, basically, the message from that is a person’s poverty is an excuse to avoid their responsibility to the property of another. I do not accept a person’s poverty is (1) an excuse to commit a crime in the first place except under extraordinary circumstances; and (2) that a person is somehow excused from their duty to repay restitution for their criminal acts against the victim’s property.
Commonly, people who fall into this category are people who are welfare dependant or regular and long-term welfare recipients. It is not within the possibility and the consideration of a court to make an order of restitution against a person who is welfare dependent, particularly on dole payments, Newstart, and those types of things, because the federal legislation - section 60 if memory serves me - prevents such an order being made. It is not possible for a state court, or the Territory court, to bring to bear a garnishee order against a welfare payment.
I am not counselling or procuring an opinion from government that would seek all, or even a substantial part of a dole payment, be automatically garnisheed for the purposes of restitution. However, even a small amount should be contemplated and capable of being take from a person’s welfare payment because it sends a signal that not only can you not act criminally by damaging or stealing a person’s property, but you then subordinate yourself to that victim you have created in a fashion you are obliged by law to pay that person back.
Once you create a victim - and the criminal law does nothing more but impose its criminal penalty on a person who commits a criminal offence - then you have created an environment where there is no real returning the victim of the crime to the place where they were before the crime was committed. If a fine is imposed on someone who steals, the Crown is quite happy to collect the shekels imposed, or the Crown will take the body. They will literally incarcerate you for not paying your fines. A warrant of commitment will be issued, and the Crown will have your body at the rate of $100 a day - I could stand corrected on the amount. If the fine is $1000 then you will spend 10 days in the slammer. The Crown is satisfied, as the representative of the people, that some penalty has been imposed; however, the victim’s position is not improved.
If the offender is a person of means the restitution order is a common thing. However, if the offender is not a person of means because they are welfare dependent then, all of a sudden, they are absolved of their legal duty to repay the victim for the crime they have committed. In my opinion, the moral duty which always exists for any criminal to repay the victim of their crime should be converted into a legal duty. Often it is. I have described ways in which that can occur. However, with people on welfare payments, it is not available for a court to make that order.
It is not within the capacity of the Attorney-General of the Northern Territory, nor for that matter the government of the Northern Territory, to create a legislative instrument enabling such garnishee payments. Therefore, it is not a criticism I level at the Northern Territory government or the Attorney-General of the Northern Territory that this capacity is absent. Nevertheless, it would be a clear message if this parliament was able to send a unified message to the Commonwealth parliament saying we require a capacity to garnishee the income of a person who is welfare dependent when they engage in a criminal action against the property of an innocent person in the Northern Territory.
I would be surprised and disappointed if the federal government were to take a position that was contrary to the one I am describing because the payment of a pension or a welfare payment such as Newstart is a gift from the state. The state, however, is the taxpaying population of a jurisdiction, namely the Commonwealth of Australia. It is the state that, through monies collected from its citizenry, ultimately pays these pensions and these welfare payments.
Many victims of crimes are taxpayers and already, through the processes of tax collection and revenue collection by the Commonwealth, extend a certain amount of largesse to people who are on pensions and welfare payments. The vast majority of people on pensions and welfare payments dutifully, and I presume gratefully, accept the largesse granted to them by the state and the taxpayers of the nation. Those people who are pensioners or welfare recipients by other means who still believe the taxpayer should cop a second whammy for loss of property through criminal acts - if other pensioners should receive a loss of property because they have been careful with their pensions and welfare payments and live within their means, should also be protected by a system where if they were victims of crime they could be restored to the place they were before the crime was committed.
Many people on welfare who continue to commit criminal offences show a lack of understanding, if not ingratitude, for the largesse extended to them bearing in mind the welfare state, as it exists, is very much a product of the last hundred years or so. Prior to that, there was no welfare state and responsibilities on the individuals were much greater and consequences of unfortunate circumstances rendered people into abject poverty. When a person shows disrespect to the state as a whole and the individuals who enjoy property rights, that disrespect should not be manifest at a mere moral level but should extend to a criminal level.
Consequently, what I am calling for is a capacity to garnishee welfare payments and I seek support from other members of this House to that end. I want the Commonwealth government to get a clear message that, in the Northern Territory, there is an expectation that people who are responsible for criminal acts against the properties of others are held responsible, not only at the criminal level, but also at the level of making restitution for their criminal acts.
It would be a sad day if we did not, as a jurisdiction, expect people in our community to act as lawful and law-abiding citizens. We should not cheer people who act lawfully; we should expect it as a standard. We should not necessarily feel a person who has made lifestyle decisions to turn to crime are, by virtue of their poor decisions, somehow exonerated from moral and legal responsibility. It does not follow and I do not believe, particularly in the post-World War II era where we are used to the welfare system and some of its manifestations, people should be allowed to sidestep their responsibilities and duties to the rest of the community. Whilst this may seem harsh in the eyes of some, the vast majority of Territorians would agree a person who commits a criminal offence should repay the loss to the victim and restore the victim to their original state.
I look forward to encouraging words from the Attorney-General on this matter. I hope his office briefed him on this because I signalled to his office yesterday I would be raising this. In fact, I asked if the Attorney-General’s office would be kind enough to dig up some statistics on the number of restitution orders made in relation to these matters. I look forward to a response from the Attorney-General which reflects, and is indicative of, that homework having been done.
On a slightly different but related matter, I believe welfare, as a general proposition, has failed in the Northern Territory badly. Welfare has probably been responsible for more deaths of people in the Northern Territory than many other policies in this country since European settlement. Welfare is a scourge. Passive welfare has, in its modern context, been a scourge. To use an old expression: the devil finds work for idle hands. I have seen it in my personal experiences, which have not been insubstantial in this area. I have seen it repeated again and again and again. I strongly urge the federal government to revisit passive welfare in this jurisdiction.
If you are not on an aged pension or an invalidity pension, you should be making a contribution to the community in which you live. If you live in Darwin, if you live in Alice Springs, if you live in Yuendumu, Kintore or Maningrida, the receipt of valuable wealth – money, or credits in a bank account - should be earned. That earning of money is not just about the economic consideration, it is about the dignity one builds knowing the money in the bank account is a direct consequence of their own labour. Whilst the economic considerations are real, if you want to deal with the vast problems in the Northern Territory we so often talk about in this Chamber, a fine place to start would be addressing the matter of welfare payments and how they are granted to recipients. I am not suggesting everyone on welfare is a villain, far from it. However, no one would deny there is a strong correlation between criminality and the idleness brought about by passive welfare.
When we go to the next election, should we be successful - I have spoken to my colleagues about this - I will be creating a list of federal legislative instruments which have a detrimental effect on the Northern Territory and its good governance. It is absurd that the federal government spends millions of dollars in this jurisdiction on a fortnightly basis to have the government of this jurisdiction spend millions of dollars cleaning up the mess the federal government’s millions of dollars made in the first place. The federal government’s social policies may work in Sydney and Melbourne, but in places like Alice Springs, Darwin and Yuendumu, those policies turn from the sublime into the ridiculous.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I support the motion before us today. It is a very good motion and something I totally agree with.
In the last five minutes the member for Port Darwin mentioned issues in welfare. I have spoken a number of times on the same issue and it is worthy of a much bigger debate in this House.
Getting back to the MPI, I remember being asked by the ABC when I first stood for parliament if I agreed with mandatory sentencing. It was the popular issue of the time and there was much debate about it. I said I did not but I agreed with mandatory punishment.
I remember a case at my favourite food outlet, Uncle Sam’s, where a lady went to prison for a fortnight because she poured water over the cash register when she had a complaint about the standard of the meal she was served. That showed an issue with mandatory sentencing. It would have been far better if the lady had been required to pay $1000 restitution for the damage to the cash register. We, as taxpayers, ended up paying 14 times $150 to keep her in prison. It did not achieve much, and the owner had to buy a new cash register. I am very much in favour of the use of restitution, where appropriate.
The research I looked at today keeps sending me overseas. It is difficult to find how much restitution is used in Australia. I found several sites in the United States saying things like: ‘It is at the judge’s discretion whether or not to award restitution’. Also: ‘Restitution includes but is not limited to hospital bills, repair bills for damage or broken property, reimbursement for lost or stolen items and court costs’. Another one says: ‘Restitution is the way courts can order an offender to repay you for financial loss you may have incurred as a result of a crime’.
On a website called the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, I found a fairly long article on restitution. It was interesting looking at some of the figures to see even though restitution is available under the Canadian court system - these figures are a few years old - out of 242 011 guilty cases in relation to, I presume, property crime in 1994-95, only 11 017 restitution orders were made, which works out at 4.6% of the total. From that Canadian example, one can see restitution is not used in Canada as an adjunct to a prison sentence.
You can look at restitution in two ways. One, it could be a substitute for a prison sentence as in the case of Uncle Sam’s, where water was poured over the cash register. However, if it was a serious enough crime it could be used as part of both - a gaol sentence is given as well as a requirement to pay restitution.
I have always felt, especially when it comes to young people - if a young person breaks a window should they be given an order not to do it again or should they be required to pay for the cost of the broken window? They should be required to pay for the cost of the broken window. That may be difficult to enforce, and the member for Port Darwin mentioned unless there were cases of extreme poverty there should be ways in which a person, no matter how long it took, would eventually pay for the cost of the broken window.
Laws have been passed in the Territory in relation to the responsibility of parents when it comes to damage caused by their children which appear to be rarely used. It is an alternative but, for some reason, that angle on restitution does not seem to be popular. It will be interesting to hear from the Attorney-General as to whether or not it has been a practical law. Are there reasons why it has not been used as often as it should? It was introduced into this parliament some years ago as a means of restitution for victims of crime.
There are other options as well. I was looking at the Centre for Court Innovation. They also have a site under the New York State Unified Court System. They try to use restitution as part of something slightly broader - they have a board. The idea of the board is like restitution boards in Australia where you sit the person down with the victim, along with their parents and the police, and they have to face up to what they have done. Using the model I have here, each meeting results in a contract where the youth - we are talking about youth crime here - agrees to complete in a certain time frame, conditions such as an apology letter, restitution, community service, educational components, and more.
There is also the option of using restitution as part of an overall package, especially when it comes to youth. You see it as an opportunity to intervene. They will pay for the damage they have done, they will not go to gaol, but they will be required to do other things. You are not only using restitution as a punishment, you are using it to get an apology for the people whose property has been damaged, and people are required, perhaps, to go back to school - perhaps the person is not at school. There is a range of options of which restitution is one part.
The member for Port Darwin has raised an important issue. I strongly believe people have to be made responsible for their actions, even if they are young. When are you going to teach the difference between right and wrong if you do not teach it to the young? I am not a great fan of sending young people to prison. If you can take them out bush, as I have said many times, give them some fresh air, have them work on a cattle station, try to turn their lives around away from the madding crowd many young people get caught up with, they are some of the other options we should look at.
I have always been disappointed about Wildman River closing down. Wildman River was a small facility that could only take about 10 young people. However, it was used by magistrates and Corrections to get kids before they went too far down the criminal path. Many times it was a first offence. They might have stolen a car, were not really bad kids - they probably got mixed up with kids they should not have. They were required to spend time at Wildman River where they had to work. Many worked for Parks and Wildlife, especially on the barrages filling sand bags. They did some fencing, but they also had classrooms so there was some education. They had one of the smallest football fields you will ever see; they could get from one end to the other with one kick. There was a swimming pool and a small gym. They had to cook for themselves. The only lock up time was when they went to bed when they were locked in a dormitory-style facility. To me, that gave kids a taste - some restriction to their freedom, which is what you get in prison. Also, it gave them the opportunity to think about where they were heading in life – again, an alternative to prison.
I am a great supporter of Wongabilla since visiting about six months ago. I hope the police support it more. It is part of the PCYC; part of police responsibility. My understanding is all the young people diverted to a program at Wongabilla where they dealt with horses never seemed to get into trouble again. That was another avenue for getting kids off the street and turning their lives around. For some reason, animals have a great effect, especially on young people. Perhaps it is because you can trust the horse better then you can trust a human. It is the same thing with a dog.
When I go home tonight the first greeting I get will be from Max, and he will be as happy as Larry to see me. Animals have an effect on people, especially young people who may come from dysfunctional backgrounds. One thing I noticed with the young people at Wildman River was a background of no love where that person had come from. They were looking for someone; they were talking about their girlfriends and perhaps looking for a hug. However, there was something missing in their life. Sometimes kids get into trouble when there is no home life. Returning to Wongabilla, sometimes they are able to relate to an animal and it has an effect.
We are talking about individuals taking responsibility for what they do. I say restitution is part of an important package, especially with first time criminals, and especially when kids do something minor. They are not just told: ‘Do not do it again’. You have written all over the wall of the local sporting club. You will clean it up. If you do not clean it up we will be on you and on you and on you’.
Putting the person in prison will not achieve anything. You have to ensure the restitution requires hard work. In the case of graffiti, it is removing graffiti from that public building.
I thank the member for Port Darwin for raising this matter of public importance. It is worthy of debate and I hope the Attorney-General can explain where it fits into Northern Territory law. Perhaps he can tell us if it is used often and, if not, give us some idea why judges may be reluctant to use it as a means of punishment for young people.
No, I am not a supporter of mandatory sentencing. However, I support mandatory punishment because people have to take responsibility for their actions and it is one of the best ways to turn people’s lives around, especially young people.
Mr KNIGHT (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I welcome the MPI from the member for Port Darwin. His wording was fairly broad. He narrowed it down, and then broadened it again to a debate on the welfare system, which was a fairly valid point. I will stick to what you wanted to talk about - restitution.
As a rule, I agree with both the member for Port Darwin and the member for Nelson. If you do the crime you should compensate the victim, you should be remorseful for it, and there should be some form of punishment. This government has looked at improving the process of obtaining and enforcing orders for restriction and it was one of the first pieces of legislation I introduced as Attorney-General in this House - the Fines and Penalties (Recovery) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill. That was good legislation and comes into effect next month.
The amendment to the Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Act will permit that unpaid restitution orders be referred to the Fines Recovery Unit. At the moment, people who do not have their restitution orders paid have to take civil action in the Local Court after 28 days. People will now be able to pass that to the Fines Recovery Unit. The options available for restitution by the court include a Warrant of Seizure or Sale, an Attachment of Earnings Order, an Attachment of Debt Order, an Instalment Order, a Charging Order, and appointment of a receiver. The charges in the Fines Recovery Unit not only enable the Fines Recovery Unit to pursue these enforcements on behalf of the victim, but also give additional tools - if I can bring members back to the debate around the suspension of a motor vehicle registration for vehicles and licences for the unpaid debt. This will also capture some people who have unpaid speeding fines or whatever it might be.
This move to treat outstanding restitution orders in the same way as court fines recognises the victim of crime should not be required to commence a personal civil action against the offender to obtain the benefit of the restitution order. So, some work has been done, but there is more to do. We have improved the ability to recover monies through restitution orders. It is something I would like to pursue.
We need to remember the role of the court. Ultimately, the court decides whether or not to make an order for restitution. In doing so, the court has to be satisfied the offender has the ability to comply with the order. In analysing the degree of the problem we are hearing anecdotally, it is a conversation we need to have with the Chief Justice and the Chief Magistrate. The data we have on record would perhaps not be reflective of the problem because the judges and magistrates would be well aware of the restrictions around welfare recipients and the inability to garnishee their earnings. The court can still make an order for restitution against these people. If they fail to pay, there is an enforcement order. The enforcement order cannot be applied to their earnings, and the court can subsequently order them to be put in gaol. It can be done but is up to the discretion of the presiding magistrate or judge.
We are currently looking at work to improve those measures. I am cognisant of the basic welfare payment - and I agree with the general principle that people who commit an offence should compensate the victim, and can do so voluntarily. You are dealing with people who are on perhaps $200 a week supporting themselves and their families - any legislative change would be minor. Administration of that would be quite significant.
I am interested in the suggestions from the member for Nelson around alternative sentencing. The member for Nelson spoke about youth, and we have accepted the recommendation of the Youth Justice System Review. We are developing the Youth Justice Strategy around an holistic approach to young offenders and juvenile diversionary programs. Where that youth has an inability to pay, orders can be made against their parents. However, it is about providing an alternative type of penalty or restitution.
I understand often victims do not want the offenders to mow the lawn or things like that. However, for many victims knowing the offender has to undertake some form of restitution for another purpose elsewhere - going to Wildman camp is something that could well be considered. The orders are there at the moment and we are looking at strengthening ways of collecting.
I am aware of the anecdotal suggestion of a problem; however, there needs to be more analysis and discussion with the judiciary, the police, and a whole range of other people about the options available to us. We have done much in this area. We have strengthened the restitution ability through the fines and penalties legislation and the Fines Recovery Unit, which does a fabulous job. We are currently trying to improve and strengthen that even further.
I thank the member for Port Darwin for bringing this matter of public importance to the House. It is an important matter. His foray into welfare is – as he said, it is a wider debate and would be a fulsome debate in this House on the effect it has on Northern Territory society. We could widen it out to the whole of Australian society and where it has taken us in the 21st century.
I thank the member for Port Darwin for his MPI.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Port Darwin, for bringing this very important matter of public importance on tonight. He gave an outstanding speech and went into the broader issue of welfare. People in this Chamber know my position on welfare and sit down money and the perils and misery they bring.
I would also like to thank the member for Nelson. My understanding is this matter of public importance is probably a defined topic, but the member for Nelson sought to talk about it on a broader spectrum and focused on a bigger area - bigger than I want to talk about now.
I listened to the Attorney-General’s contribution and he seemed to have some emotional applause for the situation and some recognition that it is an issue. However, he did not go far enough in providing an adequate response, although I acknowledge his contribution. He would not know many people in Alice Springs raise this issue of restitution.
Ron Thynne and the Aurora hotel have been mentioned in this Chamber many times this week. He would know Ron Thynne has been e-mailing and contacting the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister about concerns around restitution and what could be done to rectify the situation, so much so that the CEO of the Department of Justice wrote a letter to Mr Thynne on 8 February, which I am sure the Attorney-General has read.
He talks about youth and speaks about how there has been a review of the youth justice system in the Northern Territory. He notes the court’s power to make restitution orders, both under the Sentencing Act and the Youth Justice Act, is a discretionary power. They are things the member for Port Darwin, the member for Nelson and the Attorney-General touched on. One of my concerns is the discretionary nature. While discretion is important, and no one is seeking to take that discretion away, on too many occasions discretion is applied rather than criminals having to pay for the crime they have committed.
This letter mentions the Youth Justice Act and says the court, when making a restitution order, is required to take into account the ability of the youth to comply with the order.
I wrote to the Attorney-General on 9 January - I will find the letter. In the letter I asked the minister for much of what he spoke about previously - how we need to get more information, more detail and so forth. I asked him for this information previously and, to date, that information has not been forthcoming. That was on 9 January 2012, where I said:
- I write to you seeking information on restitution orders and the process of recovery in the Northern Territory no matter how successful or otherwise it might be.
The purpose of the request is to both inform myself of the process and any statistical data but also to raise with you concerns I have regarding the numbers of orders written, the process of advising victims of crime when restitution orders are made, whether or not Centrelink funds are being utilised in recovering funds for restitution orders. These concerns come from approaches to me from a wide variety of constituents across the Territory.
I’d appreciate it if you could get back to me the following statistical data based on regions and identifying the numbers of restitution orders made, for what type of crimes, average dollar value, payment rates, how victims of crime are advised, the success of the Fines Recovery Unit in chasing up and receiving restitution orders. Would you also please clarify if people on Centrelink benefits receive a lower rate of restitution order and whether or not Centrelink income can be garnisheed for the purpose of a restitution order.
Since that time, the federal minister for Human Services has replied to a letter I wrote to the previous federal minister, Tanya Plibersek. The current minister is Brendan O’Connor. When I wrote to Brendan O’Connor I queried the Social Security (Administration) Act and whether welfare payments or social security payments can be included in restitution. Mr O’Connor replied and said:
- Thank you for your correspondence ...
Although I cannot comment on specific matters, I appreciate the difficult situation faced by your constituents, and acknowledge the need to discourage wilful destruction by people who otherwise have little or no regard for the property and rights of others.
I note Mr Thynne’s suggestion for judgment debts to be recoverable through deductions from a debtor’s social security payments. Section 60 of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 (Cth) provides that a social security payment is absolutely inalienable, whether by way of, or in consequence of, sale, assignment, charge, execution, bankruptcy or otherwise.
The consequence of this provision is that it does not permit a recipient’s payments to be subject to a court order, garnishee or other like withholding. This means the Department of Human Services cannot assist with such an arrangement at this time.
... thank you for writing on behalf of [a constituent].
My point of the argument is: while I do not want to make broad sweeping generalisations, the fact is there are many people on welfare or social security benefits who are committing crimes in Central Australia. This is the Labor way: penalise the worker, penalise the small business operator, penalise the person who pays taxes, but the person who does not contribute economically to society gets away scot-free. That is what we are seeing with that wilful damage done at Club Eastside. Someone under 18 has been arrested for the damage. However, many of those crimes are committed by people over 18, and the courts are not making any restitution order and, because of section 60 of the Social Security (Administration) Act of the Commonwealth, the orders are not being made because people are on the dole.
That is it in a nutshell. All this correspondence from me taking up the issue came from conversations with Geoff Booth who owns and operates, in a partnership, the Town and Country Tavern, the Gillen Club and Club Eastside and is always a victim of crime. He e-mails me every day. There have been six break-ins in six weeks at the Town and Country, not including the Gillen Club. Now we see the latest one at Club Eastside. Business cannot afford to spend $10 000 on replacing windows every week, especially when the economy is at such a low for many reasons, mainly because of crime; people are afraid to go out. The Town and Country has a downturn in trade but is still replacing $10 000 worth of windows all the time.
It is not fair and I will repeat what I was told by the young lady, Hope, who worked at the Aurora who was not only physically assaulted but emotionally assaulted. I hope I do not insult parliament by using this language, she said: ‘I pay my bloody taxes. Why can’t I get the police to come around?’ It is the same for the manager of the hotel. ‘We contribute to this town; we are a hotel, we bring tourists here and we support the town’. Why do those criminals not have to pay for the wilful destruction which happens to the Aurora all the time? The Aurora is always being damaged. This was not a one-off. On this occasion they did not only smash people, steal alcohol, smash computers, beat the whole place up, they also smashed the front doors of the property which you could not see on the video. The Aurora has to replace all that and pay for all the counselling services.
The two young ladies who were caught, if they are convicted - we will wait to see who is convicted - there is no way they will be made to pay back those debts. I am talking about the financial compensation as well as the other broader components that I fully appreciate the member for Nelson was talking about. Taking into account the financial components, business cannot survive.
The letter from Greg Shanahan was very interesting. It went to Ron, but I thought it was very interesting where it said, under the Youth Justice Act, a court making a restitution order is required to take into account the ability of the youth to comply. I remember in 2008 the Labor government running ads all over the Territory about youth crime and parents having their TV taken away when kids commit a crime. I ask the Attorney-General: how many televisions have been taken since those ads were run on television in 2008? Not one! It was all talk in an election campaign and, since then, crime has been going through the roof; a downhill spiral in the social fabric in all parts of the Territory and nothing has changed. The letter from Brendan O’Connor said: ‘Oh, well, the Social Security Act cannot do much about it’.
Something needs to change and, Attorney-General, I have asked you to provide information. It has been more than a month. The member for Johnston will generally get back to me within a couple of days with an acknowledgement letter. The Chief Minister takes about a week. You have not even acknowledged receipt of the letter and have not done anything about it. Then again, you are the kind of bloke who comes into this House all smug, makes all the jibes, but does not seem to have control of his portfolio. You do not seem to understand or want to be responsive to the needs of people who want to make a difference to the Northern Territory or respond to the concerns of constituents in the Northern Territory.
How many televisions have you taken off parents of bad kids in Parap and Fannie Bay? How many in the northern suburbs? How many in Casuarina or Karama? How many TVs have you taken off parents of kids in the northern suburbs who have committed a crime or abused, assaulted or caused property damage to any person in the northern suburbs? They are serious questions. This is an example of your soft on crime approach. It is that manipulative process like Kim Sattler or Julia Gillard’s office. You want to manipulate people but, in this regard, it was through an election campaign saying: ‘We will take the televisions’. That was in 2008 before crime started to skyrocket - 307% increase since March 2005. This is where we are at now.
While this is not a motion calling on the parliament to agree to put pressure on the federal government - we might get the support of the member for Nelson based on his comments - this is a matter of public importance, but I would expect the Attorney-General to take the intent of this parliament, and the conversation and debate tonight, to Canberra. I have done that. I have written to the federal shadow minister for Families, Housing and Human Services, Kevin Andrews and will quickly read that letter:
- Kevin, I write to you regarding crime in the Northern Territory, particularly Central Australia, its impact on victims, and restitution orders and restrictions under the Social Security (Administration) Act. There can be no doubt that the perils of sit down money, welfare with no obligation of economic activity, continues to drives social instability in the Northern Territory. The correlation of receiving sit down money, consuming alcohol and committing crimes is a reality for some. Unfortunately, the victims of crime, particularly property crimes, are not being compensated by the people who conduct criminal damage. Courts are not applying restitution orders because of the inability of many criminals to repay debts, mainly because many of those are welfare recipients.
Over the last several months, I have corresponded with ministers O’Connor and Plibersek, and Northern Territory Attorney-General Knight, seeking clarification on Centrelink payments being utilised to repay restitution orders. With the response from minister O’Connor, I am advised that section 60 of the Social Security (Administration) Act provides that a social security payment is absolutely inalienable.
The purpose of this letter is to gather your thoughts on the merits of making amendments to the Social Security (Administration) Act.
It goes on.
I wait to see what Kevin Andrews says. It is difficult to make change from Alice Springs, through the Northern Territory parliament, through the Commonwealth parliament to the Social Security (Administration) Act ...
Dr Burns: Through the Senate.
Mr GILES: All of that, as you understand, member for Johnston. However, something does need to change because we are in a position where taxpayers are footing the bill for criminals on welfare and it is not good enough. What sort of a society have we come to when small businesses, mums and dads, whether it is in Alice Springs, Fannie Bay, Parap or Karama, are having to foot the bill of criminals on welfare because the government has taken a discriminatory role, based on economic grounds - whether that person works, has an income, or sits on their backside and does nothing. It is not good enough.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Deputy Speaker, this is a matter of public importance and I am pleased our shadow Attorney-General has brought it forward and made it clear the community has an expectation there be a response.
I am pleased the member for Nelson made his contribution, the member for Braitling also, following the leads federally to effect change. I acknowledge the member for Nelson, as I have too, saying this matter has been discussed a number of times in this Chamber. I listened to the contribution from the Attorney-General and, in the heart of it, there was an acknowledgement that this is something the community, society, is crying out for, but the response was unsatisfactory.
Yes, it is probably difficult, and there will be challenges; there will be pushback of one kind or another and excuses. The reality is, just as we have spoken much of crime, law and order this week, the breaking of a law may be dealt with through the legal system. However, we must remember the breaking of a law, such as the breaking into a house or smashing property of a club as we have seen in Gillen, as we have seen at the Woodroffe shops - the smashing of property and damage to property is breaking the law. It is also the damage to property and it is an impact on people’s lives. That is why there is this requirement for restitution. Restitution is a word that may carry all sorts of connotations but, in its plain sense, it is giving back; it is paying back, it is compensation, it is restoration. That means the return of something to its rightful owner.
In the case of the Eagle family in Woodroffe, they have lost something. They have lost income because they have had to close their shop early because the family is concerned about the safety of their daughter who runs the shop. They have lost something and something has to be paid back; something to restore that to its rightful place is what restitution is about. Compensation, restoring - it comes from the same word and means to return something to its original condition before it was changed.
We can have the law, the response to the law, the breaking of the law and all that happens in that space. We can then have the fixed property, in the case of the Eagle family. Not only is it the loss of opening hours - they have had to reduce those because they do not want to operate too late at night. She is brave and would like to continue, but, no. They had to spend $7000 to improve security within their business. Where does compensation come from that? The only compensation that has come has been of human kindness; of people stepping in and filling the breach and, collectively, expressing their concern. However, what of those who have caused this injury? Nothing has occurred to satisfy those who are outraged and troubled by this.
Restitution is required to restore our community back to its rightful place where we have a sense of confidence in the rule of law. We understand, essentially, law is about restoring things back to the way they were. That is the intent of it - to bring justice. If we have all the explanations and the excuses imbedded in the responses which, effectively, distil down to, as the member for Braitling cited in his correspondence - the problem is because they are welfare recipients therefore we have a problem. That problem would have existed when members opposite crafted their clever little campaign to strike the chord of all those good people who collect around the Eagle family in Woodroffe - the Gillen Club is probably growing tired of that - or the Palmerston Golf Club. It seems to be every weekend there is a break-in there. The local school where there are break-ins - they collect around those places.
They are crying out for some kind of restitution, some kind of payback, some kind of compensation of one kind or another. Into that space goes the message from the Labor Party: plasma screen TVs will be confiscated, and they breathe a sigh of relief because that makes sense. It strikes a chord. People feel the government has heard them and they have faith something will occur.
The Eagle family knows nothing is going to happen to create any kind of impact to those who attacked this poor woman like savage animals because they were trying to steal something and were interrupted. Nothing will change them, nothing will affect the parents. In fact they were so untroubled by it - they were outraged their daughter had been confronted and treated in a rough manner because she had broken two ribs - her and her mates - of a lady defending her own shop. They threatened Mrs Eagle.
That betrayal of sending a message out has resulted in increased cynicism within the community. Yes, there are explanations. Yes, maybe they are welfare recipients and that means, therefore, they have an excuse. The reason they can be excused is because they were in an unfortunate position. Those in Labor have this default position they know is not right and are a little uncomfortable with, but, essentially, accept that the person is not able to be held responsible because, after all, they are welfare recipients - there is nothing we can do. Of course there is something you can do.
I know people who have managed to transact something in that space outside the law. That means you do not have any money but do something - fix something in our school community. I have seen it happen in schools where restitution has been made. That is where a courageous apology has been made by students who burnt the local school bus. It took some time. Sadly, not all the offenders were able to do this, but some did because they had caused a tremendous injury to that school community. Funds had been raised to purchase that bus, and three members of that school community were involved in the burning of that bus. It hurt that community deeply. There was some restitution in the form of a public apology.
There is another case I can cite, and I will not give any details on it. A break-in to a school resulted in some form of restitution. These were students who did not belong to that school. They worked around the school for a period of time until there was a sense of satisfaction of the balance - the payback had been made. There had been some kind of compensation so the injury had been responded to. Whether the parents were welfare recipients, or whether the law deemed it yay or nay, personal responsibility taken, restitution was made, and there was restoration within those communities I am referring to.
What of all these local shops? The member for Johnston would know his local shopkeepers. Look at the shops at Rapid Creek, particularly the one on the corner. There are heavy duty security mesh screens on shops in the suburbs. That is the result of failed policy which has increased the incidence of crime which has no consequence so it feeds the problem. The ones who are compensating for this failure are those responsible for providing services in the community - in this case, small shop owners.
There is this need by the Attorney-General. It appears there is a host of sympathy offered but little meaningful response. It is like giving someone who is very hungry some chewing gum to eat as though that is food. That was what it sounded like. Yes, we are going through all the motions, but there is nothing happening to make any difference to the underlying hunger.
Madam Deputy Speaker, this is a very important area. There may be some pushback. There is, obviously, inherent within the system imbedded reasons, rationale, and excuses offered because they are welfare recipients and, therefore, not ultimately responsible. However, they have something that could be offered; that is, their labour. There are ways in which this transaction can occur. If there is a political will that has some muscle to it, there is a way. The community expects this. We have had excuses and explanations for too long. Shame on the Labor Party for cynically playing this message into the heart of the electorate - playing to the instinct that wants some kind of restitution. The fact is, imbedded in it was the therapeutic approach that the victim, ultimately, has to have a large dose of sympathy and excuse offered because they are not, ultimately, responsible.
I take a different view. If you take the responsibility away from anyone - whether they be welfare recipients or not - you are removing their dignity. The attitude and policy wrapped around that attitude and belief that people are, ultimately, not responsible and society is, has reduced the dignity of people and provided them with excuses. Look at the ugly manifestations we get with wrecking of property without remorse; thinking the world owes them a living. There is no conscience, no guilt, not even concern. In fact, there is abuse if anyone dares stand in their way. That has to stop and it requires political will with muscle to address it. That is what has to happen; make no mistake about it. We cannot back away from it. The Country Liberals take a different view. Maybe this is our opportunity to walk into this space and make some changes.
Discussion concluded.
ADJOURNMENT
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Madam Deputy Speaker, I take this opportunity to acknowledge constituents from my electorate of Stuart who received Australia Day Awards. The Australia Day Awards are an opportunity for communities to recognise and applaud people who work tirelessly and make valuable contributions to their community. In the Northern Territory, we are fortunate to have many close-knit communities with people who work hard, and receive very little in return.
I would like to read out the communities and those recipients from each community. From Barunga, Larissa Lee and Chiquitta Bostock; from Beswick, Hannah Ashley, Stanley Ashley and Justin Fuller; from Manyallaluk, Esther Bulumbara and Josiah Murrimal; from Mataranka, Dean Sullivan, Allan Williams and Joy Mason; from Timber Creek, Peter Harrington, Caroline Brennan Tucker and Dwayne Jones; from Yarralin, Zoe King; from Amanbidji, Alicia Humbert; and from Pine Creek, Jed Isaac and Linda Dalton.
I also congratulate those communities which received Community Event of the Year awards: the Barunga Sports and Culture Festival; the Walking with Spirits Festival at Beswick; Manyallaluk women’s basketball competition; the Mataranka Never Never Festival; the Pine Creek Pussy Cat Flats Race Club’s Horseless Races; and the Timber Creek Festival.
I acknowledge those Centralians who were recognised in the recent Alice Springs Australia Day awards ceremony I attended. Congratulations to Centralian of the Year, Bev Ellis. Bev’s community commitments included the Zonta Club of Alice Springs, sporting organisations such as the Alice Springs Golf Club and the Australian Football League in Central Australia, which she chaired for some time. There is also the organisation of Casual Women’s Craft Groups, and she was a successful businesswoman and, through her bookshop, Dymocks, in Alice Plaza, she supports literacy development and nurtures the love of reading, learning and simply the joy of books for all community members.
To our young Centralian of the Year, Gavin Henderson, a Year 12 student from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College. Gavin has worked to raise awareness of youth issues in Alice Springs. In fact, he organised petitions and spoke out against a CLP member’s policy to introduce a youth curfew. He has shown great leadership for such a young man and I am sure we will be hearing more from Gavin and his achievements in the future.
The Alice Springs Town Council was recognised for hosting the event of the year, the ever-popular Christmas carnival. This is a great family event in Alice Springs combining fun activities, a local market, late night shopping, and the lighting of the community Christmas tree. I always enjoy taking the family to the Christmas carnival. It is a great opportunity to buy a few gifts and catch up with many friends and family.
Central Australians were recognised nationally on Australia Day, and I will mention a few of those as well. Fran Kilgariff is well-known to many members in this Chamber. Fran was awarded the Order of Australia in recognition of her community work in Alice Springs and across Central Australia. The Kilgariff family has played a pivotal role in Central Australia’s social and economic development. Her father, Bernie Kilgariff, who passed away nearly two years ago, was also a recipient of an Order of Australia in 1989. He would have been particularly proud of his daughter winning this award.
The Australian Police Medal was awarded to Assistant Commissioner Mark Payne. Mark has been an officer in the Northern Territory since 1984, and has served in Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and more recently in Darwin. Mark has given dedicated service to the Central Australian and Barkly regions and this award recognises and celebrates this service.
Congratulations also to Alice Springs Mayor, Damien Ryan, CEO Rex Mooney, and all the Alice Springs Town Council aldermen and staff for the wonderful job of organising and operating the Australia Day activities on the council lawns on Australia Day.
I would like to mention the ever-popular iconic event in Alice Springs that occurred over the past week, and that is the Imparja Cup. The first match was held on Australia Day in 1994 after discussions between Indigenous cricketers, Shane and Mervyn Franey from Alice Springs and Ross Williams from Tennant Creek. These gentlemen wanted to host an annual cricket match between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek with the purpose being the promotion of Indigenous cricket in the Northern Territory and, of course, to catch up with family and friends.
In 1998, Shane Franey and Ross Williams approached the Northern Territory Cricket Association to seek assistance in organising the logistics of the game. Following these discussions, Northern Territory Cricket commenced its support of the competition and shortly after Cricket Australia also assisted with the Imparja Cup and officially recognised the event as a national competition.
Next year will be the 20th anniversary of the Imparja Cup. I can proudly say that I played in that first game back in 1994. I was talking to Ross Williams the other week in Alice Springs and there are some big activities planned for the 20th anniversary. I will be there to enjoy those festivities.
There were a record number of teams this year, I believe 32 teams all up, and around 500 players, so a very successful carnival. It is great for the town of Alice Springs to see that many people participate. The results in the five categories ended up with New South Wales winning the Men’s States and Territories division; they beat Queensland. They also won in the Women’s States and Territories division beating the ACT. In the Major Centres final the winners were Darwin against Alkupitija, or Gillen Bore. The Community Men’s division were Brothers in Arms, our local Alice Springs team, against the runners up, the Timber Creek Dingoes. The Bush Potatoes from Alice Springs won the Community Women’s division, and the runners-up were from Congress.
Over the week, there were many other social functions. It was great to get along to many of those events, and to be at the official opening on Sunday just before the ACA Masters and the All Stars game, which the All Stars won very easily. I understand there are some plans to get another team in Alice Springs next year, and I am looking forward to the concept they are going to come up with. I was pleased to be able to open the Imparja Cup on the Sunday. There were school super clinics during the week and there was the Mayoral Reception on Tuesday with Mayor Damien Ryan.
The National Indigenous Cricket Association held their meeting in Alice Springs on Thursday with all the state and territory representatives. On Friday night, there was a fantastic gala dinner with around 500 people, including plenty of celebrities. I had the privilege of sitting between two legends on the night, Vince Copley, who is retiring, and on the other side was Mark Ella, a great Wallaby captain. It was great to have a good chat with Mark. He will be back in Alice Springs very soon for the anniversary of the Central Australian Rugby Union Association.
Turning to Uncle Vince, it was his retirement honour that night. Many a great word was spoken about Uncle Vince. He is busily organising a reunion for St Francis Home in Adelaide where many well-known Central Australians went in the 1950s and 1960s. A couple of my uncles attended St Francis. Uncle Vince has done a lot for Imparja Cup, and Indigenous cricket. He organised the first tour of England for an Indigenous side since the first team went away in the 1800s. They did a great re-enactment, and thanks to Uncle Vince for organising that. He is very keen to see the Prime Ministers XI concept come back. I wish him all the best in his retirement. He has served the game of cricket, Indigenous people, and all Australians very well.
I would like to quickly mention the team I played a couple of games for, Alice Springs. I understand the member for Braitling also played a couple of games, so it was great to see him involved as well as me. I thank my team members for their support and help. Those players were Jake Harvey, Mickey Cole, Geoff Williams, Brett Trindle, Chris Nayda, Geoff Miller, Shaun Angeles, Daniel Turner, Tyrell Le Rossignol, Nathan Swan, Hamish Macdonnell and Reggie Smith. Reggie Smith completed the New York Marathon as part of Robert de Castella’s Marathon Project. He was the one in the outfield and doing all the running for us.
It was a great week, with a record number of 500 cricketers from all over Australia in Alice Springs. I thank the town council for its great work; Cricket Australia for its support; the Lord’s Taverners; NITV which broadcast many games live; Imparja Television, and the many other sponsors.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Deputy Speaker, I am putting this on the public record on behalf of Mt Liebig store. The Senate inquiry had named the Mt Liebig store publicly, which is why this message was sent to me to put on the public record.
On 1 February, the staff of Mt Liebig store were made aware of a remote retail services submission to the Senate inquiry into the Stronger Futures legislation. This submission specifically named Mt Liebig store and stated categorically that the directors were not engaged or empowered and failed to understand the serious issues facing their store. Store directors were naturally horrified by this assessment and this statement being made in a public submission without any prior notification to them. The store directors at Mt Liebig are extremely involved in the management and development of their store and understand FaHCSIA’s motivations clearly.
In addition, the store committee very recently suffered the sad loss of a major player in store direction and a prominent leader in the community. Following this loss, the revelation of the public submission to the Senate inquiry felt like a slap in the face. The Mt Liebig store committee responded immediately to the Senate inquiry writing their own letter, which stated, in part, that FaHCSIA seemed far more concerned about control than about the wellbeing of communities. The Stronger Futures legislation will do nothing to make these communities and their stores better; only further entrench, and engender FaHCSIA’s power and the disempowerment of Aboriginal people. Their actions are a hindrance not help.
Last week, the store received a response and I would like to put the letters of apology on public record. Mr John Kop, the managing director of remote retail services wrote:
- Remote Retail Services apologises if we have caused offence to Mt Liebig and we would be quite happy for our submission to be amended to delete the identity of the store. Our submission was not intended to paint Mt Liebig in a negative light, but to help government understand how community stores can be improved for the benefit of the people who rely on them for food and general goods.
- The letter forwarded to the Senate inquiry is correct in saying that we were asked to look at the stores retail operation and compliance on behalf of FaHCSIA. FaHCSIA is trying to ensure that remote communities have food security. We are making the point that while compliance and governance are important, so too is community capacity building so communities can run their own sustainable stores in the best interest of the community.
I should also point out that this was an independent submission by a remote retail services. Burdon Torzillo had no input into this submission. The letter from Mr Rob Burdon of Burdon Torzillo went even further stating:
- On Friday of last week we learnt of the RRS submission to the Senate inquiry and the specific mention of Mt Liebig store in that submission. Burdon Torzillo had no knowledge and was completely unaware of the contents of the RRS submission and do not support the comments made in that submission.
- Burdon Torzillo have contacted RRS and FaHCSIA directly and made it clear we do not support the submission and do not agree with the comments in the submission being made public.
- Burdon Torzillo will not be utilizing the services of RRS for any future work with Mt Liebig community store. Burdon Torzillo continues to support the directors, the Wadi Wanu community, and the hard work that Tim Wilkins, the store manager, has been doing in the store at Mt Liebig.
- We look forward to continuing the good working relationship we have with Mt Liebig community and are looking forward to attending the corporation AGM scheduled for 16 February.
It is important to put these apologies on the public record. I commend the actions of Tim Wilkins and the Mt Liebig store directors in responding quickly to the allegations made in the Remote Retail Services submission.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to finish off the eulogy for Brother Ken Gallagher I did not have time to finish last night. This eulogy comes courtesy of Mr Laurence Ah Toy and I thank him for that:
- I have spoken of Brother Ken Gallagher the business manager and bursar, but what of the man I speak of.
- Ken did not suffer fools gladly and in his direct abrupt and forthright manner would tell the person exactly that. You knew where you stood. This trait did not endear him to some people. You knew you were about to be told something when he set and gritted his teeth, but as he mellowed later he did not persist with this habit.
- On his pilgrimage through life he believed absolutely in the great power of prayer and spent many hours in prayer and meditation. He would regularly go to retreats around Australia. One of his favourite retreats was with hermit Fr Dan Donovan in the Kimberleys. With the austere primitive living conditions he said his stays there reinvigorated him. He was not afraid to seek truth or answers from other Christian denominations. He had discussions and counsel from priests of the Anglican and the Uniting Churches.
He was greatly influenced by the late Fred Hollows and a great admirer of Mahatma Gandhi. He invited me to spend a quiet moment with him in Glebe Park in Canberra where a statute of Gandhi stands.
Over the 40 years he became a part of my family. He attended my wedding and all our children’s graduations. He has keenly followed their careers. I visited him in many places he was called to serve including Fiji and was deeply touched when his 70th birthday present from me was to arrange for Father John Kelleher (the Santa Teresa priest when the pool was built) to come for a dinner and say a personal Mass for me. I have a collection of some photos that people may wish to see at the break that follows this Mass. On his request we had a friend make a special alb, when he was working at the Palmerston parish. We as a family have had the benefit of being on his daily prayer board.
Ken was a man driven to overcoming challenges presented to him. In the latter part of his life with his health failing he was worried that he was not making a contribution to society.
He has made a significant change to many people’s lives over such a long period of services that we can justly say: “Well done, you good and faithful servant. Rest in peace.
I thank Mr Lawrence Ah Toy for that eulogy.
From my point of view, Brother Gallagher was probably the person who actually got me working at Bathurst Island. I was living at Daly River during the flood in 1974, and the options of work were fairly limited. He offered me a job working as the work supervisor for the Nguiu Shire Council. I took that job on 11 November 1974, only a few weeks before Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin. We were pretty lucky because there were not many strong buildings on Bathurst Island when that cyclone hit. I doubt whether many of us would have survived. It needs to go down in history that this man had a big effect on the Northern Territory. He had a passion for helping people, especially Aboriginal people.
We can talk about housing today, and SIHIP, and the millions of dollars spent on that program. This man was able to get 36 houses up from Adelaide, barge them across from Darwin to the Tiwi Islands, and those houses lasted just up to recent times. They rusted away. Yes, you are on a salty part of the world when you are at Nguiu on Bathurst Island. Also, dripping taps and hosing out the rooms does not always help that kind of building. However, when you consider that all they mainly had at Bathurst Island at that time were some wooden houses built out of cypress pine - one of which I lived in for a while. There were only a couple of brick houses being built, and the rest were tin huts.
Madam Deputy Speaker will probably laugh a bit, but when I came from Daly River and you would run into Tiwis - I used to think Bathurst Island was the most fantastic island. I came from Daly River where brick houses were common. When I went to Bathurst Island I was shocked, thinking Bathurst Island was going to be paradise from that point of view. Most people lived in tin huts. It was not until people like Brother Gallagher came, who saw that something had to be done quickly to turn things around, that something was done. That changed Bathurst Island and changed it, probably, forever.
He also followed my career. I used to bump into him at various Masses at the cathedral, or at Palmerston. He would always give me words of encouragement. I call him – I am not saying this in a derogatory way - ‘a down-to-earth Catholic’. He called a spade a spade; he was willing to get his hands dirty. He used his skills as an accountant to help people. Murin Airways is another enterprise that is still going today because of his skills. He was helping Aboriginal people in a very practical way. That is something he should be remembered for.
I hope somewhere, sometime, on the Tiwi Islands, there is some remembrance of Brother Gallagher, because that change in the housing was a fundamental change to the way people lived on that island. He was the leader who took the initiative and did something. He did not talk about it; he simply did something and he got it done. People on Bathurst Island ended up with housing that was the start of more housing on Bathurst Island. Today, of course, Nguiu is well equipped with new houses with SIHIP. I say that Brother Gallagher was far more visionary than anyone was at that time in trying to do something.
I will miss Brother Gallagher, the one-armed bandit, as I said - a great friend, a great supporter, a man of God and a great Territorian.
Mr MILLS (Blain): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I acknowledge the service to the Legislative Assembly and the Territory Public Service of Ismail Rachman – Sonny, as we know him. Sonny’s last day at work is tomorrow. He is retiring from the public service after working for the NT government for 30 years, 28 of those at the Legislative Assembly. That is an incredible achievement. I pay tribute to his contribution to the Territory by telling his story.
Sonny was never supposed to live in Darwin or the Territory. In 1974, he was on holidays here from his home in South Sumatra in Indonesia. He was visiting his uncle, who was the manager of the then Merpati Airlines. It was only supposed to be six weeks holiday, but it was Mother Nature that had different ideas. Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin, and Sonny and his uncle took shelter at the Casuarina Senior College. They survived the cyclone but all of Sonny’s personal documents and paperwork was lost. Merpati also could not operate, so Sonny could not return home to Indonesia. Eventually, they got paperwork in 1976, got amnesty, and decided to stay in Darwin. For that decision around amnesty for those who did not have appropriate identification, who were technically illegal immigrants, he gives credit to Malcolm Fraser.
His first job was as a barman at the old Beachcomber Bar in the old Koala Hotel in Smith Street. He really liked this job, and gained many new friends chatting with people from all walks of life. He also gained his nickname, the name we all know him by today; that is, Sonny. Sonny did not really know why his customers started calling him that, but thinks it is because of his small stature and big smile. He does have a big, sunny smile. His name stuck.
After pouring beers for a few years, in 1976 Sonny applied for a courier position with the NT government, Department of the Chief Minister who was, then, of course, Paul Everingham. To his delight, he got the job. It was only limited tenure for three months. The department liked Sonny so much they kept renewing his contract for another three months, and another three months until, in 1980 when they decided to make his position permanent.
During his time with the Chief Minister’s Office, he had many jobs. As well as courier, he worked as a storeman in the Chief Minister’s storeroom on Carey Street. In the early 1980s, he worked with Registry Office of Chief Minister, and worked as Purchasing Office, posting mail, filing and record keeping.
In 1984, he moved to the Legislative Assembly. He worked in Registry until 1991 and, then, from 1991 to 1997 worked as Finance Officer. Then, in 1997, he moved back to Registry where he has been ever since. His job is dealing with all files and correspondence. In 30 years with the NT government, Sonny worked with every Chief Minister the Northern Territory has had since self-governance - that is eight of them: Paul Everingham, Ian Tuxworth, Steve Hatton, Marshall Perron, Shane Stone, Denis Burke, Clare Martin, and Paul Henderson. He says that he started with a Paul - Paul Everingham - and has finished with a Paul - Paul Henderson. He also worked with six Speakers, and two Madam Speakers. In his words, six Mr Speakers and two Madam Speakers. He is very diplomatic and says he liked them all equally - all nice people, and good people to work with. However, he does admit that he had a soft spot for Shane Stone, because they used to exchange words in Indonesian when they passed in the hall of parliament.
Tomorrow, the journey with the public service will come to an end. What will he miss most? Well, of course, as you would probably expect, the people he has worked with here in the Legislative Assembly. Many who have been here since the very start of his career are still here. He made many friends and he will miss them dearly, and I am sure they will all miss him as well. He said he has always done his best in his job, and the thing he liked the most about working in the public service for so long was the job security that it had offered him.
Sonny admits, and I say this hoping that Sonny is not listening to this, he did not want me to do what I am doing now, but I am saying this to everyone else who works in this building. Tomorrow is actually a big day for Sonny and he is a bit emotional about tomorrow, it is the end of a long period. He admitted that it was going to be a sad day, and I knew that what he was saying spoke volumes. There will probably be a few tears shed, and he has already been a bit emotional just thinking about saying goodbye. However, he is actually looking beyond that and he is looking forward to retirement.
He lives in Karama with his wife, daughter and son, and says at 66 years of age, he wants to enjoy life with them and to relax. Family is very, very important to him. He also intends to achieve a lifelong dream and travel to Europe for the very first time. Next year, he and his wife will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary by visiting England, France, Italy, Finland and Sweden.
I thank Sonny too for sharing with me something that I missed, and that was sambal oelek. I had a lot of chillies and I just knew there would be someone in this building who would know how to do them in the way that I was accustomed to having them in Indonesia. He quietly took them and returned a beautiful jar of sambal oelek. Thank you for those bits of kindness and. in return, I will give you a bottle of my chilli sauce tomorrow.
I wish Sonny well on his travels. He will be a hard man to replace, a quiet man who is exiting quietly. It is a big day for a little man tomorrow. He will be remembered fondly, and I thank you, and I am sure all members would join with me in thanking him for his loyal and faithful service.
Sampai berjumpa lagi. Selamat jalan. Selamat istirahat. Until we meet again. Goodbye. Have a good rest.
To Sonny, thank you very much.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I follow on from a question I put to the Minister for Lands and Planning in Question Time, questions the Leader of the Opposition put to the minister and questions that I put to the minister yesterday in relation to the Batten Road workers village.
The question I asked today was in relation to how approvals were given for the heliport at Charles Darwin National Park. I go back to September last year where I attended the launch of the heliport. Milton Jones and Coolibah Air are the people operating from Charles Darwin National Park. It was launched with much fanfare. I was extraordinarily proud to be the local member and to turn up to that function. Milton is a Territory legend, famed for ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’, and Territorians, both past and present, will remember Milton for a whole range of things in relation to the cattle industry. He is a true Territory legend and Coolibah Air provides fantastic helicopter services across the Top End of the Northern Territory. I was very happy to see Coolibah Air operating the heliport at Charles Darwin National Park in September last year.
I was quite surprised earlier this year when I was questioned by the ABC to be informed that there had been planning approvals given for that heliport. It stunned me at the time, because I remember thinking, goodness me, there were all these government officials there, there was an air of formality about it and I would have thought all the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed. Then we find in the government Gazette three days ago that when it was issued the minister has, in fact, by-passed all those planning requirements and ticked off on the approval process for six months. This is a great disservice to Coolibah Air because it gives them no certainty. They do not know whether they are going to be allowed to operate there or not.
I wonder how efficient the minister’s office is and the department that works for him when they seem to be completely out of touch with other public servants in the Northern Territory. One agency is working very hard and diligently to get that heliport operational and it is seems the other departments do not know anything about it and the minister seems to be forced into signing off something he has no idea about. That was bad.
Then I found out the Batten Road workers village has been re-announced. It was announced two years ago that the government was going to build a workers village at Batten Road and nothing occurred. It seemed to disappear into the ether. Then, lo and behold, a few days ago the minister stands in this House, supported by the Chief Minister, the Treasurer and a whole range of other people, announcing they were putting a workers village at Batten Road. I quickly got the tender documents and realised the government was not proposing anything of the sort. In fact, all the government was doing was saying: ‘Here is a block of land. If anyone wants to develop it, have a go’. The government was not assisting in any way.
It became apparent from those documents I was reading that the government was not going to assist in anything. In fact, the developer would be responsible for the public advertising, the EIS, clearing contamination and the like from the site, the traffic management plans, dealing with the community consultation, and trying to get approvals through the Development Consent Authority. The government has done nothing. It was an announcement without any backing whatsoever.
A couple of days ago when I asked a question in the parliament - and I did it in a tongue-in-cheek way - I referred to a previous response the minister gave where he talked about the McCarthy family tradition of giving credit where it is due. Of course, I gave him credit for the wonderful work he had done in progressing the Batten Road workers village. I asked him: What processes were gone through to give this site the tick off?’ He said: ‘Through the normal planning processes’. I thought, goodness me, this guy has not even read his own tender documents issued on the site because I knew then there had been no normal planning processes undertaken.
The minister was questioned again today along similar lines, and we still cannot seem to get to the bottom of it. What has the minister done? What is the responsibility of the developer? When you read the tender documents, all those requirements are to be met by the developer. Now, all that sounds easy when you have the support of government; however, in this particular case it is not that easy.
There is the public advertising, as I suggested. The environmental impact statement costs developers quite a bit of money, and there is the contamination issue. For those people who are not aware, that Batten Road site is the old dump from Cyclone Tracy. All the debris and rubble, everything, was literally scooped up and dumped there. Goodness knows what is there. We know there is a lot of asbestos there from the fibro houses, there is tin and concrete and all sorts of stuff that needs to be cleaned up. No one seems to have an idea of what the cost of that cleanup will be. That is being left to the developer because, ultimately, the developer will become responsible. This is actually taking some sort of responsibility away from government and putting it with the developer.
There are also traffic management plans. Batten Road is becoming quite a busy place. There are all the ethnic communities and a range of other organisations there. Traffic management will be an important issue, particularly when you are talking about housing a large number of workers there. The community consultation - it seems these days in Darwin, one man and a barbecue can almost halt any type of a development. You simply get out there, put on a barbecue, wave a few signs around, get 20 of your mates over there and, all of a sudden, you have a case to take to the Development Consent Authority.
None of these things are easy and, for the government to announce they are putting together a workers village and, somehow or other, they are meeting the housing demands of the Northern Territory, is complete and utter bunkum - absolute utter bunkum! The fact is the minister has done nothing - zero, nought - to see this site develop. The minister said: ‘Oh we have 20-odd submissions; there are many people who are very interested in it’. I remember a development at Palmerston where the government got a swag of submissions, many expressions of interest but, when push came to shove, was there a bidder? No, there was not a bidder. I fear exactly the same thing will happen here.
Not only is the developer lumped with all these costs and hurdles they have to get through, but they are guided by how much they are allowed to charge, and the period of time they are allowed to occupy that site. To suggest this is going ahead and will provide some alternative housing for workers in Darwin is complete nonsense. The minister should explain exactly what he is going to do to assist that development.
Mr CHANDLER (Chandler): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I was reading through the Bakewell newsletter the other day, and I want to welcome our new teachers for 2012. They are Kellie Novak in Year 5; Kate Stock, the Assistant Principal - Kate has taken over from the Assistant Principal who is pregnant and Kate is also pregnant, so I wish her very well in her pregnancy as well as her time at Bakewell School; Chris Beagly in Year 4; Gemma Lane in Year 3; Jemma Rust in Year 6/5 - she is a specialist teacher; Nikki Konieczny in Year 2; Katherine Campbell in Year 3; Belinda Stark is a Preschool Assistant; Janelle Carrier, also a Preschool Assistant; and Leanne Coghlan is the new Defence School Transition Aide.
In reading the newsletter I found an interesting advertisement that said: ‘The Bakewell School dental clinic will be closed until further notice’. We have a government that talks big on many things and, yet, so many of our grassroots programs are closed down. I am in the process of writing to the minister to find out when this program is going to be back up and running. The ad goes on to say that if you have any dental problems go and see a private dental clinic in Palmerston.
What really got my goat today was when I heard the member for Nhulunbuy brag, in a speech today, about the new school dental clinic opening in Gove. I read this Bakewell newsletter a little further - and I will read here what it says:
- I am moving to Gove to take up a position as the dental therapist in East Arnhem.
That is an extreme hide, to come bragging about a new program when you have stolen the dental clinic from Bakewell Primary School, one of the largest primary schools in the Northern Territory. When you find out the member is also the parliamentary secretary for Education, one starts to wonder how these decisions are made.
I am looking forward to not only letting the people of Bakewell know that their dentist has moved over to Gove and that the member for Nhulunbuy, the parliamentary secretary for Education, has taken their dentist. I also look forward to writing to residents of Brennan to let them know this how their government treats Palmerston residents and Palmerston schools. It is okay to close down a dental clinic in the largest primary school in the Northern Territory and just move them on. Fantastic!
While we are having a bit of a go, I listened very interestingly to the …
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker! The member for Brennan is making scurrilous accusations against the member for Nhulunbuy, which are completely baseless …
Mr Chandler: It is all here.
Dr BURNS: Just listen. … because he should realise, or he does not know, the school dental service does not come under the Education portfolio; it comes under the Health portfolio. So, stop making stupid allegations against the member for Nhulunbuy, and learn a bit about who is responsible for what.
Mr Chandler: Is this a point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker?
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: He has called a point of order.
Dr BURNS: The point of order is that he is alleging corruption on the part of the member for Nhulunbuy. He should withdraw if that is what he is alleging. How can he allege it when he is saying the member for Nhulunbuy is parliamentary secretary for Education, but school dental services come under the portfolio area of Health?
Mr CHANDLER: Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I am fully aware that school dental programs come under the Minister for Health. That is who I will be writing to. I am alluding to it because we are talking about a school dental program. Yes, it is the Minister for Health, but we are talking about a school dental program. I will be also writing to the minister for Education, asking when we are going to have a school dental program back in Bakewell.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Brennan, I was listening to your adjournment speech, and you did go close to alleging the member for Nhulunbuy influenced, or used her position ...
Mr Chandler: I have not said anything of the sort.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, let me finish. I listened to it. I will let you finish. The member for Nhulunbuy has avenues in which she can respond. I caution you in that you were coming close to alleging the member for Nhulunbuy, in her position as parliamentary secretary, had influenced the decision to go …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker!
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, I am allowing the member for Brennan to finish his adjournment.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Can we stop the clock?
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, with all due respect, it is not the role of the Chair to editorialise or comment on the content of the speech. A member of parliament who enters this House does so with the imprimatur of the people who elected him to the role. The elected member who has made these comments will live or die at the next election by his own words, and is utterly responsible for what he said. It is not the job of the Chair in this House to, in any way, influence, or seek to influence, what a member is saying outside of the boundaries of standing orders in matters of the order of the House.
I believe you have far exceeded the authority of the Chair in the process and, if you seek to continue to editorialise, I will seriously consider moving a dissent motion.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin ...
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker!
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin - hold on a minute, Leader of Government Business.
Member for Port Darwin, I remind you of Standing Order 62. I am well aware of those standing orders. I did not in any way ask the member. A point of order was called. I was responding to that point of order. The member for Brennan was given an opportunity to also respond and, in line with Standing Order 62, I was cautioning the member for Brennan.
I have every right to ensure orderly behaviour. You are the one who continuously talks about standing orders. I draw your attention to Standing Order 62, and I have not in any way breached my position as Acting Deputy Speaker sitting in this chair when a point of order has been called.
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, the words that were being used by the member for Brennan were neither offensive nor unbecoming. They had content which may have been objectionable to the members on the other side of this Chamber because they did not like the content. Well, they know the rules in this House. They can come in and have the argument and have the fight, but it is not up to the Chair to determine that the content of a speech is either offensive or unbecoming, because eventually what that becomes is simple censorship in this House.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, I did not ask the member for Brennan to withdraw what he was saying. I just cautioned him to remember Standing Order 62 - and I think that he should remember Standing Order 62. I then asked him to proceed with his adjournment debate.
Mr ELFERINK: We will let that rest at this stage, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker. I am sure you will instruct the clock to be started shortly.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Brennan, you may continue.
Mr CHANDLER: I just wanted to point out a few facts, and I will read the facts again. In the Dental News it says:
- The Bakewell School dental will be closed until further notice. I am moving to Gove to take up a position as the Dental Therapist in East Arnhem.
As the local member for Brennan, I will be taking this matter further. I think it is very typical of the government where you have one side that is talking about a new service that has opened up, and yet the very person I am speaking about should be fully aware that we have schools here that have had dental clinics closed down.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, moving on, I have been writing to a number of ministers for the last few years. Again, I will be the first to congratulate a minister when they respond to me in a reasonable time. It is true, in some cases ministers are very efficient in getting back to you, while others can take a long time. I e-mailed the minister for NRETAS, minister Hampton, the other week about heritage grants. I had been contacted by a constituent who basically said that Heritage grants were supposed to have already been paid out. I was just trying to get some information quickly - I usually write to the minister - so, in this case I e-mailed him. I received a response instantly from the minister, which was fantastic. He promised me that he would get on to the department, and the department would get back to me. Here we are, weeks later, and we are still waiting. Why is it when a minister asks a department to get some information that is pretty simple it seems to take a long time?
I am still waiting to find out what has happened to the Tennant Creek Rangers. I get information from the minister who says everything is okay, everything is fine, and I will get back to you in a reasonable period of time. Well, a reasonable period of time might be a few weeks, it might even be a couple of months, but if you wait four, five and six months for answers, I do not think it is good enough.
We have a minister who is obviously not in charge of his department. You only have to look at some of the environmental issues we have had recently. If it was not for media, if it was not for whistleblowers, we would probably not know half the things. We talk about having a proactive government. I do not think so. This government is all about talk when it comes to protecting our environment, and if you judge it on its actions, if it was not for whistleblowers and the media, we probably would not learn half the things that have happened.
In the last couple of minutes I want to talk about a couple of things in the Palmerston area. I have written to other ministers about camps that are set up around the Palmerston area. Around the Christmas period, the rubbish and the rot that went on around Crown land next to The Hub was absolutely atrocious, and if it was not for a few phone calls to the relevant authorities, the area would probably still be a mess today. It was shocking.
Across the road from The Hub, are a number of businesses that every single day, when they open up in the morning, have to hose down what essentially is human excreta, urine, and vomit. Every single day you have good, genuine business people who turn up and this is how they face their day every single morning. Why? Because we have people camping on Crown land, who camp behind signs that say ‘No Camping’, that people will be prosecuted, and nothing is done about it. These are some of the things that are going on. They may not be the big ticket items, but I tell you what, when you talk to the average Joe, they are the things that upset people. They believe these are thing government has dropped the ball on - law and order.
It is about time this government looked at those people who are the very constituents and residents of the Northern Territory and not just the big ticket items.
Ms SCRYMGOUR (Arafura): Madam Speaker, I wanted to respond now that I am not in the Chair regarding the member for Brennan. I have been constantly amazed by this individual. I thought when he first came into parliament that he was a person of integrity and had some credibility. He stands here and rants about the environment: prior to 2001 there was Mt Todd, there were many incidents, the legacy mines through Kakadu, and the lack of reporting and monitoring of mines.
This man has form, he has no credibility and it has saddened me because he did allude that the member for Nhulunbuy had used her position as parliamentary secretary for Education to get the dentist’s position from Bakewell Primary School to Nhulunbuy.
This man is a grub. All CLP members know him as a snitch for the Leader of the Opposition. He is the lowest of the low. He should offer an apology to the member for Nhulunbuy who I will say is a person who has integrity and credibility unlike the grubby member for Brennan.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016