2009-11-25
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 9.30 am.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Harts Range School students, Middle Years 7, 8 and 9, together with teacher, Mr Daniel Slade and assistant teacher, Ms Christina Stevens; and Sandover Group Schools Special Educator, Kelly Hayes. There is also a group from Braitling Primary School, Year 3/4, together with teachers, Ms Joanne Moar, Mrs Tracey-Lee Forester, and Mr Christopher Myers.
On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise today is White Ribbon Day, the United Nations Day for the elimination of violence against women and children. I advise I have given approval for the white ribbon flag to fly in the foyer of this building, and also at Parliament House, Darwin.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I also understand it is proposed the sittings be suspended at 6.45 pm tonight until the ringing of bells for Question Time.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 1942 petitioners relating to the Northern Territory Aeromedical Service aircraft in Katherine. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders.
I also present a petition, not conforming with standing orders, from 62 petitioners relating to the Northern Territory Aeromedical Service aircraft in Katherine.
Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 47 petitioners praying that a safety barrier be constructed on Tiger Brennan Drive between Woolner and Benison Roads. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders.
Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
safety; with motor vehicles travelling at high speeds not 5 m from our back yard with only a sheet of colour bond between us.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Auditor-General’s November 2009 Report to the Legislative Assembly.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report, and that I have leave to continue my remarks at a later hour.
Leave granted.
Debate adjourned.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table, pursuant to section 313 of the Electoral Act, the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly General Election Report 2008 dated 9 August 2009.
MOTION
Note Paper - Electoral Act –
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly General Election Report 2008
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report, and that I have leave to continue my remarks at a later hour.
Leave granted.
Debate adjourned.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, before I start, I extend a welcome to the students from Braitling Primary School and Harts Range, particularly on behalf of my colleague, the member for Braitling. Welcome to our parliamentary sittings.
Madam Speaker, I move - That the Territory government:
1. Take direct and decisive action to address law and order issues in Alice Springs;
3. To establish a Police Citizens Youth Club in Alice Springs and that it be located in the Larapinta area;
5. Change the hours of the availability of alcohol so that all takeaway alcohol is sold from 10 am.
This motion does not come as a surprise to the government. At every Alice Springs sittings, law and order has been an issue. It has consumed questions and motions …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Order! Member for Greatorex, you will cease interjecting. Order! Member for Araluen, you have the call.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. At every Alice Springs sittings, law and order has been an issue and, under this government, it will continue to be so. It has consumed questions and motions before, both in Alice Springs and Darwin. When parliament last sat here in April 2007, hundreds of people turned up to express their rage at the way they were treated by this shabby government. There were many areas of concern and frustration. One of them was law and order.
Given the government has clearly chosen to have these sittings in late November rather than earlier in the year, I doubt - and it was evidenced yesterday - we will see hundreds of people turning up to protest against this shabby government this time round. They are busy getting themselves to the end of the year, thinking about Christmas parties, and how they, their friends, and their family are going to spend Christmas.
Government should not think for one moment that the people of Alice Springs are not fed up, and they are in any way happy with this government. They are not.
The government should listen to this motion and support it. If the government will not support this motion, members should ask why, and should provide compelling reasons for doing so - absent the spin. The people of Alice Springs will not accept spin and slithering. They are a wake-up to the way this government conducts itself. They want answers, and they want help.
Politicians should learn from elections. In August 2008, Labor polled about 20% of the vote in the urban seats of Alice Springs. That should show, even to them, they are out of touch and disconnected. My colleagues and I polled significantly better. It cannot be said we do not understand our electorate, its people or its issues. Anyone who makes such a suggestion simply cannot, and should not, be taken seriously. My colleagues and I will continue to passionately and strongly advocate for our town, and we do so in the knowledge we have the support of the overwhelming majority of our constituents. Our constituents do not, and will not, accept second best from this government and, as their elected representatives, neither will we. If Labor wants to do better at the next election, it should listen to us. The member for Nelson should also take note of my comments.
It is easy for those who do not live in Alice Springs to abuse Alice Springs members, and downplay their issues and concerns. Politicians, by their nature, are thick-skinned. We accept political spin but, I say again, our constituents do not. It is against that backdrop that I now move to the motion.
The first part: we call on the government to take direct and decisive action to address law and order issues in Alice Springs. We have seen many media releases over the years and glossy brochures from this shabby government, but few results. When we raised these issues a couple of years ago, and even back further, the government would accuse us of talking down the town. Thankfully, the government has had the wit, in recent times at least, not to pursue that insulting and pathetic line. However, the government continues to sink to new depths; for instance, saying we are not supportive of the Police Beat. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, we have been calling for a police shopfront for some time.
Indeed, when there was a bipartisan group of politicians, including the mayor, established in February by the member for Macdonnell, the then Minister for Central Australia, to her great credit, put aside politics and put us all in a room to come up with a number of ideas, one of which was to bring forward the police shopfront. We note, with interest and disappointment, the new Minister for Central Australia, the member for Stuart, has abandoned this bipartisan group. It was a practical and tactical error on his part. Even I was shocked; even I was surprised.
The last time parliament sat in Alice Springs, the former Chief Minister, Clare Martin, said:
Since 2001-02, violent crime in this town has increased by 27%, year on year. The government’s failure to tackle violent crime across Central Australia is reflected in the disastrous June quarter crime figures released early in October. Offences against the person jumped by 25% in the June quarter compared to the same quarter in the previous year. There were 338 offences against the person in the June quarter 2009 compared to 271 in the June quarter 2008. An additional breakdown of the figures shows assaults increased by nearly 25%, and sexual assaults increased by 86%. Property offences also remain at unacceptably high levels. The figures are there for all to see.
The figures are damning but, sadly, in so many ways, they are not new. Figures contained in previous crime statistics consistently show the failures of this government. Action is needed, and it is needed now. There is so much more the government can and should do. We gave them some ideas at the last election, but they have not adopted any of our policies. Well, there are a couple they have, and I will come back to that.
The new Minister for Central Australia has completely rejected working in a bipartisan manner. He does not want to hear any more from us about how we can make improvements in this town. Presumably, he thinks he has all of the answers. We gave them plenty of ideas at the bipartisan meetings but, now, the Minister for Central Australia has said he does not want to talk to us any more.
Habitual drunks legislation, boot camps, correcting behaviour in our gaols, making rehabilitation compulsory – these are just some of the things government should do and, if we were in government, we would.
When government members rise to their feet and blurt out the usual lines of us not having any ideas, they are clearly wrong. When they say they are happy to work with us in a constructive manner, they will be seen for the hypocrites they are - their track record is just wrong. The only thing government has done in direct and decisive action is to pick up ideas from the CLP and others - CCTV cameras. The member for Johnston was the former Police minister when I tabled a petition early in 2007, perhaps late 2006: ‘We need CCTV cameras for this town’. The response to the petition came back: ‘No, you do not’.
Hundreds of people demonstrated outside this place and then there was a backflip of monumental proportions. So, this government, in that instance, was dragged, kicking and screaming, to do even the most basic of things - and what a shame. The people I, and the members for Braitling and Greatorex, represent deserve better. Alice Springs deserves better.
We do need more police on the beat. I understand - and government will squib on this because they know it is true - there are more police in Alice Springs - and I will come back to that - but fewer on the beat than in 2001-02. Government announced a few more recruits, but more frontline police - general duties, operational, front line, on the beat, however you want to express it - is what is needed. After eight years in power, which it now clings on to by a thread, government is paralysed by its internal divisions and hatred of one another instead of getting on with the job.
Direct and decisive action to address law and order issues in Alice Springs is required, and it is required now. For government to say, every quarterly crime statistics, one crime is one crime too many, is not good enough. You are paid good salaries as ministers of the Crown; our people expect you to do better. You are not earning the money you are on. You are failing our people. I have to ask why? It is this Darwin-centric focus; pandering to so many people in the northern suburbs of Darwin and ignoring the people of Alice Springs. That is why mums and dads, in their droves, turned up in April 2007; they had every right to be disgusted with the way this government conducts itself. Nothing has changed. Look at the polling results of the August 2008 election.
I had Labor voters queueing saying: ‘I am going to vote for you this time’. I said to some of them: ‘I know this is a really significant decision for you and that is great, thank you. I tell you what …’
A member interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: True story. ‘Let us hope, if Labor is returned, they will do so much better; I can have you voting Labor next time’. They will not if this government continues in its arrogant and contemptuous way with the people of Alice Springs. Frankly, given they have such atrocious form, I do not expect anything to change.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms CARNEY: That is a shame. That is a shame, because the people of Alice Springs are entitled to a government of excellence. They are entitled to a government which makes sensible decisions for them based on evidence. They are entitled to expect a government which tries hard in Darwin, will try as hard in Alice Springs. For eight years, they have been sadly disappointed, and current indications are that will continue to be the case.
The second part of the motion is we call on the Labor government to establish crime reduction targets for each year for the next five years, and resource police and put in place the appropriate laws to ensure such reductions are met - a sensible and meaningful part of this motion. Why would a government not come up with a crime reduction strategy, crime reduction targets? For some reason, this government will not. I remember Peter Toyne saying in 2002, when he was talking about the new crime statistics: ‘Government would stand or fall on the figures and the results’. In Alice Springs, the government has fallen.
Arguably, in Darwin the government has fallen, but they are held together with the assistance of the member for Nelson. The figures are terrible reading for this town. As I said, the figures show crime has increased by 27% year on year. It has consistently gone up in so many areas, particularly crimes against the person.
I remember when Labor was in opposition in the lead-up to the 2001 election, back in the days when they were the true believers, a number of four-, five-, six-point plans, aimed at tackling crime and law and order were produced - no doubt at taxpayers’ expense. Lots of plans, but few results.
In fact, these days, plans are called discussion papers - discussion papers! Initiatives are contained in media releases; there is rarely any detail to be seen. Quarter after quarter we see government slithering around, usually denying the undeniable, assuring us government plans are working and no one has anything to worry about. You have to be joking! You cannot be serious!
You have to ask, why does government not commit to establishing crime reduction targets. Surely, this is something government would do in any event but, particularly, in light of the consistent trends we see in Alice Springs of unacceptably high crime rates. Not setting reduction targets has to be seen as an admission of failure. If it is not an admission of failure, it reeks of an acceptance and tolerance of high crime rates without any form of even aspirational targets. Shame on you, shame on you! It also reeks of a government which thrives on damage control rather than delivering better outcomes for the people of the Northern Territory. Their former colleague, Matthew Bonson, will agree with me.
Mattie said, very recently, 16 November on ABC radio, Darwin:
Meaning the government:
‘Say and do anything to keep power’ - this is a former government minister who lost his seat at the last election. He is talking about hatred between members. He is talking about a government so utterly desperate and bereft of ideas, they will say and do anything ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms CARNEY: Well, in the words of John Hewson, we want to do you slowly my friend - we want to do you slowly …
Dr Burns: It was actually Paul Keating.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Honourable members! Member for Araluen …
Ms CARNEY: It was …
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Araluen, cease for a moment. Honourable members, I remind you of Standing Order 51 which is about no interruptions, as you will recall:
Member for Araluen, you have the call.
Ms CARNEY: My apologies to Paul Keating. It was one of those classic political lines; it was a cracker. Let me repeat it: we want to do you slowly ...
Members interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: I repeat: we want to do you slowly. I am always happy to quote Labor, particularly former Labor ministers of the Crown. I am thinking Matty Bonson is a really good one to quote.
By not establishing crime targets - this is a five-part motion - I know the government has suggested it is something else. This is a five-part motion to make our town better. I live here, so does Matt Conlan, so does Adam Giles - we live here …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, I remind you that we use titles.
Ms CARNEY: Sorry. The member for Braitling, member for Greatorex - we live here. Do you think we do not have an interest in better outcomes for our town? Too right I do. We are also paid to represent the overwhelming majority of people in our electorates who voted for us. We do so, and we sleep very well at night when it comes to our commitment, our passion, and our ability to advocate for this town. You people, government people from Darwin, have no idea - that is why you polled about 20%.
As I said, not setting reduction in crime reduction targets has to be seen as an admission of failure. Alternatively, it reeks of an acceptance and tolerance of high crime rates without any form of aspirational targets, and of a government more focused on damage control than delivering better outcomes for the people we represent. In rejecting this motion and, in particular, this part of it, Labor will send a message to the people of Alice Springs: ‘We do not believe we can reduce crime’. That is what you are saying by not setting targets: you do not believe that you can reduce crime. Ministers can say, and no doubt they will - I believe it was the Chief Minister who said it yesterday - ‘One crime is too many’. Of course it is, but it is not a policy and it is not an answer. You need to do better than one liners on the floor of the parliament, grabs in media conferences, and paragraphs in media releases.
The Country Liberals will establish crime reduction targets of 20% for all crime for five years. In the first year, 20% crime reduction target in the first year of the Country Liberals government. Why? Two reasons. We will have some answers, unlike this government bereft of them and, second, we believe government should aim - aspire to - reducing crime.
If we get into government at the next election we will have many problems to deal with the mess you people will have left. However, we are committed to addressing those problems and making our town in Alice Springs a better and safer place.
The third part of our motion is to establish a Police Citizens Youth Club, known as a PCYC, in Alice Springs, and that it is located in the Larapinta area. We believe this is an initiative which should be pursued. There is a PCYC in Darwin. I know there are some concerns about its name, but I believe a model, or perhaps even a variation of it, should be used for a PCYC in Alice Springs.
Interestingly, PCYCs exist in most jurisdictions. They also exist in many regional centres in this country. Overwhelmingly, their goal is to work with young people in an effort to prevent them from being involved in the criminal justice system, and to give them life skills. Some PCYCs around the country operate very innovative programs. For the benefit of the member for Barkly, I will be quoting from a range of websites. In New South Wales, according to the website:
And how good it is to see some young people with us today again ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, would you mind if I just acknowledge those students? Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Year 8 students from ANZAC Hill High School, with their teacher, Ms Narelle Cameron and ISAs Anita Togolo and Michael Kanaan. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Araluen.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am sure they would be very interested in a police youth club proposal because they are the very people who would benefit and, in a broader sense, so would our community.
The Canberra PCYC is to assist youth who may be at risk of lapsing into, or continuing, criminal activity:
In Tasmania, it provides:
Very important, Madam Speaker. I am just quoting from some; if you doubt me, look on the websites and you will find various references.
The basic model should be used, adapted, and tweaked for Alice Springs, and be in the Larapinta area. Youth need additional services in this town; PCYC has shown to be useful elsewhere in other jurisdictions and, indeed, in the Territory. So, it should be implemented by government.
In addition, and importantly for the second part of this part of the motion, it should be in the Larapinta area. We all know some of the problems at Larapinta, and it would be a very sensible proposal to have it there. Under the stimulus package - and it was also referred to in the Chief Minister’s statement we did not get to yesterday - Braitling Primary School will have a multipurpose hall. Therefore, government does not necessarily need to build a new structure; it could adapt the existing facility, tailor made for people in that part of town. Put simply, government should look at after-hours use and should make it happen.
It is noteworthy the government has announced - thanks to our bipartisan meetings the Minister for Central Australia has now utterly abandoned - a PCYC as part of its Alice Springs Youth Action Plan. If it can be described as a glossy - I think it was in black and white, so it was not very glossy at all - after the bipartisan meeting there was a flyer distributed throughout Alice Springs which, at long last, says: ‘Establish a Police Citizens Youth Club and youth hub at the ANZAC High School Campus’. Finally, there is already a recognition from government that a PCYC is a good idea. It is probably not a bad idea around ANZAC Hill.
We think government can walk and chew gum at the same time. Have two PCYCs. There is no doubt Larapinta needs attention. In the alternative, given the activity that is going to happen at ANZAC Hill, maybe keep some of the stuff there, but move a PCYC to the Larapinta area. There is room to move; there is room to be innovative. We say that is exactly what the government should do. How sad it is the member for Stuart abandoned, unwisely in our view, the bipartisan group discussions.
In relation to the PCYC at ANZAC Hill, there is no detail, of course. There are no details about when, no details about funding - no details at all, it is just that there is going to be one. Probably, by the time I am a very old woman, we might see one there. There is no doubt the establishment of a PCYC in Alice Springs and, in particular, the Larapinta area, is needed, and we say government should support it.
The fourth part of the motion is we call on government to strengthen the Youth Justice Act to ensure more parental responsibility agreements and orders are made and acted upon. In December 2007, we announced we would support measures to hold irresponsible parents to account for repeat offending by their children. I said in a media release, member for Barkly, issued at the time:
This was the package of initiatives where government said that plasma TVs would be seized, which received, as everyone would remember, much publicity at the time, deliberately driven by a government in pre-election mode. I also said a good deal of the responsibility for the rise in juvenile crime must be shouldered by this Labor government. It has repeatedly announced half-hearted measures to curb criminal and antisocial behaviour, with little success. I concluded in my media release at that time by saying: ‘I look forward to seeing just how tough these measures really are’.
Then, in early 2008, government introduced the amendments to the Youth Justice Act, and spent taxpayers’ money on an advertising campaign several months before the 2008 election. The mantra, at the time, was the government had a comprehensive package to tackle youth crime and everyone would benefit. It was a bells and whistles proposal. When it was debated in parliament in May 2008, I issued a media release in which I outlined the opposition’s concerns about the bill. This is some of the stuff government issued. There is a picture of a young kid, a hoodie, with a thing on the front, ‘The Territory government is cracking down on youth crime’. Just false promises, and so unfortunate Territorians had to pick up the bill. When we looked at the bill, it was a shadow of the publicity it received at the time. I have, because it is one of the ones worth keeping, a copy of the Youth Justice Bill.
Dr Burns interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: No, I am going to ask one of my colleagues for an extension.
Here is the drill: you highlighted for those opposite the word ‘may’ throughout.
A member: Madam Speaker …
Madam SPEAKER: Order! You cannot get an extension before one minute.
Members interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: This was a method of good PR exercise prior to an election - nothing more, nothing less. I issued a media release …
Ms PURICK: Madam Speaker, I move an extension of time for 10 minutes for my colleague to continue, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, the media release at the time which, unusually, I copied and distributed through my electorate - it was my attempt to compete with the massive government relations spin exercise. I copied the release and put it in the letterboxes of my electorate. In that release - and I will quote parts of it, member for Barkly - I said:
I went on to list all of the ‘mays’ and what they meant. I said in the media release:
So many ‘mays’. This is why this bill needs to be overhauled. We said it at the time, we say it again: in order to get better outcomes, not just for Alice Springs but elsewhere, you must strengthen the Youth Justice Act. Estimates revealed there were very few parental responsibility agreements and orders, and no assets were seized. The big deal about plasma TVs was political huff and puff. No asset confiscations and few results. I suspect it will be like the alcohol courts, where we have been banging on about it for years, saying it is failure, it will not work. Now, we see a fairly recent discussion paper saying, in essence, they are not working. It might be a long time coming, but I feel certain the government will strengthen the Youth Justice Act. It should - we will.
There is no doubt policy in relation to young people is failing the good people of Alice Springs, in particular. I urge members opposite to look at this bill; get it right. I do not have confidence in the Attorney-General. She was the one, in relation to the fines and penalties units, who thought $6500 was good enough for beggars. I do not believe she is capable of doing the job but, perhaps, one of her colleagues – presumably someone likes her - can get on with the job.
Part 5 of the motion is we call on the government to change the hours of the availability of alcohol so all takeaway alcohol is sold from 10 am. The government has played with this motion, and it does so at its own peril. Let us be very clear: this is one part of a law and order motion. Second, the government makes a number of outrageous claims, and my colleague, the member for Greatorex, shadow minister for alcohol policy, will detail these things in his contribution shortly.
The Labor government continues to fail the people of Alice Springs with alcohol restrictions - not curbing alcohol, and not curbing alcohol-related crime. Labor opposes this motion because it wants everything to stay the way it is; we do not. We do not want 65.5% of crime being alcohol-related. We do not want to see a continuation of a 27% increase, year-on-year, in crime in this town. We do not want to see the 91% increase in 2008-09 in the number of drunks going in and out protective custody. We want to see better alcohol courts, dry areas working, and the government follow through on its promise of buying back takeaway licences. This is a government which talks oh so much, but does oh so little.
You have to ask: why is the government not tackling the health problem which is the addiction to alcohol? Where are the rehabilitation programs? What have you done, you true believers? You should hang your heads in shame; you have done next to nothing. The results are simply not reflected in the figures we see, however you look them, in government publications and, indeed, everyday life in Alice Springs. We believe more can be done.
If we look, for instance, at Port Augusta - and I have spoken to the person who has evaluated the program there, and there will be another evaluation shortly. They sell grog from 9 am, and are getting good outcomes. The government asserts - and it uses rhetoric which does not work in Alice Springs; people are a wake-up to it – we are opening up the rivers of grog. People are drinking Listerine and cooking essence, and they are throwing the bottles behind my office and elsewhere in Alice Springs. Because Labor has failed to address their addiction, people are obtaining alcohol in whatever way they can. They are breaking into premises to get alcohol, drinking vanilla essence – how tragic is that? - drinking Listerine – how awful is that?
You are not doing enough on behalf of our constituents, and police officers, many of whom are our friends. This is a small town and we talk to police every day. I have had police who are friends at my home, and I have been to theirs. They are excellent public servants, who say if we can get the drunks off the street earlier in the day, it would be great; it would free up resources. And I note with interest in the 8HA poll, that 83% of people supported this part of our motion.
Constituents ring me in the morning and say: ‘I had 20 drunks outside my place, one of them slashed a tyre’, someone else did something else - it goes on and on. I blame the government. You are moving these problems into the night, and that is what it is about despite all your spin. I know some of your friends in the media have swallowed it all, and you have done your best in Darwin to make it look like we are out of touch. It will not wash - you are out of touch, you have scored less than 20% or thereabouts. If these restrictions are so good, why are they not in Darwin? We know the crime figures in Darwin have increased. Mmmm, must be about not wanting to upset the people in the northern suburbs, but having a go at the people of Alice Springs.
There are many reasons why there has been a reduction in alcohol; there are so many reasons and, yet, government is highlighting a couple and it is all they can hang their hat on. We say there are parts of the Menzies report - and my colleague, the member for Greatorex will go into it in more detail. It is clear government has not read the Menzies report – you just have not. I do not have time to go into it, but the advertisement placed in the Centralian Advocate on Friday was utterly scandalous. It asserted that the Menzies report found, since the introduction of the Alcohol Management Plan, a number of things happened. No, it did not. We checked. We looked at the table. We spoke with the authors.
We asked: ‘Where did you get the 21% figure of the number of serious assaults in Alice Springs; that figure is not published’. ‘Oh, it is’. ‘No, it is not’. ‘Oh, we got them from someone in government’. ‘Oh, okay. What is meant by the ratio of patients at Alice Springs hospital with alcohol-related injuries dropping?’ ‘Oh, ratio of what? Ratio in relation to what?’ ‘What about reduction of 544 four-litre wine casks per day? Based on what?’
The Menzies report does not contain a number of details; does not source information. I am looking at the member for Johnston because I believe he prides himself on detail. It is just not there. I know you have all of your advisors, but have a look at it; it is not there. At the very end, there is one reference to the Department of Justice. Not good enough - nowhere near good enough. So, do all your rhetoric and your little friends will quote you accordingly; but we know our town, we know this issue - we know this issue.
We also know the government’s form, and I am looking, through you Madam Speaker, at the member for Casuarina. He said in parliament at the last sittings - and he should not have - he had people in his department check how much extra grog was coming in. There are many reasons for a drop in consumption. One of them, not the sole one – but in the two minutes I have left, and I do rely on my colleague, the member for Greatorex, to elaborate on these things - the member for Casuarina said they spoke to Australia Post, the biggest courier in Alice Springs, and to other couriers. The reply from them was they had not seen any significant increase in alcohol sales. Wrong! Knowing the government’s form and knowing it could not be right, I spoke with the delivery services manager. He lives around the corner; he is a constituent. I rang him up. ‘Did you say this?’ ‘No!’ he said. ‘What did you say?’ His reply: ‘Based on ocular inspection, there has been an increase’. He did not speak to any other couriers and, frankly, I doubt the minister did either.
What we see in the spin coming out today - and we have seen it before - the member for Casuarina said: ‘There has been no significant increase’. That is not what he said. He said: ‘We have seen an increase; there has been an increase’. There has been an increase. Part of the reason for a drop in consumption is many people are buying out of town, so you cannot measure it. In addition, the Menzies report referred to an underestimation of wine casks. If you have read the report you would have picked that up. The Menzies report also said some judgment should be exercised in concluding that they – reductions - are caused by the Alcohol Management Plan, rather than any other influences which happened at the same time.
So, shabby government, it just spins and spins, and it will continue to do so. If you keep doing that, you will continue to poll 20%, or thereabouts, at the next election. I would not have thought all of you were that stupid. I would not have thought all of you care so little about the people I am paid to represent. Abuse us all you like - and I know you will - but do not dare get stuck into my constituents who I proudly represent. We do this for them. We know what is happening in our town. From the Parliament House in Darwin, you give it your hardest. However, if you do not listen to us you are the fools we think you are ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, your time has expired.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, the Territory government will not be supporting this motion. I have to say, having listened to the member for Araluen, this has to be the most illogical, nonsensical, counterproductive, facile motion I have seen in this Territory parliament.
All of us want to reduce crime. I believe that binds all 25 of us. We are going to have differences of opinions on how we reduce crime. We can have our political debates and positions, but we have a responsibility to the people of the Northern Territory to have an evidenced-based approach to public policy. If we are going to articulate a position – there can be political positions put which may not have much evidence and science around them. However, when we are talking about policy which goes to the heart of the core responsibility of any government - which is the safety and wellbeing of its citizens - then there has to be an evidenced-based approach.
We will not be supporting this motion because all of the aspirations in the first four points of the motion - and there are good points I would like to debate - are absolutely undermined by the last point of the motion which would turn back on the rivers of grog here in Alice Springs. That would have one consequence: more crime, more assaults, more domestic violence, more stabbings, and more hospital admissions. That would be the direct result of turning back on the rivers of grog here in Alice Springs. How can you take the first four limbs of the motion seriously when they are totally undermined by the last point of the motion? I cannot believe the opposition is putting forward, with any credibility - any credibility at all - by opening up takeaway alcohol sales for another four hours of the day - four hours more drinking time - that would contribute to reducing crime in Alice Springs. It is absolutely nonsensical.
Despite the overwhelming evidence alcohol restrictions in Alice Springs are starting to turn things around, the opposition – and I do not understand the populace politics here in Alice Springs. They have been very quiet on this elsewhere; they have not been on the radio in Darwin. I have not seen any third-party support, the Police Association, any of the health groups, any of the DV organisations, not one group in the Northern Territory has come out and said this is good public policy. Until the last five minutes of a 25-minute speech by the Leader of the Opposition, there has been no discussion about this. It was dropped on the table in Darwin and the opposition has run squirming and hiding from this particular point since they did. They want to turn back time. They are unreconstructed and they are unchanged from the spent political party which lost office in 2001.
Turning back on the rivers of grog is going to reduce crime – save me! Save me, Madam Speaker. The opposition is proposing allowing takeaway sales of alcohol in Alice Springs to begin at 10 am rather than the current time of 2 pm. It is an absolute disgrace to have that as policy. It flies in the face of common sense and it flaunts the facts. It flaunts the facts and it flaunts the evidence.
From 1998 to 2002, takeaway sales in Alice Springs began at noon. For the vast majority of this period, the CLP government was actually administering these trading conditions. Restrictions on the hours and days alcohol can be purchased is part of most packages aimed at reducing alcohol-related problems in rural and regional Australia. This is occurring everywhere, in trying to turn back the violence and the assaults caused by grog; to reduce the amount of time alcohol can be purchased for takeaway hours. There are obvious and accepted links between alcohol and the problems with excessive drinking related to crime.
First, we should remember Alice Springs was declared a public restricted area on 1 August 2007. Let us clarify for a moment what the main restrictions are. The current takeaway control measures include: restricting the purchase of cask and fortified wine until after 6 pm; restricting drinkers to no more than a single one-litre cask of fortified wine a day, and no more than a two-litre cask for all other wines; restricting the sale of alcohol from 2 pm to 9 pm Monday to Friday, 10 am to 9 pm on Saturdays and noon to 9 pm on Sundays. In June 2008, we also introduced an electronic identification system for takeaway alcohol in the Alice and Katherine regions.
What has occurred since we put those measures in place? In the six months to 30 June this year, the ID system detected more than 3800 attempts to circumvent alcohol supply measures in Alice Springs. These are people who are trying to purchase more than one one-litre cask of fortified wine a day and more than two litres of casks of all other wines. There were 3800 attempts to circumvent the one cask a day application in Alice Springs. Can you imagine, without that ID system in place, there would have been an additional 3800 purchases of additional alcohol that would have turned into more crime? That is under-represented, because people know ‘I have my one cask for the day, it is pointless me going back to try to get another because I will not be able to get one’. But no, I assume they do not like that system either.
What does this actually mean for Alice Springs? It means, in the six months to June this year, on average, 22 fewer wine casks per day were consumed. We have also prohibited the takeaway sale of 750 ml and 800 ml bottles of beer, and these measures have broad community support.
In August this year, the Licensing Commission endorsed these control measures following a public consultation process. These control measures have produced some extremely positive results. If the opposition had their way, this work would be undone. Let us look for a moment at what has been achieved through the supply measures. For instance, between October 2006 and September 2008, we saw an overall reduction of 18% in pure alcohol supplied. That is a significant reduction in the amount of takeaway alcohol sold in Alice Springs. To put it another way, this is the same as saying over five million fewer cans of full strength beer being drunk in Alice Springs because of the introduction of supply measures. The numbers are 5 253 480 fewer cans of full strength beer being drunk over that period.
The opposition really think, if this community drank an additional five million cans of beer over that period, there would be fewer bashings, fewer assaults, fewer admissions to hospital, and less work for our hard-working police? What planet are they on?
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: What planet are you on? It is absolutely outrageous! An extra five million cans of beer being drunk in this community would lead to a safer community? What planet are they on? It is absolutely outrageous ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: They purport to be a government in waiting. Five million extra cans of beer is equivalent to more than 50 000 fewer cans of full strength beer a week not being drunk in Alice Springs. Between 2006 and 2008, we saw an 85% drop in wine casks supplied in Alice Springs ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: The member for Greatorex can attempt to defend the indefensible. I would like him to see the surgeons at Alice Springs Hospital, the nurses in the emergency department of the Alice Springs Hospital, the AMA, to say their workload would be reduced at Alice Springs Hospital if this community consumed an extra five million cans of beer. You trot them out. You trot out a single credible health group which supports this measure. There are none, Madam Speaker.
Before supply measures were introduced in 2006, cask wine represented 27% of the total amount of alcohol sold in Alice Springs. By 2008, wine cask sales represented just 5% of the market. Going from around 13% to 15% alcohol in four-litre casks down to full strength beer running at 4% to 5%, and we have had a reduction of five million cans sold. They want to go back to the good old days of it being on for young and old in Alice Springs. We have also seen a 72% reduction in the sale of fortified wines since 2006. Also, since these restrictions have been in place, there has been a 21% drop in serious assaults. The opposition can produce any evidence you like to say if you open up sales of alcohol you are going to reduce assaults - you are absolutely joking. You really are living on the planet of Triton! I do not know where it sits in the universe, but that is probably where they are getting their policy from.
They are saying they are going to reduce crime, and they want crime reduction strategies. They want set crime reduction targets; they are going to put crime reduction targets in place but sell more grog ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex, cease interjecting. Member for Fong Lim!
Mr HENDERSON: What a joke! What an absolute travesty. There would be some credibility in their position on increasing alcohol sales - and someone in the Licensing Commission said today: ‘Okay, if you are going to start selling grog at 10 am, reduce the sale of grog from 9 pm to 5 pm so, overall, there is not an extended period of time to purchase alcohol’. If the member for Araluen is serious about this debate and says it pushes drunks into the evening, people would rather have drunks in the morning than in the evening. If that was a credible position, you would shift the sale of alcohol from 9 pm back to 5 pm, and not have people drinking for longer periods of time. It is absolutely outrageous!
Let me turn to other points of this motion, because there were interesting additional points. The first was to take direct and decisive action to address law and order issues in Alice Springs. This infers the government, police, other government agencies, and a myriad of non-government organisations are not already taking direct, decisive, and comprehensive steps to address law and order issues in Alice Springs. This insults the good efforts of so many people. For instance, police continually target alcohol-related antisocial behaviour in public places - 80% of all police work in Alice Springs is alcohol related. These clowns opposite want to pour more grog onto the problem …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: These clowns opposite want to pour more grog onto the problem! They really are on planet Triton.
Let me give you some examples of direct action. We have put effective alcohol restrictions into place - that is direct action. We have established a Police Beat - that is direct action. The Police Beat commenced operation in Todd Mall this year. I have an interview with Jonathan Uptin on Channel 9 News Monday, 15 December, when we announced our Police Beat initiatives, and opened the first one at Casuarina. The Leader of the Opposition says I have closed down the shopfront. That is the policy; they do not like Police Beats. Why close one if you are not going to close them all? It is ridiculous. This was a strategic initiative and it is returning results. This initiative was funded with an additional seven extra constables and foot patrols.
The Safer Streets Initiative will also increase Alice Springs police numbers by a further 10 constables this financial year. So, overall an extra 17 full-time police positions in Alice Springs. These Safer Streets police will increase police patrols in the Alice Springs suburbs - that is direct action.
Police regularly conduct antisocial behaviour special operations in identified hot spots. The Property Crime Reduction Unit is another example of strategic and decisive action aimed at addressing law and order issues. The PCRU targets property crime in Alice Springs, and the last quarter has seen a decrease in unlawful entry offences in dwellings and business. The PCRU results are impressive to date: 255 arrests, 47 summonses, 65 youth diversions - total charges year to date, 726. A senior crimes officer position has been attached to the PCRU, which is another example of decisive and strategic action to address law and order issues in Alice, resulting in more successful collection of physical evidence from crime scenes.
As we all know, domestic violence is a significant component of Alice Springs law and order problems. We all know that; it is a tragic blight on our community. The Domestic Violence Protection Unit conducts targeted operations to locate offenders, with a particular focus on repeat offenders. Since March this year, the DVPU has also commenced a victim management process with enhanced victim outcomes and follow -up on repeat victims.
It is White Ribbon Day today, Madam Speaker, and it is great to see most members of parliament wearing white ribbons. My colleague, the minister for Families will be releasing a DVD today of a public education campaign about mandatory reporting of domestic violence. We are working as hard as we can to reduce the incidence of domestic violence across the Northern Territory, and getting the message out that it is unacceptable.
However, do the members opposite really believe increasing alcohol sales for an extra four hours a day is going to reduce domestic violence?
A member interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Reduce domestic violence? What an obscene position ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order, member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: You will have your say to defend the indefensible. I challenge you to put up here one credible health organisation that supports it ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: Not one credible health organisation supports your position.
In the discussion about domestic violence and assault figures, the member for Araluen can trot out all the statistics she likes to try to paint a picture that no one is safe walking the streets in the Northern Territory. I know that is what she is trying to do. The tragedy of domestic violence in the Northern Territory is unacceptable, and that is why police now have dedicated Domestic Violence Units in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Darwin, building a rapport and giving confidence to repeat victims, that those offenders will be targeted and prosecuted. As a result of that confidence and targeted police activity, we are actually seeing, thankfully, more offences being reported so more targeted prosecutions can be made.
It is not just me saying this. People can think we are having a political debate, but I believe everyone in this House respects the independence of the Commissioner of Police of the Northern Territory; it is an independent position and the Police Commissioner runs his own show. The Police Commissioner, Paul White, at one of the final press conferences he gave before he retired and left the position said:
He went on to say:
When you shine a light on a problem, put more resources on to the problem and make it compulsory for domestic violence to be reported, support the victims and prosecute repeat offenders, of course, those reports and incidents are going to go up. What would the evidence-based approach of the member for Araluen be? I know one way we could drive those crime figures down: dismantle the Domestic Violence Units and take away mandatory reporting. You would see reports of violent crime decrease dramatically. That would be a very quick and easy way to get a political headline. However, as the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, I am not prepared to do that because I want to see women in the Northern Territory protected by focusing on this problem.
Tipping more grog on to the problem is not going to help those women. It is going to make them suffer even more than they are suffering today ...
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Araluen!
Mr HENDERSON: … even more than they are suffering today. Pouring more grog on to the problem is going to make those women suffer even more than they are today.
I will stick with shining a light on this problem, even if it does mean these figures go up, because this society has to deal with this problem. We have to bring it out into the open, take it away from behind closed doors in those wretched town camps, bring it out into the open for what it is, and get this issue resolved. Pouring more grog on to it will only make it worse. It is an obscene position by the opposition.
My government is also investing in CCTV networks. In Alice Springs, we have delivered funding to the town council to enable the network to be extended and provide for its monitoring ...
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, do you mind if I acknowledge these students?
Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of the Araluen Christian College Years 5/6 students with their Principal, Mrs Hilary Saunders and teacher, Ms Sandra Cooper. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, thank you.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I acknowledge any government can always do better - always do better - on behalf of the citizens we are elected to serve. We have significantly implemented and expanded the CCTV network. I know Alice Springs Town Council is very happy with the cooperation of government. I point out, while we are in Alice Springs: how many CCTV cameras did the CLP install when in government for 27 years? Answer – none.
We have also allocated $200 000 for security lighting upgrades. We deliver $350 000 a year to Tangentyere Council to deliver integrated case management services in Alice Springs, including a user pays Return to Home Country. Multi-agency teams are working together in an integrated service delivery model to identify gaps in service delivery. Teams are deployed to target specific groups – for example, young people who should be in school or homeless people who may be in need of support services. These teams are making progress at Northside Shops in Elliott Street, northern Todd Mall area including the riverbank, Todd Tavern, and Larapinta Valley Town Camp.
The $15.6m Youth Action Plan administered by my colleague, the Minister for Central Australia, including the youth hub, is one of the more recent decisive and strategic initiatives we have taken. A youth services coordinator has been established to coordinate youth services in Alice Springs. The focus is on engaging youth, improving school attendance, responding to youth at risk through the provision of expanded emergency bed accommodation, and the construction of a residential facility at the ANZAC Hill Campus of the Centralian Middle School.
The government, assisted by many in Alice, is taking direct and decisive action to address law and order issues in Alice Springs. There is good support for the actions of my government and for the efforts in departments and non-government organisations in this area. The development and implementation of the No School, No Service campaign is a good example of collaboration within Alice Springs to address such issues. I commend the 120 businesses in Alice Springs which have actually committed to this issue. They have actually committed to a reduction of income through their tills in their business to support this, and I commend their commitment to this issue and to the community by taking a hit in their own profitability to support this initiative in the community. There are considerable resources employed and significant action under way to address law and order in this town. I commend everyone playing a part.
The motion also proposes crime reduction targets to be established for each year for the next five years, and to resource police and put in place appropriate laws to ensure such reductions are met. In respect of crime reduction targets, all policing activities in the Territory are already aimed at reducing crime in the Northern Territory. Identifying arbitrarily selected percentage targets for reduction will have no impact on whether such targets are achieved.
Quarterly crime statistics are already available. We publish quarterly crime statistics, the most comprehensive crime reporting in Australia by an absolute country mile, and that provides the information for public debate on crime reduction. So I say we already do this. Alice Springs police operate on a timely intelligence-led basis which targets hot spots and crime trends in accordance with a tactical coordination group process.
The ABS reports the clear-up rate of Northern Territory Police Force is second to none, compared to the national average in respect of serious crime. The 2009 report on government services clearly demonstrates we have twice as many police per head of population than in any other jurisdiction. We now have more police than ever before in the history of the Northern Territory, and Alice Springs has a significant number of police officers per head of population.
Following the graduation of two training squads on 9 November 2009, we have 1296 police serving in the force, which is 392 additional police in place than we had in 2003. The legacy of the former CLP government was an under-funded, under-manned, morale debilitated police force in the Northern Territory, and police officers leaving the Territory in droves. We have 392 extra police. Alice Springs and the southern region has seen an overall increase of 39 paid police over this period, all of which are constables or above.
While numbers vary from day to day, Alice Springs Police Station has, at the moment, 175 police including ACPOs and auxiliaries. Alice Springs has a population of around 26 000 and is well serviced by police when you compare it to other towns interstate or similar larger populations. For instance, Broken Hill has a population of around 20 000 people; it has 61 police. Kalgoorlie has a population of 31 000 people and has 89 police; and Whyalla has a population of 23 000 and has 66 police. Whichever way you cut it, Alice Springs has more police than any other town of a similar size, or the same size, in Australia.
We then talk about appropriate laws to be put in place to address law and order. Let me just run through some of the things we have done. We have introduced new laws requiring all adults to report domestic violence. It is White Ribbon Day today, and I ask all members to support the release of the DVDs and the marketing campaign in and around that. We have reversed the presumption of bail for repeat violent offenders, we have strengthened sentencing laws, we have tough new laws which aim to stamp out the activities of organised crime syndicates and illegal bikie gangs - and that was an issue in Alice Springs; young offenders are being held fully responsible for their actions under the Youth Justice Act; legislation is there to provide for family responsibility agreements and orders; we have increased the penalties for sexual assault, we are strengthening food and drink spiking laws; and we have prohibited rock throwing. Regarding the sentiment of this motion, I attest we have significantly strengthened laws to address law and order.
The motion proposes a Police and Citizens Youth Club. Members would be aware government has already agreed, as part of the parliamentary agreement between me and the Independent member for Nelson, for a police boys club model to be developed for Casuarina, Palmerston, Katherine and Alice Springs. Work is under way as part of the Youth Action Plan, so I attest we are doing that part of what this motion calls for.
In Alice Springs at this time, the government’s focus is on implementing the youth hub as one of the cornerstones of the Alice Springs Youth Action Plan. It will deliver a multi-agency model, with Police and the Departments of Health and Families and Education and Training as the key government agencies involved, with a better capacity to engage with the non-government organisations sector ...
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move the Chief Minister be given an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
My government will invest more than $15.6m over the next four years to establish the Alice Springs Middle School and other elements of the Alice Springs Youth Action Plan. It was great to be at the Alice Springs High School campus as part of the new middle school next year. A $3.36m contract has just been let to a local Alice Springs company, Asbuild (NT), to build new VET facilities, new IT labs, and a new canteen area. A similar sum of money will be expended at ANZAC Hill Campus to provide for a very smart new middle school for Alice Springs next year - one of the biggest reforms in education here for a long time.
The youth hub will operate utilising existing facilities, including the Gap Youth Centre and the Alice Springs Youth Centre, to complement and expand their capacity to provide meaningful activities for young people in Alice Springs. There are already a significant number of current youth-related activities and service funded in Alice Springs.
The motion also suggests the Youth Justice Act should be strengthened to ensure more parental responsibility agreements and orders are made and acted on. This was an initiative of our government. All new legislation needs to be kept under critical review, and this is especially relevant with innovative provisions which aim to regulate the lives of youth offenders and dysfunctional families - provisions which are contemporary and have previously not been proven anywhere. We have been innovative in the Northern Territory; we are doing something no one else is doing, and we will keep that under critical review.
I am pleased to report following a submission from the Department of Children and Families, my government took action, in May this year, in the form of an additional review to consider the legislation and the implementation of Part 6A, and to suggest any improvements which might be made. The review resulted in 13 recommendations which included the development of areas such as education of stakeholders, procedural matters, supports required for workers, and clarification of the functions of the family support centres and the inter-agency collaboration panel. All recommendations made in this review have been actioned.
The family responsibility legislation is a new initiative. Careful monitoring of the functioning of the legislation in the family support centres is occurring. The initial review occurred five months after the regulations commenced in relation to Alice Springs. With the refinements made based on the recommendations of this review, the government is taking advice in relation to a more complete review of the legislation and operations in the future.
We can support the intent of this part of the motion. All those good intents in other parts of the motion are absolutely undermined by the last limb of the motion. None of the preceding four limbs of this motion can possibly be achieved, in any way, by implementing the fifth and reprehensible part of the motion, which is to turn back on the rivers of grog in Alice Springs. It is to the shame of the opposition they could bring into this parliament a position to extend the hours for the sale of takeaway alcohol from 10 am without reducing, correspondingly, the evening time from 9 pm to 5 pm.
Their policy position is very clear. I am very interested to hear the member for Greatorex defend the absolute indefensible; how an 18% increase in pure alcohol consumption a year - the equivalent of consuming an additional 5.5 million cans of full strength beer – would, in any way, improve the lives and safety of women and children in Alice Springs.
If the opposition wants to keep throwing these issues up, I will keep returning to one of the saddest and traumatic moments of my life as an elected member of parliament, which was spending time in Alice Springs with police officers who are part of the Domestic Violence Unit. It was something which will stay with me for the rest of my life. I sat down with two fine women police officers, and they took me through a folio this thick, of page after page after page of photographs of Indigenous women in this town who had been beaten to a pulp as a result of alcohol-induced violence and domestic violence in Alice Springs - page after page.
As I said, we have a responsibility as legislators and a parliament, to protect the most vulnerable in our community. We know, in Alice Springs, women and children, particularly in those town camps, are vulnerable. For the opposition to even contemplate extending the sale of takeaway alcohol for an additional four hours every day is in any way going to help protect those vulnerable women is offensive and outrageous …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Regarding the police officers the member for Araluen spoke about; I also have many personal friends who are police officers. I married into a family with very strong connections to police. I challenge the member for Araluen to sit down with those officers who work in the Domestic Violence Unit and explain to them how pouring more grog onto this problem is going to make their jobs any easier - it is outrageous.
With regard to the intent of this motion, of course, we support the intent to reduce crime in Alice Springs; we have a responsibility to do that as a government. However, all the good intent of the previous four parts of the motion - as I have said we can quibble about bits and pieces of it, but the intent is fine; we all want reduced crime in our society – is undermined by the last part of the motion which says: ‘Change the hours of the availability of alcohol so that all takeaway alcohol is sold from 10 am’. It is offensive, outrageous, and it would do nothing other than increase crime, violence, bashings, assaults, presentations to the hospital, and absolutely make the lives of the most disadvantaged people in Alice Springs even worse. We will not be supporting the motion.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, it is not a surprise the government will not be supporting this because it has failed Alice Springs in so many areas. It never ceases to amaze me; every time I stand up to contribute to a debate in this House - I believe I have heard everything. I believe I said it last time when the road safety bill, that propaganda puff piece was brought on by the member for Barkly at the last sittings. However, now I have heard everything. The Chief Minister claims - he believes he has us in a corner - the restrictions on alcohol and the Country Liberals’ approach to winding back the sale of alcohol is, somehow, going to increase the sale of alcohol. Where is the evidence which shows opening the doors longer is going to, all of a sudden, see a huge spike in alcohol sales? Where is it?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr CONLAN: He has never worked in retail, he believes all you have to do is have a shop, open the front door and, all of a sudden, people are going to flood in and start spending their money. None of you have ever worked in the private sector, clearly; although I believe the member for Johnston was a pharmacist. He should know that simply by opening the shopfront, putting the sign out the front and sitting behind the till, people are not going to flock in. That is clearly the logic of the Australian Labor Party.
It is not about increasing alcohol sales across Alice Springs. It is about repealing the trading hours of these bottle shops. There is no evidence to suggest opening the bottle shops earlier will see a huge spike in alcohol sales – full stop. Anyone who has ever worked in any form of private enterprise - and clearly none of the Labor Party have - will know that. Speak to the Australian Retailers Association and find out what they think about trading hours and the increase in sales ...
Members interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: I know the Minister for Health does not believe in that. He has never worked in the private sector himself …
Members interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: Well, you should know better. Extending the trading hours does not increase sales. I can guarantee that; I grew up in private enterprise. I was put through school through private enterprise. I worked in the family business. There is no evidence to suggest increasing the trading hours will increase sales - full stop. It is a fact, and you can check it out. Talk to any retailer. In fact, the only evidence I do have to suggest trading hours would not spike is anecdotal evidence by talking to all the bottle shop owners here in Central Australia. None of them could say, if we roll back the hours to 10 am we are going to see a huge increase in alcohol sales. So, where is the logic?
Members interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: Where is the logic in that? All right? I do not know whether the Chief Minister is trying to draw his argument; it is a very long bow. This part of the motion which says change the hours of the availability of alcohol so all takeaway alcohol is sold from 10 am says nothing about increasing the sales of alcohol. It simply says change the hours of the availability of alcohol so all takeaway alcohol is sold from 10 am. The key word there is ‘availability’. Okay? It is not about purchasing; it is not about extra sales. It is about the availability of alcohol from 10 am. It is very clear and it has nothing to do with alcohol sales.
It is no surprise this government does not support any of these motions. I do not know how they can stand in this parliament and preach to the people of Alice Springs - the people in this gallery and listening online across the Northern Territory and, indeed, perhaps across other parts of the country - that they do, hand on heart, care about Alice Springs. We know they have comprehensively failed Alice Springs since they came to government in 2001. The former Chief Minister, Clare Martin, brought Alice Springs almost to its knees in 2007 with an unprecedented protest of about 500 or 600 people at the Alice Springs parliamentary sittings.
They have failed in the battle for law and order. That is, even if they ever were interested in engaging in the battle of law and order. I do not think they were. It is very clear this government has comprehensively failed Alice Springs. They are a completely unmitigated disaster for the Northern Territory and, of course, for Central Australia. It is no surprise to hear the rhetoric. It was almost embarrassing today to hear the Chief Minister roll out the dribble which comes out of his mouth, trying to tell the people of Alice Springs - who know all too well what their town is facing – that he disputes that and, in some way, trying to wedge the Country Liberal Party and, indeed, the three local members.
There is no evidence, by the way, to suggest increasing the trading hours is going to increase sales - absolutely no evidence whatsoever. In fact, if we were to take the Chief Minister’s argument to the nth degree, by his logic we would just ban alcohol altogether. Wouldn’t we? He told the story about looking through the folder at the Alice Springs Hospital. If this was his argument, and we were to take his argument on face value, we would be completely banning alcohol - much like the evidence-based approach the member for Johnston raised in the political propaganda puff piece by the member for Barkly at the last sittings; that one vehicle accident is too many so let us just ban cars. Again, that is an evidence-based approach. You said the road safety campaign was evidence-based approach. If that is the case, we just ban motor vehicles ...
Dr Burns interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: No, no, that is just drawing the logic ...
Dr Burns interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr CONLAN: By your logic and the Chief Minister’s logic, that is what we should do - ban everything. It is not ...
Dr Burns interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr CONLAN: It is not. Logic is logic. Right? Logic is logic. By virtue of logic, is logic.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr CONLAN: Now let us have a look at …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, would you mind if I just acknowledged a couple of people in the gallery.
Mr CONLAN: Certainly.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of His Worship the Mayor of Alice Springs, Mr Damien Ryan. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I also draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of students from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Sadadeen Campus, four students from Year 11, and 17 from Year 9, together with their teachers, Miss Marie Daykin and Mr Jon Raveney. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Greatorex.
Mr CONLAN: Madam Speaker, let us have a look at some of the stuff the government hangs its hat on. They hang their whole argument on this report compiled by an academic at Monash University. Let us have a look:
Well, lo and behold, can you believe it? Holy cow! Let me read it again:
For the information of the gallery, I will hold up this Monash University/Menzies report, commissioned by the Northern Territory government, which they are hanging their whole argument on. It goes on to say:
‘… a point also made about increased activity on town camps to later in the evening’. All right? ‘Increased activity on town camps to later in the evening’. There is some evidence for you, members for Johnston and Karama, and for you, Chief Minister. This one talks about consumption:
The report goes on to say:
Holy cow, can you believe it? This is from the actual report Moving Beyond the Restrictions: The Evaluation of the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan, commissioned by the Northern Territory government. Here is another one:
In other words, there is nothing in this report to indicate alcohol trading hours will contribute solely to the increase of more alcohol sales. The Department of Justice does not particularly like, it do they? As soon as they are put on the boiler, they do not particularly like it. I am not referring to anyone in particular there, Madam Speaker. I just think it is worth highlighting to the gallery, the people who come into this Chamber every two years to see their parliament in action, when taken to task on issues, they do not particularly like it very much.
Here is the Department of Justice 2008-09 Report to the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing. Let us see. I will run through some of these for you:
Where does it say anywhere in there expanding the trading hours, or putting them back to 10 am, is going to see an increase in alcohol sales? It does not say it anywhere in the Menzies report - the famous report compiled by an academic at the Monash University; the report this government hangs its hat on. In fact, it is the centrepiece of their whole argument in Central Australia. Nowhere does it say it in the Department of Justice 2008-09 Report to the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing. In fact, it says:
Can you believe that? The Chief Minister is here saying we have seen massive reductions in sales of beer and cans of beer but, no:
It is amazing how the facts get in the way of a great story. It is just incredible! Here we are in Central Australia, they are on the ropes, they are trying to push us on the ropes and, yet, these facts, somehow, get in the way of a great story:
Again, the Chief Minister is left right out in the cold with his argument. He is clearly completely out of touch with what is happening in Central Australia. He hangs his hat on a report which, nowhere, indicates the increase in trading hours is going to see a spike in alcohol sales. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest it will not see a spike in alcohol sales. Nowhere in this Menzies report, or in the Department of Justice report, does it link any of those contributing factors to alcohol trading hours - nowhere is any of those major factors contributing to alcohol sales! In fact, all we have seen is the reduction in cask wine supply is offset by an increase in full strength beer.
Looking at the alcohol restrictions is very interesting. If the restrictions, and the AMP, the Alcohol Management Plan, were such a wonderful glowing success as the government portray - and we have demonstrated this morning it is not; it is factually incorrect, and they are allowing the facts to get in the way of a good story, again. We have successfully demonstrated to the gallery, and to those people listening online right across the world these …
Members interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: Maybe they have a life.
Dr Burns: John Laws strikes again.
Mr CONLAN: It is wonderful to be referred to such a legend as Lawsy; I do not think he would appreciate it. Nevertheless, we have just demonstrated the government do not let the facts get in the way of a good story, and their argument is completely flawed because they have been very selective in parts of the Menzies report and the Department of Justice report.
If, though, it was such a glowing success - which it is not - why are we not seeing this rolled out across Darwin? No one on the other side of the House has been able to answer that question. Not one person has been able to answer why these restrictions are not rolled out in Darwin.
Member for Johnston, do you have an answer? No. Has the Chief Minister been able to answer this question? No. It has been put to them time, and time again. The member for Karama, the Minister for Alcohol Policy - no one - has been able to answer why. If the restrictions which are in place in Central Australia are such a glowing success as crowed about by the Northern Territory government, time and time again - you have never been able to answer this question ...
A member: It is on the record.
Mr CONLAN: You have never been able to answer this question, and the people of Central Australia would like, during debate of this motion, for you to explain in plain English why we are seeing these restrictions rolled out across Central Australia and not the Top End.
I can run through the takeaway liquor restrictions of the Northern Territory in Darwin. Trading hours are 10 am until 10 pm, Monday to Friday. Restrictions on container size - nil. Restrictions on cask and fortified wine - nil. Other restrictions - nil. ID system - nil. Saturday and public holidays, 9 am until 10 pm. Again, no restrictions on container size, cask or fortified wine, or other restrictions, or an ID system. This is straight from a letter I received from the Minister for Alcohol Policy. On Sundays, pubs and clubs only 10 am until 10 pm. No takeaway trading on Christmas Day and Good Friday. We see no restrictions on product or trading hours in Darwin.
If we have a look at Alice Springs: Monday to Friday 2 pm until 9 pm; Saturday 10 am until 9 pm. Can someone please tell me why, if it is such a great measure and it is working so well, we have Monday to Friday from 2 pm until 9 pm, but it is okay to trade from 10 am Saturday morning? Why is that? Can anyone answer that? No, you cannot answer that either, because it is contrary to the argument and the line you are trying to run - completely contrary. It is disallowing the facts to get in the way of a good story, and a badly prosecuted argument by the Chief Minister.
In Katherine we have similar restrictions: 2 pm until 8 pm, Monday to Friday. The restrictions are much the same, by a quick glance: no liquor other than cask wine to be sold in containers larger than one litre, with the exception of the Darwin Stubby Souvenir Packs; cask wine not greater than two litres – this is Alice Springs by the way; beer in 750 ml and 800 ml glass containers is prohibited - nothing like that in the Top End; cask and fortified wine, one person per day of either cask or fortified wine; and then other restrictions, cask and fortified wine only available between 6 pm and 9 pm every day. And, yes, there is a photo ID system in place.
As we have demonstrated, the argument by the Northern Territory government is flawed. With just one minute 30 seconds to go, I believe it is worth repeating from the report:
It is right there in this report this government loves to hang its hat on …
Mr STYLES: 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.
Mr CONLAN: Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you honourable members.
Again, there is no evidence in the Department of Justice report which states the increase in alcohol trading hours is going to see an increase in alcohol sales. I do not believe the Chief Minister read the motion properly - clearly not.
Our motion says change the hours of the availability of alcohol so that all alcohol will be sold from 10 am. It says nothing about increasing the sales of alcohol. There is only so much money to go around. There are only so many people who will be buying alcohol. By increasing the alcohol trading hours you are not going to magically pluck out of thin air more purchasers of alcohol. If that was the case, it would be great, you would just trade all day and all night.
You know it, too. You should know it and, if you do not, you obviously were not a very successful pharmacist.
Nevertheless, I would have thought these measures were supposed to be a stopgap in the issues to combat alcohol-related violence and antisocial behaviour. It seems to me, and alarmingly so, these measures are here for the long term. These are long-term measures for Central Australia. They should be just a stopgap until we can deal with the real problem. There is nothing here about getting drunks off the street, and getting those drunks into rehabilitation.
The Country Liberals have a centrepiece to our law and order platform, which is the habitual drunks policy. It is a comprehensive policy which will get drunks off the street, and also get those drunks into mandatory rehabilitation. It can be voluntary, if you like, but it is also mandatory rehabilitation. I know the Australian Labor Party does not particularly like doing this, but I have to say, maybe you can take a leaf out of Jenny Macklin’s book, who, all of a sudden, has now realised welfare quarantining was a good thing. I know it goes against the grain of the ideologies of the Australian Labor Party but, nevertheless, mandatory rehabilitation is the centrepiece of the Country Liberals platform to address law and order through the habitual drunks policy: three times in six months - you will be placed into mandatory rehabilitation.
I said this yesterday, I will probably say it again today as more of these motions come up: once in mandatory rehabilitation you will not be put into a prison like Berrimah or Alice Springs. We have no intention of filling up Alice Springs gaols with drunks. We will have prison farms where you will learn to read and write, you will learn some life skills, some job skills - you will get a ticket to come out and drive a fork lift. You will do all that sort of stuff. I know it is a bit beyond you - isn’t it, Bungles? - but it is there and it is coming.
The habitual drunks policy is coming. It is part of the Country Liberals’ policy, and I can tell you it is coming. We have demonstrated here in the short 25 minutes, the flawed argument of the Australian Labor Party - their wedge on us that, somehow, ‘the change of hours of the availability of alcohol, so that all takeaway alcohol is sold from 10 am’ is going to increase more alcohol sales. It is a flawed argument, clearly, from a man who has no expertise in the private sector; who has never run or worked in a small business, and has no idea. If he did work in a small business, he would probably fail in it very soon. He thinks all you have to do is rent a shop, put a sign out the front, and open the doors, and away you go, all of a sudden, you are trading. Well, it is rubbish. I know it, we all know it. Bungles over there, you should know it. Clearly, none of the rest of you know it.
The Chief Minister has no idea; he is an absolute embarrassment. I am certain those people here today in this gallery listening will concur the Chief Minister and the Australian Labor Party have completely and unmitigatedly failed Alice Springs once again.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, just to let the member for Greatorex know, this one bloke who worked for 16 years in Mitre 10 and also worked for himself, so I know a fair bit about private industry. Also, it is good to hear the CLP is pushing forward with the idea of compulsory rehabilitation. It is something I have been pushing for many years as well. I do not think it is a lonesome idea; it is very good it is being promoted.
Once again, I am disappointed with what happens in this place. We have some very important issues to be debated and, once again, it is about calling people names and putting people down, instead of getting to the issues at hand.
There is no doubt law and order throughout the Territory is an issue. There is no doubt alcohol abuse is an issue. I spoke about that yesterday. There is no doubt we have to do things for youth, which is an issue.
Sometimes, the way debate is handled, I feel ashamed I am a member of this parliament. There would be no one standing here who would not say those issues are issues we are all passionate about. Everyone gets up in here and says they are passionate and then they kick the living daylights out of one another! What does that show everyone? That they are here for party political point-scoring! I know this happens and, unfortunately, on these serious issues, it is more about that than trying to achieve the results people expect of us, as parliamentarians.
I will put my ideas forward. They are my ideas, and I hope they help with some of the debate. I heard the comments from the member for Port Darwin. He said he did not agree some of this is political point-scoring.
We have a motion here with five points on it. As soon as someone does not agree with one of those motions, the label is, ‘Well, you do not agree with any of it’, and that is unfair. I cannot pull all these out and vote on each one individually, unless you want to be here until midnight. I know we have a huge amount of work on our plate today. What I am saying, in relation to these issues, is it is not all simple. The first three issues are related to one another: taking direct and decisive action to address law and order issues in Alice Springs; to establish crime reduction targets and have more police resources and appropriate laws; and to establish a Police Citizens Youth Club - and if you want to throw the other one on - strengthen the Youth Justice Act. They are all about trying to do something to overcome some of the issues we have. It is just not simple to say: ‘We have the answer and you do not, therefore, you are wrong and we are right’.
Take the issue of established crime reduction targets. Crime is not like how many tables you are going to produce every year if you are in a carpenter shop. You just say we will get a better machine and we will employ more people. Crime is a complex issue. Crime has many reasons for its existence. Where is the debate which goes further than trying to reduce crime by increasing the number of police resources and placing more laws on our legislation? We have enough laws to sink a battleship. Whether they are carried out, or whether they are enforced might be the issue. However, the point is we need to be looking at the whole issue of crime reduction from a much bigger picture than just police and laws.
We need to have early intervention. We need to be putting more money into early intervention. I know the member for Araluen has included the establishment of a Police Citizens Youth Club. I have been talking to the police youth coordinator, Michael White, in relation to that. He does not necessarily have a problem with a PCYC club, but he says Larapinta is not the area for it, because there is not the demand. I say to this House, you have three youth centres - one of them is The Gap and one of them is not funded properly. The government, if it was really serious about early intervention, needs to pull up its socks and fund these places on a long-term basis. For the manager of The Gap to have one year of salary, and, then, have to apply for the next year, does not send out a message from the government which is right; that it supports these youth clubs, these recreation centres. It needs to give people five-year funding and goals they must achieve. It needs to ensure those facilities are up to scratch. The Gap was an old block of flats, I understand. It might have been a couple of sheds, so it has been adapted. Did we build something that was purpose built? No, we adapted something and then we give people poor funding. It has had its problems, but I believe it is on its way up again.
We need to put more money into those things if we are looking at crime reduction. I went to the Alice Springs Youth Centre. It is the first time I have been there, and I was taken through by two wonderful ladies, June Noble and another lady, I think her name was Marie Petery. I went through the whole premises. To be honest with you, my impression was, besides certain structured sports which occur, it was dead. Yet, I know the government is looking at having a youth hub at ANZAC Hill. I would ask the government why we do not look at a master plan for improving the Alice Springs Youth Centre, involving the PCYC, and develop that as a better resourced place than it is. They rely on volunteers, and volunteers these days are getting harder and harder to come by. If the government is fair dinkum about doing something about youth, put some money into the Alice Springs Youth Centre.
There is the YMCA at Sadadeen, a great facility, but it is a paid facility. Perhaps we need to be looking at an annexe, which is a drop-in centre where you do not have to pay any money for anything; you can just go there and have some recreation. The bus can drop you off.
What Michael White was saying is we have the facilities - we do not have a problem necessarily with PCYC being involved - but we need to be fair dinkum about upgrading those facilities, putting some money into the staff, making sure they have long-term job security, setting out some goals, and getting on with really saying we are absolutely positive, absolutely fair dinkum, about early intervention. We are talking about prisons at the moment and that is big money. We should be looking at the same sort of money for early intervention.
The other issues are in relation to alcohol. Surely, one of those must be unemployment. We know the population of Alice Springs has high unemployment, especially amongst Indigenous people. What effort is being made to try to bring Aboriginal people into mainstream employment? I will be honest with you, when I go to Coles, I do not see too many Aboriginal people working there. I go to Woolies and I do not see too many Aboriginal people working there. The question I ask is: with such a high population of Aboriginal people, why not? Other people might have the answers. I am not a local, but if you ask me for first-off impressions when I walk around, there are not many Indigenous people working in what you would call mainstream private enterprise in the commercial area of Alice Springs.
Is unemployment a key reason why people are on the grog? There is nothing else to do, so why not go and get drunk? Might as well. It is a pretty boring old life if you have no job to do. Do we have people who have come into town naturally? They drifted into the big white lights and are, basically, just itinerants. They are also part of the problem. Do we have problems in their communities which mean they come into Alice Springs? Are they some of the reasons we have these problems?
Alcohol programs: I said before we spent all this money on no advertising of tobacco. We banned tobacco from here, we banned tobacco from there. We put a big emphasis on tobacco, but we put very little emphasis on alcohol advertising and the promotion of alcohol.
I imagine, in Alice Springs, like Marrara in Darwin, alcohol is a key part of the sponsorship for many events which occur. We do not seem to worry about that because it makes money, and we are more interested in profits than what effect alcohol has on our community. It is easy to say it is only a certain part of the community which is a problem. That is fine, but the word ‘community’ comes to hand. If there is a major problem in the community, then the community is part of the answer; it has to work towards solving these problems.
To some extent, they are specific to Alice Springs and communities like that. The member for Greatorex talked about whether we should have these laws in Darwin. I would not mind some of these laws in Mitchell Street. The behaviour of Mitchell Street patrons, from time to time, is far worse than you get in Alice Springs. I do not disagree; I say it is horses for courses. The restrictions you place should accord with where you are, the circumstances, and the reasons you are applying those restrictions.
Overall, I do not have a problem with most of what the member for Araluen has put forward. I do not support the police youth club going to Larapinta, and that is on the advice of the police officer in charge who looks at these issues all the time. I do not have a problem strengthening the Youth Justice Act. If the Youth Justice Act is not working, I would be looking at the reasons why, and if it needs adjusting to make it work. Youth justice is not a simple matter either. Why are kids getting into trouble? It is not because the legislation says doing this will fix it. They are complex problems. Youth have issues which are not legislated; they need to be managed, and they need to be talked through. There is a human element to some of these issues that legislation, on its own, will not fix. In general, I agree with the principle of strengthening the Youth Justice Act.
I do not agree with increasing the hours in Alice Springs to 10 am. That sends out the wrong message. You can argue whether people will drink more alcohol or not; it will not make any difference whether they drink more or less alcohol. It is sending out the wrong message. We have said alcohol is one of the major reasons people are in prison, alcohol is a major reason for domestic violence and, yet, we send out a message we are going to increase the time you can drink by four hours. It is the message which worries me. There may be issues of how police handle drunks in the evening. I spoke to Vince Kelly about this issue and he did not believe it. He was astounded there was any move to increase the number of hours alcohol was going to be available.
There may not be more alcohol consumed. I do not have the statistics either way. In Tennant Creek, it gave people a little quiet. One of the effects in Tennant Creek was there were some hours at home where there was not any grog. There is no doubt when you pull out reports - and everyone has been pulling out the Menzies School of Health report - everyone can use statistics anyway they feel. At the beginning of this document, it sets out fundamental principles it says should be looked at in relation to alcohol. I will find those broad parameters ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, while you are doing that, do you mind if I just acknowledge these students?
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of students from Year 9 at St Philip’s College, together with Assistant Deputy Headmaster Mr Paul Wilson, and their teacher, Mr Christopher Raja. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome
Members: Hear, hear!
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Nelson.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Page 43 of the Menzies School of Health report says: ‘Best practice in addressing alcohol-related problems’. This is what I have to go on; I am no expert on alcohol-related problems and how to address them. It says there are three pathways for addressing alcohol related problems: (1) is harm reduction, (2) is demand reduction, and (3) is supply reduction. Under supply reduction is says:
This report quotes Stockwell; it says this is one of the best practice methods in addressing alcohol-related problems. Page 45 deals with that. You need to read the whole section and I will quote:
I should mention the Menzies School of Health talked about other strategies but said this strategy is not in isolation and will go hand-in-hand with other strategies such as limiting the number of alcohol outlets, responsible beverage service; restrictions on high-risk beverages; area-based consumption restrictions, targeted individual restrictions; harm reduction such as better lighting; and reducing the demand for alcohol through treatment programs. It also said a range of strategies, including limited takeaway hours, is needed to tackle the management of alcohol in Alice Springs.
I understand there may be some practical issues regarding policing, but is changing the hours the answer? That is the question. Are there other methods without sending out the message of longer drinking hours to communities we know have major alcohol problems? That is what worries me. We can quote figures. I can quote the Mayor of Alice Springs at the CTC hearing the other day. You may be interested in this. He has a cash for container system at the moment where you get 5 per container for glass or aluminium. In just over 40 days, 2.446 million containers were returned to the recycling centre in Alice Springs. I bet a fair number of those are green and most of them are alcohol. That was in 40 days. Put that over 365 days and see how many. That is only the cans which have been picked up. Whatever they are consuming, there is much of it happening.
There is no doubt, after I visited Alice Springs from time to time and walked down a street at 6 am and came across two people fighting, we have problems. It is no good telling me it is their problem. No, it is not; it is our problem. It is Alice Springs’ problem, it is a Northern Territory problem, it is our problem. We need to work together as a parliament - not as parties, as a parliament - to come together to try to work through these issues. We have to find employment for people. We have to help the young people and give them the facilities to get going. I know we do it to some extent but, when I hear of only one youth funding for the person in The Gap, I ask: ‘Are you fair dinkum?’ I do not think you are. I would rather this parliament got together and worked with the community - not by itself, with the community - to try to solve some of these problems.
The Council of Territory Cooperation has been travelling around. One thing I found is there are terrific people out there who are working their butts off trying to help their own people, trying to change things. They do not get enough recognition. We should be using and encouraging those people, against fairly large odds, to try to help the communities overcome some of these issues facing Alice Springs and other communities. Alice Springs is not alone with some of these issues. So …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move that the member for Nelson be granted an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: Thank you. I will not use 10 minutes; I know we are pretty busy today.
Madam Speaker, we can do better. We need to work together as a parliament. Let us try to solve these problems without shouting one another down. Let us work through them.
Simply because I do not agree with a couple of these issues in this motion, I do not want it said that, therefore, I do not support things which should happen in Alice Springs. If that is said, then I know someone is just using this debate for political purposes.
We have five issues on this motion. I do not agree with a couple of them. That does not mean I do not agree with the seriousness of the situation, and that something should be done. I believe something should be done and, because I have a different view, does not necessary mean I do not support the basic principle of what this motion is about.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I also contribute to this motion. Before I do, I wish to make some observations in relation to the speech we have just listened to, made by the member for Nelson.
The member for Nelson would have us come into this place, sit around and, essentially, hold hands and agree on what has to be done to run the Northern Territory. The problem with that is I cannot bring myself to agree with those things the government purports to support in these areas. The very system we have has built into it numerous natural tensions. The system of this parliament we have uses those natural tensions to improve the quality of what comes out of this place and goes into the public arena. If it was not for the natural conflict in this place - and this House is designed to accommodate those disagreements - then the quality of governance would actually be retarded, not advanced, for the people of the Northern Territory.
As it is, some 90% of the work we do in this place proceeds by way of agreement. However, that does not prevent members making observations in the meantime. Every time there is an argument, it is easy to reduce it to a slogan you hear from so many people which runs something like this: it is such a childish place they cannot bring themselves to agree. The fact is, parliaments exist for that very reason; because people do not agree. It is nave, frankly, to think you can simply recommend a system of government based on us sitting around on a blanket singing Kumbaya, My Lord, and hoping we are going to come to some resolution to these serious problems.
The government does not agree with the opposition’s motion; that much is clear. The member for Nelson does not agree with some elements of this motion; that much is clear. Does that, necessarily, then follow that we then have to form a conga line behind the member for Nelson - as is the position of the government - and cheer him on, rather than actually stand and say: ‘Government, you are wrong in your world view and the way you do things’.
The other thing is this House invites critical thinking. If we were all to sit around and simply agree with government and say what a great job they did, it would be a very uncritical House and, frankly, a waste of time. The reason I like critical thinking is you do not have to expend a great deal of it on what government says in this place to find mammoth holes in some of the allegations and assertions they make. I turn my mind, particularly to the issue of domestic violence, which we are, and have been now, told on numerous occasions, is the cause for the increased violence in the Northern Territory.
The minister for Police will have heard from me now on numerous occasions, at the last sittings and in this one, by way of interjection: ‘Where is the police annual report?’ Last sittings he said: ‘It is coming, it is coming soon. Just be patient, it will be here’. It is one of the very last annual reports yet to be tabled. I am now starting to get a suspicion as to why the Chief Minister and minister for Police - he is the same person - is sitting on this annual report. If you look at what has been produced in the last couple of annual reports in relation to the proportion of domestic violence convictions as an overall slice of the number of assaults which have been committed in the Northern Territory, you will very quickly discover the argument and the allegation which is repeated by the Chief Minister - unsupported by any statistical evidence up until this point; merely an assertion made - that it is the increased investigation of domestic violence - tragic as it is – which is driving up assault rates in our community.
The fact is, that is simply not being borne out by the handful of police annual reports I have been able to get from the past. I draw members’ attention - I will be very careful so I do not get this squibby little allegation from the Leader of Government Business I am making stuff up, because every time he hears a statistic he does not like, that is the first allegation you hear. I will reference everything I say accordingly. Page 119 of the 2006-07 annual report produces a column for the financial year 2005-06 of a total number of offences against a person at 5090. I quote from that page:
I then draw members’ attention to the 2007-08 annual report, the last annual report we have obtained from police, which is now two years ago. On page 109 - and I now refer to the reporting year 2006-07 - the number of offences against the person was listed at 5455; a proportion of total domestic/family violence-related offences against the person - 51.2%, a drop on the prior year of 55%. I then draw honourable members’ attention to page 109, financial year 2007-08: total number of offences against a person 5667, proportion of domestic violence offences - 48.2%.
Why is this expressed as a proportionality? Why is this just not a straight set of numbers: this many offences against the person, and that many offences are as a result of domestic violence? The reason is, if you extrapolate those figures, crunch the numbers, and work out those percentages, you suddenly realise the argument the Chief Minister has been running - unsupported by any tabled evidence - is actually not true. The reason is, for the financial year 2005-06, with 55% of the proportion being domestic violence offences, it works out that 2800 of the overall number of offences against the person were domestic violence offences.
The next year, using the same extrapolation, using the numbers provided, that number falls to 2793 - not significantly different, a minor fall of seven. Next year, the number goes up. At 48.2%, the number of domestic violence-related offences are 2858; over that three-year period, an increase of 58 domestic violence offences. Over that three-year period, using the baselines - that is, the total number of offences - it goes from 5090 to 5930. On that basis, and from those two annual reports - and I am sure staff will be trawling through my speech and told to look at those pages numbers; I have referred everything correctly - on those numbers, domestic violence is proportionally less with every passing year, of the total number of offences against a person.
This means the Chief Minister, running this line, has engaged in a deception of the Northern Territory which is a ghastly abandonment of responsibility and duty to be honest and truthful with the people of the Northern Territory. There is no evidence I have seen that domestic violence offences form the increasing majority of assaults against a person. I see evidence, in his own annual reports, which actually suggest the contrary; each year the proportion of domestic violence assaults is falling to the overall number of assaults.
To see, essentially, a 20% rise over that three-year period in assaults, and no change in the number of domestic violence offences, means whilst domestic violence is still an important issue, the government simply does not have its eye on the ball. If the Chief Minister believes his own numbers on domestic violence, then he is looking in the wrong place. The fact is these violent crimes are occurring on our streets and in our public places in increasing numbers, and the increase is not - I repeat, not - in relation to the domestic violence which occurs in our community.
That is why we have a system based on conflict. If we did not, we would not be questioning these rubbery figures the Chief Minister produces. We would not be challenging the Chief Minister to come up with better solutions. We certainly would not be sitting here saying: ‘Chief Minister, you are wrong’. This system needs the inherent conflict it produces to achieve the best results for the people of the Northern Territory. It is why it works. That is why we adhere to this system, and why we should continue to adhere to this system.
For the member for Nelson to continually say the conflict is horrible and we should not politicise issues, is to show a navety which is not demonstrative of any critical thinking. The member for Nelson does not like conflict. I understand that; many people do not like conflict. However, if we were not challenging ministers of the Crown they would be worse at what they do than they are now. That is why Her Majesty has a loyal and faithful opposition working on her behalf to ensure her ministers are up to scratch.
Whilst the Chief Minister continues to produce figures which are simply not reliable, I call on him again - and not by way of interjection but in my speech – to table the 2008-09 Annual Report for Police. The end of the financial year was 30 June 2009. It is now November 2009; nearly every other department, agency, and sub-agent of government has been able to provide its annual report as required by law, yet, one of the most crucial, the most important, and the most fundamental annual reports relating to the safety and good governance of the Northern Territory remains missing. That is demonstrative of a government which has become secretive in the way it does its business, and arrogant in its indifference to criticism from without. They are also blind and deaf to what happens in the rest of the Territory, because they are focused too much on their internal squabbles and fights.
It is with great disappointment - in the outcomes for the people of the Northern Territory - I open a newspaper in Darwin and read the member for Johnston hates the member for Karama. What sort of government can the people of the Northern Territory expect when the ministers opposite publicly declare their hatred for each other? It is a despicable self-indulgence in which they engage and, to my mind, they do so in the denial of the prayer we start this House with every day. We should be working for the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory, not trying to deceive Territorians with fabricated claims, by withholding very important annual reports and other important information, and not by engaging in a level of selfishness which sees the internal ructions of the Labor Party depriving the people of the Northern Territory of an effective government. They should hang their heads in shame when they walk into this place, because they are answerable and responsible to the people of the Northern Territory. What they give the people of the Northern Territory is not leadership but floundering, not governance but incompetence, not direction but listlessness.
This government cannot continue to operate in the way it does. It lurches from one disaster to the next, hoping, somehow, the next media release will rescue them from the rocks they have inevitably set a course for - for us and the rest of the Northern Territory. It is time for the member for Nelson to put away his championing of a Labor Party which has metastasised its own illness. Frankly, it is time for the member for Nelson to realise he is supporting the unsupportable. This government has had its day; it is decaying from within. Every time I open a newspaper, I cringe with shame and embarrassment on their behalf.
The member for Nelson needs to seriously reconsider his continued support. If he believes the continuance of this government is going to achieve the result he hopes for - some grant alliance of happiness where we all sit around in a lotus position singing the money hum - then he is sadly nave and sadly mistaken. On top of that, this government does not honour the agreement with the member for Nelson, because of the deceptive nature of the way they conduct themselves and the information they withhold from Territorians. The fundamental philosophy of the member for Nelson is he should be supported by a government which believes in the doctrines outlined in the agreement struck between him and the Chief Minister. In no way have I seen that philosophy demonstrated by this government here today, and in the way they have conducted themselves since the time the agreement was signed.
Madam Speaker, it is now a matter of mere bloody-mindedness on the part of the member for Nelson to be right, that this government continues to exist. If the member for Nelson is as good at introspection as he would have us believe he is, then I suspect it is time for him to go back and be introspective.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Alice Springs High School students from Year 7 with teachers Miss Sarah Edwards and Miss Michela Renders. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Debate suspended.
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Speaker, i thank the member for Araluen for bringing this motion on, in conjunction with the member for Greatorex. It is a very important motion for the people of Alice Springs. My colleagues have already covered substantial components of this motion and spoken repeatedly on supporting Alice Springs through these positive changes.
One particular area of interest is item No 3, the establishment of a Police and Citizens Youth Club to be located in the Larapinta area. People would know the Larapinta area is in the seat of Braitling. The reason I support this motion is because I believe Larapinta is generally under-serviced. It is not a satellite town; it is a suburb on the outskirts of Alice Springs. It is a suburb which is under-resourced in community services. There is a school, a preschool, a little shop. There are not many activities for youth to participate in through the day, on weekends, and after hours. Much social dysfunction operates in the suburb of Larapinta, and we see children walking around the streets late at night and, generally, there are not many activities for kids. Just recently, stimulus money was used to put a fence around Larapinta School. I know many kids access that school after hours. Although the fence is open at Larapinta School, it further isolates teenagers and young kids who are walking around the streets at night with little to do.
While policing plays a significant role in Larapinta dealing with social issues and crime, the potential to build a bridge between police and the community, police and youth, police and kids, I believe, represents a real opportunity for people to get involved in social activities, sports, gymnasium work to teach people how to get fit and, generally, pass on the nature of the police force and what they bring in a societal culture.
I also acknowledge, in the agreement between the member for Nelson and the government, the member for Nelson spoke about Police Citizen Youth Clubs. Part of this motion brought by the member for Araluen is to try to get my bid in early; that we want something in Larapinta. I will not go into that in depth, but I want to emphasise the suburb of Larapinta is under-serviced. In our previous election commitments, we called for greater servicing of Larapinta. I believe a Police Citizen Youth Club will provide additional activities for youth in the area, and build a bridge between police and youth to provide an early intervention to prevent crime in the longer term, and have the kids actively engaged.
Moving on to other areas of this motion, I recognise it is a very heavily-worded motion about law and order. I agree with the member for Araluen about our policy of a 20% crime reduction target when we are in government; it is important we reduce the impact of crime in Alice Springs. I note the Chief Minister and his merry men and women like to quote their perceived increase in serious crimes in Alice Springs. We, the Country Liberals, do not agree those figures are actually correct.
It is interesting when you go through the crime figures for Alice Springs to see exactly how much crime is increasing. I find it hard to see how the Chief Minister can get it so wrong with these figures. There has been an overall increase in crime in Alice Springs of offences against the person by 25% from the June quarter last year. When we see offences against a person jump by 25%, I do not understand how that can be. If you break down other figures, assaults increased by 24.7%, and sexual assaults nearly doubled up to 86%. When the Chief Minister says serious assaults have actually gone down by a certain number, I find it hard to correlate. I am interested to see if the Chief Minister could explain exactly how it can happen that serious assaults actually go down.
I question the Chief Minister about what a serious assault is. What is an assault and what is a serious assault? Could someone be more seriously assaulted than someone who has been assaulted? I would like him to bring forward someone who has been seriously assaulted and someone who has been assaulted, so we can tell exactly what is going on. The figures from his own Justice Department indicate assaults have increased by 25%. Clearly, this government is fudging the figures when you consider what the Chief Minister said opposed to what the Justice Department said in their quarterly results from June this year.
Moving on to the issue of changing hours for the sale of alcohol from 10 am, yes, alcohol is a problem in our town. Alcohol is a problem right across the Territory. I would like to see many changes regarding alcohol, but the purpose of this motion is freeing up access for Alice Springs’ residents. The government likes to talk about people who drink and commit crimes and antisocial behaviour on our streets, but the government has not spoken about how it is going to rehabilitate people.
That is why we have a tough on drunks policy. Even the government’s Deputy Police Commissioner, Bruce Wernham spoke today - and I paraphrase – and said he supported trading in daylight hours because it gets the trouble off the street at night. How can a government say this is a bad thing when we know the police tell us on the streets - our neighbours, our friends, our associates say – let us get it out of the dark hours, and get it into the daylight hours. The Acting Commissioner of the Northern Territory Police Force supports the notion trading in daylight hours rather than at night time hours would reduce crime.
Government members stand up here and beat their chest about the Country Liberals, rivers of grog, and all that stuff. However, I have not heard them once talk about the people who are picked up and put in the police station every night, only to be turned out the next day and allowed to top up again. I have not heard the government or the Chief Minister talk about what they are going to do about habitual drunks; chronic abusers of alcohol. I have not heard the government say how they are going to intervene in Alice Springs and say it is not just a supply issue, it is a demand issue. We have people on the dole sitting all day, not going to training, not earning and learning as we spoke about yesterday. The key purpose in life for many of these people in Alice Springs is to wake up and buy grog. That is all it is - wake up and buy grog.
This government, with its one-legged approach to alcohol reform in Alice Springs, will never go anywhere. They will continue to chase their tails about the policy on alcohol, and about what time it should be open. Should we have an ID system? Should we ban 2 L casks, 1 L sherry, a bottle of sherry, two bottles at night, or one every second day? We run these things around in circles, but we are still seeing people who are chronic alcohol abusers having access to alcohol. They have a problem. We are seeing more and more of these people put into gaol. Our figures for people who are presenting in gaol, both in Alice Springs and Darwin, have increased substantially over the last few years. A vast majority of those people in those gaols are there because of alcohol-related offences. The government refuses to do anything about the issue they have around substance addition, in terms of alcohol.
We have not heard the government talking about what happens when you reduce the supply of alcohol and you have a shift from substance to substance - moving to ganja, as the member for Macdonnell spoke about yesterday. We have not heard a debate in this Chamber about the transition to amphetamines. We have not heard about glue sniffing, the drinking of vanilla essence, or the drinking of shampoo and Listerine which goes on in this town. There are no figures about the pure alcohol consumption of vanilla essence on this table. It is very important we consider this.
The member for Araluen said today it is good to see the consumption of pure alcohol and alcohol-related products go down; that is a positive measure. We are not advocating for people to drink more; we are advocating for access. As I stand here, I know people in Alice Springs support this measure, because people are sick and tired of having to bend the rules for a couple of hundred people in town who are chronic alcoholics who cannot be dealt with.
I have not heard anyone stand up and say we are going to expand the services of CAAAPU, or DASA for that matter. I have not heard anyone say they are going to support young people by providing additional services to young people for chronic abuse of substance they see in Alice Springs. There are only five beds in Alice Springs for young people aged between 17 and 21 years who are chronic abusers of alcohol substance, to be taken on a temporary basis overnight. The services are not here.
However, the government likes to talk about this on a policy perspective, rather than a rehabilitation perspective on how they can actually help people. How can they ensure there is adequate housing in Alice Springs so people have a safe place to live, rather than living in chronic overcrowded or homeless conditions, which is a haven to fuel alcohol consumption and other substance abuse? I wonder what the government is going to say about this in its response. I wonder if the government will do anything about this in its response, or whether they are going to wait until they go to COAG next time and the Prime Minister says: ‘Well here you are, you have to do something. We will make you do it’. It seems the only way this government takes action on something is if they are under pressure - whether it is pressure from the media, from Mal Brough, Kevin Rudd, or, previously, John Howard. It is a government which lacks vision.
We sit on the Liberal side of the Chamber and we have a plan for the future. I have not heard this government talk about any plan for the future. The government will employ a consultant from interstate, who will come up with some 2030 vision, and the government will come out with announcements like A Working Future policies, 2020 documents - but it is about getting something on the ground.
While the government spends this money on consultants and continues to neglect Alice Springs, Alice Springs will continue to not vote for this government. The highlight by the member for Araluen that, at the election on 9 August 2008, the Labor Party received around 20% of the vote in Alice Springs should send a clear message. In the seat of Braitling, there was a four horse race - a four-legged race, member for Daly - the seat I ran in. It was quite interesting, running against a member of the Greens, an Independent member, and a member of the Labor Party, to see the Country Liberals come in first, the Greens come second, the Independent come third, and Labor came fourth. That is how much they love you in the seat of Braitling.
However, can we get any response or bipartisanship with the members from Greatorex, Araluen and Braitling about how to solve some of the problems? We were the people who put forward the concept of the bilateral approach. I moved, late last year, an opportunity for a special committee to be set up for a regional approach in Alice Springs, which was not supported by government or the Independent member at the time. Fortunately, the member for Macdonnell took that to heart when she became the Minister for Central Australia, and we worked together developing the Youth Action Plan. However, since there has been a change of Minister for Central Australia, it has not occurred; he has stopped that process.
All he has done is close down ANZAC Hill High School to build some quasi-Central Australian school and try to work out ways to save money, like building new headquarters for police auxiliary staff at ANZAC Hill Campus, so that staff from Belvedere House can move over to ANZAC Hill; closing down the music school. I am sure the member for Barkly is interested in the closing of the music school at Alice Springs High School to move it to temporary headquarters in a science laboratory in the ANZAC Hill Campus. The people who utilise the Alice Springs music school can no longer store their equipment, so they will not be able to use the facilities.
This is what we are seeing. This is how the government respects Alice Springs, trying to find ways to save money, pull it out and put it back in to Darwin. At the same time, we see crime and assaults going up, despite the Chief Minister talking about serious assaults going down. I really wonder, what is a serious assault? If someone walked in here with a black eye and a broken arm, would that be a serious assault or just an assault? According to the assault figures, assaults went up by 25% in 12 months, June on June figures, 2008-09. I wonder what this government is going to do.
I will not go any further into the merits of this motion. The member for Araluen has quite constructively put forward a valid argument about the reasons to support this. I acknowledge the Chief Minister said he will not support it, and the member for Nelson is not going to support it. However, we put this forward because we believe we need action on our streets, greater control on crime, and rehabilitation services, so we can help the people who are most in need with these substance abuse problems. We believe there should a Police and Citizens Youth Club set up as a pre-emptive strike to the youth in Larapinta - a pre-emptive strike to build relations between police and youth, kids and parents. I know this government will not do it.
I recommend the government takes note of this motion, and also the comments made by Acting Police Commissioner, Bruce Wernham, today when he spoke about the need to trade in daylight hours to get the drunks off the street at night and help reduce the crime in Alice Springs. I ask the government to take note of the emphasis of our intent to open trading hours of alcohol to 10 am as an opportunity to provide greater access to the residents of Alice Springs but, on the other hand, deal with the people with chronic alcohol problems and substance abuse problems. Take the Listerine bottles, the vanilla essence, the shampoo, and all the things people get into off them, and ensure they do not have ganja.
If you do not start acting on alcohol in a rehabilitative sense, you will continue to see police pouring grog out, day after day, expressing their displeasure at being the alcohol monitors of Alice Springs, and wanting to leave the force and move back to Darwin or move interstate. That is the effect the current one-legged policy is having in Alice Springs.
Without any further comment, Madam Deputy Speaker, I commend this motion to the House and hope the Independent members, and government, will support this motion. I commend the members for Araluen and Greatorex, and me, for putting this motion to the House.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Deputy Speaker, what a lame response from government. Government members based in the Top End arrived on the weekend, some of them Monday morning and, in essence, are walking around saying: ‘Alice Springs, we love you’. Nothing could be further from the truth.
As I said when I spoke to this motion earlier today, by not agreeing to this motion will be an admission of failure. Government has now admitted failure. It admits it has no policies to address our very high crime rates – 27% year-on-year increase from 2001. Our alcohol courts are failing. Government has not acted to buy back the alcohol licences it said it would. The Youth Justice Act is failing. The government is too cowardly to set crime reduction targets. That is utterly gutless, and it is utterly disgraceful.
I would have thought any government would want to strive towards crime reduction. What we see from this government - and, of course, it has form on it - is it just talks, ‘wah wah wah wah wah’, but you have nothing in the cupboard when it comes to addressing the problem. You will walk away from the Alice Springs sittings saying: ‘Well, we got out of that all right’, but it is the people we represent who will continue to dislike you in the way they already do.
Whether people on your side hate each other is a matter for you. I can tell you my constituents think so little of this government they do not vote for them - and they do not vote for them in droves. You would have thought, with government hanging on to power in the way Mattie Bonson said they do - that is, they will do and say anything to keep power – having just fallen over the line at the last election, they might want to do better in Alice Springs. Alas, they do not.
I said earlier today by not agreeing to this motion not only would it be an admission of failure, but it would reek of an acceptance and tolerance of high crime rates without any form of aspirational targets. It does. It reeks of an arrogance focused on damage control rather than delivering better outcomes for the people of the Northern Territory. The government tried to suggest to those in the northern suburbs of Darwin that the people in Alice Springs and their local members do not know what they are talking about; what the Darwin government delivers to them is good for the people there. Well, if it is good enough for the people here, why do you not have alcohol restrictions in Darwin? Surely, you are not suggesting you do not have high crime rates in Darwin? If it is good enough for Alice Springs, it is good enough for Darwin. There are many examples of one rule for one voting block, and another rule for another voting block. Shame on you! Shame on you!
We have been talking to school kids today and yesterday about the democratic process. The Chief Minister had his little soiree the other Monday night and talked about the democratic process. However, you people do not understand the democratic process is more than just getting over the line - you have to govern for all Territorians. In fact, I noted with great interest the Chief Minister, in the handbook prepared, I believe, through your Office, Madam Speaker, welcoming everyone to parliament, talked about governing for all Territorians. Well, let me tell you, there are many people in Alice Springs who have the view this government governs for those north of the Berrimah line.
That is not what parliamentary democracy is all about; it is not what modern politics should be about. We, on this side of the House, will undertake, in government, to represent everyone and do our best which, I have to say, is significantly more than you lot. We have polices; you know what they are. We outlined some of them this morning. One of them is to set crime reduction targets at 20% in the first year. We know we will inherit a hell of a mess in the event we come to government at the next election, but we are determined and steadfast in our determination when it comes to tackling those problems.
I alluded to before, and let me go to it now: the issue of alcohol. This government, through its spin machine, its members, and some in the media, have spun one out of the five-part component of this motion against us and against the people of Alice Springs. No one can seriously suggest the members for Greatorex, Braitling, and Araluen are not in touch with their electorate. We represent them as best we possibly can; we know what their issues are.
We know so many of the government’s policies in respect to alcohol have failed. We know, for instance, in 2008-09 in both prisons in the Territory, only 111 prisoners participated in alcohol rehabilitation programs. Shame on you! We know, in 2008-09, the number of people in protective custody increased by 91%. We know the current estimate to date, this year; around 13 000 people have been taken into protective custody in this region. We know - and, finally, after three years the government knows - alcohol courts have failed. We know the dry town is a joke. I remember a couple of years ago - perhaps 18 months ago - asking a question in parliament in Darwin quoting a headline from the Alice News which said from memory: ‘Dry town is a farce’. It is. We know some drunks, when they cannot get access to alcohol, will break and enter to get it. We know they drink Listerine and cooking essence.
We know - and, I was very pleased to hear the Deputy Police Commissioner say on 8HA today - there is an advantage for police. I am paraphrasing, I do not have the exact quote in front of me, but I heard the interview. For these people who cause all these problems - and, according to government figures 65.5% of crime in this town is alcohol related - the police and others, including my constituents, want those people dealt with early in the day. They do not want them dealt with in the middle of the night. They certainly want them dealt with but, by having later hours of takeaway availability, it moves the problem into the early hours of the night.
Port Augusta, I say again, has very positive results. Government says, by introducing this part of the motion, we are opening up the rivers of grog. Absolute balderdash! The rivers of grog have been flowing for years, and you true believers, you helpers of the oppressed and the afflicted, what have you done about rehabilitation programs? Nothing. There are 111 prisoners in two Territory gaols which have about 1000 people in them, and 111 people in one 12-month period go through rehabilitation? You cannot be serious! You are a joke! You sit there and you say ‘Wah, wah, wah, we are doing this, we are doing that’. It is not working! That is why we say, as part of this five-part motion - four parts of which the government really did not want to talk about - it is a solution which will go a long way to addressing problems.
However, the only way problems will be addressed is by a Country Liberals’ government. We will address the problems by the policies we have outlined. My colleague, the member for Greatorex’s, habitual drunks - what is wrong with that? What is wrong with compulsory rehabilitation? It follows, I believe logically, if you have only 111 prisoners going through alcohol treatment programs out of about 1100 prisoners in the two Territory gaols, something is not working. You stand in parliament and bleat on about the revolving door, and there are so many drunks in our gaols, yet, you are not helping them. I look at alcoholism as a health issue. You are not helping them. You government members are saying: ‘Yes we are’. Not enough - nowhere near enough. It is just extraordinary. This government’s arrogance is one thing; I can cope with that. Incompetence is something else entirely. My colleagues and I do not cope with your incompetence and, I am happy to say, neither do our constituents.
There are a number of assumptions made about violence. Before I get to it, I congratulate the member for Greatorex on elaborating on the difficulties and problems with the Menzies report; that is, the one thing government relies on in support of its arguments - such as it is and its abuse of us. There is no doubt government members have not read it. There is no doubt the Menzies report is not the great report government says it is. There is no doubt the ad placed in the Centralian Advocate on Friday was misleading in the extreme. It said:
Then it listed a number of things. No, it did not. It did not and you should be ashamed of yourselves. I bet you did not put your hand in your own pocket for that ad. No, you would have done it at taxpayers’ expense. The Menzies report did not find the things you said it did in this taxpayer-funded ad. I have seen some pretty appalling things from you people in eight years, but this one is right up there. Then you come in here, lecturing us, bleating on about evidence-based issues, when you do not even read the evidence upon which you apparently seek to rely.
I go to various assumptions made in relation to violence and alcohol. Government asserts, without any evidence whatsoever, opening up the sales of takeaway alcohol at an earlier hour will result in more crime. It just says so as though it were true. I repeat: just because government says something does not make it true. Such a statement assumes - and this is a very serious point - those who commit crimes only do so when they are drunk. Where is the evidence for that? I have said before, in parliament and out of parliament, and I will say it again: sober men bash women.
It is sensible to reflect on the comments made by Dr Nanette Rogers in her Lateline interview on 15 May 2006, and the paper she published which led to that interview. Dr Rogers talked about the culture of violence. She said:
She said there is an ‘entrenchment of violence’ in many communities. Children grow up:
Dr Rogers spoke about the culture of violence in many Aboriginal communities. So we are very clear, we do not - nor did Dr Rogers - ever assert that all men beat women; that all Aboriginal people are violent. However, she did attest and talked about the endemic entrenched violence in so many communities, including the one in which I live.
Her interview and the subsequent one about the children at Mutitjulu had a profound effect. Despite the sentiment and money thrown around by the Territory and federal governments, precious little is being done to address the evil and entrenched culture of violence, in all its forms, against women and children.
So, for government to say opening takeaway alcohol hours earlier will increase levels of violence, without it being based on any evidence at all, is shallow in the extreme. Such an argument is completely unsustainable, given the failures to date.
I would like to see something from this government that targets the entrenched culture of violence about which Dr Rogers spoke. This government is more focused on hating one another than doing the job ministers, in particular, are paid for. You should be ashamed of yourselves. I note not one of you is looking me in the eye as I speak - how very interesting.
I stand solidly and proudly with the members for Greatorex and Braitling. Throw at us what you like, it is not as though I have not copped a bit over the years. However, do not do this to the people we represent. They want better from you. You polled 20% in the urban seats in the August 2008 election. Surely, you want to do better than that? Surely, you do not want the members for Greatorex, Braitling, and Araluen to get even higher at the next election? Why do you not want the people here to vote for you? I do not know, but you should do your job. When the Chief Minister says in his booklet - no doubt some of our schoolchildren have it in front of them - he governs for all Territorians, I do not think so.
If this is his idea of governing for all Territorians, we do not want it. My constituents, and those of the members for Braitling and Greatorex, do not and will not accept it. Shame on you for your appalling, incompetent and arrogant conduct! You should listen, but you steadfastly refuse to do so. Be it on your head. We will continue to advocate for the people we represent, even if you will not. We will offer alternatives. You are out of ideas; you are bereft of ideas. You are so focused on hating one another you just cannot get to the job you are paid for, which is governing, apparently, for all Territorians.
The Assembly divided.
Ayes 11 Noes 13
Mr Bohlin Mrs Aagaard
Ms Carney Dr Burns
Mr Chandler Mr Gunner
Mr Conlan Mr Hampton
Mr Elferink Mr Henderson
Mr Giles Mr Knight
Mr Mills Ms Lawrie
Ms Purick Mr McCarthy
Mr Styles Ms McCarthy
Mr Tollner Ms Scrymgour
Mr Westra van Holthe Mr Vatskalis
Ms Walker
Mr Wood
Motion negatived.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of students from Larapinta Primary School, Year 5/6, accompanied by their teachers, Miss Jessica Lambshead and Mrs Holly Bennett, and Mr Peter Andrews as support staff. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, I extend a special welcome to the students from Larapinta who have undertaken a great deal of work in relation to the parliament with the assistance of your office. It is especially good to see them here. Welcome.
Madam Speaker, I move –
That the government:
(2) ensures that Anzac Oval is a first-class facility that will meet local and tourism needs for use in various community events, such as the Masters Games opening and closing ceremonies, concerts, sporting activities, as part of showcasing the Territory and what we have to offer.
Any member of the Chamber, particularly those not from Alice Springs, I encourage you to support this motion but, even if you do not, go and have a look; it is really quite shocking. I will be producing some photographs before too long to illustrate some of the problems. It is really a very shabby facility.
The first part of the motion refers to the government’s failure to invest in areas of social and sporting infrastructure, and to move immediately to upgrade the facilities. This government - and I know I said it in the earlier motion - tends to be dragged kicking and screaming to spend, or otherwise invest, in Alice Springs. It has certainly failed in relation to Anzac Oval.
No doubt, government members - I believe only one government member will speak, and presumably it will be the Minister for Central Australia. He is likely to stand up and talk about what the government has done. He is likely to refer - and I believe there was another advertisement in the Centralian Advocate on Friday paid for, presumably, by taxpayers, talking about what a bunch of good men and women are in the Labor government.
Government, of course, spins itself and tries to suggest it is really doing great things for the people of Alice Springs. Well, it has done some things. It upgraded the hockey field. I was a candidate in 2001, the CLP did that, and Labor finished it. At Traeger Park, yes, there has been some spending, but the grandstand is still not finished. You would have thought the grandstand could have been done. It is not up to scratch, and I understand it still does not have toilets.
Yes, lights have been installed at the soccer field, and that was done only after a great deal of pressure. The swimming pool, yes, you have done well there, but I ask what about the 2005 election promise of the hydrotherapy pool? I have talked about that in parliament before; presumably I will talk about it again. Labor promised a hydrotherapy pool; it did not materialise. There were community meetings. I attended those community meetings; everyone was asking where it is. It is always this squishy, slithery, slippery language in what Labor does. They promise a bit, but never quite deliver or, if they do something, it is always someone else’s idea and, invariably, Labor is dragged kicking and screaming.
It is a core function of government to invest in infrastructure - social and sporting. A government does not get a medal for spending some money on a few sporting facilities in Alice Springs - it is what you are paid to deliver. Government’s failure is it simply has not done enough. Let me outline some of those things: tennis courts are in need of some work and are too small for the growing number of players; there is still no shade at CDU Oval; the Lyle Kempster Park where baseball is played needs the light replacing. They were put up in 1981, so they are very old and not very energy efficient.
We heard yesterday in Question Time the Chief Minister talking about the importance of climate change. In adjournment last night, I talked about how it was possibly the case - but it is - seniors lose their pensioner rebate by installing solar panels. We have lights which were put up in 1981 - not very energy efficient. Yet, the Chief Minister talks about the importance of climate change. Well, we will watch what they do, as opposed to listen to what they say. Baseball, by the way, has about 300 local players, so it is a pretty big thing here in a relatively small town such as Alice Springs.
More work needs to be done on the Flynn Drive Oval in the fine electorate of Araluen. It needs a second canteen and toilet block on the school side. One idea which has been floated by many netballers is an indoor netball centre might be a good idea. That is aspirational, so you would not have thought Labor would be interested in it. The athletics track needs upgrading and, I understand, the hockey field needs a new scoreboard because the current one is already busted. The list does go on, but that is about it for now.
Government seems to take the view what Alice has received to date from Labor is good enough and we are lucky to get it. Our view is it is not good enough, and it is not enough. I remember, earlier this year, going into the member for Stuart’s office in Parliament House in Darwin. I was waiting at reception and, of course, there is a little coffee table with some booklets. There was a booklet, like that, and it was titled The Northern Territory Sporting Facilities. I thought I would read it while I was waiting for the member for Stuart - no drama. So, I flicked through. Do you think I could find any reference to Alice Springs in the booklet The Northern Territory Sporting Facilities?
Mr Bohlin interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: I was gobsmacked. I cannot remember; I was only looking at it from a point of view of Alice Springs, member for Drysdale. In fact, I was so astonished I brought the booklet back with me and gave it to a local journalist, and that person had a bit of fun with it. However, it is a serious matter. Hello! We are on the map! I say to the member for Stuart, we will have our differences from time to time, obviously. However, I know he is into sport - everyone is into something. Everyone has to feel passionate about something, and I appreciate the Minister for Central Australia is a real sporting kind of a guy and he can kick a footy a long way. So, we look to you - through you, Madam Deputy Speaker - member for Stuart, Minister for Central Australia, minister for Sport, to kick some more goals when it comes to sporting infrastructure in Alice Springs.
This can be a win/win for you. You know we get cranky when you do not invite us to your various things but, I tell you, you do not even have to invite us to the opening of the new Anzac Oval facilities; you can do it all. You can issue the media releases, you can cut the ribbon, you can cut a cake, for all I care - just get it done because, if you are interested - and I am you are; you have such an interest in sport - I urge you, in very strong terms, to look favourably at this motion, or to suggest a sensible alternative.
The state of the facilities at Anzac Oval, as I said earlier, is really terrible. I will table shortly copies of photos I took of the facilities which were also sent to the members for Macdonnell and Nelson. For demonstration purposes, I seek leave to table those now because I have the originals.
Leave granted.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you. I did not blow them up or anything like that; I encourage members to have a look. They are here and you will see copies.
There is a situation where there are toilet cisterns behind the canteen, so people are serving food here and there is a toilet there. The disabled toilet does not work. Crappy - I am sorry - is the only way I can describe the canteen facilities. It is busted, it is shabby, and it is just not up to standard at all. There is one photo, in particular, of a big door with a rope on it as you go into the canteen. That is what is meant to get people up to the viewing area - the only viewing area at Anzac Oval. I hope the member - have you seen it? Yes, it is shocking, and a real health issue along with occupational health and safety.
I actually went up the ladder, because it is the only way I could get to the viewing area. Apart from having a skirt on at the time, which was troublesome, I did not enjoy, with high heels, walking up the ladder. Even in sensible walking shoes, it is a pretty big ask, and one members of local sporting clubs should not have to. It is just awful. I do not think I have ever seen such a bad facility as this. I do not think people should be subjected to that; they should have to put up with it. I was thrilled when I was asked to be patron of Junior Rugby League. I was thrilled to be asked and, when I went with them to see the facilities, I could at least offer to help and make a difference to them.
It is not just physical, it is structural as well. There are safety issues with the canteen and viewing area. A report from Territory Building certifiers, dated 30 April 2009, lists a summary of works that is required. It is shocking stuff. The building does not comply with existing codes. There is asbestos in the building - dreadful. I will list some of these. I am sure the member for Stuart has this document. I am quoting from it:
This is just shocking. Apart from not being in any way attractive, and very difficult for those people to work in on a busy Saturday morning, there are real safety issues with this facility. There is no doubt it needs to be upgraded.
There was a story in the local paper, Centralian Advocate, on 13 October, where the member for Braitling - because, technically, it sits in his electorate – and I got together with some representatives of local sporting bodies. We managed to get the story into the paper. I will quote from parts of the article. One of the representatives present, Julie Thompson, well known in Alice Springs for her commitment over the years to sport and, in particular, Rugby, said:
Adam Connolly, well known, I believe, to members of government, who works at 8HA, news reading and hosting radio programs is also very heavily involved in Rugby. Mr Connolly said:
Ms Thompson said:
She went on.
Equally, Paul Lelliott, who, as you know, is very heavily involved in soccer, said:
I feel confident the member for Stuart knows Paul Lelliott and, if you doubt me, please call into the Camera Shop, minister, and have a chat to Paul.
However you look at it, much more - well, a significant amount - has to be done in order to get it up to code.
I will just go forward. The next addition of the Centralian Advocate after the article to which I just referred, Friday 16 October, government, obviously, tried to do what it could to do a bit of damage control for which they are universally famous. On page 2 of Centralian Advocate, there was the heading: ‘Oval to get fix-up cash’. It started by saying:
That is what needs to be done. I cannot quite read the print of this article, but I am sure the minister is familiar with it. This is a quote from the article:
You have never said that in relation to Traeger Park. In any event, it is a function of government to provide social and sporting infrastructure. A few things here and there, I am sorry, are not enough for those people who use the facility. I do not believe a beads-and-trinkets approach to Anzac Oval - and $140 000 is just to bring it up to code. For what it is worth, I believe the estimate of $140 000 government has provided will not be anywhere near enough, given the problems with fire and building codes and asbestos raised in the Territory Building certifier’s report of 30 April 2009. There is a point at which bulldozing something needs to be done. The kiosk, change room, and toilet facilities, frankly, have to go and a new facility built.
I will touch briefly on Traeger Park. The Australian Labor Party has spent quite a sum of money on Traeger Park and Australian Rules football, and next to nothing on Anzac Oval. If the government thinks the people in this town have not noticed, it is wrong - the people have noticed and they want the government to have a balanced approach when it comes to sporting infrastructure. Spending, as I have said, on sporting and social infrastructure is something government should do, but they must do it in a balanced way. It seems, in all the circumstances, there is a disproportionate amount of money being spent on Traeger Park.
Any investment in Alice Springs is always welcomed by this side of the House and people in Alice Springs. However, in stark contrast, we have Anzac Oval which has barely received a cracker. $140 000 from the government to make the canteen, toilets, and so on, comply with code, is just not enough.
A grandstand should have some sort of viewing platform, other than the one I referred to where you have to go up the rickety ladder and almost kill yourself as you get there. Some sort of grandstand is required to meet the needs of local sporting clubs. I have two photos which are almost identical. The viewing area, such as it is, the public can use is the sporting equivalent of a humpy. It has four metal poles, a metal roof and metal seats. I wonder whether people sit on those facilities in summer. I am thinking they probably do not. It is very small; completely unsatisfactory, and borders on embarrassing. I do not believe members from Rugby or soccer seriously assert the world’s greatest grandstand needs to go there, but something better than the sporting equivalent of a humpy really has to be there. The people involved do not really care where the money comes from; they just want it done.
I am certain I can predict some of the things the minister is going to say. At least if he leaves these sittings and thinks to himself: ‘This could be a winner for me; I could kick a goal’, as it were, ‘by announcing something bigger and better for this facility’, I believe many people would be very grateful.
The second part of the motion is we call on government to ensure that Anzac Oval is a first-class facility which will meet local and tourism needs for use in various community events, such as the Masters Games opening and closing ceremony concerts; sporting activities as part of showcasing the Territory; and, in particular of course, Alice Springs and what we have to offer.
This is where the government chooses to try to have it both ways. However, it is unwise to press on with that argument, not only because people are a wake-up to it, but because it does not actually result in positive change. The Minister for Central Australia, probably in that capacity and as minister for Sport, said in parliament on 18 September last year in Darwin, in relation to the Masters Games - he talked at length about the Masters Games, and good on him, it is a great event. He said:
He said in a media release in October 2008:
In the same media release on 18 October last year, he said:
He then said:
Indeed, they did. But you cannot talk about how fantastic it is and how we have thousands of people descending on Alice Springs and, in particular Anzac Oval, for their spectacular concerts - and I believe 6000 is an underestimation - and then give them such a crappy facility. We have people from interstate, as well as locals. ‘Here, come and stand under a humpy’. I know there are tents and a few other things put up there but, give me a break; it is really just not good enough. The minister, I believe in October last year, talked in parliament about the economic boost the Masters Games provides to the town. He talked about 4200 competitors who come to Alice Springs and, of course, they bring their partners and kids and all that. Who knows how much the town swells, but I know it to be significant. When he talked in parliament, the minister said the economic value of the games was calculated at $7m. Fantastic! Why do we not give them a facility which meets their needs and expectations?
I know there are Labor governments in other jurisdictions but, surely, they are not all as bad as you lot. You would have thought those visitors to Alice Springs would be hard pressed to see a facility in such a poor and shabby state as this. It is a real irony because it is in such a beautiful part of town; the grass there is just sensational. I believe it has become or, perhaps, is something of an iconic place in Alice Springs. Why should it not then have the care and attention and money spent on it by a government?
As I am anticipating - and I am very happy to be proven wrong if the minister jumps to his feet after this and say: ‘Well, Jodeen, we are going to accept this motion. We are going to get on and kick goals for Alice Springs’. However, on the basis he is not going to say that, he has failed the people of Alice Springs by a country mile. Presumably, the sportsman himself, some of his mates similarly interested in sport might be saying: ‘You are the minister for Central Australia and Sport. Why do you not get Anzac Oval fixed?’
I urge you, minister, if not today – I urge you to do it today, but I feel certain you will not – in any event, for as long as you are in government - and, of course, we do not know how long that is because you are only there with the support of the member for Nelson; and you hate each other so much anything can happen. For as long as you are there can you - as a person who lives in this town and has as much a commitment to this town as I do - perhaps lobby your colleagues and see what you can come up with in doing something for all of us who use and participate in various events at Anzac Oval.
I will leave it at that, Madam Deputy Speaker. I look forward to hearing from the minister, and I believe my colleague, the member for Braitling, will also be talking about this motion.
Mr HAMPTON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen for bringing forward this motion on such an important matter. This matter is close to my heart; that is, sporting infrastructure and facilities in Alice Springs and Central Australia.
I say from the outset I will not be supporting this motion, but I will go through and say why I am not supporting it. The member for Nelson is also speaking to this motion, and he will be bringing forward some amendments to it. Regarding the government’s position, I can proudly say this government has delivered first-class facilities and first-class events to Alice Springs’ residents. I understand the passion the member for Araluen has in not only being a local member, but also of her being the patron of the Junior Rugby League. It is a great honour to be a patron of a sporting club. I understand the passion but she did not say in her contribution that she had talked to the Alice Springs Town Council, the mayor, or any of the aldermen ...
Ms Carney: I have.
Mr HAMPTON: You did not say it. Without …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr HAMPTON: The important thing is it is a council-owned facility ...
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr HAMPTON: It is a town council facility. I have talked to the mayor about this particular issue and about this motion. He is of the view he does not support knocking down the current facility and building a new facility there ...
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Misleading. The member for Stuart has asserted something the mayor said. It is because the council does not have any money; that is why the mayor has told us both what he said. Get it right.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat. Minister, you have the call.
Mr HAMPTON: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. As I was saying, I have talked to the mayor. He does not support further major significant upgrades or new developments at Anzac Oval. He has a very good point because of its location and the restrictions they have with car parking. I have, over the years, established a good working relationship with the mayor and the council. As the member for Araluen alluded to, the Traeger Park grandstand was an election commitment by this government in 2001, and we have honoured that election commitment to the people of Alice Springs. The Traeger Park grandstand is a facility which has been prioritised by the Sports Facility Advisory Group of Traeger Park.
It is not just the Australian Rules footballers who benefit from it. We also have Masters Games events and cricket there. The most important point is it is a facility identified by the Sports Facility Advisory Group - people from baseball, hockey, tennis, basketball, along with cricket and Aussie Rules - who determined where those dollars were going into the complex at Traeger Park.
I thank the member for Araluen for acknowledging my connections with sport and the local people in Alice Springs. She is right. As a local person, having been born in and grown up in Alice Springs, I have used many facilities in and around Alice Springs over the years. In my recent times as the minister, I have received a lot of good feedback about the standard of facilities in Alice Springs. As I have said quite a few times, I am very proud of this government’s commitment to Alice Springs in sporting facilities and some of the programs and the events we support.
It is not all about dollars, but this government’s investment of around $15m in Alice Springs sporting infrastructure is significant. It demonstrates to the people we have delivered on such an important part of our lifestyle in Alice Springs. It is an investment which is paying dividends for all Central Australians. As we know, Alice Springs is the hub for not only many of the remote communities, but also pastoralists, tourists and visitors who come to Alice Springs for a visit. They all use those upgraded facilities as well.
It means that our sports men and women and, importantly, our juniors have access to first-class facilities, not just those elite teams which fly in and thrill us with their skill level and then leave. Those facilities are there permanently for the enjoyment of our juniors and Alice Springs residents. It means we are able to attract first-class events and international events as well.
Just last week, one example of this is the Ford Ranger Cup; the first-class cricket we enjoyed at Traeger Park. I was at the match between the South Australian Redbacks and the Queensland Bulls, along with around 1000 Central Australians, enjoying the first-class cricket. The feedback I received from the players and officials from both teams about our facilities was overwhelming. The Redbacks’ skipper, Graham Manou, described the facilities as second to none. My hat goes off to Scott Allen and Athol Mitchell, the ground keepers; once again, it is a town council responsibility to maintain that facility. Scott and Athol did a fantastic job of getting that facility ready.
The next five years will also see AFL and NRL matches played at Traeger Park in Alice Springs. This government is proud to stand up and say we have delivered first-class events.
We have an excellent working relationship with the Alice Springs Town Council. We need to, because all of the sporting facilities in Alice Springs are owned and maintained by the council, including Anzac Oval. Over the last few years, this government has provided the Alice Springs Town Council with $240 000 in grants to upgrade Anzac Oval, and the council also chipped in $90 000. So, there was a total of $340 000 for work at Anzac Oval.
I take on board what the member for Araluen is saying. I have been there and had a look at it as well. Those facilities, in terms of non-compliance, are a major concern for me. I will look further into that, because we had also provided not only that grant funding of $240 000 for Anzac Oval, with the council’s $90 000, but also $50 000 to the Alice Springs Town Council to do a report into the infrastructure needs of sporting facilities in Alice Springs as part of the Traeger Park grandstand deal. I will take on board what the member for Araluen has said of the non-compliance, the auditing concerns in that report, and I will raise those with the mayor.
Not only have we invested in Traeger Park, with the grandstand and the lights, but, as the member for Araluen acknowledged, we have upgraded the hockey pitch at Traeger Park. We have also put $100 000 into the basketball stadium for much-needed work. If you have ever been there, which the Alice Springs members have, there is much work needed to get it up to standard.
Going back to Traeger Park, we have a new agreement with the AFL. We have secured $795 000 to complete the grandstand including an ablution block, the new coach and media boxes. That is in partnership with the Alice Springs Town Council, which has chipped in $150 000, and the AFL and AFLNT, which have committed $1m into sports infrastructure and AFL in the Northern Territory.
The other huge commitment by this government to Alice Springs is the Alice Springs Aquatic and Leisure Centre. I recently visited with the mayor and the contractors performing the work. It is a significant contribution of $8.1m by this government. I am looking forward to accessing that fantastic facility in years to come.
There are a number of other sporting facilities this government has been proud to support, along with the town council, over the years. I will go through those briefly. We have provided funding to the council for Anzac Oval, and also $500 000 to the soccer facilities at Ross Park. The work has been completed; that was for lights and a new clubhouse at Ross Park. I was there recently for the grand final and those facilities were very well received. I go there on a Monday or Tuesday to watch the junior soccer, and those facilities are well received. Some of that money went towards fixing the surface of Ross Park.
The basketball stadium received $100 000. The Chief Minister and I announced, during the Alice Springs Show, upgrading of the eastern end of the stadium. We are proud to support things like Kids for Health. The member for Braitling was there this year, and it was a great event for people who supported it, the local people who went to the match, but it was also about promoting education and health, with great people like Timmy Duggan and Anthony ‘The Man’ Mundine.
The drag strip is also one the government is proud to have delivered. Member for Greatorex, I did not know you were there; I was not there. I acknowledge you being there. I was in Ti Tree, in my electorate. Over $1m was delivered by this government to the motor sports enthusiasts in Alice Springs for the drag strip at the Finke Desert Race start-finish line. I know, going back to 2002, the Minister for Central Australia at the time, Dr Peter Toyne, had people from the drags come to him appealing for help to deliver a first-class drag strip. They had talked for years to the CLP but nothing was delivered by the CLP. I acknowledge my predecessor, Dr Peter Toyne, for battling hard and getting over $1m to deliver a first-class drag strip to the people of Alice Springs. I am proud to say this government has delivered the drag strip for motor enthusiasts in Alice Springs.
The ATP tennis tournament scheduled in Alice Springs in September 2010, under a year away, includes upgrades to the tennis complex the member for Araluen talked about. I acknowledge it is a shrinking space in numbers of juniors at tennis; I have been there on a couple of occasions. Talking to the mayor also, there is a real need to look at future planning in Alice Springs, particularly for sporting codes like tennis and the rectangular sports of Rugby League, Union, soccer, and netball. Tennis is squashed in there, and that is something I know the mayor is keen to look at regarding the new AZRI land release block, and any future planning for sporting facilities south of The Gap.
This government also supports local sports in Alice Springs, with over $1m being provided in our grassroots facilities in special grants from 2007 - $1m into Alice Springs through those various grant programs. These grants benefit the smaller sporting clubs and shires around Alice Springs. We recently announced, as I said before, $50 000 for the town council to develop a master plan for sporting facilities needs. I believe this is where the future needs of Anzac Oval, in future works needed on the current building, could be picked up.
With regard to sporting and infrastructure spending as an investment in the social fabric of our town and, to expand on the social spending, there is, of course, the $15m we have committed to four years in the Alice Springs Youth Action Plan, which I am sure members on both sides of the House are aware of now. I take on board the member for Nelson’s comments in the previous debate about the Police Citizens Youth Club. I agree with him that Larapinta is probably not the ideal location. I support a more centralised location for those facilities. However, I believe we need to acknowledge we need to build a really good transport service around a centralised model, not only in terms of the Youth Action Plan and also a future PCYC club.
On Monday this week I joined the Chief Minister in announcing $3.36m to upgrade facilities at the Gillen Campus of the new Centralian Middle School. The new school is one of the key points of the Youth Action Plan which also includes the new Police Beat now open and operating, and the No School, No Service policy, which around 120 businesses in Alice Springs are supporting.
This government has also committed, under the plan to providing an extra safe house and emergency beds for young people, to build a residential facility for kids who cannot live at home. We have also provided an additional $75 000 to the Gap Youth Centre to expand recreational services. The member for Nelson made a very good point about youth service providers in Alice Springs and the youth centres. As he said, we have the Alice Springs Youth Centre, and my department is talking to members of the Alice Springs Youth Centre about how we can widen their facility to other groups in Alice Springs. The YMCA does a fantastic job in providing a user-pay service. We have just provided the Gap Youth Centre with $75 000 to expand. I acknowledge they have had problems in the past with their funding and management of the centre, but they are on their way forward and the doors are open again. I will be watching carefully as well. We need to ensure they do not take on such a big workload or as many programs as they did before, and really focus on the core programs they see themselves operating. I have my department working with those three youth centres and their boards to continue providing a good social program for youth in Alice Springs.
Recently, I announced grants to assist with the ice skating rink in this very place we are at the moment, the convention centre. My congratulations to the manager, Scott Boocock, whose idea it was. It seemed a crazy idea but, sometimes, you have to think outside of the square. This one certainly came from left field. I am very happy to support the idea. One of my original comments when we announced the funding for the skating rink was I wanted them to work with the shires and with youth providers in remote communities, so those kids in remote communities, not only kids in Alice Springs, can also benefit from the experience of coming in during summer and getting on the ice.
They are planning a host of events over Christmas. One of those is a Blue Light Disco on ice. Maybe will get some members of this House to one of the Blue Light discos skating on ice - it might be thin ice ...
Members interjecting.
Mr HAMPTON: The member for Braitling is going to be in on that; that is great to hear.
I was very pleased to announce the other day $65 000 to FICA, Football in Central Australia, for another of these crazy ideas - a portable soccer arena and trailer. This means they can take the game to the people. We know soccer is a growing sport and we have large numbers of fans in Alice Springs. I get down to Ross Park on Monday and Tuesday nights. This portable soccer arena was, I believe, designed or made in Germany. This means they can actually get out …
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! In the remaining 12 minutes, if the minister could bring himself back to the actual motion, which was about the infrastructure at Anzac Oval. It is good to hear these …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr CONLAN: … statements, but in the remaining time …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. There is no point of order. Resume your seat.
Mr CONLAN: … the motion is actually about Anzac Oval.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Resume your seat.
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is a very broad discussion …
Mr CONLAN: It is not a broad discussion. It is a very specific …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex! I have ruled. Resume your seat, please. There most certainly is a degree of latitude in this debate. The minister has just under 12 minutes to go. Thank you, minister, you have the call.
Mr HAMPTON: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I go back to the member for Araluen’s motion. The first part is ‘in recognition of the failure to invest in areas of social and sporting infrastructure’. Member for Greatorex, maybe you should read the motion. However, I will continue with the great story I have to tell …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HAMPTON: Another interesting fact, while the member for Greatorex dribbles on …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Member for Greatorex!
Mr HAMPTON: While the member for Greatorex dribbles on, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will remind him …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Please pause, minister. Member for Greatorex, I ask you to cease interjecting, please. Thank you.
Mr HAMPTON: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I remind members, in 2000-01, the CLP’s budget for Sport and Recreation was $14m. Under this Labor government …
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim, when I call for order I am asking members to be quiet. Thank you. Minister, you have the call.
Mr HAMPTON: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. The CLP’s budget in 2000-01 for Sport and Recreation - a great part of this Territory’s lifestyle - was $14m. Under this Labor government, we have actually doubled that to over $33m, and put about $15m of that into Alice Springs. That is why I am not supporting this motion. I am proud to be a Labor member of this government and we have actually delivered $15m in Alice Springs. We have doubled the CLP’s budget in Sport and Recreation and have delivered.
However, I digress. As I said, this government has provided $290 000 to the council, along with their $90 000, to upgrade Anzac Oval. I take on board the member for Araluen’s comments regarding the audit report non-compliance. I really encourage the council, with the $50 000 we have provided, to do an audit of the Alice Springs sporting facilities to include Anzac Oval. It is a facility owned and maintained by the council. As I said, I am happy to work with the mayor and the council on improving those facilities ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, you have the call.
Mr HAMPTON: Madam Deputy Speaker, as I said, I will not be supporting this motion. I understand the member for Nelson has some amendments to it, which I will take on board and listen to him very closely. I will not go much further. Once again, I am proud to stand here as a member of this Labor government, to say we have delivered the first-class facilities for Alice Springs residents, and first-class events.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move an amendment to the motion before us. The amendment is:
Delete paragraph 1 of the member for Araluen’s motion and insert in its stead:
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, those amendments are circulated to members?
Mr WOOD: I have them here, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am willing to circulate them.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr WOOD: Madam Deputy Speaker, I support what the member for Araluen is doing. The reason I moved the amendment is twofold. One is, to some extent, if you are asking anyone for something, you do not give them a kick in the head first and then give me some money. There might be some debates about whether the NT government has spent enough money in Central Australia, but I went past Traeger Park last night and I thought it was day time. This was about 10.30 pm. They were playing a cricket match and I reckon those facilities leave Marrara for dead, especially when it comes to the lighting. They appear to have a double set of lights and it must have cost a few dollars ...
A member interjecting.
Mr WOOD: No, they are not drawing the power down from Darwin. It certainly was a very impressive sight last night, seeing what is at Traeger Park.
That is not to take away from the issue that is before us, which is the facilities at Anzac Hill Oval are not up to scratch. It always reminds me, when I come down here – you are up from the north, how would you know? Fair question. The only thing I can say is I have had a lot to do with sport in my life. I still referee soccer and I still umpire some footy, so I certainly know what change rooms look like.
I came here last Thursday and was fortunate enough to go to Anzac Hill Oval on Sunday night. Lo and behold, there was a game of Rugby Union on between Cubs and Warriors. Lo and behold, I was told James Hird is there. Just to prove I was there, I took the photos in the NT News today with James Hird at the game between the Cubs and the Warriors. While I was there, I met the head of Central Australia Rugby Union, Patrick Torres, and had good long discussion with him. He showed me around the facility; I believe we looked in every nook and cranny. There is certainly a need to upgrade the facility. I am not an expert on building, but I might have some suggestions. One is there needs to be more change rooms. The number of change rooms is not sufficient, especially if you have a number of teams wanting to play, one after the other, on the oval. They are not sufficient for teams to be playing, especially when you have junior teams playing.
The kiosk, as the member for Araluen said rightly, backs on to the cisterns of the toilets. It does not actually back on to the toilets per se; it is like a lot of toilets these days, they are hidden behind a wall, and the room they are in is closed off by a door. However, when I was there, it was used as a storeroom for the empty beer cartons. That may be a matter of more finding some store space for materials used at the kiosk. The kiosk needs a complete revamp. There does not seem to be a place where they can put their fridges, and we all know people want a cold drink when they are playing footy. It is a facility which is not up to scratch.
I popped into the referee’s room. They have a shower, but they do not have a toilet. That amazed me. You are not expecting the refs to go outside amongst the crowd to the toilet. Especially if it is a game which is a bit controversial, refs like to stay in their own change rooms for a while until everyone goes home. So, it surprised me there was no toilet in that facility.
The member for Araluen sent me some photographs of the stairs to the top. Patrick worked the little flight of stairs - it is a peculiar way to get to the top floor. He said to me: ‘There is room around the side there, perhaps, for a permanent set of stairs’.
I also asked the coach of the Cubs - whose name escapes me at the moment - because, after all, he is one of the users. He said the facilities are well behind the eight ball.
The reason I have also brought this motion; I know it mentions a grandstand. The impression I got from both Patrick and other people I spoke to, is they are not after a big grandstand. In fact, they do not necessarily need a grandstand. You can put portable facilities in when needed. What they need is more shade and more seating. When you go to the games, people are here, there and everywhere; it is not all one big crowd. People sit on the lawn and enjoy themselves. It is a family day. When I went there, it was a very happy crowd. Rugby Union people usually are because when they go crook at the referee they call him ‘sir’ which is in contrast to what they call people who umpire Aussie Rules. It is something I have never become used it. When they go crook at you, before they do, they say: ‘Sir, that was a wrong decision’!
I also spoke to Damien Ryan, Mayor of Alice Springs, because the facility belongs to the Alice Springs Town Council. I asked his thoughts and he explained he had some money, but not enough to do a great deal - $140 000. I do not think it will build you an extra change room, but it might be enough money to see where upgrades could be done, and how much they would cost.
The other part of the motion is in relation to the demolition of the existing facility. As the member for Araluen said, it might be cheaper to knock the whole place down. That is an issue which needs to be looked at. To put on two new change rooms, revamp the kiosk, upgrade or repair some of the OHS issues - maybe we should knock it down.
That is the reason for my amendments; to be a little more specific. I am not commenting on the state of all the facilities in Alice Springs. If I had more time I would look at every sporting facility in Alice Springs. I am trying to focus on the issue before us; that is, the facilities at Anzac Oval need upgrading. Another issue raised by the Mayor of Alice Springs, Damien Ryan, was the council should be looking at building a purpose-built facility at the AZRI subdivision. Your guess is as good as mine as to when that occurs, but it does mean, if that is the approach the council is looking at in relation to Rugby Union, Rugby League or soccer facilities, it would be unwise to put a large amount of money into a facility which may not have a long-term future.
I have been asked to comment on this facility. I believe the facility needs upgrading. I saw last Sunday it is quite a popular facility. Luckily, I was wearing my Swamp Dogs Rugby Union shirt; I felt I was amongst friends. The people were willing to show me around and explain the problems associated with the facility. The ground is beautiful. It is a good ground; the grass is nice, generally speaking. It has the advantage of being close to town, although parking is one of the issues when it comes to bringing the big drawcard events. If the NRL play there, where are people going to park? There is some parking across the road. Damien Ryan is looking at that and saying: ‘If we are going to have these big events we need a place for people to park’.
That brings me to the issue of the toilets. The toilets might need some upgrading, but they are probably quite sufficient for the numbers of people who turn up at the present time. They are not sufficient when you have the NRL or the Masters Games. I have been to the Masters Games. At most events which come around once a year or so, you need to bring in your portaloos, which normally happens. It would be silly to build toilet facilities far beyond what is needed for an event which might occur once, or even twice a year.
We need to investigate the facilities, but I believe we should ensure the facilities are for general use, not necessarily for those uses which come irregularly. You can cater for those with portable grandstands and portable loos.
Madam Deputy Speaker, putting forward the motion does not say I do not support the general gist of what the member for Araluen has moved; it provides more focus. I have taken advice from the people who use the facilities, and the town council.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen, my colleague, for bringing on this very important motion. She, with the member for Greatorex, and, I am sure, the member for Macdonnell, support improving facilities at Anzac Oval.
We seem to be in a position in Alice Springs where those who rule our town - and I do not speak specifically of the mayor – and have influence in our town, are those who support AFL. It seems certain sections of the community ensure greater resources are provided to AFL facilities. Hence, we have such a good facility at Traeger Park. That is not to condemn or speak negatively of AFL or Traeger Park; it is to say that is why we have some bias towards Traeger Park.
I note in the speech by the member for Araluen, she made direct reference to representatives of the Rugby League Association, Rugby Union Association and Paul Lelliott at the soccer. Yes, we did meet with those people. We had good discussions and those representatives highlighted the concerns regarding Anzac Oval. We are supportive of the concerns at Anzac Oval, which has the potential to be the centrepiece of our town, because it is ideally located. I recognise the comments made by the member for Nelson about parking, and the concerns the mayor has about parking, and they are real concerns.
Anzac Oval is ideally placed to be the centrepiece of our town and, I imagine, in years to come when the population of Alice Springs has grown by tens of thousands of people, the potential site we have right in the heart our town, for a magnificent sporting field which partners up with Traeger Park to be the centrepiece of soccer - or football, as people like to call it - Rugby Union, and Rugby League. I believe is great vision and will put Alice Springs in great stead.
Who can forget the NRL trial game between the Knights and the Panthers, which was held here a few years ago? I was amazed at the number of people who turned out for that - 6000 people turned out for what could be considered to be an alien sport in this town. This town is widely considered to be an AFL town, but 6000 people turned up and had a great time. They were planning to come back every two years. It is unfortunate it has not happened, and it will not happen again for quite some time. For NRL clubs to come here, the criteria is very specific in its requirements for media and change rooms. But, more importantly, the requirements of the community who use those facilities - the change rooms, the kiosk, and so forth - need to be improved. Anyone who conducted an OHS audit of those facilities would understand they are clearly not up to the mark where they should be. I note the certificate is not correct, as the member for Araluen clearly identified.
I go back to the point of why Traeger Park seems to receive more support or more funding than other areas. In the last parliamentary sittings, the member for Stuart, the minister for Sport, made an announcement about upgrading facilities at Traeger Park. While those upgrades to Traeger Park are good, and positively and graciously accepted, I was surprised resources were not part of the announcement to upgrade the lighting at Traeger Park so we could have sporting events at night, which we currently cannot have. We have this good facility which currently has no toilets and a grandstand, and we do not have the lighting facilities which support televised sport to be played over FOX SPORTS or any other television channel.
I note the member for Stuart reflected the CLP budget in 2000-01 was only $14m. I have to say that does not sound like a bad figure for 2000-01. I thought it would have come out much less than that. However, $14m in 2000-01 was before we had the GST grants, when John Howard made sure the Territory government got extra money, redirecting money to the Northern Territory. It is being done today. The GST dollar still continues to flow to the Northern Territory. I believe I heard the member for Stuart say the $15m in Northern Territory government funding has gone into sporting facilities in Alice Springs. I think that was right. I am not sure what period of time that was; it may be over the term of this government. Yes, $15m over the term of this government has gone into sporting facilities in Alice Springs. That sounds like a great amount.
It sounds like a great number until you have a look at the Commonwealth Grants Commission funding which has been spent in the Northern Territory. Have a look at that and you see, in the year 2007-08, the Northern Territory government, which was assessed by the Commonwealth Grants Commission as needing to spend $46.456m on culture and recreation in the Northern Territory. However, in actual fact, after receiving extra money assessed to be at $19m by the Commonwealth, the Northern Territory government spent $79m on culture and recreation in the financial year 2007-08. These are Territory government figures. These are not assessments, these are figures. There was $79m in one year. And the minister for Sports tells us he spent $15m over the nine long years of this Northern Territory’s tired and arrogant Labor government. This is how much they care about Alice Springs - not even $2m a year. Not that it is a numbers game, but not even $2m a year. Not even, when they spent $79m on culture and recreation in the Northern Territory.
Then we go back to 2006, and they spent $94m. If we go back to 2005-06, they spent $110m on culture and recreation in the Northern Territory. Just keep in mind they spent $15m over nine years in Alice. If you have a look at 2004-05 they spent $99m in the Northern Territory on culture and recreation. In 2003-04, they spent $92.799m in the Northern Territory. Clearly, one must ask, if they have spent all this money - my quick calculation puts that just a little under $500m in five years - where did it go?
Ms Carney: Good question, where did it go?
Mr GILES: I do not think it went to Alice Springs, because I am pretty sure $500m and $15m are not the same. So, they have spent less than $2m a year in Alice Springs on sporting facilities - the second largest town in the Northern Territory. Well, it was until Labor stopped investing in infrastructure, land release, and housing development. We are now the third. However, almost $500m was spent in the Northern Territory on culture and recreation – and $15m in Alice Springs. Here we are asking to have a little facility upgraded for the three largest growing sports in Alice Springs - soccer, Rugby League and Rugby Union - and we cannot have it. We cannot have a building which complies with the building code. We cannot have change rooms which comply with the national sporting codes. We cannot have a kiosk which complies with the food and health standards guidelines. We cannot have that. No, but we can have a grandstand at Traeger Park without any toilets. Pump everyone full of grog at Traeger Park, but there are no bathrooms.
Where would $500m have gone? I imagine the Chief Minister, in his budgie smugglers up at the water park …
A member: Oh god, steady on.
Mr GILES: It is a horrible thought, I know. But, that is what this government’s priorities are …
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! I urge the member for Braitling withdraw that offensive remark, ‘the Chief Minister in his budgie smugglers’.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is a rather frivolous point of order, member for Greatorex. Member for Braitling, you have been asked by one of your colleagues if you would like to withdraw that statement.
Mr GILES: Madam Deputy Speaker, nothing will take that picture away from my mind.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have the call, member for Braitling.
Mr GILES: Madam Deputy Speaker, I go back to my point about the vision I have of the Chief Minister in his budgie smugglers at the wave pool in Darwin, and I think about the people of Alice Springs. I think about the 30 000 people in Alice Springs, the regional service centre for over 220 communities in Central Australia. I think about the 400 registered players in soccer, and growing. I think about the Rugby League numbers that are growing all the time. I think about the teams in Rugby Union which would like to have proper services. Recently, Territory Major Events has moved into the building in which my electorate office is occupied, at Anangu House at the corner of Gregory Terrace and Bath Street - drop in for a coffee. I have a chat to those people from time to time, because we are a small town, we know the people who work there, they live in my electorate, I doorknock those people. They say: ‘Gee, would it not be good to have better facilities for the Masters Games?’ Wouldn’t be?
I recognise what the member for Nelson said; that is, you cannot have permanent facilities for just a one in every two year event. I appreciate that, and that not everyone has all the money. However, there is a certain standard, a certain level of equity, we should be putting, as infrastructure, into facilities in Alice Springs to support the growth of these sports. It is an opportunity to highlight our town.
Here we have Sam, the CEO from Adelaide United, who wants to come to Alice Springs to form a regional partnership for football, or soccer as I called it as a kid. He wants to support a regional partnership with soccer in the Centre, to provide some social responsibility for their club, but also to try to harvest the talent in Central Australia, recognising the performances which have come out of Central Australia in some of the previous soccer greats - even playing at Manchester United, I think, yes.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I wonder what the benefits are of the government not supporting this motion, when they have spent nearly $500m in the Territory in five years. The amendment that was put forward - and I am not sure if we are talking to the amendment or to the motion, no one has really said that ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are speaking to the amended motion.
Mr GILES: We are speaking to the amended motion – I am surprised.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are speaking to both, member for Braitling.
Mr GILES: On the amended motion, which I have here, I have had conversations with the member for Nelson before we came here, and I was aware of the amendment which was coming up. I do find some holes in the amendment. I appreciate the member for Nelson has been good enough to try to come back and work this through. However, at point one, where he says to meet with the Alice Springs Town Council, the CARU, the Central Australia Rugby Union, Rugby League Association, football, soccer, in Central Australia to investigate the cost of the following at Anzac Oval to upgrade existing facilities, specifically dressing rooms, kiosk, toilets in referee’s room, permanent stairs to top floor, and demolition of existing facilities and the construction of a new facility.
Well, it does not really say who is going to meet with these people. I am not sure if it is the member for Nelson, the Council of Territory Cooperation - that amazingly insightful body. I am not sure who is going to meet with these people, because, as the local member of the electorate where this park or facility is, I have spoken with the representatives of those people. I have spoken to the Alice Springs Town Council. I know the Alice Springs Town Council does not want a large grandstand. Well, we are not really pushing for that either. We are pushing for appropriate facilities - an upgrade to the facilities, or demolish and build, or upgrade, or whatever the case is necessary.
The key problem with this motion is, it does not give a time line; it does not give a commitment that we will do these upgrades to the current facilities. There is no clarity on how to move forward. To me, this seems like a delaying tactic, when you have the Country Liberals, who are the local members in Alice Springs; and me, as the local member of the electorate; my colleague, the member for Araluen, who is the patron of Rugby League, and a great supporter of sports at Anzac Oval; the member for Greatorex, who is also a great supporter, and many of his constituents and their children play sport at this oval. We all are the people you talk to. I am sure, if you spoke to the member for Macdonnell - and I am not going to put words in her mouth – who has many friends and colleagues in Alice Springs, would appreciate the need to ensure the facilities comply with the building code, we meet the occupational health and safety standards, and we are trying to attract people and sporting clubs to our town.
I would love to see soccer played there every Sunday afternoon; it would be great. We are a small town, our crowds are not big but, if Adelaide United played North Queensland Fury from Townsville at Alice Springs, it would be a great night. If we had the teams such as the Bulldogs playing the Eels, we could really get things going. We could have a Super 14 trial match played in Alice Springs. These are the things we should be moving forward to, and this is such a small investment in infrastructure. If this motion said: ‘We will review the costs, we will report back by February, and then we will commit to doing it’; but we cannot even get that.
All we have is a motion someone – I am not sure who - is going to meet with four organisations to see how much things cost. That does not go far enough, and I am not sure whether the member for Nelson would be keen to amend his motion. I do not think he would, but I will be happy to see him respond to whether he will amend it, so we can get a commitment to upgrade the facilities at Anzac Oval. Otherwise, all we will see is approximately $500m over the next five years going into the Territory - if it remains the same – and nothing coming to Alice Springs.
I represent people in Alice Springs and they care. I have been talking to students as they come in here from the school groups. They ask: ‘What are you doing? What are you talking about?’ I said we are debating on our side, because we are your local members and we listen to your parents, whether we should fix it up. ‘Great. Can I come back?’ ‘No, sorry, you have go to class. Make sure you tell everyone we want Anzac Oval fixed up. We will do it; that is our job’.
Unfortunately, we have members who do not live in the electorate, who do not represent people who play sport in that electorate, who are not keen to support it. I believe it is very disappointing, and I will not be supporting this amended motion. I will be supporting the motion put forward by the member for Araluen. I know my colleagues in the Country Liberals support this motion, and I am sure there are other people on this side of the Chamber who support this motion. I recommend to the member for Nelson to come back into this Chamber, respond to his motion, amend his motion, and commit to helping the people of Alice Springs, or supporting our motion.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Deputy Speaker, I will specifically deal with the member for Nelson’s amendment. It is not supported and I will sum up as a result of some of the other things the member for Nelson said, and some of what the member for Stuart said.
In talking specifically about this proposed amendment, we oppose it because, unlike our motion, there are no time frames. The member for Nelson’s motion is to meet, talk and investigate. This is pontification at its worst. Our motion, in contrast, uses the word ‘immediately’. If that is not a time frame, I do not know what is.
We, on behalf of the people we represent - and as I said earlier, we did meet with relevant stakeholders, and I am patron of the junior Rugby League association. We are their voice; it is what we are paid to do. They do not want to sit around and talk, although I can rely on what is going to happen with this motion. No doubt, in due course, when government finally gets around to it, they will be invited for a chat, and they will participate because they want something done.
We brought this motion, not because I lie in bed at night and think about places like Anzac Oval. It is because people approach me and show me these things and say it really needs to be upgraded. I go there and I see it really needs to be upgraded. We told them we would do our very best, during these sittings, to get some action.
In stark contrast, the member for Nelson proposes a meeting - no time frame - to investigate – no time frame - costs. We say that is simply not good enough. It is very easy for the member for Nelson to drop in, as do government ministers. Of course, he endorses this government; he supports them. I have been very up-front with the member for Nelson; in August I said very clearly to him I thought, on behalf of my constituents, he made the wrong decision. We will agree to disagree, but I made my position very clear and the member for Nelson made his clear.
It is the wrong decision, but it is the decision the member for Nelson has taken. Equally, he has made the wrong call when it comes to this motion. The people we specifically represent in relation to this motion do not want to sit around and talk; they want some action. With respect, member for Nelson, I know you believe sitting around and talking is the way to go. I have represented my constituents for eight years and they have had enough. That is why, in 2007, so many of them turned up to protest. These were the nice mums and dads of Alice Springs. They turned up because they had had a gutful. They are not turning up this time in droves for two reasons, in my view. I appreciate this is a digression and I will be brief.
One is the terrible time of year of these sittings. We all concede that privately. Second, when it comes to this government they say: ‘Talk to the hand’. They see through the spin and the slipperiness and they want so much better, and they deserve so much better. So, they are not into sitting around talking about these sorts of things.
The member for Braitling talked about the lack of money the government has invested during their eight years in office. I could not take down all of the figures he had but, it was, relatively speaking, a paltry amount. We believe, on behalf of the people we represent, significantly more should be done. I noted, with interest, the minister said – and I believe my note is accurate: ‘non-compliance is a major concern’. You think? You think non-compliance is a major concern? Too right it is! You have all of these photos of this crappy facility, and it appeared as though you did not even know. You said you would take the compliance issues on board. You did not know?
You have a building which has asbestos in it. You have a building which does not comply with various fire and building codes. This is about as serious as it gets.
Member for Nelson, with respect, we do not support this motion because our people do not want to sit around and talk. You did not provide any time frame and that was a problem. It is very easy to swing by from the Top End – and you are, just like government ministers - and say: ‘I believe this should happen’. Please believe me when I tell you our people want so much more.
Member for Nelson, you talked about parking problems, yet, miraculously in subparagraph (b) of your motion says: ‘demolition of the existing facility and the construction of a new facility’. The parking problem miraculously disappears. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot say: ‘There are parking issues there’ and, then, by dint of this motion, assume they will magically go away. You are having it both ways. We disagree. We know our people well enough to know they will not be satisfied with this. That is why I am on my feet. Government will spin this in all sorts of ways and say we did not support people sitting around and talking. Go your hardest because we know our people very well.
I am sorry, member for Nelson, we do not support this amendment. We will not support it and we do it in good conscience knowing, better than you, the people we represent.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, there are two motions before the Chair. First is an amendment as moved by the member for Nelson; and there is the original motion moved by the member for Araluen. I will take the amendment first.
The question is that the amendment, as moved by the member for Nelson, be agreed to.
Motion negatived.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, getting back to our motion, I said before I would pick up some of the things the member for Stuart said. Thank you, minister, for acknowledging my acknowledgment of your commitment to sport in Alice Springs. I know you and your family, your sons - I think you have a boy at Clontarf - are committed.
However, I believe there is a danger. I said it when I started to talk about the motion. I said people have noticed in Alice Springs that Traeger Park is getting so much in comparison with the others. Minister, with great respect, you are at risk of being seen as an Aussie Rules sort of a guy. You can do that in your private life - that is fine, and I commend you for it. However, as a minister of the Crown and Minister for Sport and Recreation, it is my view - and I feel certain it is shared by my colleagues - you have to do so much better, and a balanced approach is the order of the day.
Regarding the parking issues the member for Nelson highlighted, I note, when talking about Masters Games in media releases and in parliament, the member for Stuart never talks about parking issues. Funny, how issues suddenly emerge when you are looking for a list of things to say why you cannot do something. If there are parking concerns – and, on occasion there will be - fix it. Work with council to get it fixed.
I note the minister said, in recent times, government had provided $240 000. Well, not good enough. The compliance issue is incredibly serious. I was pretty surprised you said it was a major concern. It is. Well, it does somewhat beg the question: what are you going to do about it? Sitting down and talking, as I mentioned just a few minutes ago, is not what is required. We are not in January yet. You would have to bet, on a best guess, work might start, in repairing some of the compliance issues, perhaps February/March next year - not good enough by a country mile.
The minister said when he was on his feet that all sporting facilities are owned and maintained by the Alice Springs Town Council. He does not tend to use that language - and I cannot for the life of me ever remember him using that language - when it comes to issuing media releases or making announcements in respect of other town council owned and managed facilities. Again, it is that slithering we are on to, as are the people of Alice Springs.
This facility desperately needs an input; a significant injection from government. The member for Braitling outlined the figures - lots of money and, yet, so little; less than $2m a year - spent on sporting infrastructure in Alice Springs - nowhere near enough. I note - and I am pretty sure it was issued this afternoon - a media release from the Darwin City Council talking about Bagot Park in Darwin and saying soccer is such a popular sport and our junior competition in Darwin is incredibly strong - as it is in Alice Springs - and the Northern Territory government will contribute $209 000. That is just a one-off spend for Bagot Park to allow planting of new turf before the Wet Season.
It is open for the people of Alice Springs, particularly those to whom I will send the Hansard of this debate, to conclude, as I have said before, there is one set of rules for Top Enders and quite another for the people of Alice Springs. Government seems to think $209 000 for planting of new turf before the Wet Season at Bagot Park is incredibly important. I am sure it is, but we think Anzac Oval is really important. The photos you have seen - and I know members have seen the facility - clearly demonstrate, not only occupational health and safety-type issues, but issues of the facility and its use in Alice Springs. So, Bagot Park gets $209 000 and, here we are, bowing and scraping, begging, arguing as best we can to say: can you please immediately upgrade facilities at Anzac Oval, which are well overdue? Yet, government will vote against this motion. That is another example of why it is government does so badly, in political terms, in Alice Springs.
I repeat, the Chief Minister said in the booklet for parliament his government is a government for all Territorians. Well, you would not believe it in Alice Springs. We think government should do better. I talked before about the minister kicking goals, and as an Aussie Rules boy he does, and he has. We think, in the Rugby sense, you should do some touches over the try line and see if you can score some points for that sport and, indeed, looking to other sports, particularly showcasing the beautiful facility in its location and its grounds; it is just the infrastructure that needs more work.
For the record, I should have said when I was initially on my feet, yes, I did speak with the mayor about this matter. Once again, the position has been somewhat misrepresented by a government minister. Should I be surprised? No, in fact, the mayor’s position is to finish the grandstand at Traeger Park first, and then you can move on to other things. You are so bad you cannot even finish that grandstand. The fact is Alice Springs Town Council does not have the money to inject. Council will be forced, potentially, into a position of increasing rates for ratepayers. That should not have to occur, when government, at a drop of a hat, chucks in $209 000 for Bagot Park. It should chuck in some money, and take some action immediately to upgrade the facilities. When it comes to town council, let us be clear, it is not the case the mayor does not want a grandstand at Anzac Oval. He reckons, rightly or wrongly, finish the one at Traeger Park first.
I note the member for Stuart was silent as to the mayor’s position about other parts of the motion - the viewing area, the canteen, the toilets, the change rooms. He was silent on the mayor’s views about making this a first-class facility. I know the mayor well enough to know – and, of course, there have been discussions about it - he wants - we all do - Anzac Oval to be the facility it can be.
We think you should try harder. We know you will not support this motion. We have done the best we can. Madam Speaker, I strongly support this motion and I only wish government members would.
Motion agreed to.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): I move that the Territory government:
This, despite its length, is a relatively straightforward motion. I should declare I drive past this intersection every day. When I am in Alice Springs, which is most of the time, I start work between 7.30 am and 8 am. I see it at peak times and I see mums and dads taking their kids to school. I also see congestion at other times as I make my way around the electorate and Alice Springs. There is no doubt an immediate investigation has to be undertaken regarding traffic congestion and safety matters at this intersection. We have had discussions with the member for Nelson and have tried our best to come up with a motion which we thought he would …
A member interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: We have not tried our best? I believe we have tried our best to get an agreement. I understand there is one part he will not support. We are doing this not for ourselves but for the people we represent. For those from the Top End, it is very easy to drop in. I saw the member for Nelson at the intersection parked on the verge. I stopped off at the intersection to have a chat and he was there with his camera jumping up and down watching people.
One day is not enough. If you live here and drive past it every day, you see the difficulties with it. As a result of negotiation, we changed parts of our motion. We had the word ‘immediate’ investigation, and we have provided a time line. We have done that because we do want this on the never-never. My view is it should have been done long ago. This government talks about land release, but there is no doubt there have been more dwellings established in the Larapinta area and there has been some increase of traffic flow.
There is also no doubt, as a result of the growth in what is locally known as the industrial area, more people are coming out from Lovegrove Drive. There is no doubt something needs to be done. It is dangerous. I have seen the most extraordinary things on my way to work. I have seen people mounting the footpath to get around cars in front and find a short cut; I have been parked behind people who are cursing and …
Dr Burns: Road rage.
Ms CARNEY: Yes, I think there is some road rage, member for Johnston. To see, on more than one occasion, people mounting the footpath to get around cars in front is, obviously, highly dangerous. In the last sittings, the Minister for Transport was talking about the importance of road safety. Believe me when I tell you something needs to be done on a fairly urgent basis when it comes to this intersection, otherwise there will be injuries and fatalities.
The problem is some drivers become irate as they wait for a split second to move out of Lovegrove Drive and into Larapinta Drive. I see the long lines of vehicles on Lovegrove Drive trying to get into Larapinta Drive. It is not good enough and our preference, very clearly, is for a roundabout. It is particularly dangerous at peak times as people go to work and take their children to school. Also, as they return home or pick up their children at the end of the school day, and when they are on their way from work.
As with other intersections, sometimes traffic flows well and it is not always dangerous; that is a given. However, it is often dangerous. The Chief Minister and his colleagues are at pains, when talking about crime, to say: ‘One crime is a crime too many’. I say, one level of danger at an intersection is one level too many. A roundabout, in our view, will assist many members of the public in Alice Springs and it will be safer for them.
There is a view, if a roundabout is built - and I have talked to the mayor about this issue also - it may be possible, or desirable, for the government to install some pedestrian traffic lights either side, perhaps several hundred metres from the roundabout, which will assist with pedestrian traffic flow. At times, it can be somewhat busy. There is a pedestrian crossing further west on Larapinta Drive which, I might say, was achieved after considerable public pressure. I assisted with that before the 2005 election. Another pedestrian crossing is probably desirable and, I believe, it is a view shared by the mayor.
One difficulty with having traffic lights, based on my conversations with the mayor - which I confirmed, member for Nelson, again last night; as we know, Damien Ryan was here for several hours yesterday. I relayed a conversation I had with the member for Nelson about the concern council has with the government installing traffic lights and then, moving off, and council maintaining them. When I talked to the member for Nelson about that, he said: ‘No, that is not right. That does not happen in Litchfield Shire or wherever’. I then went back to the mayor last night and put it again to him. There seems to be a level of disagreement. I do not believe he would fight you to the death, but it was Damien Ryan’s understanding that council would be left with the costs of maintaining the traffic lights. I do not know what the true situation is, but I raise this issue because there is some concern in relation to it.
There is another more general concern about traffic lights which is they are likely to disrupt the flow down Larapinta Drive. The pedestrian crossing near Diarama Village is used regularly but, essentially, by schoolchildren. That is a great thing, because it makes the crossing of a busy road a safe one. If there are traffic lights further as you head into town on Larapinta Drive, it may present some traffic flow problems. On the other hand, it may be the case it might stop speedsters. There are, unfortunately, many of them who hoon their way down Larapinta Drive. My view, and the view of my colleagues - local colleagues in particular - is a roundabout will be better and it will assist traffic flow.
I am aware the member for Nelson, when I unexpectedly met with him on the verge on Friday morning, was keen to come up with some other solutions. I repeat the point we believe a roundabout is a better option, but we will agree to disagree on that. What the member for Nelson said was he had received figures from the government. We had not. However, as a quasi-member of the government, the member for Nelson had. I do not believe you could have too much difficulty with that, member for Nelson, because, in so many ways, he is. As a quasi-member of the government, he had received information from the government that we, the movers of the motion and the local representatives had, not been given the courtesy of receiving.
In any event, to his credit, the member for Nelson offered to send me that information, which he did; for which I thank him. What was very interesting is there is no guarantee it is original information from the department. We know e-mails, and we know how they work. Specifically on the bottom, it is signed ‘Sonia Peters, Ministerial Advisor – Treasury and Infrastructure’. The member for Nelson said to me - and here comes the Mayor of Alice Springs and the former Mayor of Alice Springs is also here as well, Madam Speaker.
The fact is I do not know, nor do I have any guarantee, and past form does them no credit. I just am not satisfied this is all of the relevant information from government. I note someone from the relevant minister’s office sent an e-mail around again today which is somewhat different. My point is we do not believe everything this government tells us. I said on ABC radio at 8.30 this morning, just because this government says something does not mean it is true. I exercise great care when I get information from government. I get so little of it, but I do, on occasion, manage to get a response to a letter.
A good example was in a motion we debated some hours ago, the law and order motion, the fifth part thereof in relation to alcohol. I know this is a digression, but I will be as brief as possible. I refer to how the member for Casuarina, the Minister for Alcohol Policy, at the October parliamentary sittings in Darwin, said very clearly his department had talked to Australia Post and they had ‘not seen a significant increase in alcohol’ coming through the Post Office. It did not sit well with me, so I rang the Delivery Services Manager at the Post Office, a man I know who lives around the corner from me. I read the bit of Hansard to him and I said: ‘You spoke to the minister?’ ‘Yes’. ‘The minister says this is what you said. Did you say that?’ ‘No’. ‘What did you tell the person who rang you?’ ‘I told the person who rang me that, based on ocular inspection, there was an increase in alcohol coming through the Post Office’.
What the member for Casuarina did was dishonestly reworded it and said ‘no significant increase’. That is why Madam Speaker - and thank you for the indulengence for the digression - I do not trust this government. You are just squibbers, you are manipulators. We saw it with the Menzies report. At taxpayers’ expense, you put this whopper of an ad in The Centralian Advocate on Friday, and said ‘the Menzies report found’ – balderdash! It did find - talk about liar, liar, pants on fire. It just did not …
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Araluen!
Ms CARNEY: I withdraw that, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Can you direct your comments through me, please.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker. As a courtesy to you, I very happily withdrew that remark. If pressed, perhaps I would have not been required to because I was not alleging any particular member of government was a liar; I was just using that well-known Australian expression ‘liar, liar, pants on fire’ - an expression you often ...
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, come on. Back to the debate.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker. … an expression used often in and around my electorate when people are talking about this government ...
Members interjecting.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Ms CARNEY: In any event, I am sorry, but I do not trust you. Many of my constituents do not, and they have good reason not to.
In any event, one part of the e-mail from a ministerial advisor said:
They are talking about traffic volumes:
The wording is these volumes can operate to an acceptable level of service. My question is: should they? If this was in Darwin would this intersection have been fixed by now? I believe it would have been. Would the northern suburbs of Darwin have to endure this intersection? I think not. A staffer of the minister, both of whom live in Darwin, say it can operate like this. I do not think it should, and I do not think it is good enough.
I know the member for Nelson will not support this motion, which is interesting because, given his closeness to the former member for Braitling, I would have thought he would have had some sympathy with her position...
Mr Wood interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: You will have your chance, member for Nelson, and you know I am a bit deaf, so I cannot hear your interjection, so I cannot determine whether they are mindless or sensible.
In any event, the former member for Braitling raised this issue on numerous occasions. One of them was in parliament on 23 March 2005. She asked a question. No, I am sorry, you, member for Nelson, asked the question. You said – it must have been at the Alice Springs sittings in 2005. It was. The question, to the minister for Infrastructure, was as follows:
He went on and on, and then he said:
To her credit, in August 2005, in parliament in Darwin, the former member for Braitling asked the following question:
She asked that on 18 August 2005 - all those years ago. She was thanked for her question. The minister said:
It is November 2009. This issue has been around for a long time, presumably because we have the hated member for Karama, I am thinking, is going to be the one who is going to respond to this. She will get up and she will bleat on about the CLP. Go your hardest. This is not about the CLP, this is about the ALP. This is about coming to government and getting better outcomes. For 26 or 27 long years, you waited and waited and waited – what a fizzer. What a fizzer. I have already quoted Paul Keating today. I believe it was he who said of someone in the Liberal party ‘all tip and no iceberg’. You just have not delivered.
To her credit, the former member for Braitling raised this issue. The e-mail today was, presumably, some other form of study. Study, study, study. Talk, talk, talk. Please just get it done. The Mayor of Alice Springs is here. I know he is a very busy man and he probably will not be reading the Parliamentary Record of this debate. I should, in his presence, if I may, just repeat what I said earlier about our conversation relayed to the member for Nelson in relation to traffic lights. I advised the member for Nelson, from my discussions with the mayor, there was a concern when governments put up traffic lights and, then, the costs of those lights fall to council to maintain.
The member for Nelson had a different view. I had a discussion with the Alice Springs Mayor last night and that was not his view. I repeated I did not know what the exact situation was. I see them sitting together now so, no doubt, a position will emerge from the member for Nelson. I thought that important as the mayor is present. I compliment him on his attendance at these sittings, because there are so many Alice Springs matters and it is important that he sees – although I know he does understand – the commitment of the local members to Alice Springs.
Getting back to this motion: an immediate investigation be undertaken. I would hate to think in years to come some poor bugger will be standing here quoting the former member for Araluen. In case anyone misreads that, no, I am not planning on going anywhere, but I also do not plan to be here at the age of 90. I sincerely hope subsequent members for Araluen and subsequent members for Braitling do not say: ‘In 2005, the former, former, former member for Braitling said’, because people will say: ‘Who was that?’ And: ‘The former, former, former member for Araluen said’. It is just a roundabout.
If you do not want a roundabout can you come up with another solution? Can you report to the parliament in the February 2010 sittings? Can you ensure, whatever option is agreed to, it is to commence by April 2010, and be completed by June 2010? I know it is not an election year, but you could do something really wild and crazy and actually do the job you are paid for by looking after the residents of Alice Springs and get it done.
Mr McCARTHY (Transport): Madam Deputy Speaker, first, I will provide some background on traffic volumes and crash statistics in relation to the intersection. I have spent some time at the intersection during recent visits to Alice Springs. Intersection counts were undertaken in 1997, 2005 and last month. The study undertaken last month to identify traffic volumes passing through the intersection during peak times found current traffic volume on Larapinta Drive is between 10 000 and 11 000 vehicles per day in the vicinity of Lovegrove Drive.
The average annual daily traffic count for Larapinta Drive has remained relatively static for the past decade and recent traffic data confirms a growth rate of less than 1%. The advice from traffic management officers is the current intersection is sufficient for these volumes. Current traffic growth rates are not expected to change from the current trend for Larapinta Drive in future years, in line with the Alice Springs Land Use Structure Plan. There are many similar intersections in the Northern Territory with significantly larger traffic volumes which do not have roundabouts or traffic lights.
The crash data for this intersection shows there have been 13 accidents in 18 years, thankfully, with no fatalities. Five of those crashes involved injuries, with three incidents requiring hospital admission. Two crashes occurred in peak hour and 11 in non-peak hour, with 10 occurring in daylight hours. I am aware the member for Braitling is seeking funding under the Commonwealth government’s Black Spot Funding program. This is commendable but, alas, this intersection will not meet funding eligibility on these crash statistics.
I support the suggestion by the member for Nelson that options for this intersection be assessed and reported to this parliament in February. I will touch briefly on some of the options raised. In relation to a roundabout, the site is constrained by existing urban development and it also has a number of known sacred sites in the vicinity. Road trains are known to use this intersection, and a roundabout would need to consider the large sweep path of long commercial vehicles which impact on the overall size of an intersection.
Planning concepts for a roundabout at this intersection have been assessed by road engineers and determined it is not required based on the traffic levels. Earlier assessments indicate the cost of a roundabout is in the vicinity of $2.6m, but could increase due to side issues, including potential relocation of services and consideration of sacred sites.
Traffic lights and traffic lights with a seagull lane: traffic lights could provide an option, but are seen as disruptive by motorists. However, we will look further at this option and I will also ask the department to look at better speed limits and intersection signage and line remarking. I make a comment at that stage about asking the department, as I seem to be scoffed at a bit by the opposition every time I mention the wonderful public servants I have the honour of working with. When you do empirical and data research, it is these specific public servants who provide us with the accurate data to guide good decision-making by the minister.
I will comment on my visit to that intersection and thank the member for Araluen for raising this as an issue of road safety. I visited the intersection on a number of occasions, and I have chosen to be there at different times of the day to gauge the traffic flows that relate to peak hour, afternoon traffic, and the facilities around that area. One is the Araluen Cultural Precinct which I have visited on a number of occasions as the minister, and also as a consumer. The other one is the Yeperenye school.
There was one of our hard-working public servants out there last night - a great guy who works with me in the Transport Division. He went out there to have a look at lighting and do a bit of research, to provide me with background on what happens at that intersection at night. That suggests government is out there in the field doing the real work, and it should be commended. I thank those people who have supported me in the research.
Widening of the intersection to enable both left and right-hand turn lanes to be clearly delineated: this option would likely be the most suitable and efficient option. This solution would ease current traffic delays and queueing on the Lovegrove Drive by providing separate storage for left and right turn traffic. The investigation should take into account the views of local stakeholders such as the local council, and should also take into account the view of local members; that the preferable option is a roundabout.
The Department of Planning and Infrastructure does take into account stakeholder views in assessing road priorities, including councils, shires, and correspondence from local members. In respect to taking into account local members’ views, this has been done. The department has responded to the request for a traffic study on a number of occasions. I outline for the House assessing priorities for road projects are weighted in congestion, road safety including looking at crash data, social equity in access, and priorities across the network.
Only around 24% of the current roadwork network in the NT is sealed. As we know in this House, there are many priorities across that massive network. That is why we have increased the roads budget, now at $322m, and sought more Commonwealth funding to address this. I am pleased also this government has secured more than double the funding from the Rudd Labor government for our roads than under the previous Australian government. However, there is still more to do and that is why we have bid for more funds for our development and secondary roads under Infrastructure Australia. That is why we are developing a 10-year roads plan to identify priorities across road safety improvements, community access, tourism, and freight roads to get products to market, as well as road safety. That investigation should be completed by the relevant government department and reported to the February 2010 sittings: I am happy to report back in February 2010 at the sittings.
That work on whatever option is agreed to is to commence by April 2010 and to be completed by June 2010: funding allocations under the roads program, or the capital works program, are not made by parliament. As outlined, the Department of Planning and Infrastructure makes recommendations on funding priorities based on engineering and road safety assessments, social access, and economic development. The capital works program is approved by the Cabinet following a rigorous budget process. Members of the House supporting this element of the motion should bring forward road projects in their electorate which they will offer for substitution to fund the Larapinta and Lovegrove Drives intersection.
By way of example, projects funding in Alice Springs this year which were a higher priority included Ilparpa Road, sealing shoulders, $650 000 Black Spot funded; and Hartley Street, improving pedestrian zone treatment, $120 000, NTG contribution. Other minor new works projects around Central Australia included: Plenty Highway construction; Tanami Road, formalise upgrade truck parking bays; Alice Springs arterial cycle network improvements; Adelaide Bore/ Mt Skinner Road realignment; Adelaide Bore/Mt Skinner Road realignment; and Watarrka, construct lay-by at north entry to park.
Note the failure to construct a roundabout will continue to see local motorists exposed to unnecessary danger with the potential of serious injury and or the loss of life: the crash data for this intersection shows there have been 13 accidents in 18 years but, thankfully, no fatalities. Five of those crashes involved injuries, with three incidents requiring hospital admission. The predominant crashes were rear-end collisions, with only two of 13 crashes occurring during peak hour.
I also asked that we look into the history of this area to see what another government had done. The history came back. In the late 1990s, the Department of Planning and Infrastructure developed concept proposals for the duplication of Larapinta Drive between Milner Road and Bradshaw Drive, which included a new intersection treatment at Lovegrove Drive. The justification for the project was not based on traffic management problems at the Lovegrove Drive intersection. The duplication was included in a 1997-98 capital works program as an infrastructure upgrade project, but was deleted from the program in 1999 and not revisited. This was due to the significant increase in cost for the project to over $3m, and a significant slowing of population and traffic growth.
The duplication project has not been revisited. Traffic growth on Larapinta Drive, which had peaked at 5% growth by 1997, subsequently stabilised at less than 1% growth. Growth remains at 1%. In conclusion, the government is supportive of the following:
(a) to investigate traffic congestion and safety matters around the Larapinta Drive and Lovegrove Drive intersection;
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, while I am on my feet in the House, it would also be appropriate to talk about road safety and the need to continue to educate our road users to change driver behaviour. I recommend we slow down, we look out for each other, we check for cyclists, motor cycles and pedestrians, and we drive safely.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, as I was going to put an amendment forward, I was interested in listening to the minister’s discussion on this particular issue, and what he said about putting forward a date when work would start. So, I am doing a fairly quick change to my amendments. Perhaps before I put those amendments, I should say, in relation to this whole issue, I support some changes to that intersection. I had a look at the intersection last Monday morning and, as the member for Araluen said, I was poking around there with my camera. In fact, I gather someone saw the member for Araluen and me there, and it was immediately reported to the media. It just shows you, you cannot hide in Alice Springs.
What I saw at the intersection was - and I know the member for Araluen says you come from Darwin. Well, I come from outer Darwin actually. An intersection is an intersection no matter where it is and, if it is not working properly, it is not working properly. If it has a lot of traffic, it has a lot of traffic. I do not care whether you are in Singapore, Melbourne, Darwin or Alice Springs, a T-intersection is a T-intersection. The design of a T-intersection and how it operates is no different, no matter where it is. I saw some interesting things at the intersection. I will table these photographs in a minute.
I saw people - and you will not pass these on to the police - doing right-hand turns from Larapinta Drive into Lovegrove Drive, not close to the middle of the road, which is a requirement when you are doing a right-hand turn. Then, I saw people doing a left-hand turn into Lovegrove Drive, nowhere near close to the edge of the curb. Then, I saw a person doing a right-hand turn out of Lovegrove Drive, nearly getting wiped out by a truck going into town along Larapinta Drive.
There are two issues we need to look at here. The issues are in relation to safety and the amount of traffic. I certainly have some information on the traffic. As the member for Araluen said, there was a report done in 2005. Just to cut that discussion a little short, it said - in response to local member representation, which was related to the previous member from Braitling - in 2005, about traffic delays:
Then it says:
A little further on, it says:
(i) a roundabout;
Many of the people in the area voted for a roundabout, and I am a great fan of roundabouts. The Mayor of Alice Springs, in his discussions with us, said: ‘We have plenty of roundabouts’ or something similar. Roundabouts can be good; traffic lights can also be good. The reason I say that is not because I like getting held up by traffic lights; it is because traffic lights can allow you breaks in the traffic beyond the lights. In the case of Lovegrove Drive, between there and Milner Road, I believe there are five minor intersections where people want to join into the traffic, whether they are going east or west. Traffic lights enable a break in traffic; sometimes roundabouts do not allow that to.
There is another option with traffic lights, a seagull lane. Along the Stuart Highway in Darwin when you get to the Robertson Barracks intersection, there is what you might call half a set of traffic lights. Traffic going into Darwin is not affected by traffic lights, and traffic coming from Robertson Barracks doing a right-hand turn on a green arrow slides into a special lane and melds into the rest of the traffic. In the case of Larapinta Drive, traffic driving out of Larapinta Drive westward would have a lane, and Lovegrove Drive traffic would drive into its own lane. This would require a fairly substantial widening of the road.
Regardless of all these options, the thing I noticed the most was the intersection is not marked for left- and right-hand lanes. It is, basically, two lanes on either side of the intersection, and two lanes from Lovegrove Drive; there are no left- or right-hand turn lanes marked. Why do we not have left- and right-hand turns; it may be a solution? When I show the picture of someone doing a right-hand turn from the centre of the lane, you have to ask why we have this wide road but no lanes. A simple change would certainly help the flow of traffic. When you get a case where a car blocks the traffic wanting to go through the intersection, simply because it is doing a right-hand turn from the wrong part of the road, it holds up the traffic. That is the case in this photograph. We simply do not have lanes delineating at the present time. I believe that could happen fairly quickly.
The only other things we left off the options were an overpass and a tunnel. I know I come from Darwin, and we might have two overpasses, but there is a pretty good reason for them. Anyone who has travelled from the rural area to Darwin in the peak hour, will realise it is a fairly substantial traffic problem. It is probably not as bad as Sydney, but it is a problem.
In this motion (b) says:
That it is not saying there is going to be a roundabout. I do not have a problem with that. I would not want to jump the gun when it comes to the review. It says the investigation be completed by the relevant government department and reported to the February 2010 sittings. At those sittings, I think the minister said they would decide on a construction date for any work required.
I will get to the amendments in a moment. The minister is saying, at the February sittings, they will decide on a construction date if we can agree on what particular changes will occur regarding this roundabout. We have not discussed the options yet; they have not come up with a report. However, if we are going to report in the February 2010 sittings, then, if the work is to be done, it is going to also be decided in the February 2010 sittings.
In relation to (d):
I have not supported that and I will be asking in the amendment for it to be taken out. The reason is, for instance, if it is a roundabout, there is simply no way you could do it within April and June. A $2.6m roundabout will require a technical detailed analysis of what is under the ground, and whether there are any sacred sites or heritage sites. Before you even start, you need to do that basic work. It would then have to be roughly costed, then go out to tender and, then, have to be built. You might think roundabouts are easy to build but they are not, particularly because they are circular and they require a (inaudible). Whether or not they cost $2.6m we can argue about, but they do take time to build. You will not put a project like that together in three months. That is an impractical statement.
The last item, (e), says:
That is an opinion, but it is also saying I support a roundabout. I have just said I support looking at the options. The last one says even though I support looking at the options, I actually support a roundabout. It is not logical from the point of view of a motion which should have logic from one end to the other. It is like saying: ‘We will accept the member for Nelson’s ideas that we should look at different concepts for this intersection, but just down on the end, we will still tell him it should be a roundabout’. That is fine, but it does not make sense to me to put that in.
I am going to move an amendment to the motion. It will be that paragraph (c) we insert the words ‘after sittings’ and I will read the whole amendment:
I am just writing that down, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker because, as the member for Araluen said before - and she was probably quite right - we did not have any sort of time frames. The government is at least saying they will set a time frame and we can argue the toss at that stage in relation to whatever their budget will require.
The second part of the amendment is to delete paragraphs (d) and (e) for the reasons I have given. If members would like a copy of that, I am happy to forward that.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: We will just get that amendment you have just proposed circulated.
Mr WOOD: While that is being circulated, I heard comments from the Minister for Transport in relation to Ilparpa Road being a road which might have been funded by the NT government. My understanding is the road was funded by the federal government under the Black Spot program. Sometimes, I get worried about spin. I still get worried about spin because some jobs are not done by the NT government; they are done by the federal government through the Black Spot program. We have to be careful we do not take praise for roads which are not our roads. Being an old local government person, I have heard that said before. I put that on the record that is not quite correct.
While that is circulating, I thank the member for Araluen for bringing this particular matter to the House. I thank the previous member for Braitling for also bringing it to the House. I understand the local member; I have also been one who has been trying very hard to get certain works done in my electorate. Girraween Road intersection with the Stuart Highway is now on the books. It is happening now; it took eight years. So, you are not doing too badly. I have been trying for 15 years for a bicycle path from Palmerston to Howard Springs, so getting things done is not something specific to Alice Springs.
Obviously, the department has its own program it sees as important. Even though we are a politicians, we have to find a balance between what we want for our local members - which is fine – and the bigger picture because roadworks are done in areas where very few people actually live, but they are a requirement, nevertheless. They are not always seen by the general population. From my local shire, many people complain about no one spending money in the front of their yard; there is no work on the road. However, they do not travel down the track a little and see about 30 km or 40 km of sealed road being constructed by their own council, because they simply do not travel there.
There needs to be something done and I support what the member for Araluen is doing. It is just that I feel paragraph (d) is impractical because, if it is a roundabout built there, you will not build within that time frame. Item (e), basically, tells me I am going to support a roundabout. Well, I have not said that. I said I would support looking at all the options. I am not taking it out because I have a disagreement with what you are trying to do; I am taking it out because it is not logical there. I know we are very good on logic in this place; I would not want to knock that.
I am just waiting to see how our Clerk is going. I am sorry to do that in a hurry, but the Minister for Transport added he would set some time frames at the February sittings. I thought that was not on my amendment, so we are getting the Clerk to type that up now. It will be part of the motion which will be asking for a report by February, and a timetable will be set at that sitting for any work agreed to.
We can probably have a decent debate then too, but I hope we do it on scientific terms regarding what the best is for that particular T-intersection - because it is just a T-intersection you could find anywhere else in the country.
I do not know if people are willing to wait for that. I am happy to sign off. We will wait. Oh, I have to talk. Okay, I will fill in time. The member for Braitling is going to - I think you have the gist of what I am doing …
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are we talking to the …
Mr WOOD: This is the amendment.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: We have to amend the amendment, do we not, and then we …
A member interjecting.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have moved the amendment and we are just waiting for that to be circulated.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker! In that case, I ask for the clock to be stopped …
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, can you stop that now.
Mr WOOD: We have it here now. I will just check it.
Mr ELFERINK: In that case, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move the member should get an extension on the grounds he has lost a few minutes while this has been occurring.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, about five minutes is a good outcome. We will give him an extension of time. Are you going to be long, member for Nelson?
Mr WOOD: I will just vacate the desk for a minute and check with the Clerk and make sure the amendment - he is coming?
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, he is coming. Maybe if we reset that to 10.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the member be given an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, are we still waiting for your amendment?
Mr WOOD: They will be half a second. They wiped out one clause.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, are you going to continue speaking on your amendment you have moved?
Mr WOOD: I have spoken about those amendments, so as soon as I have them here, I will move that amendment. People have the gist of what I am talking about anyway.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are you going to talk?
Mr WOOD: I am not going to talk, because I have already spoken about them.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am checking, making sure.
Mr WOOD: Well, I know my mother might be watching in Melbourne, so I would like to wish her a happy Christmas. She told me she watches this in her spare time.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move the following amendment:
Omit paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) and insert in their stead:
(a) a roundabout;
A member interjecting.
Mr WOOD: I imagine by the parliament; in fact, at the sittings. That is all I have to say, because I have spoken on that amendment and I do not want to waste any more time.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker! We have had a fairly unusual five or six minutes and we have just received this amendment. I hope the latitude we have provided to the member for Nelson in the circumstances might be afforded to me just for a minute so that I can speak with my colleague about this amendment, having just received it. I need about 30 seconds.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: I cannot see anything wrong. An unusual afternoon!
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, while the member for Araluen is making a clarification on some of those amendments, I take this time to, likewise, wish the member for Nelson’s mother a merry Christmas. I believe all in this parliament would like to wish her a merry Christmas if she is logged on at this time ...
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, could I just clarify something? You will talk to the motion put forward by the member for Araluen, and then the amendments put by the member for Nelson?
Mr GILES: Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, if I can make it a little clearer. I am talking to the motion and the amended motion …
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is what I was asking you.
Mr GILES: … but there may be another amendment. I may put forward another amendment.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: If you are going to put your own amendment forward, you will need to put it separately.
Mr GILES: Yes, that is right.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: At the moment, you are speaking to the motion as originally proposed, and then the amendment.
Mr GILES: Yes, that is right. Thank you very much, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker. It is great to get things moving. It is good to see we have all been working fairly cooperatively. I also recognise Mayor Damien Ryan, for not just being here now, but for being here to witness much of the debate in Alice Springs - also in Darwin at times when he has visited Darwin.
I have listened to the debate by the members for Araluen and Barkly, the Minister for Transport, and the member for Nelson. I can say, members for Barkly and Nelson, over these last few days I have had the opportunity to spend time talking to you both looking to negotiate outcomes in relation to transport and transport infrastructure - some in drink-driving legislation, but others as in this intersection. Yes, I have done much work on this intersection, for instance. I have put forward a Black Spot application for this intersection. I have asked the department to conduct studies around traffic flows.
It was unfortunate, while the member for Nelson may have had advance copies, my copy arrived today. I recognise the numbers at this intersection are not as significant in size as one might expect to see across other areas of the Northern Territory. However, I recognise the danger in safety aspects of this intersection. I also recognise one of the photos the member for Nelson showed of someone turning right from Lovegrove Drive into Larapinta Drive. The picture illustrates the danger people experience when they run the gauntlet turning right into Larapinta Drive.
It may not have the high number of accidents or fatalities required, as the member for Barkly mentioned, to qualify for a Black Spot application, but it does not negate the fact we must ensure traffic flows and intersections are safe across the Northern Territory and particularly, from my view, in the seat of Braitling.
Having said that, I thank the member for Barkly for visiting my electorate and that intersection, and recognising how important that intersection is. Prior to the amendment by the member for Nelson, I recognise and thank the member for Barkly for committing to investigate this - even though we have not voted, but in his speech he committed to investigating this. I also thank him for committing to, at the February 2010 sittings, announcing the commencement date of the work. It will give me great pleasure to go to my electorate and tell my constituents, along with the support of the member for Araluen, that I have negotiated with the member for Nelson but, in particular, the member for Barkly, for work to be done at this intersection.
We have achieved that today, and I thank the member for Barkly. The member for Barkly has said, in a roundabout way, he recognises it is a problem. He has spent some time there, his department has done a lot of feasibility there, and they will do an investigation by February 2010 sittings. At the February 2010 sittings, the member for Barkly, I presume - or maybe the minister for Infrastructure - one of the two will make an announcement about the time frame. I think that is great. Hopefully, it is the member for Karama, the minister for Infrastructure.
I express my gratitude to the member for Karama for talking with the member for Barkly in clear discussion across the floor of the Chamber, on what commitment there must be, or how that time frame will work. I will be happy if the member for Karama might like to jump up after me and explain how that is going to work. However, I believe the February 2010 sittings – I would love to see this done tomorrow – is three months away. That will be a short time for the department and I appreciate they will have to work hard to get this going. The member for Karama, who is the Treasurer, will have to find that money fairly quickly, and I thank her for that. I appreciate it.
I have gone through the amendment put by the member for Nelson after collaboration with the member for Barkly, who announced he will be making an announcement at the February 2010 sittings of the commencement date for this work.
I have made an amendment to section (c). At the end of (c) I have just added what the member for Barkly said and what the member for Nelson said. I will read the new amendment, which is just a couple of words on the end:
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, you need to actually say, ‘I move that’.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, I move that – would you like me to read the whole motion, Madam Speaker, or just the amendment?
Madam SPEAKER: Just the amendment.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, I move that at the end of the amendment by the member for Nelson, we add so that (c) reads:
I am just about to conclude my speech. Would you like me to continue to talk until they are distributed or are you happy for me to sit down?
Madam SPEAKER: This is your only go, member for Braitling, so you have to speak now or hold your peace.
Mr GILES: I was quite surprised to hear the member for Nelson talk of information received by the member for Barkly and the Department of Transport, as I understand it, that it was going to cost $2.6m to build a roundabout at that intersection. I understand there has to be a lot of pre-feasibility work done and analysis of things like sacred sites, drainage and so forth, but for the layman on the street, I would think that a round bit of concrete costing $2.6m is quite exceptional.
We have a Labor member in the seat of Solomon. I am not real sure if he is still there; I have not heard from him for a while. The member for Solomon must have some clout from time to time. Maybe when the margin was a lot closer in Solomon, he had a bit more clout, as opposed to now.
It was interesting to see, on 14 August 2008, around the same time as the Territory election, there was a joint announcement by the federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and the Local Government and the member for Solomon, for the Rudd government to deliver $672 000 – it says here to fix road Black Spot in Stuart Park in Darwin, which does not read grammatically. It says here:
It is the same program I applied for to get this intersection fixed. I recognised today the member for Barkly said Black Spot funding might not be suitable, so his government is going to fund it anyway. They are going to announce a construction date in February 2010.
I had a look through this media release to see what the $672 000 would get in fixing those two dangerous intersections in Stuart Park. It says here:
Well, that is great; it is good to see federal government money coming to the Territory and fixing up our road black spots. In looking at it and seeing what they have put into it, I wonder how, just 12 months ago, a roundabout and redesign of intersections at these points I spoke of, could be done for $672 000, whereas, the other intersection was going to cost $2.6m? I hope we are not using interstate consultants again. However, I digress.
As I stand here and wait for the amendment to come, so I can sign off on it, which is just on the way, it is great to see parliament and democracy in action in Alice Springs. The members for Barkly and Nelson have worked very properly together this last couple of days to get a few things done.
I now have the motion here. I have signed it. I will just read it:
Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that amended motion.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, I support not only the motion but the two amendments tabled in relation to this motion. It sets a clear timetable and sets responsibility for the final outcome.
I, however, could not be but drawn to the sudden flurry of grim activity I noticed on the government benches, centred on the Treasurer of the Northern Territory, the member for Karama. If her face was a storm, then it was a perfect storm - Category 5 grumpy look being shot across to the Minister for Transport. It took me a couple of moments …
Dr Burns: So say you.
Mr ELFERINK: It is interesting, the member for Johnston, the one who hates the Treasurer so passionately, was also very quick to insert himself in the whole process. I can well imagine why the Treasurer’s face took on the Category 5 grumpy look because I smell an error. I thought about it for a second, and suddenly it twigged what is going on, of course. This particular amendment will have an effect, not only on the current budget government operates, but also on the next budget, because it is forward works and those sorts of things. I suspect it is fairly clear work on this intersection was not on the government’s radar - not for the current budget year, the next budget cycle, and certainly not on any forward design list or any forward works project. The Minister for Transport, in his negotiations with the Labor member for Nelson, had actually negotiated an outcome without running it by the Treasurer at any point.
That, then, leaves the following questions for the Treasurer to consider. It is now incumbent, of course, on the Treasurer to get to her feet and explain to Territorians, as the result of this particular arrangement between the members of this House, what she is going to take off this year’s budget to accommodate this plan. She needs to explain to the House what forward works are going to be removed from the projections for the next couple of budgets.
I am concerned this may have a deleterious effect on other parts of the budget, and I would like to hear …
Dr Burns interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: No, I just said at the outset I support it but, now, government, which is also …
Dr Burns interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: I pick up on this interjection. Your government just negotiated with the member for Nelson to make this determination. I support that. What I would like to know is: what other part of that determination affects the budget?
Dr Burns: You do not understand the budget.
Mr ELFERINK: Oh, I understand the budget very well ...
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr ELFERINK: It is very clear from what is happening that the Minister for Transport is less clear on how budgets operate, because he would not have painted government into this particular corner unless he had known what was going on. This is indicative of the division across from us in this place ...
A member: Not true.
Mr ELFERINK: ‘Not true’, I hear. This is a completely divided government, to the point they do not even talk to each other, they just make decisions unilaterally. I support this decision; I have already made that clear. I said that at the outset. I just want to know what areas of the budget are going to be affected negatively, and …
Dr Burns interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: Yes, and what effect the budget is going …
Dr Burns interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Deputy Speaker, I ask I be heard in silence. If you could remind the Leader of Government Business of Standing Order 51. If he wants to have an argument, he can stand up here and argue his case.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Port Darwin. I remind honourable members, including our Leader of Government Business, of Standing Order 51, and to refrain from interjecting. You have the call.
Mr ELFERINK: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is clear from the process we are seeing unfolding on the floor of this House, the government is not working in any cohesive fashion and, in actual fact, the process of governance is so broken down under this lot - this mob, this pack of botches - they simply make deals outside of the appropriate processes, much to the annoyance of the most hated one, the Treasurer.
They have botched this up, and they have botched up the way they deal with these things. This continuing ‘botch-ulism’ they suffer from is actually mildly amusing to us in this place, but the fact is, it has a very negative effect on Territorians out there. Once again, this demonstrates the lack of knowledge, the lack of understanding of process which occupies the government benches, and the fact these processes have an effect on the budget.
How often have we been lectured by the Treasurer, that if you take something from one part of the budget to give it to another part of the budget, you have to find out where to take the money from? You either get it from Treasurer’s Advance - which I know has been touched for $20m recently - you add it in borrowings, or you shut down another project. I would like to know, from the Treasurer, as a result of this decision, which is a worthwhile cause, what area she considers to be less worthwhile, whether she intends to increase borrowings to support it, or if she intends to touch the Treasurer’s Advance? These are not unreasonable questions …
Dr Burns: Or none of the above.
Mr ELFERINK: This is from the member who said he would contain himself three seconds ago. I urge restraint, Madam Deputy Speaker. I urge the Treasurer to explain to this House where the money is going to come from for this worthwhile project. I would like to hear the Treasurer explain that right now.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Deputy Speaker, I will be combining the amendment from the member for Nelson and the subsequent amendment by the member for Braitling. I thank the member for Nelson for his assistance during this motion; also, whilst not perfect because he does live in the Top End, at least he did bother to sit at this intersection. Between us all, we have, I believe, come to a good outcome, which is in the motion which will be on the books, as it were, when we leave these sittings; that is, there will be an immediate investigation regarding traffic congestion and safety matters.
Options will be provided as to optimum solutions. The investigation is to take account of the views of local stakeholders such as the local council and the local members, and we have expressed our preference for a roundabout. If other viable options are produced they will be supported by us, because we do have the best interests of our constituents at heart.
We also support paragraph (c); namely, the investigation be completed by the relevant government department and reported to the February 2010 sittings, and setting a time frame of works be agreed to. We also support the next part, which is it be agreed to as follows:
I have a level of concern the Minister for Transport may say he cannot set a time frame. I believe he will, nevertheless, be somewhat bound by this motion, which does set a time frame. Yes, he has to agree to it; I thank the minister as well. We believe, on behalf of our constituents, this is a reasonable outcome for an intersection which has been a problem for too long.
I do not think there is anything else I can meaningfully offer, other than people are in politics for all sorts of reasons. With the exception of a couple, I believe all members of this parliament are here to make a difference and represent as best they can their constituents, which is what we have done with this motion. We are pleased this motion looks like it will succeed. We are supportive of the amended amendment. I am very pleased to say I can report to my constituents there has been an outcome, and that is a good result, however you look at it.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, if we can just be very clear about the process we will next work through with regard to going to a vote. We have three motions before the House. The first we will be voting on will be the amendment to the amendment as moved by the member for Braitling.
The second is the amendment as moved by the member for Nelson and, then, we have the original motion as moved by the member for Araluen.
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I would like it if my amendment was moved first.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, that is the case.
The question is the amendment to the amendment as moved by the member for Braitling be put.
Motion agreed to.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: The second is the amendment as moved by the member for Nelson. The question now is the amendment, as amended, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion, as amended, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move – That –
Receiving complaints about bad public housing tenants is a constant theme in my work. I know it is the same for many of my colleagues both in the Top End and in Alice Springs. When I say colleagues, I mean parliamentary colleagues. It is, sadly, often the bread and butter for local members, particularly in urban electorates.
As I said in October, we all try to assist our constituents as best we can. We help them with letters they have to write, and we try to encourage them to write them, even though they wonder what the point is on many occasions. I make it clear, as I said on 15 October, the staff at Housing in Alice Springs are great; they work very hard in a difficult job. However, the system and the legislation is not making it easy for them. It is also, importantly, not assisting my constituents who have to endure the appalling behaviour from certain tenants. The legislation has to be improved.
It would be extraordinary for the government to resist this motion, because I believe the government is aware the relevant legislation must be updated. I am not sure I have a reference here - I stand to be corrected - but I am fairly sure the Minister for Housing may have indicated somewhere along the line he may, indeed, consider it. He put it fairly vaguely, but it may be something he is considering. In any event, this motion is to urge him to do it. The legislation has to be improved.
When we debated the housing statement in the October sittings in Darwin, I asked the minister how many evictions there had been from public housing in Alice Springs. I do not believe he answered this in his reply. I ask that he answer it when he is on his feet as, presumably, he will be during this debate.
In 2005, by way of a background, the government announced tough new laws dealing with antisocial behaviour, which passed in parliament in February 2006. The legislation was called the Alcohol Court Bill 2005 and the Antisocial Behaviour (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2005. It is interesting – and our comments are on the record for all to see – we did not support the Alcohol Court Bill. We thought what the government came up with was not going to work, and we opposed it on that basis.
I am pretty sure it was this month the relevant minister, the Attorney-General, released a discussion paper about the alcohol courts. She conceded in estimates in June they were to be reviewed. It is fair to say there was something of a concession by the Attorney-General that the courts were not working. Of course, we have been saying this for three years. In any event, getting back to 2005 and early 2006, the government really made much of its package - the alcohol court and antisocial behaviour measures - to the extent it wrapped them up in one; the bills were cognate, so we had to deal with them both at the same time.
Having said that, the alcohol courts are now being reviewed and there is a discussion paper to that effect which I have read. It canvasses a number of options. Is it not the case it is also timely to review the other part of the bills which passed in February 2006; namely, the Antisocial Behaviour (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill? Why would the government amend one part of that chunk of packages, if you like, and not review the other? I believe it is time for the government to review it.
There are all sorts of reasons for this. The obvious one is, it is just not working and it was not working anywhere in the way it was intended. We have seen that with Alcohol Courts Bill. No surprises, or it is very coincidental, the two bills which were the subject of much publicity are, clearly, not working. The government has, after three years or so, seen the sense in relation to alcohol courts, but not antisocial behaviour. We think now is the time.
The government at the time issued a media release with the heading, ‘Parliament Passes Tough Antisocial Behaviour Laws’. I remember the release well. I do not have a copy with me, but I have seen the release; I brought it up very recently.
In relation to tenancy matters, the release said, and I quote from my notes:
It goes on:
After the legislation was enacted, I was still receiving complaint after complaint about bad public housing tenants. Not that I need to but, in order to avoid any uncertainty, let me make it very clear, there are some terrific public housing tenants, and many of the complaints I receive are from public housing tenants talking about the bad public housing tenants next to them or just down the road from them. I continued to receive complaints about bad public housing tenants who are making the lives of others a misery. So, I wrote to the then minister. I knew the legislation was not working well and, in fact, I just wanted to know how badly it was going.
In May 2008, I received a letter in reply to the one I wrote to the then minister, the member for Casuarina. In the letter I wrote to him, a month or so prior to that, I asked:
The minister’s reply, dated 8 May 2008, was startling. Only 38 agreements had been entered into - forgive me, Madam Deputy Speaker, I may have the wrong letter. The date of the letter may not be accurate. However, I was advised by the former Minister for Housing, the member for Casuarina, that only 38 acceptable behaviour agreements had been entered into, there had been no refusals to sign agreements, and there had been only one eviction. That is in a period of two years.
I suspected, at the time, the minister may have been startled by the results. He advised in his letter to me he had asked his department to brief him on the effectiveness of the antisocial behaviour legislation. The results of the letter were not great but, to his credit, he said he would chase up a briefing from his department.
By letter, dated 28 August 2008, I wrote to the next Minister for Housing - the current minister for Housing, the member for Daly - about some problems particular constituents of mine were having with bad public housing tenants. I saw the minister in Alice Springs, when the Office of the Chief Minister was across the road from my office, and said: ‘I have a deal for you. Would you do me a favour, hop in my car, and can we go to this place?’ To his credit, he agreed and hopped in the car, we went around there and I showed him some of the difficulties. I thank him for that.
I wrote to him, and he wrote a letter of reply in 2008. The letter is undated, which is part of the reason for some confusion. There is not a date on the letter, minister, see if you can fix that next time.
It was a reply to a letter I forwarded to him in approximately April 2008. In the letter, he advised there were 21 acceptable behaviour agreements currently in place for Territory Housing tenants across the Territory, including seven in Alice Springs. I was surprised at the number, particularly given the minister said in the second paragraph of his letter:
He advised me in his undated letter, 15 people were evicted in Alice Springs to that date in the 2008-09 financial year. It was something of an improvement on the previous year. He further advised in the letter, that since June 2006, a total of 58 acceptable behaviour agreements had been entered into in Alice Springs, and an additional 20 since May 2008. No wonder I am confused. There is another letter dated 8 May. I hope no one will mind; we all know we keep copies of letters we write to each other, notwithstanding the difficulty with an undated one. My apologies; 8 May 2009 was the date of the letter the minister advised they had a zero tolerance approach to antisocial behaviour, there had been 58 antisocial behaviour agreements entered into by public housing tenants in Alice Springs.
The fact is, from that letter in May 2009, the number of agreements and evictions is remarkably low. That is another reason why the government should review this legislation. So often, when we see legislation introduced, we see a flurry of media releases and activity, a big public relations exercise, a little positive media and, then, the government walks away. There appears to be no or little monitoring of policies. Clearly, the antisocial behaviour legislation does not match the rhetoric of the time, and the results do not match the expectation Peter Toyne and Elliot McAdam had. It did not match the expectations my constituents had. However, there might be some light on the horizon in respect to bad public housing tenants.
When we debated the housing statement in October; I touched on that we believe it needs to be firm but fair; we need to get the balance right, obviously. However, when there are so many tenants creating such difficulties for people trying to do the right thing, the pendulum has swung too far. No one has the right to interfere with the quiet enjoyment of others. Everyone has the right to peace, quiet, and enjoyment of their own home. The Country Liberals’ position is that bad tenants should be evicted, and eviction processes need to be made simpler. If tenants are consistently bad, our view is they forfeit their right to public housing.
This will be unpalatable to some, although I am grateful, I see the minister nodding, and I thank him. There is a point at which you have to draw a line in the sand and say to a recalcitrant, terrible public housing tenant - a repeat offender if you like – ‘the taxpayer is not going to subsidise your home any longer’. When people ask what is going to happen to that person, it is about that person taking control for themselves and determining their own fate.
As a student, I rented many houses. I am sure, at times, we were not perfect housing tenants, but we were never evicted I am pleased to say. People do have to control their own destiny; they have to control their own fate. The bottom line is either you do the right thing and have a house, or do the wrong thing and sort yourself out as to where you live. Appalling tenants should not be holding up the good tenants.
I turn to a document the minister tabled during the last parliamentary sittings which referred to regional waiting times, by dwelling size and wait times. It was Territory-wide but it provided details for each town and centre. For Alice Springs, the numbers were provided and they were somewhat alarming. In Alice Springs – and I was genuinely shocked and I believe I said this at the time – I knew our waiting lists were Iong, but I did not know it was that long.
For the record, for all the people in Alice Springs who have turned up to watch their parliament in action: did you know the average waiting time in Alice Springs for a one-bedroom public housing house is 35 months? Did you know the average wait for a two-bedroom public housing house in Alice Springs is 31 months? Did you know the average wait for a three-bedroom public housing house is 41 months? Did you know the average waiting time for a public housing four-bedroom house is 62 months? That is nearly five years and is pretty ordinary. In fact, it is terrible.
The government needs to do better and I will not need to hammer that point. The point I am trying to illustrate is, when you have a bunch of terrible public housing tenants, they are holding up those houses for the good ones waiting to come through. I am sure it would be met with widespread support for some tougher sanctions on those shocking public housing tenants so the good guys can come in, so the government can, ultimately, work towards reducing the waiting times in terms of months.
I look forward to hearing from the minister. A document he did not table, and did not give us information on in October, was the number of dwellings unoccupied. I thought, in the same way a table was provided of region by dwelling size and wait times in months, a similar document could have been tabled, regional town by town, outlining the number of dwellings which are unoccupied for longer than three months. I would be grateful if the minister, in his reply today, advises how many other houses, preferably in the electorate although that is probably difficult, let us say in Alice Springs, have been vacant for three months or longer.
It is an important issue. I know the minister will have this information and the department will have it. I ask that he provides it. If he does not, then we should debate secrecy and deliberately withholding information.
In relation to one particular house in my electorate, in Van Senden Avenue, I touched on it when I was on my feet in a housing statement in October, and I wrote to the minister and said: ‘How long has this particular public housing house been unoccupied?’ I received a letter dated 9 November and the minister said:
Interestingly, the minister did not say whether the building was occupied at the time. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, let us assume there were people in that house during that September 2008 storm, and they had to leave. The minister went on in his letter to say work was taking place with builders. They discovered additional works needed to be undertaken etcetera. Quoting from that letter 9 November 2009:
There is a house in my electorate that has been unoccupied from September 2008 to mid-December 2009. I know some tradesmen can be difficult to get, but it borders on the absurd that this particular dwelling has been unoccupied for this amount of time. I am sure the minister will agree with me that it is simply not good enough.
If this is one house in my electorate I know about and have written to the minister and he has written back, how many others are there? Can the minister please provide us with some of that information? I would like to know; I am happy to tell my constituents. From time to time, you get calls - I am sure I am not the only one - from constituents who say: ‘That house across the road; no one has been in it for ages’. The reason we need to know, and the reason the minister needs to know this information, is if there is a disproportionate number of unoccupied dwellings then, clearly, that is a problem. Clearly, the government needs to turn its mind to how that can be addressed so waiting times are reduced, more houses are available to be occupied, therefore, more houses are available for good public housing tenants. Then more of the bad ones can be evicted.
I feel certain the first part of this motion will be agreed to; namely, the Assembly acknowledge ongoing problems with some public housing tenants who continue to interfere with the quiet enjoyment of others by antisocial behaviour. The member for Nelson indicated he was agreeable to this motion as well. Second, the Chief Minister shows his support for Alice Springs by addressing public housing issues, including providing more public housing and improve eviction processes for public housing tenants who breach the terms of their leases. Even on a bad government day, I would not imagine there would be too much objection with the second part of the motion. I know my colleague, the member for Braitling, and maybe the member for Greatorex, will be talking on this motion as well. I look forward to hearing from the minister and his support.
I do not always agree with what you do, minister, and I do not believe this government has many terribly good ministers in it. However, as far as the low bar of this Labor government, I appreciate your honest communications with me. I believe you are doing your best; but I do not believe it is good enough. In public housing, with me, as a local member, you have always got back to me and we have a reasonably good working relationship, for which I thank you.
Mr KNIGHT (Housing): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen for her motion. I will be giving support to the motion. It is a very difficult area to work in and, sadly, antisocial behaviour in government public housing is not something isolated to the Northern Territory. Having travelled to other states and territories, speaking with other ministers and departments, it is something which is associated with government public housing in other places. It has not been isolated to this government; it has been the problem of previous CLP governments. The nature of government public housing needs to be remembered. I take your later points about the behaviour of tenants, and I will touch on those.
However, we are accepting tenants who, for many of them, is their option of last resort. They come into public housing because of their complex needs. They are unable, for a whole range of reasons, to get into the private sector. It can be as minimal as they do not have a high enough income to enter the private sector rental market. At the middle and higher end, it is mild, significant mental illness, physical disability, people with social issues, and people who have very poor money management. All those people are the people we cater for in government public housing - and that is our role. They come with a whole range of issues associated with them. Sometimes, they are single issues and other times they are complex. However, that is the role we play.
Antisocial behaviour is not acceptable and it should not be tolerated. I approach it with a tough-love approach. What sticks in my mind was when I lived in Katherine. I lived in Kurrajong Court in Katherine and there was public housing down the road. This goes back quite a few years, obviously. We had some unruly public housing tenants. The anger was targeted towards them, and they were disrupting me and other neighbours. However, in amongst all the noise and the carry-on, there were children screaming and crying. Not only does it affect other neighbours and the community around them, it affects the families, the individuals, the children, the wives, the grandmothers - whoever it may be; even men, - in those communities. For us to take a tough line on antisocial behaviour helps everyone in some ways. It is about tough love. It is about caring and trying to lead the way.
It brings challenges. We are trying to cater for the most needy; that is the role of government public housing. However, the challenge is managing the needs of those particular people, trying to set them on the right path. I really see public housing is a catalyst for change, where people can come into public housing …
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: I pick up on the member for Fong Lim. He is on the record as calling public housing tenants animals, and he has run them down consistently in the Chamber, saying public housing tenants are animals, and they should be treated as animals and hunted out into the bush, I believe he pretty well described them as. The bar is open, is it? Yes, well, I believe you have been there for the afternoon ...
Ms PURICK: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! That is the most appalling statement I have heard from this minister, but it is fairly typical, he is always in the gutter. I ask that he withdraws it.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, I ask that you withdraw, please.
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Deputy Speaker, I withdraw the insinuation the member for Fong Lim is drunk.
It should be used as a catalyst for change. It is housing people, an opportunity for people to be housed and seek job opportunities, or to seek medical treatment if they are suffering from a physical disability or an ailment. It is an opportunity for their children to attend school to get an education. For people who are deprived in our society, it is an opportunity for them to improve their lives.
It is also an opportunity to change social behaviours. People come in with some fairly limited social skills much of the time. If they have come into an urban setting, when they are not used to an urban setting, it brings some challenges. It is also an opportunity to change behaviours whilst they are in government public housing. There is disruption that goes on in those properties. The tenancy staff have a huge challenge and, as I said, they are dealing with people with a whole range of needs, and they are confronted by these people whilst visiting properties and in their offices, and those tenancy staff need to be supported and not stigmatised as well.
Everybody agrees that neighbours, regardless of their housing status, should be able to enjoy their property without antisocial behaviour encroaching upon their lifestyle. The Department of Housing and Local Government is working hard to provide a variety of options to stop antisocial behaviour in public housing. In June this year, I was pleased to announce a new pilot scheme, which saw the recruitment of four dedicated antisocial behaviour compliance officers. These officers have the capacity and the paralegal training to respond quickly to serious incidents of antisocial behaviour.
One of the key benefits of these officers is an improved relationship and communication between the department and the neighbours affected by the public housing antisocial behaviour. They can get in there early and speak with the neighbours and the tenants to try to address those issues. To date, the ASB compliance officers have investigated 120 of the tenancies. It is clearly evident the work of these officers is assisting in curbing and dealing with antisocial behaviour in public housing. The pilot program was about to come to an end, however, given the ongoing success of this program, I have extended the program into 2010.
In June 2006, the government introduced antisocial behaviour legislation, which established acceptable behaviour agreements. These agreements are written declarations of tenants agreeing not to engage in antisocial behaviour, which includes the behaviour of all household members and visitors. The termination of tenancies is pursued through the local court if the tenant refuses to enter into an agreement, or an agreement is seriously or repeatedly breached. Sometimes, antisocial behaviour occurs because tenants simply do not have the life skills to maintain a tenancy. This not only impacts on neighbours, but on the residents and their families. We acknowledge more can be done to support these particular tenants, and we have committed $2.2m ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! The member for Fong Lim is displaying offensive material to me. I ask he remove it from his laptop.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, we were dealing with that, Treasurer. Member for Fong Lim, we are aware of the material on your laptop. It is highly offensive. I was seeking advice from the Clerk, and I ask you to remove it immediately, please. It is inappropriate.
Mr TOLLNER: May I speak to the point of order?
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: You may, but I have already requested removal. I will not be changing my view about offensive signage. Your point of order is, member for Fong Lim?
Mr TOLLNER: I am speaking to the point of order. I am wondering which particular sign she is offended by?
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is the one which has three words on it and some sort of image.
Mr TOLLNER: The ‘I hate Delia’ and the Chris Burns picture?
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have asked you to remove it. Thank you, you may resume your seat.
Mr TOLLNER: I will gladly do that, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. You have the call, minister.
Mr KNIGHT: It shows why they are not ready to govern; they are an extremely grubby lot - some less than others. The member for Araluen is the most capable person on the other side, and she should not get herself involved in this grubby behaviour of the member for Fong Lim. He is not actually a child; but it is juvenile. He failed in the federal parliament. One ministerial speech in six years, a supporting speech …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, if I could call you back to order, please, to address your comments through the Chair, and to return to the subject.
Mr KNIGHT: One ministerial speech in six years in parliament. It shows why the people of Darwin turfed him out ...
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker!
Mr KNIGHT: I will start on you too, member for Braitling, if you like.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please pause, minister. Member for Braitling, your point of order?
Mr GILES: Madam Deputy Speaker, I ask you to draw the minister back to relevance to the issue.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, thank you. I have just done that, member for Braitling. Minister, if we could return to the subject at hand please.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! The member for Daly has made some comments I find offensive. I ask you to ask him to withdraw those comments, please.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: I must confess, member for Fong Lim, I am not entirely sure which comments you might be talking about. There has been much happening in here in the last few minutes.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Deputy Speaker, I am not going to repeat those comments. I can just say I found those comments offensive. I am certain the member for Daly knows exactly which comments they were. I had to remove a sticker which someone found offensive. I am sure you could direct the member for Daly to withdraw his offensive comments.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, I am wondering what these offensive remarks might have been?
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Deputy Speaker, I have not made any offensive remarks. I have mentioned some facts which show the …
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Deputy Speaker, the minister knows he is not quoting any facts at all. To suggest I sat for six years in the federal parliament and gave one speech is wrong and offensive, and he should withdraw it. Pretty simple!
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat, thank you. I will take some advice from the Clerk.
Mr KNIGHT: Go and have a drink.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr KNIGHT: Go and have another drink.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Thank you, minister. I have received advice from the Clerk. Should a member find something offensive, you would be asked to withdraw those particular remarks. I ask that you withdraw.
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Deputy Speaker, I will withdraw, but the facts remain the same. I withdraw those statements.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, I ask you to now return to the subject at hand please; the motion before us.
Mr KNIGHT: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I hit a raw nerve on the other side.
We have tenants who need life skills. This is the clientele we cater for and are specifically funded to cater for. Some of those people have somewhat limited life skills. This not only impacts on the neighbours, but on the residents and their families. We acknowledge more can be done to support tenants, and we have committed $2.2m each year towards the Tenancy Sustainability Program. The TSP sees non-government organisations working with tenants on developing life skills and providing case management services to urban public housing and town camp residents in Darwin, Katherine, and Alice Springs. We are working to expand these services into Tennant Creek, which I am sure the member for Barkly would be interested in.
The program aims to provide targeted support and early intervention for individuals or families at risk of eviction from public housing, or who would benefit from support and skills development to sustain their tenancy. This is an innovative and proactive mechanism to support public housing tenants and town camp residents to understand and meet their tenancy responsibilities, as well as developing skills to effectively manage a household in the urban environment. The support is tailored to meet the participant’s needs, whether it is for the individual or the family. This government takes the management of antisocial behaviour in public houses very seriously. We are currently reviewing, for the member for Araluen, the Residential Tenancies Act to enable Territory Housing to provide an even stronger response to serious and repeated antisocial behaviour. I know you will be interested in that.
In the October sittings, member for Araluen, you asked whether the Good Neighbours Policy still existed. I can advise this policy is still in place, and will be updated to reflect any amendments which arise from the review of the Residential Tenancies Act.
Members may remember during the public housing statement in the October sittings of parliament, I mentioned our repairs and maintenance response times are, at times, too slow, which means public housing does stay vacant for too long. I find this situation of vacancies being held out for too long is unacceptable. As a result, I have instructed the department to put out new tenders. Members may have seen those tenders come out recently. We are hoping to get multiple subcontractors in the major centres. We can then drive those turnaround times for repairs and maintenance faster, and this will enable more Territory families to be housed for a longer period of time.
The government is also committed to providing more public housing and to meet the needs. It needs to be stated, and remembered, that we currently have 888 public housing properties in Alice Springs. In the last six years of the CLP government, it sold off 735 properties in Alice Springs alone - 735 properties were sold off. If we had those properties today, we would have almost double the stock in Alice Springs, which would go a long way to drive the wait lists down. With respect to what we are doing to rebuild public housing, from Stage 1 of the stimulus package we received $7.1m to build 22 new social housing developments around the Northern Territory. Of that money, four four-bedroom homes have been completed - one in Darwin, one in Tennant Creek, and two in Alice Springs.
I visited those properties the other day. They are looking very smart and will enable quite a large family to move into those four-bedroom homes. That is going some way to try to curb the public housing wait list times. Also, trying not to sell off any more pubic housing; trying to get more, so public housing numbers actually grow. There are 18 remaining projects under the stimulus package Stage 1 still under way. Many of us will be reporting back to the House about the progress of those, and when they will be completed.
Stage 2 of the stimulus package is $48m, of which $15m came to Alice Springs. That is a great result for Alice Springs; to have almost a third of the money coming into Alice Springs. That went into getting The Lodge back online - it had been closed down by the diocese - it will be renovated, with 35 units which will be specifically targeted to renal patients. There are eight units in Goyder Street. There will be new buildings attached to the existing Salvation Army site, and they will be well used. I inspected the property several months ago to see what they were proposing for the stimulus Stage 2. I know the Salvation Army is delighted to receive the money. There are four apartments at the Gap and 24 units for short-term accommodation. That means 70 new units for people living in Alice Springs through the Stage 2 stimulus money. That is a great result.
The member for Braitling – sorry, the member for Araluen. They are easy to get mixed up sometimes ...
Mr Giles: Why is that?
Mr KNIGHT: I do not know. You have the same colour eyes, I think.
Mr Giles interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: No, you look the same.
Mr Giles interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: Do not get carried away …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Braitling, cease interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: Settle down, settle down.
Mr Giles interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Deputy Speaker, I am trying to provide some information the member for Araluen highlighted; she asked about properties that were off-line. Currently, in our general public housing, of the 885, we have 54 being worked on at the moment, 23 are currently being repaired, so there are workmen on-site, and 19 are still awaiting the contractor. It is not bad; it can be improved. As I said, the change in the tender process will enable multiple contractors to be working on these properties. That is not a bad result - not a good result, but not a bad result …
A member interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: That is just Alice Springs, yes. With respect to evictions, this year up until 31 October, we have had 18 across the Territory, and five of those have been in Alice Springs. It is, obviously, not the desirable outcome to be putting people on the streets because, as I said, government public housing is the last resort. There is no private sector accommodation. There is nothing else. They may get lucky with a non-government organisation, but much of that accommodation is for short-term to medium-term, or crisis accommodation; it is not for the longer-term. Trying to stop people being evicted is a critical factor. That is why the ASB officers have been so crucial trying to get people to change their behaviour, maintain a tenancy, and support their families.
In respect to antisocial behaviour, we have had quite a significant reduction by the work done by the department and the ASB officers. This time in October last year, we had 50 complaints of antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs. This year, we have nine. It is quite a significant reduction in antisocial behaviour. The year to date is down to 30, and this time last year, it was 96. We are actually reducing the antisocial complaints which is leading to less evictions; getting people to change their behaviour.
It is a very vexed issue, and a very challenging portfolio trying to work with people who have many issues, trying to provide for them, trying to do the job we are funded to do: provide low-cost public housing for people in most need. We take it very seriously. We have flagged that we will be reviewing the Residential Tenancies Act. I have spoken to the department about a tough-love approach; it is something it understands. They are on the front line, they are the people who have to go out and visit these properties.
Madam Deputy Speaker, as I said in the beginning of this speech, we will be supporting this motion. It is exactly what we are all about: trying to improve the behaviour, reduce the antisocial behaviour, and get public housing tenants to live harmoniously with their neighbours.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Deputy Speaker, it gives me great joy to follow the member for Daly, and talk to this motion about housing - something the minister knows little about, I might say
I was very interested to hear some of the figures he quoted in relation to housing. I thank him for telling us about those house numbers. As I understand it, he said there are 885 public housing dwellings in Alice Springs; 54 of them being worked on; 23 of them being repaired, and 19 awaiting a contractor. It was very well broken down; I thank him for that. That equates to 96 houses at the moment are out of action out of 885. What we have in Alice Springs, in the middle of the worst housing crisis we have had in the Northern Territory, is nearly 10% of properties unavailable for occupancy. It surprises me the minister would allow this to occur. How can you have more than 10% of housing stock sitting empty, in a town which has the worst housing crisis?
The minister made reference to his staff at Territory Housing. He thanked them for the work they do. I also thank them for the work they do, because, if it was not for those people saving the minister’s skin at the last line of defence all the time, there would be no housing; things would break into utter chaos. However, I digress.
What we should be doing is asking the Chief Minister to rename the member for Daly’s portfolio. He should not be known as the Minister for Housing, he should be known as the minister for homelessness, the minister for overcrowding, the minister for not housing, for non-housing, for non-supply of housing, the minister for non-release of land. He has not addressed the issues of housing in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Darwin, Palmerston, Utopia, Yuendumu, or Wadeye. He has not solved the problems.
He is the man who has been in charge of a $672m housing program for the last couple of years and has not built a house. It is widely publicised; he lost one of his Cabinet ministers over it. He has not built a house in two years. I do not know how that would wash in the private sector. The private sector would not tolerate that sort of incompetence, that lame duck performance.
In Tennant Creek, people in the member for Barkly’s electorate are very unhappy. People in Tennant Creek are very unhappy about the performance of SIHIP, so much that support is about to be pulled for the program in Tennant Creek - I received a phone call this afternoon about that matter.
I question the intent of this government in trying to deal with housing. I see housing as a linear model - linear in terms of it starts at one end and ends at the other. It starts with homelessness, then short-term temporary accommodation living in tents and swags, to relief accommodation such as hostels, to public sector housing, and community housing, on to the private rental market and, then, into home ownership through low price housing, to high priced housing. That is how the market goes. As you release more land, there is availability, you address the supply issues, and people move up that spectrum. We have to address all areas.
We know the member for Karama, the minister for Infrastructure and Lands and Planning has not released any land. We know she is the one who is rock solid at the centre of not addressing the concerns. What we are now seeing is a bottleneck in the linear model, so people are being trapped at the end. We are seeing overcrowding, zero waiting lists for private market rentals, six-year waiting lists in the housing market, and 10% of the housing stock unavailable for use. We see a minister who should also be known as the minister for parking lots - parking as many people as he can in town camps in Alice Springs. We see people in town camps in substandard housing without providing the appropriate resourcing to the service provider of those town camps - nowhere near the levels of resourcing provided to the public sector. We do not have a community sector provider; we do not have that market in the Territory. We should have a market where we have public, private and community housing in the Territory. We do not have community housing. If you go outside the boundaries of Alice Springs you get to a point where you only have one player in the marketplace in terms of public housing.
That is where we see the performance of the non-performing member for Daly, the minister for non-housing really come to the fore. This is the man who has the audacity to charge people rent for living in humpies. He charges $50 a week to live in humpies. I do not understand how anyone could be so inhumane. I do not understand.
I know we are pressed for time today; however, I wanted to support this motion. I would love to talk about this for half-an-hour and really cut loose, but I am pushed for time. I am sure some of my colleagues would like to have a chat on this matter. I will say, in the next two minutes, if housing was so important to this government, it would address all elements across the linear model of housing. It would address homelessness, an area where the Northern Territory government, in the 2007-2008 financial year, spent $17.6m on homelessness, despite the fact the Commonwealth Grants Commission assessed it needed to spend $66.76m. The Commonwealth Grants Commission assessed it and gave it nearly $50m to top up their coffers in homelessness and general welfare dollars.
Despite that, it spent $17m - 26% - of what the CGC assessed they needed to spend. Here we are in the middle of the worst housing crisis the Territory has ever seen. We have community organisations handing out swags for people to live in. You have more than 10% of the public housing stock in Alice Springs unavailable. The member for Araluen asked how many houses have been vacant for three months. The minister did not answer that question. It spent just 26% of the homelessness budget according to the assessment by the CGC. It was underdone in 2006-2007, underdone the year before, underdone the year before, underdone the year before. In the last five years, this government has not met any of its expenditure requirements for homelessness.
What makes it worse, while it is not dealing with homelessness - not appropriately funding it, not resourcing and not providing housing for the people most in need – it has been stopping land supply. It has been stopping the construction of housing to house people. What sort of heart does the government have? It receives $1bn from the Howard government in GST revenue and go and sell 1000 public housing stock to pay for the waterfront. What sort of heart does the government have? What is its answers? As I said yesterday, it does not care! They do not care! It has failed, this Northern Territory government has failed. I condemn the government on its approach to housing. I said yesterday that it took the courage of Mal Brough, the previous federal minister, to take an issue in the Northern Territory and drive it forward. Whether you like the process or not, he drove an issue forward and made it an emergency. The housing crisis in the Northern Territory is an emergency and it should do something about it - not diverting money provided away from the essential service areas.
Family and Community Services spent 33% of the budget. Is it any wonder that Family and Community Services is in so much trouble, member for Arnhem? You stand there and talk about how much money the CLP used to put into it, and you are sitting on the richest gold mine you have ever seen through GST revenue as a result of the Howard era. You do not even spend the money to fix FACS. You do not resource your department to service the kids most in need. That is where the disgrace is. You cannot solve housing and now you have under-resourced FACS by 33% of the budget.
The Commonwealth Grants Commission assessed it needed $216m to service Family and Community Services in the 2007-08 financial year. The feds even chucked in an assessed amount of $188m. What did the Territory government spend? $71m. It did not get close to what the feds gave them. But it managed to pop an extra $100m into superannuation of the public service. It managed to put an extra $90m in to pay off debt, but it could not protect the children. It managed to put extra money into culture and recreation, but it could not protect the children or service homelessness.
What sort of a sane government only puts in 33% of an assessed budget to service Family and Community Services in the same year the Little Children Are Sacred report came out? It was in the same year the former Indigenous Affairs minister, Mal Brough, launched a national emergency into the Northern Territory, that you spent 33% of your budget. You spend more money on recreation than FACS. Where is your heart, member for Arnhem? Where is your heart, Treasurer? Where is your heart, member for Johnston? We know you are a hater, but I did not know that you hated it this much you only put 33% of the assessed budget into FACS and spent more on recreation. Have you read the report? These are kids! You spend more money on debt than kids! You spend more money on depreciation than kids! It is atrocious.
It has no control of housing at all. It has no control of the economy, of debt, of housing, and it is not even looking after kids, Madam Deputy Speaker. This government is a complete failure and Rothwell was right.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Deputy Speaker, it is my pleasure to support this motion. Something I have been talking about for quite a few years now, is the ongoing problems we have with public housing in the Northern Territory and how some tenants continue to, as the member for Araluen put it, interfere with the quiet enjoyment of others with their antisocial behaviour.
I am not completely conversant with the issues in Alice Springs in relation to public housing, but if what I have heard is true, it is very similar to the major problems we have in the Top End.
Public housing, of course, is probably one of the biggest areas of mismanagement of this government. Public housing is seen by it as some sort of cash cow; something that will deliver funds in some type of asset it can sell off and pay for other things. It was interesting to listen to the Housing Minister respond to this motion. I have to say there was no defence the minister could mount to defend his negligence in this area. What the minister does is get involved in smear. As soon as someone comes in and has a laugh at him about his failure, he throws smear around. He came in and suggested I was drunk; that I had been drinking.
I just ducked outside to try to track down some of the police to see whether I could take a breath test because, I have to tell you, I have not had a drink in a couple of days - not while this parliament has been sitting. To sit and cop these smears the minister is quite prepared to throw around every time he finds himself in a bit of a tight spot, is wrong - absolutely wrong. The minister knows what he is doing; he is out there to get a headline. He wants to run a little interference, take a little of the focus off his portfolio and put it somewhere else. It is absolutely disgusting behaviour.
Not only does the bloke not have the courage to stand up and wear his failure and tell people he has failed, but he tries to divert attention somewhere else. This minister has been a failure. I look over the other side and I see a litany of failures - one after the other of people who failed in some areas. That is human; we all make mistakes. We all make stuff-ups. People get angry at you when you make a stuff-up, but that happens; that is human nature.
With this particular minister, everything he touches, everything he gets involved in, anything he goes near, turns to failure. If there is one person sitting on the government’s frontbench who has to go, has to be moved and get out of this place, it is him.
We saw the member for Johnston, a couple of months ago, taking all of the heat about some failures which were happening in the health system. At the time, on this side of the Chamber, we argued quite strongly the minister had seriously erred in his responsibilities as a minister. I note the minister did try to put up an argument and defend himself. Admittedly, Health is one of those major portfolio areas which is very difficult to be completely on top of all the time. There have been ministers throughout history - not just in this government but in other governments - who have found the position of Health Minister to be extremely trying.
What happened with this Health Minister? He was moved sideways. He was moved into another portfolio - give a fresh set of eyes a go on it. I have to say the member for Johnston quite often said he was the longest serving Health Minister in Australia at the time, and I believe that was true. The Health Minister at that time, the member for Johnston, has a background in pharmacy, a medical-related area. We acknowledge it is a difficult portfolio, but it was deemed a fresh set of eyes needed to look at the Health portfolio.
Here we have a Housing Minister – who has not just Housing, but Essential Services, Local Government - all of these portfolios. Everything he gets involved with - every single thing - he makes a complete hash of. His only defence is to come in and throw smears around - throw the mud. This guy is absolutely appalling. He has been sitting on almost $700m for the last two years to build emergency accommodation for Aboriginal people in remote areas - something that was identified in the Little Children are Sacred report to meet chronic overcrowding in houses - absolutely chronic – and led to some of the horrible assertions being made in the report. We see a minister quite prepared to sit around on his butt for two years and not build one single house - not one. Absolutely appalling!
Somehow or other, he tries to sit there and prevaricate, to throw a bit of cant into the argument to suggest: ‘It was John Howard’s fault; it was previous CLP governments fault; these sorts of things happen in other places’. Tonight he said: ‘Oh, these housing problems, we are not alone; this happens all over Australia. All other jurisdictions have problems with public housing’. Oddly enough, all other jurisdictions are Labor jurisdictions, and they are all full of fairly incompetent people.
He is quite happy to sit and compare himself to the Bligh government, which is engaging in a $15bn sell-off of public assets to cover her appalling economic management credentials. We see a New South Wales government that has managed to sack - I do not know - a dozen ministers in the last 12 months or so. People there are praying for an election to come around ever so quickly. We see a South Australian government where the Premier is fighting all sorts of horrible allegations. In every one of these Labor states, there are problems.
There are massive problems, but these guys are sitting there, happy to compare themselves to them. ‘Oh, well, we are in the same boat as all these others’. Well, they are, only to a much worse extent. This government is the national embarrassment of Australia. It is the embarrassment of Kevin Rudd. I was in Canberra last week, and I am one of those fellows who gets on reasonably well with people on both sides of the parliament; we get on reasonably well, and I often have conversations with people on the other side. In all honesty, in the Rudd Labor government, there are members in ministry and in its wing who are absolutely, utterly, dreadfully embarrassed about the sort of members we have in the Australian Labor Party. They want to distance themselves as far as they possibly can from this government.
I reckon if Kevin Rudd had his way, he would take this joint over, dissolve this parliament, get rid of the two Senators and the two House of Representatives members we have, and just take complete control, because this place is becoming an unbelievable embarrassment to him, and to the Labor Party federally. It causes them such grief down there. I do not know - how do members here think Kevin Rudd feels about the fact this mob have had $700m of Commonwealth money for the best part of two years and they have not built a single house - not one single house? Every time a story appears in The Australian about this mob’s mismanagement, how do you think Mr Rudd feels? Would he think: ‘Oh, it is just tough in the Territory’? Like hell! Like hell; he throws money hand over fist and this mob completely blow it.
I thank the member for Braitling for doing such a great job of outlining exactly how money is spent up here. He has done a fantastic job, and I hope all members in this place take interest in this, particularly those members who have low-income, low-socioeconomic, or Indigenous people in their electorates, because it is those people who are suffering. It is those people in public housing places who are suffering.
I would hate to find myself in a situation where I needed public housing, but it is due to the benevolence of government we have public housing available for those people who need it. However, those people who need it do not need the added problem of having unruly, disgusting, filthy neighbours in the same unit blocks, urinating, defecating, swearing, getting drunk and carrying on at nights. They do not deserve that. How are they supposed to get ahead in the world if their kids cannot sleep at night, the kids cannot come back to the units at night because they fear getting bashed up, people cannot bring their shopping into their units because other tenants steal it, doors are kicked in, and people are sleeping with hammers, crow bars, and spear guns? I have seen it all. It has been a real eye-opener for me having some of these public housing places in my electorate.
I never got this close, I admit, in the federal parliament, to how people have to live in some of these places. It has been an eye-opener. It has utterly disgusted me to see the conditions some people have to put up with in the Northern Territory. The minister sits there and says: ‘Dave Tollner says they are all animals, and they should all be kicked out in the bush’. He knows that is not true. He knows there are some animals who need to be kicked out in the bush. If you want to act like an animal, be like an animal, then get out into the scrub with the animals. Decent, civilised human beings, who want a decent lifestyle, who have hit a hard road, or maybe have some disabilities, should be able to live in peace in a public housing block.
We hear nothing about how many people have been evicted. No, the minister did not say he evicted so many hundred in the last couple of months - people who terrorised their neighbours, and the neighbourhood. I used to do crime forums all over Darwin and Palmerston. Almost invariably, where you found the real hot spots, there were large amounts of public housing places. It is funny that crime seems to gravitate around these places. The minister throws his hands in the air saying: ‘I do not know what we can do about it; everyone has these problems’. He says it is everyone else’s problem: the CLPs fault from years gone by, John Howard’s fault, it is everyone else’s fault, and not really his fault. Still, the government and the Chief Minister persist with this fool. The man who is prepared to let 14 000 houses go without power; who admits he stuffed up the whole local government issue; and who is prepared to take money from public servant’s pockets, in real terms, with a pay increase of only 2.5%, not even keeping up with inflation - not even keeping up with inflation.
I heard the member for Araluen say she has quite a good working relationship with the minister. Well, that is great. I suppose everyone can have a good working relationship with the minister. The trouble is, what is the point? The man is a fool; nothing is ever acted on. The only time you ever get any action on anything is when you involve the media. Then there is a mad scramble to do something. I had Current Affair involved in one of the public housing blocks in Darwin; the next day there were contractors and tradesmen everywhere. There were people with big gurneys cleaning down the stairwells, doing gardening and landscaping, replacing windows, and doors. Suddenly, everything changed for these people.
The minute the focus went off they were left to their own devices; Territory Housing did not take any interest in the problems there, and everything returned to the same. The only time anything ever happens is when you get the media involved. A 14-year-old girl was booted out onto the streets. She was one of the people they evicted; her dad had recently died. She could not stay there so it booted her out onto the street - no communication whatsoever with Family and Children’s Services - quite happy to throw a 14-year-old girl out onto the street.
The minister lambasted me for talking to the media. He did not say he is going to fix the problem or investigate it, and see how many other people this has happened to. No, not at all. He tried to cover up as much as he could.
Ms Scrymgour interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: I hear the member for Arafura talking about people telling the truth. You sat there and watched your own minister say that in six years I only gave one speech in the federal parliament. He seems to think that is the truth. He said it over and over. Let us get real. You talk about being petty and stupid, trying to rewrite history - goodness me. Get real. Check Hansard of the federal parliament. See if I made one speech in six years. The bloke is a goose and he will do and say anything to get off the hook. Somewhere along the line, we must have ministerial responsibility. Ministers have to stand up and take their lumps. Here is a bloke not prepared to do it.
We have seen the member for Johnston sit there and cop a pretty big grilling. They were pretty harsh circumstances and I would hate to be a Minister for Health at any time, anywhere, because I imagine it would be an extraordinarily difficult job. However, it was decided within Cabinet they needed someone else with a fresh set of eyes. So, the member for Johnston took his lumps; he is now the Minister for Business. We will see how he goes in that portfolio …
Dr Burns: And tourism.
Mr TOLLNER: And Tourism. I admire the man in that regard; I believe Tourism and Business are wonderful portfolios to be in, minister. However, in any case, a decision was made to move him sideways.
The same thing should happen with this bloke - not just move him sideways, but move him out, because he has proven himself to be completely incompetent in every single area. In our last sittings in Darwin, he asked: ‘Who is the Minister for Housing?’ He did not know whether it was the member for Goyder, or the member for Araluen. Someone had to gently remind him and say: ‘Excuse me, I believe you are the Minister for Housing, not someone else’. This is the sort of incompetence we see on a regular basis.
The bloke should never have been given a job in the first place. With all respect to the member for Fannie Bay, you could not even make the bloke the chairman of committees; you could not trust him with that. Maybe they will make him Whip or something for the government. We just do not want him involved with any Territory government agency. The Territory cannot afford that type of incompetence. He must go.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I support this motion. I pay tribute to the member for Araluen for bringing this on. This is one of the single most important issues the Territory is facing. We need to get someone who is reasonably competent into that job to have a fair crack at it.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are there any further speakers, keeping in mind, member for Macdonnell, we will be suspending sittings at 6.45 pm sharp. You can begin and then resume your comments after Question Time. Thank you, you have the call.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Deputy Speaker, I speak to this motion from a different point of view. I acknowledge the member for Araluen and her concerns of antisocial behaviour in Territory Housing houses. I see it in the area where I live in Lyndavale Drive. There is much antisocial behaviour around the area of Lyndavale Drive and Saltwell Street.
I believe it is about removing yourself and understanding where these people come from. They come from a very different lifestyle, back out on the communities, and these people do not like to come into town. They have to come into town because they are sick. They have to come into town because the only renal dialysis machines are in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, or Darwin. Some of my people take the choices down on the community in order not to come into town. Therefore, the ramification for those people who take that option of staying on the communities is death.
I know many of the parents move into town and apply for a flat with Territory Housing because their children are going to school and they want to be closer to them. They want to support their children because Alice Springs is a different place, a different community, with many different aspects in life, and much antisocial behaviour. I have lived in this town since the age of eight or nine and I have seen much antisocial behaviour in the town as well. As a little Gap Angel, I roamed the streets of Alice Springs, walking in and walking back through The Gap. I can say that Territory Housing and the Northern Territory government has not taken any steps to understand these people.
Earlier this year, it had an Aboriginal housing department which was part of Territory Housing. Aboriginal housing was specifically designed to help and encourage these people who come in, to bring their children to school, to access dialysis machines, or were generally sick in hospital and doctors would say: ‘I do not really want you to go back home for a couple of months, so we want you to find somewhere to stay with your relatives’. Aboriginal housing did tremendous work. It was part of Territory Housing, but Territory Housing just got rid of it. It encouraged people to save their own money, if there was minor repairs and maintenance which needed to be done to these houses, these people paid for it themselves.
If Territory Housing came around and said: ‘There is lots of antisocial behaviour reported by your next door neighbour’, it was Aboriginal housing which came in and spoke to the families and said: ‘You have to take steps to make sure there is no antisocial behaviour in your place. If it is overcrowded, then take steps to get rid of some of the people and send them home’. Aboriginal housing would play a major part in trying to get these people back on the bush bus to go back to places like Papunya, Kintore, Docker River, Alparra, and Harts Range to alleviate the pressure from some of these people who lived in Territory Housing houses.
If you understand Aboriginal culture, you will understand that if someone is diagnosed with a disease like kidney failure, and that person is 42, 67 or whatever the age they may be, it is not within the Aboriginal culture to send the person into Alice Springs by themselves. You will always have the daughter, the granddaughter, or the extended family come in with that person, because it is part of their culture to look after that person.
Territory Housing has failed in so many ways; by not encouraging people, by putting them into the houses and not wrapping them around with other programs as it had before with Aboriginal housing. It has just left them out there. These are people who come from a very different background, with different rules. The same rules which apply in Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, do not apply at Harts Range, Alparra, Papunya, Kintore and Hermannsburg. They have different rules. One of the things I suggest to the minister for spin doctoring and propaganda, who has just come in, would be to have a look at programs which help these people live inside these houses and nurture and train them.
I have said this in the House in Darwin: when Indigenous people starting moving into towns - and my aunty was one of those people - they were not town campers, they were fringe dwellers. They lived, where Yeperenye School is, in tents with no water, no toilet facilities. The Lutheran Church then took all these people in on their property. They had cottages, but the Lutheran Church looked after these people. They had to keep the cottages clean in order for the Lutheran Church to apply to Territory Housing for them to move into a Territory Housing house.
My aunty got a house in 2 Gnoilya Street in The Gap. The Lutheran Church did not just take us there and leave us at 2 Gnoilya Street. They said: ‘Okay, Mary, this is your house. You will live inside this house with your children and your family’. They visited that family on a day-to-day basis, to talk about the antisocial behaviour which occurred, and to make sure there was no overcrowding in those places. That is the kind of steps we need Territory Housing to take; not what we have heard the minister say in this House - spin, spin, propaganda and more propaganda ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Macdonnell. At that point I need to interrupt you. You will be able to resume your remarks after Question Time. It is 6.45 pm. Honourable members, as advised by Madam Speaker, we will be suspending sittings for 15 minutes. The bells will ring at 7 pm for Question Time.
Debate suspended.
MOTION
Proposed Censure of Chief Minister
and Northern Territory Government
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I move – That the Chief Minister and this Labor government be censured for their abject neglect of the people of Alice Springs and Central Australia:
1. by failing to provide essential services;
7. for creating the housing crisis.
Madam Speaker, this is a dishonest government by any stretch - a dishonest government which is full of spin, glossy brochures, and all they do is announce announcements. They put out a media release about a media release. It is very good and very easy to make announcements. It is actually what they do, not what they say. It is a fast-fading government. It will say anything - absolutely anything – and, mind you, do absolutely anything, to stay in power. It is power they want; it is not to govern for Territorians. They are not interested in providing a safe and secure town, the fundamental things every single citizen of this country has a right to. All they are interested in is their own spin, and to stay in power.
This government has turned its back on Alice Springs. They have done it for eight long years. I have to reiterate the comments from the member for Araluen. After 27 years, they finally came to the helm - and what an absolute fizzer it was for the people of the Northern Territory, for the people of Alice Springs and, in particular, in the last couple of years since the back room deal when the Chief Minister stitched up the leadership and knifed the previous Chief Minister. We, the people of Alice Springs, have had an absolute gutful and enough of this lazy, tired government which is purely interested in staying in power.
I turn to crime, part of this censure motion. Whichever way you look at it, crime has increased under Labor. They like to pick and choose particular pieces of statistical data. We have seen them do it before; they will continue to do it. Since Labor has come to power, violent crime is up by 24%. That is hard, raw data you will see in the crime statistics put out by the government itself. Crime is up by 24%. In the last year, property crime rose, by 12% - that is property crime up by 12%.
There are fewer police on the beat. Whichever way the Chief Minister likes to portray it, or whichever way he likes to spin it, police on the beat numbers are down. He fails to look at the attrition rate of police, and again, we have fewer police on the beat.
We still have police communication bungles, appropriately named after the former minister for Police, who promised he would fix the communications system at the Alice Springs Police Station. Now, all calls - and I do not know if people in Alice Springs know this - all emergency police calls will be going through to Darwin. So, if you are in Alice Springs and you are ringing up, and you have a problem and you live in a particular street in a particular part of Alice Springs, you are going to have to spell it out to the person in Darwin, because they will have no idea where you live.
We have a Labor government that cannot get enough staff to run a police intake line in Alice Springs. Can you believe it? We do not have enough staff there to actually run a police intake line in Alice Springs. This government insists on spending $350m on a new prison in Darwin, but we have the highest recidivism rate anywhere in the Northern Territory. They backflipped, as we heard tonight, on the closed circuit television. It is monitored - can you believe it? - by a local taxi company. The local taxi company is doing everything they possibly can to do this, but it is wrong. A local taxi company should not be monitoring closed circuit television in Alice Springs.
Part of this censure motion goes towards education. Education standards in the Northern Territory are well below par. Territory kids achieve some of the worst NAPLAN results in the country. In the Northern Territory, we have 68% of kids in Year 3, with reading levels at or above the national average - 68%. We have 32% of Year 3 kids failing basic reading. We have nearly 30% of Year 3 kids failing the national benchmark on writing. That is 30% of Year 3 kids failing the national benchmark on writing, and 32% of Year 3 kids failing the basic national benchmark for reading. So, reading and writing rates are well below national averages. We have 29% of Territory kids failing Year 7 national reading benchmarks. Over 30% of Territory kids are failing Year 9 national reading benchmarks.
There are schools falling down around our kids here in Alice Springs. I draw your attention to some of the issues facing Acacia Hill School. The government has finally come to the table with an announcement. However, once again, as we see in their glossy brochures, they love to announce announcements and put a media release out about media releases. I can only hope the $5m-plus going towards Acacia Hill School will actually go towards Acacia Hill School and address some of these 75-plus recommendations in a 2005 special schools audit on Acacia Hill by the Northern Territory Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment. That was done in 2005; 75 of those are still non-compliant. We can only hope this money will go towards addressing those and, indeed, bring the state of the school up to a world’s best practice special education facility for kids in Central Australia.
The situation going on at Acacia Hill School is appalling. The staff, the teachers, and the students have a very small voice in this community by virtue of the job they are doing. This government has neglected them for far too long. We see, after enormous pressure through the media, and through me as the local member, the government has finally come to the party. It is not a very good story, being seen to be beating up on kids with disabilities, so the government thought: ‘Oh gee, better try to do something about it’. They made an announcement of $5m-plus. That is a significant amount of money and, of course, anyone would welcome that. The devil will be in the detail. How much of this is new money, and how much is, in fact, old money through the BER program from the federal government? We will wait and see. Nevertheless, $5m-plus is a good announcement, but well overdue. Again, it is another example of the neglect by this government of our education facilities and standards across the Northern Territory.
I turn to health. The elective surgery waiting lists in the Northern Territory are some of the worst in the country. The Minister for Health has dismissed the Australian Medical Association’s report on Territory hospitals. He dismissed it saying the AMA is a doctor’s union, to paraphrase him in the October sittings in Darwin. He dismissed the Australian Medical Association’s report on Territory hospitals, which highlighted hospitals across the Territory, including Alice Springs.
He also dismissed The State of Our Public Hospitals report, which is a federal government report compiled by the Department of Health and Ageing. It points out Northern Territory hospitals have some of the worst elective surgery waiting lists and, indeed, the worst emergency service waiting times in the country. It does not auger well for a government which claims to care about Central Australia and to be doing a good job governing the Northern Territory.
Regarding cuts to our nursing staff, the previous Minister for Health lost his job as Minister for Health for his failure to address not only the hospital board’s issue - where we found we had three hospitals operating in the Northern Territory outside the law because they were not operating with functioning hospital boards - but also his failure to admit and address the nursing staffing crisis facing us in the Northern Territory and, in particular, Royal Darwin Hospital.
A promised new emergency department at the Alice Springs Hospital was on the books, then off the books, on the books, then off the books. Now, suddenly, it is back on the books because $13m has been handed over from the Commonwealth. Our doctors are absolutely stretched to breaking point. Despite spending more than double per capita on health than any other jurisdiction, our waiting times at our emergency departments are getting worse. Elective surgery waiting lists are getting longer, despite spending millions of dollars in blitzes.
This is a government which comprehensively has failed the people of Central Australia, despite the rhetoric, the spin we see every day, the glossy brochures, and the insulting manner the Chief Minister used today, doing anything to deflect the argument from the real issues everyone in this public gallery knows all too well. The issues relate to essential services – power; and failure to address the rise in violent and property crime. We know it all too well, Chief Minister.
You only have to spend a little time in Central Australia and it is not too hard to figure out things are not getting better. They have failed to address our worst education standards, as I have highlighted before. It is very clear this government has failed the people of Central Australia.
The government likes to crow about alcohol restrictions and, despite a very successful argument prosecuted this morning demonstrating, in no uncertain terms, the government’s approach to tackling alcohol issues in Central Australia is not working, all they can say is all the Country Liberals want to do is tip more grog onto the problem. What absolute rubbish! I am not sure where the Chief Minister finds such logic! It clearly is not logic. They refer to, and hang their hat on, the Menzies School of Health Research report.
You will notice, in every single argument, line, comment and announcement by the Chief Minister, the Minister for Health, and the Minister for Alcohol Policy, they refer back to the Menzies School of Health moving beyond the restrictions and the evaluations of the Alice Springs alcohol management plan. You can get this online, and it might be worth having a read.
The government believe - as demonstrated by the member for Araluen raising the false advertisement in the Centralian Advocate last Friday – there has been an 18% drop in pure alcohol sales, a 21% drop, and a such and such percent drop here. Let us look at some of the real facts and figures from the report - the government’s own commissioned report they continually hang their hat on, which is the centrepiece of their argument. This is all they have. It says here:
There you have it; it had little effect on alcohol consumption. Furthermore, the later takeaway trading hours has shifted the problem to later at night - a point also made about increased activity on town camps later in the evening. I am not sure where the government is getting its facts and figures from. They claim it is from the Menzies School of Health Research report. I say again:
All the Chief Minister can say is the Country Liberals want to open up the doors of the bottle shops and sell more grog. He does not understand simply opening up the doors of the bottle shop is not necessarily going to sell more grog. He, obviously, does not come from a background of private enterprise or retail or business. He has no concept of what it is like to run a business. He thinks you just open the doors, put the sign out the front, and people are going to flow in. That is not the case. If he did come from a background of private enterprise, he might have a little more appreciation.
That was one part of the Menzies School of Health Research report. We can turn to other areas of it. To do with consumption, section 8, Measuring the impact of the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan says:
For the Chief Minister’s benefit, I repeat:
The Chief Minister is not very interested in hearing the facts, but maybe he will pick up the Parliamentary Record and have a look. Or, even better, maybe he could actually read the Menzies School of Health report. That might help. It would be very handy, minister, while you …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, I remind you reference or inference to the presence or otherwise of a member is prohibited, thank you.
Mr CONLAN: I did not say anything of the sort, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr CONLAN: I simply said the Chief Minister might do himself a favour by actually reading the Menzies School of Health report he continually likes to hang his hat on.
The report also said other justice data is more difficult to interpret, but the alcohol management plan may have contributed to rises in commercial break-ins and property damage. I had better read that again. It said:
This report is almost having a bet each way. The government likes to pick and choose, even from their own Department of Justice figures. It indicates trading hours have nothing to do with the curbing of alcohol sales or alcohol consumption. Trading hours are not mentioned anywhere in the Menzies School of Health report, nor are they mentioned anywhere in the Department of Justice figures.
The government, as we all know - and I am sure it has all been clearly demonstrated here tonight for the gallery - are all spin, no substance, and it does not take much to scratch beneath the surface to find another issue. Just when you get tired of one issue, something else crops up. We have had SIHIP and, boy, that was a headache for the government. Just when you got a bit sick of that, we have the child protection issue. Then, we had problems with our hospitals’ emergency waiting lists and elective surgery waiting lists. You do not have to wait long in the Northern Territory and, indeed, in Alice Springs, to go from one issue to another.
This is why the Country Liberals are censuring this government. We believe this censure should be upheld. This government deserves to go. They deserve to be prosecuted for their absolute failure in addressing the issues of Alice Springs, and the pain and suffering they cause the people of Central Australia on a daily basis by their refusal to accept and address the problems causing that pain and suffering.
We heard from the Minister for Housing before, basically dismissing any problems with public housing. I am sure there are plenty of people here in the gallery who live in a street in Alice Springs, and have a public housing property or a housing commission home not too far away from them - maybe next door, maybe round the corner. I would like the member for Daly, the Minister for Housing, to tell those people there is not a problem with public housing tenants partying all night and drinking all night, despite the grog signs on the front gate.
What do we want to see in Central Australia? We certainly do not want to see more drunks on the street. We want to see those drunks actually removed from the street. We want those people to be placed into rehabilitation. The CLP has an habitual drunks policy, which is the centrepiece of the Country Liberals’ policies. The habitual drunks policy simply means, if you are picked up for being drunk three times in six months, you will be sent to mandatory rehabilitation. As you are sent to mandatory rehabilitation, you will not be sent to a prison. We have no intention of clogging up our gaols – either Berrimah or Alice Springs - with drunks. They will be sent to prison farms. They will be taught to read and write, or at least given basic literacy and numeracy skills. They will be given job skills and life skills, and they will, hopefully, leave rehabilitation, after a set period of time, better equipped to contribute to society. We cannot have these drunks wandering around out streets aimlessly like brown’s cows, day after day. These people need to get into jobs and they need to start contributing to society.
The Country Liberals’ approach is tough but, we think, fair. It is not just fair on those people we are targeting, but also fair on the people of Alice Springs - the people who are contributing to society, who have jobs, who run businesses, and who are continually ringing up the insurance company saying: ‘I need to make another claim because my front window has been smashed yet again’.
Mandatory rehabilitation is the approach by the Country Liberals. This government does not believe in mandatory rehabilitation. They seem to think it is okay for someone to go in and out of protective custody, day in and day out. That is, picked up on a Monday, Monday night placed into protective custody and, then, released again on Tuesday. Then, picked up on Tuesday, spend the night in protective custody and, then, released on Wednesday. Then, picked up on Wednesday, released on Thursday, picked up on Thursday - I think we get the point.
This is what is happening. We have people who are picked up hundreds of times a year, placed into protective custody and, then, released on the street with their only goal and intention is going out and getting drunk all over again. It is not doing anyone any good whatsoever. It is not doing the people of Alice Springs any good whatsoever - the people who are contributing to society in a meaningful way. They are contributing to the economy, the social fabric, and the sporting infrastructure of the town. It is certainly not doing those offenders who are living a life of alcoholism any good.
For the Chief Minister to say all the Country Liberals want to do is pour more grog on the problem is nonsense. It is a line he is trying to roll out here in Central Australia, in front of the people of Alice Springs, in some feeble attempt to wedge us and the three local members, and portray us as having no platform whatsoever and being irresponsible. Our approach is not irresponsible; our approach is responsible. The only irresponsible people in the Northern Territory are – how may do we have? - 13 members sitting on that side of the Chamber. They are the ones who do not care. They are the ones who continually neglect the people of Central Australia. They are the ones with no plan for the future. Their plan is to keep our alcohol restrictions in place forever-and-a-day. They have no plan beyond any alcohol restrictions. Their plan is simply to patch up what is an issue, and move on. They have no plan for the future, no plan to get these people into rehabilitation - no plan to rehabilitate them whatsoever.
Their alcohol courts are an absolute failure. We have seen it and, yet, the member for Karama crows about the alcohol courts being a success. They are not a success. We are not seeing any real meaningful success rates through the alcohol courts and, hence, the ID system is a failure. The ID system, by default, is working, to a degree, because those without identification cannot buy grog. The point of the ID system was to recognise those with a prohibition order against them, and then they could be referred to an alcohol court - but only if they committed an offence. Being drunk over and over again, every day of the week, is not an offence. Under the Country Liberals, it will become and offence, and you will be placed into rehabilitation for your own good, for your family’s own good, for your children’s own good, and for the good of the people of Alice Springs who, I say again, are contributing in a meaningful way to this community.
Madam Deputy Speaker, this government deserves to be censured. This censure deserves to be upheld. This government has failed to provide a safe and secure town for Central Australia. They have failed to provide any real rehabilitation for those who are committing these crimes day after day after day. They are committing these crimes as a result of alcohol-fuelled antisocial behaviour. I urge members in this parliament to support this censure motion, to send a clear and strong message to the Henderson Labor government that they have failed the Northern Territory, Central Australia and, in turn, this country. They have failed the Australian Labor Party.
As the member for Solomon rightly points out, they are an embarrassment - a national embarrassment. They are an embarrassment to this community, to this parliament, to the Northern Territory, and to their very own leader, the Prime Minister. This government deserves to be censured, and what is more, they deserve to go. It is another example of this failure of the Northern Territory Labor government to deliver anything meaningful to the people of Central Australia.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Deputy Speaker, talking of embarrassment, the member for Greatorex embarrassed himself with that unresearched, inaccurate, inarticulate diatribe in the Assembly this evening. I will pull apart his diatribe as per the seven points of this censure motion.
The first limb of the censure motion is talking about failing to provide essential services. Power and Water Corporation has a $1.1bn infrastructure program, over the next four years, to upgrade, rebuild, and increase essential services right across the Northern Territory.
In Alice Springs, as we speak, a brand new power station is being constructed. We are also upgrading the power supply at Yulara and at Tennant Creek. It is the most significant investment in essential services infrastructure in Alice Springs for many years, to cater for increased population and economic activity in Central Australia. He was not able to articulate any reductions in budget, any non-investment in particular parts of essential services. As I said, the new water trials - well they are not trials now at AZRI in regard to taking water from the sewage ponds and piping it to AZRI to refill the aquifers after treatment. That was world leading research and investment by Power and Water Corporation to supplement water supply in Alice Springs. As I said, we are currently building a brand new power station in Alice Springs, so we are providing essential services.
He talked about violence and property crime. Under this government, since 2001, in Alice Springs and across the Northern Territory, property crime has actually decreased by nearly 50%. We have 335 additional police officers in our police force, with an extra 35 police officers in Alice Springs, and property crime has decreased by nearly 50% right across the Northern Territory. We produce quarterly crime statistics which do bounce around from time to time but, take a longitudinal look at property crime across the Northern Territory and there is a 50% decrease since we came to government. That is around 5800 fewer property crime offences a year across the Northern Territory, and that is a very significant achievement.
Talking about violent crime; we go round and round in circles on this issue. In relation to violent crime, police now proactively police domestic violence in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, and in Darwin, with dedicated strategies, with officers who work in this area on a full-time basis - not part-time - with increased police powers to issue domestic violence orders. With direct additional powers in the prosecution of repeat offenders, women across the Northern Territory and here in Alice Springs are more confident to report because they know police will act. So much violent crime and domestic violence is alcohol fuelled.
I have listened to the member for Greatorex today in his pathetic, lame excuses to explain to residents in Alice Springs how on earth, by expanding the sale of alcohol for an additional four hours a day, it is going to reduce crime and domestic violence. It patently will not. He is unable to provide one credible public health organisation, or one credible crime organisation to say, yes, if you sell alcohol in Alice Springs for four hours more every day, you will reduce crime. It is patently ridiculous, and I am astounded they stick with that position.
We then had the lame excuse – God help. I should not say that; I apologise Madam Speaker and withdraw. Heaven help the Northern Territory if the member for Greatorex ever becomes the Business minister, or even the shadow Business spokesman. His lame excuse was, obviously, nobody in the Territory government had ever operated in retail, because retail was not just about opening the doors and expecting people to walk in. His line was there was absolutely no evidence - and he was having a crack at us about not understanding business. His line was, such is the great intellect of the member for Greatorex, if you actually expanded takeaway sales in Alice Springs and opened the supermarkets and bottle shops for an extra four hours a day, it would not necessarily mean they would sell more grog.
That was the statement from the great …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Anyone who has operated a business, you do not expand your hours of operation, incur all those additional costs in staff, holding inventories, consumables, power, water, sewerage, and wages if you are not going to sell more grog. You are not going to open the doors of your business and put in all the additional expenses if you are not going to recover it through a return of selling more grog. He had the hide to say we do not understand how business works. Heaven help if he is ever made the shadow minister for Business. If he thinks businesses would open their doors, expend additional salaries …
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … additional costs, and not get a return through additional sales – what a goose the member for Greatorex is ...
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The only consequence of opening …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: He can give it but he cannot take it.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. Member for Greatorex!
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, you are on a warning. When I call for order people need to comply, please. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. He has a glass jaw.
To assert anyone in business would expand their hours of operation, extend their costs, increase their salaries, increase their overheads, and not recoup that by additional sales? What a clown! What an absolute clown! The only consequence of increasing the time alcohol is available for sale in Alice Springs is …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: The only consequence is more grog will be sold ...
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Heaven help if the member Greatorex ever gets his hand anywhere near the Business portfolio, because the place would go bust.
We have 175 police …
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex, I ask you to leave the Chamber for one hour, please.
Mr Conlan: Delighted.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr HENDERSON: We now have 175 police, including ACPOs and auxiliaries, per capita more than anywhere else in Australia. We have opened the Alice Springs Police Beat, with an additional seven permanent police officers recruited to Alice Springs. We will expand our Police Beat initiative with another 10 additional police officers to Alice Springs before the end of the financial year. We have invested $15.6m in a comprehensive Alice Springs Youth Action Plan to deal with youth in this town who are falling by the wayside. To say we are not addressing violence and property crime is patently wrong. The only logical consequence of selling more alcohol in Alice Springs is you will have more violence and crime.
He then talked about education standards in the Territory. We acknowledge education is a critical area for improvement. However, in Alice Springs we have some great schools which do a fantastic job. Today, I was at Bradshaw Primary School in Alice Springs, in a preschool class - wonderful teachers, great facilities, and wonderful kids receiving a great education. We are improving facilities in all our schools in Central Australia, but never let the truth get in the way of the shock jock from Alice Springs and the rhetoric he produces.
We have an enormous investment in education facilities in our schools in Alice Springs. Along with the Australian government and the investment through the stimulus package, our additional funding into education is seeing an additional $47m this year for infrastructure in schools in Alice Springs. This will be the largest infrastructure program in our schools over the next three years the Territory has ever seen. It is virtually every single school in the Northern Territory.
We are going to be investing $5.6m on the Alice Springs youth hub and middle school. The old ANZAC Hill High School and Alice Springs High School will, between them, be upgraded to the tune of $6m. It was great to be at the Alice Springs High campus the other day to see work has already commenced on a $3.36m project to provide new VET facilities, new IT facilities, and a new canteen for the students. A tender is currently being evaluated to upgrade the ANZAC Hill campus.
We are spending $3m on Ross Park Primary, an upgrade in Stage 3, $1.4m for Yuendumu under Closing the Gap, and the largest ever Commonwealth contribution into schools of $35m across Central Australia under the stimulus program. This was a program the CLP opposed. Nigel Scullion voted against it in the Senate. That means, if the CLP had had their way, there would not have been the $35m investment in schools in the Central Australian region, and in Alice Springs, that is so very well regarded and well received.
We also announced a major upgrade to Acacia Hill, as part of a $30m investment over the next five years for our special needs schools right across the Northern Territory. This is the biggest investment any government has made in our special needs schools in a single budget allocation for many years in the Northern Territory. $5.6m of that will go to Acacia Hill, where a great job is being done providing our special needs students with education.
One of the highlights for me, in my time as Education minister, was being at Arlparra the other day to open a $6m middle school and senior school in the Utopia region. It is a first-class facility. Every room has Internet access. There is a science lab there, and home economics areas. Every classroom has a SMART Board, and kids are going to school who previously were not. It was a real highlight. We have a $6m upgrade to Centralian Middle School, and a major policy reform area - a brand new middle school for Alice Springs for the start of the school year next year.
To say we are ignoring education in Alice Springs is patently false. Under a CLP government, there would have been $35m less investment in our schools in Alice Springs, because of their opposition to the stimulus package.
We then move on to infrastructure. Again this year - never let the facts get in the way of the hyperbole from the member for Greatorex - we are going to be spending more cash in the Central Australian region this financial year than ever before - than ever before – with $293m in cash in the Central Australian region this year. That is 21% of the entire infrastructure budget for the Northern Territory. It is a record investment in the region, and $110m more than last year’s record. To say we are not investing in infrastructure is patently wrong.
Already, $72m of works are already under way in the first four months of this financial year. Where is that infrastructure going? Education and training, $47m; health, $60m; roads, $50m; Police and Emergency Services, $27m; tourism infrastructure, $8m; Power and Water infrastructure, $80m; and housing, $17m. Some of these works are in roads; capital works; repairs and maintenance; progressive sealing and widening on the Tanami; construction of the Pine Hill access road; upgrades to the Plenty, Sandover, Maryville, Hugh Stock Route, Ernest Giles Road, Santa Teresa Road and Kintore Road; shoulder reconstruction and widening of the Stuart Highway from Erldunda to the South Australian border; and lighting upgrades to the Yulara Drive/Lasseter Highway intersection of $50m - a very significant spend.
Schools will get $47m – I have talked about that; $27m in infrastructure for police; $6m for the Alice Springs Police Station upgrade; $19.4m each for the Alparra and Imanpa Police Stations; $60m in health infrastructure and jobs; and $59m at the Alice Springs Hospital, including the emergency department upgrade, the secure care facility and remediation works – which is a debate for another day in the saga in regard to the CLP commissioned upgrade of the Alice Springs Hospital we are still recovering from eight years later; and essential services $80m across the region.
For arts and parks: $4.5m for new air-conditioning at the Araluen Arts Centre; and $3m for upgrades at the West MacDonnell National Park, including the Visitors Centre and facilities.
In housing: $17m in the capital program, and $5m in maintenance and other works. So, $293m is a record infrastructure spend in Central Australia. We are proud to be delivering that. To try to run a line we are not investing in infrastructure; compared with any CLP investment; it would get nowhere near it.
They then went to talk on land release. I acknowledge this is a very significant issue. I suppose the major policy issue surrounding this is the fact native title has been determined in regard to Alice Springs. Most of the land to be released is affected by native title.
We have taken a view, as a government, we will sit down and negotiate with Lhere Artepe in regard to land release. Already, we have seen the results of that at Larapinta and Mt Johns Valley. Talking with Darryl Pearce and traditional owners the other day, we will be working with Lhere Artepe to secure additional land release. I pay tribute to Lhere Artepe in regard to representing the traditional owners in Alice Springs, by actually wanting to get involved in property developments, and be part of the solution to housing issues in this town. The only way forward is for government to work cooperatively with the traditional owners, as opposed to the CLP policy of compulsory acquisition, tying the issue up in the court for years, and not moving anywhere.
The Lands minister is going to release, very soon, a rezoning proposal for the AZRI site to release up to 1000 blocks of land. That is being worked through with Alice Springs Town Council, and other people on the Lands Planning Reference Group which has been established. There are numerous private projects on the books we will help facilitate a major increase in units and infill developments in Alice Springs. I acknowledge this is a very significant issue and one the government has to not take its eye off for one moment, redouble our efforts, and work as quickly as we can with all of the parties to see land released in Alice Springs.
One thing is for certain, if you take matters into the court, if you go for compulsory acquisition, you are just going to tie these issues up in the courts for years, and you will not go as fast as you will in working forward in partnership.
The CLP talked about failing to provide necessary health services. We have already seen this year, a $59m investment in upgrades to Alice Springs Hospital. One of the issues is, it is not about facilities, it is about people. Since we have come to government, we have seen a 50% increase in the number of nurses at the hospital and in Central Australia. That is a very significant increase - 50% increase in the number of nurses. Also, there is a 47% increase - nearly 50% - in the number of doctors. That is significant.
Public health systems across Australia are under pressure all of the time, but I pay tribute to our health professionals in Alice Springs. They do an absolutely amazing job. Our health professionals do not deserve the pillory and the abuse hurled on them by the member for Greatorex, when they are working as hard as they can in very difficult circumstances, with very challenging health problems that present to our health system. The member for Greatorex is not doing his job properly as shadow Health minister by failing to acknowledge a 50% increase in the number of nurses, and a nearly 50% increase in the number of doctors here in Alice Springs and Central Australia, and that increased investment.
On all counts in regard to the motion I acknowledge governments should always strive harder; governments can always do better. No government is perfect. Our government is delivering to Alice Springs.
If you look at the broader issues of economic growth in Alice Springs, I had the pleasure of meeting with a number of business people the other day at a forum, and every business person I spoke to is going really well. The facts are our economic growth is leading the nation at 5.2% in 2008-09. Access Economics said we are going to continue to lead economic growth over the next five years - an average growth rate of 3.8%. The business community in Alice Springs is confident, the economy is strong. The community is confident. Across the Northern Territory, there was an increase in retail trade; the highest in the nation, at 11.4%.
We have the rest of the world going backwards with the global financial crisis, and here in the Northern Territory we have had strong economic growth. We have strong employment growth – 4000 additional jobs created in the Territory’s economy last year, significant numbers here in Central Australia at a time where, around the world - look at what is happening in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Germany, in Japan, and in other developed economies. Look at what has happened in certain parts of Australia where unemployment is up to 10%. We created an extra 4000 jobs in our economy last year, such is the investment of government and the confidence of the business community in our economy and the future of the Northern Territory.
If you listen to the opposition, you would think we are going to hell in a hand basket. That is not the opinion of our business community which has continued to invest, continued to be confident, at a time of the global financial crisis. It has been supported by our government with a record capital works program this year of over $1bn - 21% of it coming to Central Australia.
The tourism industry has done much better than I feared it would. At the beginning of this year, I was very concerned for the tourism industry in Australia, such was the downturn in the global economy. With the recession and the depression in the economies of our core markets out of the US, Germany, Scandinavia and the UK, I was worried for our tourism sector. However, there has been a 5% increase in Central Australia, contributing over $550m in visitor expenditure last financial year - a staggering result given what was happening around the world. When talking to Peter Grigg the other night, I almost had to pinch myself when I heard those numbers.
A large part of that is our government, through Tourism NT, working with the Central Australian tourism groups on joint marketing and promotion campaigns. I spoke to several tourism operators who were thankful of government support, through our trade programs, to help those businesses attend tourism trade fairs within Australia and also overseas, at a time they were pulling back their own marketing budget. We certainly had a significant role to play to support the increase in tourism in Central Australia.
To suggest somehow this government is ignoring Central Australia is patently wrong. There are significant issues which continue to need addressing in Alice Springs and Central Australia. At the heart of so many of the problems in Alice Springs is the abuse of alcohol. I am very proud my government has stood shoulder to shoulder with Jenny Macklin and the Australian government in supporting the compulsory acquisition of the town camps in Alice Springs. I thank the Australian government for putting up $100m to invest in those town camps, and an additional $36m to deal with some of the social issues surrounding those camps. This shows a Territory government, working in partnership with the Australian government, looking at the issues in Alice Springs, can secure significant investments to start righting some of the wrongs which have been swept under the carpet here for so long to the detriment of the broader community, and also those residents of the town camps.
We are waiting for a full federal court decision. I very much hope the decision goes government’s way because we have a plan; we are ready to go. The people in the town camps and in Alice Springs deserve to see those issues rectified and not to have those issues forever tied up in legal action. Again, it goes to show this government is focused on, and working on the issues for Alice Springs.
My colleague, the Minister for Central Australia, will speak further. This is a government which is focused on all of the Northern Territory. We are focused on Alice Springs. The economy is strong, people are doing well. There is record infrastructure investment in health and education, and law enforcement, and there is record spending on additional police in Alice Springs. There are issues which need to be accelerated regarding land release but, as Chief Minister, I give my commitment to the people of Alice Springs, we will continue to focus on delivering on the expectations of the Alice Springs community, and working to secure a very strong, vibrant future for such a wonderful part of the Northern Territory.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, we will not be supporting the motion.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to talk to this censure motion. I thank the member for Greatorex for bringing the censure motion on. It is a very important censure motion; it goes to the heart of government neglect in Alice Springs - eight long years, and growing neglect in Alice Springs.
I start by paying homage to the police of Alice Springs and Central Australia. They have been spoken about much over the last couple of days, especially today. They do a fantastic job. They have been in and around the Chamber for the last couple of days making sure politicians like us, staff and all, are safe.
They do a fantastic job around town spending most of their time emptying out alcohol rather than doing their normal policing business. That is despite the fact the Chief Minister, and his government, like to say our proposed alcohol reforms will seemingly open up the rivers of grog. We already hear 80% of all crime in Alice Springs is alcohol related. You would think it could not get any worse. If the Chief Minister was serious he would be trying to start dealing with these people who are chronic alcoholics, who have a serious substance abuse problem. I know he neglects that; he has a one-legged policy – Phar Lap running around in circles is what he has.
I took some notes about some of the things he mentioned. He spoke a lot about infrastructure. I believe he mentioned a $1bn infrastructure budget. It was $1.3bn when he announced the budget but, now, it is down to $1bn, I presume. There are two key issues about the budget you need to comprehend, and the audience in the gallery need to understand. The first is the reason it was $1.3bn – and I am not going off the budget here; I remember my old notes. The reason is $300m is for repairs and maintenance and ongoing servicing, about $450m, off the top of my head, was coming from last year’s financial year because they did not get around to doing the work last financial year. There is a large component of money announced which will not be done this financial year, it will be done next financial year because they are running a year behind. They roll all the figures together to make it sound really good. Even that $300m in repairs and maintenance will not be done this year. It is an announcement they make for three, four, five, six years later, so they can stand up here as the Chief Minister did at the Dispatch Box, and pontificate and beat his chest about doing a great job. However, at the end of the day, it does not hit the ground.
He failed to tell us, as well, where that money actually comes from. He failed to say most of that money comes from the stimulus package. We know what the stimulus package is. It was an investment to try to protect our economy, which was in a great shape before the Rudd government took over - in surplus. We know now this infrastructure program, if it gets delivered, will not be paid by the federal government or the Territory government; it will be paid by our kids for the next 30 years as they are repaying debt. That is what it is about.
You would think if there was any commitment by the federal Labor government or the Territory Labor government to invest in stimulus, they would be putting it into essential service infrastructure which reduced the cost burden on businesses, allowing businesses to employ more people in Alice Springs and Central Australia, and grow our economy such as putting money into things like sealing the Mereenie Loop Road. A $1.3bn infrastructure program and they cannot seal the Mereenie Loop Road. What the Chief Minister said in Question Time today was he is committed to sealing it. This is the first year since they made the first commitment that it is not in the budget. Let me tell you, they are not doing it this year and he knows that. He stood here and misled everybody in Alice Springs by saying he is doing it. It is not in the budget. He is not doing it. The tourism operators in Alice Springs will miss out. The international tourists coming here, having 22 car roll-overs a year, will be putting their lives at risk because this Northern Territory government does not invest in Central Australia.
I thank the member for Greatorex for bringing this motion on. There are a number of issues in Alice Springs where this government has shown neglect, and it is very hard to find a place to start. Do we start with land release? Do we start with our worst housing crisis in the Territory’s history? Do we start with town camps? Do we start with sporting and services infrastructure? Do we start with the Northern Territory government trying to identify cost-saving measures by shutting down ANZAC Hill High School just to move the police in there out of Belvedere House to save some money? Will we call it essential Australian middle school? Is that how they are doing it?
Are they making cost savings by taking the stimulus money from the school council at ANZAC Hill High School - they were going to build an all-weather bus shelter with it - which it was designed for - and for the students too - and put it into painting rooms inside this new middle school? This is what they are doing - painting rooms in the middle school. They cannot protect the kids in 45C heat in summer, but you can paint a room in a school which you are over-budget and under-committed on. You did not realise there was asbestos inside the buildings in ANZAC Hill High School. Your budget is now out, you cannot start the work, and you will not have the school ready by the start of term next year. This is an absolute disgrace! You are doing this on philosophical reasons. Syd Stirling could not shut the school when he was in, so you are moving to shut it now!
I wonder when this government is actually going to act on the housing crisis. When is it going to act on the land crisis; the release of land? The Chief Minister said it is an important issue, it is front of mind, and they cannot let it out of their eyesight; something has to happen. Well, you are the Chief Minister, you have been in charge for eight-and-a-half or nine years - or whatever it is. You should have been focusing on this!
The Howard government launched the intervention into the Northern Territory to try to take initiatives to overcome the devastating levels of child abuse in the Northern Territory. That intervention had a few different effects. One was it supported the growth and the economy in Alice Springs, in Central Australia. There are more people here trying to deliver services, trying to overcome those deep concerns in the Northern Territory. However, there is no land here for people, there is no housing for people to live in - and the government has just sat there. It has been two years since it started. The government has been in for eight-and-a-half years, and it still has not reached a point where we have solutions. It is a supply and demand issue.
Now, you have painted us into a corner, so the house prices have gone up by so much. If we make land available for people to buy to start building houses, it will send the market down and will get negative equity for those first homebuyers who have a loan to buy a house. You backed us into a corner; we cannot afford to release land now! I know you look away, and everybody here hangs their head in shame. They are all disgusted with their performance.
I will bring back an old chestnut of mine; I will talk about the Commonwealth Grants Commission again. For the benefit of the people in the gallery, the Commonwealth Grants Commission is a federal body which assesses how much money the Territory government should be spending on certain items in the Northern Territory, and identifies line items such as roads spending - how much the Territory government should spend on roads in any financial year. They assess how much money the Northern Territory government should have available. They assess how much extra money the Commonwealth should throw in as part of GST revenue because, keep in mind, under the Commonwealth Grants Commission, they assess the Northern Territory has a high level of disadvantage, we are very remote, it is very hard to deliver services, and we need extra money.
All things being equal, New South Wales government, I think, gets 97 in the dollar. The Northern Territory government gets $5 to the $1. We get five times, all things being equal. We get much more money from the federal government.
If we look at roads funding - I am sure Peter Grigg from Tourism Central Australia will be interested to hear this, because I know he is very interested in the Mereenie Loop Road. We see in road spending in the 2007-08 budget, the Commonwealth Grants Commission, the supreme authority on these figures, assessed the Northern Territory government needed to spend $267.76m on roads in the Northern Territory. It identified the NT government had assessed about $78.96m. It made that assessment. We know the Northern Territory government is not awash with money and, through this model called horizontal fiscal equalisation, the Commonwealth government assessed it had to give it $188.8m extra in the 2007-08 financial year. That is what they said.
All up, they needed to spend, as assessed by the Commonwealth Grants Commission, $267m. What did they spend in the 2007-08 financial year? What did they spend? They spent $98m! I know these are big numbers, but it costs a large amount of money to build a road. They had $267m; they got an extra $188m of that from the Commonwealth; and they only spent $98m. They could not even spend more than half of the extra the Commonwealth gave them, despite their own money.
What that means is, they spent 37% of the roads budget in 2007-08 - a year, I might add, when the Mereenie Loop Road was part of the budget commitment by this government when they did not do anything. They did not do the Ernest Giles, they have not done the inner and outer loop, and they have not done the Sandover. Their commitment for Moving Alice Ahead when they said they were going to work to seal the Tanami Road, has not happened. The mine at the Granites even offered to pay half the money to seal the Tanami - could not do that. However, I see here you have a $169.7m underspend in the 2007-08 financial year; you had $114m underspend in the 2006-07 financial year; $98m underspend the year before; $52m underspend the year before; and $49m underspend the year before. What it is saying is you are getting worse; you are spending less on roads. No wonder you put the speed limit on the open roads because you cannot service the roads. You cannot have people driving at 150 km/h on a dodgy road. We know why you brought in the speed limits, because you are not investing in the roads. We know exactly why you have done it.
Let us get to Family and Community Services. We have heard of the abhorrent nature of child abuse in the Northern Territory, especially over the last two years. We have heard of the Little Children Are Sacred report. We know why Mal Brough had to intervene in the Northern Territory; why he had to stand up. We know, in 2007-08, the year the Little Children Are Sacred report was launched, the Commonwealth Grants Commission assessed the Northern Territory government needed $216m to address Family and Community Services. They even gave an extra $187.8m to support protecting children. What did the government do with this $216m? They spent $71m. They spent 33% of the budget they had available to them.
The intervention was launched in June 2007. This budget is from 1 July 2007 and 12 months after. They had a month to know the intervention had started before the financial year started. They were assessed as needing to spend $216m, got an extra $187m off the federal government, and they spent $71m - 33% of the budget.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I say to the government: what are they doing for the kids in Alice Springs? We all know we have Family and Community Services issues in Alice Springs; what are they doing for those kids? Where is their heart? This is about the children - $216m and you could not even protect the children. You spent $103m repaying debt in the Northern Territory government in the 2007-08 financial year, but you only spent $71m on children. You spent $103m on depreciation and $71m on children. You spent $358m on public service superannuation, but you only spent $71m on children, despite the intervention starting. You spent $79m on culture and recreation - aka the wave pool - but you only spent $71m on children.
The year before - these are big numbers - $94m on culture and recreation. The year before - because I am sure it gets better - $110m on culture and recreation; in 2004-05, $99m on culture and recreation; and in 2003-04 - $93m on culture and recreation. Each year, overspending more than the Community Services budget to protect children; spending money on culture and recreation. The wave pool in Darwin - nearly $500m in five years has gone to culture and recreation. You cannot invest in children. You cannot invest in land release. You cannot invest in housing. You cannot invest in homelessness. For homelessness, with $66m assessed in 2007-08, you spent $17m. We have the worse housing crisis, and you spent 26% of the budget on homelessness. You should hang your heads in shame!
I stand in parliament often talking about getting rural children to school. We had $14.7m, as assessed by the Commonwealth Grants Commission, to get children to school. What did you spend? What did this lousy government spend? $1m. You spent 7% of the budget to transport rural children to school. Going by the Northern Territory government’s figures, you spent $57m on urban transport for Darwin. You spent $1m attempting to get children to school in the bush. Where are your priorities? How does it work? What are the inner thoughts of Cabinet?
I wonder how things will improve, because this graph I hold in my hand shows a litany of problems. You have underspent on everything. The only things you have overspent on are gas and electricity, but the member for Daly still cannot keep the lights on. You have overspent on depreciation, debt by 750%, urban transport 246% overspent, superannuation, $358m; culture and recreation, $500m. We do not have a wave pool or a waterfront here. We cannot utilise those facilities.
We would like to see Anzac Oval upgraded. We would like to see ANZAC Hill High School service the students it is supposed to service, and look after the parents. We would like to see the Mereenie Loop sealed. We would like to see commitments made to Alice Springs Hospital undertaken. We would like to see police put on the street and protect us. We would like to see drunks rehabilitated rather than put through the police station every night - 13 000 people through the police station at night for being drunk. What do you do? Put them back on the streets the next day and give them all grog. Imagine what would happen if you tried to rehabilitate those drunks? We could extend our hours for access to alcohol so people could have a choice about when to buy a drink, not keep turning them out of the police station at 7 am in the morning to buy more grog. Most of these people wake up in the morning to buy grog. This is your one-legged policy; the one-legged Phar Lap policy.
How much money have you put into infrastructure in improving the sewer service in Alice Springs? Not a dime! We cannot build more than 100 houses on the north side of town because the sewer through The Gap will not handle the capacity. Are you going to fix it? No. ‘We do not have $20m to spare; we have to put $15m a year into the waterfront’.
I know I am drawing to the conclusion of my time. I support the member for Greatorex in bringing this forward. I reiterate the performance of this government in land release, in sewer infrastructure, in town camps, supporting our housing crisis, family and community services, homelessness, is absolutely appalling.
The member for Daly has had $672m to build houses for Aboriginal people out bush. Has not done it; everyone comes to town, and we are already full. No land, no houses. However, I would like to leave people on a more pleasant note.
Unfortunately, earlier today, I painted a terrible picture in people’s minds. I spoke about the waterfront. I spoke about the Chief Minister in budgie smugglers, and I am completely ashamed I have done that, and I apologise. Everyone who was in the Chamber at the time had this terrible visual image of the Chief Minister in budgie smugglers standing at the waterfront. Madam Deputy Speaker, I am going to make it worse. As a gift to this parliament I have designed a postcard of the Chief Minister at the waterfront in his budgie smugglers, and a picture of the member for Daly in a nice yellow and white polka-dotted two-piece. People can take that away and they can understand where the money is going. This is where the money from Alice Springs is going, because this lazy, lacklustre, tired, arrogant government has completely forgotten about Alice Springs ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, your time has expired.
Mr HAMPTON (Central Australia): Madam Deputy Speaker, the member for Braitling should stick to his day job.
I am very pleased, and I actually thank the member for Greatorex for bringing on the censure motion because it is a very important one for Alice Springs and Central Australia. I am very honoured to speak, not only as the Minister for Central Australia, but as a local person who was born and bred here.
The member for Greatorex’s contribution to his own motion was quite disappointing. He did not articulate his motion very well. He has some work to do as well. Maybe he should be looking at becoming a designer on the computer, not like the member for Braitling.
Regarding this government’s commitment, I have been in Cabinet for 12 months and in parliament for three years. There is no doubt this government has a very committed approach to Central Australia. We have heard from the Chief Minister, in his contribution about police, our grog policy, the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan and infrastructure. I would like to go over those issues.
The Treasurer, the member for Karama, does a lot of hard work on infrastructure in Central Australia. This year’s financial budget is a case in point. This financial year, there has been an unprecedented $1.3bn across the Northern Territory in our infrastructure budget. It is all about protecting jobs, but it is all about spreading that money across the Northern Territory. I am proud to say Central Australia has not missed out. Central Australia has been allocated $293m under budget 2009-10. This is 21% of the infrastructure budget – 21%, so there goes your argument ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! It goes to repetition. I have just heard the speech from the Chief Minister almost word for word.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Please resume your seat. Order! Minister, you have the call.
Mr HAMPTON: Good news is really hard to take on the other side with regard to Central Australia, but I will go over it again: Central Australia has been allocated $293m under budget 2009-10. This is 21% of the infrastructure budget and is a record investment. That is $110m more than last year’s record. There is $72m in works already under way in the first four months of this financial year. This government is a government which does things; it is action.
Investments into the building and the tourism industries in Alice Springs have been welcomed. The Chief Minister today talked about some of the impressive tourist numbers in Central Australia. That goes back to the confidence shown in this government.
Education is another point. We are delivering infrastructure in our schools. In the last week, I have been around to quite a few schools in Alice Springs, including Gillen Primary School, where the work is under way with the Building Education Revolution dollars. They are very happy at the school with this new infrastructure going in. I also went to the School of the Air, to Braitling Primary School and to Acacia Hill School. The school program includes the Australian government’s stimulus spending of $35m across Central Australia, to upgrade every primary school and deliver major upgrades to classrooms and school halls.
The first item in the censure motion, failing to provide essential services argument, does not wear. You just need to look at the infrastructure spending by this government, along with our colleagues in Canberra, to demonstrate we are committed and we are spending in Central Australia. In my electorate, you need to look at Yuendumu School, the Lajamanu School and secondary education. The mob on this side did not deliver one secondary high school in the bush during their 26 years. They should be ashamed of themselves. They should bury their heads in the sand. They did not deliver one secondary education facility in the bush.
The Chief Minister was in my ex-electorate, at the community of Arlparra at Utopia, a couple of months ago opening a new middle school; something the CLP never ever did. As the previous member, when I travelled out there and went around to the homeland learning centres it was a disgrace - an absolute disgrace - what the CLP delivered there in education. This government has delivered a new middle school.
Education is something this government has done very well. The BER is something the opposition did not support. I am sure the people in the gallery will be interested to hear that: the CLP did not support the stimulus package from the federal government. Yet, they are quite happy to go out to schools in their electorates where all these new classrooms are being built. I am sure, once they are completed, they will be there shaking hands and saying how good it looks. It is a shame.
In delivering health infrastructure, $60m out of our record $293m is going into Alice Springs and Central Australia. The Alice Springs Hospital receives $59m, including the upgrade of the emergency department, and the secure care facility and the remediation works - $60m.
In my electorate, I had the pleasure of going to Kalkarindji, where we are in partnership with the Commonwealth government to open a new clinic. That is something the CLP never ever thought about. They were quite happy to push them aside or sweep it under the carpet, because it was all too hard. A new clinic in my electorate, in the community of Kalkarindji, was much needed and delivered by this government.
In road projects and jobs, there is $50m out of that record budget of $293m. The member for Braitling talked about the Mereenie Loop Road, but there are other roads as well. Look at the Tanami which is being sealed. I was out there a couple of months ago. The graders are out there; I have seen it for myself. I travel around in my electorate, and the Tanami Highway is being sealed as we speak. On the Sandover Highway, we have done work within the lease of the land trust, between the store and the airstrip; sealing has taken place. Regarding the Maryvale Road, and the Pine Hill Access Road to support horticulture and jobs in the bush - $4m out of the last budget is going into the Pine Hill Access Road to support horticulture and jobs in the Ti Tree Region. The Santa Teresa Road and the Kintore Road are other roads to mention. Under the record $293m infrastructure budget of this government, $50m is being delivered in roads.
Regarding my portfolios, I am very proud to have had held this year - right here in the convention centre - the Indigenous Economic Development Forum. Regarding my department, this government has made a big commitment to the regions by relocating the majority of my staff in the Department of Regional Development in the regions where it matters; where decisions are made by the people on the ground. I am very pleased to acknowledge some of my workers in the department: Fran Kilgariff, another born and bred local in Alice Springs, who is the Executive Director of my Department of Regional Development based in Alice Springs. That is a commitment this government made during the election; to get regional development in the regions where it matters. Also Richard Galton, the CE, is also based in Alice Springs.
The four Economic Development Committees in Central Australia are all local people who live in the regions making decisions and advising me on the issues which concern them. The four Economic Development Committees include the Alice Springs Economic Development Committee, headed up by Mr Neil Ross, the West MacDonnell Economic Development Committee, headed up by Mr Ken Lechleitner a great Central Australian; and the Anmatjere and Tennant Creek Economic Development Committees - all working hard and delivering things for people in the regions where it matters.
In the projects some of them have identified, they have undertaken economic profiles of the regions. The economic profile of Alice Springs is one, as an example. They are also working on a plan for growth for Ti Tree, a community in my electorate as well. Also, the Tanami partnership agreement; talking about jobs and delivering for people in the Tanami.
This government has a plan; the opposition has no plans. For them, it is quite easy to come up here and be a ‘gunna be’ government. The 20 growth towns in our plans, which my colleague, the Minister for Indigenous Policy has carriage of, are well under way. We are creating real towns in our remote communities. It is about creating real towns and real jobs. It is no easy challenge, and we do not have all the answers, but we are going to give it a go.
Recently, the Indigenous Economic Development Strategy was released and identifies how we can capitalise on some of the business opportunities which already exist in the Territory’s Indigenous communities. This work will be a focus of my Department of Regional Development in the future. As I said, it presents many opportunities for Alice Springs as a supply centre and as the major population base in the area.
The Chief Minister also touched on the Youth Action Plan, and that is something close to my heart as well. I would like to quote - as we all have on our desks - from the Ross Park Primary School, which won first prize in the parliamentary sittings art award: ‘The time is always right to do what is right’. There is more truth to that particular quote than ever before.
Another case in point is the Youth Action Plan. The Youth Action Plan is about making our communities safe, but it is also about supporting families and children. There are quite a number of elements to the Youth Action Plan. The Chief Minister, in his contribution, talked about the Alice Springs middle schools, the new Centralian Middle School. The Chief Minister and I were out there only this week to announce a new tender of $3.3m for the much-needed upgrade of facilities at the Alice Springs High School complex. Regarding ANZAC Hill High School, we heard the member for Braitling again saying we are closing schools down. That is simply not true. The Alice Springs Centralian Middle School is about providing our kids with the best education. It is about providing them with choices. This is what the Centralian Middle School will do next year.
Regarding closing schools down, we only have to look at the form of the CLP, and go back to 1991 with Traeger Park Primary School - a school I went to as a youngster living at The Gap. Despite 6500 signatures on a petition, the then minister, Shane Stone, continued to go ahead and close Traeger Park Primary School. That was a real shame. What we are doing is building the Centralian Middle School to give our families and kids better choices and a better education.
As the Chief Minister also stated, we have opened the Police Beat, something the opposition would close down if they were in government. The Alice Springs Police Beat in the mall has been a big success. There is a resounding success regarding businesses, the crime which happens in the Todd Mall, the CCTV cameras, in addition to the Police Beat. It is having a real effect in reducing crime in the mall, and is supporting our traders.
Regarding the Youth Action Plan, there is the youth hub. Very shortly, we will be announcing the successful tenderer for the demolition of the old building at ANZAC Hill. What will replace that will be much better than has been there in the past. We have appointed Superintendent Michael White as the Youth Services Coordinator, and the hub is where they are going to be based and coordinate services for the youth of Alice Springs. In other interests in the youth hub, I have had talks with the Richmond Football Club, and they are very keen to get on board. That is great news for the youth of Alice Springs. Mission Australia has expressed their interest, and that is what the youth hub is all about. It is about coordinating the youth services in Alice Springs to provide a better service for our young people.
The Youth Action Plan is also about providing better youth activities. Michael White, who is doing a fantastic job, as I said, is coordinating youth service providers - non-government and government - in preparation for the Christmas holiday break, and ensuring there are plenty of activities for young people to do in Alice Springs, but also including those kids from remote communities. This government is prepared to go outside the square to do things differently, to try different things. There is no better example than the ice skating rink right here in the convention centre. I am sure many of my colleagues will get down for Christmas and try out the ice skating to get away from the humidity in Darwin.
The ice skating rink has raised much attention. One of the things I wanted to do was make sure youth in the bush would also have access to it. It is very good to see the General Manager of the convention centre, Mr Scott Boocock, is talking to the shires to ensure kids in the bush also have access to this great facility when it is up and running.
Over $15m has been committed by this Labor government over the next four to five years to the youth of Alice Springs, to support the Youth Action Plan, the Centralian Middle School, and to provide our kids with a better future.
In my portfolio as Minister for Central Australia, I am sure my colleagues on this side of the House know how passionate I am about Central Australia. It is my home, where my family grew up. It is where my children are growing up, and it will always be my home. I have every confidence in my colleagues. I know they are committed to Central Australia. We can talk about figures. I know the member for Braitling loves tossing figures around.
I can toss figures around as I have tonight: over $15m in the Youth Action Plan, and a record budget in infrastructure for Central Australia. I know my Chief Minister, and this side of the House, is committed to Central Australia.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I certainly do not support this motion.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the motion be put.
Motion agreed to.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question now is that the motion be agreed to.
The Assembly divided:
Ayes 12 Noes 12
Ms Anderson Mrs Aagaard
Mr Bohlin Dr Burns
Ms Carney Mr Gunner
Mr Chandler Mr Hampton
Mr Conlan Mr Henderson
Mr Elferink Mr Knight
Mr Giles Ms Lawrie
Mr Mills Mr McCarthy
Ms Purick Ms McCarthy
Mr Styles Ms Scrymgour
Mr Tollner Mr Vatskalis
Mr Westra van Holthe Ms Walker
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, there being 12 ayes and 12 noes, pursuant to section 27(1) of the Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act, as there is not a majority of votes, the question is resolved in the negative.
Motion negatived.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri): Madam Deputy Speaker, I was asked by the member for Macdonnell if her picture, and the member for Arafura’s picture, had been removed from the Northern Territory government newsroom site on purpose or on instruction from the government. The answer is no.
Upon receiving a question from the ABC regarding this matter, my office contacted the Department of the Chief Minister. My office was told a junior officer of the department had taken it upon himself to remove the photographs. My office instructed the images be restored. If that has caused offence to the member, it is unfortunate, but it was not intentional.
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Goyder, you have the call.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Deputy Speaker, I will talk about a family who has …
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Greatorex, given you have just returned to the Chamber after an hour’s absence, I ask you to please cease interjecting.
Ms PURICK: … a history in the town of Alice Springs spanning nearly 50 years and includes four generations. This is four generations of commitment: dedication to the economic growth of the town, commitment and dedication to the community spirit of the town, and to the history and future prosperity of the town.
It is my pleasure to talk briefly on the Aspinall and Anderson families. There is so much could be told; however, with my limited time, I will do my best to capture the essence of these wonderful families.
Robert and Phyllis Aspinall came to Alice Springs in 1960 from South Australia when the town had a mere 2000 residents. With a population of 2000 people, it would have been a country town and, no doubt, it had the country town lifestyle to go with it. Upon arriving in the town, Robert and Phyllis soon set to work and set up an engineering business, where they employed four people, as well as training many apprentices over the years.
One of their apprentices took out Apprentice of the Year for the Northern Territory and went on to bigger and better things, which shows the decent training and skills improvement given by Robert Aspinall and his team paid off. The reputation of the Aspinall engineering business grew quickly and they were called upon frequently to assist other business people with tricky engineering and mechanical issues. Given the size of the town, at that stage, there were not many other like-minded businesses around.
Robert’s love of all things mechanical engineering took him into the speedway world, where he was instrumental in establishing the Arunga Park Speedway, where he raced saloon cars for nearly 10 years. Over the years, Robert served on the committee on many occasions and, for his tireless work and commitment, was made a life member in the 1970s. This speedway involvement passed to his grandchildren, with the boys being involved in speedway racing Formula 500, and speedway cars.
Their grandson, Steven Anderson, has also been the president of the speedway, and has been a committee member for many years. His father, Ron, also raced cars and was successful in taking out the special Copper 2000 race in Mount Isa.
Sadly, Robert Aspinall passed away in 1984, well before his time. However, on a bright and happy note, I am pleased to say Phyllis Aspinall still reigns over the family, at the grand old age of 93 years. I met with Phyllis again yesterday and she is a treasure. I sincerely hope her longevity genes have been passed through to all her family members.
One of these family members is Jacki Anderson, who has been a dear and close friend of mine for some 25 years, and is a tremendous mother, businesswoman, and friend. I acknowledge her in the gallery tonight.
George Anderson and his family came to Alice Springs in 1947, when the population was much less than when the Aspinalls arrived in 1960. George was involved in the electrical industry and was one of the key people who worked on upgrading the Alice Springs Power Station as the town increased in population.
One of George’s sons is named Ron or, as he is often called, Ronnie. In 1968, Ron and Jacki married and, three years later, started the Gillen Meat Supply which they operated for nearly 18 years. The business is now called Milner Meats. During this time operating the butcher shop, Ron became involved as a working director of the Wamboden Abattoirs, which are located on the Bond Springs Station. As well as running the butchering business, Ron worked for 17 years as a working director with Wamboden. The shop employed many staff, trained apprentices and, at the abattoir, employed 30 people at any point in time. It was during this time that Ron, his business and his family, criss-crossed Central Australia, delivering bulk meat orders to Aboriginal communities and stores, and provided many Christmas hampers, sometimes travelling over 800 km for one hamper for a family.
At a time when camel meat was gaining interest, Ron and his family set up the first camel station, interestingly called One Hump Downs, to supply camel meat to Australian and overseas markets. It was through this work that Ron became very knowledgeable in camel husbandry, harvesting and export.
Ron and his family should be recognised for this pioneering work, and the history should not be lost, particularly nowadays, when wild camels are presenting so many environmental issues across Central Australia. Ron was involved, and continues to be involved, in the Camel Industry Association Inc.
While Ron was the face of the butchering business and the abattoirs, Jacki was just as involved in the business, and managed the behind-the-scenes business matters. Along the way, Jacki also got involved in community work, including raising funds through what was then called the Mrs Australia Quest. Jacki was also involved with Toast Mistresses, and encouraged others to improve their skills in public speaking and presentation. Not one to stay still, Jacki started the first fashion accessory shop in the town, and ran it successfully for many years.
In between their busy schedules, Ronnie and Jacki produced four children. I am pleased to have known these people since they were little primary schoolchildren. Steven, Gail, Scott and Phil all live in the town and are continuing the family tradition of dedication and commitment to the community. They have all carved out their place in the town, obtained diverse qualifications and trades, and become involved in all manner of activities including speedway, BMX, Finke Desert Race, the annual show and cattle sales - even television shows. Members may recall the popular TV series Outback Adventures which was hosted by Troy Dann and featured Steven Anderson in every show, as they are the best of friends. I admit I enjoyed the series very much, and was disappointed when they did not continue into a second series.
Steven undertook management work in the concrete industry and, at the very young age of 21 years, managed the cattle station. Gail has done vet nurse training and work; Phil obtained his sign writing ticket; and Scott obtained his plumbing and gas fitting qualifications. It has been a delight to see the family grow and expand and stay in Alice Springs. They are a close family, which is a rare thing, at times, in our community.
Steven’s partner is Kylie, and their children are Jasmine and Reece. Gail and Owen’s children are Jake and Georgia, and they currently live at Kulgera, where Owen is the OIC of the police station. Phil and his partner, Brigete, have one child, Chloe Rose. Scott and his partner Jacki announced the arrival of their first child, Thomas, two weeks ago.
In 1999, Scott and Jacki established SDA Plumbing, and I know when this business started, Scott had his four-wheel-drive vehicle, his plumbing tools, a $2000 loan, and a big load of determination and drive. Today, this business employs 20 people, including four apprentices, and has the involvement of family members. The business has gained government contracts, has a thriving domestic side, and provides great service to bush locations, where it is often hard to get good help and service. It was only two years ago that SDA put in the water mains to the ablution blocks at the Finke, so now all the riders competing in this famous race can have a hot and cold shower at the end of a big day.
Madam Deputy Speaker, the Aspinalls and Andersons are remarkable families and have made the centre of Australia their home, as this is where their hearts are well and truly placed. I commend and compliment the families on the continuous commitment, drive, and support for the many community and business activities they have been involved with over the years and will continue to do so in the future. To Phyllis Aspinall, an inspirational woman, I wish her much happiness in the future and happiness to her wonderful family.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, I listened carefully to certain debates earlier today, and one of the things which concerns me about the way the government portrays the history of the Northern Territory is it has a tendency and a delight to rewrite history with complete untruths.
Actually, no, I have a confession to make. When the Country Liberals lost office, after 28 years of power, it gave the new Labor government of the Northern Territory a total wasteland. Come to think of it, the World War II, that was us too – we were responsible for that. The World War I, yes, that was us. The American Civil War, in fact, all the way back to the Battle of Salamis, I am sure you could find Country Liberal members dotted throughout history, wrecking the track of human history, and laying waste anything which was decent and civilised in all that time. I am quite sure if Darius had not been a Country Liberals member, he probably would have defeated Alexander the Great at the Battle of - I was about to say Salamis, but it is the wrong battle.
This is the rewriting of history, which I am getting so cranky about. When this government came to power, you would swear from the things they said and the words they uttered, they inherited nothing – a wasteland; a complete waste, a vacuum, a void even, and they had single-handedly, with the sweat of their brow, created the Northern Territory by themselves.
They always talk about the houses which do not exist in the bush, when they were the inheritors of several thousand houses. In fact, they were the inheritors of houses throughout the bush and in our urban communities in much larger numbers than today. All those police stations which were around in 2001 were built two seconds after the August election in 2001, when the Labor Party came to power, because there were no police stations, health clinics, or roads in the bush - nothing, it was just a void. The CLP had done nothing for 28 years. That is what these people would have the people of the Northern Territory believe.
Then along came St Clare, who walked amongst the children and said: ‘Suffer unto me little children, I shall create for you a beautiful new utopia and you shall all be saved’. Nothing like that actually happened. What concerns me about this approach is, whilst they rewrite history, they very carefully and assiduously avoid, if you like, the issues they face themselves. They cannot, for all of their attempts to fudge, spread rumours, and rewrite history, take away from the problems they have themselves. Currently, there is not a minister on that side of the House who does not carry the growing baggage of a tired and decrepit government.
The member for Johnston, the Minister for Business, at the moment, former Minister for Health and minister for other stuff, moves around a little - I have seen chess pieces move less. He has recently been all over the newspapers about how much he hates the Treasurer. The Treasurer has presided over huge amounts of incomes, vast reserves of income, and most Territorians would be astonished to discover the Northern Territory budget today is more than twice it was when they came to power in 2001. If you include the total government sector, they receive about $4.5bn to spend. They continue to suggest they are spending big and getting great results when, the fact is, they do not. They certainly spend big, but they do not give great results.
For example, ‘We are spending $30m on the power station in Alice Springs’. That is true, but the reason you are moving the power station is because the Titan and the Triton generators are too damn noisy, and the only thing you can do is move the power station in answer to the problem. Whose decision was it to purchase those two items? It was the Minister for Essential Services, the guy who presides over, if you like, the continuing power cuts which plague Darwin, and the decay of an infrastructure system which he is incapable of stemming ...
Mr Knight interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: I hear him interject but, quite frankly, what right does he have to interject? Let us look at his shadow portfolios. The portfolio of Public Employment: my God, all those public servants are not going to get a pay rise which even keeps up with CPI. Let us look at Essential Services. He has done a great job in Essential Services - wonderful job. Let us look at Local Government, where he was apologising to the people of the Northern Territory the other day because of the consummate stuff-up which his administration has been. What is his last portfolio? That is right - Housing. He is the Minister for Housing; this is the person who gave us SIHIP. He was so good, so effective as a minister, Madam Deputy Speaker …
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: … there was a second intervention in the Northern Territory, into his administration of SIHIP which, two years after it was announced, still had not, and still has not, built a single house, despite a budget of around $700m to make it happen.
My goodness gracious, but the wasteland they replaced was this disaster area, and they had come to save us! They are our friends, and as the people of the Northern Territory, we can enjoy their friendship. With friends like them, who needs enemies?
The minister for Family and Community Services is presiding over a department in decay. The Minister for Health is presiding over a Health department which, despite being a huge sinkhole for expenditure, has seen several ministers pass through.
The minister for Transport is struggling with his portfolio areas and with the gaol. As the minister for Corrections, the moving of the gaol is proving itself to be an extremely difficult process.
I just listened to the Minister for Central Australia read from exactly the same notes the Chief Minister used in his defence of this government.
All this is in an atmosphere where they hate and undermine each other, where ministers jump ship and then more ministers jump ship: Elliot McAdam jumped ship; the member for Arafura jumped ship, the member for Macdonnell has jumped ship. The only reason the member for Arafura went back was because she hates them slightly less than she hates members on this side of the House. That is the sort of shemozzle governing the Northern Territory.
At the tail-end of all this, the government of the Northern Territory attempted a rewrite of history today, like in the novel 1984. I remind honourable members of the department of truth in 1984 which had the sole function of rewriting history. In this government, the department of truth has to rewrite history. What did they do, in a most seriously and embarrassingly churlish way? They expunge the faces of their critics from the public record. If a minister asks: ‘Why are you rewriting history? Why are you expunging faces from the Territory’s history books? Why are you rewriting history again, even about us?’ The answer is: ‘Someone in the typing pool did it’. No, it is not credible or believable. It is beyond the scope of credibility that some junior little AO2 public servant tucked away in the department - probably the tea lady - suddenly took it upon themselves to say: ‘I am going to expunge all these faces off the public record because they were critical of the Northern Territory government’.
This government has a predisposition and a desire to paint itself in the most positive way it possibly can. It commits $9m per year on its fanciful propaganda machine - Joseph Goebbels would be proud. To come in and suggest, ‘It is nothing to do with us, it was the chick in the typing pool who did it’, is an insult to the people of the Northern Territory.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Madam Deputy Speaker, the member for Port Darwin was so competent, they refused to make him a Cabinet minister of any sort, or give him any sort of authoritative position. When he was with the CLP last time around he was completely ignored and left alone.
I will move on to my electorate and to some informative aspects of what is happening in the Territory.
I acknowledge the Taminmin High School Year 12 Class of 2009. I was very pleased to be invited to attend the Taminmin High School Year 12 Graduation Ceremony last Tuesday evening. I was proud of all the students graduating and was honoured to present the Caltex Best All Rounder Award, Certificate and Medal, to Luke Richardson, and the Cane Plant Hire Work Ready Student of the Year, Certificate and cheque for $150, to Stevie-Rose Stoll.
Next Tuesday, I will present to students from Taminmin, at the Senior School Awards evening and, on Thursday, for the Middle School at the Charles Darwin University. I congratulate all those students around my electorate who are graduating to the next step of their education, whether they are moving on to their next school, university, or into the workforce.
I seek leave to incorporate the names of the Year 12 Taminmin High School students graduating into the Parliamentary Record.
Leave granted.
Rebecca Ascoli Cathrine Mayo
Jordan Bishell Michael McCrory
Jesse Bliss Anthony McDevitt
Caitlin Boulter Ben McHugh
Belinda Brooker Erin McIntosh
Danielle Brown Kallum McLennan
Jesse Brown Ella Melhuish
Jessica Cannons Lachlan Miller
Joel Cavanough Ashlee Modra
Nateesha Collins Jono Murphy
Demus Collins-Sing Robert Nguyen
Aaron Cotton Royce Nott
Kirsty Cunningham Jack O’Shaughnessy
Jaxon De Santis Jamie Packham
Declan Edwards Chloe Pelizzo
Colin Ellsworth Leah Renshaw
Jessica Fallas Luke Richardson
Carson Fisk Jess Roach
Courtney Flynn Thomas Robinson
Steven Fox Koby Scarff
Lucy Fry Michael Schuster
Rachel Gerdes Sarah Soppings
Gene Gomez Sean Shanahan
Kurt Griffiths Haley Sharp
Ryan Hampel Tom Sherley
Kate Harris Ashlee Smith
Daniel Henwood Brody Smith
Glenn Higgins Rhian Spencer
Mike Holden Jimmy Stewart
Linda Hopkinson Richard Stoddard
Melissa Husband Stevie-Rose Stoll
Janis Keating-Lowe Jessica Sunk
Alanah Kelly Rachael Timson
Sarah Kirk Tara-Lee Walsh
Andrew Lague Jack Wickham
Kaelin Laurie Jessica Wilkins
Derrick Lim Alix Willian
Terry Lim Naomi Woods
Robert Lyness Ellee Yorston
Ricky Mahan
Mr KNIGHT: I also table the program. It is great to see all those students. They are great kids at Taminmin, and they have done their parents, families and carers proud. It is a great school which is growing every year. I look forward to the evolution of the school into something beyond what it is at the moment. Congratulations to Tony Considine and his staff for all the work they do.
In my adjournment, during the last sittings, I announced that Lisa Wain, CEO of the Coomalie Shire Council, was retiring. I have met with Lisa’s replacement, Mr John Hughes, who has recently moved to Batchelor from positions in Queensland. I welcome John and his family to the council. As the local member, I look forward to working very hard with John. I know John has big shoes to fill in Lisa’s role, but he has. At the functions where I have met him recently, and at Lisa’s going away, the community is embracing him. We have some big challenges ahead with the council, and I look forward to working with him and the council on those challenges. Welcome, John, we have much work to do.
Last, I thank the Legislative Assembly staff for all their hard work throughout the year. To the Clerk, Ian McNeill, for all his work; the Deputy Clerk, Captain Horton; and all the Chamber staff, Annette, Stokesy, Gaddy, and many more staff I probably missed. The hard-working ladies in Hansard do a great job of deciphering all the speeches. We get to hear some of them but they get to hear all of them, sadly, and there are probably many things they hear they probably do not want to. Thanks very much for a great year.
I thank my Electorate Officer, Sharon McAlear who has done a great job. It is always difficult in the electorate office; she is pretty isolated. I am away much of the time with ministerial responsibilities, and she keeps the electorate office going, fielding many questions and solving many problems. I thank Sharon and her family for supporting her in the role.
I also thank my ministerial staff: Brett Brogan, Katie Woolf, Jacki Whittaker, Michelle Walker, Therla Fowlestone, and Leigh Jenner for all their hard work this year. It has been a particularly tough year, with many challenges, and we have come together as a really strong team. There are many things which are thrown up on almost a minute or an hourly basis, and they have responded quickly and efficiently to all those challenges which come forward. We know 2010 is going to be a successful year. There is much happening, much being achieved and delivered, and we look forward to the results.
I also thank all the stakeholder groups I have been working with this year in the Housing portfolio, and the non-government organisations – I will not go through them all - which are all incorporated under the NT Shelter. It has been great working in a close relationship with them in solving the social housing problems in the Northern Territory.
I also thank the staff of Power and Water. They have endured much ridicule from the CLP opposition over the last 12 months. They denigrate the staff on almost a daily basis in the parliament, particularly the member for Fong Lim. I thank them for all their hard work. It is a tough job on the lines, in the substations, in the switching yards, but they do a great job, and I thank them for all their hard work.
I thank the staff of the Department of Local Government and Housing, another very tough job. We have put many challenges up to the department to do more than they have ever done before, and I thank them for their contribution.
To the Office of the Commissioner of Public Employment and its staff, next year is going to be a challenging year, with about 10 EBAs coming up. I thank them for all the work they do.
Last, I thank my kids for putting up with me not being there. To Cody and Lily, I love you very much and I miss the time when I am not with you.
Thanks very much to everyone in the Chamber. To my colleagues, it has been a very rough year but, as I say, next year with, I guess, some colleagues and some political Taliban, we are a tight team, the tightest team I have seen in my time in the parliament. We have many capabilities in our team, more than the CLP opposition. I look forward to next year. We are the best group of people to lead the Territory. Whatever issues we have, we are the better, more capable and more caring group of people to lead the Northern Territory. I look forward to working with you next year.
Mr STYLES (Sanderson): Madam Deputy Speaker, it is very interesting. I listened to my colleague, the member for Port Darwin, speak about the government trying to rewrite history. I just heard the member for Daly speak about what a wonderful job it is doing and how they are the best people to run the Northern Territory.
I am standing here, and I would like the member for Daly to make a phone call right now and find out why the power in my electorate is off, at this very moment, having just received a couple of text messages saying, ‘Pete, we are in darkness here, the power is off again’ - on and on and on. These are people who own businesses with freezers which are going off; there are all sorts of damage. We have people in my electorate who come into my office and say: ‘What happened to the $80 rebate, Pete? I do not have it yet. I put in for it six months ago and still do not have the $80 rebate’.
It is a disgrace for the member for Daly to stand and say: ‘We are the people who care about the Territory. We are the best people to govern the Territory’. That may be your opinion, member for Daly, but I can assure you, on our side we absolutely disagree with him. It would be really good if you would make that phone call, member for Daly, and get back to me tonight, because I have some constituents who would really like an answer.
We talk about thanking the Power and Water Corporation staff. I thank those people as well. The member for Daly insinuates we do not care about anyone, and nothing ever happened in the 27 years. There are a couple of glossy brochures out, which outlined some of the achievements. In fact, there are whole pages of achievements and, if the member for Daly would like it, I can arrange to send him a couple of copies, so he can have a look at the great stuff the Country Liberals did for this great Territory which we now enjoy and which they inherited from us.
They say all sorts of wonderful things how they have spent more money. Every time you hear them talking, they are saying ‘We spent more money on this and more money on that’. When you get an extra $1.3bn you never budgeted for, then you can probably afford to spend a few extra bucks here and there. It is just a fact of life: if you get a pay rise you can afford to spend more money on your family, a car, food, or entertainment; it is just the reality of getting more money. But, no, we hear the government members, who stand up and grandstand and say: ‘We spent more than the CLP’. When you get more money you can spend more, so it is a no-brainer.
To all those hard-working public servants who, perhaps, the government thinks we do not care about, I assure the government we actually do care. I dispute the statement by the member for Daly when he said they care more. We could have a competition to see who cares the most. I know who would win.
We listened to the government trying to rewrite history. Let us talk about housing. In my electorate people are still living in tents, and it is now the build-up; they are not very happy. There is no emergency accommodation. The member for Daly said, ‘We are the people who care the most’, yet, he is the one currently responsible and answerable for the 2000-plus homes this government has sold since they came into government in 2001. The member for Daly will stand up at some stage and say, ‘Oh yes, but you sold 700 homes’, or some figure like that but, in actual fact, when you look at the figures – and these are figures put out by a government department which anyone has access to - you only have to do the mathematics and you will find it is in excess of 2000 homes which they have sold off. Then we wonder why there is no emergency accommodation for people.
I heard the member for Arnhem say, hand on heart: ‘We have done great things for all these people. It is White Ribbon Day’. Yet, I hear, time and time again, these refuges are underfunded; they are turning people away. I have not seen the current annual report for the women’s refuge in the northern suburbs, but I know, in the previous financial year, they turned away, I believe, 352 families, which involved 608 people. They were women and children who were turned away from the women’s refuge because, ‘Sorry, we do not have the capacity to help you’.
We do not have emergency accommodation. When we start reading reports, we find out it is because they have sold off all these premises around the place, Territory Housing dwellings, which were there and are no longer. We are not building anywhere near enough to try to keep up with the demand.
I was on the phone today to a young mother who is desperate to get an emergency home. They said, nine months, and then they suggested to her – this is a constituent of mine – ‘Why do you not leave home and live in the YMCA or the Salvation Army, then we can put you on the emergency housing list, and we can probably get you a house in between six to nine months?’ So, she has to move out of a place - granted, at least she has a roof over her head and she is not living in a tent or a car at Nightcliff Beach; she is more fortunate than those. Yet, this is the advice the government gives people through its departments. Why? Because they have sold off many homes and they are not investing in new homes. It is increasingly difficult for young people and young families to buy homes; they cannot even afford to rent. As a result, we are losing people. Constituents from my electorate are losing their children because they cannot afford a home. Four I know of moved to Adelaide.
We are losing nurses, doctors, motor mechanics, a psychologist and a number of other professionals. These are not low-income people, these are middle-income people, who have reasonably good jobs and should be able to afford to buy a house in the Northern Territory. But, the government fails to release sufficient land, artificially inflates the price of everything, and prices people out of the market. I heard the Chief Minister say: ‘We are trying to recruit police auxiliaries in Alice Springs to man the phone system so it is not moved to Darwin’ and ‘We cannot recruit anyone’. The reason you cannot recruit anyone, in my understanding, is because there is a 0.03% vacancy rate for houses for rent or purchase in Alice Springs; you cannot buy a house in Alice Springs. I understand they released land here, and it was snapped up in about three-and-a-half minutes. This indicates there is not enough property to purchase.
These are systemic policy failures of the government. I am astounded! I sit and listen to these ministers say, hand on heart: ‘We are doing a great job. We will do better than the Country Liberals’. The next election is going to be interesting because, I believe, from what the people are telling me, an overwhelming number of them have had enough. I have had enough. I sit there, day in day out, and listen to the tragic stories of people who have to leave town, and the families who have to be ripped apart because they cannot get reasonable housing.
The man who is going to be thrown out of his home, with his three children, has been on the housing list for nearly five years. He went in and was told it is another 12 months, when they said he could have a house about 18 months ago. I still have not received a letter from the Housing Minister in relation to what they are going to do about that. It goes on and on.
I listen to the minister for Police, the Chief Minister, talk about the faces of Aboriginal ladies, beaten to a pulp, and he about the rivers of alcohol he believes we are going to turn on. Perhaps the Chief Minister might like to talk to some of the police officers at the coalface who deal with these issues day in and day out. They have to find these people and deal with these things in the dark. The offenders, in these instances, use darkness to cover their crimes and their actions. The police have to find them. The police have to go out there at 5 pm, 6 pm and 7 pm, when they are trying to cover the enormous workload they have, to catch up with the good people, the taxpayers of this town, to get statements.
It is not about turning on the rivers of alcohol, members of the government, it is about shifting the time, so it is better for the resources the police have to apply to these horrendous problems. It is a real shame they cannot see the realities of their policies. The failures of some of these policies, and the instructions they give to the police, are absolutely horrific because they have unreal results. As a former police officer, I can attest to how hard they work, and the dedication they apply to their duties day in and day out, without any help from the government policy they have to endure.
I ask the government to look at these things and, before they put their hand on their heart and say what a fantastic job they are doing, get on and fix some of the issues which the everyday Territorian has to face, because some of them are horrific. They are causing a brain drain for the Northern Territory. For a whole host of reasons which I have run out of time to describe, these people have to face these issues on a daily basis because of the government’s failure to do the right thing by Territorians.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Deputy Speaker, as a Central Australian, I am proud of the honesty and directness of ‘we’ locals but, unfortunately, that honesty does not extend to some of those opposite, particularly the member for Araluen. I want to correct the record about some misleading statements the member made here this week, regarding the concessions available to senior Territorians who have joined the Alice Solar City Initiative.
The following information was in a letter I provided to the member for Araluen recently. Residents of the Alice Solar City, who are members of the Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme, will receive a concession on the power they use if it exceeds the power they generate.
The letter stated:
It is a shame the member for Araluen can do nothing more than show she is careless with the truth, in front of her fine constituents and talks down the Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme. Madam Deputy Speaker, I am proud to talk up the Northern Territory Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Deputy Speaker, I have had a number of complaints about the process involved with water allocation by the Northern Territory government in the Mataranka and Katherine regions.
From the information I have received, I now share the same level of concern about how the Northern Territory government appears to use unnecessary and excessive power to impose water licence conditions, introduce policies, and discriminate against different levels of agricultural development, by using unreliable data and a plan which provides little environmental benefits.
It would appear my fears are being realised, as I am aware of a number of irrigators in the Katherine area who have now commenced legal action against the government. What a mess this has become and at what cost.
The following information indicates the water allocation plans will severely impact future agricultural development and food production in northern Australia.
The proposed introduction of security levels for groundwater entitlements within the agricultural sector is clearly discriminatory against farmers’ different farming practices, with no beneficial outcomes for the environment. Currently, Mataranka is in the early stages of development. Prior to Mataranka becoming part of a gazetted water control district in December 2008, only one water licence for 355 ML has been issued for the entire Mataranka region. The introduction of security levels for groundwater within the agricultural sector is unprecedented in Australia.
This is creating uncertainty for farmers and future agricultural development, particularly when Mataranka is only in the early stages of development. Security levels introduced in the Katherine water allocation plan in August 2009 have caused angst amongst farmers, resulting in landholders formally appealing their water licence allocation, which has already resulted in litigation against the government.
Special conditions being introduced will restrict a farmer to a certain crop type and irrigation method, as the licence stipulates the amount of water a farmer will use each year for the next 10 years. If an up-front volumetric water entitlement was issued at the commencement of the plan, which could be used for the entire irrigation development - reviewed at the five-year review, and then again at the 10-year review, in line with the water allocation plan in the Water Act - it would then allow the government to reduce water entitlements if development had not been undertaken. This would not allow the farmer the flexibility to respond to climatic, economic and market demands, with the ability to change crops and irrigation methods to ensure the ongoing sustainability, efficiency, and success of agricultural development. This will inhibit development, and will, perhaps, have an adverse effect on the environment, as farmers may be forced to use more water than they need in a given year to ensure they protect their future water allocation.
This is ridiculous and mirrors the usual budget process in many government departments, where they rush off before the end of the financial year and spend, spend, spend. Are we trying to create a water plan based on a public service budget process, where departments spend instead of saving money, because the system does not reward you for being efficient, a sound financial manager or, in this case, a sound water manager? It takes away or reduces a budget because you did not spend it all. Is this really the best we can do?
Currently, water licences can be cancelled when there is any subdivision involved. Accordingly, you may reapply for the water licence, but there is no guarantee it will be reissued, or whether there will be additional requirements. In effect, this is discouraging efficiency and diversification, as people will not be prepared to subdivide their agricultural land in fear they will lose their water entitlement. Full water entitlements should have the ability to be transferred, as long as no additional water is needed.
The methodology for calculating available water resources in the Mataranka area is not consistent with other areas in the Daly Roper Water Control District. By example, Katherine uses the Bureau of Meteorology figures from 1957 to 2006 in the hydrological model, which was commissioned by the Commonwealth. This determined the average recharge, and the water controller considered this as conservative. By comparison, the department is using figures for Mataranka all the way back to 1900, so we are using figures from 1900 to 2008. Prior to 1954, these are very unreliable figures. No rainfall figures exist before 1917, and there are only 17 years of Wet Season rainfall recordings prior to 1954. There were no gauging stations recording river flows for the Roper prior to 1960.
There is 50 years of reliable data from the 1950s until now, with hydrologists predicting no reduction in rainfall for the next 30 years. Why are we going back so far, using unreliable recording figures to allocate water? When reliable figures are available since the 1950s, why are they not being used? Unless, of course, you want to skew the truth, manipulate the figures to paint a different picture, or have an alternative motive.
My understanding is the Northern Territory government is making it a requirement you must sign your licence accepting conditions, prior to receiving your water allocation. I also understand conditions on a licence permit are enforceable by the act and regulations; therefore, the actual signing of the licence should not be a requirement at that stage. Why is the government introducing this as part of the process, because you cannot argue there are any environmental outcomes? Is it a legal requirement for farmers to physically have to sign their water licence, accepting the conditions, before they receive the licence, or is it a form of blackmail or departmental intimidation in order for farmers to receive their entitlement?
The first question is: is the process of water allocation in the Northern Territory open and transparent? Is the future development of northern Australia going to be severely impacted by these issues, with no improvement in environmental outcomes resulting from their introduction?
I call on the Northern Territory government to address these issues directly, and be cautious in using advisory committees which have no expertise in these fields. My understanding is the department liaises with the Mataranka Advisory Committee. My concern with this arrangement, however, is this committee makes its decisions based on the data and information supplied directly from the department. Of course, some of these decisions have been made based on this information - information which is, perhaps, biased and unreliable, given the period they are taking these rainfall figures from.
There are some serious issues related to policy, regulatory, and legal issues, which will have implications of national significance and development of northern Australia. It needs to be taken into strong consideration; it is the farmers in northern Australia who will be assisting the government in gaining its additional science, and contributing to Australia’s future food production. It is important at sustainable development is embraced and nurtured, to ensure ongoing development, without unnecessary barriers and disincentives.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I hope these issues can be resolved, as we all have the same goal: to have sustainable agricultural development while looking after our environment. However, we need to ensure there is a little faith given to our future farmers and, for heaven’s sake, we should not be discouraging them with unnecessary regulation based on science which has no improved environmental outcomes. In effect, if some of these issues are not addressed, including the current methodology, excessive regulations and specific conditions, not only will the Northern Territory government be caught up in the courts for years, it has the real potential to lock up any future development in our north for the next 10 years.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Madam Deputy Speaker, tonight I acknowledge the people of Arnhem, in particular the people of Ramingining, whom I just spent time with recently at their festival; the many people in Ramingining and Bulman along the way. It is important, as we come to the end of the parliamentary year, we look back and acknowledge and pay respects to those who have helped us along the way. I notice today is the 25 November and, in a month’s time, we will be celebrating Christmas with our families, and this is the last sittings of the year.
To those people in Bulman, and in particular the families who have suffered much, a special thank you for the support you have provided throughout the year, with the many ups and downs.
To the many students in Milingimbi, who are preparing for their graduation. Also, to the students in Ramingining; it is a place which has grown and grown. It is tremendous to see the amount of work which has gone on with the school there. Well done, to Coralyn Armstrong and the teachers, for the work you are doing with the children.
To Milingimbi, and to the students, congratulations, I know you are looking forward to the graduation next week. It is so important we have been able to see so many students graduate from Year 12, and the ones who are continuing.
I pay special tribute to the people of Ngukurr, who have been my guiding light and a font of wisdom in the many things I have to carry with the roles and responsibilities as a member of parliament, but also as a minister. To the many families in Ngukurr for the work you are doing with the football oval, the preparation for the Wet Season, and the food supplies which have to come in, knowing that the Roper and the Wilton Rivers are going to come up again soon, I wish you well through the Wet Season. I will be keeping an eye on how things go with the flooding in that area.
It was wonderful to see the school at Beswick, my former community electorate, opened recently. I recall the many struggles the people of Beswick had, and the many floods which inundated the people in that region. They now have a fantastic school, on higher ground, relocated in an area with many houses. I wish them a terrific Christmas this time.
To the people of Numbulwar, an amazing place, always a source of strength, if you like, in the cultural identity of the Roper and Gulf region, and very strong in my family kinships. They are the ones who keep us strong, especially when times have been really tough. I say thank you to all my constituents and my family in the Numbulwar region.
I will highlight the many inspiring people on Groote Eylandt. Tony Wurramarrba, I hold you in the highest esteem. I believe, with your tremendous ability to show leadership in the many risks and struggles in trying to take the people of Groote Eylandt forward with the 40-year lease and the regional partnership agreement, you have given so much and will continue to do so. I say thank you.
To Walter and the people at the Anindilyakwa Council, to the Umbakumba mob and the Angurugu mob, keep up the good work. It was terrific to see the football has taken off. I know you are leading the way with the training programs which are going on in both those communities. I believe the achievement of recent days, just with the signing of the agreement and your contribution from the royalties of GEMCO, are outstanding. You show leadership and you inspire the many Aboriginal families and communities that look to Groote Eylandt and see what is going on.
Also, with the alcohol program, and the way you have the alcohol permit system, where families have seen the violence and crime has been reduced. The alcohol permit system is a system that is borne of the people, by the people, for the people, in the way they want to see their families and children grow up in the region.
To the people at Alyangula, who are very much a part of the Groote Eylandt community, I say a special thank you to John Hanson at GEMCO. I acknowledge the police at Alyangula and the work they do.
To the women’s program, which is kicking off with the Anindilyakwa Land Council, and the Anindilyakwa rangers - keep up the good work. I look forward to working more with you into the future.
Closer to home, in staffing, a very special thank you goes to my Electorate Officer, Charles. You are amazing; you have been there all the way through. I know you will continue to be there all the way through with us. Thank you for your wonderful support throughout this year and your continuing advice. To my staff in the ministerial office, Peter and Fred, who has worked with me most of the year, thank you very much for the work you do. To Tanya and Eddie, Beth, Karen, Jackie, when you spent time with me, thank you very much for your hard work, loyalty, and commitment.
To my colleagues, I believe it is important to acknowledge we have had an incredibly tumultuous year through our own journey, our own pain and suffering, in many respects. I say to each of my colleagues I am incredibly proud of each of you, to stand by you, to work alongside you. I know we can only go from strength to strength in our journey this year.
I acknowledge the member for Nelson, and the incredible load and burden he carries. I thank him and his family. I believe it is important we recognise the humanity and the importance of holding those values, and to remember each of us here, the 25 members, represent the people of the Northern Territory. While, at times, we may want to forget that, I believe it is always important to remember the values and the respect we should show one another in this House. On this occasion, I pay special mention to the member for Nelson, and also the member for Macdonnell, because I know, in the year to come, there will be tremendous ways forward for the people of the Northern Territory.
To each of my parliamentary colleagues, on the other side of the House, I wish you well over the Christmas break. I believe it is a time for everyone to reflect on what has happened this year, in each of our roles and responsibilities, as members in this House, and also how we can, together, make life for the people in the Northern Territory much better, and one which provides opportunities and choice for each and every individual, and each and every family across the Northern Territory.
Finally, I thank the people who are my rock – my husband, my children, my sisters, and the many children we care for in our family: the Yanyuwa and Garawa people. Thank you for your strength and wisdom and for guiding me through the many ups and downs and, no doubt, what I will need to continue in 2010.
I acknowledge the Legislative Assembly staff; the work you do is so important. To Ian, David, Gaddy, Annette, and Stokesy – thank you so much for your work. To Helen and the ladies in Hansard, thank you for deciphering what we have to say. I am sure at times you must raise a few eyebrows. Ladies, I wish you all the best for the Christmas season. Thank you very much for organising the parliamentary time in Alice Springs. I wish each individual a very safe and happy Christmas.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Deputy Speaker, you are a wonderful person. I appreciate the call.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: I wish I could believe you, member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: You can believe me, Madam Deputy Speaker. I add to the comments made by the member for Port Darwin. I have also read the book 1984 by George Orwell, with the famous ministry of truth, which he spoke about.
I believe it is an Orwellian nightmare in which Territorians are living at the moment - this rewriting of history.
We heard today, from the member for Macdonnell, how the members for Arafura and Macdonnell have had their histories completely expunged from the government records - pictures and names taken out of media releases. We had an explanation from the Chief Minister, a few minutes ago, that it was a minor mistake by someone in the typing pool. This defies logic; that someone in the typing …
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker!
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please pause, Member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: What have I done wrong this time?
Dr BURNS: It is not what the Chief Minister said at all and the member for Fong Lim should keep to what the Chief Minister said. He did not use the words ‘typing pool’ at all.
Mr TOLLNER: What did he say?
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, there is no point of order. Resume your seat, member for Johnston.
Mr TOLLNER: I would hate to misinterpret what he said, but I believe he put it down to someone in a lowly position in government who did not know what was going on. In any case, it defies logic that sort of thing could happen, without the knowledge and instruction of someone from a senior level within this government. I would say someone in the Cabinet would direct it to be done and, obviously, the reason it was done is because the Labor Party hates a rat.
The government does not like a person who quits its ranks or calls attention to its shortcomings, and is quite prepared to expunge them from the history of the Labor Party and the government - once the media gets hold of them. There is nothing which makes this government act quicker than a phone call from someone in the media, and things are instantly repaired. That is the way things go.
I felt particularly upset today with the minister for non-housing, the minister for non-power supply, and the minister for stuffing up local government. He jumped up here, and he was quite adamant in the fact I spent six years in the federal parliament and only gave one speech. He was asked to withdraw the comments, but then said he cannot deny the truth. I jumped on the Internet soon after that. It took me about three minutes to get the information. My record, in the six years I was in the federal parliament, was I made 97 speeches and asked 88 questions during Question Time.
Dr Burns: Did you read Work Choices?
Mr TOLLNER: Here we go again, the Leader of Government Business cannot help himself. He has to put some weird spin on a story that came out. Of course, I read Work Choices. I was Secretary of the Employment and Workplace Relations Policy Committee, which did quite a number of years of work pulling that legislation together. To suggest I had no idea of what was in the bill defies logic. I never failed to attend a meeting of that committee, so I knew exactly what was in it. The Labor Party also take great delight in telling everyone I had my fingerprints all over that legislation which, figuratively speaking, is somewhat true, because I was very much involved with that committee crafting policy.
The Chief Minister is another one who has no problems in rewriting history, so to speak. During an education debate, today or yesterday, I believe he said I was the minister for flag poles or something like that, inferring the only thing I had ever achieved with Territory schools was getting a few flag poles delivered. It is correct, I did manage to have flag poles delivered to quite a number of schools. That was part of a national program to maintain pride in Australia and, in particular, the Australian flag, by school-aged children. It was the government’s desire to make sure all schools had a flag pole and had the ability to have flags.
I delivered flags to schools, there is no doubt about that. Quite often, I have been asked whether I have a Northern Territory flag to deliver to my local schools. Interestingly enough, the Northern Territory government does not supply flags to members of parliament to give to their local schools. We have to go to National Flags in Searcy Street and purchase them if we want to give a flag to our local school. We have to go and purchase a flag because they are not supplied by this government. I remember, in years gone by, flags were readily available to many people and organisations within the community, and to dignitaries who visited the Territory. They were given a pack, expressing the virtues and good points of the Territory. However, as soon as this Labor government came to power, all of that stuff went by the wayside.
It is particularly disheartening, hearing from the Chief Minister, that the only thing we delivered was flag poles, because it flies in the face of logic. The Chief Minister is aware of the Investing in our Schools Program run by the federal government. I can honestly say, every school in the Solomon electorate received grants of around $120 000 to $150 000 to the school council for projects the councils deemed were important in its school. I can understand the Chief Minister did not like this program, because the money went directly to schools, not via the Education department. But, it defies logic to suggest the only thing I delivered in that electorate was flag poles. There were a range of other programs such as democracy in our schools, and some of the Defence history curriculum items were also delivered. The Investing in our Schools component, went to things such as computers and other IT equipment, shade cloth in sporting areas, sporting gear, furniture, etcetera - whatever the school council thought was most appropriate for its school. I thought it was important.
I do not get het up about these things, but the desire to change and rewrite history seems to me to be a complete fascination with this government. It is completely driven, for some reason, to belittle the forefathers of this great Northern Territory and to undermine their achievements. As the member for Port Darwin said, before this government arrived, this place was a desert devoid of anything; that is the way the government tries to promote it. However, it is not true.
The Territory was built by many great people and, it is probably fair to say there have been federal Labor governments which have delivered things in the Northern Territory as well. To sit there and suggest the Howard government and the Country Liberals never did anything, and it has all come about in the last eight years, is completely wrong, and should be spoken of as often as we can. These people should not be able to get away with this stuff. It belittles the legacy of our forefathers and other people who have worked so hard to make the Territory what it is today. In actual fact, it belittles the government for trying to carry that out.
Madam Deputy Speaker, we seem to living this Orwellian nightmare at the moment, where the government is preoccupied with spin, spending $9m a year on propaganda, but refusing to address the most critical issues of concern to Territorians.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Deputy Speaker, tonight I discuss a few issues. We need to continue with the line of rewriting history, so the history is about the truth again.
You have heard me say before in this parliament: eight years and counting, so far. This government has had eight years, enough time to make its own stamp, to mould the Territory in its own fashion. But what have we seen? The member for Sanderson pointed out, tonight, to the residents of his electorate: no power in our suburbs. The major capital city of the Northern Territory has been plagued for the last week by massive blackouts. For eight years, you have delivered massive blackouts to our capital city. That is disgusting. Eight years of abject failures. Left, right, centre, wherever you look, there is another failure.
I hear on the grapevine even the Taminmin High School, which has achieved some fantastic results, has a couple of classrooms which are run off generators, because it needs to do power upgrades. I have not had the time to get out there, because it is not my electorate, but if it is true, it is astounding. It is the Essential Services Minister’s electorate, and he cannot even get power to his own high school to power the entire place. That is unbelievable. Eight years, and the power system is failing. Some of the biggest issues with that is preventative maintenance, and you cannot pin preventative maintenance on our side of the table. Eight years, member for Barkly. I know you have not been here for that long, but welcome - welcome to their failures.
While we are talking about failures, we are very lucky roads do not move, because we can find them, we can look at them, and we can drive on them. We can understand the state of decay they are going through under this government. The member for Stuart mentioned some of the roads around his area where he has seen investments. One of those was the Kintore Road. I have driven that road once or twice, and I cannot tell you that it is looking too crash hot. If anyone wants to know, it is just down the road; it is not hard, it has not moved for a while.
Member for Barkly, I went to Oenpelli the other day, for a very sincere event. Whilst I was driving home, I thought I would take some time to look at the highway - this is a major tourism place. Many tourists go there all the time, it is a beautiful place and, I have to say, it is an amazing place; the Territory is full of amazing places. However, the white line you follow on the left hand side of your car, which gives you a guide to where the edge of the road is, is gone. It does not exist any more, because it has broken away. The edge of the road is so badly destroyed it has broken away. Then we see, occasionally, the white line comes back in. Because there is enough bitumen to hold it up, there is the white line again. If the member for Barkly would like, I have photos. This is putting the lives of Territorians and international tourists at risk. I am not talking about a little of the white line gone, I am talking about 30 cm of the line gone - gone, gone, gone - inside the roadway. There are massive shoulders with great drop-offs. It is disgusting.
Chambers Pillars is down the road and, I will accept, there has been some substantial upgrades on the old south road towards Chambers Pillars. However, do not go too far down that road, if you are a tourist, because the road turns poor rather quickly. I have driven that road a few times. There is a fantastic sporting venue, but you have to be careful because, if you take a tour drive down, you might get bogged. These are major tourist roads.
The Mereenie Loop – an eight year promise, and they have not even resealed it. Eight years of absolute failures.
I highlight some figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. At the top of this page it states:
There you go; it is a real document. For the people from Central Australia who have not heard the Chief Minister talk about how the housing crisis we have across the Northern Territory is not his fault; it is not eight years of a neglectful government. He said, how could we have predicted growth was going to go out of control and was going to grow so much? I will give you some statistics.
For the total Northern Territory population - from the same document I just mentioned - over the last five years, there has been an increase of 17 755 Territorians. That is a few people, and I am very proud to say we have so many new Territorians. The Chief Minister asked how the government could know the population was going to grow so much. He could have asked the Australian Bureau of Statistics. He could have looked at some data and read it properly. That figure is over the last five years; that 17 000, did not happen in one year. Over the last eight years, under this government - this failed government, of pure neglect - we have grown by 22 050 residents, according to this document.
This government sat on its hands, held onto the land, failed to release the land, thinking it could make money here. ‘We can raise the price of houses and make it more beneficial for people to invest’. He said it last year in the parliament, when he bragged about what an economic genius he was; how he had driven up the price of land, which was great for investment. What about people who cannot get a house? I am sure the member for Johnston has constituents who struggle with their rent. I am sure he knows people who struggle to buy their first home. I am sure they are telling him. I am sure you know you have failed the Territory.
The Chief Minister rests his hand on his heart and says: ‘Oh my God! How could we know this was happening?’ The data was as raw as it could be. The data was available, and it showed a significant growth pattern, but you failed to see, you failed to absorb and use to your benefit. Absolute failures.
You have had billions more money than the Territory has ever had, and you have failed everywhere you look. Yes, you have a few bright sparks, but they are probably the earthing out of power lines somewhere. You have been an absolute failure: eight years of bringing the Territory to its knees. If it was not for the great businesses of the Territory, we would be in trouble, because it has not been your management. The only bright sparks we have seen are the flashes in the power lines.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Katherine): Madam Deputy Speaker, another example of the way this government carries on its business, on a daily basis, as we have referred to it before in this parliament; it is government by glossy brochure. Here is another small, glossy brochure. I am fairly sure this is the size it came out in, in Katherine today. Most of the glossy brochures they print are A3 or something like that, but Katherine, apparently, does not warrant a big brochure.
I was having a look and I thought I would go through this and see what the government is saying about Katherine and the things it is doing here. The first thing I noticed was a rather nice photo of Katherine Gorge. I looked closer and I could see a canoe with two people in it. I tried to blow it up to see who they were, but it is too small; I cannot tell. You can probably guess it would not be the members for Johnston or Karama. If they were, I suspect you would see a little speech bubble included, with one saying: ‘I hate you’. I look closer at the photo and I see one of the people in the canoe is wearing a life jacket, the other one is not. I do not know if there is any inference which can be drawn from that, but if they were the members for Johnston and Karama, and one was wearing a life-jacket and one was not - have a think about it.
The reason I picked this up is because I would like to clear the record and add more to this brochure, which it chooses not to state. The first article talks about the new Police Beat for Katherine:
What it should say is: ‘The Territory government was embarrassed into providing a Police Beat in Katherine, because the business community decided it needed to raise the money itself to open a Police Beat because the Northern Territory government would not do it’. That is what it should say.
The business community of Katherine, guided largely by the Chamber of Commerce, and other interested people in town, decided, because the Northern Territory government was ignoring them and their pleas. Notwithstanding the antisocial problems Katherine faces every day, the number of drunks taken into custody in Katherine every year, which amounts to somewhere between 7000 and 9000 drunks per year, Katherine did not deserve a Police Beat. The business community got on top of this, and decided to fundraise through pledges, and embarrassed the Northern Territory government into conceding a Police Beat.
What it does not say here is when this Police Beat will be coming to Katherine. It says Police Beats and increased police presence and visibility in local communities and blah, blah, blah, but nothing of a commitment as to when. They should be ashamed of themselves.
The brochure goes on to talk about the Katherine Regional Cultural Precinct. I acknowledge the contributions the Australian government, the Northern Territory government and the Katherine Town Council are making towards this project. It is a shame it has taken such a long, long time to occur; this has been going on since about 2004.
The brochure talks about the Historical Society and the museum, and that is nice. Then it moves on to the third page where it talks about the Jawoyn anniversary, which was the 20-year celebration of the hand back of the Nitmiluk National Park. It says:
It goes on to quote more from that article.
What it neglects to say and what it should say: ‘The federal member for Lingiari, Warren Snowdon, stood before the Jawoyn today to address several hundred people and tore open some extremely old racism wounds which were around 20 years ago’. What irks me is the spin which comes from the Northern Territory government promoting only what they think the Northern Territory public deserves to hear; and the thought of that is becoming more and more abhorrent every day.
The people of the Northern Territory are intelligent and clever people, and they are seeing through the spin. No longer will the Labor government of the Northern Territory be able to produce spinning, glossy brochures like this, and expect the people of the Northern Territory to just swallow them. They might have got away with it for a while, but the collective intelligence of the people of the Northern Territory is now such they see through this.
The brochure, on page 4, talks about the $350 000 main street development; it talks about the Territory government investing money in the main street of Katherine. What it does not say, of course, is the owners of the buildings affected by this upgrade in the main street also have to contribute to make this project happen. I want to set the record straight so people in the Northern Territory know the business community of Katherine - no doubt the business community of other towns in other parts of the Northern Territory - are having to prop up the government because they are failing to invest sufficient money in regional areas of the Northern Territory to complete the commitments required in those communities.
The last part here talks about Katherine land release. It says:
It goes on to talk about a subdivision which will yield up to 39 urban blocks in Katherine. If you talk to anyone who has anything to do with land release - and I spoke to people in the Housing Industry Association at their last awards night - land release planning is a project which does not occur within one or two years; it is something which happens over five, 10, 20, and in the case of the previous CLP government, 30 years.
What I have discovered – and I put my thinking cap on many times over this – is Katherine has not had a government land release since the early 1980s. That was Katherine East Stages 1 and 2 which was planned and put together by the previous CLP government. And, guess what? The block of land which was recently sold was part of Stage 3 of Katherine East; a plan also put together by the previous CLP government.
I go now to a media release which talked about land release and said the government is committed to looking at further land releases around Katherine. Well, I can tell you, looking at further land releases around Katherine simply will not cut it. Like so many other places in the Northern Territory, this government has no strategic plan for Katherine ...
Dr Burns: Are you going to apologise? You have 25 seconds left.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: This government has no strategic plan for Katherine or for many other parts of the Northern Territory; that is evident when you talk to people who had been around the Territory for a long time.
Madam Speaker, it is nice to have the opportunity to put on record the true facts behind this glossy brochure. I am pleased I have had the opportunity …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, your time has expired. Thank you.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Deputy Speaker, tonight I wanted to talk about one thing in particular but, something else has arisen, so I will deal with that first. An unpleasant matter is the first part; a pleasant matter is the second part.
In Question Time, when talking of the alleged behaviour of the member for Katherine, the Chief Minister said:
He also said:
He went on and said to the member for Katherine:
About an hour ago, for a significant period, we heard a series of disruptions in the opposition lobby. We heard what sounded to be an object hit around the government lobby; we heard cheering and clapping. It was clear something was going on. The noise was such it disturbed those of us working in the lobby at the time. It was significant. Something was being thumped around the room. My colleague, the member for Port Darwin, went into the room and came back and said they were playing cricket.
The Minister for Housing was playing cricket, with others, in the government lobby; cheering and carrying on like a clown throughout. It is important to note this was in an area where there is electronic equipment such as computers, paid for by Territorians. I bet the people who were playing cricket do not do it in their own lounge rooms - and they should not do it here. Such was the noise, I understand security intervened.
This is a parliament; it is not a cricket pitch. It is not appropriate for a minister of the Crown, in particular the member for Daly and his friends, to be playing cricket and carrying on in the government lobby. They are here for parliament, and I ask, quoting the Chief Minister’s words: ‘He needs to bring this rabble under control’. If there is any damage to the Convention Centre as a result of what we believe, and it certainly sounded like, a cricket ball being thumped around this Convention Centre, then appropriate action should be taken.
It is pretty disgraceful. They say they come to Alice Springs because they care. I thought it needed to be put on the record in light of the time the Chief Minister took up - with your comments, member for Johnston; you hate Delia - and given the time he took up saying: ‘Oh, the opposition needs to do this; isn’t it disgraceful’. A minister of the Crown, in Alice Springs, playing cricket in the government lobby - spare me!
On to another matter, Madam Deputy Speaker …
Dr Burns interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: Well, if you would like to talk about this, member for Johnston - I do not believe you have given an adjournment debate - if you would like to apologise for the member for Daly, go your hardest. If you would like to justify this stupid behaviour, go your hardest. I look forward to hearing from you, member for Johnston. If you think it was reasonable, please say so. We do not; and I am sure your Chief Minister does not. I am sure your Chief Minister will, and should, be taking the member for Daly in hand and saying: ‘You are here to work, the parliament is still sitting, perhaps you should keep your cover drives and your slip fields for another day’.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the Speaker, the member for nightclub - nightclub? Well, talking about the shenanigans going on in this parliament as we speak, you would think it was a nightclub and a cricket pitch happening next door in the government lobby - the member for Nightcliff - I am sure members will not object - Jane Aagaard.
I thank her for her generosity and the easy way we could work together in her office, the Speaker’s office, assisting with the exhibition Limited Edition Highlights from my art collection at the Peta Appleyard Gallery on Friday 30 October. I thank one of the Speaker’s staff in particular, Karen Philp. It worked very well. I was particularly pleased Madam Speaker accepted my invitation to open this exhibition, and she did it with great skill, much grace and humour on the night. It really did go down a treat.
It is significant because it did form part of the lead-up of events to these important Alice Springs sittings, which I believe was important. It was a significant and generous gesture – so, my sincere, heartfelt thanks to Jane Aagaard and her staff for their assistance and generosity.
I also thank Peta Appleyard, the owner of Peta Appleyard Gallery, and Nathan King, the Manager of the gallery. They seemed pleased with the exhibition, and it was one the greatest pleasures I have had to do this. I was blown away by the fact people were blown away that I not only have an interest in art, but am something of a collector. I was also blown away they were blown away by the part of the collection displayed for a week starting from 30 October. I was also very moved by people who thanked me for sharing the exhibition. Anyone who enjoys art enjoys sharing it with others, and it was, as I say, one of the greatest pleasures I have had in this job.
Some of the artists represented include: Robert Dickerson, Sir Sidney Nolan, Jeffrey Smart, Brett Whiteley AO, Fred Williams OBE, Charles Blackman OBE, John Olsen AO OBE, David Rankin; English artists Barbara Hepworth DBE and Victor Passmore; Louis Kahan, Sir Lionel Lindsay, Victor Cobb, Henri van Raalte, Beatrice Darbyshire, Max Ragless, John Baxter Mather, Herbert Gallop, William Hunter, Joseph Goodheart, Marion Sussex, Ralph Warner, Audrey Dickenson, Karl Dahmen and Cedric Emanuel OAM.
It is appropriate - notwithstanding there are a couple of typos in it which is very disappointing, given it was part of the lead-up to the sittings and the assistance so generously provided by Madam Speaker - I table for the record a copy of the catalogue. I am very pleased to advise members I was successful at an auction interstate earlier tonight in gaining another piece to add to my collection.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to talk about land release. I believe Darwin and Alice Springs have one thing in common - land is expensive and in short supply. I will make a few comments tonight about the Alice Springs area - where there is a will, there is a way. If the government wants to do things, I believe we can at least put a dint in the shortage of land problem.
At the Council of Territory Cooperation recently, the Mayor of Alice Springs spoke about the shortage of land and available rental properties. I believe he mentioned a figure of 0.01% - the Mayor of Alice Springs is nodding, so, I will go for the 0.01% - which is to say it is very difficult to get a house or a unit to rent in Alice Springs and, if you do get one, it is very highly priced. It highlights what the Mayor of Alice Springs said: Alice Springs used to be a go-get--it sort of place, a place where you could get along; but now we seem to have killed that get-up-and-go attitude because people have difficulty finding a place to live here. If they do, they have to spend all their time paying the rent or the mortgage.
The government has said they have developed the Mt Johns Valley subdivision. Then I looked at the paper and saw the prices people had to pay for the land. I believe it was about $300 000. Where is the affordable land for affordable housing? It does not seem to be there. We seem to be putting out small amounts of land in dribs and drabs and the market price stays high, and young Territorians find it more and more difficult to buy a house.
I believe the government has to step up - there is land; they are talking about AZRI – and get in there and not talk about it anymore; they have to do something about it: ‘We are going to do it quicker than we said’. I believe we should be encouraging the federal government to develop the airport land. The airport land has been around since the 2004 report which mentioned it as part of the Alice Springs Airport 2004 Final Master Plan.
It says in the airport land use section of the latest master plan for the airport that since the 2004 master plan was approved by the then minister under the Airports Act, the pressure for more residential land to be made available for development has increased. So, this is not something new; there has been a move to have land available for housing near the Alice Springs Airport. People might ask how you can have housing at the Alice Springs Airport. I say: ‘Get a copy of the master plan they put out for comment’, and you will see the Alice Springs Airport has a very large area around it, and the reason for that was dust suppression. That land is vacant and has the possibility of opening up quite a large number of rural blocks for subdivision.
It requires pressure from the Northern Territory government on the Commonwealth government. The airport comes under Commonwealth control, and the minister responsible for the airport, Mr Albanese, is the only one who can give permission for this land to be developed. We are talking about quite a large piece of land. The total land for the airport is 3550 ha; less than 800 ha is needed for the airport; so there is a substantial parcel of land available for residential and commercial use. In the Alice Springs Master Plan Preliminary Draft 2009, they stated this land could be available for affordable housing. It is interesting to note it said, in relation to this land:
sustainable development subdivision design including water re-use and probable partial solar power generation.
It should be noted that it continues:
It goes on to say:
I know there are problems when it comes to planning regarding Commonwealth land but I am sure, with fair dinkum discussion, this plan could be developed as part of an Alice Springs Land Use Objectives Plan; perhaps it already is under the 2004 master plan. The reality is, there is land which could be brought on quickly. We need to put pressure on the Commonwealth government; we need to develop the AZRI land. We know people want land badly in Alice Springs, and we know young people cannot buy land at a reasonable price.
The airport master plan is saying there is an estimated low headworks cost of only $12 000 per block. I am not saying every block will be developed for that price, but you have to wonder if the airport can develop rural blocks at $12 000, how come we are paying $300 000 in other places?
What really has to come out in the discussions we are having about land is what the real cost of development is, and what the margin of profit taken is. That is also an important issue in relation to affordability of land. If land is dear, the house and land package, for many young people, will be unaffordable. If it is affordable, it is more than likely they will be paying off the mortgage for the rest of their lives.
Alice Springs is no different to Darwin; actually, it is probably worse off when it comes to the amount of land available for subdivision. We need to do something. We already have issues in relation to developing new houses and town camps which, at the moment is stalled because of the court case. There is very little we can do about that until the court case is solved. However, we can do something about moving on much faster than we have.
It is not rocket science to develop a subdivision. We should know all the facts about whether the land is under water, whether the land has a certain soil type, where the sewerage is to be connected, and where the power is to be connected. People in Alice Springs - the engineers, the town planners - should all know that now.
If we really want to change things, we have to get off our backsides and open up this land quickly. We have to write to Anthony Albanese. Bring him here to have a look for himself; send him facts and figures about what land is available, and that 0.01% of units and houses are available for rent. Bring him out here and say: ‘We are not building in the flight path. We are far enough away from the flight path to have a residential land. This land is suitable, let us get on with it; otherwise we will be back in two years time saying exactly the same thing’.
The government has to get it going - not stand around talking anymore. Let us get this thing going and give young people - especially our first homeowners - a chance to get affordable land so they can build an affordable house.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Harts Range School students, Middle Years 7, 8 and 9, together with teacher, Mr Daniel Slade and assistant teacher, Ms Christina Stevens; and Sandover Group Schools Special Educator, Kelly Hayes. There is also a group from Braitling Primary School, Year 3/4, together with teachers, Ms Joanne Moar, Mrs Tracey-Lee Forester, and Mr Christopher Myers.
On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
White Ribbon Day
White Ribbon Day
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise today is White Ribbon Day, the United Nations Day for the elimination of violence against women and children. I advise I have given approval for the white ribbon flag to fly in the foyer of this building, and also at Parliament House, Darwin.
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER
Suspension of Sittings
Suspension of Sittings
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I also understand it is proposed the sittings be suspended at 6.45 pm tonight until the ringing of bells for Question Time.
PETITIONS
Aeromedical Service Aircraft in Katherine
Aeromedical Service Aircraft in Katherine
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Katherine): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 1942 petitioners relating to the Northern Territory Aeromedical Service aircraft in Katherine. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders.
I also present a petition, not conforming with standing orders, from 62 petitioners relating to the Northern Territory Aeromedical Service aircraft in Katherine.
Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
- To the honourable Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
We the undersigned respectfully showeth that the Northern Territory government to put true their word and listen to the people of Katherine, the Katherine region, the Top End of the Northern Territory by acknowledging the concerns of said people with regard to the withdrawal of the Northern Territory Aeromedical Service aircraft from Katherine.
Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that we the undersigned call on the Minister for Health to direct the Department of Health
- And your petitioners as in duty bound ever pray.
Tiger Brennan Drive – Safety Barrier
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Speaker, I present a petition from 47 petitioners praying that a safety barrier be constructed on Tiger Brennan Drive between Woolner and Benison Roads. The petition bears the Clerk’s certificate that it conforms with the requirements of standing orders.
Madam Speaker, I move that the petition be read.
Motion agreed to; petition read:
- To the honourable Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
We the undersigned respectfully showeth opposition to the road upgrade currently being undertaken on Tiger Brennan Road between Woolner Road and Benison Road and directly behind the boundary of residential estate City Valley, Woolner.
As residents of City Valley Estate, major issues resulting from this upgrade are of great concern to us and include the following:
safety; with motor vehicles travelling at high speeds not 5 m from our back yard with only a sheet of colour bond between us.
- Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that if nothing can be done to prevent road works continuing, a high solid wall, such as that at Parap Grove and the Narrows, should be constructed for the purpose of providing a safety barrier to reduce any risk in the event of an accident and decrease the significantly rising noise levels caused by increased traffic flow.
Your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.
TABLED PAPER
Auditor-General’s November 2009 Report
to the Legislative Assembly
Auditor-General’s November 2009 Report
to the Legislative Assembly
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table the Auditor-General’s November 2009 Report to the Legislative Assembly.
MOTION
Print paper - Auditor-General’s November 2009 Report to the Legislative Assembly
Print paper - Auditor-General’s November 2009 Report to the Legislative Assembly
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Note Paper - Auditor-General’s November 2009 Report to the Legislative Assembly
Note Paper - Auditor-General’s November 2009 Report to the Legislative Assembly
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report, and that I have leave to continue my remarks at a later hour.
Leave granted.
Debate adjourned.
TABLED PAPER
Electoral Act - Northern Territory Legislative Assembly General Election Report 2008
Electoral Act - Northern Territory Legislative Assembly General Election Report 2008
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I table, pursuant to section 313 of the Electoral Act, the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly General Election Report 2008 dated 9 August 2009.
MOTION
Note Paper - Electoral Act –
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly General Election Report 2008
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report, and that I have leave to continue my remarks at a later hour.
Leave granted.
Debate adjourned.
MOTION
Law and Order Issues in Alice Springs
Law and Order Issues in Alice Springs
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, before I start, I extend a welcome to the students from Braitling Primary School and Harts Range, particularly on behalf of my colleague, the member for Braitling. Welcome to our parliamentary sittings.
Madam Speaker, I move - That the Territory government:
1. Take direct and decisive action to address law and order issues in Alice Springs;
3. To establish a Police Citizens Youth Club in Alice Springs and that it be located in the Larapinta area;
5. Change the hours of the availability of alcohol so that all takeaway alcohol is sold from 10 am.
This motion does not come as a surprise to the government. At every Alice Springs sittings, law and order has been an issue. It has consumed questions and motions …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Order! Member for Greatorex, you will cease interjecting. Order! Member for Araluen, you have the call.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. At every Alice Springs sittings, law and order has been an issue and, under this government, it will continue to be so. It has consumed questions and motions before, both in Alice Springs and Darwin. When parliament last sat here in April 2007, hundreds of people turned up to express their rage at the way they were treated by this shabby government. There were many areas of concern and frustration. One of them was law and order.
Given the government has clearly chosen to have these sittings in late November rather than earlier in the year, I doubt - and it was evidenced yesterday - we will see hundreds of people turning up to protest against this shabby government this time round. They are busy getting themselves to the end of the year, thinking about Christmas parties, and how they, their friends, and their family are going to spend Christmas.
Government should not think for one moment that the people of Alice Springs are not fed up, and they are in any way happy with this government. They are not.
The government should listen to this motion and support it. If the government will not support this motion, members should ask why, and should provide compelling reasons for doing so - absent the spin. The people of Alice Springs will not accept spin and slithering. They are a wake-up to the way this government conducts itself. They want answers, and they want help.
Politicians should learn from elections. In August 2008, Labor polled about 20% of the vote in the urban seats of Alice Springs. That should show, even to them, they are out of touch and disconnected. My colleagues and I polled significantly better. It cannot be said we do not understand our electorate, its people or its issues. Anyone who makes such a suggestion simply cannot, and should not, be taken seriously. My colleagues and I will continue to passionately and strongly advocate for our town, and we do so in the knowledge we have the support of the overwhelming majority of our constituents. Our constituents do not, and will not, accept second best from this government and, as their elected representatives, neither will we. If Labor wants to do better at the next election, it should listen to us. The member for Nelson should also take note of my comments.
It is easy for those who do not live in Alice Springs to abuse Alice Springs members, and downplay their issues and concerns. Politicians, by their nature, are thick-skinned. We accept political spin but, I say again, our constituents do not. It is against that backdrop that I now move to the motion.
The first part: we call on the government to take direct and decisive action to address law and order issues in Alice Springs. We have seen many media releases over the years and glossy brochures from this shabby government, but few results. When we raised these issues a couple of years ago, and even back further, the government would accuse us of talking down the town. Thankfully, the government has had the wit, in recent times at least, not to pursue that insulting and pathetic line. However, the government continues to sink to new depths; for instance, saying we are not supportive of the Police Beat. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, we have been calling for a police shopfront for some time.
Indeed, when there was a bipartisan group of politicians, including the mayor, established in February by the member for Macdonnell, the then Minister for Central Australia, to her great credit, put aside politics and put us all in a room to come up with a number of ideas, one of which was to bring forward the police shopfront. We note, with interest and disappointment, the new Minister for Central Australia, the member for Stuart, has abandoned this bipartisan group. It was a practical and tactical error on his part. Even I was shocked; even I was surprised.
The last time parliament sat in Alice Springs, the former Chief Minister, Clare Martin, said:
- We have been working in a systematic way, particularly over the last 18 months to two years, to tackle some of the issues that face Alice Springs ...
Since 2001-02, violent crime in this town has increased by 27%, year on year. The government’s failure to tackle violent crime across Central Australia is reflected in the disastrous June quarter crime figures released early in October. Offences against the person jumped by 25% in the June quarter compared to the same quarter in the previous year. There were 338 offences against the person in the June quarter 2009 compared to 271 in the June quarter 2008. An additional breakdown of the figures shows assaults increased by nearly 25%, and sexual assaults increased by 86%. Property offences also remain at unacceptably high levels. The figures are there for all to see.
The figures are damning but, sadly, in so many ways, they are not new. Figures contained in previous crime statistics consistently show the failures of this government. Action is needed, and it is needed now. There is so much more the government can and should do. We gave them some ideas at the last election, but they have not adopted any of our policies. Well, there are a couple they have, and I will come back to that.
The new Minister for Central Australia has completely rejected working in a bipartisan manner. He does not want to hear any more from us about how we can make improvements in this town. Presumably, he thinks he has all of the answers. We gave them plenty of ideas at the bipartisan meetings but, now, the Minister for Central Australia has said he does not want to talk to us any more.
Habitual drunks legislation, boot camps, correcting behaviour in our gaols, making rehabilitation compulsory – these are just some of the things government should do and, if we were in government, we would.
When government members rise to their feet and blurt out the usual lines of us not having any ideas, they are clearly wrong. When they say they are happy to work with us in a constructive manner, they will be seen for the hypocrites they are - their track record is just wrong. The only thing government has done in direct and decisive action is to pick up ideas from the CLP and others - CCTV cameras. The member for Johnston was the former Police minister when I tabled a petition early in 2007, perhaps late 2006: ‘We need CCTV cameras for this town’. The response to the petition came back: ‘No, you do not’.
Hundreds of people demonstrated outside this place and then there was a backflip of monumental proportions. So, this government, in that instance, was dragged, kicking and screaming, to do even the most basic of things - and what a shame. The people I, and the members for Braitling and Greatorex, represent deserve better. Alice Springs deserves better.
We do need more police on the beat. I understand - and government will squib on this because they know it is true - there are more police in Alice Springs - and I will come back to that - but fewer on the beat than in 2001-02. Government announced a few more recruits, but more frontline police - general duties, operational, front line, on the beat, however you want to express it - is what is needed. After eight years in power, which it now clings on to by a thread, government is paralysed by its internal divisions and hatred of one another instead of getting on with the job.
Direct and decisive action to address law and order issues in Alice Springs is required, and it is required now. For government to say, every quarterly crime statistics, one crime is one crime too many, is not good enough. You are paid good salaries as ministers of the Crown; our people expect you to do better. You are not earning the money you are on. You are failing our people. I have to ask why? It is this Darwin-centric focus; pandering to so many people in the northern suburbs of Darwin and ignoring the people of Alice Springs. That is why mums and dads, in their droves, turned up in April 2007; they had every right to be disgusted with the way this government conducts itself. Nothing has changed. Look at the polling results of the August 2008 election.
I had Labor voters queueing saying: ‘I am going to vote for you this time’. I said to some of them: ‘I know this is a really significant decision for you and that is great, thank you. I tell you what …’
A member interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: True story. ‘Let us hope, if Labor is returned, they will do so much better; I can have you voting Labor next time’. They will not if this government continues in its arrogant and contemptuous way with the people of Alice Springs. Frankly, given they have such atrocious form, I do not expect anything to change.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms CARNEY: That is a shame. That is a shame, because the people of Alice Springs are entitled to a government of excellence. They are entitled to a government which makes sensible decisions for them based on evidence. They are entitled to expect a government which tries hard in Darwin, will try as hard in Alice Springs. For eight years, they have been sadly disappointed, and current indications are that will continue to be the case.
The second part of the motion is we call on the Labor government to establish crime reduction targets for each year for the next five years, and resource police and put in place the appropriate laws to ensure such reductions are met - a sensible and meaningful part of this motion. Why would a government not come up with a crime reduction strategy, crime reduction targets? For some reason, this government will not. I remember Peter Toyne saying in 2002, when he was talking about the new crime statistics: ‘Government would stand or fall on the figures and the results’. In Alice Springs, the government has fallen.
Arguably, in Darwin the government has fallen, but they are held together with the assistance of the member for Nelson. The figures are terrible reading for this town. As I said, the figures show crime has increased by 27% year on year. It has consistently gone up in so many areas, particularly crimes against the person.
I remember when Labor was in opposition in the lead-up to the 2001 election, back in the days when they were the true believers, a number of four-, five-, six-point plans, aimed at tackling crime and law and order were produced - no doubt at taxpayers’ expense. Lots of plans, but few results.
In fact, these days, plans are called discussion papers - discussion papers! Initiatives are contained in media releases; there is rarely any detail to be seen. Quarter after quarter we see government slithering around, usually denying the undeniable, assuring us government plans are working and no one has anything to worry about. You have to be joking! You cannot be serious!
You have to ask, why does government not commit to establishing crime reduction targets. Surely, this is something government would do in any event but, particularly, in light of the consistent trends we see in Alice Springs of unacceptably high crime rates. Not setting reduction targets has to be seen as an admission of failure. If it is not an admission of failure, it reeks of an acceptance and tolerance of high crime rates without any form of even aspirational targets. Shame on you, shame on you! It also reeks of a government which thrives on damage control rather than delivering better outcomes for the people of the Northern Territory. Their former colleague, Matthew Bonson, will agree with me.
Mattie said, very recently, 16 November on ABC radio, Darwin:
- Well, I think, obviously, there is a lot of hate there, but I also think that the big concern ...
Meaning the government:
- … is what they have shown over the last 12 months is that they will do and say anything to keep power.
‘Say and do anything to keep power’ - this is a former government minister who lost his seat at the last election. He is talking about hatred between members. He is talking about a government so utterly desperate and bereft of ideas, they will say and do anything ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms CARNEY: Well, in the words of John Hewson, we want to do you slowly my friend - we want to do you slowly …
Dr Burns: It was actually Paul Keating.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Honourable members! Member for Araluen …
Ms CARNEY: It was …
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Araluen, cease for a moment. Honourable members, I remind you of Standing Order 51 which is about no interruptions, as you will recall:
- No Member may converse aloud or make any noise or disturbance which in the opinion of the Speaker is designed to interrupt or has the effect of interrupting a Member speaking.
Member for Araluen, you have the call.
Ms CARNEY: My apologies to Paul Keating. It was one of those classic political lines; it was a cracker. Let me repeat it: we want to do you slowly ...
Members interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: I repeat: we want to do you slowly. I am always happy to quote Labor, particularly former Labor ministers of the Crown. I am thinking Matty Bonson is a really good one to quote.
By not establishing crime targets - this is a five-part motion - I know the government has suggested it is something else. This is a five-part motion to make our town better. I live here, so does Matt Conlan, so does Adam Giles - we live here …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, I remind you that we use titles.
Ms CARNEY: Sorry. The member for Braitling, member for Greatorex - we live here. Do you think we do not have an interest in better outcomes for our town? Too right I do. We are also paid to represent the overwhelming majority of people in our electorates who voted for us. We do so, and we sleep very well at night when it comes to our commitment, our passion, and our ability to advocate for this town. You people, government people from Darwin, have no idea - that is why you polled about 20%.
As I said, not setting reduction in crime reduction targets has to be seen as an admission of failure. Alternatively, it reeks of an acceptance and tolerance of high crime rates without any form of aspirational targets, and of a government more focused on damage control than delivering better outcomes for the people we represent. In rejecting this motion and, in particular, this part of it, Labor will send a message to the people of Alice Springs: ‘We do not believe we can reduce crime’. That is what you are saying by not setting targets: you do not believe that you can reduce crime. Ministers can say, and no doubt they will - I believe it was the Chief Minister who said it yesterday - ‘One crime is too many’. Of course it is, but it is not a policy and it is not an answer. You need to do better than one liners on the floor of the parliament, grabs in media conferences, and paragraphs in media releases.
The Country Liberals will establish crime reduction targets of 20% for all crime for five years. In the first year, 20% crime reduction target in the first year of the Country Liberals government. Why? Two reasons. We will have some answers, unlike this government bereft of them and, second, we believe government should aim - aspire to - reducing crime.
If we get into government at the next election we will have many problems to deal with the mess you people will have left. However, we are committed to addressing those problems and making our town in Alice Springs a better and safer place.
The third part of our motion is to establish a Police Citizens Youth Club, known as a PCYC, in Alice Springs, and that it is located in the Larapinta area. We believe this is an initiative which should be pursued. There is a PCYC in Darwin. I know there are some concerns about its name, but I believe a model, or perhaps even a variation of it, should be used for a PCYC in Alice Springs.
Interestingly, PCYCs exist in most jurisdictions. They also exist in many regional centres in this country. Overwhelmingly, their goal is to work with young people in an effort to prevent them from being involved in the criminal justice system, and to give them life skills. Some PCYCs around the country operate very innovative programs. For the benefit of the member for Barkly, I will be quoting from a range of websites. In New South Wales, according to the website:
- PCYC is Australia’s leading youth development organisation with 59 clubs and over 71 000 members throughout New South Wales:
- Our mission is to:
And how good it is to see some young people with us today again ...
_____________________
Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, would you mind if I just acknowledge those students? Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Year 8 students from ANZAC Hill High School, with their teacher, Ms Narelle Cameron and ISAs Anita Togolo and Michael Kanaan. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
_____________________
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Araluen.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am sure they would be very interested in a police youth club proposal because they are the very people who would benefit and, in a broader sense, so would our community.
The Canberra PCYC is to assist youth who may be at risk of lapsing into, or continuing, criminal activity:
- The crime prevention team at ACT policing staffs the PCYC with sworn and unsworn members to conduct a wide range of programs for youth at risk. The PCYC offers a safe environment to allow youth to develop socially and to understand the disciplines required for a successful life.
In Tasmania, it provides:
- … opportunities to participate in healthy recreation for all ages, to provide a positive liaison between police and young people and to encourage the principle of good citizenship.
Very important, Madam Speaker. I am just quoting from some; if you doubt me, look on the websites and you will find various references.
The basic model should be used, adapted, and tweaked for Alice Springs, and be in the Larapinta area. Youth need additional services in this town; PCYC has shown to be useful elsewhere in other jurisdictions and, indeed, in the Territory. So, it should be implemented by government.
In addition, and importantly for the second part of this part of the motion, it should be in the Larapinta area. We all know some of the problems at Larapinta, and it would be a very sensible proposal to have it there. Under the stimulus package - and it was also referred to in the Chief Minister’s statement we did not get to yesterday - Braitling Primary School will have a multipurpose hall. Therefore, government does not necessarily need to build a new structure; it could adapt the existing facility, tailor made for people in that part of town. Put simply, government should look at after-hours use and should make it happen.
It is noteworthy the government has announced - thanks to our bipartisan meetings the Minister for Central Australia has now utterly abandoned - a PCYC as part of its Alice Springs Youth Action Plan. If it can be described as a glossy - I think it was in black and white, so it was not very glossy at all - after the bipartisan meeting there was a flyer distributed throughout Alice Springs which, at long last, says: ‘Establish a Police Citizens Youth Club and youth hub at the ANZAC High School Campus’. Finally, there is already a recognition from government that a PCYC is a good idea. It is probably not a bad idea around ANZAC Hill.
We think government can walk and chew gum at the same time. Have two PCYCs. There is no doubt Larapinta needs attention. In the alternative, given the activity that is going to happen at ANZAC Hill, maybe keep some of the stuff there, but move a PCYC to the Larapinta area. There is room to move; there is room to be innovative. We say that is exactly what the government should do. How sad it is the member for Stuart abandoned, unwisely in our view, the bipartisan group discussions.
In relation to the PCYC at ANZAC Hill, there is no detail, of course. There are no details about when, no details about funding - no details at all, it is just that there is going to be one. Probably, by the time I am a very old woman, we might see one there. There is no doubt the establishment of a PCYC in Alice Springs and, in particular, the Larapinta area, is needed, and we say government should support it.
The fourth part of the motion is we call on government to strengthen the Youth Justice Act to ensure more parental responsibility agreements and orders are made and acted upon. In December 2007, we announced we would support measures to hold irresponsible parents to account for repeat offending by their children. I said in a media release, member for Barkly, issued at the time:
Where parents just don’t care what their kids get up to, they should be held responsible for repeat criminal offending ...
I’m sure there would be a different reaction from irresponsible parents to vandalism by their kids if they had to pick up the bill. Equally, if parents were to be fined for repeated break and enter they would be more interested where their kids were going in the middle of the night.
This was the package of initiatives where government said that plasma TVs would be seized, which received, as everyone would remember, much publicity at the time, deliberately driven by a government in pre-election mode. I also said a good deal of the responsibility for the rise in juvenile crime must be shouldered by this Labor government. It has repeatedly announced half-hearted measures to curb criminal and antisocial behaviour, with little success. I concluded in my media release at that time by saying: ‘I look forward to seeing just how tough these measures really are’.
Then, in early 2008, government introduced the amendments to the Youth Justice Act, and spent taxpayers’ money on an advertising campaign several months before the 2008 election. The mantra, at the time, was the government had a comprehensive package to tackle youth crime and everyone would benefit. It was a bells and whistles proposal. When it was debated in parliament in May 2008, I issued a media release in which I outlined the opposition’s concerns about the bill. This is some of the stuff government issued. There is a picture of a young kid, a hoodie, with a thing on the front, ‘The Territory government is cracking down on youth crime’. Just false promises, and so unfortunate Territorians had to pick up the bill. When we looked at the bill, it was a shadow of the publicity it received at the time. I have, because it is one of the ones worth keeping, a copy of the Youth Justice Bill.
Dr Burns interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: No, I am going to ask one of my colleagues for an extension.
Here is the drill: you highlighted for those opposite the word ‘may’ throughout.
A member: Madam Speaker …
Madam SPEAKER: Order! You cannot get an extension before one minute.
Members interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: This was a method of good PR exercise prior to an election - nothing more, nothing less. I issued a media release …
Ms PURICK: Madam Speaker, I move an extension of time for 10 minutes for my colleague to continue, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Ms CARNEY: Madam Speaker, the media release at the time which, unusually, I copied and distributed through my electorate - it was my attempt to compete with the massive government relations spin exercise. I copied the release and put it in the letterboxes of my electorate. In that release - and I will quote parts of it, member for Barkly - I said:
- The word ‘may’ has a star role in the bill before parliament. The word ‘may’ appears regularly, and starkly illustrates the difference between what this government tells people it’s going to do, and what it actually does.
I went on to list all of the ‘mays’ and what they meant. I said in the media release:
- Contrary to the misleading way in which the government has tried to sell its latest package, the courts have a role only when a family responsibility agreement has been entered into.
So many ‘mays’. This is why this bill needs to be overhauled. We said it at the time, we say it again: in order to get better outcomes, not just for Alice Springs but elsewhere, you must strengthen the Youth Justice Act. Estimates revealed there were very few parental responsibility agreements and orders, and no assets were seized. The big deal about plasma TVs was political huff and puff. No asset confiscations and few results. I suspect it will be like the alcohol courts, where we have been banging on about it for years, saying it is failure, it will not work. Now, we see a fairly recent discussion paper saying, in essence, they are not working. It might be a long time coming, but I feel certain the government will strengthen the Youth Justice Act. It should - we will.
There is no doubt policy in relation to young people is failing the good people of Alice Springs, in particular. I urge members opposite to look at this bill; get it right. I do not have confidence in the Attorney-General. She was the one, in relation to the fines and penalties units, who thought $6500 was good enough for beggars. I do not believe she is capable of doing the job but, perhaps, one of her colleagues – presumably someone likes her - can get on with the job.
Part 5 of the motion is we call on the government to change the hours of the availability of alcohol so all takeaway alcohol is sold from 10 am. The government has played with this motion, and it does so at its own peril. Let us be very clear: this is one part of a law and order motion. Second, the government makes a number of outrageous claims, and my colleague, the member for Greatorex, shadow minister for alcohol policy, will detail these things in his contribution shortly.
The Labor government continues to fail the people of Alice Springs with alcohol restrictions - not curbing alcohol, and not curbing alcohol-related crime. Labor opposes this motion because it wants everything to stay the way it is; we do not. We do not want 65.5% of crime being alcohol-related. We do not want to see a continuation of a 27% increase, year-on-year, in crime in this town. We do not want to see the 91% increase in 2008-09 in the number of drunks going in and out protective custody. We want to see better alcohol courts, dry areas working, and the government follow through on its promise of buying back takeaway licences. This is a government which talks oh so much, but does oh so little.
You have to ask: why is the government not tackling the health problem which is the addiction to alcohol? Where are the rehabilitation programs? What have you done, you true believers? You should hang your heads in shame; you have done next to nothing. The results are simply not reflected in the figures we see, however you look them, in government publications and, indeed, everyday life in Alice Springs. We believe more can be done.
If we look, for instance, at Port Augusta - and I have spoken to the person who has evaluated the program there, and there will be another evaluation shortly. They sell grog from 9 am, and are getting good outcomes. The government asserts - and it uses rhetoric which does not work in Alice Springs; people are a wake-up to it – we are opening up the rivers of grog. People are drinking Listerine and cooking essence, and they are throwing the bottles behind my office and elsewhere in Alice Springs. Because Labor has failed to address their addiction, people are obtaining alcohol in whatever way they can. They are breaking into premises to get alcohol, drinking vanilla essence – how tragic is that? - drinking Listerine – how awful is that?
You are not doing enough on behalf of our constituents, and police officers, many of whom are our friends. This is a small town and we talk to police every day. I have had police who are friends at my home, and I have been to theirs. They are excellent public servants, who say if we can get the drunks off the street earlier in the day, it would be great; it would free up resources. And I note with interest in the 8HA poll, that 83% of people supported this part of our motion.
Constituents ring me in the morning and say: ‘I had 20 drunks outside my place, one of them slashed a tyre’, someone else did something else - it goes on and on. I blame the government. You are moving these problems into the night, and that is what it is about despite all your spin. I know some of your friends in the media have swallowed it all, and you have done your best in Darwin to make it look like we are out of touch. It will not wash - you are out of touch, you have scored less than 20% or thereabouts. If these restrictions are so good, why are they not in Darwin? We know the crime figures in Darwin have increased. Mmmm, must be about not wanting to upset the people in the northern suburbs, but having a go at the people of Alice Springs.
There are many reasons why there has been a reduction in alcohol; there are so many reasons and, yet, government is highlighting a couple and it is all they can hang their hat on. We say there are parts of the Menzies report - and my colleague, the member for Greatorex will go into it in more detail. It is clear government has not read the Menzies report – you just have not. I do not have time to go into it, but the advertisement placed in the Centralian Advocate on Friday was utterly scandalous. It asserted that the Menzies report found, since the introduction of the Alcohol Management Plan, a number of things happened. No, it did not. We checked. We looked at the table. We spoke with the authors.
We asked: ‘Where did you get the 21% figure of the number of serious assaults in Alice Springs; that figure is not published’. ‘Oh, it is’. ‘No, it is not’. ‘Oh, we got them from someone in government’. ‘Oh, okay. What is meant by the ratio of patients at Alice Springs hospital with alcohol-related injuries dropping?’ ‘Oh, ratio of what? Ratio in relation to what?’ ‘What about reduction of 544 four-litre wine casks per day? Based on what?’
The Menzies report does not contain a number of details; does not source information. I am looking at the member for Johnston because I believe he prides himself on detail. It is just not there. I know you have all of your advisors, but have a look at it; it is not there. At the very end, there is one reference to the Department of Justice. Not good enough - nowhere near good enough. So, do all your rhetoric and your little friends will quote you accordingly; but we know our town, we know this issue - we know this issue.
We also know the government’s form, and I am looking, through you Madam Speaker, at the member for Casuarina. He said in parliament at the last sittings - and he should not have - he had people in his department check how much extra grog was coming in. There are many reasons for a drop in consumption. One of them, not the sole one – but in the two minutes I have left, and I do rely on my colleague, the member for Greatorex, to elaborate on these things - the member for Casuarina said they spoke to Australia Post, the biggest courier in Alice Springs, and to other couriers. The reply from them was they had not seen any significant increase in alcohol sales. Wrong! Knowing the government’s form and knowing it could not be right, I spoke with the delivery services manager. He lives around the corner; he is a constituent. I rang him up. ‘Did you say this?’ ‘No!’ he said. ‘What did you say?’ His reply: ‘Based on ocular inspection, there has been an increase’. He did not speak to any other couriers and, frankly, I doubt the minister did either.
What we see in the spin coming out today - and we have seen it before - the member for Casuarina said: ‘There has been no significant increase’. That is not what he said. He said: ‘We have seen an increase; there has been an increase’. There has been an increase. Part of the reason for a drop in consumption is many people are buying out of town, so you cannot measure it. In addition, the Menzies report referred to an underestimation of wine casks. If you have read the report you would have picked that up. The Menzies report also said some judgment should be exercised in concluding that they – reductions - are caused by the Alcohol Management Plan, rather than any other influences which happened at the same time.
So, shabby government, it just spins and spins, and it will continue to do so. If you keep doing that, you will continue to poll 20%, or thereabouts, at the next election. I would not have thought all of you were that stupid. I would not have thought all of you care so little about the people I am paid to represent. Abuse us all you like - and I know you will - but do not dare get stuck into my constituents who I proudly represent. We do this for them. We know what is happening in our town. From the Parliament House in Darwin, you give it your hardest. However, if you do not listen to us you are the fools we think you are ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, your time has expired.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, the Territory government will not be supporting this motion. I have to say, having listened to the member for Araluen, this has to be the most illogical, nonsensical, counterproductive, facile motion I have seen in this Territory parliament.
All of us want to reduce crime. I believe that binds all 25 of us. We are going to have differences of opinions on how we reduce crime. We can have our political debates and positions, but we have a responsibility to the people of the Northern Territory to have an evidenced-based approach to public policy. If we are going to articulate a position – there can be political positions put which may not have much evidence and science around them. However, when we are talking about policy which goes to the heart of the core responsibility of any government - which is the safety and wellbeing of its citizens - then there has to be an evidenced-based approach.
We will not be supporting this motion because all of the aspirations in the first four points of the motion - and there are good points I would like to debate - are absolutely undermined by the last point of the motion which would turn back on the rivers of grog here in Alice Springs. That would have one consequence: more crime, more assaults, more domestic violence, more stabbings, and more hospital admissions. That would be the direct result of turning back on the rivers of grog here in Alice Springs. How can you take the first four limbs of the motion seriously when they are totally undermined by the last point of the motion? I cannot believe the opposition is putting forward, with any credibility - any credibility at all - by opening up takeaway alcohol sales for another four hours of the day - four hours more drinking time - that would contribute to reducing crime in Alice Springs. It is absolutely nonsensical.
Despite the overwhelming evidence alcohol restrictions in Alice Springs are starting to turn things around, the opposition – and I do not understand the populace politics here in Alice Springs. They have been very quiet on this elsewhere; they have not been on the radio in Darwin. I have not seen any third-party support, the Police Association, any of the health groups, any of the DV organisations, not one group in the Northern Territory has come out and said this is good public policy. Until the last five minutes of a 25-minute speech by the Leader of the Opposition, there has been no discussion about this. It was dropped on the table in Darwin and the opposition has run squirming and hiding from this particular point since they did. They want to turn back time. They are unreconstructed and they are unchanged from the spent political party which lost office in 2001.
Turning back on the rivers of grog is going to reduce crime – save me! Save me, Madam Speaker. The opposition is proposing allowing takeaway sales of alcohol in Alice Springs to begin at 10 am rather than the current time of 2 pm. It is an absolute disgrace to have that as policy. It flies in the face of common sense and it flaunts the facts. It flaunts the facts and it flaunts the evidence.
From 1998 to 2002, takeaway sales in Alice Springs began at noon. For the vast majority of this period, the CLP government was actually administering these trading conditions. Restrictions on the hours and days alcohol can be purchased is part of most packages aimed at reducing alcohol-related problems in rural and regional Australia. This is occurring everywhere, in trying to turn back the violence and the assaults caused by grog; to reduce the amount of time alcohol can be purchased for takeaway hours. There are obvious and accepted links between alcohol and the problems with excessive drinking related to crime.
First, we should remember Alice Springs was declared a public restricted area on 1 August 2007. Let us clarify for a moment what the main restrictions are. The current takeaway control measures include: restricting the purchase of cask and fortified wine until after 6 pm; restricting drinkers to no more than a single one-litre cask of fortified wine a day, and no more than a two-litre cask for all other wines; restricting the sale of alcohol from 2 pm to 9 pm Monday to Friday, 10 am to 9 pm on Saturdays and noon to 9 pm on Sundays. In June 2008, we also introduced an electronic identification system for takeaway alcohol in the Alice and Katherine regions.
What has occurred since we put those measures in place? In the six months to 30 June this year, the ID system detected more than 3800 attempts to circumvent alcohol supply measures in Alice Springs. These are people who are trying to purchase more than one one-litre cask of fortified wine a day and more than two litres of casks of all other wines. There were 3800 attempts to circumvent the one cask a day application in Alice Springs. Can you imagine, without that ID system in place, there would have been an additional 3800 purchases of additional alcohol that would have turned into more crime? That is under-represented, because people know ‘I have my one cask for the day, it is pointless me going back to try to get another because I will not be able to get one’. But no, I assume they do not like that system either.
What does this actually mean for Alice Springs? It means, in the six months to June this year, on average, 22 fewer wine casks per day were consumed. We have also prohibited the takeaway sale of 750 ml and 800 ml bottles of beer, and these measures have broad community support.
In August this year, the Licensing Commission endorsed these control measures following a public consultation process. These control measures have produced some extremely positive results. If the opposition had their way, this work would be undone. Let us look for a moment at what has been achieved through the supply measures. For instance, between October 2006 and September 2008, we saw an overall reduction of 18% in pure alcohol supplied. That is a significant reduction in the amount of takeaway alcohol sold in Alice Springs. To put it another way, this is the same as saying over five million fewer cans of full strength beer being drunk in Alice Springs because of the introduction of supply measures. The numbers are 5 253 480 fewer cans of full strength beer being drunk over that period.
The opposition really think, if this community drank an additional five million cans of beer over that period, there would be fewer bashings, fewer assaults, fewer admissions to hospital, and less work for our hard-working police? What planet are they on?
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: What planet are you on? It is absolutely outrageous! An extra five million cans of beer being drunk in this community would lead to a safer community? What planet are they on? It is absolutely outrageous ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: They purport to be a government in waiting. Five million extra cans of beer is equivalent to more than 50 000 fewer cans of full strength beer a week not being drunk in Alice Springs. Between 2006 and 2008, we saw an 85% drop in wine casks supplied in Alice Springs ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: The member for Greatorex can attempt to defend the indefensible. I would like him to see the surgeons at Alice Springs Hospital, the nurses in the emergency department of the Alice Springs Hospital, the AMA, to say their workload would be reduced at Alice Springs Hospital if this community consumed an extra five million cans of beer. You trot them out. You trot out a single credible health group which supports this measure. There are none, Madam Speaker.
Before supply measures were introduced in 2006, cask wine represented 27% of the total amount of alcohol sold in Alice Springs. By 2008, wine cask sales represented just 5% of the market. Going from around 13% to 15% alcohol in four-litre casks down to full strength beer running at 4% to 5%, and we have had a reduction of five million cans sold. They want to go back to the good old days of it being on for young and old in Alice Springs. We have also seen a 72% reduction in the sale of fortified wines since 2006. Also, since these restrictions have been in place, there has been a 21% drop in serious assaults. The opposition can produce any evidence you like to say if you open up sales of alcohol you are going to reduce assaults - you are absolutely joking. You really are living on the planet of Triton! I do not know where it sits in the universe, but that is probably where they are getting their policy from.
They are saying they are going to reduce crime, and they want crime reduction strategies. They want set crime reduction targets; they are going to put crime reduction targets in place but sell more grog ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex, cease interjecting. Member for Fong Lim!
Mr HENDERSON: What a joke! What an absolute travesty. There would be some credibility in their position on increasing alcohol sales - and someone in the Licensing Commission said today: ‘Okay, if you are going to start selling grog at 10 am, reduce the sale of grog from 9 pm to 5 pm so, overall, there is not an extended period of time to purchase alcohol’. If the member for Araluen is serious about this debate and says it pushes drunks into the evening, people would rather have drunks in the morning than in the evening. If that was a credible position, you would shift the sale of alcohol from 9 pm back to 5 pm, and not have people drinking for longer periods of time. It is absolutely outrageous!
Let me turn to other points of this motion, because there were interesting additional points. The first was to take direct and decisive action to address law and order issues in Alice Springs. This infers the government, police, other government agencies, and a myriad of non-government organisations are not already taking direct, decisive, and comprehensive steps to address law and order issues in Alice Springs. This insults the good efforts of so many people. For instance, police continually target alcohol-related antisocial behaviour in public places - 80% of all police work in Alice Springs is alcohol related. These clowns opposite want to pour more grog onto the problem …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: These clowns opposite want to pour more grog onto the problem! They really are on planet Triton.
Let me give you some examples of direct action. We have put effective alcohol restrictions into place - that is direct action. We have established a Police Beat - that is direct action. The Police Beat commenced operation in Todd Mall this year. I have an interview with Jonathan Uptin on Channel 9 News Monday, 15 December, when we announced our Police Beat initiatives, and opened the first one at Casuarina. The Leader of the Opposition says I have closed down the shopfront. That is the policy; they do not like Police Beats. Why close one if you are not going to close them all? It is ridiculous. This was a strategic initiative and it is returning results. This initiative was funded with an additional seven extra constables and foot patrols.
The Safer Streets Initiative will also increase Alice Springs police numbers by a further 10 constables this financial year. So, overall an extra 17 full-time police positions in Alice Springs. These Safer Streets police will increase police patrols in the Alice Springs suburbs - that is direct action.
Police regularly conduct antisocial behaviour special operations in identified hot spots. The Property Crime Reduction Unit is another example of strategic and decisive action aimed at addressing law and order issues. The PCRU targets property crime in Alice Springs, and the last quarter has seen a decrease in unlawful entry offences in dwellings and business. The PCRU results are impressive to date: 255 arrests, 47 summonses, 65 youth diversions - total charges year to date, 726. A senior crimes officer position has been attached to the PCRU, which is another example of decisive and strategic action to address law and order issues in Alice, resulting in more successful collection of physical evidence from crime scenes.
As we all know, domestic violence is a significant component of Alice Springs law and order problems. We all know that; it is a tragic blight on our community. The Domestic Violence Protection Unit conducts targeted operations to locate offenders, with a particular focus on repeat offenders. Since March this year, the DVPU has also commenced a victim management process with enhanced victim outcomes and follow -up on repeat victims.
It is White Ribbon Day today, Madam Speaker, and it is great to see most members of parliament wearing white ribbons. My colleague, the minister for Families will be releasing a DVD today of a public education campaign about mandatory reporting of domestic violence. We are working as hard as we can to reduce the incidence of domestic violence across the Northern Territory, and getting the message out that it is unacceptable.
However, do the members opposite really believe increasing alcohol sales for an extra four hours a day is going to reduce domestic violence?
A member interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Reduce domestic violence? What an obscene position ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order, member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: You will have your say to defend the indefensible. I challenge you to put up here one credible health organisation that supports it ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: Not one credible health organisation supports your position.
In the discussion about domestic violence and assault figures, the member for Araluen can trot out all the statistics she likes to try to paint a picture that no one is safe walking the streets in the Northern Territory. I know that is what she is trying to do. The tragedy of domestic violence in the Northern Territory is unacceptable, and that is why police now have dedicated Domestic Violence Units in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Darwin, building a rapport and giving confidence to repeat victims, that those offenders will be targeted and prosecuted. As a result of that confidence and targeted police activity, we are actually seeing, thankfully, more offences being reported so more targeted prosecutions can be made.
It is not just me saying this. People can think we are having a political debate, but I believe everyone in this House respects the independence of the Commissioner of Police of the Northern Territory; it is an independent position and the Police Commissioner runs his own show. The Police Commissioner, Paul White, at one of the final press conferences he gave before he retired and left the position said:
- Current crime statistics demonstrate an increased activity by police.
He went on to say:
- Police are prepared to cop this misinformed flack about the increased reporting of crimes of personal violence because they are now doing their best to support women subjected to domestic violence.
When you shine a light on a problem, put more resources on to the problem and make it compulsory for domestic violence to be reported, support the victims and prosecute repeat offenders, of course, those reports and incidents are going to go up. What would the evidence-based approach of the member for Araluen be? I know one way we could drive those crime figures down: dismantle the Domestic Violence Units and take away mandatory reporting. You would see reports of violent crime decrease dramatically. That would be a very quick and easy way to get a political headline. However, as the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, I am not prepared to do that because I want to see women in the Northern Territory protected by focusing on this problem.
Tipping more grog on to the problem is not going to help those women. It is going to make them suffer even more than they are suffering today ...
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Araluen!
Mr HENDERSON: … even more than they are suffering today. Pouring more grog on to the problem is going to make those women suffer even more than they are today.
I will stick with shining a light on this problem, even if it does mean these figures go up, because this society has to deal with this problem. We have to bring it out into the open, take it away from behind closed doors in those wretched town camps, bring it out into the open for what it is, and get this issue resolved. Pouring more grog on to it will only make it worse. It is an obscene position by the opposition.
My government is also investing in CCTV networks. In Alice Springs, we have delivered funding to the town council to enable the network to be extended and provide for its monitoring ...
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Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, do you mind if I acknowledge these students?
Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of the Araluen Christian College Years 5/6 students with their Principal, Mrs Hilary Saunders and teacher, Ms Sandra Cooper. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, thank you.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I acknowledge any government can always do better - always do better - on behalf of the citizens we are elected to serve. We have significantly implemented and expanded the CCTV network. I know Alice Springs Town Council is very happy with the cooperation of government. I point out, while we are in Alice Springs: how many CCTV cameras did the CLP install when in government for 27 years? Answer – none.
We have also allocated $200 000 for security lighting upgrades. We deliver $350 000 a year to Tangentyere Council to deliver integrated case management services in Alice Springs, including a user pays Return to Home Country. Multi-agency teams are working together in an integrated service delivery model to identify gaps in service delivery. Teams are deployed to target specific groups – for example, young people who should be in school or homeless people who may be in need of support services. These teams are making progress at Northside Shops in Elliott Street, northern Todd Mall area including the riverbank, Todd Tavern, and Larapinta Valley Town Camp.
The $15.6m Youth Action Plan administered by my colleague, the Minister for Central Australia, including the youth hub, is one of the more recent decisive and strategic initiatives we have taken. A youth services coordinator has been established to coordinate youth services in Alice Springs. The focus is on engaging youth, improving school attendance, responding to youth at risk through the provision of expanded emergency bed accommodation, and the construction of a residential facility at the ANZAC Hill Campus of the Centralian Middle School.
The government, assisted by many in Alice, is taking direct and decisive action to address law and order issues in Alice Springs. There is good support for the actions of my government and for the efforts in departments and non-government organisations in this area. The development and implementation of the No School, No Service campaign is a good example of collaboration within Alice Springs to address such issues. I commend the 120 businesses in Alice Springs which have actually committed to this issue. They have actually committed to a reduction of income through their tills in their business to support this, and I commend their commitment to this issue and to the community by taking a hit in their own profitability to support this initiative in the community. There are considerable resources employed and significant action under way to address law and order in this town. I commend everyone playing a part.
The motion also proposes crime reduction targets to be established for each year for the next five years, and to resource police and put in place appropriate laws to ensure such reductions are met. In respect of crime reduction targets, all policing activities in the Territory are already aimed at reducing crime in the Northern Territory. Identifying arbitrarily selected percentage targets for reduction will have no impact on whether such targets are achieved.
Quarterly crime statistics are already available. We publish quarterly crime statistics, the most comprehensive crime reporting in Australia by an absolute country mile, and that provides the information for public debate on crime reduction. So I say we already do this. Alice Springs police operate on a timely intelligence-led basis which targets hot spots and crime trends in accordance with a tactical coordination group process.
The ABS reports the clear-up rate of Northern Territory Police Force is second to none, compared to the national average in respect of serious crime. The 2009 report on government services clearly demonstrates we have twice as many police per head of population than in any other jurisdiction. We now have more police than ever before in the history of the Northern Territory, and Alice Springs has a significant number of police officers per head of population.
Following the graduation of two training squads on 9 November 2009, we have 1296 police serving in the force, which is 392 additional police in place than we had in 2003. The legacy of the former CLP government was an under-funded, under-manned, morale debilitated police force in the Northern Territory, and police officers leaving the Territory in droves. We have 392 extra police. Alice Springs and the southern region has seen an overall increase of 39 paid police over this period, all of which are constables or above.
While numbers vary from day to day, Alice Springs Police Station has, at the moment, 175 police including ACPOs and auxiliaries. Alice Springs has a population of around 26 000 and is well serviced by police when you compare it to other towns interstate or similar larger populations. For instance, Broken Hill has a population of around 20 000 people; it has 61 police. Kalgoorlie has a population of 31 000 people and has 89 police; and Whyalla has a population of 23 000 and has 66 police. Whichever way you cut it, Alice Springs has more police than any other town of a similar size, or the same size, in Australia.
We then talk about appropriate laws to be put in place to address law and order. Let me just run through some of the things we have done. We have introduced new laws requiring all adults to report domestic violence. It is White Ribbon Day today, and I ask all members to support the release of the DVDs and the marketing campaign in and around that. We have reversed the presumption of bail for repeat violent offenders, we have strengthened sentencing laws, we have tough new laws which aim to stamp out the activities of organised crime syndicates and illegal bikie gangs - and that was an issue in Alice Springs; young offenders are being held fully responsible for their actions under the Youth Justice Act; legislation is there to provide for family responsibility agreements and orders; we have increased the penalties for sexual assault, we are strengthening food and drink spiking laws; and we have prohibited rock throwing. Regarding the sentiment of this motion, I attest we have significantly strengthened laws to address law and order.
The motion proposes a Police and Citizens Youth Club. Members would be aware government has already agreed, as part of the parliamentary agreement between me and the Independent member for Nelson, for a police boys club model to be developed for Casuarina, Palmerston, Katherine and Alice Springs. Work is under way as part of the Youth Action Plan, so I attest we are doing that part of what this motion calls for.
In Alice Springs at this time, the government’s focus is on implementing the youth hub as one of the cornerstones of the Alice Springs Youth Action Plan. It will deliver a multi-agency model, with Police and the Departments of Health and Families and Education and Training as the key government agencies involved, with a better capacity to engage with the non-government organisations sector ...
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move the Chief Minister be given an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
My government will invest more than $15.6m over the next four years to establish the Alice Springs Middle School and other elements of the Alice Springs Youth Action Plan. It was great to be at the Alice Springs High School campus as part of the new middle school next year. A $3.36m contract has just been let to a local Alice Springs company, Asbuild (NT), to build new VET facilities, new IT labs, and a new canteen area. A similar sum of money will be expended at ANZAC Hill Campus to provide for a very smart new middle school for Alice Springs next year - one of the biggest reforms in education here for a long time.
The youth hub will operate utilising existing facilities, including the Gap Youth Centre and the Alice Springs Youth Centre, to complement and expand their capacity to provide meaningful activities for young people in Alice Springs. There are already a significant number of current youth-related activities and service funded in Alice Springs.
The motion also suggests the Youth Justice Act should be strengthened to ensure more parental responsibility agreements and orders are made and acted on. This was an initiative of our government. All new legislation needs to be kept under critical review, and this is especially relevant with innovative provisions which aim to regulate the lives of youth offenders and dysfunctional families - provisions which are contemporary and have previously not been proven anywhere. We have been innovative in the Northern Territory; we are doing something no one else is doing, and we will keep that under critical review.
I am pleased to report following a submission from the Department of Children and Families, my government took action, in May this year, in the form of an additional review to consider the legislation and the implementation of Part 6A, and to suggest any improvements which might be made. The review resulted in 13 recommendations which included the development of areas such as education of stakeholders, procedural matters, supports required for workers, and clarification of the functions of the family support centres and the inter-agency collaboration panel. All recommendations made in this review have been actioned.
The family responsibility legislation is a new initiative. Careful monitoring of the functioning of the legislation in the family support centres is occurring. The initial review occurred five months after the regulations commenced in relation to Alice Springs. With the refinements made based on the recommendations of this review, the government is taking advice in relation to a more complete review of the legislation and operations in the future.
We can support the intent of this part of the motion. All those good intents in other parts of the motion are absolutely undermined by the last limb of the motion. None of the preceding four limbs of this motion can possibly be achieved, in any way, by implementing the fifth and reprehensible part of the motion, which is to turn back on the rivers of grog in Alice Springs. It is to the shame of the opposition they could bring into this parliament a position to extend the hours for the sale of takeaway alcohol from 10 am without reducing, correspondingly, the evening time from 9 pm to 5 pm.
Their policy position is very clear. I am very interested to hear the member for Greatorex defend the absolute indefensible; how an 18% increase in pure alcohol consumption a year - the equivalent of consuming an additional 5.5 million cans of full strength beer – would, in any way, improve the lives and safety of women and children in Alice Springs.
If the opposition wants to keep throwing these issues up, I will keep returning to one of the saddest and traumatic moments of my life as an elected member of parliament, which was spending time in Alice Springs with police officers who are part of the Domestic Violence Unit. It was something which will stay with me for the rest of my life. I sat down with two fine women police officers, and they took me through a folio this thick, of page after page after page of photographs of Indigenous women in this town who had been beaten to a pulp as a result of alcohol-induced violence and domestic violence in Alice Springs - page after page.
As I said, we have a responsibility as legislators and a parliament, to protect the most vulnerable in our community. We know, in Alice Springs, women and children, particularly in those town camps, are vulnerable. For the opposition to even contemplate extending the sale of takeaway alcohol for an additional four hours every day is in any way going to help protect those vulnerable women is offensive and outrageous …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Regarding the police officers the member for Araluen spoke about; I also have many personal friends who are police officers. I married into a family with very strong connections to police. I challenge the member for Araluen to sit down with those officers who work in the Domestic Violence Unit and explain to them how pouring more grog onto this problem is going to make their jobs any easier - it is outrageous.
With regard to the intent of this motion, of course, we support the intent to reduce crime in Alice Springs; we have a responsibility to do that as a government. However, all the good intent of the previous four parts of the motion - as I have said we can quibble about bits and pieces of it, but the intent is fine; we all want reduced crime in our society – is undermined by the last part of the motion which says: ‘Change the hours of the availability of alcohol so that all takeaway alcohol is sold from 10 am’. It is offensive, outrageous, and it would do nothing other than increase crime, violence, bashings, assaults, presentations to the hospital, and absolutely make the lives of the most disadvantaged people in Alice Springs even worse. We will not be supporting the motion.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, it is not a surprise the government will not be supporting this because it has failed Alice Springs in so many areas. It never ceases to amaze me; every time I stand up to contribute to a debate in this House - I believe I have heard everything. I believe I said it last time when the road safety bill, that propaganda puff piece was brought on by the member for Barkly at the last sittings. However, now I have heard everything. The Chief Minister claims - he believes he has us in a corner - the restrictions on alcohol and the Country Liberals’ approach to winding back the sale of alcohol is, somehow, going to increase the sale of alcohol. Where is the evidence which shows opening the doors longer is going to, all of a sudden, see a huge spike in alcohol sales? Where is it?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr CONLAN: He has never worked in retail, he believes all you have to do is have a shop, open the front door and, all of a sudden, people are going to flood in and start spending their money. None of you have ever worked in the private sector, clearly; although I believe the member for Johnston was a pharmacist. He should know that simply by opening the shopfront, putting the sign out the front and sitting behind the till, people are not going to flock in. That is clearly the logic of the Australian Labor Party.
It is not about increasing alcohol sales across Alice Springs. It is about repealing the trading hours of these bottle shops. There is no evidence to suggest opening the bottle shops earlier will see a huge spike in alcohol sales – full stop. Anyone who has ever worked in any form of private enterprise - and clearly none of the Labor Party have - will know that. Speak to the Australian Retailers Association and find out what they think about trading hours and the increase in sales ...
Members interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: I know the Minister for Health does not believe in that. He has never worked in the private sector himself …
Members interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: Well, you should know better. Extending the trading hours does not increase sales. I can guarantee that; I grew up in private enterprise. I was put through school through private enterprise. I worked in the family business. There is no evidence to suggest increasing the trading hours will increase sales - full stop. It is a fact, and you can check it out. Talk to any retailer. In fact, the only evidence I do have to suggest trading hours would not spike is anecdotal evidence by talking to all the bottle shop owners here in Central Australia. None of them could say, if we roll back the hours to 10 am we are going to see a huge increase in alcohol sales. So, where is the logic?
Members interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: Where is the logic in that? All right? I do not know whether the Chief Minister is trying to draw his argument; it is a very long bow. This part of the motion which says change the hours of the availability of alcohol so all takeaway alcohol is sold from 10 am says nothing about increasing the sales of alcohol. It simply says change the hours of the availability of alcohol so all takeaway alcohol is sold from 10 am. The key word there is ‘availability’. Okay? It is not about purchasing; it is not about extra sales. It is about the availability of alcohol from 10 am. It is very clear and it has nothing to do with alcohol sales.
It is no surprise this government does not support any of these motions. I do not know how they can stand in this parliament and preach to the people of Alice Springs - the people in this gallery and listening online across the Northern Territory and, indeed, perhaps across other parts of the country - that they do, hand on heart, care about Alice Springs. We know they have comprehensively failed Alice Springs since they came to government in 2001. The former Chief Minister, Clare Martin, brought Alice Springs almost to its knees in 2007 with an unprecedented protest of about 500 or 600 people at the Alice Springs parliamentary sittings.
They have failed in the battle for law and order. That is, even if they ever were interested in engaging in the battle of law and order. I do not think they were. It is very clear this government has comprehensively failed Alice Springs. They are a completely unmitigated disaster for the Northern Territory and, of course, for Central Australia. It is no surprise to hear the rhetoric. It was almost embarrassing today to hear the Chief Minister roll out the dribble which comes out of his mouth, trying to tell the people of Alice Springs - who know all too well what their town is facing – that he disputes that and, in some way, trying to wedge the Country Liberal Party and, indeed, the three local members.
There is no evidence, by the way, to suggest increasing the trading hours is going to increase sales - absolutely no evidence whatsoever. In fact, if we were to take the Chief Minister’s argument to the nth degree, by his logic we would just ban alcohol altogether. Wouldn’t we? He told the story about looking through the folder at the Alice Springs Hospital. If this was his argument, and we were to take his argument on face value, we would be completely banning alcohol - much like the evidence-based approach the member for Johnston raised in the political propaganda puff piece by the member for Barkly at the last sittings; that one vehicle accident is too many so let us just ban cars. Again, that is an evidence-based approach. You said the road safety campaign was evidence-based approach. If that is the case, we just ban motor vehicles ...
Dr Burns interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: No, no, that is just drawing the logic ...
Dr Burns interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr CONLAN: By your logic and the Chief Minister’s logic, that is what we should do - ban everything. It is not ...
Dr Burns interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr CONLAN: It is not. Logic is logic. Right? Logic is logic. By virtue of logic, is logic.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr CONLAN: Now let us have a look at …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, would you mind if I just acknowledged a couple of people in the gallery.
Mr CONLAN: Certainly.
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Distinguished Visitor
Mr Damien Ryan
Mr Damien Ryan
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of His Worship the Mayor of Alice Springs, Mr Damien Ryan. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I also draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of students from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Sadadeen Campus, four students from Year 11, and 17 from Year 9, together with their teachers, Miss Marie Daykin and Mr Jon Raveney. 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 Greatorex.
Mr CONLAN: Madam Speaker, let us have a look at some of the stuff the government hangs its hat on. They hang their whole argument on this report compiled by an academic at Monash University. Let us have a look:
- While responses indicated that the community believed that the town was quieter during the day, they indicated that the trial had little effect on alcohol consumption. Furthermore, the later takeaway trading hours had shifted the problem to later at night ...
Well, lo and behold, can you believe it? Holy cow! Let me read it again:
- Furthermore, the later takeaway trading hours had shifted the problem to later at night ...
For the information of the gallery, I will hold up this Monash University/Menzies report, commissioned by the Northern Territory government, which they are hanging their whole argument on. It goes on to say:
- Furthermore, the takeaway trading hours had shifted the problem to later at night, a point also made about increased activity on town camps to later in the evening.
‘… a point also made about increased activity on town camps to later in the evening’. All right? ‘Increased activity on town camps to later in the evening’. There is some evidence for you, members for Johnston and Karama, and for you, Chief Minister. This one talks about consumption:
- There is further limitation of the data which must be taken into consideration when interpreting these results. The conversion to litres of pure alcohol for wine sold in bottles is based on there being 10 bottles per crate.
The report goes on to say:
- However, from 2002, the packaging was changed so there are now 16 bottles of wine bottles per crate. This means that total alcohol sales data represent an underestimate of the true volume of alcohol sold.
Holy cow, can you believe it? This is from the actual report Moving Beyond the Restrictions: The Evaluation of the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan, commissioned by the Northern Territory government. Here is another one:
- … some judgment should be exercised in concluding that they are caused by the AMP …
… rather than any other influences which happened at the same time.
In other words, there is nothing in this report to indicate alcohol trading hours will contribute solely to the increase of more alcohol sales. The Department of Justice does not particularly like, it do they? As soon as they are put on the boiler, they do not particularly like it. I am not referring to anyone in particular there, Madam Speaker. I just think it is worth highlighting to the gallery, the people who come into this Chamber every two years to see their parliament in action, when taken to task on issues, they do not particularly like it very much.
Here is the Department of Justice 2008-09 Report to the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing. Let us see. I will run through some of these for you:
- The major factor contributing to this reduction was the introduction of supply restrictions in October 2006. The key feature of these restrictions were:
Where does it say anywhere in there expanding the trading hours, or putting them back to 10 am, is going to see an increase in alcohol sales? It does not say it anywhere in the Menzies report - the famous report compiled by an academic at the Monash University; the report this government hangs its hat on. In fact, it is the centrepiece of their whole argument in Central Australia. Nowhere does it say it in the Department of Justice 2008-09 Report to the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing. In fact, it says:
- These restrictions resulted in a significant reduction in cask wine supply, somewhat offset by an increase in full strength beer supply.
Can you believe that? The Chief Minister is here saying we have seen massive reductions in sales of beer and cans of beer but, no:
- These restrictions resulted in a significant reduction in cask wine supply, somewhat offset by an increase in full strength beer supply.
It is amazing how the facts get in the way of a great story. It is just incredible! Here we are in Central Australia, they are on the ropes, they are trying to push us on the ropes and, yet, these facts, somehow, get in the way of a great story:
- … somewhat offset by an increase in full strength beer supply!
Again, the Chief Minister is left right out in the cold with his argument. He is clearly completely out of touch with what is happening in Central Australia. He hangs his hat on a report which, nowhere, indicates the increase in trading hours is going to see a spike in alcohol sales. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest it will not see a spike in alcohol sales. Nowhere in this Menzies report, or in the Department of Justice report, does it link any of those contributing factors to alcohol trading hours - nowhere is any of those major factors contributing to alcohol sales! In fact, all we have seen is the reduction in cask wine supply is offset by an increase in full strength beer.
Looking at the alcohol restrictions is very interesting. If the restrictions, and the AMP, the Alcohol Management Plan, were such a wonderful glowing success as the government portray - and we have demonstrated this morning it is not; it is factually incorrect, and they are allowing the facts to get in the way of a good story, again. We have successfully demonstrated to the gallery, and to those people listening online right across the world these …
Members interjecting.
Mr CONLAN: Maybe they have a life.
Dr Burns: John Laws strikes again.
Mr CONLAN: It is wonderful to be referred to such a legend as Lawsy; I do not think he would appreciate it. Nevertheless, we have just demonstrated the government do not let the facts get in the way of a good story, and their argument is completely flawed because they have been very selective in parts of the Menzies report and the Department of Justice report.
If, though, it was such a glowing success - which it is not - why are we not seeing this rolled out across Darwin? No one on the other side of the House has been able to answer that question. Not one person has been able to answer why these restrictions are not rolled out in Darwin.
Member for Johnston, do you have an answer? No. Has the Chief Minister been able to answer this question? No. It has been put to them time, and time again. The member for Karama, the Minister for Alcohol Policy - no one - has been able to answer why. If the restrictions which are in place in Central Australia are such a glowing success as crowed about by the Northern Territory government, time and time again - you have never been able to answer this question ...
A member: It is on the record.
Mr CONLAN: You have never been able to answer this question, and the people of Central Australia would like, during debate of this motion, for you to explain in plain English why we are seeing these restrictions rolled out across Central Australia and not the Top End.
I can run through the takeaway liquor restrictions of the Northern Territory in Darwin. Trading hours are 10 am until 10 pm, Monday to Friday. Restrictions on container size - nil. Restrictions on cask and fortified wine - nil. Other restrictions - nil. ID system - nil. Saturday and public holidays, 9 am until 10 pm. Again, no restrictions on container size, cask or fortified wine, or other restrictions, or an ID system. This is straight from a letter I received from the Minister for Alcohol Policy. On Sundays, pubs and clubs only 10 am until 10 pm. No takeaway trading on Christmas Day and Good Friday. We see no restrictions on product or trading hours in Darwin.
If we have a look at Alice Springs: Monday to Friday 2 pm until 9 pm; Saturday 10 am until 9 pm. Can someone please tell me why, if it is such a great measure and it is working so well, we have Monday to Friday from 2 pm until 9 pm, but it is okay to trade from 10 am Saturday morning? Why is that? Can anyone answer that? No, you cannot answer that either, because it is contrary to the argument and the line you are trying to run - completely contrary. It is disallowing the facts to get in the way of a good story, and a badly prosecuted argument by the Chief Minister.
In Katherine we have similar restrictions: 2 pm until 8 pm, Monday to Friday. The restrictions are much the same, by a quick glance: no liquor other than cask wine to be sold in containers larger than one litre, with the exception of the Darwin Stubby Souvenir Packs; cask wine not greater than two litres – this is Alice Springs by the way; beer in 750 ml and 800 ml glass containers is prohibited - nothing like that in the Top End; cask and fortified wine, one person per day of either cask or fortified wine; and then other restrictions, cask and fortified wine only available between 6 pm and 9 pm every day. And, yes, there is a photo ID system in place.
As we have demonstrated, the argument by the Northern Territory government is flawed. With just one minute 30 seconds to go, I believe it is worth repeating from the report:
- While responses indicated that the community believed that the town was quieter during the day, they indicated that the trial had little effect on alcohol consumption. Furthermore, the later takeaway trading hours had shifted the problem to later at night, a point also made about increased activity in town camps to later in the evening.
It is right there in this report this government loves to hang its hat on …
Mr STYLES: 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.
Mr CONLAN: Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you honourable members.
Again, there is no evidence in the Department of Justice report which states the increase in alcohol trading hours is going to see an increase in alcohol sales. I do not believe the Chief Minister read the motion properly - clearly not.
Our motion says change the hours of the availability of alcohol so that all alcohol will be sold from 10 am. It says nothing about increasing the sales of alcohol. There is only so much money to go around. There are only so many people who will be buying alcohol. By increasing the alcohol trading hours you are not going to magically pluck out of thin air more purchasers of alcohol. If that was the case, it would be great, you would just trade all day and all night.
You know it, too. You should know it and, if you do not, you obviously were not a very successful pharmacist.
Nevertheless, I would have thought these measures were supposed to be a stopgap in the issues to combat alcohol-related violence and antisocial behaviour. It seems to me, and alarmingly so, these measures are here for the long term. These are long-term measures for Central Australia. They should be just a stopgap until we can deal with the real problem. There is nothing here about getting drunks off the street, and getting those drunks into rehabilitation.
The Country Liberals have a centrepiece to our law and order platform, which is the habitual drunks policy. It is a comprehensive policy which will get drunks off the street, and also get those drunks into mandatory rehabilitation. It can be voluntary, if you like, but it is also mandatory rehabilitation. I know the Australian Labor Party does not particularly like doing this, but I have to say, maybe you can take a leaf out of Jenny Macklin’s book, who, all of a sudden, has now realised welfare quarantining was a good thing. I know it goes against the grain of the ideologies of the Australian Labor Party but, nevertheless, mandatory rehabilitation is the centrepiece of the Country Liberals platform to address law and order through the habitual drunks policy: three times in six months - you will be placed into mandatory rehabilitation.
I said this yesterday, I will probably say it again today as more of these motions come up: once in mandatory rehabilitation you will not be put into a prison like Berrimah or Alice Springs. We have no intention of filling up Alice Springs gaols with drunks. We will have prison farms where you will learn to read and write, you will learn some life skills, some job skills - you will get a ticket to come out and drive a fork lift. You will do all that sort of stuff. I know it is a bit beyond you - isn’t it, Bungles? - but it is there and it is coming.
The habitual drunks policy is coming. It is part of the Country Liberals’ policy, and I can tell you it is coming. We have demonstrated here in the short 25 minutes, the flawed argument of the Australian Labor Party - their wedge on us that, somehow, ‘the change of hours of the availability of alcohol, so that all takeaway alcohol is sold from 10 am’ is going to increase more alcohol sales. It is a flawed argument, clearly, from a man who has no expertise in the private sector; who has never run or worked in a small business, and has no idea. If he did work in a small business, he would probably fail in it very soon. He thinks all you have to do is rent a shop, put a sign out the front, and open the doors, and away you go, all of a sudden, you are trading. Well, it is rubbish. I know it, we all know it. Bungles over there, you should know it. Clearly, none of the rest of you know it.
The Chief Minister has no idea; he is an absolute embarrassment. I am certain those people here today in this gallery listening will concur the Chief Minister and the Australian Labor Party have completely and unmitigatedly failed Alice Springs once again.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, just to let the member for Greatorex know, this one bloke who worked for 16 years in Mitre 10 and also worked for himself, so I know a fair bit about private industry. Also, it is good to hear the CLP is pushing forward with the idea of compulsory rehabilitation. It is something I have been pushing for many years as well. I do not think it is a lonesome idea; it is very good it is being promoted.
Once again, I am disappointed with what happens in this place. We have some very important issues to be debated and, once again, it is about calling people names and putting people down, instead of getting to the issues at hand.
There is no doubt law and order throughout the Territory is an issue. There is no doubt alcohol abuse is an issue. I spoke about that yesterday. There is no doubt we have to do things for youth, which is an issue.
Sometimes, the way debate is handled, I feel ashamed I am a member of this parliament. There would be no one standing here who would not say those issues are issues we are all passionate about. Everyone gets up in here and says they are passionate and then they kick the living daylights out of one another! What does that show everyone? That they are here for party political point-scoring! I know this happens and, unfortunately, on these serious issues, it is more about that than trying to achieve the results people expect of us, as parliamentarians.
I will put my ideas forward. They are my ideas, and I hope they help with some of the debate. I heard the comments from the member for Port Darwin. He said he did not agree some of this is political point-scoring.
We have a motion here with five points on it. As soon as someone does not agree with one of those motions, the label is, ‘Well, you do not agree with any of it’, and that is unfair. I cannot pull all these out and vote on each one individually, unless you want to be here until midnight. I know we have a huge amount of work on our plate today. What I am saying, in relation to these issues, is it is not all simple. The first three issues are related to one another: taking direct and decisive action to address law and order issues in Alice Springs; to establish crime reduction targets and have more police resources and appropriate laws; and to establish a Police Citizens Youth Club - and if you want to throw the other one on - strengthen the Youth Justice Act. They are all about trying to do something to overcome some of the issues we have. It is just not simple to say: ‘We have the answer and you do not, therefore, you are wrong and we are right’.
Take the issue of established crime reduction targets. Crime is not like how many tables you are going to produce every year if you are in a carpenter shop. You just say we will get a better machine and we will employ more people. Crime is a complex issue. Crime has many reasons for its existence. Where is the debate which goes further than trying to reduce crime by increasing the number of police resources and placing more laws on our legislation? We have enough laws to sink a battleship. Whether they are carried out, or whether they are enforced might be the issue. However, the point is we need to be looking at the whole issue of crime reduction from a much bigger picture than just police and laws.
We need to have early intervention. We need to be putting more money into early intervention. I know the member for Araluen has included the establishment of a Police Citizens Youth Club. I have been talking to the police youth coordinator, Michael White, in relation to that. He does not necessarily have a problem with a PCYC club, but he says Larapinta is not the area for it, because there is not the demand. I say to this House, you have three youth centres - one of them is The Gap and one of them is not funded properly. The government, if it was really serious about early intervention, needs to pull up its socks and fund these places on a long-term basis. For the manager of The Gap to have one year of salary, and, then, have to apply for the next year, does not send out a message from the government which is right; that it supports these youth clubs, these recreation centres. It needs to give people five-year funding and goals they must achieve. It needs to ensure those facilities are up to scratch. The Gap was an old block of flats, I understand. It might have been a couple of sheds, so it has been adapted. Did we build something that was purpose built? No, we adapted something and then we give people poor funding. It has had its problems, but I believe it is on its way up again.
We need to put more money into those things if we are looking at crime reduction. I went to the Alice Springs Youth Centre. It is the first time I have been there, and I was taken through by two wonderful ladies, June Noble and another lady, I think her name was Marie Petery. I went through the whole premises. To be honest with you, my impression was, besides certain structured sports which occur, it was dead. Yet, I know the government is looking at having a youth hub at ANZAC Hill. I would ask the government why we do not look at a master plan for improving the Alice Springs Youth Centre, involving the PCYC, and develop that as a better resourced place than it is. They rely on volunteers, and volunteers these days are getting harder and harder to come by. If the government is fair dinkum about doing something about youth, put some money into the Alice Springs Youth Centre.
There is the YMCA at Sadadeen, a great facility, but it is a paid facility. Perhaps we need to be looking at an annexe, which is a drop-in centre where you do not have to pay any money for anything; you can just go there and have some recreation. The bus can drop you off.
What Michael White was saying is we have the facilities - we do not have a problem necessarily with PCYC being involved - but we need to be fair dinkum about upgrading those facilities, putting some money into the staff, making sure they have long-term job security, setting out some goals, and getting on with really saying we are absolutely positive, absolutely fair dinkum, about early intervention. We are talking about prisons at the moment and that is big money. We should be looking at the same sort of money for early intervention.
The other issues are in relation to alcohol. Surely, one of those must be unemployment. We know the population of Alice Springs has high unemployment, especially amongst Indigenous people. What effort is being made to try to bring Aboriginal people into mainstream employment? I will be honest with you, when I go to Coles, I do not see too many Aboriginal people working there. I go to Woolies and I do not see too many Aboriginal people working there. The question I ask is: with such a high population of Aboriginal people, why not? Other people might have the answers. I am not a local, but if you ask me for first-off impressions when I walk around, there are not many Indigenous people working in what you would call mainstream private enterprise in the commercial area of Alice Springs.
Is unemployment a key reason why people are on the grog? There is nothing else to do, so why not go and get drunk? Might as well. It is a pretty boring old life if you have no job to do. Do we have people who have come into town naturally? They drifted into the big white lights and are, basically, just itinerants. They are also part of the problem. Do we have problems in their communities which mean they come into Alice Springs? Are they some of the reasons we have these problems?
Alcohol programs: I said before we spent all this money on no advertising of tobacco. We banned tobacco from here, we banned tobacco from there. We put a big emphasis on tobacco, but we put very little emphasis on alcohol advertising and the promotion of alcohol.
I imagine, in Alice Springs, like Marrara in Darwin, alcohol is a key part of the sponsorship for many events which occur. We do not seem to worry about that because it makes money, and we are more interested in profits than what effect alcohol has on our community. It is easy to say it is only a certain part of the community which is a problem. That is fine, but the word ‘community’ comes to hand. If there is a major problem in the community, then the community is part of the answer; it has to work towards solving these problems.
To some extent, they are specific to Alice Springs and communities like that. The member for Greatorex talked about whether we should have these laws in Darwin. I would not mind some of these laws in Mitchell Street. The behaviour of Mitchell Street patrons, from time to time, is far worse than you get in Alice Springs. I do not disagree; I say it is horses for courses. The restrictions you place should accord with where you are, the circumstances, and the reasons you are applying those restrictions.
Overall, I do not have a problem with most of what the member for Araluen has put forward. I do not support the police youth club going to Larapinta, and that is on the advice of the police officer in charge who looks at these issues all the time. I do not have a problem strengthening the Youth Justice Act. If the Youth Justice Act is not working, I would be looking at the reasons why, and if it needs adjusting to make it work. Youth justice is not a simple matter either. Why are kids getting into trouble? It is not because the legislation says doing this will fix it. They are complex problems. Youth have issues which are not legislated; they need to be managed, and they need to be talked through. There is a human element to some of these issues that legislation, on its own, will not fix. In general, I agree with the principle of strengthening the Youth Justice Act.
I do not agree with increasing the hours in Alice Springs to 10 am. That sends out the wrong message. You can argue whether people will drink more alcohol or not; it will not make any difference whether they drink more or less alcohol. It is sending out the wrong message. We have said alcohol is one of the major reasons people are in prison, alcohol is a major reason for domestic violence and, yet, we send out a message we are going to increase the time you can drink by four hours. It is the message which worries me. There may be issues of how police handle drunks in the evening. I spoke to Vince Kelly about this issue and he did not believe it. He was astounded there was any move to increase the number of hours alcohol was going to be available.
There may not be more alcohol consumed. I do not have the statistics either way. In Tennant Creek, it gave people a little quiet. One of the effects in Tennant Creek was there were some hours at home where there was not any grog. There is no doubt when you pull out reports - and everyone has been pulling out the Menzies School of Health report - everyone can use statistics anyway they feel. At the beginning of this document, it sets out fundamental principles it says should be looked at in relation to alcohol. I will find those broad parameters ...
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, while you are doing that, do you mind if I just acknowledge these students?
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Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of students from Year 9 at St Philip’s College, together with Assistant Deputy Headmaster Mr Paul Wilson, and their teacher, Mr Christopher Raja. 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.
Page 43 of the Menzies School of Health report says: ‘Best practice in addressing alcohol-related problems’. This is what I have to go on; I am no expert on alcohol-related problems and how to address them. It says there are three pathways for addressing alcohol related problems: (1) is harm reduction, (2) is demand reduction, and (3) is supply reduction. Under supply reduction is says:
- … strategies that are intended to achieve social, health and safety benefits by reducing the physical availability of a particular substance (for example, creating legal prohibition, reducing hours and days of sale for legal drugs).
This report quotes Stockwell; it says this is one of the best practice methods in addressing alcohol-related problems. Page 45 deals with that. You need to read the whole section and I will quote:
- Limiting the hours and days of sale has been found in Australian and international studies to decrease drinking and alcohol related problems. In the Northern Territory context, the most evaluated set of restrictions on access to alcohol are the Tennant Creek restrictions, known as ‘Thirsty Thursdays’. … These restrictions included a ban on takeaway sales of alcohol and front bar sales on Thursdays as well as restrictions on hours of sale, type and amount of beverages which could be sold … and banning third party purchase of alcohol ...
These restrictions had a wide of range of positive results including declines in alcohol sales, in alcohol related harm and in alcohol related offences … The restrictions also appeared to have a high level of community support. It is interesting, however, that further evaluations of the alcohol free day, found that it was not as effective as it had been at the initiation of the program … It may be important to recognise that the period after the initiation of an intervention is the time when effects are most acutely felt and to use this period to further develop sustainable and community supported interventions.
I should mention the Menzies School of Health talked about other strategies but said this strategy is not in isolation and will go hand-in-hand with other strategies such as limiting the number of alcohol outlets, responsible beverage service; restrictions on high-risk beverages; area-based consumption restrictions, targeted individual restrictions; harm reduction such as better lighting; and reducing the demand for alcohol through treatment programs. It also said a range of strategies, including limited takeaway hours, is needed to tackle the management of alcohol in Alice Springs.
I understand there may be some practical issues regarding policing, but is changing the hours the answer? That is the question. Are there other methods without sending out the message of longer drinking hours to communities we know have major alcohol problems? That is what worries me. We can quote figures. I can quote the Mayor of Alice Springs at the CTC hearing the other day. You may be interested in this. He has a cash for container system at the moment where you get 5 per container for glass or aluminium. In just over 40 days, 2.446 million containers were returned to the recycling centre in Alice Springs. I bet a fair number of those are green and most of them are alcohol. That was in 40 days. Put that over 365 days and see how many. That is only the cans which have been picked up. Whatever they are consuming, there is much of it happening.
There is no doubt, after I visited Alice Springs from time to time and walked down a street at 6 am and came across two people fighting, we have problems. It is no good telling me it is their problem. No, it is not; it is our problem. It is Alice Springs’ problem, it is a Northern Territory problem, it is our problem. We need to work together as a parliament - not as parties, as a parliament - to come together to try to work through these issues. We have to find employment for people. We have to help the young people and give them the facilities to get going. I know we do it to some extent but, when I hear of only one youth funding for the person in The Gap, I ask: ‘Are you fair dinkum?’ I do not think you are. I would rather this parliament got together and worked with the community - not by itself, with the community - to try to solve some of these problems.
The Council of Territory Cooperation has been travelling around. One thing I found is there are terrific people out there who are working their butts off trying to help their own people, trying to change things. They do not get enough recognition. We should be using and encouraging those people, against fairly large odds, to try to help the communities overcome some of these issues facing Alice Springs and other communities. Alice Springs is not alone with some of these issues. So …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move that the member for Nelson be granted an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: Thank you. I will not use 10 minutes; I know we are pretty busy today.
Madam Speaker, we can do better. We need to work together as a parliament. Let us try to solve these problems without shouting one another down. Let us work through them.
Simply because I do not agree with a couple of these issues in this motion, I do not want it said that, therefore, I do not support things which should happen in Alice Springs. If that is said, then I know someone is just using this debate for political purposes.
We have five issues on this motion. I do not agree with a couple of them. That does not mean I do not agree with the seriousness of the situation, and that something should be done. I believe something should be done and, because I have a different view, does not necessary mean I do not support the basic principle of what this motion is about.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I also contribute to this motion. Before I do, I wish to make some observations in relation to the speech we have just listened to, made by the member for Nelson.
The member for Nelson would have us come into this place, sit around and, essentially, hold hands and agree on what has to be done to run the Northern Territory. The problem with that is I cannot bring myself to agree with those things the government purports to support in these areas. The very system we have has built into it numerous natural tensions. The system of this parliament we have uses those natural tensions to improve the quality of what comes out of this place and goes into the public arena. If it was not for the natural conflict in this place - and this House is designed to accommodate those disagreements - then the quality of governance would actually be retarded, not advanced, for the people of the Northern Territory.
As it is, some 90% of the work we do in this place proceeds by way of agreement. However, that does not prevent members making observations in the meantime. Every time there is an argument, it is easy to reduce it to a slogan you hear from so many people which runs something like this: it is such a childish place they cannot bring themselves to agree. The fact is, parliaments exist for that very reason; because people do not agree. It is nave, frankly, to think you can simply recommend a system of government based on us sitting around on a blanket singing Kumbaya, My Lord, and hoping we are going to come to some resolution to these serious problems.
The government does not agree with the opposition’s motion; that much is clear. The member for Nelson does not agree with some elements of this motion; that much is clear. Does that, necessarily, then follow that we then have to form a conga line behind the member for Nelson - as is the position of the government - and cheer him on, rather than actually stand and say: ‘Government, you are wrong in your world view and the way you do things’.
The other thing is this House invites critical thinking. If we were all to sit around and simply agree with government and say what a great job they did, it would be a very uncritical House and, frankly, a waste of time. The reason I like critical thinking is you do not have to expend a great deal of it on what government says in this place to find mammoth holes in some of the allegations and assertions they make. I turn my mind, particularly to the issue of domestic violence, which we are, and have been now, told on numerous occasions, is the cause for the increased violence in the Northern Territory.
The minister for Police will have heard from me now on numerous occasions, at the last sittings and in this one, by way of interjection: ‘Where is the police annual report?’ Last sittings he said: ‘It is coming, it is coming soon. Just be patient, it will be here’. It is one of the very last annual reports yet to be tabled. I am now starting to get a suspicion as to why the Chief Minister and minister for Police - he is the same person - is sitting on this annual report. If you look at what has been produced in the last couple of annual reports in relation to the proportion of domestic violence convictions as an overall slice of the number of assaults which have been committed in the Northern Territory, you will very quickly discover the argument and the allegation which is repeated by the Chief Minister - unsupported by any statistical evidence up until this point; merely an assertion made - that it is the increased investigation of domestic violence - tragic as it is – which is driving up assault rates in our community.
The fact is, that is simply not being borne out by the handful of police annual reports I have been able to get from the past. I draw members’ attention - I will be very careful so I do not get this squibby little allegation from the Leader of Government Business I am making stuff up, because every time he hears a statistic he does not like, that is the first allegation you hear. I will reference everything I say accordingly. Page 119 of the 2006-07 annual report produces a column for the financial year 2005-06 of a total number of offences against a person at 5090. I quote from that page:
- Proportion of total Domestic/Family Violence related Offences Against The Person - 55%.
I then draw members’ attention to the 2007-08 annual report, the last annual report we have obtained from police, which is now two years ago. On page 109 - and I now refer to the reporting year 2006-07 - the number of offences against the person was listed at 5455; a proportion of total domestic/family violence-related offences against the person - 51.2%, a drop on the prior year of 55%. I then draw honourable members’ attention to page 109, financial year 2007-08: total number of offences against a person 5667, proportion of domestic violence offences - 48.2%.
Why is this expressed as a proportionality? Why is this just not a straight set of numbers: this many offences against the person, and that many offences are as a result of domestic violence? The reason is, if you extrapolate those figures, crunch the numbers, and work out those percentages, you suddenly realise the argument the Chief Minister has been running - unsupported by any tabled evidence - is actually not true. The reason is, for the financial year 2005-06, with 55% of the proportion being domestic violence offences, it works out that 2800 of the overall number of offences against the person were domestic violence offences.
The next year, using the same extrapolation, using the numbers provided, that number falls to 2793 - not significantly different, a minor fall of seven. Next year, the number goes up. At 48.2%, the number of domestic violence-related offences are 2858; over that three-year period, an increase of 58 domestic violence offences. Over that three-year period, using the baselines - that is, the total number of offences - it goes from 5090 to 5930. On that basis, and from those two annual reports - and I am sure staff will be trawling through my speech and told to look at those pages numbers; I have referred everything correctly - on those numbers, domestic violence is proportionally less with every passing year, of the total number of offences against a person.
This means the Chief Minister, running this line, has engaged in a deception of the Northern Territory which is a ghastly abandonment of responsibility and duty to be honest and truthful with the people of the Northern Territory. There is no evidence I have seen that domestic violence offences form the increasing majority of assaults against a person. I see evidence, in his own annual reports, which actually suggest the contrary; each year the proportion of domestic violence assaults is falling to the overall number of assaults.
To see, essentially, a 20% rise over that three-year period in assaults, and no change in the number of domestic violence offences, means whilst domestic violence is still an important issue, the government simply does not have its eye on the ball. If the Chief Minister believes his own numbers on domestic violence, then he is looking in the wrong place. The fact is these violent crimes are occurring on our streets and in our public places in increasing numbers, and the increase is not - I repeat, not - in relation to the domestic violence which occurs in our community.
That is why we have a system based on conflict. If we did not, we would not be questioning these rubbery figures the Chief Minister produces. We would not be challenging the Chief Minister to come up with better solutions. We certainly would not be sitting here saying: ‘Chief Minister, you are wrong’. This system needs the inherent conflict it produces to achieve the best results for the people of the Northern Territory. It is why it works. That is why we adhere to this system, and why we should continue to adhere to this system.
For the member for Nelson to continually say the conflict is horrible and we should not politicise issues, is to show a navety which is not demonstrative of any critical thinking. The member for Nelson does not like conflict. I understand that; many people do not like conflict. However, if we were not challenging ministers of the Crown they would be worse at what they do than they are now. That is why Her Majesty has a loyal and faithful opposition working on her behalf to ensure her ministers are up to scratch.
Whilst the Chief Minister continues to produce figures which are simply not reliable, I call on him again - and not by way of interjection but in my speech – to table the 2008-09 Annual Report for Police. The end of the financial year was 30 June 2009. It is now November 2009; nearly every other department, agency, and sub-agent of government has been able to provide its annual report as required by law, yet, one of the most crucial, the most important, and the most fundamental annual reports relating to the safety and good governance of the Northern Territory remains missing. That is demonstrative of a government which has become secretive in the way it does its business, and arrogant in its indifference to criticism from without. They are also blind and deaf to what happens in the rest of the Territory, because they are focused too much on their internal squabbles and fights.
It is with great disappointment - in the outcomes for the people of the Northern Territory - I open a newspaper in Darwin and read the member for Johnston hates the member for Karama. What sort of government can the people of the Northern Territory expect when the ministers opposite publicly declare their hatred for each other? It is a despicable self-indulgence in which they engage and, to my mind, they do so in the denial of the prayer we start this House with every day. We should be working for the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory, not trying to deceive Territorians with fabricated claims, by withholding very important annual reports and other important information, and not by engaging in a level of selfishness which sees the internal ructions of the Labor Party depriving the people of the Northern Territory of an effective government. They should hang their heads in shame when they walk into this place, because they are answerable and responsible to the people of the Northern Territory. What they give the people of the Northern Territory is not leadership but floundering, not governance but incompetence, not direction but listlessness.
This government cannot continue to operate in the way it does. It lurches from one disaster to the next, hoping, somehow, the next media release will rescue them from the rocks they have inevitably set a course for - for us and the rest of the Northern Territory. It is time for the member for Nelson to put away his championing of a Labor Party which has metastasised its own illness. Frankly, it is time for the member for Nelson to realise he is supporting the unsupportable. This government has had its day; it is decaying from within. Every time I open a newspaper, I cringe with shame and embarrassment on their behalf.
The member for Nelson needs to seriously reconsider his continued support. If he believes the continuance of this government is going to achieve the result he hopes for - some grant alliance of happiness where we all sit around in a lotus position singing the money hum - then he is sadly nave and sadly mistaken. On top of that, this government does not honour the agreement with the member for Nelson, because of the deceptive nature of the way they conduct themselves and the information they withhold from Territorians. The fundamental philosophy of the member for Nelson is he should be supported by a government which believes in the doctrines outlined in the agreement struck between him and the Chief Minister. In no way have I seen that philosophy demonstrated by this government here today, and in the way they have conducted themselves since the time the agreement was signed.
Madam Speaker, it is now a matter of mere bloody-mindedness on the part of the member for Nelson to be right, that this government continues to exist. If the member for Nelson is as good at introspection as he would have us believe he is, then I suspect it is time for him to go back and be introspective.
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Visitors
Visitors
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Alice Springs High School students from Year 7 with teachers Miss Sarah Edwards and Miss Michela Renders. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
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Debate suspended.
MOTION
Law and Order Issues in Alice Springs
Law and Order Issues in Alice Springs
Continued from earlier this day.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Speaker, i thank the member for Araluen for bringing this motion on, in conjunction with the member for Greatorex. It is a very important motion for the people of Alice Springs. My colleagues have already covered substantial components of this motion and spoken repeatedly on supporting Alice Springs through these positive changes.
One particular area of interest is item No 3, the establishment of a Police and Citizens Youth Club to be located in the Larapinta area. People would know the Larapinta area is in the seat of Braitling. The reason I support this motion is because I believe Larapinta is generally under-serviced. It is not a satellite town; it is a suburb on the outskirts of Alice Springs. It is a suburb which is under-resourced in community services. There is a school, a preschool, a little shop. There are not many activities for youth to participate in through the day, on weekends, and after hours. Much social dysfunction operates in the suburb of Larapinta, and we see children walking around the streets late at night and, generally, there are not many activities for kids. Just recently, stimulus money was used to put a fence around Larapinta School. I know many kids access that school after hours. Although the fence is open at Larapinta School, it further isolates teenagers and young kids who are walking around the streets at night with little to do.
While policing plays a significant role in Larapinta dealing with social issues and crime, the potential to build a bridge between police and the community, police and youth, police and kids, I believe, represents a real opportunity for people to get involved in social activities, sports, gymnasium work to teach people how to get fit and, generally, pass on the nature of the police force and what they bring in a societal culture.
I also acknowledge, in the agreement between the member for Nelson and the government, the member for Nelson spoke about Police Citizen Youth Clubs. Part of this motion brought by the member for Araluen is to try to get my bid in early; that we want something in Larapinta. I will not go into that in depth, but I want to emphasise the suburb of Larapinta is under-serviced. In our previous election commitments, we called for greater servicing of Larapinta. I believe a Police Citizen Youth Club will provide additional activities for youth in the area, and build a bridge between police and youth to provide an early intervention to prevent crime in the longer term, and have the kids actively engaged.
Moving on to other areas of this motion, I recognise it is a very heavily-worded motion about law and order. I agree with the member for Araluen about our policy of a 20% crime reduction target when we are in government; it is important we reduce the impact of crime in Alice Springs. I note the Chief Minister and his merry men and women like to quote their perceived increase in serious crimes in Alice Springs. We, the Country Liberals, do not agree those figures are actually correct.
It is interesting when you go through the crime figures for Alice Springs to see exactly how much crime is increasing. I find it hard to see how the Chief Minister can get it so wrong with these figures. There has been an overall increase in crime in Alice Springs of offences against the person by 25% from the June quarter last year. When we see offences against a person jump by 25%, I do not understand how that can be. If you break down other figures, assaults increased by 24.7%, and sexual assaults nearly doubled up to 86%. When the Chief Minister says serious assaults have actually gone down by a certain number, I find it hard to correlate. I am interested to see if the Chief Minister could explain exactly how it can happen that serious assaults actually go down.
I question the Chief Minister about what a serious assault is. What is an assault and what is a serious assault? Could someone be more seriously assaulted than someone who has been assaulted? I would like him to bring forward someone who has been seriously assaulted and someone who has been assaulted, so we can tell exactly what is going on. The figures from his own Justice Department indicate assaults have increased by 25%. Clearly, this government is fudging the figures when you consider what the Chief Minister said opposed to what the Justice Department said in their quarterly results from June this year.
Moving on to the issue of changing hours for the sale of alcohol from 10 am, yes, alcohol is a problem in our town. Alcohol is a problem right across the Territory. I would like to see many changes regarding alcohol, but the purpose of this motion is freeing up access for Alice Springs’ residents. The government likes to talk about people who drink and commit crimes and antisocial behaviour on our streets, but the government has not spoken about how it is going to rehabilitate people.
That is why we have a tough on drunks policy. Even the government’s Deputy Police Commissioner, Bruce Wernham spoke today - and I paraphrase – and said he supported trading in daylight hours because it gets the trouble off the street at night. How can a government say this is a bad thing when we know the police tell us on the streets - our neighbours, our friends, our associates say – let us get it out of the dark hours, and get it into the daylight hours. The Acting Commissioner of the Northern Territory Police Force supports the notion trading in daylight hours rather than at night time hours would reduce crime.
Government members stand up here and beat their chest about the Country Liberals, rivers of grog, and all that stuff. However, I have not heard them once talk about the people who are picked up and put in the police station every night, only to be turned out the next day and allowed to top up again. I have not heard the government or the Chief Minister talk about what they are going to do about habitual drunks; chronic abusers of alcohol. I have not heard the government say how they are going to intervene in Alice Springs and say it is not just a supply issue, it is a demand issue. We have people on the dole sitting all day, not going to training, not earning and learning as we spoke about yesterday. The key purpose in life for many of these people in Alice Springs is to wake up and buy grog. That is all it is - wake up and buy grog.
This government, with its one-legged approach to alcohol reform in Alice Springs, will never go anywhere. They will continue to chase their tails about the policy on alcohol, and about what time it should be open. Should we have an ID system? Should we ban 2 L casks, 1 L sherry, a bottle of sherry, two bottles at night, or one every second day? We run these things around in circles, but we are still seeing people who are chronic alcohol abusers having access to alcohol. They have a problem. We are seeing more and more of these people put into gaol. Our figures for people who are presenting in gaol, both in Alice Springs and Darwin, have increased substantially over the last few years. A vast majority of those people in those gaols are there because of alcohol-related offences. The government refuses to do anything about the issue they have around substance addition, in terms of alcohol.
We have not heard the government talking about what happens when you reduce the supply of alcohol and you have a shift from substance to substance - moving to ganja, as the member for Macdonnell spoke about yesterday. We have not heard a debate in this Chamber about the transition to amphetamines. We have not heard about glue sniffing, the drinking of vanilla essence, or the drinking of shampoo and Listerine which goes on in this town. There are no figures about the pure alcohol consumption of vanilla essence on this table. It is very important we consider this.
The member for Araluen said today it is good to see the consumption of pure alcohol and alcohol-related products go down; that is a positive measure. We are not advocating for people to drink more; we are advocating for access. As I stand here, I know people in Alice Springs support this measure, because people are sick and tired of having to bend the rules for a couple of hundred people in town who are chronic alcoholics who cannot be dealt with.
I have not heard anyone stand up and say we are going to expand the services of CAAAPU, or DASA for that matter. I have not heard anyone say they are going to support young people by providing additional services to young people for chronic abuse of substance they see in Alice Springs. There are only five beds in Alice Springs for young people aged between 17 and 21 years who are chronic abusers of alcohol substance, to be taken on a temporary basis overnight. The services are not here.
However, the government likes to talk about this on a policy perspective, rather than a rehabilitation perspective on how they can actually help people. How can they ensure there is adequate housing in Alice Springs so people have a safe place to live, rather than living in chronic overcrowded or homeless conditions, which is a haven to fuel alcohol consumption and other substance abuse? I wonder what the government is going to say about this in its response. I wonder if the government will do anything about this in its response, or whether they are going to wait until they go to COAG next time and the Prime Minister says: ‘Well here you are, you have to do something. We will make you do it’. It seems the only way this government takes action on something is if they are under pressure - whether it is pressure from the media, from Mal Brough, Kevin Rudd, or, previously, John Howard. It is a government which lacks vision.
We sit on the Liberal side of the Chamber and we have a plan for the future. I have not heard this government talk about any plan for the future. The government will employ a consultant from interstate, who will come up with some 2030 vision, and the government will come out with announcements like A Working Future policies, 2020 documents - but it is about getting something on the ground.
While the government spends this money on consultants and continues to neglect Alice Springs, Alice Springs will continue to not vote for this government. The highlight by the member for Araluen that, at the election on 9 August 2008, the Labor Party received around 20% of the vote in Alice Springs should send a clear message. In the seat of Braitling, there was a four horse race - a four-legged race, member for Daly - the seat I ran in. It was quite interesting, running against a member of the Greens, an Independent member, and a member of the Labor Party, to see the Country Liberals come in first, the Greens come second, the Independent come third, and Labor came fourth. That is how much they love you in the seat of Braitling.
However, can we get any response or bipartisanship with the members from Greatorex, Araluen and Braitling about how to solve some of the problems? We were the people who put forward the concept of the bilateral approach. I moved, late last year, an opportunity for a special committee to be set up for a regional approach in Alice Springs, which was not supported by government or the Independent member at the time. Fortunately, the member for Macdonnell took that to heart when she became the Minister for Central Australia, and we worked together developing the Youth Action Plan. However, since there has been a change of Minister for Central Australia, it has not occurred; he has stopped that process.
All he has done is close down ANZAC Hill High School to build some quasi-Central Australian school and try to work out ways to save money, like building new headquarters for police auxiliary staff at ANZAC Hill Campus, so that staff from Belvedere House can move over to ANZAC Hill; closing down the music school. I am sure the member for Barkly is interested in the closing of the music school at Alice Springs High School to move it to temporary headquarters in a science laboratory in the ANZAC Hill Campus. The people who utilise the Alice Springs music school can no longer store their equipment, so they will not be able to use the facilities.
This is what we are seeing. This is how the government respects Alice Springs, trying to find ways to save money, pull it out and put it back in to Darwin. At the same time, we see crime and assaults going up, despite the Chief Minister talking about serious assaults going down. I really wonder, what is a serious assault? If someone walked in here with a black eye and a broken arm, would that be a serious assault or just an assault? According to the assault figures, assaults went up by 25% in 12 months, June on June figures, 2008-09. I wonder what this government is going to do.
I will not go any further into the merits of this motion. The member for Araluen has quite constructively put forward a valid argument about the reasons to support this. I acknowledge the Chief Minister said he will not support it, and the member for Nelson is not going to support it. However, we put this forward because we believe we need action on our streets, greater control on crime, and rehabilitation services, so we can help the people who are most in need with these substance abuse problems. We believe there should a Police and Citizens Youth Club set up as a pre-emptive strike to the youth in Larapinta - a pre-emptive strike to build relations between police and youth, kids and parents. I know this government will not do it.
I recommend the government takes note of this motion, and also the comments made by Acting Police Commissioner, Bruce Wernham, today when he spoke about the need to trade in daylight hours to get the drunks off the street at night and help reduce the crime in Alice Springs. I ask the government to take note of the emphasis of our intent to open trading hours of alcohol to 10 am as an opportunity to provide greater access to the residents of Alice Springs but, on the other hand, deal with the people with chronic alcohol problems and substance abuse problems. Take the Listerine bottles, the vanilla essence, the shampoo, and all the things people get into off them, and ensure they do not have ganja.
If you do not start acting on alcohol in a rehabilitative sense, you will continue to see police pouring grog out, day after day, expressing their displeasure at being the alcohol monitors of Alice Springs, and wanting to leave the force and move back to Darwin or move interstate. That is the effect the current one-legged policy is having in Alice Springs.
Without any further comment, Madam Deputy Speaker, I commend this motion to the House and hope the Independent members, and government, will support this motion. I commend the members for Araluen and Greatorex, and me, for putting this motion to the House.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Deputy Speaker, what a lame response from government. Government members based in the Top End arrived on the weekend, some of them Monday morning and, in essence, are walking around saying: ‘Alice Springs, we love you’. Nothing could be further from the truth.
As I said when I spoke to this motion earlier today, by not agreeing to this motion will be an admission of failure. Government has now admitted failure. It admits it has no policies to address our very high crime rates – 27% year-on-year increase from 2001. Our alcohol courts are failing. Government has not acted to buy back the alcohol licences it said it would. The Youth Justice Act is failing. The government is too cowardly to set crime reduction targets. That is utterly gutless, and it is utterly disgraceful.
I would have thought any government would want to strive towards crime reduction. What we see from this government - and, of course, it has form on it - is it just talks, ‘wah wah wah wah wah’, but you have nothing in the cupboard when it comes to addressing the problem. You will walk away from the Alice Springs sittings saying: ‘Well, we got out of that all right’, but it is the people we represent who will continue to dislike you in the way they already do.
Whether people on your side hate each other is a matter for you. I can tell you my constituents think so little of this government they do not vote for them - and they do not vote for them in droves. You would have thought, with government hanging on to power in the way Mattie Bonson said they do - that is, they will do and say anything to keep power – having just fallen over the line at the last election, they might want to do better in Alice Springs. Alas, they do not.
I said earlier today by not agreeing to this motion not only would it be an admission of failure, but it would reek of an acceptance and tolerance of high crime rates without any form of aspirational targets. It does. It reeks of an arrogance focused on damage control rather than delivering better outcomes for the people of the Northern Territory. The government tried to suggest to those in the northern suburbs of Darwin that the people in Alice Springs and their local members do not know what they are talking about; what the Darwin government delivers to them is good for the people there. Well, if it is good enough for the people here, why do you not have alcohol restrictions in Darwin? Surely, you are not suggesting you do not have high crime rates in Darwin? If it is good enough for Alice Springs, it is good enough for Darwin. There are many examples of one rule for one voting block, and another rule for another voting block. Shame on you! Shame on you!
We have been talking to school kids today and yesterday about the democratic process. The Chief Minister had his little soiree the other Monday night and talked about the democratic process. However, you people do not understand the democratic process is more than just getting over the line - you have to govern for all Territorians. In fact, I noted with great interest the Chief Minister, in the handbook prepared, I believe, through your Office, Madam Speaker, welcoming everyone to parliament, talked about governing for all Territorians. Well, let me tell you, there are many people in Alice Springs who have the view this government governs for those north of the Berrimah line.
That is not what parliamentary democracy is all about; it is not what modern politics should be about. We, on this side of the House, will undertake, in government, to represent everyone and do our best which, I have to say, is significantly more than you lot. We have polices; you know what they are. We outlined some of them this morning. One of them is to set crime reduction targets at 20% in the first year. We know we will inherit a hell of a mess in the event we come to government at the next election, but we are determined and steadfast in our determination when it comes to tackling those problems.
I alluded to before, and let me go to it now: the issue of alcohol. This government, through its spin machine, its members, and some in the media, have spun one out of the five-part component of this motion against us and against the people of Alice Springs. No one can seriously suggest the members for Greatorex, Braitling, and Araluen are not in touch with their electorate. We represent them as best we possibly can; we know what their issues are.
We know so many of the government’s policies in respect to alcohol have failed. We know, for instance, in 2008-09 in both prisons in the Territory, only 111 prisoners participated in alcohol rehabilitation programs. Shame on you! We know, in 2008-09, the number of people in protective custody increased by 91%. We know the current estimate to date, this year; around 13 000 people have been taken into protective custody in this region. We know - and, finally, after three years the government knows - alcohol courts have failed. We know the dry town is a joke. I remember a couple of years ago - perhaps 18 months ago - asking a question in parliament in Darwin quoting a headline from the Alice News which said from memory: ‘Dry town is a farce’. It is. We know some drunks, when they cannot get access to alcohol, will break and enter to get it. We know they drink Listerine and cooking essence.
We know - and, I was very pleased to hear the Deputy Police Commissioner say on 8HA today - there is an advantage for police. I am paraphrasing, I do not have the exact quote in front of me, but I heard the interview. For these people who cause all these problems - and, according to government figures 65.5% of crime in this town is alcohol related - the police and others, including my constituents, want those people dealt with early in the day. They do not want them dealt with in the middle of the night. They certainly want them dealt with but, by having later hours of takeaway availability, it moves the problem into the early hours of the night.
Port Augusta, I say again, has very positive results. Government says, by introducing this part of the motion, we are opening up the rivers of grog. Absolute balderdash! The rivers of grog have been flowing for years, and you true believers, you helpers of the oppressed and the afflicted, what have you done about rehabilitation programs? Nothing. There are 111 prisoners in two Territory gaols which have about 1000 people in them, and 111 people in one 12-month period go through rehabilitation? You cannot be serious! You are a joke! You sit there and you say ‘Wah, wah, wah, we are doing this, we are doing that’. It is not working! That is why we say, as part of this five-part motion - four parts of which the government really did not want to talk about - it is a solution which will go a long way to addressing problems.
However, the only way problems will be addressed is by a Country Liberals’ government. We will address the problems by the policies we have outlined. My colleague, the member for Greatorex’s, habitual drunks - what is wrong with that? What is wrong with compulsory rehabilitation? It follows, I believe logically, if you have only 111 prisoners going through alcohol treatment programs out of about 1100 prisoners in the two Territory gaols, something is not working. You stand in parliament and bleat on about the revolving door, and there are so many drunks in our gaols, yet, you are not helping them. I look at alcoholism as a health issue. You are not helping them. You government members are saying: ‘Yes we are’. Not enough - nowhere near enough. It is just extraordinary. This government’s arrogance is one thing; I can cope with that. Incompetence is something else entirely. My colleagues and I do not cope with your incompetence and, I am happy to say, neither do our constituents.
There are a number of assumptions made about violence. Before I get to it, I congratulate the member for Greatorex on elaborating on the difficulties and problems with the Menzies report; that is, the one thing government relies on in support of its arguments - such as it is and its abuse of us. There is no doubt government members have not read it. There is no doubt the Menzies report is not the great report government says it is. There is no doubt the ad placed in the Centralian Advocate on Friday was misleading in the extreme. It said:
- The Menzies report found that since the introduction of the Alcohol Management Plan …
Then it listed a number of things. No, it did not. It did not and you should be ashamed of yourselves. I bet you did not put your hand in your own pocket for that ad. No, you would have done it at taxpayers’ expense. The Menzies report did not find the things you said it did in this taxpayer-funded ad. I have seen some pretty appalling things from you people in eight years, but this one is right up there. Then you come in here, lecturing us, bleating on about evidence-based issues, when you do not even read the evidence upon which you apparently seek to rely.
I go to various assumptions made in relation to violence and alcohol. Government asserts, without any evidence whatsoever, opening up the sales of takeaway alcohol at an earlier hour will result in more crime. It just says so as though it were true. I repeat: just because government says something does not make it true. Such a statement assumes - and this is a very serious point - those who commit crimes only do so when they are drunk. Where is the evidence for that? I have said before, in parliament and out of parliament, and I will say it again: sober men bash women.
It is sensible to reflect on the comments made by Dr Nanette Rogers in her Lateline interview on 15 May 2006, and the paper she published which led to that interview. Dr Rogers talked about the culture of violence. She said:
- Violence is entrenched in a lot of aspects of Aboriginal society.
She said there is an ‘entrenchment of violence’ in many communities. Children grow up:
- … seeing violence all around him or her and having violence done to him or her and so they become an adult and … they become violent themselves. … They might be two brothers and two sisters. The boys grow up to become men. They take wives and then they beat their wives very badly. Their sisters grow up, they get married and they are beaten by their husbands – so it is real. There is a gender difference between how the violence happens, to a large extent, the serious violence.
Dr Rogers spoke about the culture of violence in many Aboriginal communities. So we are very clear, we do not - nor did Dr Rogers - ever assert that all men beat women; that all Aboriginal people are violent. However, she did attest and talked about the endemic entrenched violence in so many communities, including the one in which I live.
Her interview and the subsequent one about the children at Mutitjulu had a profound effect. Despite the sentiment and money thrown around by the Territory and federal governments, precious little is being done to address the evil and entrenched culture of violence, in all its forms, against women and children.
So, for government to say opening takeaway alcohol hours earlier will increase levels of violence, without it being based on any evidence at all, is shallow in the extreme. Such an argument is completely unsustainable, given the failures to date.
I would like to see something from this government that targets the entrenched culture of violence about which Dr Rogers spoke. This government is more focused on hating one another than doing the job ministers, in particular, are paid for. You should be ashamed of yourselves. I note not one of you is looking me in the eye as I speak - how very interesting.
I stand solidly and proudly with the members for Greatorex and Braitling. Throw at us what you like, it is not as though I have not copped a bit over the years. However, do not do this to the people we represent. They want better from you. You polled 20% in the urban seats in the August 2008 election. Surely, you want to do better than that? Surely, you do not want the members for Greatorex, Braitling, and Araluen to get even higher at the next election? Why do you not want the people here to vote for you? I do not know, but you should do your job. When the Chief Minister says in his booklet - no doubt some of our schoolchildren have it in front of them - he governs for all Territorians, I do not think so.
If this is his idea of governing for all Territorians, we do not want it. My constituents, and those of the members for Braitling and Greatorex, do not and will not accept it. Shame on you for your appalling, incompetent and arrogant conduct! You should listen, but you steadfastly refuse to do so. Be it on your head. We will continue to advocate for the people we represent, even if you will not. We will offer alternatives. You are out of ideas; you are bereft of ideas. You are so focused on hating one another you just cannot get to the job you are paid for, which is governing, apparently, for all Territorians.
The Assembly divided.
Ayes 11 Noes 13
Mr Bohlin Mrs Aagaard
Ms Carney Dr Burns
Mr Chandler Mr Gunner
Mr Conlan Mr Hampton
Mr Elferink Mr Henderson
Mr Giles Mr Knight
Mr Mills Ms Lawrie
Ms Purick Mr McCarthy
Mr Styles Ms McCarthy
Mr Tollner Ms Scrymgour
Mr Westra van Holthe Mr Vatskalis
Ms Walker
Mr Wood
Motion negatived.
VISITORS
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of students from Larapinta Primary School, Year 5/6, accompanied by their teachers, Miss Jessica Lambshead and Mrs Holly Bennett, and Mr Peter Andrews as support staff. On behalf of honourable members, I extend to you a very warm welcome.
Members: Hear, hear!
MOTION
Anzac Oval, Alice Springs –
Upgrade of Facilities
Anzac Oval, Alice Springs –
Upgrade of Facilities
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, I extend a special welcome to the students from Larapinta who have undertaken a great deal of work in relation to the parliament with the assistance of your office. It is especially good to see them here. Welcome.
Madam Speaker, I move –
That the government:
- (1) in recognition of the failure to invest in areas of social and sporting infrastructure, move immediately to upgrade facilities at Anzac Oval by demolishing the existing canteen and viewing area and replace it with a modern canteen, toilets, change rooms and grandstand so that it meets the needs of local sporting clubs; and
(2) ensures that Anzac Oval is a first-class facility that will meet local and tourism needs for use in various community events, such as the Masters Games opening and closing ceremonies, concerts, sporting activities, as part of showcasing the Territory and what we have to offer.
Any member of the Chamber, particularly those not from Alice Springs, I encourage you to support this motion but, even if you do not, go and have a look; it is really quite shocking. I will be producing some photographs before too long to illustrate some of the problems. It is really a very shabby facility.
The first part of the motion refers to the government’s failure to invest in areas of social and sporting infrastructure, and to move immediately to upgrade the facilities. This government - and I know I said it in the earlier motion - tends to be dragged kicking and screaming to spend, or otherwise invest, in Alice Springs. It has certainly failed in relation to Anzac Oval.
No doubt, government members - I believe only one government member will speak, and presumably it will be the Minister for Central Australia. He is likely to stand up and talk about what the government has done. He is likely to refer - and I believe there was another advertisement in the Centralian Advocate on Friday paid for, presumably, by taxpayers, talking about what a bunch of good men and women are in the Labor government.
Government, of course, spins itself and tries to suggest it is really doing great things for the people of Alice Springs. Well, it has done some things. It upgraded the hockey field. I was a candidate in 2001, the CLP did that, and Labor finished it. At Traeger Park, yes, there has been some spending, but the grandstand is still not finished. You would have thought the grandstand could have been done. It is not up to scratch, and I understand it still does not have toilets.
Yes, lights have been installed at the soccer field, and that was done only after a great deal of pressure. The swimming pool, yes, you have done well there, but I ask what about the 2005 election promise of the hydrotherapy pool? I have talked about that in parliament before; presumably I will talk about it again. Labor promised a hydrotherapy pool; it did not materialise. There were community meetings. I attended those community meetings; everyone was asking where it is. It is always this squishy, slithery, slippery language in what Labor does. They promise a bit, but never quite deliver or, if they do something, it is always someone else’s idea and, invariably, Labor is dragged kicking and screaming.
It is a core function of government to invest in infrastructure - social and sporting. A government does not get a medal for spending some money on a few sporting facilities in Alice Springs - it is what you are paid to deliver. Government’s failure is it simply has not done enough. Let me outline some of those things: tennis courts are in need of some work and are too small for the growing number of players; there is still no shade at CDU Oval; the Lyle Kempster Park where baseball is played needs the light replacing. They were put up in 1981, so they are very old and not very energy efficient.
We heard yesterday in Question Time the Chief Minister talking about the importance of climate change. In adjournment last night, I talked about how it was possibly the case - but it is - seniors lose their pensioner rebate by installing solar panels. We have lights which were put up in 1981 - not very energy efficient. Yet, the Chief Minister talks about the importance of climate change. Well, we will watch what they do, as opposed to listen to what they say. Baseball, by the way, has about 300 local players, so it is a pretty big thing here in a relatively small town such as Alice Springs.
More work needs to be done on the Flynn Drive Oval in the fine electorate of Araluen. It needs a second canteen and toilet block on the school side. One idea which has been floated by many netballers is an indoor netball centre might be a good idea. That is aspirational, so you would not have thought Labor would be interested in it. The athletics track needs upgrading and, I understand, the hockey field needs a new scoreboard because the current one is already busted. The list does go on, but that is about it for now.
Government seems to take the view what Alice has received to date from Labor is good enough and we are lucky to get it. Our view is it is not good enough, and it is not enough. I remember, earlier this year, going into the member for Stuart’s office in Parliament House in Darwin. I was waiting at reception and, of course, there is a little coffee table with some booklets. There was a booklet, like that, and it was titled The Northern Territory Sporting Facilities. I thought I would read it while I was waiting for the member for Stuart - no drama. So, I flicked through. Do you think I could find any reference to Alice Springs in the booklet The Northern Territory Sporting Facilities?
Mr Bohlin interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: I was gobsmacked. I cannot remember; I was only looking at it from a point of view of Alice Springs, member for Drysdale. In fact, I was so astonished I brought the booklet back with me and gave it to a local journalist, and that person had a bit of fun with it. However, it is a serious matter. Hello! We are on the map! I say to the member for Stuart, we will have our differences from time to time, obviously. However, I know he is into sport - everyone is into something. Everyone has to feel passionate about something, and I appreciate the Minister for Central Australia is a real sporting kind of a guy and he can kick a footy a long way. So, we look to you - through you, Madam Deputy Speaker - member for Stuart, Minister for Central Australia, minister for Sport, to kick some more goals when it comes to sporting infrastructure in Alice Springs.
This can be a win/win for you. You know we get cranky when you do not invite us to your various things but, I tell you, you do not even have to invite us to the opening of the new Anzac Oval facilities; you can do it all. You can issue the media releases, you can cut the ribbon, you can cut a cake, for all I care - just get it done because, if you are interested - and I am you are; you have such an interest in sport - I urge you, in very strong terms, to look favourably at this motion, or to suggest a sensible alternative.
The state of the facilities at Anzac Oval, as I said earlier, is really terrible. I will table shortly copies of photos I took of the facilities which were also sent to the members for Macdonnell and Nelson. For demonstration purposes, I seek leave to table those now because I have the originals.
Leave granted.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you. I did not blow them up or anything like that; I encourage members to have a look. They are here and you will see copies.
There is a situation where there are toilet cisterns behind the canteen, so people are serving food here and there is a toilet there. The disabled toilet does not work. Crappy - I am sorry - is the only way I can describe the canteen facilities. It is busted, it is shabby, and it is just not up to standard at all. There is one photo, in particular, of a big door with a rope on it as you go into the canteen. That is what is meant to get people up to the viewing area - the only viewing area at Anzac Oval. I hope the member - have you seen it? Yes, it is shocking, and a real health issue along with occupational health and safety.
I actually went up the ladder, because it is the only way I could get to the viewing area. Apart from having a skirt on at the time, which was troublesome, I did not enjoy, with high heels, walking up the ladder. Even in sensible walking shoes, it is a pretty big ask, and one members of local sporting clubs should not have to. It is just awful. I do not think I have ever seen such a bad facility as this. I do not think people should be subjected to that; they should have to put up with it. I was thrilled when I was asked to be patron of Junior Rugby League. I was thrilled to be asked and, when I went with them to see the facilities, I could at least offer to help and make a difference to them.
It is not just physical, it is structural as well. There are safety issues with the canteen and viewing area. A report from Territory Building certifiers, dated 30 April 2009, lists a summary of works that is required. It is shocking stuff. The building does not comply with existing codes. There is asbestos in the building - dreadful. I will list some of these. I am sure the member for Stuart has this document. I am quoting from it:
- Toilet doors in public areas should swing out or be fitted with lift-off hinges; disabled toilet fixtures layout to be corrected to conform with the standards; non-complying door somewhere else. It does not comply with fire requirements, no exit signs, emergency lights, fire extinguishers, fire hose reel.
This is just shocking. Apart from not being in any way attractive, and very difficult for those people to work in on a busy Saturday morning, there are real safety issues with this facility. There is no doubt it needs to be upgraded.
There was a story in the local paper, Centralian Advocate, on 13 October, where the member for Braitling - because, technically, it sits in his electorate – and I got together with some representatives of local sporting bodies. We managed to get the story into the paper. I will quote from parts of the article. One of the representatives present, Julie Thompson, well known in Alice Springs for her commitment over the years to sport and, in particular, Rugby, said:
- It was embarrassing in 2006 when Penrith Panthers and Newcastle Knights attracted a crowd of 6000 and the players from two of the top league teams had to use such shoddy facilities.
Adam Connolly, well known, I believe, to members of government, who works at 8HA, news reading and hosting radio programs is also very heavily involved in Rugby. Mr Connolly said:
- Alice Springs players refuse to use the shoddy showers after matches.
Ms Thompson said:
- The canteen had an uncertified food storage area next to exposed toilet cisterns and could barely accommodate two volunteers to serve players’ friends and families at matches.
She went on.
- Mr Connolly is of the view that we could attract Rugby matches to Alice Springs if these facilities were upgraded.
Equally, Paul Lelliott, who, as you know, is very heavily involved in soccer, said:
- Great potential for the facility from a soccer point of view and they would also benefit from upgrades at this facility.
I feel confident the member for Stuart knows Paul Lelliott and, if you doubt me, please call into the Camera Shop, minister, and have a chat to Paul.
However you look at it, much more - well, a significant amount - has to be done in order to get it up to code.
I will just go forward. The next addition of the Centralian Advocate after the article to which I just referred, Friday 16 October, government, obviously, tried to do what it could to do a bit of damage control for which they are universally famous. On page 2 of Centralian Advocate, there was the heading: ‘Oval to get fix-up cash’. It started by saying:
- Anzac Oval will receive a $140 000 shot in the arm to upgrade facilities and enable it to comply with health and building codes.
- They need to pull it down and build a new facility.
That is what needs to be done. I cannot quite read the print of this article, but I am sure the minister is familiar with it. This is a quote from the article:
- … Sport and Recreation Minister, Karl Hampton, said the NT government had already spent more than $14m on sports infrastructure in Alice Springs ...
- ‘Anzac Oval is a town council facility and funding and management of the facility is the responsibility of the ASTC’ ….
You have never said that in relation to Traeger Park. In any event, it is a function of government to provide social and sporting infrastructure. A few things here and there, I am sorry, are not enough for those people who use the facility. I do not believe a beads-and-trinkets approach to Anzac Oval - and $140 000 is just to bring it up to code. For what it is worth, I believe the estimate of $140 000 government has provided will not be anywhere near enough, given the problems with fire and building codes and asbestos raised in the Territory Building certifier’s report of 30 April 2009. There is a point at which bulldozing something needs to be done. The kiosk, change room, and toilet facilities, frankly, have to go and a new facility built.
I will touch briefly on Traeger Park. The Australian Labor Party has spent quite a sum of money on Traeger Park and Australian Rules football, and next to nothing on Anzac Oval. If the government thinks the people in this town have not noticed, it is wrong - the people have noticed and they want the government to have a balanced approach when it comes to sporting infrastructure. Spending, as I have said, on sporting and social infrastructure is something government should do, but they must do it in a balanced way. It seems, in all the circumstances, there is a disproportionate amount of money being spent on Traeger Park.
Any investment in Alice Springs is always welcomed by this side of the House and people in Alice Springs. However, in stark contrast, we have Anzac Oval which has barely received a cracker. $140 000 from the government to make the canteen, toilets, and so on, comply with code, is just not enough.
A grandstand should have some sort of viewing platform, other than the one I referred to where you have to go up the rickety ladder and almost kill yourself as you get there. Some sort of grandstand is required to meet the needs of local sporting clubs. I have two photos which are almost identical. The viewing area, such as it is, the public can use is the sporting equivalent of a humpy. It has four metal poles, a metal roof and metal seats. I wonder whether people sit on those facilities in summer. I am thinking they probably do not. It is very small; completely unsatisfactory, and borders on embarrassing. I do not believe members from Rugby or soccer seriously assert the world’s greatest grandstand needs to go there, but something better than the sporting equivalent of a humpy really has to be there. The people involved do not really care where the money comes from; they just want it done.
I am certain I can predict some of the things the minister is going to say. At least if he leaves these sittings and thinks to himself: ‘This could be a winner for me; I could kick a goal’, as it were, ‘by announcing something bigger and better for this facility’, I believe many people would be very grateful.
The second part of the motion is we call on government to ensure that Anzac Oval is a first-class facility which will meet local and tourism needs for use in various community events, such as the Masters Games opening and closing ceremony concerts; sporting activities as part of showcasing the Territory; and, in particular of course, Alice Springs and what we have to offer.
This is where the government chooses to try to have it both ways. However, it is unwise to press on with that argument, not only because people are a wake-up to it, but because it does not actually result in positive change. The Minister for Central Australia, probably in that capacity and as minister for Sport, said in parliament on 18 September last year in Darwin, in relation to the Masters Games - he talked at length about the Masters Games, and good on him, it is a great event. He said:
- Up to 6000 people are expected to attend the free community concerts which are part of the opening and closing ceremonies, and a midweek concert.
He said in a media release in October 2008:
- Alice Springs residents look forward to the Masters held every two years and the 2008 Games have not disappointed, in fact many are calling them the best games ever …
In the same media release on 18 October last year, he said:
- … great to see so many locals and visitors alike having a great time, and special thanks must go to the more than 500 volunteers who give up their time to ensure the games go off without a hitch.
He then said:
- Alice had a real buzz this week and whether you were a competitor, volunteer or spectator everyone had a great time
Indeed, they did. But you cannot talk about how fantastic it is and how we have thousands of people descending on Alice Springs and, in particular Anzac Oval, for their spectacular concerts - and I believe 6000 is an underestimation - and then give them such a crappy facility. We have people from interstate, as well as locals. ‘Here, come and stand under a humpy’. I know there are tents and a few other things put up there but, give me a break; it is really just not good enough. The minister, I believe in October last year, talked in parliament about the economic boost the Masters Games provides to the town. He talked about 4200 competitors who come to Alice Springs and, of course, they bring their partners and kids and all that. Who knows how much the town swells, but I know it to be significant. When he talked in parliament, the minister said the economic value of the games was calculated at $7m. Fantastic! Why do we not give them a facility which meets their needs and expectations?
I know there are Labor governments in other jurisdictions but, surely, they are not all as bad as you lot. You would have thought those visitors to Alice Springs would be hard pressed to see a facility in such a poor and shabby state as this. It is a real irony because it is in such a beautiful part of town; the grass there is just sensational. I believe it has become or, perhaps, is something of an iconic place in Alice Springs. Why should it not then have the care and attention and money spent on it by a government?
As I am anticipating - and I am very happy to be proven wrong if the minister jumps to his feet after this and say: ‘Well, Jodeen, we are going to accept this motion. We are going to get on and kick goals for Alice Springs’. However, on the basis he is not going to say that, he has failed the people of Alice Springs by a country mile. Presumably, the sportsman himself, some of his mates similarly interested in sport might be saying: ‘You are the minister for Central Australia and Sport. Why do you not get Anzac Oval fixed?’
I urge you, minister, if not today – I urge you to do it today, but I feel certain you will not – in any event, for as long as you are in government - and, of course, we do not know how long that is because you are only there with the support of the member for Nelson; and you hate each other so much anything can happen. For as long as you are there can you - as a person who lives in this town and has as much a commitment to this town as I do - perhaps lobby your colleagues and see what you can come up with in doing something for all of us who use and participate in various events at Anzac Oval.
I will leave it at that, Madam Deputy Speaker. I look forward to hearing from the minister, and I believe my colleague, the member for Braitling, will also be talking about this motion.
Mr HAMPTON (Sport and Recreation): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen for bringing forward this motion on such an important matter. This matter is close to my heart; that is, sporting infrastructure and facilities in Alice Springs and Central Australia.
I say from the outset I will not be supporting this motion, but I will go through and say why I am not supporting it. The member for Nelson is also speaking to this motion, and he will be bringing forward some amendments to it. Regarding the government’s position, I can proudly say this government has delivered first-class facilities and first-class events to Alice Springs’ residents. I understand the passion the member for Araluen has in not only being a local member, but also of her being the patron of the Junior Rugby League. It is a great honour to be a patron of a sporting club. I understand the passion but she did not say in her contribution that she had talked to the Alice Springs Town Council, the mayor, or any of the aldermen ...
Ms Carney: I have.
Mr HAMPTON: You did not say it. Without …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr HAMPTON: The important thing is it is a council-owned facility ...
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr HAMPTON: It is a town council facility. I have talked to the mayor about this particular issue and about this motion. He is of the view he does not support knocking down the current facility and building a new facility there ...
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Misleading. The member for Stuart has asserted something the mayor said. It is because the council does not have any money; that is why the mayor has told us both what he said. Get it right.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat. Minister, you have the call.
Mr HAMPTON: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. As I was saying, I have talked to the mayor. He does not support further major significant upgrades or new developments at Anzac Oval. He has a very good point because of its location and the restrictions they have with car parking. I have, over the years, established a good working relationship with the mayor and the council. As the member for Araluen alluded to, the Traeger Park grandstand was an election commitment by this government in 2001, and we have honoured that election commitment to the people of Alice Springs. The Traeger Park grandstand is a facility which has been prioritised by the Sports Facility Advisory Group of Traeger Park.
It is not just the Australian Rules footballers who benefit from it. We also have Masters Games events and cricket there. The most important point is it is a facility identified by the Sports Facility Advisory Group - people from baseball, hockey, tennis, basketball, along with cricket and Aussie Rules - who determined where those dollars were going into the complex at Traeger Park.
I thank the member for Araluen for acknowledging my connections with sport and the local people in Alice Springs. She is right. As a local person, having been born in and grown up in Alice Springs, I have used many facilities in and around Alice Springs over the years. In my recent times as the minister, I have received a lot of good feedback about the standard of facilities in Alice Springs. As I have said quite a few times, I am very proud of this government’s commitment to Alice Springs in sporting facilities and some of the programs and the events we support.
It is not all about dollars, but this government’s investment of around $15m in Alice Springs sporting infrastructure is significant. It demonstrates to the people we have delivered on such an important part of our lifestyle in Alice Springs. It is an investment which is paying dividends for all Central Australians. As we know, Alice Springs is the hub for not only many of the remote communities, but also pastoralists, tourists and visitors who come to Alice Springs for a visit. They all use those upgraded facilities as well.
It means that our sports men and women and, importantly, our juniors have access to first-class facilities, not just those elite teams which fly in and thrill us with their skill level and then leave. Those facilities are there permanently for the enjoyment of our juniors and Alice Springs residents. It means we are able to attract first-class events and international events as well.
Just last week, one example of this is the Ford Ranger Cup; the first-class cricket we enjoyed at Traeger Park. I was at the match between the South Australian Redbacks and the Queensland Bulls, along with around 1000 Central Australians, enjoying the first-class cricket. The feedback I received from the players and officials from both teams about our facilities was overwhelming. The Redbacks’ skipper, Graham Manou, described the facilities as second to none. My hat goes off to Scott Allen and Athol Mitchell, the ground keepers; once again, it is a town council responsibility to maintain that facility. Scott and Athol did a fantastic job of getting that facility ready.
The next five years will also see AFL and NRL matches played at Traeger Park in Alice Springs. This government is proud to stand up and say we have delivered first-class events.
We have an excellent working relationship with the Alice Springs Town Council. We need to, because all of the sporting facilities in Alice Springs are owned and maintained by the council, including Anzac Oval. Over the last few years, this government has provided the Alice Springs Town Council with $240 000 in grants to upgrade Anzac Oval, and the council also chipped in $90 000. So, there was a total of $340 000 for work at Anzac Oval.
I take on board what the member for Araluen is saying. I have been there and had a look at it as well. Those facilities, in terms of non-compliance, are a major concern for me. I will look further into that, because we had also provided not only that grant funding of $240 000 for Anzac Oval, with the council’s $90 000, but also $50 000 to the Alice Springs Town Council to do a report into the infrastructure needs of sporting facilities in Alice Springs as part of the Traeger Park grandstand deal. I will take on board what the member for Araluen has said of the non-compliance, the auditing concerns in that report, and I will raise those with the mayor.
Not only have we invested in Traeger Park, with the grandstand and the lights, but, as the member for Araluen acknowledged, we have upgraded the hockey pitch at Traeger Park. We have also put $100 000 into the basketball stadium for much-needed work. If you have ever been there, which the Alice Springs members have, there is much work needed to get it up to standard.
Going back to Traeger Park, we have a new agreement with the AFL. We have secured $795 000 to complete the grandstand including an ablution block, the new coach and media boxes. That is in partnership with the Alice Springs Town Council, which has chipped in $150 000, and the AFL and AFLNT, which have committed $1m into sports infrastructure and AFL in the Northern Territory.
The other huge commitment by this government to Alice Springs is the Alice Springs Aquatic and Leisure Centre. I recently visited with the mayor and the contractors performing the work. It is a significant contribution of $8.1m by this government. I am looking forward to accessing that fantastic facility in years to come.
There are a number of other sporting facilities this government has been proud to support, along with the town council, over the years. I will go through those briefly. We have provided funding to the council for Anzac Oval, and also $500 000 to the soccer facilities at Ross Park. The work has been completed; that was for lights and a new clubhouse at Ross Park. I was there recently for the grand final and those facilities were very well received. I go there on a Monday or Tuesday to watch the junior soccer, and those facilities are well received. Some of that money went towards fixing the surface of Ross Park.
The basketball stadium received $100 000. The Chief Minister and I announced, during the Alice Springs Show, upgrading of the eastern end of the stadium. We are proud to support things like Kids for Health. The member for Braitling was there this year, and it was a great event for people who supported it, the local people who went to the match, but it was also about promoting education and health, with great people like Timmy Duggan and Anthony ‘The Man’ Mundine.
The drag strip is also one the government is proud to have delivered. Member for Greatorex, I did not know you were there; I was not there. I acknowledge you being there. I was in Ti Tree, in my electorate. Over $1m was delivered by this government to the motor sports enthusiasts in Alice Springs for the drag strip at the Finke Desert Race start-finish line. I know, going back to 2002, the Minister for Central Australia at the time, Dr Peter Toyne, had people from the drags come to him appealing for help to deliver a first-class drag strip. They had talked for years to the CLP but nothing was delivered by the CLP. I acknowledge my predecessor, Dr Peter Toyne, for battling hard and getting over $1m to deliver a first-class drag strip to the people of Alice Springs. I am proud to say this government has delivered the drag strip for motor enthusiasts in Alice Springs.
The ATP tennis tournament scheduled in Alice Springs in September 2010, under a year away, includes upgrades to the tennis complex the member for Araluen talked about. I acknowledge it is a shrinking space in numbers of juniors at tennis; I have been there on a couple of occasions. Talking to the mayor also, there is a real need to look at future planning in Alice Springs, particularly for sporting codes like tennis and the rectangular sports of Rugby League, Union, soccer, and netball. Tennis is squashed in there, and that is something I know the mayor is keen to look at regarding the new AZRI land release block, and any future planning for sporting facilities south of The Gap.
This government also supports local sports in Alice Springs, with over $1m being provided in our grassroots facilities in special grants from 2007 - $1m into Alice Springs through those various grant programs. These grants benefit the smaller sporting clubs and shires around Alice Springs. We recently announced, as I said before, $50 000 for the town council to develop a master plan for sporting facilities needs. I believe this is where the future needs of Anzac Oval, in future works needed on the current building, could be picked up.
With regard to sporting and infrastructure spending as an investment in the social fabric of our town and, to expand on the social spending, there is, of course, the $15m we have committed to four years in the Alice Springs Youth Action Plan, which I am sure members on both sides of the House are aware of now. I take on board the member for Nelson’s comments in the previous debate about the Police Citizens Youth Club. I agree with him that Larapinta is probably not the ideal location. I support a more centralised location for those facilities. However, I believe we need to acknowledge we need to build a really good transport service around a centralised model, not only in terms of the Youth Action Plan and also a future PCYC club.
On Monday this week I joined the Chief Minister in announcing $3.36m to upgrade facilities at the Gillen Campus of the new Centralian Middle School. The new school is one of the key points of the Youth Action Plan which also includes the new Police Beat now open and operating, and the No School, No Service policy, which around 120 businesses in Alice Springs are supporting.
This government has also committed, under the plan to providing an extra safe house and emergency beds for young people, to build a residential facility for kids who cannot live at home. We have also provided an additional $75 000 to the Gap Youth Centre to expand recreational services. The member for Nelson made a very good point about youth service providers in Alice Springs and the youth centres. As he said, we have the Alice Springs Youth Centre, and my department is talking to members of the Alice Springs Youth Centre about how we can widen their facility to other groups in Alice Springs. The YMCA does a fantastic job in providing a user-pay service. We have just provided the Gap Youth Centre with $75 000 to expand. I acknowledge they have had problems in the past with their funding and management of the centre, but they are on their way forward and the doors are open again. I will be watching carefully as well. We need to ensure they do not take on such a big workload or as many programs as they did before, and really focus on the core programs they see themselves operating. I have my department working with those three youth centres and their boards to continue providing a good social program for youth in Alice Springs.
Recently, I announced grants to assist with the ice skating rink in this very place we are at the moment, the convention centre. My congratulations to the manager, Scott Boocock, whose idea it was. It seemed a crazy idea but, sometimes, you have to think outside of the square. This one certainly came from left field. I am very happy to support the idea. One of my original comments when we announced the funding for the skating rink was I wanted them to work with the shires and with youth providers in remote communities, so those kids in remote communities, not only kids in Alice Springs, can also benefit from the experience of coming in during summer and getting on the ice.
They are planning a host of events over Christmas. One of those is a Blue Light Disco on ice. Maybe will get some members of this House to one of the Blue Light discos skating on ice - it might be thin ice ...
Members interjecting.
Mr HAMPTON: The member for Braitling is going to be in on that; that is great to hear.
I was very pleased to announce the other day $65 000 to FICA, Football in Central Australia, for another of these crazy ideas - a portable soccer arena and trailer. This means they can take the game to the people. We know soccer is a growing sport and we have large numbers of fans in Alice Springs. I get down to Ross Park on Monday and Tuesday nights. This portable soccer arena was, I believe, designed or made in Germany. This means they can actually get out …
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! In the remaining 12 minutes, if the minister could bring himself back to the actual motion, which was about the infrastructure at Anzac Oval. It is good to hear these …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr CONLAN: … statements, but in the remaining time …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. There is no point of order. Resume your seat.
Mr CONLAN: … the motion is actually about Anzac Oval.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Resume your seat.
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is a very broad discussion …
Mr CONLAN: It is not a broad discussion. It is a very specific …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex! I have ruled. Resume your seat, please. There most certainly is a degree of latitude in this debate. The minister has just under 12 minutes to go. Thank you, minister, you have the call.
Mr HAMPTON: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I go back to the member for Araluen’s motion. The first part is ‘in recognition of the failure to invest in areas of social and sporting infrastructure’. Member for Greatorex, maybe you should read the motion. However, I will continue with the great story I have to tell …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HAMPTON: Another interesting fact, while the member for Greatorex dribbles on …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Member for Greatorex!
Mr HAMPTON: While the member for Greatorex dribbles on, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will remind him …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Please pause, minister. Member for Greatorex, I ask you to cease interjecting, please. Thank you.
Mr HAMPTON: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I remind members, in 2000-01, the CLP’s budget for Sport and Recreation was $14m. Under this Labor government …
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim, when I call for order I am asking members to be quiet. Thank you. Minister, you have the call.
Mr HAMPTON: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. The CLP’s budget in 2000-01 for Sport and Recreation - a great part of this Territory’s lifestyle - was $14m. Under this Labor government, we have actually doubled that to over $33m, and put about $15m of that into Alice Springs. That is why I am not supporting this motion. I am proud to be a Labor member of this government and we have actually delivered $15m in Alice Springs. We have doubled the CLP’s budget in Sport and Recreation and have delivered.
However, I digress. As I said, this government has provided $290 000 to the council, along with their $90 000, to upgrade Anzac Oval. I take on board the member for Araluen’s comments regarding the audit report non-compliance. I really encourage the council, with the $50 000 we have provided, to do an audit of the Alice Springs sporting facilities to include Anzac Oval. It is a facility owned and maintained by the council. As I said, I am happy to work with the mayor and the council on improving those facilities ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Minister, you have the call.
Mr HAMPTON: Madam Deputy Speaker, as I said, I will not be supporting this motion. I understand the member for Nelson has some amendments to it, which I will take on board and listen to him very closely. I will not go much further. Once again, I am proud to stand here as a member of this Labor government, to say we have delivered the first-class facilities for Alice Springs residents, and first-class events.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move an amendment to the motion before us. The amendment is:
Delete paragraph 1 of the member for Araluen’s motion and insert in its stead:
- 1. meet with the Alice Springs Town Council, the Central Australian Rugby Union and Rugby League Associations and Football (soccer) in Central Australia to investigate the costs of the following at Anzac Oval:
- (a) upgrading the existing facilities, specifically:
- (i) dressing rooms;
(ii) kiosk;
(iii) toilet in the referees room; and
(iv) permanent stairs to the top floor.
(b) demolition of the existing facility and the construction of a new facility.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, those amendments are circulated to members?
Mr WOOD: I have them here, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am willing to circulate them.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr WOOD: Madam Deputy Speaker, I support what the member for Araluen is doing. The reason I moved the amendment is twofold. One is, to some extent, if you are asking anyone for something, you do not give them a kick in the head first and then give me some money. There might be some debates about whether the NT government has spent enough money in Central Australia, but I went past Traeger Park last night and I thought it was day time. This was about 10.30 pm. They were playing a cricket match and I reckon those facilities leave Marrara for dead, especially when it comes to the lighting. They appear to have a double set of lights and it must have cost a few dollars ...
A member interjecting.
Mr WOOD: No, they are not drawing the power down from Darwin. It certainly was a very impressive sight last night, seeing what is at Traeger Park.
That is not to take away from the issue that is before us, which is the facilities at Anzac Hill Oval are not up to scratch. It always reminds me, when I come down here – you are up from the north, how would you know? Fair question. The only thing I can say is I have had a lot to do with sport in my life. I still referee soccer and I still umpire some footy, so I certainly know what change rooms look like.
I came here last Thursday and was fortunate enough to go to Anzac Hill Oval on Sunday night. Lo and behold, there was a game of Rugby Union on between Cubs and Warriors. Lo and behold, I was told James Hird is there. Just to prove I was there, I took the photos in the NT News today with James Hird at the game between the Cubs and the Warriors. While I was there, I met the head of Central Australia Rugby Union, Patrick Torres, and had good long discussion with him. He showed me around the facility; I believe we looked in every nook and cranny. There is certainly a need to upgrade the facility. I am not an expert on building, but I might have some suggestions. One is there needs to be more change rooms. The number of change rooms is not sufficient, especially if you have a number of teams wanting to play, one after the other, on the oval. They are not sufficient for teams to be playing, especially when you have junior teams playing.
The kiosk, as the member for Araluen said rightly, backs on to the cisterns of the toilets. It does not actually back on to the toilets per se; it is like a lot of toilets these days, they are hidden behind a wall, and the room they are in is closed off by a door. However, when I was there, it was used as a storeroom for the empty beer cartons. That may be a matter of more finding some store space for materials used at the kiosk. The kiosk needs a complete revamp. There does not seem to be a place where they can put their fridges, and we all know people want a cold drink when they are playing footy. It is a facility which is not up to scratch.
I popped into the referee’s room. They have a shower, but they do not have a toilet. That amazed me. You are not expecting the refs to go outside amongst the crowd to the toilet. Especially if it is a game which is a bit controversial, refs like to stay in their own change rooms for a while until everyone goes home. So, it surprised me there was no toilet in that facility.
The member for Araluen sent me some photographs of the stairs to the top. Patrick worked the little flight of stairs - it is a peculiar way to get to the top floor. He said to me: ‘There is room around the side there, perhaps, for a permanent set of stairs’.
I also asked the coach of the Cubs - whose name escapes me at the moment - because, after all, he is one of the users. He said the facilities are well behind the eight ball.
The reason I have also brought this motion; I know it mentions a grandstand. The impression I got from both Patrick and other people I spoke to, is they are not after a big grandstand. In fact, they do not necessarily need a grandstand. You can put portable facilities in when needed. What they need is more shade and more seating. When you go to the games, people are here, there and everywhere; it is not all one big crowd. People sit on the lawn and enjoy themselves. It is a family day. When I went there, it was a very happy crowd. Rugby Union people usually are because when they go crook at the referee they call him ‘sir’ which is in contrast to what they call people who umpire Aussie Rules. It is something I have never become used it. When they go crook at you, before they do, they say: ‘Sir, that was a wrong decision’!
I also spoke to Damien Ryan, Mayor of Alice Springs, because the facility belongs to the Alice Springs Town Council. I asked his thoughts and he explained he had some money, but not enough to do a great deal - $140 000. I do not think it will build you an extra change room, but it might be enough money to see where upgrades could be done, and how much they would cost.
The other part of the motion is in relation to the demolition of the existing facility. As the member for Araluen said, it might be cheaper to knock the whole place down. That is an issue which needs to be looked at. To put on two new change rooms, revamp the kiosk, upgrade or repair some of the OHS issues - maybe we should knock it down.
That is the reason for my amendments; to be a little more specific. I am not commenting on the state of all the facilities in Alice Springs. If I had more time I would look at every sporting facility in Alice Springs. I am trying to focus on the issue before us; that is, the facilities at Anzac Oval need upgrading. Another issue raised by the Mayor of Alice Springs, Damien Ryan, was the council should be looking at building a purpose-built facility at the AZRI subdivision. Your guess is as good as mine as to when that occurs, but it does mean, if that is the approach the council is looking at in relation to Rugby Union, Rugby League or soccer facilities, it would be unwise to put a large amount of money into a facility which may not have a long-term future.
I have been asked to comment on this facility. I believe the facility needs upgrading. I saw last Sunday it is quite a popular facility. Luckily, I was wearing my Swamp Dogs Rugby Union shirt; I felt I was amongst friends. The people were willing to show me around and explain the problems associated with the facility. The ground is beautiful. It is a good ground; the grass is nice, generally speaking. It has the advantage of being close to town, although parking is one of the issues when it comes to bringing the big drawcard events. If the NRL play there, where are people going to park? There is some parking across the road. Damien Ryan is looking at that and saying: ‘If we are going to have these big events we need a place for people to park’.
That brings me to the issue of the toilets. The toilets might need some upgrading, but they are probably quite sufficient for the numbers of people who turn up at the present time. They are not sufficient when you have the NRL or the Masters Games. I have been to the Masters Games. At most events which come around once a year or so, you need to bring in your portaloos, which normally happens. It would be silly to build toilet facilities far beyond what is needed for an event which might occur once, or even twice a year.
We need to investigate the facilities, but I believe we should ensure the facilities are for general use, not necessarily for those uses which come irregularly. You can cater for those with portable grandstands and portable loos.
Madam Deputy Speaker, putting forward the motion does not say I do not support the general gist of what the member for Araluen has moved; it provides more focus. I have taken advice from the people who use the facilities, and the town council.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen, my colleague, for bringing on this very important motion. She, with the member for Greatorex, and, I am sure, the member for Macdonnell, support improving facilities at Anzac Oval.
We seem to be in a position in Alice Springs where those who rule our town - and I do not speak specifically of the mayor – and have influence in our town, are those who support AFL. It seems certain sections of the community ensure greater resources are provided to AFL facilities. Hence, we have such a good facility at Traeger Park. That is not to condemn or speak negatively of AFL or Traeger Park; it is to say that is why we have some bias towards Traeger Park.
I note in the speech by the member for Araluen, she made direct reference to representatives of the Rugby League Association, Rugby Union Association and Paul Lelliott at the soccer. Yes, we did meet with those people. We had good discussions and those representatives highlighted the concerns regarding Anzac Oval. We are supportive of the concerns at Anzac Oval, which has the potential to be the centrepiece of our town, because it is ideally located. I recognise the comments made by the member for Nelson about parking, and the concerns the mayor has about parking, and they are real concerns.
Anzac Oval is ideally placed to be the centrepiece of our town and, I imagine, in years to come when the population of Alice Springs has grown by tens of thousands of people, the potential site we have right in the heart our town, for a magnificent sporting field which partners up with Traeger Park to be the centrepiece of soccer - or football, as people like to call it - Rugby Union, and Rugby League. I believe is great vision and will put Alice Springs in great stead.
Who can forget the NRL trial game between the Knights and the Panthers, which was held here a few years ago? I was amazed at the number of people who turned out for that - 6000 people turned out for what could be considered to be an alien sport in this town. This town is widely considered to be an AFL town, but 6000 people turned up and had a great time. They were planning to come back every two years. It is unfortunate it has not happened, and it will not happen again for quite some time. For NRL clubs to come here, the criteria is very specific in its requirements for media and change rooms. But, more importantly, the requirements of the community who use those facilities - the change rooms, the kiosk, and so forth - need to be improved. Anyone who conducted an OHS audit of those facilities would understand they are clearly not up to the mark where they should be. I note the certificate is not correct, as the member for Araluen clearly identified.
I go back to the point of why Traeger Park seems to receive more support or more funding than other areas. In the last parliamentary sittings, the member for Stuart, the minister for Sport, made an announcement about upgrading facilities at Traeger Park. While those upgrades to Traeger Park are good, and positively and graciously accepted, I was surprised resources were not part of the announcement to upgrade the lighting at Traeger Park so we could have sporting events at night, which we currently cannot have. We have this good facility which currently has no toilets and a grandstand, and we do not have the lighting facilities which support televised sport to be played over FOX SPORTS or any other television channel.
I note the member for Stuart reflected the CLP budget in 2000-01 was only $14m. I have to say that does not sound like a bad figure for 2000-01. I thought it would have come out much less than that. However, $14m in 2000-01 was before we had the GST grants, when John Howard made sure the Territory government got extra money, redirecting money to the Northern Territory. It is being done today. The GST dollar still continues to flow to the Northern Territory. I believe I heard the member for Stuart say the $15m in Northern Territory government funding has gone into sporting facilities in Alice Springs. I think that was right. I am not sure what period of time that was; it may be over the term of this government. Yes, $15m over the term of this government has gone into sporting facilities in Alice Springs. That sounds like a great amount.
It sounds like a great number until you have a look at the Commonwealth Grants Commission funding which has been spent in the Northern Territory. Have a look at that and you see, in the year 2007-08, the Northern Territory government, which was assessed by the Commonwealth Grants Commission as needing to spend $46.456m on culture and recreation in the Northern Territory. However, in actual fact, after receiving extra money assessed to be at $19m by the Commonwealth, the Northern Territory government spent $79m on culture and recreation in the financial year 2007-08. These are Territory government figures. These are not assessments, these are figures. There was $79m in one year. And the minister for Sports tells us he spent $15m over the nine long years of this Northern Territory’s tired and arrogant Labor government. This is how much they care about Alice Springs - not even $2m a year. Not that it is a numbers game, but not even $2m a year. Not even, when they spent $79m on culture and recreation in the Northern Territory.
Then we go back to 2006, and they spent $94m. If we go back to 2005-06, they spent $110m on culture and recreation in the Northern Territory. Just keep in mind they spent $15m over nine years in Alice. If you have a look at 2004-05 they spent $99m in the Northern Territory on culture and recreation. In 2003-04, they spent $92.799m in the Northern Territory. Clearly, one must ask, if they have spent all this money - my quick calculation puts that just a little under $500m in five years - where did it go?
Ms Carney: Good question, where did it go?
Mr GILES: I do not think it went to Alice Springs, because I am pretty sure $500m and $15m are not the same. So, they have spent less than $2m a year in Alice Springs on sporting facilities - the second largest town in the Northern Territory. Well, it was until Labor stopped investing in infrastructure, land release, and housing development. We are now the third. However, almost $500m was spent in the Northern Territory on culture and recreation – and $15m in Alice Springs. Here we are asking to have a little facility upgraded for the three largest growing sports in Alice Springs - soccer, Rugby League and Rugby Union - and we cannot have it. We cannot have a building which complies with the building code. We cannot have change rooms which comply with the national sporting codes. We cannot have a kiosk which complies with the food and health standards guidelines. We cannot have that. No, but we can have a grandstand at Traeger Park without any toilets. Pump everyone full of grog at Traeger Park, but there are no bathrooms.
Where would $500m have gone? I imagine the Chief Minister, in his budgie smugglers up at the water park …
A member: Oh god, steady on.
Mr GILES: It is a horrible thought, I know. But, that is what this government’s priorities are …
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! I urge the member for Braitling withdraw that offensive remark, ‘the Chief Minister in his budgie smugglers’.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is a rather frivolous point of order, member for Greatorex. Member for Braitling, you have been asked by one of your colleagues if you would like to withdraw that statement.
Mr GILES: Madam Deputy Speaker, nothing will take that picture away from my mind.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have the call, member for Braitling.
Mr GILES: Madam Deputy Speaker, I go back to my point about the vision I have of the Chief Minister in his budgie smugglers at the wave pool in Darwin, and I think about the people of Alice Springs. I think about the 30 000 people in Alice Springs, the regional service centre for over 220 communities in Central Australia. I think about the 400 registered players in soccer, and growing. I think about the Rugby League numbers that are growing all the time. I think about the teams in Rugby Union which would like to have proper services. Recently, Territory Major Events has moved into the building in which my electorate office is occupied, at Anangu House at the corner of Gregory Terrace and Bath Street - drop in for a coffee. I have a chat to those people from time to time, because we are a small town, we know the people who work there, they live in my electorate, I doorknock those people. They say: ‘Gee, would it not be good to have better facilities for the Masters Games?’ Wouldn’t be?
I recognise what the member for Nelson said; that is, you cannot have permanent facilities for just a one in every two year event. I appreciate that, and that not everyone has all the money. However, there is a certain standard, a certain level of equity, we should be putting, as infrastructure, into facilities in Alice Springs to support the growth of these sports. It is an opportunity to highlight our town.
Here we have Sam, the CEO from Adelaide United, who wants to come to Alice Springs to form a regional partnership for football, or soccer as I called it as a kid. He wants to support a regional partnership with soccer in the Centre, to provide some social responsibility for their club, but also to try to harvest the talent in Central Australia, recognising the performances which have come out of Central Australia in some of the previous soccer greats - even playing at Manchester United, I think, yes.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I wonder what the benefits are of the government not supporting this motion, when they have spent nearly $500m in the Territory in five years. The amendment that was put forward - and I am not sure if we are talking to the amendment or to the motion, no one has really said that ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are speaking to the amended motion.
Mr GILES: We are speaking to the amended motion – I am surprised.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are speaking to both, member for Braitling.
Mr GILES: On the amended motion, which I have here, I have had conversations with the member for Nelson before we came here, and I was aware of the amendment which was coming up. I do find some holes in the amendment. I appreciate the member for Nelson has been good enough to try to come back and work this through. However, at point one, where he says to meet with the Alice Springs Town Council, the CARU, the Central Australia Rugby Union, Rugby League Association, football, soccer, in Central Australia to investigate the cost of the following at Anzac Oval to upgrade existing facilities, specifically dressing rooms, kiosk, toilets in referee’s room, permanent stairs to top floor, and demolition of existing facilities and the construction of a new facility.
Well, it does not really say who is going to meet with these people. I am not sure if it is the member for Nelson, the Council of Territory Cooperation - that amazingly insightful body. I am not sure who is going to meet with these people, because, as the local member of the electorate where this park or facility is, I have spoken with the representatives of those people. I have spoken to the Alice Springs Town Council. I know the Alice Springs Town Council does not want a large grandstand. Well, we are not really pushing for that either. We are pushing for appropriate facilities - an upgrade to the facilities, or demolish and build, or upgrade, or whatever the case is necessary.
The key problem with this motion is, it does not give a time line; it does not give a commitment that we will do these upgrades to the current facilities. There is no clarity on how to move forward. To me, this seems like a delaying tactic, when you have the Country Liberals, who are the local members in Alice Springs; and me, as the local member of the electorate; my colleague, the member for Araluen, who is the patron of Rugby League, and a great supporter of sports at Anzac Oval; the member for Greatorex, who is also a great supporter, and many of his constituents and their children play sport at this oval. We all are the people you talk to. I am sure, if you spoke to the member for Macdonnell - and I am not going to put words in her mouth – who has many friends and colleagues in Alice Springs, would appreciate the need to ensure the facilities comply with the building code, we meet the occupational health and safety standards, and we are trying to attract people and sporting clubs to our town.
I would love to see soccer played there every Sunday afternoon; it would be great. We are a small town, our crowds are not big but, if Adelaide United played North Queensland Fury from Townsville at Alice Springs, it would be a great night. If we had the teams such as the Bulldogs playing the Eels, we could really get things going. We could have a Super 14 trial match played in Alice Springs. These are the things we should be moving forward to, and this is such a small investment in infrastructure. If this motion said: ‘We will review the costs, we will report back by February, and then we will commit to doing it’; but we cannot even get that.
All we have is a motion someone – I am not sure who - is going to meet with four organisations to see how much things cost. That does not go far enough, and I am not sure whether the member for Nelson would be keen to amend his motion. I do not think he would, but I will be happy to see him respond to whether he will amend it, so we can get a commitment to upgrade the facilities at Anzac Oval. Otherwise, all we will see is approximately $500m over the next five years going into the Territory - if it remains the same – and nothing coming to Alice Springs.
I represent people in Alice Springs and they care. I have been talking to students as they come in here from the school groups. They ask: ‘What are you doing? What are you talking about?’ I said we are debating on our side, because we are your local members and we listen to your parents, whether we should fix it up. ‘Great. Can I come back?’ ‘No, sorry, you have go to class. Make sure you tell everyone we want Anzac Oval fixed up. We will do it; that is our job’.
Unfortunately, we have members who do not live in the electorate, who do not represent people who play sport in that electorate, who are not keen to support it. I believe it is very disappointing, and I will not be supporting this amended motion. I will be supporting the motion put forward by the member for Araluen. I know my colleagues in the Country Liberals support this motion, and I am sure there are other people on this side of the Chamber who support this motion. I recommend to the member for Nelson to come back into this Chamber, respond to his motion, amend his motion, and commit to helping the people of Alice Springs, or supporting our motion.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Deputy Speaker, I will specifically deal with the member for Nelson’s amendment. It is not supported and I will sum up as a result of some of the other things the member for Nelson said, and some of what the member for Stuart said.
In talking specifically about this proposed amendment, we oppose it because, unlike our motion, there are no time frames. The member for Nelson’s motion is to meet, talk and investigate. This is pontification at its worst. Our motion, in contrast, uses the word ‘immediately’. If that is not a time frame, I do not know what is.
We, on behalf of the people we represent - and as I said earlier, we did meet with relevant stakeholders, and I am patron of the junior Rugby League association. We are their voice; it is what we are paid to do. They do not want to sit around and talk, although I can rely on what is going to happen with this motion. No doubt, in due course, when government finally gets around to it, they will be invited for a chat, and they will participate because they want something done.
We brought this motion, not because I lie in bed at night and think about places like Anzac Oval. It is because people approach me and show me these things and say it really needs to be upgraded. I go there and I see it really needs to be upgraded. We told them we would do our very best, during these sittings, to get some action.
In stark contrast, the member for Nelson proposes a meeting - no time frame - to investigate – no time frame - costs. We say that is simply not good enough. It is very easy for the member for Nelson to drop in, as do government ministers. Of course, he endorses this government; he supports them. I have been very up-front with the member for Nelson; in August I said very clearly to him I thought, on behalf of my constituents, he made the wrong decision. We will agree to disagree, but I made my position very clear and the member for Nelson made his clear.
It is the wrong decision, but it is the decision the member for Nelson has taken. Equally, he has made the wrong call when it comes to this motion. The people we specifically represent in relation to this motion do not want to sit around and talk; they want some action. With respect, member for Nelson, I know you believe sitting around and talking is the way to go. I have represented my constituents for eight years and they have had enough. That is why, in 2007, so many of them turned up to protest. These were the nice mums and dads of Alice Springs. They turned up because they had had a gutful. They are not turning up this time in droves for two reasons, in my view. I appreciate this is a digression and I will be brief.
One is the terrible time of year of these sittings. We all concede that privately. Second, when it comes to this government they say: ‘Talk to the hand’. They see through the spin and the slipperiness and they want so much better, and they deserve so much better. So, they are not into sitting around talking about these sorts of things.
The member for Braitling talked about the lack of money the government has invested during their eight years in office. I could not take down all of the figures he had but, it was, relatively speaking, a paltry amount. We believe, on behalf of the people we represent, significantly more should be done. I noted, with interest, the minister said – and I believe my note is accurate: ‘non-compliance is a major concern’. You think? You think non-compliance is a major concern? Too right it is! You have all of these photos of this crappy facility, and it appeared as though you did not even know. You said you would take the compliance issues on board. You did not know?
You have a building which has asbestos in it. You have a building which does not comply with various fire and building codes. This is about as serious as it gets.
Member for Nelson, with respect, we do not support this motion because our people do not want to sit around and talk. You did not provide any time frame and that was a problem. It is very easy to swing by from the Top End – and you are, just like government ministers - and say: ‘I believe this should happen’. Please believe me when I tell you our people want so much more.
Member for Nelson, you talked about parking problems, yet, miraculously in subparagraph (b) of your motion says: ‘demolition of the existing facility and the construction of a new facility’. The parking problem miraculously disappears. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot say: ‘There are parking issues there’ and, then, by dint of this motion, assume they will magically go away. You are having it both ways. We disagree. We know our people well enough to know they will not be satisfied with this. That is why I am on my feet. Government will spin this in all sorts of ways and say we did not support people sitting around and talking. Go your hardest because we know our people very well.
I am sorry, member for Nelson, we do not support this amendment. We will not support it and we do it in good conscience knowing, better than you, the people we represent.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, there are two motions before the Chair. First is an amendment as moved by the member for Nelson; and there is the original motion moved by the member for Araluen. I will take the amendment first.
The question is that the amendment, as moved by the member for Nelson, be agreed to.
Motion negatived.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Speaker, getting back to our motion, I said before I would pick up some of the things the member for Stuart said. Thank you, minister, for acknowledging my acknowledgment of your commitment to sport in Alice Springs. I know you and your family, your sons - I think you have a boy at Clontarf - are committed.
However, I believe there is a danger. I said it when I started to talk about the motion. I said people have noticed in Alice Springs that Traeger Park is getting so much in comparison with the others. Minister, with great respect, you are at risk of being seen as an Aussie Rules sort of a guy. You can do that in your private life - that is fine, and I commend you for it. However, as a minister of the Crown and Minister for Sport and Recreation, it is my view - and I feel certain it is shared by my colleagues - you have to do so much better, and a balanced approach is the order of the day.
Regarding the parking issues the member for Nelson highlighted, I note, when talking about Masters Games in media releases and in parliament, the member for Stuart never talks about parking issues. Funny, how issues suddenly emerge when you are looking for a list of things to say why you cannot do something. If there are parking concerns – and, on occasion there will be - fix it. Work with council to get it fixed.
I note the minister said, in recent times, government had provided $240 000. Well, not good enough. The compliance issue is incredibly serious. I was pretty surprised you said it was a major concern. It is. Well, it does somewhat beg the question: what are you going to do about it? Sitting down and talking, as I mentioned just a few minutes ago, is not what is required. We are not in January yet. You would have to bet, on a best guess, work might start, in repairing some of the compliance issues, perhaps February/March next year - not good enough by a country mile.
The minister said when he was on his feet that all sporting facilities are owned and maintained by the Alice Springs Town Council. He does not tend to use that language - and I cannot for the life of me ever remember him using that language - when it comes to issuing media releases or making announcements in respect of other town council owned and managed facilities. Again, it is that slithering we are on to, as are the people of Alice Springs.
This facility desperately needs an input; a significant injection from government. The member for Braitling outlined the figures - lots of money and, yet, so little; less than $2m a year - spent on sporting infrastructure in Alice Springs - nowhere near enough. I note - and I am pretty sure it was issued this afternoon - a media release from the Darwin City Council talking about Bagot Park in Darwin and saying soccer is such a popular sport and our junior competition in Darwin is incredibly strong - as it is in Alice Springs - and the Northern Territory government will contribute $209 000. That is just a one-off spend for Bagot Park to allow planting of new turf before the Wet Season.
It is open for the people of Alice Springs, particularly those to whom I will send the Hansard of this debate, to conclude, as I have said before, there is one set of rules for Top Enders and quite another for the people of Alice Springs. Government seems to think $209 000 for planting of new turf before the Wet Season at Bagot Park is incredibly important. I am sure it is, but we think Anzac Oval is really important. The photos you have seen - and I know members have seen the facility - clearly demonstrate, not only occupational health and safety-type issues, but issues of the facility and its use in Alice Springs. So, Bagot Park gets $209 000 and, here we are, bowing and scraping, begging, arguing as best we can to say: can you please immediately upgrade facilities at Anzac Oval, which are well overdue? Yet, government will vote against this motion. That is another example of why it is government does so badly, in political terms, in Alice Springs.
I repeat, the Chief Minister said in the booklet for parliament his government is a government for all Territorians. Well, you would not believe it in Alice Springs. We think government should do better. I talked before about the minister kicking goals, and as an Aussie Rules boy he does, and he has. We think, in the Rugby sense, you should do some touches over the try line and see if you can score some points for that sport and, indeed, looking to other sports, particularly showcasing the beautiful facility in its location and its grounds; it is just the infrastructure that needs more work.
For the record, I should have said when I was initially on my feet, yes, I did speak with the mayor about this matter. Once again, the position has been somewhat misrepresented by a government minister. Should I be surprised? No, in fact, the mayor’s position is to finish the grandstand at Traeger Park first, and then you can move on to other things. You are so bad you cannot even finish that grandstand. The fact is Alice Springs Town Council does not have the money to inject. Council will be forced, potentially, into a position of increasing rates for ratepayers. That should not have to occur, when government, at a drop of a hat, chucks in $209 000 for Bagot Park. It should chuck in some money, and take some action immediately to upgrade the facilities. When it comes to town council, let us be clear, it is not the case the mayor does not want a grandstand at Anzac Oval. He reckons, rightly or wrongly, finish the one at Traeger Park first.
I note the member for Stuart was silent as to the mayor’s position about other parts of the motion - the viewing area, the canteen, the toilets, the change rooms. He was silent on the mayor’s views about making this a first-class facility. I know the mayor well enough to know – and, of course, there have been discussions about it - he wants - we all do - Anzac Oval to be the facility it can be.
We think you should try harder. We know you will not support this motion. We have done the best we can. Madam Speaker, I strongly support this motion and I only wish government members would.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Lovegrove Drive and Larapinta Drive -
Traffic Congestion and Safety Matters
Lovegrove Drive and Larapinta Drive -
Traffic Congestion and Safety Matters
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): I move that the Territory government:
- (a) an immediate investigation be undertaken regarding the traffic congestion and safety matters at the intersection of Lovegrove Drive and Larapinta Drive, and that such an investigation is to provide options as to which of the following is the optimum solution to the current problem:
- (b) the investigation should take into account the views of local stakeholders such as the local council and should also take into account the view of local members that the preferable option is a roundabout;
- (d) that work on whatever option is agreed to is to commence by April 2010 and be completed by June 2010; and
- (e) note that the failure to construct a roundabout will continue to see local motorists exposed to unnecessary danger, with the potential of serious injury and or loss of life.
This, despite its length, is a relatively straightforward motion. I should declare I drive past this intersection every day. When I am in Alice Springs, which is most of the time, I start work between 7.30 am and 8 am. I see it at peak times and I see mums and dads taking their kids to school. I also see congestion at other times as I make my way around the electorate and Alice Springs. There is no doubt an immediate investigation has to be undertaken regarding traffic congestion and safety matters at this intersection. We have had discussions with the member for Nelson and have tried our best to come up with a motion which we thought he would …
A member interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: We have not tried our best? I believe we have tried our best to get an agreement. I understand there is one part he will not support. We are doing this not for ourselves but for the people we represent. For those from the Top End, it is very easy to drop in. I saw the member for Nelson at the intersection parked on the verge. I stopped off at the intersection to have a chat and he was there with his camera jumping up and down watching people.
One day is not enough. If you live here and drive past it every day, you see the difficulties with it. As a result of negotiation, we changed parts of our motion. We had the word ‘immediate’ investigation, and we have provided a time line. We have done that because we do want this on the never-never. My view is it should have been done long ago. This government talks about land release, but there is no doubt there have been more dwellings established in the Larapinta area and there has been some increase of traffic flow.
There is also no doubt, as a result of the growth in what is locally known as the industrial area, more people are coming out from Lovegrove Drive. There is no doubt something needs to be done. It is dangerous. I have seen the most extraordinary things on my way to work. I have seen people mounting the footpath to get around cars in front and find a short cut; I have been parked behind people who are cursing and …
Dr Burns: Road rage.
Ms CARNEY: Yes, I think there is some road rage, member for Johnston. To see, on more than one occasion, people mounting the footpath to get around cars in front is, obviously, highly dangerous. In the last sittings, the Minister for Transport was talking about the importance of road safety. Believe me when I tell you something needs to be done on a fairly urgent basis when it comes to this intersection, otherwise there will be injuries and fatalities.
The problem is some drivers become irate as they wait for a split second to move out of Lovegrove Drive and into Larapinta Drive. I see the long lines of vehicles on Lovegrove Drive trying to get into Larapinta Drive. It is not good enough and our preference, very clearly, is for a roundabout. It is particularly dangerous at peak times as people go to work and take their children to school. Also, as they return home or pick up their children at the end of the school day, and when they are on their way from work.
As with other intersections, sometimes traffic flows well and it is not always dangerous; that is a given. However, it is often dangerous. The Chief Minister and his colleagues are at pains, when talking about crime, to say: ‘One crime is a crime too many’. I say, one level of danger at an intersection is one level too many. A roundabout, in our view, will assist many members of the public in Alice Springs and it will be safer for them.
There is a view, if a roundabout is built - and I have talked to the mayor about this issue also - it may be possible, or desirable, for the government to install some pedestrian traffic lights either side, perhaps several hundred metres from the roundabout, which will assist with pedestrian traffic flow. At times, it can be somewhat busy. There is a pedestrian crossing further west on Larapinta Drive which, I might say, was achieved after considerable public pressure. I assisted with that before the 2005 election. Another pedestrian crossing is probably desirable and, I believe, it is a view shared by the mayor.
One difficulty with having traffic lights, based on my conversations with the mayor - which I confirmed, member for Nelson, again last night; as we know, Damien Ryan was here for several hours yesterday. I relayed a conversation I had with the member for Nelson about the concern council has with the government installing traffic lights and then, moving off, and council maintaining them. When I talked to the member for Nelson about that, he said: ‘No, that is not right. That does not happen in Litchfield Shire or wherever’. I then went back to the mayor last night and put it again to him. There seems to be a level of disagreement. I do not believe he would fight you to the death, but it was Damien Ryan’s understanding that council would be left with the costs of maintaining the traffic lights. I do not know what the true situation is, but I raise this issue because there is some concern in relation to it.
There is another more general concern about traffic lights which is they are likely to disrupt the flow down Larapinta Drive. The pedestrian crossing near Diarama Village is used regularly but, essentially, by schoolchildren. That is a great thing, because it makes the crossing of a busy road a safe one. If there are traffic lights further as you head into town on Larapinta Drive, it may present some traffic flow problems. On the other hand, it may be the case it might stop speedsters. There are, unfortunately, many of them who hoon their way down Larapinta Drive. My view, and the view of my colleagues - local colleagues in particular - is a roundabout will be better and it will assist traffic flow.
I am aware the member for Nelson, when I unexpectedly met with him on the verge on Friday morning, was keen to come up with some other solutions. I repeat the point we believe a roundabout is a better option, but we will agree to disagree on that. What the member for Nelson said was he had received figures from the government. We had not. However, as a quasi-member of the government, the member for Nelson had. I do not believe you could have too much difficulty with that, member for Nelson, because, in so many ways, he is. As a quasi-member of the government, he had received information from the government that we, the movers of the motion and the local representatives had, not been given the courtesy of receiving.
In any event, to his credit, the member for Nelson offered to send me that information, which he did; for which I thank him. What was very interesting is there is no guarantee it is original information from the department. We know e-mails, and we know how they work. Specifically on the bottom, it is signed ‘Sonia Peters, Ministerial Advisor – Treasury and Infrastructure’. The member for Nelson said to me - and here comes the Mayor of Alice Springs and the former Mayor of Alice Springs is also here as well, Madam Speaker.
The fact is I do not know, nor do I have any guarantee, and past form does them no credit. I just am not satisfied this is all of the relevant information from government. I note someone from the relevant minister’s office sent an e-mail around again today which is somewhat different. My point is we do not believe everything this government tells us. I said on ABC radio at 8.30 this morning, just because this government says something does not mean it is true. I exercise great care when I get information from government. I get so little of it, but I do, on occasion, manage to get a response to a letter.
A good example was in a motion we debated some hours ago, the law and order motion, the fifth part thereof in relation to alcohol. I know this is a digression, but I will be as brief as possible. I refer to how the member for Casuarina, the Minister for Alcohol Policy, at the October parliamentary sittings in Darwin, said very clearly his department had talked to Australia Post and they had ‘not seen a significant increase in alcohol’ coming through the Post Office. It did not sit well with me, so I rang the Delivery Services Manager at the Post Office, a man I know who lives around the corner from me. I read the bit of Hansard to him and I said: ‘You spoke to the minister?’ ‘Yes’. ‘The minister says this is what you said. Did you say that?’ ‘No’. ‘What did you tell the person who rang you?’ ‘I told the person who rang me that, based on ocular inspection, there was an increase in alcohol coming through the Post Office’.
What the member for Casuarina did was dishonestly reworded it and said ‘no significant increase’. That is why Madam Speaker - and thank you for the indulengence for the digression - I do not trust this government. You are just squibbers, you are manipulators. We saw it with the Menzies report. At taxpayers’ expense, you put this whopper of an ad in The Centralian Advocate on Friday, and said ‘the Menzies report found’ – balderdash! It did find - talk about liar, liar, pants on fire. It just did not …
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Araluen!
Ms CARNEY: I withdraw that, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Can you direct your comments through me, please.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker. As a courtesy to you, I very happily withdrew that remark. If pressed, perhaps I would have not been required to because I was not alleging any particular member of government was a liar; I was just using that well-known Australian expression ‘liar, liar, pants on fire’ - an expression you often ...
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, come on. Back to the debate.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker. … an expression used often in and around my electorate when people are talking about this government ...
Members interjecting.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Ms CARNEY: In any event, I am sorry, but I do not trust you. Many of my constituents do not, and they have good reason not to.
In any event, one part of the e-mail from a ministerial advisor said:
- From a road and traffic management perspective, these volumes …
They are talking about traffic volumes:
- … can operate to an acceptable level of service using existing road infrastructure.
The wording is these volumes can operate to an acceptable level of service. My question is: should they? If this was in Darwin would this intersection have been fixed by now? I believe it would have been. Would the northern suburbs of Darwin have to endure this intersection? I think not. A staffer of the minister, both of whom live in Darwin, say it can operate like this. I do not think it should, and I do not think it is good enough.
I know the member for Nelson will not support this motion, which is interesting because, given his closeness to the former member for Braitling, I would have thought he would have had some sympathy with her position...
Mr Wood interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: You will have your chance, member for Nelson, and you know I am a bit deaf, so I cannot hear your interjection, so I cannot determine whether they are mindless or sensible.
In any event, the former member for Braitling raised this issue on numerous occasions. One of them was in parliament on 23 March 2005. She asked a question. No, I am sorry, you, member for Nelson, asked the question. You said – it must have been at the Alice Springs sittings in 2005. It was. The question, to the minister for Infrastructure, was as follows:
- Madam Speaker, this shorter question is on behalf of you as the member for Braitling. I have been advised that your department was to undertake a traffic delay study at the intersection of Larapinta and Lovegrove Drives. I canvassed this matter in my newsletter and received numerous replies from residents. Over 70% were in favour of a roundabout, and over 20% were in favour of traffic lights. It sounds like the rural area of Darwin as well, Madam Speaker. Minister, what was the result of your departments study? What traffic control will you place at the Larapinta/Lovegrove Drives intersection?
- Regarding that intersection, I understand there are delays, particularly in the peak hour in the mornings as people try and turn out against the traffic flow into Larapinta Drive.
He went on and on, and then he said:
- Basically, we commissioned a traffic study … That is due for completion by the end of April.
To her credit, in August 2005, in parliament in Darwin, the former member for Braitling asked the following question:
- In April, your department informed me they were doing a traffic delay study at the corner of Larapinta and Lovegrove Drives in Alice Springs, which is a particularly difficult intersection, as you are aware. Could you advise me what the result of that study was? Will you be introducing traffic measures to overcome the difficulties at that corner?
She asked that on 18 August 2005 - all those years ago. She was thanked for her question. The minister said:
- The intersection of Lovegrove and Larapinta Drives has been the subject of a number of questions the member for Braitling has asked me. I can advise the member that I have not received the results of that survey. However, I will certainly chase it up and I will be in contact with the member, because I know it is an important issue.
It is November 2009. This issue has been around for a long time, presumably because we have the hated member for Karama, I am thinking, is going to be the one who is going to respond to this. She will get up and she will bleat on about the CLP. Go your hardest. This is not about the CLP, this is about the ALP. This is about coming to government and getting better outcomes. For 26 or 27 long years, you waited and waited and waited – what a fizzer. What a fizzer. I have already quoted Paul Keating today. I believe it was he who said of someone in the Liberal party ‘all tip and no iceberg’. You just have not delivered.
To her credit, the former member for Braitling raised this issue. The e-mail today was, presumably, some other form of study. Study, study, study. Talk, talk, talk. Please just get it done. The Mayor of Alice Springs is here. I know he is a very busy man and he probably will not be reading the Parliamentary Record of this debate. I should, in his presence, if I may, just repeat what I said earlier about our conversation relayed to the member for Nelson in relation to traffic lights. I advised the member for Nelson, from my discussions with the mayor, there was a concern when governments put up traffic lights and, then, the costs of those lights fall to council to maintain.
The member for Nelson had a different view. I had a discussion with the Alice Springs Mayor last night and that was not his view. I repeated I did not know what the exact situation was. I see them sitting together now so, no doubt, a position will emerge from the member for Nelson. I thought that important as the mayor is present. I compliment him on his attendance at these sittings, because there are so many Alice Springs matters and it is important that he sees – although I know he does understand – the commitment of the local members to Alice Springs.
Getting back to this motion: an immediate investigation be undertaken. I would hate to think in years to come some poor bugger will be standing here quoting the former member for Araluen. In case anyone misreads that, no, I am not planning on going anywhere, but I also do not plan to be here at the age of 90. I sincerely hope subsequent members for Araluen and subsequent members for Braitling do not say: ‘In 2005, the former, former, former member for Braitling said’, because people will say: ‘Who was that?’ And: ‘The former, former, former member for Araluen said’. It is just a roundabout.
If you do not want a roundabout can you come up with another solution? Can you report to the parliament in the February 2010 sittings? Can you ensure, whatever option is agreed to, it is to commence by April 2010, and be completed by June 2010? I know it is not an election year, but you could do something really wild and crazy and actually do the job you are paid for by looking after the residents of Alice Springs and get it done.
Mr McCARTHY (Transport): Madam Deputy Speaker, first, I will provide some background on traffic volumes and crash statistics in relation to the intersection. I have spent some time at the intersection during recent visits to Alice Springs. Intersection counts were undertaken in 1997, 2005 and last month. The study undertaken last month to identify traffic volumes passing through the intersection during peak times found current traffic volume on Larapinta Drive is between 10 000 and 11 000 vehicles per day in the vicinity of Lovegrove Drive.
The average annual daily traffic count for Larapinta Drive has remained relatively static for the past decade and recent traffic data confirms a growth rate of less than 1%. The advice from traffic management officers is the current intersection is sufficient for these volumes. Current traffic growth rates are not expected to change from the current trend for Larapinta Drive in future years, in line with the Alice Springs Land Use Structure Plan. There are many similar intersections in the Northern Territory with significantly larger traffic volumes which do not have roundabouts or traffic lights.
The crash data for this intersection shows there have been 13 accidents in 18 years, thankfully, with no fatalities. Five of those crashes involved injuries, with three incidents requiring hospital admission. Two crashes occurred in peak hour and 11 in non-peak hour, with 10 occurring in daylight hours. I am aware the member for Braitling is seeking funding under the Commonwealth government’s Black Spot Funding program. This is commendable but, alas, this intersection will not meet funding eligibility on these crash statistics.
I support the suggestion by the member for Nelson that options for this intersection be assessed and reported to this parliament in February. I will touch briefly on some of the options raised. In relation to a roundabout, the site is constrained by existing urban development and it also has a number of known sacred sites in the vicinity. Road trains are known to use this intersection, and a roundabout would need to consider the large sweep path of long commercial vehicles which impact on the overall size of an intersection.
Planning concepts for a roundabout at this intersection have been assessed by road engineers and determined it is not required based on the traffic levels. Earlier assessments indicate the cost of a roundabout is in the vicinity of $2.6m, but could increase due to side issues, including potential relocation of services and consideration of sacred sites.
Traffic lights and traffic lights with a seagull lane: traffic lights could provide an option, but are seen as disruptive by motorists. However, we will look further at this option and I will also ask the department to look at better speed limits and intersection signage and line remarking. I make a comment at that stage about asking the department, as I seem to be scoffed at a bit by the opposition every time I mention the wonderful public servants I have the honour of working with. When you do empirical and data research, it is these specific public servants who provide us with the accurate data to guide good decision-making by the minister.
I will comment on my visit to that intersection and thank the member for Araluen for raising this as an issue of road safety. I visited the intersection on a number of occasions, and I have chosen to be there at different times of the day to gauge the traffic flows that relate to peak hour, afternoon traffic, and the facilities around that area. One is the Araluen Cultural Precinct which I have visited on a number of occasions as the minister, and also as a consumer. The other one is the Yeperenye school.
There was one of our hard-working public servants out there last night - a great guy who works with me in the Transport Division. He went out there to have a look at lighting and do a bit of research, to provide me with background on what happens at that intersection at night. That suggests government is out there in the field doing the real work, and it should be commended. I thank those people who have supported me in the research.
Widening of the intersection to enable both left and right-hand turn lanes to be clearly delineated: this option would likely be the most suitable and efficient option. This solution would ease current traffic delays and queueing on the Lovegrove Drive by providing separate storage for left and right turn traffic. The investigation should take into account the views of local stakeholders such as the local council, and should also take into account the view of local members; that the preferable option is a roundabout.
The Department of Planning and Infrastructure does take into account stakeholder views in assessing road priorities, including councils, shires, and correspondence from local members. In respect to taking into account local members’ views, this has been done. The department has responded to the request for a traffic study on a number of occasions. I outline for the House assessing priorities for road projects are weighted in congestion, road safety including looking at crash data, social equity in access, and priorities across the network.
Only around 24% of the current roadwork network in the NT is sealed. As we know in this House, there are many priorities across that massive network. That is why we have increased the roads budget, now at $322m, and sought more Commonwealth funding to address this. I am pleased also this government has secured more than double the funding from the Rudd Labor government for our roads than under the previous Australian government. However, there is still more to do and that is why we have bid for more funds for our development and secondary roads under Infrastructure Australia. That is why we are developing a 10-year roads plan to identify priorities across road safety improvements, community access, tourism, and freight roads to get products to market, as well as road safety. That investigation should be completed by the relevant government department and reported to the February 2010 sittings: I am happy to report back in February 2010 at the sittings.
That work on whatever option is agreed to is to commence by April 2010 and to be completed by June 2010: funding allocations under the roads program, or the capital works program, are not made by parliament. As outlined, the Department of Planning and Infrastructure makes recommendations on funding priorities based on engineering and road safety assessments, social access, and economic development. The capital works program is approved by the Cabinet following a rigorous budget process. Members of the House supporting this element of the motion should bring forward road projects in their electorate which they will offer for substitution to fund the Larapinta and Lovegrove Drives intersection.
By way of example, projects funding in Alice Springs this year which were a higher priority included Ilparpa Road, sealing shoulders, $650 000 Black Spot funded; and Hartley Street, improving pedestrian zone treatment, $120 000, NTG contribution. Other minor new works projects around Central Australia included: Plenty Highway construction; Tanami Road, formalise upgrade truck parking bays; Alice Springs arterial cycle network improvements; Adelaide Bore/ Mt Skinner Road realignment; Adelaide Bore/Mt Skinner Road realignment; and Watarrka, construct lay-by at north entry to park.
Note the failure to construct a roundabout will continue to see local motorists exposed to unnecessary danger with the potential of serious injury and or the loss of life: the crash data for this intersection shows there have been 13 accidents in 18 years but, thankfully, no fatalities. Five of those crashes involved injuries, with three incidents requiring hospital admission. The predominant crashes were rear-end collisions, with only two of 13 crashes occurring during peak hour.
I also asked that we look into the history of this area to see what another government had done. The history came back. In the late 1990s, the Department of Planning and Infrastructure developed concept proposals for the duplication of Larapinta Drive between Milner Road and Bradshaw Drive, which included a new intersection treatment at Lovegrove Drive. The justification for the project was not based on traffic management problems at the Lovegrove Drive intersection. The duplication was included in a 1997-98 capital works program as an infrastructure upgrade project, but was deleted from the program in 1999 and not revisited. This was due to the significant increase in cost for the project to over $3m, and a significant slowing of population and traffic growth.
The duplication project has not been revisited. Traffic growth on Larapinta Drive, which had peaked at 5% growth by 1997, subsequently stabilised at less than 1% growth. Growth remains at 1%. In conclusion, the government is supportive of the following:
(a) to investigate traffic congestion and safety matters around the Larapinta Drive and Lovegrove Drive intersection;
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, while I am on my feet in the House, it would also be appropriate to talk about road safety and the need to continue to educate our road users to change driver behaviour. I recommend we slow down, we look out for each other, we check for cyclists, motor cycles and pedestrians, and we drive safely.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, as I was going to put an amendment forward, I was interested in listening to the minister’s discussion on this particular issue, and what he said about putting forward a date when work would start. So, I am doing a fairly quick change to my amendments. Perhaps before I put those amendments, I should say, in relation to this whole issue, I support some changes to that intersection. I had a look at the intersection last Monday morning and, as the member for Araluen said, I was poking around there with my camera. In fact, I gather someone saw the member for Araluen and me there, and it was immediately reported to the media. It just shows you, you cannot hide in Alice Springs.
What I saw at the intersection was - and I know the member for Araluen says you come from Darwin. Well, I come from outer Darwin actually. An intersection is an intersection no matter where it is and, if it is not working properly, it is not working properly. If it has a lot of traffic, it has a lot of traffic. I do not care whether you are in Singapore, Melbourne, Darwin or Alice Springs, a T-intersection is a T-intersection. The design of a T-intersection and how it operates is no different, no matter where it is. I saw some interesting things at the intersection. I will table these photographs in a minute.
I saw people - and you will not pass these on to the police - doing right-hand turns from Larapinta Drive into Lovegrove Drive, not close to the middle of the road, which is a requirement when you are doing a right-hand turn. Then, I saw people doing a left-hand turn into Lovegrove Drive, nowhere near close to the edge of the curb. Then, I saw a person doing a right-hand turn out of Lovegrove Drive, nearly getting wiped out by a truck going into town along Larapinta Drive.
There are two issues we need to look at here. The issues are in relation to safety and the amount of traffic. I certainly have some information on the traffic. As the member for Araluen said, there was a report done in 2005. Just to cut that discussion a little short, it said - in response to local member representation, which was related to the previous member from Braitling - in 2005, about traffic delays:
- A traffic assessment was undertaken but did not identify significant delays or queuing. A traffic study was undertaken in early October 2009 to identify traffic volumes passing through the intersection during peak times. The current traffic volume on Larapinta Drive is between 10 000 and 11 000 vehicles per day in the vicinity of Lovegrove Drive, peak hour traffic volumes one way on Larapinta Drive range up to 600 vehicles per hour, with volumes on Lovegrove Drive approximately 300 vehicles per hour. From a road and traffic management perspective, these volumes can operate to an acceptable level of service using the existing road infrastructure.
Then it says:
- It is important to recognise that current traffic growth rates are not expected to change from the current trend for Larapinta Drive. There will be limited pocketing for development along Larapinta Drive, but major future residential development in Alice Springs will be to infill areas across other areas of Alice Springs and also new areas south of the Gap.
A little further on, it says:
- A preliminary assessment of that data that we have spoken about before has now been completed. The operation of the current Lovegrove Drive intersection geometry is manageable at current growth rates for another 10 years. Planning concepts for a roundabout treatment at this intersection were assessed. The performance of a roundabout geometry will provide adequate capacity and performance levels beyond 2020. Concept design and cost estimates for a roundabout treatment have only being developed to a very rough order of costs, which is currently estimated at $2.6m.
Issues of conflicting services, sacred sites and heritage aspects have not been investigated fully at this time, but are likely to be relevant, with sacred sites adjacent to the road, and may impact on project estimates.
- An immediate investigation be undertaken regarding the traffic congestion and safety matters at the intersection of Lovegrove Drive and Larapinta Drive and, that such an investigation is to provide options as to which of the following is the optimum solution to the current problem.
(i) a roundabout;
Many of the people in the area voted for a roundabout, and I am a great fan of roundabouts. The Mayor of Alice Springs, in his discussions with us, said: ‘We have plenty of roundabouts’ or something similar. Roundabouts can be good; traffic lights can also be good. The reason I say that is not because I like getting held up by traffic lights; it is because traffic lights can allow you breaks in the traffic beyond the lights. In the case of Lovegrove Drive, between there and Milner Road, I believe there are five minor intersections where people want to join into the traffic, whether they are going east or west. Traffic lights enable a break in traffic; sometimes roundabouts do not allow that to.
There is another option with traffic lights, a seagull lane. Along the Stuart Highway in Darwin when you get to the Robertson Barracks intersection, there is what you might call half a set of traffic lights. Traffic going into Darwin is not affected by traffic lights, and traffic coming from Robertson Barracks doing a right-hand turn on a green arrow slides into a special lane and melds into the rest of the traffic. In the case of Larapinta Drive, traffic driving out of Larapinta Drive westward would have a lane, and Lovegrove Drive traffic would drive into its own lane. This would require a fairly substantial widening of the road.
Regardless of all these options, the thing I noticed the most was the intersection is not marked for left- and right-hand lanes. It is, basically, two lanes on either side of the intersection, and two lanes from Lovegrove Drive; there are no left- or right-hand turn lanes marked. Why do we not have left- and right-hand turns; it may be a solution? When I show the picture of someone doing a right-hand turn from the centre of the lane, you have to ask why we have this wide road but no lanes. A simple change would certainly help the flow of traffic. When you get a case where a car blocks the traffic wanting to go through the intersection, simply because it is doing a right-hand turn from the wrong part of the road, it holds up the traffic. That is the case in this photograph. We simply do not have lanes delineating at the present time. I believe that could happen fairly quickly.
The only other things we left off the options were an overpass and a tunnel. I know I come from Darwin, and we might have two overpasses, but there is a pretty good reason for them. Anyone who has travelled from the rural area to Darwin in the peak hour, will realise it is a fairly substantial traffic problem. It is probably not as bad as Sydney, but it is a problem.
In this motion (b) says:
- The investigation should take into account the views of local stakeholders such as the local council and should also take into account the view of local members that the preferable option is a roundabout.
That it is not saying there is going to be a roundabout. I do not have a problem with that. I would not want to jump the gun when it comes to the review. It says the investigation be completed by the relevant government department and reported to the February 2010 sittings. At those sittings, I think the minister said they would decide on a construction date for any work required.
I will get to the amendments in a moment. The minister is saying, at the February sittings, they will decide on a construction date if we can agree on what particular changes will occur regarding this roundabout. We have not discussed the options yet; they have not come up with a report. However, if we are going to report in the February 2010 sittings, then, if the work is to be done, it is going to also be decided in the February 2010 sittings.
In relation to (d):
- That the work on whatever option is agreed is to commence by April 2010 and be completed by June 2010.
I have not supported that and I will be asking in the amendment for it to be taken out. The reason is, for instance, if it is a roundabout, there is simply no way you could do it within April and June. A $2.6m roundabout will require a technical detailed analysis of what is under the ground, and whether there are any sacred sites or heritage sites. Before you even start, you need to do that basic work. It would then have to be roughly costed, then go out to tender and, then, have to be built. You might think roundabouts are easy to build but they are not, particularly because they are circular and they require a (inaudible). Whether or not they cost $2.6m we can argue about, but they do take time to build. You will not put a project like that together in three months. That is an impractical statement.
The last item, (e), says:
- Note that failure to construct a roundabout will continue to see local motorists exposed to unnecessary danger with a potential of serious injury and or loss of life.
That is an opinion, but it is also saying I support a roundabout. I have just said I support looking at the options. The last one says even though I support looking at the options, I actually support a roundabout. It is not logical from the point of view of a motion which should have logic from one end to the other. It is like saying: ‘We will accept the member for Nelson’s ideas that we should look at different concepts for this intersection, but just down on the end, we will still tell him it should be a roundabout’. That is fine, but it does not make sense to me to put that in.
I am going to move an amendment to the motion. It will be that paragraph (c) we insert the words ‘after sittings’ and I will read the whole amendment:
- That the investigation be completed by the relevant government department and reports to the February 2010 sittings and, at the minister for Transport set the time frame of works be agreed to at the February 2010 sittings.
I am just writing that down, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker because, as the member for Araluen said before - and she was probably quite right - we did not have any sort of time frames. The government is at least saying they will set a time frame and we can argue the toss at that stage in relation to whatever their budget will require.
The second part of the amendment is to delete paragraphs (d) and (e) for the reasons I have given. If members would like a copy of that, I am happy to forward that.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: We will just get that amendment you have just proposed circulated.
Mr WOOD: While that is being circulated, I heard comments from the Minister for Transport in relation to Ilparpa Road being a road which might have been funded by the NT government. My understanding is the road was funded by the federal government under the Black Spot program. Sometimes, I get worried about spin. I still get worried about spin because some jobs are not done by the NT government; they are done by the federal government through the Black Spot program. We have to be careful we do not take praise for roads which are not our roads. Being an old local government person, I have heard that said before. I put that on the record that is not quite correct.
While that is circulating, I thank the member for Araluen for bringing this particular matter to the House. I thank the previous member for Braitling for also bringing it to the House. I understand the local member; I have also been one who has been trying very hard to get certain works done in my electorate. Girraween Road intersection with the Stuart Highway is now on the books. It is happening now; it took eight years. So, you are not doing too badly. I have been trying for 15 years for a bicycle path from Palmerston to Howard Springs, so getting things done is not something specific to Alice Springs.
Obviously, the department has its own program it sees as important. Even though we are a politicians, we have to find a balance between what we want for our local members - which is fine – and the bigger picture because roadworks are done in areas where very few people actually live, but they are a requirement, nevertheless. They are not always seen by the general population. From my local shire, many people complain about no one spending money in the front of their yard; there is no work on the road. However, they do not travel down the track a little and see about 30 km or 40 km of sealed road being constructed by their own council, because they simply do not travel there.
There needs to be something done and I support what the member for Araluen is doing. It is just that I feel paragraph (d) is impractical because, if it is a roundabout built there, you will not build within that time frame. Item (e), basically, tells me I am going to support a roundabout. Well, I have not said that. I said I would support looking at all the options. I am not taking it out because I have a disagreement with what you are trying to do; I am taking it out because it is not logical there. I know we are very good on logic in this place; I would not want to knock that.
I am just waiting to see how our Clerk is going. I am sorry to do that in a hurry, but the Minister for Transport added he would set some time frames at the February sittings. I thought that was not on my amendment, so we are getting the Clerk to type that up now. It will be part of the motion which will be asking for a report by February, and a timetable will be set at that sitting for any work agreed to.
We can probably have a decent debate then too, but I hope we do it on scientific terms regarding what the best is for that particular T-intersection - because it is just a T-intersection you could find anywhere else in the country.
I do not know if people are willing to wait for that. I am happy to sign off. We will wait. Oh, I have to talk. Okay, I will fill in time. The member for Braitling is going to - I think you have the gist of what I am doing …
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are we talking to the …
Mr WOOD: This is the amendment.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: We have to amend the amendment, do we not, and then we …
A member interjecting.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have moved the amendment and we are just waiting for that to be circulated.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker! In that case, I ask for the clock to be stopped …
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, can you stop that now.
Mr WOOD: We have it here now. I will just check it.
Mr ELFERINK: In that case, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move the member should get an extension on the grounds he has lost a few minutes while this has been occurring.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, about five minutes is a good outcome. We will give him an extension of time. Are you going to be long, member for Nelson?
Mr WOOD: I will just vacate the desk for a minute and check with the Clerk and make sure the amendment - he is coming?
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, he is coming. Maybe if we reset that to 10.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the member be given an extension of time, pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, are we still waiting for your amendment?
Mr WOOD: They will be half a second. They wiped out one clause.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Nelson, are you going to continue speaking on your amendment you have moved?
Mr WOOD: I have spoken about those amendments, so as soon as I have them here, I will move that amendment. People have the gist of what I am talking about anyway.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are you going to talk?
Mr WOOD: I am not going to talk, because I have already spoken about them.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am checking, making sure.
Mr WOOD: Well, I know my mother might be watching in Melbourne, so I would like to wish her a happy Christmas. She told me she watches this in her spare time.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move the following amendment:
Omit paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) and insert in their stead:
(a) An immediate investigation be undertaken regarding the traffic congestion and safety matters at the intersection of Lovegrove Drive and Larapinta Drive, and that such an investigation is to provide options as to which of the following is the optimum solution to a current problem:
(a) a roundabout;
- (b) the investigation should take into account the views of local stakeholders, such as the local council, and should also take into account the view of local members that the preferable option is a roundabout; and
(c) that the investigation be completed by the relevant government department and reported to the February 2010 sittings, and that setting a time frame of works be agreed to.
A member interjecting.
Mr WOOD: I imagine by the parliament; in fact, at the sittings. That is all I have to say, because I have spoken on that amendment and I do not want to waste any more time.
Ms CARNEY: A point of order, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker! We have had a fairly unusual five or six minutes and we have just received this amendment. I hope the latitude we have provided to the member for Nelson in the circumstances might be afforded to me just for a minute so that I can speak with my colleague about this amendment, having just received it. I need about 30 seconds.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: I cannot see anything wrong. An unusual afternoon!
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, while the member for Araluen is making a clarification on some of those amendments, I take this time to, likewise, wish the member for Nelson’s mother a merry Christmas. I believe all in this parliament would like to wish her a merry Christmas if she is logged on at this time ...
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, could I just clarify something? You will talk to the motion put forward by the member for Araluen, and then the amendments put by the member for Nelson?
Mr GILES: Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, if I can make it a little clearer. I am talking to the motion and the amended motion …
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is what I was asking you.
Mr GILES: … but there may be another amendment. I may put forward another amendment.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: If you are going to put your own amendment forward, you will need to put it separately.
Mr GILES: Yes, that is right.
Madam ACTING DEPUTY SPEAKER: At the moment, you are speaking to the motion as originally proposed, and then the amendment.
Mr GILES: Yes, that is right. Thank you very much, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker. It is great to get things moving. It is good to see we have all been working fairly cooperatively. I also recognise Mayor Damien Ryan, for not just being here now, but for being here to witness much of the debate in Alice Springs - also in Darwin at times when he has visited Darwin.
I have listened to the debate by the members for Araluen and Barkly, the Minister for Transport, and the member for Nelson. I can say, members for Barkly and Nelson, over these last few days I have had the opportunity to spend time talking to you both looking to negotiate outcomes in relation to transport and transport infrastructure - some in drink-driving legislation, but others as in this intersection. Yes, I have done much work on this intersection, for instance. I have put forward a Black Spot application for this intersection. I have asked the department to conduct studies around traffic flows.
It was unfortunate, while the member for Nelson may have had advance copies, my copy arrived today. I recognise the numbers at this intersection are not as significant in size as one might expect to see across other areas of the Northern Territory. However, I recognise the danger in safety aspects of this intersection. I also recognise one of the photos the member for Nelson showed of someone turning right from Lovegrove Drive into Larapinta Drive. The picture illustrates the danger people experience when they run the gauntlet turning right into Larapinta Drive.
It may not have the high number of accidents or fatalities required, as the member for Barkly mentioned, to qualify for a Black Spot application, but it does not negate the fact we must ensure traffic flows and intersections are safe across the Northern Territory and particularly, from my view, in the seat of Braitling.
Having said that, I thank the member for Barkly for visiting my electorate and that intersection, and recognising how important that intersection is. Prior to the amendment by the member for Nelson, I recognise and thank the member for Barkly for committing to investigate this - even though we have not voted, but in his speech he committed to investigating this. I also thank him for committing to, at the February 2010 sittings, announcing the commencement date of the work. It will give me great pleasure to go to my electorate and tell my constituents, along with the support of the member for Araluen, that I have negotiated with the member for Nelson but, in particular, the member for Barkly, for work to be done at this intersection.
We have achieved that today, and I thank the member for Barkly. The member for Barkly has said, in a roundabout way, he recognises it is a problem. He has spent some time there, his department has done a lot of feasibility there, and they will do an investigation by February 2010 sittings. At the February 2010 sittings, the member for Barkly, I presume - or maybe the minister for Infrastructure - one of the two will make an announcement about the time frame. I think that is great. Hopefully, it is the member for Karama, the minister for Infrastructure.
I express my gratitude to the member for Karama for talking with the member for Barkly in clear discussion across the floor of the Chamber, on what commitment there must be, or how that time frame will work. I will be happy if the member for Karama might like to jump up after me and explain how that is going to work. However, I believe the February 2010 sittings – I would love to see this done tomorrow – is three months away. That will be a short time for the department and I appreciate they will have to work hard to get this going. The member for Karama, who is the Treasurer, will have to find that money fairly quickly, and I thank her for that. I appreciate it.
I have gone through the amendment put by the member for Nelson after collaboration with the member for Barkly, who announced he will be making an announcement at the February 2010 sittings of the commencement date for this work.
I have made an amendment to section (c). At the end of (c) I have just added what the member for Barkly said and what the member for Nelson said. I will read the new amendment, which is just a couple of words on the end:
- That the investigation be completed by the relevant government department and reports back to the February 2010 sittings and set a time frame of works to be agreed to by the Minister for Transport at the February 2010 sittings.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, you need to actually say, ‘I move that’.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, I move that – would you like me to read the whole motion, Madam Speaker, or just the amendment?
Madam SPEAKER: Just the amendment.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, I move that at the end of the amendment by the member for Nelson, we add so that (c) reads:
- That the investigation be completed by the relevant government department and reports back to the February 2010 sittings and set a time frame of works to be agreed to by the Minister for Transport at the February 2010 sittings.
I am just about to conclude my speech. Would you like me to continue to talk until they are distributed or are you happy for me to sit down?
Madam SPEAKER: This is your only go, member for Braitling, so you have to speak now or hold your peace.
Mr GILES: I was quite surprised to hear the member for Nelson talk of information received by the member for Barkly and the Department of Transport, as I understand it, that it was going to cost $2.6m to build a roundabout at that intersection. I understand there has to be a lot of pre-feasibility work done and analysis of things like sacred sites, drainage and so forth, but for the layman on the street, I would think that a round bit of concrete costing $2.6m is quite exceptional.
We have a Labor member in the seat of Solomon. I am not real sure if he is still there; I have not heard from him for a while. The member for Solomon must have some clout from time to time. Maybe when the margin was a lot closer in Solomon, he had a bit more clout, as opposed to now.
It was interesting to see, on 14 August 2008, around the same time as the Territory election, there was a joint announcement by the federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and the Local Government and the member for Solomon, for the Rudd government to deliver $672 000 – it says here to fix road Black Spot in Stuart Park in Darwin, which does not read grammatically. It says here:
- The Rudd Labor government has today announced that we will deliver $672 000 to fix two dangerous intersections in Stuart Park in Darwin through the national Black Spots program.
It is the same program I applied for to get this intersection fixed. I recognised today the member for Barkly said Black Spot funding might not be suitable, so his government is going to fund it anyway. They are going to announce a construction date in February 2010.
I had a look through this media release to see what the $672 000 would get in fixing those two dangerous intersections in Stuart Park. It says here:
- This project, which is jointly funded by the Darwin City Council, will build a roundabout and redesign the intersections at Woolner Road and Bishop Street, and Iliffe Street and Brewery Place.
- Mr Albanese said: ‘We are committed to reducing crashes on Top End roads’.
Well, that is great; it is good to see federal government money coming to the Territory and fixing up our road black spots. In looking at it and seeing what they have put into it, I wonder how, just 12 months ago, a roundabout and redesign of intersections at these points I spoke of, could be done for $672 000, whereas, the other intersection was going to cost $2.6m? I hope we are not using interstate consultants again. However, I digress.
As I stand here and wait for the amendment to come, so I can sign off on it, which is just on the way, it is great to see parliament and democracy in action in Alice Springs. The members for Barkly and Nelson have worked very properly together this last couple of days to get a few things done.
I now have the motion here. I have signed it. I will just read it:
- Omit paragraph (c) of the amendment as moved by the member for Nelson, and insert in its stead:
(c) that the investigation be completed by the relevant government department and reports back to the February 2010 sittings, and that the Minister for Transport set the time frame of works to be agreed to at the February 2010 sittings.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that amended motion.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, I support not only the motion but the two amendments tabled in relation to this motion. It sets a clear timetable and sets responsibility for the final outcome.
I, however, could not be but drawn to the sudden flurry of grim activity I noticed on the government benches, centred on the Treasurer of the Northern Territory, the member for Karama. If her face was a storm, then it was a perfect storm - Category 5 grumpy look being shot across to the Minister for Transport. It took me a couple of moments …
Dr Burns: So say you.
Mr ELFERINK: It is interesting, the member for Johnston, the one who hates the Treasurer so passionately, was also very quick to insert himself in the whole process. I can well imagine why the Treasurer’s face took on the Category 5 grumpy look because I smell an error. I thought about it for a second, and suddenly it twigged what is going on, of course. This particular amendment will have an effect, not only on the current budget government operates, but also on the next budget, because it is forward works and those sorts of things. I suspect it is fairly clear work on this intersection was not on the government’s radar - not for the current budget year, the next budget cycle, and certainly not on any forward design list or any forward works project. The Minister for Transport, in his negotiations with the Labor member for Nelson, had actually negotiated an outcome without running it by the Treasurer at any point.
That, then, leaves the following questions for the Treasurer to consider. It is now incumbent, of course, on the Treasurer to get to her feet and explain to Territorians, as the result of this particular arrangement between the members of this House, what she is going to take off this year’s budget to accommodate this plan. She needs to explain to the House what forward works are going to be removed from the projections for the next couple of budgets.
I am concerned this may have a deleterious effect on other parts of the budget, and I would like to hear …
Dr Burns interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: No, I just said at the outset I support it but, now, government, which is also …
Dr Burns interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: I pick up on this interjection. Your government just negotiated with the member for Nelson to make this determination. I support that. What I would like to know is: what other part of that determination affects the budget?
Dr Burns: You do not understand the budget.
Mr ELFERINK: Oh, I understand the budget very well ...
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr ELFERINK: It is very clear from what is happening that the Minister for Transport is less clear on how budgets operate, because he would not have painted government into this particular corner unless he had known what was going on. This is indicative of the division across from us in this place ...
A member: Not true.
Mr ELFERINK: ‘Not true’, I hear. This is a completely divided government, to the point they do not even talk to each other, they just make decisions unilaterally. I support this decision; I have already made that clear. I said that at the outset. I just want to know what areas of the budget are going to be affected negatively, and …
Dr Burns interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: Yes, and what effect the budget is going …
Dr Burns interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Deputy Speaker, I ask I be heard in silence. If you could remind the Leader of Government Business of Standing Order 51. If he wants to have an argument, he can stand up here and argue his case.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Port Darwin. I remind honourable members, including our Leader of Government Business, of Standing Order 51, and to refrain from interjecting. You have the call.
Mr ELFERINK: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is clear from the process we are seeing unfolding on the floor of this House, the government is not working in any cohesive fashion and, in actual fact, the process of governance is so broken down under this lot - this mob, this pack of botches - they simply make deals outside of the appropriate processes, much to the annoyance of the most hated one, the Treasurer.
They have botched this up, and they have botched up the way they deal with these things. This continuing ‘botch-ulism’ they suffer from is actually mildly amusing to us in this place, but the fact is, it has a very negative effect on Territorians out there. Once again, this demonstrates the lack of knowledge, the lack of understanding of process which occupies the government benches, and the fact these processes have an effect on the budget.
How often have we been lectured by the Treasurer, that if you take something from one part of the budget to give it to another part of the budget, you have to find out where to take the money from? You either get it from Treasurer’s Advance - which I know has been touched for $20m recently - you add it in borrowings, or you shut down another project. I would like to know, from the Treasurer, as a result of this decision, which is a worthwhile cause, what area she considers to be less worthwhile, whether she intends to increase borrowings to support it, or if she intends to touch the Treasurer’s Advance? These are not unreasonable questions …
Dr Burns: Or none of the above.
Mr ELFERINK: This is from the member who said he would contain himself three seconds ago. I urge restraint, Madam Deputy Speaker. I urge the Treasurer to explain to this House where the money is going to come from for this worthwhile project. I would like to hear the Treasurer explain that right now.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Deputy Speaker, I will be combining the amendment from the member for Nelson and the subsequent amendment by the member for Braitling. I thank the member for Nelson for his assistance during this motion; also, whilst not perfect because he does live in the Top End, at least he did bother to sit at this intersection. Between us all, we have, I believe, come to a good outcome, which is in the motion which will be on the books, as it were, when we leave these sittings; that is, there will be an immediate investigation regarding traffic congestion and safety matters.
Options will be provided as to optimum solutions. The investigation is to take account of the views of local stakeholders such as the local council and the local members, and we have expressed our preference for a roundabout. If other viable options are produced they will be supported by us, because we do have the best interests of our constituents at heart.
We also support paragraph (c); namely, the investigation be completed by the relevant government department and reported to the February 2010 sittings, and setting a time frame of works be agreed to. We also support the next part, which is it be agreed to as follows:
- … by the Minister for Transport at the February 2010 sittings.
I have a level of concern the Minister for Transport may say he cannot set a time frame. I believe he will, nevertheless, be somewhat bound by this motion, which does set a time frame. Yes, he has to agree to it; I thank the minister as well. We believe, on behalf of our constituents, this is a reasonable outcome for an intersection which has been a problem for too long.
I do not think there is anything else I can meaningfully offer, other than people are in politics for all sorts of reasons. With the exception of a couple, I believe all members of this parliament are here to make a difference and represent as best they can their constituents, which is what we have done with this motion. We are pleased this motion looks like it will succeed. We are supportive of the amended amendment. I am very pleased to say I can report to my constituents there has been an outcome, and that is a good result, however you look at it.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, if we can just be very clear about the process we will next work through with regard to going to a vote. We have three motions before the House. The first we will be voting on will be the amendment to the amendment as moved by the member for Braitling.
The second is the amendment as moved by the member for Nelson and, then, we have the original motion as moved by the member for Araluen.
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I would like it if my amendment was moved first.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, that is the case.
The question is the amendment to the amendment as moved by the member for Braitling be put.
Motion agreed to.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: The second is the amendment as moved by the member for Nelson. The question now is the amendment, as amended, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion, as amended, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to.
MOTION
Public Housing Issues in Alice Springs
Public Housing Issues in Alice Springs
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move – That –
- 1. the Assembly acknowledge ongoing problems with some public housing tenants who continue to interfere with the quiet enjoyment of others by antisocial behaviour; and
- 2. the Chief Minister show his support for Alice Springs by addressing public housing issues including providing more public housing and improved eviction processes for public housing tenants who breach the terms of their leases.
I would like to thank my colleagues for this, also the member for Araluen for her comments. The member for Araluen identified problems and then provided suggestions on how to resolve them. Her comments were constructive, and I can assure the member I will follow up on her ideas.
I looked at the Department of Housing and Local Government website and I cannot see that there is a section on it … on the first page about housing. I suggest to government they make it easier, while always maintaining a balance of ensuring that tenants are not thrown out just because they happen to be bothering someone. However, we all know the tenants we are talking about; they are the problems and they make people’s lives a misery. I believe the department needs to tidy up the website and make it more accessible for people. If the department does not have it already, the minister should introduce a hotline for people to ring in and say: I am at the end of my tether. Sometimes these people need counselling they are so distressed.
Receiving complaints about bad public housing tenants is a constant theme in my work. I know it is the same for many of my colleagues both in the Top End and in Alice Springs. When I say colleagues, I mean parliamentary colleagues. It is, sadly, often the bread and butter for local members, particularly in urban electorates.
As I said in October, we all try to assist our constituents as best we can. We help them with letters they have to write, and we try to encourage them to write them, even though they wonder what the point is on many occasions. I make it clear, as I said on 15 October, the staff at Housing in Alice Springs are great; they work very hard in a difficult job. However, the system and the legislation is not making it easy for them. It is also, importantly, not assisting my constituents who have to endure the appalling behaviour from certain tenants. The legislation has to be improved.
It would be extraordinary for the government to resist this motion, because I believe the government is aware the relevant legislation must be updated. I am not sure I have a reference here - I stand to be corrected - but I am fairly sure the Minister for Housing may have indicated somewhere along the line he may, indeed, consider it. He put it fairly vaguely, but it may be something he is considering. In any event, this motion is to urge him to do it. The legislation has to be improved.
When we debated the housing statement in the October sittings in Darwin, I asked the minister how many evictions there had been from public housing in Alice Springs. I do not believe he answered this in his reply. I ask that he answer it when he is on his feet as, presumably, he will be during this debate.
In 2005, by way of a background, the government announced tough new laws dealing with antisocial behaviour, which passed in parliament in February 2006. The legislation was called the Alcohol Court Bill 2005 and the Antisocial Behaviour (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2005. It is interesting – and our comments are on the record for all to see – we did not support the Alcohol Court Bill. We thought what the government came up with was not going to work, and we opposed it on that basis.
I am pretty sure it was this month the relevant minister, the Attorney-General, released a discussion paper about the alcohol courts. She conceded in estimates in June they were to be reviewed. It is fair to say there was something of a concession by the Attorney-General that the courts were not working. Of course, we have been saying this for three years. In any event, getting back to 2005 and early 2006, the government really made much of its package - the alcohol court and antisocial behaviour measures - to the extent it wrapped them up in one; the bills were cognate, so we had to deal with them both at the same time.
Having said that, the alcohol courts are now being reviewed and there is a discussion paper to that effect which I have read. It canvasses a number of options. Is it not the case it is also timely to review the other part of the bills which passed in February 2006; namely, the Antisocial Behaviour (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill? Why would the government amend one part of that chunk of packages, if you like, and not review the other? I believe it is time for the government to review it.
There are all sorts of reasons for this. The obvious one is, it is just not working and it was not working anywhere in the way it was intended. We have seen that with Alcohol Courts Bill. No surprises, or it is very coincidental, the two bills which were the subject of much publicity are, clearly, not working. The government has, after three years or so, seen the sense in relation to alcohol courts, but not antisocial behaviour. We think now is the time.
The government at the time issued a media release with the heading, ‘Parliament Passes Tough Antisocial Behaviour Laws’. I remember the release well. I do not have a copy with me, but I have seen the release; I brought it up very recently.
In relation to tenancy matters, the release said, and I quote from my notes:
- The Breaking the Cycle package also includes the introduction of new acceptable behaviour agreements for public housing tenants who engage in antisocial behaviour.
It goes on:
- The acceptable behaviour agreements will apply to tenants who have a history of engaging in antisocial behaviour, and will extend to the behaviour of other people living or staying at the premises with the consent of the tenant.
A tenant who fails to enter into an agreement, or repeatedly or seriously breached the agreement will face eviction by Territory Housing.
After the legislation was enacted, I was still receiving complaint after complaint about bad public housing tenants. Not that I need to but, in order to avoid any uncertainty, let me make it very clear, there are some terrific public housing tenants, and many of the complaints I receive are from public housing tenants talking about the bad public housing tenants next to them or just down the road from them. I continued to receive complaints about bad public housing tenants who are making the lives of others a misery. So, I wrote to the then minister. I knew the legislation was not working well and, in fact, I just wanted to know how badly it was going.
In May 2008, I received a letter in reply to the one I wrote to the then minister, the member for Casuarina. In the letter I wrote to him, a month or so prior to that, I asked:
- Since the legislation came into effect, how many acceptable behaviour agreements had been made in Alice Springs, how many tenants have failed to enter into one, and how many tenants of those who had failed to enter into an agreement, or of those who repeatedly breached such agreements, been evicted?
The minister’s reply, dated 8 May 2008, was startling. Only 38 agreements had been entered into - forgive me, Madam Deputy Speaker, I may have the wrong letter. The date of the letter may not be accurate. However, I was advised by the former Minister for Housing, the member for Casuarina, that only 38 acceptable behaviour agreements had been entered into, there had been no refusals to sign agreements, and there had been only one eviction. That is in a period of two years.
I suspected, at the time, the minister may have been startled by the results. He advised in his letter to me he had asked his department to brief him on the effectiveness of the antisocial behaviour legislation. The results of the letter were not great but, to his credit, he said he would chase up a briefing from his department.
By letter, dated 28 August 2008, I wrote to the next Minister for Housing - the current minister for Housing, the member for Daly - about some problems particular constituents of mine were having with bad public housing tenants. I saw the minister in Alice Springs, when the Office of the Chief Minister was across the road from my office, and said: ‘I have a deal for you. Would you do me a favour, hop in my car, and can we go to this place?’ To his credit, he agreed and hopped in the car, we went around there and I showed him some of the difficulties. I thank him for that.
I wrote to him, and he wrote a letter of reply in 2008. The letter is undated, which is part of the reason for some confusion. There is not a date on the letter, minister, see if you can fix that next time.
It was a reply to a letter I forwarded to him in approximately April 2008. In the letter, he advised there were 21 acceptable behaviour agreements currently in place for Territory Housing tenants across the Territory, including seven in Alice Springs. I was surprised at the number, particularly given the minister said in the second paragraph of his letter:
- The Northern Territory government has zero tolerance for antisocial behaviour.
He advised me in his undated letter, 15 people were evicted in Alice Springs to that date in the 2008-09 financial year. It was something of an improvement on the previous year. He further advised in the letter, that since June 2006, a total of 58 acceptable behaviour agreements had been entered into in Alice Springs, and an additional 20 since May 2008. No wonder I am confused. There is another letter dated 8 May. I hope no one will mind; we all know we keep copies of letters we write to each other, notwithstanding the difficulty with an undated one. My apologies; 8 May 2009 was the date of the letter the minister advised they had a zero tolerance approach to antisocial behaviour, there had been 58 antisocial behaviour agreements entered into by public housing tenants in Alice Springs.
The fact is, from that letter in May 2009, the number of agreements and evictions is remarkably low. That is another reason why the government should review this legislation. So often, when we see legislation introduced, we see a flurry of media releases and activity, a big public relations exercise, a little positive media and, then, the government walks away. There appears to be no or little monitoring of policies. Clearly, the antisocial behaviour legislation does not match the rhetoric of the time, and the results do not match the expectation Peter Toyne and Elliot McAdam had. It did not match the expectations my constituents had. However, there might be some light on the horizon in respect to bad public housing tenants.
When we debated the housing statement in October; I touched on that we believe it needs to be firm but fair; we need to get the balance right, obviously. However, when there are so many tenants creating such difficulties for people trying to do the right thing, the pendulum has swung too far. No one has the right to interfere with the quiet enjoyment of others. Everyone has the right to peace, quiet, and enjoyment of their own home. The Country Liberals’ position is that bad tenants should be evicted, and eviction processes need to be made simpler. If tenants are consistently bad, our view is they forfeit their right to public housing.
This will be unpalatable to some, although I am grateful, I see the minister nodding, and I thank him. There is a point at which you have to draw a line in the sand and say to a recalcitrant, terrible public housing tenant - a repeat offender if you like – ‘the taxpayer is not going to subsidise your home any longer’. When people ask what is going to happen to that person, it is about that person taking control for themselves and determining their own fate.
As a student, I rented many houses. I am sure, at times, we were not perfect housing tenants, but we were never evicted I am pleased to say. People do have to control their own destiny; they have to control their own fate. The bottom line is either you do the right thing and have a house, or do the wrong thing and sort yourself out as to where you live. Appalling tenants should not be holding up the good tenants.
I turn to a document the minister tabled during the last parliamentary sittings which referred to regional waiting times, by dwelling size and wait times. It was Territory-wide but it provided details for each town and centre. For Alice Springs, the numbers were provided and they were somewhat alarming. In Alice Springs – and I was genuinely shocked and I believe I said this at the time – I knew our waiting lists were Iong, but I did not know it was that long.
For the record, for all the people in Alice Springs who have turned up to watch their parliament in action: did you know the average waiting time in Alice Springs for a one-bedroom public housing house is 35 months? Did you know the average wait for a two-bedroom public housing house in Alice Springs is 31 months? Did you know the average wait for a three-bedroom public housing house is 41 months? Did you know the average waiting time for a public housing four-bedroom house is 62 months? That is nearly five years and is pretty ordinary. In fact, it is terrible.
The government needs to do better and I will not need to hammer that point. The point I am trying to illustrate is, when you have a bunch of terrible public housing tenants, they are holding up those houses for the good ones waiting to come through. I am sure it would be met with widespread support for some tougher sanctions on those shocking public housing tenants so the good guys can come in, so the government can, ultimately, work towards reducing the waiting times in terms of months.
I look forward to hearing from the minister. A document he did not table, and did not give us information on in October, was the number of dwellings unoccupied. I thought, in the same way a table was provided of region by dwelling size and wait times in months, a similar document could have been tabled, regional town by town, outlining the number of dwellings which are unoccupied for longer than three months. I would be grateful if the minister, in his reply today, advises how many other houses, preferably in the electorate although that is probably difficult, let us say in Alice Springs, have been vacant for three months or longer.
It is an important issue. I know the minister will have this information and the department will have it. I ask that he provides it. If he does not, then we should debate secrecy and deliberately withholding information.
In relation to one particular house in my electorate, in Van Senden Avenue, I touched on it when I was on my feet in a housing statement in October, and I wrote to the minister and said: ‘How long has this particular public housing house been unoccupied?’ I received a letter dated 9 November and the minister said:
- There was a storm in September 2008 and the dwelling was severely damaged. Extensive works were commissioned to ensure the dwelling was safe.
Interestingly, the minister did not say whether the building was occupied at the time. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, let us assume there were people in that house during that September 2008 storm, and they had to leave. The minister went on in his letter to say work was taking place with builders. They discovered additional works needed to be undertaken etcetera. Quoting from that letter 9 November 2009:
- I am advised that the dwelling will be ready for occupation by mid December 2009.
There is a house in my electorate that has been unoccupied from September 2008 to mid-December 2009. I know some tradesmen can be difficult to get, but it borders on the absurd that this particular dwelling has been unoccupied for this amount of time. I am sure the minister will agree with me that it is simply not good enough.
If this is one house in my electorate I know about and have written to the minister and he has written back, how many others are there? Can the minister please provide us with some of that information? I would like to know; I am happy to tell my constituents. From time to time, you get calls - I am sure I am not the only one - from constituents who say: ‘That house across the road; no one has been in it for ages’. The reason we need to know, and the reason the minister needs to know this information, is if there is a disproportionate number of unoccupied dwellings then, clearly, that is a problem. Clearly, the government needs to turn its mind to how that can be addressed so waiting times are reduced, more houses are available to be occupied, therefore, more houses are available for good public housing tenants. Then more of the bad ones can be evicted.
I feel certain the first part of this motion will be agreed to; namely, the Assembly acknowledge ongoing problems with some public housing tenants who continue to interfere with the quiet enjoyment of others by antisocial behaviour. The member for Nelson indicated he was agreeable to this motion as well. Second, the Chief Minister shows his support for Alice Springs by addressing public housing issues, including providing more public housing and improve eviction processes for public housing tenants who breach the terms of their leases. Even on a bad government day, I would not imagine there would be too much objection with the second part of the motion. I know my colleague, the member for Braitling, and maybe the member for Greatorex, will be talking on this motion as well. I look forward to hearing from the minister and his support.
I do not always agree with what you do, minister, and I do not believe this government has many terribly good ministers in it. However, as far as the low bar of this Labor government, I appreciate your honest communications with me. I believe you are doing your best; but I do not believe it is good enough. In public housing, with me, as a local member, you have always got back to me and we have a reasonably good working relationship, for which I thank you.
Mr KNIGHT (Housing): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Araluen for her motion. I will be giving support to the motion. It is a very difficult area to work in and, sadly, antisocial behaviour in government public housing is not something isolated to the Northern Territory. Having travelled to other states and territories, speaking with other ministers and departments, it is something which is associated with government public housing in other places. It has not been isolated to this government; it has been the problem of previous CLP governments. The nature of government public housing needs to be remembered. I take your later points about the behaviour of tenants, and I will touch on those.
However, we are accepting tenants who, for many of them, is their option of last resort. They come into public housing because of their complex needs. They are unable, for a whole range of reasons, to get into the private sector. It can be as minimal as they do not have a high enough income to enter the private sector rental market. At the middle and higher end, it is mild, significant mental illness, physical disability, people with social issues, and people who have very poor money management. All those people are the people we cater for in government public housing - and that is our role. They come with a whole range of issues associated with them. Sometimes, they are single issues and other times they are complex. However, that is the role we play.
Antisocial behaviour is not acceptable and it should not be tolerated. I approach it with a tough-love approach. What sticks in my mind was when I lived in Katherine. I lived in Kurrajong Court in Katherine and there was public housing down the road. This goes back quite a few years, obviously. We had some unruly public housing tenants. The anger was targeted towards them, and they were disrupting me and other neighbours. However, in amongst all the noise and the carry-on, there were children screaming and crying. Not only does it affect other neighbours and the community around them, it affects the families, the individuals, the children, the wives, the grandmothers - whoever it may be; even men, - in those communities. For us to take a tough line on antisocial behaviour helps everyone in some ways. It is about tough love. It is about caring and trying to lead the way.
It brings challenges. We are trying to cater for the most needy; that is the role of government public housing. However, the challenge is managing the needs of those particular people, trying to set them on the right path. I really see public housing is a catalyst for change, where people can come into public housing …
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: I pick up on the member for Fong Lim. He is on the record as calling public housing tenants animals, and he has run them down consistently in the Chamber, saying public housing tenants are animals, and they should be treated as animals and hunted out into the bush, I believe he pretty well described them as. The bar is open, is it? Yes, well, I believe you have been there for the afternoon ...
Ms PURICK: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! That is the most appalling statement I have heard from this minister, but it is fairly typical, he is always in the gutter. I ask that he withdraws it.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, I ask that you withdraw, please.
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Deputy Speaker, I withdraw the insinuation the member for Fong Lim is drunk.
It should be used as a catalyst for change. It is housing people, an opportunity for people to be housed and seek job opportunities, or to seek medical treatment if they are suffering from a physical disability or an ailment. It is an opportunity for their children to attend school to get an education. For people who are deprived in our society, it is an opportunity for them to improve their lives.
It is also an opportunity to change social behaviours. People come in with some fairly limited social skills much of the time. If they have come into an urban setting, when they are not used to an urban setting, it brings some challenges. It is also an opportunity to change behaviours whilst they are in government public housing. There is disruption that goes on in those properties. The tenancy staff have a huge challenge and, as I said, they are dealing with people with a whole range of needs, and they are confronted by these people whilst visiting properties and in their offices, and those tenancy staff need to be supported and not stigmatised as well.
Everybody agrees that neighbours, regardless of their housing status, should be able to enjoy their property without antisocial behaviour encroaching upon their lifestyle. The Department of Housing and Local Government is working hard to provide a variety of options to stop antisocial behaviour in public housing. In June this year, I was pleased to announce a new pilot scheme, which saw the recruitment of four dedicated antisocial behaviour compliance officers. These officers have the capacity and the paralegal training to respond quickly to serious incidents of antisocial behaviour.
One of the key benefits of these officers is an improved relationship and communication between the department and the neighbours affected by the public housing antisocial behaviour. They can get in there early and speak with the neighbours and the tenants to try to address those issues. To date, the ASB compliance officers have investigated 120 of the tenancies. It is clearly evident the work of these officers is assisting in curbing and dealing with antisocial behaviour in public housing. The pilot program was about to come to an end, however, given the ongoing success of this program, I have extended the program into 2010.
In June 2006, the government introduced antisocial behaviour legislation, which established acceptable behaviour agreements. These agreements are written declarations of tenants agreeing not to engage in antisocial behaviour, which includes the behaviour of all household members and visitors. The termination of tenancies is pursued through the local court if the tenant refuses to enter into an agreement, or an agreement is seriously or repeatedly breached. Sometimes, antisocial behaviour occurs because tenants simply do not have the life skills to maintain a tenancy. This not only impacts on neighbours, but on the residents and their families. We acknowledge more can be done to support these particular tenants, and we have committed $2.2m ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! The member for Fong Lim is displaying offensive material to me. I ask he remove it from his laptop.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, we were dealing with that, Treasurer. Member for Fong Lim, we are aware of the material on your laptop. It is highly offensive. I was seeking advice from the Clerk, and I ask you to remove it immediately, please. It is inappropriate.
Mr TOLLNER: May I speak to the point of order?
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: You may, but I have already requested removal. I will not be changing my view about offensive signage. Your point of order is, member for Fong Lim?
Mr TOLLNER: I am speaking to the point of order. I am wondering which particular sign she is offended by?
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is the one which has three words on it and some sort of image.
Mr TOLLNER: The ‘I hate Delia’ and the Chris Burns picture?
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have asked you to remove it. Thank you, you may resume your seat.
Mr TOLLNER: I will gladly do that, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. You have the call, minister.
Mr KNIGHT: It shows why they are not ready to govern; they are an extremely grubby lot - some less than others. The member for Araluen is the most capable person on the other side, and she should not get herself involved in this grubby behaviour of the member for Fong Lim. He is not actually a child; but it is juvenile. He failed in the federal parliament. One ministerial speech in six years, a supporting speech …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, if I could call you back to order, please, to address your comments through the Chair, and to return to the subject.
Mr KNIGHT: One ministerial speech in six years in parliament. It shows why the people of Darwin turfed him out ...
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker!
Mr KNIGHT: I will start on you too, member for Braitling, if you like.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please pause, minister. Member for Braitling, your point of order?
Mr GILES: Madam Deputy Speaker, I ask you to draw the minister back to relevance to the issue.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, thank you. I have just done that, member for Braitling. Minister, if we could return to the subject at hand please.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! The member for Daly has made some comments I find offensive. I ask you to ask him to withdraw those comments, please.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: I must confess, member for Fong Lim, I am not entirely sure which comments you might be talking about. There has been much happening in here in the last few minutes.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Deputy Speaker, I am not going to repeat those comments. I can just say I found those comments offensive. I am certain the member for Daly knows exactly which comments they were. I had to remove a sticker which someone found offensive. I am sure you could direct the member for Daly to withdraw his offensive comments.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, I am wondering what these offensive remarks might have been?
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Deputy Speaker, I have not made any offensive remarks. I have mentioned some facts which show the …
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Deputy Speaker, the minister knows he is not quoting any facts at all. To suggest I sat for six years in the federal parliament and gave one speech is wrong and offensive, and he should withdraw it. Pretty simple!
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat, thank you. I will take some advice from the Clerk.
Mr KNIGHT: Go and have a drink.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr KNIGHT: Go and have another drink.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Thank you, minister. I have received advice from the Clerk. Should a member find something offensive, you would be asked to withdraw those particular remarks. I ask that you withdraw.
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Deputy Speaker, I will withdraw, but the facts remain the same. I withdraw those statements.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, I ask you to now return to the subject at hand please; the motion before us.
Mr KNIGHT: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I hit a raw nerve on the other side.
We have tenants who need life skills. This is the clientele we cater for and are specifically funded to cater for. Some of those people have somewhat limited life skills. This not only impacts on the neighbours, but on the residents and their families. We acknowledge more can be done to support tenants, and we have committed $2.2m each year towards the Tenancy Sustainability Program. The TSP sees non-government organisations working with tenants on developing life skills and providing case management services to urban public housing and town camp residents in Darwin, Katherine, and Alice Springs. We are working to expand these services into Tennant Creek, which I am sure the member for Barkly would be interested in.
The program aims to provide targeted support and early intervention for individuals or families at risk of eviction from public housing, or who would benefit from support and skills development to sustain their tenancy. This is an innovative and proactive mechanism to support public housing tenants and town camp residents to understand and meet their tenancy responsibilities, as well as developing skills to effectively manage a household in the urban environment. The support is tailored to meet the participant’s needs, whether it is for the individual or the family. This government takes the management of antisocial behaviour in public houses very seriously. We are currently reviewing, for the member for Araluen, the Residential Tenancies Act to enable Territory Housing to provide an even stronger response to serious and repeated antisocial behaviour. I know you will be interested in that.
In the October sittings, member for Araluen, you asked whether the Good Neighbours Policy still existed. I can advise this policy is still in place, and will be updated to reflect any amendments which arise from the review of the Residential Tenancies Act.
Members may remember during the public housing statement in the October sittings of parliament, I mentioned our repairs and maintenance response times are, at times, too slow, which means public housing does stay vacant for too long. I find this situation of vacancies being held out for too long is unacceptable. As a result, I have instructed the department to put out new tenders. Members may have seen those tenders come out recently. We are hoping to get multiple subcontractors in the major centres. We can then drive those turnaround times for repairs and maintenance faster, and this will enable more Territory families to be housed for a longer period of time.
The government is also committed to providing more public housing and to meet the needs. It needs to be stated, and remembered, that we currently have 888 public housing properties in Alice Springs. In the last six years of the CLP government, it sold off 735 properties in Alice Springs alone - 735 properties were sold off. If we had those properties today, we would have almost double the stock in Alice Springs, which would go a long way to drive the wait lists down. With respect to what we are doing to rebuild public housing, from Stage 1 of the stimulus package we received $7.1m to build 22 new social housing developments around the Northern Territory. Of that money, four four-bedroom homes have been completed - one in Darwin, one in Tennant Creek, and two in Alice Springs.
I visited those properties the other day. They are looking very smart and will enable quite a large family to move into those four-bedroom homes. That is going some way to try to curb the public housing wait list times. Also, trying not to sell off any more pubic housing; trying to get more, so public housing numbers actually grow. There are 18 remaining projects under the stimulus package Stage 1 still under way. Many of us will be reporting back to the House about the progress of those, and when they will be completed.
Stage 2 of the stimulus package is $48m, of which $15m came to Alice Springs. That is a great result for Alice Springs; to have almost a third of the money coming into Alice Springs. That went into getting The Lodge back online - it had been closed down by the diocese - it will be renovated, with 35 units which will be specifically targeted to renal patients. There are eight units in Goyder Street. There will be new buildings attached to the existing Salvation Army site, and they will be well used. I inspected the property several months ago to see what they were proposing for the stimulus Stage 2. I know the Salvation Army is delighted to receive the money. There are four apartments at the Gap and 24 units for short-term accommodation. That means 70 new units for people living in Alice Springs through the Stage 2 stimulus money. That is a great result.
The member for Braitling – sorry, the member for Araluen. They are easy to get mixed up sometimes ...
Mr Giles: Why is that?
Mr KNIGHT: I do not know. You have the same colour eyes, I think.
Mr Giles interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: No, you look the same.
Mr Giles interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: Do not get carried away …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Braitling, cease interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: Settle down, settle down.
Mr Giles interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr KNIGHT: Madam Deputy Speaker, I am trying to provide some information the member for Araluen highlighted; she asked about properties that were off-line. Currently, in our general public housing, of the 885, we have 54 being worked on at the moment, 23 are currently being repaired, so there are workmen on-site, and 19 are still awaiting the contractor. It is not bad; it can be improved. As I said, the change in the tender process will enable multiple contractors to be working on these properties. That is not a bad result - not a good result, but not a bad result …
A member interjecting.
Mr KNIGHT: That is just Alice Springs, yes. With respect to evictions, this year up until 31 October, we have had 18 across the Territory, and five of those have been in Alice Springs. It is, obviously, not the desirable outcome to be putting people on the streets because, as I said, government public housing is the last resort. There is no private sector accommodation. There is nothing else. They may get lucky with a non-government organisation, but much of that accommodation is for short-term to medium-term, or crisis accommodation; it is not for the longer-term. Trying to stop people being evicted is a critical factor. That is why the ASB officers have been so crucial trying to get people to change their behaviour, maintain a tenancy, and support their families.
In respect to antisocial behaviour, we have had quite a significant reduction by the work done by the department and the ASB officers. This time in October last year, we had 50 complaints of antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs. This year, we have nine. It is quite a significant reduction in antisocial behaviour. The year to date is down to 30, and this time last year, it was 96. We are actually reducing the antisocial complaints which is leading to less evictions; getting people to change their behaviour.
It is a very vexed issue, and a very challenging portfolio trying to work with people who have many issues, trying to provide for them, trying to do the job we are funded to do: provide low-cost public housing for people in most need. We take it very seriously. We have flagged that we will be reviewing the Residential Tenancies Act. I have spoken to the department about a tough-love approach; it is something it understands. They are on the front line, they are the people who have to go out and visit these properties.
Madam Deputy Speaker, as I said in the beginning of this speech, we will be supporting this motion. It is exactly what we are all about: trying to improve the behaviour, reduce the antisocial behaviour, and get public housing tenants to live harmoniously with their neighbours.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Deputy Speaker, it gives me great joy to follow the member for Daly, and talk to this motion about housing - something the minister knows little about, I might say
I was very interested to hear some of the figures he quoted in relation to housing. I thank him for telling us about those house numbers. As I understand it, he said there are 885 public housing dwellings in Alice Springs; 54 of them being worked on; 23 of them being repaired, and 19 awaiting a contractor. It was very well broken down; I thank him for that. That equates to 96 houses at the moment are out of action out of 885. What we have in Alice Springs, in the middle of the worst housing crisis we have had in the Northern Territory, is nearly 10% of properties unavailable for occupancy. It surprises me the minister would allow this to occur. How can you have more than 10% of housing stock sitting empty, in a town which has the worst housing crisis?
The minister made reference to his staff at Territory Housing. He thanked them for the work they do. I also thank them for the work they do, because, if it was not for those people saving the minister’s skin at the last line of defence all the time, there would be no housing; things would break into utter chaos. However, I digress.
What we should be doing is asking the Chief Minister to rename the member for Daly’s portfolio. He should not be known as the Minister for Housing, he should be known as the minister for homelessness, the minister for overcrowding, the minister for not housing, for non-housing, for non-supply of housing, the minister for non-release of land. He has not addressed the issues of housing in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Darwin, Palmerston, Utopia, Yuendumu, or Wadeye. He has not solved the problems.
He is the man who has been in charge of a $672m housing program for the last couple of years and has not built a house. It is widely publicised; he lost one of his Cabinet ministers over it. He has not built a house in two years. I do not know how that would wash in the private sector. The private sector would not tolerate that sort of incompetence, that lame duck performance.
In Tennant Creek, people in the member for Barkly’s electorate are very unhappy. People in Tennant Creek are very unhappy about the performance of SIHIP, so much that support is about to be pulled for the program in Tennant Creek - I received a phone call this afternoon about that matter.
I question the intent of this government in trying to deal with housing. I see housing as a linear model - linear in terms of it starts at one end and ends at the other. It starts with homelessness, then short-term temporary accommodation living in tents and swags, to relief accommodation such as hostels, to public sector housing, and community housing, on to the private rental market and, then, into home ownership through low price housing, to high priced housing. That is how the market goes. As you release more land, there is availability, you address the supply issues, and people move up that spectrum. We have to address all areas.
We know the member for Karama, the minister for Infrastructure and Lands and Planning has not released any land. We know she is the one who is rock solid at the centre of not addressing the concerns. What we are now seeing is a bottleneck in the linear model, so people are being trapped at the end. We are seeing overcrowding, zero waiting lists for private market rentals, six-year waiting lists in the housing market, and 10% of the housing stock unavailable for use. We see a minister who should also be known as the minister for parking lots - parking as many people as he can in town camps in Alice Springs. We see people in town camps in substandard housing without providing the appropriate resourcing to the service provider of those town camps - nowhere near the levels of resourcing provided to the public sector. We do not have a community sector provider; we do not have that market in the Territory. We should have a market where we have public, private and community housing in the Territory. We do not have community housing. If you go outside the boundaries of Alice Springs you get to a point where you only have one player in the marketplace in terms of public housing.
That is where we see the performance of the non-performing member for Daly, the minister for non-housing really come to the fore. This is the man who has the audacity to charge people rent for living in humpies. He charges $50 a week to live in humpies. I do not understand how anyone could be so inhumane. I do not understand.
I know we are pressed for time today; however, I wanted to support this motion. I would love to talk about this for half-an-hour and really cut loose, but I am pushed for time. I am sure some of my colleagues would like to have a chat on this matter. I will say, in the next two minutes, if housing was so important to this government, it would address all elements across the linear model of housing. It would address homelessness, an area where the Northern Territory government, in the 2007-2008 financial year, spent $17.6m on homelessness, despite the fact the Commonwealth Grants Commission assessed it needed to spend $66.76m. The Commonwealth Grants Commission assessed it and gave it nearly $50m to top up their coffers in homelessness and general welfare dollars.
Despite that, it spent $17m - 26% - of what the CGC assessed they needed to spend. Here we are in the middle of the worst housing crisis the Territory has ever seen. We have community organisations handing out swags for people to live in. You have more than 10% of the public housing stock in Alice Springs unavailable. The member for Araluen asked how many houses have been vacant for three months. The minister did not answer that question. It spent just 26% of the homelessness budget according to the assessment by the CGC. It was underdone in 2006-2007, underdone the year before, underdone the year before, underdone the year before. In the last five years, this government has not met any of its expenditure requirements for homelessness.
What makes it worse, while it is not dealing with homelessness - not appropriately funding it, not resourcing and not providing housing for the people most in need – it has been stopping land supply. It has been stopping the construction of housing to house people. What sort of heart does the government have? It receives $1bn from the Howard government in GST revenue and go and sell 1000 public housing stock to pay for the waterfront. What sort of heart does the government have? What is its answers? As I said yesterday, it does not care! They do not care! It has failed, this Northern Territory government has failed. I condemn the government on its approach to housing. I said yesterday that it took the courage of Mal Brough, the previous federal minister, to take an issue in the Northern Territory and drive it forward. Whether you like the process or not, he drove an issue forward and made it an emergency. The housing crisis in the Northern Territory is an emergency and it should do something about it - not diverting money provided away from the essential service areas.
Family and Community Services spent 33% of the budget. Is it any wonder that Family and Community Services is in so much trouble, member for Arnhem? You stand there and talk about how much money the CLP used to put into it, and you are sitting on the richest gold mine you have ever seen through GST revenue as a result of the Howard era. You do not even spend the money to fix FACS. You do not resource your department to service the kids most in need. That is where the disgrace is. You cannot solve housing and now you have under-resourced FACS by 33% of the budget.
The Commonwealth Grants Commission assessed it needed $216m to service Family and Community Services in the 2007-08 financial year. The feds even chucked in an assessed amount of $188m. What did the Territory government spend? $71m. It did not get close to what the feds gave them. But it managed to pop an extra $100m into superannuation of the public service. It managed to put an extra $90m in to pay off debt, but it could not protect the children. It managed to put extra money into culture and recreation, but it could not protect the children or service homelessness.
What sort of a sane government only puts in 33% of an assessed budget to service Family and Community Services in the same year the Little Children Are Sacred report came out? It was in the same year the former Indigenous Affairs minister, Mal Brough, launched a national emergency into the Northern Territory, that you spent 33% of your budget. You spend more money on recreation than FACS. Where is your heart, member for Arnhem? Where is your heart, Treasurer? Where is your heart, member for Johnston? We know you are a hater, but I did not know that you hated it this much you only put 33% of the assessed budget into FACS and spent more on recreation. Have you read the report? These are kids! You spend more money on debt than kids! You spend more money on depreciation than kids! It is atrocious.
It has no control of housing at all. It has no control of the economy, of debt, of housing, and it is not even looking after kids, Madam Deputy Speaker. This government is a complete failure and Rothwell was right.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Deputy Speaker, it is my pleasure to support this motion. Something I have been talking about for quite a few years now, is the ongoing problems we have with public housing in the Northern Territory and how some tenants continue to, as the member for Araluen put it, interfere with the quiet enjoyment of others with their antisocial behaviour.
I am not completely conversant with the issues in Alice Springs in relation to public housing, but if what I have heard is true, it is very similar to the major problems we have in the Top End.
Public housing, of course, is probably one of the biggest areas of mismanagement of this government. Public housing is seen by it as some sort of cash cow; something that will deliver funds in some type of asset it can sell off and pay for other things. It was interesting to listen to the Housing Minister respond to this motion. I have to say there was no defence the minister could mount to defend his negligence in this area. What the minister does is get involved in smear. As soon as someone comes in and has a laugh at him about his failure, he throws smear around. He came in and suggested I was drunk; that I had been drinking.
I just ducked outside to try to track down some of the police to see whether I could take a breath test because, I have to tell you, I have not had a drink in a couple of days - not while this parliament has been sitting. To sit and cop these smears the minister is quite prepared to throw around every time he finds himself in a bit of a tight spot, is wrong - absolutely wrong. The minister knows what he is doing; he is out there to get a headline. He wants to run a little interference, take a little of the focus off his portfolio and put it somewhere else. It is absolutely disgusting behaviour.
Not only does the bloke not have the courage to stand up and wear his failure and tell people he has failed, but he tries to divert attention somewhere else. This minister has been a failure. I look over the other side and I see a litany of failures - one after the other of people who failed in some areas. That is human; we all make mistakes. We all make stuff-ups. People get angry at you when you make a stuff-up, but that happens; that is human nature.
With this particular minister, everything he touches, everything he gets involved in, anything he goes near, turns to failure. If there is one person sitting on the government’s frontbench who has to go, has to be moved and get out of this place, it is him.
We saw the member for Johnston, a couple of months ago, taking all of the heat about some failures which were happening in the health system. At the time, on this side of the Chamber, we argued quite strongly the minister had seriously erred in his responsibilities as a minister. I note the minister did try to put up an argument and defend himself. Admittedly, Health is one of those major portfolio areas which is very difficult to be completely on top of all the time. There have been ministers throughout history - not just in this government but in other governments - who have found the position of Health Minister to be extremely trying.
What happened with this Health Minister? He was moved sideways. He was moved into another portfolio - give a fresh set of eyes a go on it. I have to say the member for Johnston quite often said he was the longest serving Health Minister in Australia at the time, and I believe that was true. The Health Minister at that time, the member for Johnston, has a background in pharmacy, a medical-related area. We acknowledge it is a difficult portfolio, but it was deemed a fresh set of eyes needed to look at the Health portfolio.
Here we have a Housing Minister – who has not just Housing, but Essential Services, Local Government - all of these portfolios. Everything he gets involved with - every single thing - he makes a complete hash of. His only defence is to come in and throw smears around - throw the mud. This guy is absolutely appalling. He has been sitting on almost $700m for the last two years to build emergency accommodation for Aboriginal people in remote areas - something that was identified in the Little Children are Sacred report to meet chronic overcrowding in houses - absolutely chronic – and led to some of the horrible assertions being made in the report. We see a minister quite prepared to sit around on his butt for two years and not build one single house - not one. Absolutely appalling!
Somehow or other, he tries to sit there and prevaricate, to throw a bit of cant into the argument to suggest: ‘It was John Howard’s fault; it was previous CLP governments fault; these sorts of things happen in other places’. Tonight he said: ‘Oh, these housing problems, we are not alone; this happens all over Australia. All other jurisdictions have problems with public housing’. Oddly enough, all other jurisdictions are Labor jurisdictions, and they are all full of fairly incompetent people.
He is quite happy to sit and compare himself to the Bligh government, which is engaging in a $15bn sell-off of public assets to cover her appalling economic management credentials. We see a New South Wales government that has managed to sack - I do not know - a dozen ministers in the last 12 months or so. People there are praying for an election to come around ever so quickly. We see a South Australian government where the Premier is fighting all sorts of horrible allegations. In every one of these Labor states, there are problems.
There are massive problems, but these guys are sitting there, happy to compare themselves to them. ‘Oh, well, we are in the same boat as all these others’. Well, they are, only to a much worse extent. This government is the national embarrassment of Australia. It is the embarrassment of Kevin Rudd. I was in Canberra last week, and I am one of those fellows who gets on reasonably well with people on both sides of the parliament; we get on reasonably well, and I often have conversations with people on the other side. In all honesty, in the Rudd Labor government, there are members in ministry and in its wing who are absolutely, utterly, dreadfully embarrassed about the sort of members we have in the Australian Labor Party. They want to distance themselves as far as they possibly can from this government.
I reckon if Kevin Rudd had his way, he would take this joint over, dissolve this parliament, get rid of the two Senators and the two House of Representatives members we have, and just take complete control, because this place is becoming an unbelievable embarrassment to him, and to the Labor Party federally. It causes them such grief down there. I do not know - how do members here think Kevin Rudd feels about the fact this mob have had $700m of Commonwealth money for the best part of two years and they have not built a single house - not one single house? Every time a story appears in The Australian about this mob’s mismanagement, how do you think Mr Rudd feels? Would he think: ‘Oh, it is just tough in the Territory’? Like hell! Like hell; he throws money hand over fist and this mob completely blow it.
I thank the member for Braitling for doing such a great job of outlining exactly how money is spent up here. He has done a fantastic job, and I hope all members in this place take interest in this, particularly those members who have low-income, low-socioeconomic, or Indigenous people in their electorates, because it is those people who are suffering. It is those people in public housing places who are suffering.
I would hate to find myself in a situation where I needed public housing, but it is due to the benevolence of government we have public housing available for those people who need it. However, those people who need it do not need the added problem of having unruly, disgusting, filthy neighbours in the same unit blocks, urinating, defecating, swearing, getting drunk and carrying on at nights. They do not deserve that. How are they supposed to get ahead in the world if their kids cannot sleep at night, the kids cannot come back to the units at night because they fear getting bashed up, people cannot bring their shopping into their units because other tenants steal it, doors are kicked in, and people are sleeping with hammers, crow bars, and spear guns? I have seen it all. It has been a real eye-opener for me having some of these public housing places in my electorate.
I never got this close, I admit, in the federal parliament, to how people have to live in some of these places. It has been an eye-opener. It has utterly disgusted me to see the conditions some people have to put up with in the Northern Territory. The minister sits there and says: ‘Dave Tollner says they are all animals, and they should all be kicked out in the bush’. He knows that is not true. He knows there are some animals who need to be kicked out in the bush. If you want to act like an animal, be like an animal, then get out into the scrub with the animals. Decent, civilised human beings, who want a decent lifestyle, who have hit a hard road, or maybe have some disabilities, should be able to live in peace in a public housing block.
We hear nothing about how many people have been evicted. No, the minister did not say he evicted so many hundred in the last couple of months - people who terrorised their neighbours, and the neighbourhood. I used to do crime forums all over Darwin and Palmerston. Almost invariably, where you found the real hot spots, there were large amounts of public housing places. It is funny that crime seems to gravitate around these places. The minister throws his hands in the air saying: ‘I do not know what we can do about it; everyone has these problems’. He says it is everyone else’s problem: the CLPs fault from years gone by, John Howard’s fault, it is everyone else’s fault, and not really his fault. Still, the government and the Chief Minister persist with this fool. The man who is prepared to let 14 000 houses go without power; who admits he stuffed up the whole local government issue; and who is prepared to take money from public servant’s pockets, in real terms, with a pay increase of only 2.5%, not even keeping up with inflation - not even keeping up with inflation.
I heard the member for Araluen say she has quite a good working relationship with the minister. Well, that is great. I suppose everyone can have a good working relationship with the minister. The trouble is, what is the point? The man is a fool; nothing is ever acted on. The only time you ever get any action on anything is when you involve the media. Then there is a mad scramble to do something. I had Current Affair involved in one of the public housing blocks in Darwin; the next day there were contractors and tradesmen everywhere. There were people with big gurneys cleaning down the stairwells, doing gardening and landscaping, replacing windows, and doors. Suddenly, everything changed for these people.
The minute the focus went off they were left to their own devices; Territory Housing did not take any interest in the problems there, and everything returned to the same. The only time anything ever happens is when you get the media involved. A 14-year-old girl was booted out onto the streets. She was one of the people they evicted; her dad had recently died. She could not stay there so it booted her out onto the street - no communication whatsoever with Family and Children’s Services - quite happy to throw a 14-year-old girl out onto the street.
The minister lambasted me for talking to the media. He did not say he is going to fix the problem or investigate it, and see how many other people this has happened to. No, not at all. He tried to cover up as much as he could.
Ms Scrymgour interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: I hear the member for Arafura talking about people telling the truth. You sat there and watched your own minister say that in six years I only gave one speech in the federal parliament. He seems to think that is the truth. He said it over and over. Let us get real. You talk about being petty and stupid, trying to rewrite history - goodness me. Get real. Check Hansard of the federal parliament. See if I made one speech in six years. The bloke is a goose and he will do and say anything to get off the hook. Somewhere along the line, we must have ministerial responsibility. Ministers have to stand up and take their lumps. Here is a bloke not prepared to do it.
We have seen the member for Johnston sit there and cop a pretty big grilling. They were pretty harsh circumstances and I would hate to be a Minister for Health at any time, anywhere, because I imagine it would be an extraordinarily difficult job. However, it was decided within Cabinet they needed someone else with a fresh set of eyes. So, the member for Johnston took his lumps; he is now the Minister for Business. We will see how he goes in that portfolio …
Dr Burns: And tourism.
Mr TOLLNER: And Tourism. I admire the man in that regard; I believe Tourism and Business are wonderful portfolios to be in, minister. However, in any case, a decision was made to move him sideways.
The same thing should happen with this bloke - not just move him sideways, but move him out, because he has proven himself to be completely incompetent in every single area. In our last sittings in Darwin, he asked: ‘Who is the Minister for Housing?’ He did not know whether it was the member for Goyder, or the member for Araluen. Someone had to gently remind him and say: ‘Excuse me, I believe you are the Minister for Housing, not someone else’. This is the sort of incompetence we see on a regular basis.
The bloke should never have been given a job in the first place. With all respect to the member for Fannie Bay, you could not even make the bloke the chairman of committees; you could not trust him with that. Maybe they will make him Whip or something for the government. We just do not want him involved with any Territory government agency. The Territory cannot afford that type of incompetence. He must go.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I support this motion. I pay tribute to the member for Araluen for bringing this on. This is one of the single most important issues the Territory is facing. We need to get someone who is reasonably competent into that job to have a fair crack at it.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are there any further speakers, keeping in mind, member for Macdonnell, we will be suspending sittings at 6.45 pm sharp. You can begin and then resume your comments after Question Time. Thank you, you have the call.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Madam Deputy Speaker, I speak to this motion from a different point of view. I acknowledge the member for Araluen and her concerns of antisocial behaviour in Territory Housing houses. I see it in the area where I live in Lyndavale Drive. There is much antisocial behaviour around the area of Lyndavale Drive and Saltwell Street.
I believe it is about removing yourself and understanding where these people come from. They come from a very different lifestyle, back out on the communities, and these people do not like to come into town. They have to come into town because they are sick. They have to come into town because the only renal dialysis machines are in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, or Darwin. Some of my people take the choices down on the community in order not to come into town. Therefore, the ramification for those people who take that option of staying on the communities is death.
I know many of the parents move into town and apply for a flat with Territory Housing because their children are going to school and they want to be closer to them. They want to support their children because Alice Springs is a different place, a different community, with many different aspects in life, and much antisocial behaviour. I have lived in this town since the age of eight or nine and I have seen much antisocial behaviour in the town as well. As a little Gap Angel, I roamed the streets of Alice Springs, walking in and walking back through The Gap. I can say that Territory Housing and the Northern Territory government has not taken any steps to understand these people.
Earlier this year, it had an Aboriginal housing department which was part of Territory Housing. Aboriginal housing was specifically designed to help and encourage these people who come in, to bring their children to school, to access dialysis machines, or were generally sick in hospital and doctors would say: ‘I do not really want you to go back home for a couple of months, so we want you to find somewhere to stay with your relatives’. Aboriginal housing did tremendous work. It was part of Territory Housing, but Territory Housing just got rid of it. It encouraged people to save their own money, if there was minor repairs and maintenance which needed to be done to these houses, these people paid for it themselves.
If Territory Housing came around and said: ‘There is lots of antisocial behaviour reported by your next door neighbour’, it was Aboriginal housing which came in and spoke to the families and said: ‘You have to take steps to make sure there is no antisocial behaviour in your place. If it is overcrowded, then take steps to get rid of some of the people and send them home’. Aboriginal housing would play a major part in trying to get these people back on the bush bus to go back to places like Papunya, Kintore, Docker River, Alparra, and Harts Range to alleviate the pressure from some of these people who lived in Territory Housing houses.
If you understand Aboriginal culture, you will understand that if someone is diagnosed with a disease like kidney failure, and that person is 42, 67 or whatever the age they may be, it is not within the Aboriginal culture to send the person into Alice Springs by themselves. You will always have the daughter, the granddaughter, or the extended family come in with that person, because it is part of their culture to look after that person.
Territory Housing has failed in so many ways; by not encouraging people, by putting them into the houses and not wrapping them around with other programs as it had before with Aboriginal housing. It has just left them out there. These are people who come from a very different background, with different rules. The same rules which apply in Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, do not apply at Harts Range, Alparra, Papunya, Kintore and Hermannsburg. They have different rules. One of the things I suggest to the minister for spin doctoring and propaganda, who has just come in, would be to have a look at programs which help these people live inside these houses and nurture and train them.
I have said this in the House in Darwin: when Indigenous people starting moving into towns - and my aunty was one of those people - they were not town campers, they were fringe dwellers. They lived, where Yeperenye School is, in tents with no water, no toilet facilities. The Lutheran Church then took all these people in on their property. They had cottages, but the Lutheran Church looked after these people. They had to keep the cottages clean in order for the Lutheran Church to apply to Territory Housing for them to move into a Territory Housing house.
My aunty got a house in 2 Gnoilya Street in The Gap. The Lutheran Church did not just take us there and leave us at 2 Gnoilya Street. They said: ‘Okay, Mary, this is your house. You will live inside this house with your children and your family’. They visited that family on a day-to-day basis, to talk about the antisocial behaviour which occurred, and to make sure there was no overcrowding in those places. That is the kind of steps we need Territory Housing to take; not what we have heard the minister say in this House - spin, spin, propaganda and more propaganda ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Macdonnell. At that point I need to interrupt you. You will be able to resume your remarks after Question Time. It is 6.45 pm. Honourable members, as advised by Madam Speaker, we will be suspending sittings for 15 minutes. The bells will ring at 7 pm for Question Time.
Debate suspended.
MOTION
Proposed Censure of Chief Minister
and Northern Territory Government
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Speaker, I move – That the Chief Minister and this Labor government be censured for their abject neglect of the people of Alice Springs and Central Australia:
1. by failing to provide essential services;
7. for creating the housing crisis.
Madam Speaker, this is a dishonest government by any stretch - a dishonest government which is full of spin, glossy brochures, and all they do is announce announcements. They put out a media release about a media release. It is very good and very easy to make announcements. It is actually what they do, not what they say. It is a fast-fading government. It will say anything - absolutely anything – and, mind you, do absolutely anything, to stay in power. It is power they want; it is not to govern for Territorians. They are not interested in providing a safe and secure town, the fundamental things every single citizen of this country has a right to. All they are interested in is their own spin, and to stay in power.
This government has turned its back on Alice Springs. They have done it for eight long years. I have to reiterate the comments from the member for Araluen. After 27 years, they finally came to the helm - and what an absolute fizzer it was for the people of the Northern Territory, for the people of Alice Springs and, in particular, in the last couple of years since the back room deal when the Chief Minister stitched up the leadership and knifed the previous Chief Minister. We, the people of Alice Springs, have had an absolute gutful and enough of this lazy, tired government which is purely interested in staying in power.
I turn to crime, part of this censure motion. Whichever way you look at it, crime has increased under Labor. They like to pick and choose particular pieces of statistical data. We have seen them do it before; they will continue to do it. Since Labor has come to power, violent crime is up by 24%. That is hard, raw data you will see in the crime statistics put out by the government itself. Crime is up by 24%. In the last year, property crime rose, by 12% - that is property crime up by 12%.
There are fewer police on the beat. Whichever way the Chief Minister likes to portray it, or whichever way he likes to spin it, police on the beat numbers are down. He fails to look at the attrition rate of police, and again, we have fewer police on the beat.
We still have police communication bungles, appropriately named after the former minister for Police, who promised he would fix the communications system at the Alice Springs Police Station. Now, all calls - and I do not know if people in Alice Springs know this - all emergency police calls will be going through to Darwin. So, if you are in Alice Springs and you are ringing up, and you have a problem and you live in a particular street in a particular part of Alice Springs, you are going to have to spell it out to the person in Darwin, because they will have no idea where you live.
We have a Labor government that cannot get enough staff to run a police intake line in Alice Springs. Can you believe it? We do not have enough staff there to actually run a police intake line in Alice Springs. This government insists on spending $350m on a new prison in Darwin, but we have the highest recidivism rate anywhere in the Northern Territory. They backflipped, as we heard tonight, on the closed circuit television. It is monitored - can you believe it? - by a local taxi company. The local taxi company is doing everything they possibly can to do this, but it is wrong. A local taxi company should not be monitoring closed circuit television in Alice Springs.
Part of this censure motion goes towards education. Education standards in the Northern Territory are well below par. Territory kids achieve some of the worst NAPLAN results in the country. In the Northern Territory, we have 68% of kids in Year 3, with reading levels at or above the national average - 68%. We have 32% of Year 3 kids failing basic reading. We have nearly 30% of Year 3 kids failing the national benchmark on writing. That is 30% of Year 3 kids failing the national benchmark on writing, and 32% of Year 3 kids failing the basic national benchmark for reading. So, reading and writing rates are well below national averages. We have 29% of Territory kids failing Year 7 national reading benchmarks. Over 30% of Territory kids are failing Year 9 national reading benchmarks.
There are schools falling down around our kids here in Alice Springs. I draw your attention to some of the issues facing Acacia Hill School. The government has finally come to the table with an announcement. However, once again, as we see in their glossy brochures, they love to announce announcements and put a media release out about media releases. I can only hope the $5m-plus going towards Acacia Hill School will actually go towards Acacia Hill School and address some of these 75-plus recommendations in a 2005 special schools audit on Acacia Hill by the Northern Territory Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment. That was done in 2005; 75 of those are still non-compliant. We can only hope this money will go towards addressing those and, indeed, bring the state of the school up to a world’s best practice special education facility for kids in Central Australia.
The situation going on at Acacia Hill School is appalling. The staff, the teachers, and the students have a very small voice in this community by virtue of the job they are doing. This government has neglected them for far too long. We see, after enormous pressure through the media, and through me as the local member, the government has finally come to the party. It is not a very good story, being seen to be beating up on kids with disabilities, so the government thought: ‘Oh gee, better try to do something about it’. They made an announcement of $5m-plus. That is a significant amount of money and, of course, anyone would welcome that. The devil will be in the detail. How much of this is new money, and how much is, in fact, old money through the BER program from the federal government? We will wait and see. Nevertheless, $5m-plus is a good announcement, but well overdue. Again, it is another example of the neglect by this government of our education facilities and standards across the Northern Territory.
I turn to health. The elective surgery waiting lists in the Northern Territory are some of the worst in the country. The Minister for Health has dismissed the Australian Medical Association’s report on Territory hospitals. He dismissed it saying the AMA is a doctor’s union, to paraphrase him in the October sittings in Darwin. He dismissed the Australian Medical Association’s report on Territory hospitals, which highlighted hospitals across the Territory, including Alice Springs.
He also dismissed The State of Our Public Hospitals report, which is a federal government report compiled by the Department of Health and Ageing. It points out Northern Territory hospitals have some of the worst elective surgery waiting lists and, indeed, the worst emergency service waiting times in the country. It does not auger well for a government which claims to care about Central Australia and to be doing a good job governing the Northern Territory.
Regarding cuts to our nursing staff, the previous Minister for Health lost his job as Minister for Health for his failure to address not only the hospital board’s issue - where we found we had three hospitals operating in the Northern Territory outside the law because they were not operating with functioning hospital boards - but also his failure to admit and address the nursing staffing crisis facing us in the Northern Territory and, in particular, Royal Darwin Hospital.
A promised new emergency department at the Alice Springs Hospital was on the books, then off the books, on the books, then off the books. Now, suddenly, it is back on the books because $13m has been handed over from the Commonwealth. Our doctors are absolutely stretched to breaking point. Despite spending more than double per capita on health than any other jurisdiction, our waiting times at our emergency departments are getting worse. Elective surgery waiting lists are getting longer, despite spending millions of dollars in blitzes.
This is a government which comprehensively has failed the people of Central Australia, despite the rhetoric, the spin we see every day, the glossy brochures, and the insulting manner the Chief Minister used today, doing anything to deflect the argument from the real issues everyone in this public gallery knows all too well. The issues relate to essential services – power; and failure to address the rise in violent and property crime. We know it all too well, Chief Minister.
You only have to spend a little time in Central Australia and it is not too hard to figure out things are not getting better. They have failed to address our worst education standards, as I have highlighted before. It is very clear this government has failed the people of Central Australia.
The government likes to crow about alcohol restrictions and, despite a very successful argument prosecuted this morning demonstrating, in no uncertain terms, the government’s approach to tackling alcohol issues in Central Australia is not working, all they can say is all the Country Liberals want to do is tip more grog onto the problem. What absolute rubbish! I am not sure where the Chief Minister finds such logic! It clearly is not logic. They refer to, and hang their hat on, the Menzies School of Health Research report.
You will notice, in every single argument, line, comment and announcement by the Chief Minister, the Minister for Health, and the Minister for Alcohol Policy, they refer back to the Menzies School of Health moving beyond the restrictions and the evaluations of the Alice Springs alcohol management plan. You can get this online, and it might be worth having a read.
The government believe - as demonstrated by the member for Araluen raising the false advertisement in the Centralian Advocate last Friday – there has been an 18% drop in pure alcohol sales, a 21% drop, and a such and such percent drop here. Let us look at some of the real facts and figures from the report - the government’s own commissioned report they continually hang their hat on, which is the centrepiece of their argument. This is all they have. It says here:
- While responses indicated that the community believed that the town was quieter during the day, they indicated the trial had little effect on alcohol consumption.
There you have it; it had little effect on alcohol consumption. Furthermore, the later takeaway trading hours has shifted the problem to later at night - a point also made about increased activity on town camps later in the evening. I am not sure where the government is getting its facts and figures from. They claim it is from the Menzies School of Health Research report. I say again:
- While responses indicated that the community believed that the town was quieter during the day, they indicated the trial had little effect on alcohol consumption.
All the Chief Minister can say is the Country Liberals want to open up the doors of the bottle shops and sell more grog. He does not understand simply opening up the doors of the bottle shop is not necessarily going to sell more grog. He, obviously, does not come from a background of private enterprise or retail or business. He has no concept of what it is like to run a business. He thinks you just open the doors, put the sign out the front, and people are going to flow in. That is not the case. If he did come from a background of private enterprise, he might have a little more appreciation.
That was one part of the Menzies School of Health Research report. We can turn to other areas of it. To do with consumption, section 8, Measuring the impact of the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan says:
- There is a further limitation of the data which must be taken into consideration when interpreting these results. The conversion to litres of pure alcohol for wine sold in bottles is based on there being 10 bottles per crate. However, from 2002 the packaging was changed so that there are now 16 bottles of wine per crate. This means that total alcohol sales data represented is an underestimate of the true volume of alcohol sold.
For the Chief Minister’s benefit, I repeat:
- This means that total alcohol sales data represented is an underestimate of the true volume of alcohol sold
The Chief Minister is not very interested in hearing the facts, but maybe he will pick up the Parliamentary Record and have a look. Or, even better, maybe he could actually read the Menzies School of Health report. That might help. It would be very handy, minister, while you …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, I remind you reference or inference to the presence or otherwise of a member is prohibited, thank you.
Mr CONLAN: I did not say anything of the sort, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr CONLAN: I simply said the Chief Minister might do himself a favour by actually reading the Menzies School of Health report he continually likes to hang his hat on.
The report also said other justice data is more difficult to interpret, but the alcohol management plan may have contributed to rises in commercial break-ins and property damage. I had better read that again. It said:
- … the alcohol management plan may have contributed to rises in commercial break-ins and property damage …
This report is almost having a bet each way. The government likes to pick and choose, even from their own Department of Justice figures. It indicates trading hours have nothing to do with the curbing of alcohol sales or alcohol consumption. Trading hours are not mentioned anywhere in the Menzies School of Health report, nor are they mentioned anywhere in the Department of Justice figures.
The government, as we all know - and I am sure it has all been clearly demonstrated here tonight for the gallery - are all spin, no substance, and it does not take much to scratch beneath the surface to find another issue. Just when you get tired of one issue, something else crops up. We have had SIHIP and, boy, that was a headache for the government. Just when you got a bit sick of that, we have the child protection issue. Then, we had problems with our hospitals’ emergency waiting lists and elective surgery waiting lists. You do not have to wait long in the Northern Territory and, indeed, in Alice Springs, to go from one issue to another.
This is why the Country Liberals are censuring this government. We believe this censure should be upheld. This government deserves to go. They deserve to be prosecuted for their absolute failure in addressing the issues of Alice Springs, and the pain and suffering they cause the people of Central Australia on a daily basis by their refusal to accept and address the problems causing that pain and suffering.
We heard from the Minister for Housing before, basically dismissing any problems with public housing. I am sure there are plenty of people here in the gallery who live in a street in Alice Springs, and have a public housing property or a housing commission home not too far away from them - maybe next door, maybe round the corner. I would like the member for Daly, the Minister for Housing, to tell those people there is not a problem with public housing tenants partying all night and drinking all night, despite the grog signs on the front gate.
What do we want to see in Central Australia? We certainly do not want to see more drunks on the street. We want to see those drunks actually removed from the street. We want those people to be placed into rehabilitation. The CLP has an habitual drunks policy, which is the centrepiece of the Country Liberals’ policies. The habitual drunks policy simply means, if you are picked up for being drunk three times in six months, you will be sent to mandatory rehabilitation. As you are sent to mandatory rehabilitation, you will not be sent to a prison. We have no intention of clogging up our gaols – either Berrimah or Alice Springs - with drunks. They will be sent to prison farms. They will be taught to read and write, or at least given basic literacy and numeracy skills. They will be given job skills and life skills, and they will, hopefully, leave rehabilitation, after a set period of time, better equipped to contribute to society. We cannot have these drunks wandering around out streets aimlessly like brown’s cows, day after day. These people need to get into jobs and they need to start contributing to society.
The Country Liberals’ approach is tough but, we think, fair. It is not just fair on those people we are targeting, but also fair on the people of Alice Springs - the people who are contributing to society, who have jobs, who run businesses, and who are continually ringing up the insurance company saying: ‘I need to make another claim because my front window has been smashed yet again’.
Mandatory rehabilitation is the approach by the Country Liberals. This government does not believe in mandatory rehabilitation. They seem to think it is okay for someone to go in and out of protective custody, day in and day out. That is, picked up on a Monday, Monday night placed into protective custody and, then, released again on Tuesday. Then, picked up on Tuesday, spend the night in protective custody and, then, released on Wednesday. Then, picked up on Wednesday, released on Thursday, picked up on Thursday - I think we get the point.
This is what is happening. We have people who are picked up hundreds of times a year, placed into protective custody and, then, released on the street with their only goal and intention is going out and getting drunk all over again. It is not doing anyone any good whatsoever. It is not doing the people of Alice Springs any good whatsoever - the people who are contributing to society in a meaningful way. They are contributing to the economy, the social fabric, and the sporting infrastructure of the town. It is certainly not doing those offenders who are living a life of alcoholism any good.
For the Chief Minister to say all the Country Liberals want to do is pour more grog on the problem is nonsense. It is a line he is trying to roll out here in Central Australia, in front of the people of Alice Springs, in some feeble attempt to wedge us and the three local members, and portray us as having no platform whatsoever and being irresponsible. Our approach is not irresponsible; our approach is responsible. The only irresponsible people in the Northern Territory are – how may do we have? - 13 members sitting on that side of the Chamber. They are the ones who do not care. They are the ones who continually neglect the people of Central Australia. They are the ones with no plan for the future. Their plan is to keep our alcohol restrictions in place forever-and-a-day. They have no plan beyond any alcohol restrictions. Their plan is simply to patch up what is an issue, and move on. They have no plan for the future, no plan to get these people into rehabilitation - no plan to rehabilitate them whatsoever.
Their alcohol courts are an absolute failure. We have seen it and, yet, the member for Karama crows about the alcohol courts being a success. They are not a success. We are not seeing any real meaningful success rates through the alcohol courts and, hence, the ID system is a failure. The ID system, by default, is working, to a degree, because those without identification cannot buy grog. The point of the ID system was to recognise those with a prohibition order against them, and then they could be referred to an alcohol court - but only if they committed an offence. Being drunk over and over again, every day of the week, is not an offence. Under the Country Liberals, it will become and offence, and you will be placed into rehabilitation for your own good, for your family’s own good, for your children’s own good, and for the good of the people of Alice Springs who, I say again, are contributing in a meaningful way to this community.
Madam Deputy Speaker, this government deserves to be censured. This censure deserves to be upheld. This government has failed to provide a safe and secure town for Central Australia. They have failed to provide any real rehabilitation for those who are committing these crimes day after day after day. They are committing these crimes as a result of alcohol-fuelled antisocial behaviour. I urge members in this parliament to support this censure motion, to send a clear and strong message to the Henderson Labor government that they have failed the Northern Territory, Central Australia and, in turn, this country. They have failed the Australian Labor Party.
As the member for Solomon rightly points out, they are an embarrassment - a national embarrassment. They are an embarrassment to this community, to this parliament, to the Northern Territory, and to their very own leader, the Prime Minister. This government deserves to be censured, and what is more, they deserve to go. It is another example of this failure of the Northern Territory Labor government to deliver anything meaningful to the people of Central Australia.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Deputy Speaker, talking of embarrassment, the member for Greatorex embarrassed himself with that unresearched, inaccurate, inarticulate diatribe in the Assembly this evening. I will pull apart his diatribe as per the seven points of this censure motion.
The first limb of the censure motion is talking about failing to provide essential services. Power and Water Corporation has a $1.1bn infrastructure program, over the next four years, to upgrade, rebuild, and increase essential services right across the Northern Territory.
In Alice Springs, as we speak, a brand new power station is being constructed. We are also upgrading the power supply at Yulara and at Tennant Creek. It is the most significant investment in essential services infrastructure in Alice Springs for many years, to cater for increased population and economic activity in Central Australia. He was not able to articulate any reductions in budget, any non-investment in particular parts of essential services. As I said, the new water trials - well they are not trials now at AZRI in regard to taking water from the sewage ponds and piping it to AZRI to refill the aquifers after treatment. That was world leading research and investment by Power and Water Corporation to supplement water supply in Alice Springs. As I said, we are currently building a brand new power station in Alice Springs, so we are providing essential services.
He talked about violence and property crime. Under this government, since 2001, in Alice Springs and across the Northern Territory, property crime has actually decreased by nearly 50%. We have 335 additional police officers in our police force, with an extra 35 police officers in Alice Springs, and property crime has decreased by nearly 50% right across the Northern Territory. We produce quarterly crime statistics which do bounce around from time to time but, take a longitudinal look at property crime across the Northern Territory and there is a 50% decrease since we came to government. That is around 5800 fewer property crime offences a year across the Northern Territory, and that is a very significant achievement.
Talking about violent crime; we go round and round in circles on this issue. In relation to violent crime, police now proactively police domestic violence in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, and in Darwin, with dedicated strategies, with officers who work in this area on a full-time basis - not part-time - with increased police powers to issue domestic violence orders. With direct additional powers in the prosecution of repeat offenders, women across the Northern Territory and here in Alice Springs are more confident to report because they know police will act. So much violent crime and domestic violence is alcohol fuelled.
I have listened to the member for Greatorex today in his pathetic, lame excuses to explain to residents in Alice Springs how on earth, by expanding the sale of alcohol for an additional four hours a day, it is going to reduce crime and domestic violence. It patently will not. He is unable to provide one credible public health organisation, or one credible crime organisation to say, yes, if you sell alcohol in Alice Springs for four hours more every day, you will reduce crime. It is patently ridiculous, and I am astounded they stick with that position.
We then had the lame excuse – God help. I should not say that; I apologise Madam Speaker and withdraw. Heaven help the Northern Territory if the member for Greatorex ever becomes the Business minister, or even the shadow Business spokesman. His lame excuse was, obviously, nobody in the Territory government had ever operated in retail, because retail was not just about opening the doors and expecting people to walk in. His line was there was absolutely no evidence - and he was having a crack at us about not understanding business. His line was, such is the great intellect of the member for Greatorex, if you actually expanded takeaway sales in Alice Springs and opened the supermarkets and bottle shops for an extra four hours a day, it would not necessarily mean they would sell more grog.
That was the statement from the great …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Anyone who has operated a business, you do not expand your hours of operation, incur all those additional costs in staff, holding inventories, consumables, power, water, sewerage, and wages if you are not going to sell more grog. You are not going to open the doors of your business and put in all the additional expenses if you are not going to recover it through a return of selling more grog. He had the hide to say we do not understand how business works. Heaven help if he is ever made the shadow minister for Business. If he thinks businesses would open their doors, expend additional salaries …
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … additional costs, and not get a return through additional sales – what a goose the member for Greatorex is ...
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The only consequence of opening …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: He can give it but he cannot take it.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Chief Minister, please pause. Member for Greatorex!
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, you are on a warning. When I call for order people need to comply, please. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. He has a glass jaw.
To assert anyone in business would expand their hours of operation, extend their costs, increase their salaries, increase their overheads, and not recoup that by additional sales? What a clown! What an absolute clown! The only consequence of increasing the time alcohol is available for sale in Alice Springs is …
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex!
Mr HENDERSON: The only consequence is more grog will be sold ...
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Heaven help if the member Greatorex ever gets his hand anywhere near the Business portfolio, because the place would go bust.
We have 175 police …
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex, I ask you to leave the Chamber for one hour, please.
Mr Conlan: Delighted.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr HENDERSON: We now have 175 police, including ACPOs and auxiliaries, per capita more than anywhere else in Australia. We have opened the Alice Springs Police Beat, with an additional seven permanent police officers recruited to Alice Springs. We will expand our Police Beat initiative with another 10 additional police officers to Alice Springs before the end of the financial year. We have invested $15.6m in a comprehensive Alice Springs Youth Action Plan to deal with youth in this town who are falling by the wayside. To say we are not addressing violence and property crime is patently wrong. The only logical consequence of selling more alcohol in Alice Springs is you will have more violence and crime.
He then talked about education standards in the Territory. We acknowledge education is a critical area for improvement. However, in Alice Springs we have some great schools which do a fantastic job. Today, I was at Bradshaw Primary School in Alice Springs, in a preschool class - wonderful teachers, great facilities, and wonderful kids receiving a great education. We are improving facilities in all our schools in Central Australia, but never let the truth get in the way of the shock jock from Alice Springs and the rhetoric he produces.
We have an enormous investment in education facilities in our schools in Alice Springs. Along with the Australian government and the investment through the stimulus package, our additional funding into education is seeing an additional $47m this year for infrastructure in schools in Alice Springs. This will be the largest infrastructure program in our schools over the next three years the Territory has ever seen. It is virtually every single school in the Northern Territory.
We are going to be investing $5.6m on the Alice Springs youth hub and middle school. The old ANZAC Hill High School and Alice Springs High School will, between them, be upgraded to the tune of $6m. It was great to be at the Alice Springs High campus the other day to see work has already commenced on a $3.36m project to provide new VET facilities, new IT facilities, and a new canteen for the students. A tender is currently being evaluated to upgrade the ANZAC Hill campus.
We are spending $3m on Ross Park Primary, an upgrade in Stage 3, $1.4m for Yuendumu under Closing the Gap, and the largest ever Commonwealth contribution into schools of $35m across Central Australia under the stimulus program. This was a program the CLP opposed. Nigel Scullion voted against it in the Senate. That means, if the CLP had had their way, there would not have been the $35m investment in schools in the Central Australian region, and in Alice Springs, that is so very well regarded and well received.
We also announced a major upgrade to Acacia Hill, as part of a $30m investment over the next five years for our special needs schools right across the Northern Territory. This is the biggest investment any government has made in our special needs schools in a single budget allocation for many years in the Northern Territory. $5.6m of that will go to Acacia Hill, where a great job is being done providing our special needs students with education.
One of the highlights for me, in my time as Education minister, was being at Arlparra the other day to open a $6m middle school and senior school in the Utopia region. It is a first-class facility. Every room has Internet access. There is a science lab there, and home economics areas. Every classroom has a SMART Board, and kids are going to school who previously were not. It was a real highlight. We have a $6m upgrade to Centralian Middle School, and a major policy reform area - a brand new middle school for Alice Springs for the start of the school year next year.
To say we are ignoring education in Alice Springs is patently false. Under a CLP government, there would have been $35m less investment in our schools in Alice Springs, because of their opposition to the stimulus package.
We then move on to infrastructure. Again this year - never let the facts get in the way of the hyperbole from the member for Greatorex - we are going to be spending more cash in the Central Australian region this financial year than ever before - than ever before – with $293m in cash in the Central Australian region this year. That is 21% of the entire infrastructure budget for the Northern Territory. It is a record investment in the region, and $110m more than last year’s record. To say we are not investing in infrastructure is patently wrong.
Already, $72m of works are already under way in the first four months of this financial year. Where is that infrastructure going? Education and training, $47m; health, $60m; roads, $50m; Police and Emergency Services, $27m; tourism infrastructure, $8m; Power and Water infrastructure, $80m; and housing, $17m. Some of these works are in roads; capital works; repairs and maintenance; progressive sealing and widening on the Tanami; construction of the Pine Hill access road; upgrades to the Plenty, Sandover, Maryville, Hugh Stock Route, Ernest Giles Road, Santa Teresa Road and Kintore Road; shoulder reconstruction and widening of the Stuart Highway from Erldunda to the South Australian border; and lighting upgrades to the Yulara Drive/Lasseter Highway intersection of $50m - a very significant spend.
Schools will get $47m – I have talked about that; $27m in infrastructure for police; $6m for the Alice Springs Police Station upgrade; $19.4m each for the Alparra and Imanpa Police Stations; $60m in health infrastructure and jobs; and $59m at the Alice Springs Hospital, including the emergency department upgrade, the secure care facility and remediation works – which is a debate for another day in the saga in regard to the CLP commissioned upgrade of the Alice Springs Hospital we are still recovering from eight years later; and essential services $80m across the region.
For arts and parks: $4.5m for new air-conditioning at the Araluen Arts Centre; and $3m for upgrades at the West MacDonnell National Park, including the Visitors Centre and facilities.
In housing: $17m in the capital program, and $5m in maintenance and other works. So, $293m is a record infrastructure spend in Central Australia. We are proud to be delivering that. To try to run a line we are not investing in infrastructure; compared with any CLP investment; it would get nowhere near it.
They then went to talk on land release. I acknowledge this is a very significant issue. I suppose the major policy issue surrounding this is the fact native title has been determined in regard to Alice Springs. Most of the land to be released is affected by native title.
We have taken a view, as a government, we will sit down and negotiate with Lhere Artepe in regard to land release. Already, we have seen the results of that at Larapinta and Mt Johns Valley. Talking with Darryl Pearce and traditional owners the other day, we will be working with Lhere Artepe to secure additional land release. I pay tribute to Lhere Artepe in regard to representing the traditional owners in Alice Springs, by actually wanting to get involved in property developments, and be part of the solution to housing issues in this town. The only way forward is for government to work cooperatively with the traditional owners, as opposed to the CLP policy of compulsory acquisition, tying the issue up in the court for years, and not moving anywhere.
The Lands minister is going to release, very soon, a rezoning proposal for the AZRI site to release up to 1000 blocks of land. That is being worked through with Alice Springs Town Council, and other people on the Lands Planning Reference Group which has been established. There are numerous private projects on the books we will help facilitate a major increase in units and infill developments in Alice Springs. I acknowledge this is a very significant issue and one the government has to not take its eye off for one moment, redouble our efforts, and work as quickly as we can with all of the parties to see land released in Alice Springs.
One thing is for certain, if you take matters into the court, if you go for compulsory acquisition, you are just going to tie these issues up in the courts for years, and you will not go as fast as you will in working forward in partnership.
The CLP talked about failing to provide necessary health services. We have already seen this year, a $59m investment in upgrades to Alice Springs Hospital. One of the issues is, it is not about facilities, it is about people. Since we have come to government, we have seen a 50% increase in the number of nurses at the hospital and in Central Australia. That is a very significant increase - 50% increase in the number of nurses. Also, there is a 47% increase - nearly 50% - in the number of doctors. That is significant.
Public health systems across Australia are under pressure all of the time, but I pay tribute to our health professionals in Alice Springs. They do an absolutely amazing job. Our health professionals do not deserve the pillory and the abuse hurled on them by the member for Greatorex, when they are working as hard as they can in very difficult circumstances, with very challenging health problems that present to our health system. The member for Greatorex is not doing his job properly as shadow Health minister by failing to acknowledge a 50% increase in the number of nurses, and a nearly 50% increase in the number of doctors here in Alice Springs and Central Australia, and that increased investment.
On all counts in regard to the motion I acknowledge governments should always strive harder; governments can always do better. No government is perfect. Our government is delivering to Alice Springs.
If you look at the broader issues of economic growth in Alice Springs, I had the pleasure of meeting with a number of business people the other day at a forum, and every business person I spoke to is going really well. The facts are our economic growth is leading the nation at 5.2% in 2008-09. Access Economics said we are going to continue to lead economic growth over the next five years - an average growth rate of 3.8%. The business community in Alice Springs is confident, the economy is strong. The community is confident. Across the Northern Territory, there was an increase in retail trade; the highest in the nation, at 11.4%.
We have the rest of the world going backwards with the global financial crisis, and here in the Northern Territory we have had strong economic growth. We have strong employment growth – 4000 additional jobs created in the Territory’s economy last year, significant numbers here in Central Australia at a time where, around the world - look at what is happening in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Germany, in Japan, and in other developed economies. Look at what has happened in certain parts of Australia where unemployment is up to 10%. We created an extra 4000 jobs in our economy last year, such is the investment of government and the confidence of the business community in our economy and the future of the Northern Territory.
If you listen to the opposition, you would think we are going to hell in a hand basket. That is not the opinion of our business community which has continued to invest, continued to be confident, at a time of the global financial crisis. It has been supported by our government with a record capital works program this year of over $1bn - 21% of it coming to Central Australia.
The tourism industry has done much better than I feared it would. At the beginning of this year, I was very concerned for the tourism industry in Australia, such was the downturn in the global economy. With the recession and the depression in the economies of our core markets out of the US, Germany, Scandinavia and the UK, I was worried for our tourism sector. However, there has been a 5% increase in Central Australia, contributing over $550m in visitor expenditure last financial year - a staggering result given what was happening around the world. When talking to Peter Grigg the other night, I almost had to pinch myself when I heard those numbers.
A large part of that is our government, through Tourism NT, working with the Central Australian tourism groups on joint marketing and promotion campaigns. I spoke to several tourism operators who were thankful of government support, through our trade programs, to help those businesses attend tourism trade fairs within Australia and also overseas, at a time they were pulling back their own marketing budget. We certainly had a significant role to play to support the increase in tourism in Central Australia.
To suggest somehow this government is ignoring Central Australia is patently wrong. There are significant issues which continue to need addressing in Alice Springs and Central Australia. At the heart of so many of the problems in Alice Springs is the abuse of alcohol. I am very proud my government has stood shoulder to shoulder with Jenny Macklin and the Australian government in supporting the compulsory acquisition of the town camps in Alice Springs. I thank the Australian government for putting up $100m to invest in those town camps, and an additional $36m to deal with some of the social issues surrounding those camps. This shows a Territory government, working in partnership with the Australian government, looking at the issues in Alice Springs, can secure significant investments to start righting some of the wrongs which have been swept under the carpet here for so long to the detriment of the broader community, and also those residents of the town camps.
We are waiting for a full federal court decision. I very much hope the decision goes government’s way because we have a plan; we are ready to go. The people in the town camps and in Alice Springs deserve to see those issues rectified and not to have those issues forever tied up in legal action. Again, it goes to show this government is focused on, and working on the issues for Alice Springs.
My colleague, the Minister for Central Australia, will speak further. This is a government which is focused on all of the Northern Territory. We are focused on Alice Springs. The economy is strong, people are doing well. There is record infrastructure investment in health and education, and law enforcement, and there is record spending on additional police in Alice Springs. There are issues which need to be accelerated regarding land release but, as Chief Minister, I give my commitment to the people of Alice Springs, we will continue to focus on delivering on the expectations of the Alice Springs community, and working to secure a very strong, vibrant future for such a wonderful part of the Northern Territory.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, we will not be supporting the motion.
Mr GILES (Braitling): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to talk to this censure motion. I thank the member for Greatorex for bringing the censure motion on. It is a very important censure motion; it goes to the heart of government neglect in Alice Springs - eight long years, and growing neglect in Alice Springs.
I start by paying homage to the police of Alice Springs and Central Australia. They have been spoken about much over the last couple of days, especially today. They do a fantastic job. They have been in and around the Chamber for the last couple of days making sure politicians like us, staff and all, are safe.
They do a fantastic job around town spending most of their time emptying out alcohol rather than doing their normal policing business. That is despite the fact the Chief Minister, and his government, like to say our proposed alcohol reforms will seemingly open up the rivers of grog. We already hear 80% of all crime in Alice Springs is alcohol related. You would think it could not get any worse. If the Chief Minister was serious he would be trying to start dealing with these people who are chronic alcoholics, who have a serious substance abuse problem. I know he neglects that; he has a one-legged policy – Phar Lap running around in circles is what he has.
I took some notes about some of the things he mentioned. He spoke a lot about infrastructure. I believe he mentioned a $1bn infrastructure budget. It was $1.3bn when he announced the budget but, now, it is down to $1bn, I presume. There are two key issues about the budget you need to comprehend, and the audience in the gallery need to understand. The first is the reason it was $1.3bn – and I am not going off the budget here; I remember my old notes. The reason is $300m is for repairs and maintenance and ongoing servicing, about $450m, off the top of my head, was coming from last year’s financial year because they did not get around to doing the work last financial year. There is a large component of money announced which will not be done this financial year, it will be done next financial year because they are running a year behind. They roll all the figures together to make it sound really good. Even that $300m in repairs and maintenance will not be done this year. It is an announcement they make for three, four, five, six years later, so they can stand up here as the Chief Minister did at the Dispatch Box, and pontificate and beat his chest about doing a great job. However, at the end of the day, it does not hit the ground.
He failed to tell us, as well, where that money actually comes from. He failed to say most of that money comes from the stimulus package. We know what the stimulus package is. It was an investment to try to protect our economy, which was in a great shape before the Rudd government took over - in surplus. We know now this infrastructure program, if it gets delivered, will not be paid by the federal government or the Territory government; it will be paid by our kids for the next 30 years as they are repaying debt. That is what it is about.
You would think if there was any commitment by the federal Labor government or the Territory Labor government to invest in stimulus, they would be putting it into essential service infrastructure which reduced the cost burden on businesses, allowing businesses to employ more people in Alice Springs and Central Australia, and grow our economy such as putting money into things like sealing the Mereenie Loop Road. A $1.3bn infrastructure program and they cannot seal the Mereenie Loop Road. What the Chief Minister said in Question Time today was he is committed to sealing it. This is the first year since they made the first commitment that it is not in the budget. Let me tell you, they are not doing it this year and he knows that. He stood here and misled everybody in Alice Springs by saying he is doing it. It is not in the budget. He is not doing it. The tourism operators in Alice Springs will miss out. The international tourists coming here, having 22 car roll-overs a year, will be putting their lives at risk because this Northern Territory government does not invest in Central Australia.
I thank the member for Greatorex for bringing this motion on. There are a number of issues in Alice Springs where this government has shown neglect, and it is very hard to find a place to start. Do we start with land release? Do we start with our worst housing crisis in the Territory’s history? Do we start with town camps? Do we start with sporting and services infrastructure? Do we start with the Northern Territory government trying to identify cost-saving measures by shutting down ANZAC Hill High School just to move the police in there out of Belvedere House to save some money? Will we call it essential Australian middle school? Is that how they are doing it?
Are they making cost savings by taking the stimulus money from the school council at ANZAC Hill High School - they were going to build an all-weather bus shelter with it - which it was designed for - and for the students too - and put it into painting rooms inside this new middle school? This is what they are doing - painting rooms in the middle school. They cannot protect the kids in 45C heat in summer, but you can paint a room in a school which you are over-budget and under-committed on. You did not realise there was asbestos inside the buildings in ANZAC Hill High School. Your budget is now out, you cannot start the work, and you will not have the school ready by the start of term next year. This is an absolute disgrace! You are doing this on philosophical reasons. Syd Stirling could not shut the school when he was in, so you are moving to shut it now!
I wonder when this government is actually going to act on the housing crisis. When is it going to act on the land crisis; the release of land? The Chief Minister said it is an important issue, it is front of mind, and they cannot let it out of their eyesight; something has to happen. Well, you are the Chief Minister, you have been in charge for eight-and-a-half or nine years - or whatever it is. You should have been focusing on this!
The Howard government launched the intervention into the Northern Territory to try to take initiatives to overcome the devastating levels of child abuse in the Northern Territory. That intervention had a few different effects. One was it supported the growth and the economy in Alice Springs, in Central Australia. There are more people here trying to deliver services, trying to overcome those deep concerns in the Northern Territory. However, there is no land here for people, there is no housing for people to live in - and the government has just sat there. It has been two years since it started. The government has been in for eight-and-a-half years, and it still has not reached a point where we have solutions. It is a supply and demand issue.
Now, you have painted us into a corner, so the house prices have gone up by so much. If we make land available for people to buy to start building houses, it will send the market down and will get negative equity for those first homebuyers who have a loan to buy a house. You backed us into a corner; we cannot afford to release land now! I know you look away, and everybody here hangs their head in shame. They are all disgusted with their performance.
I will bring back an old chestnut of mine; I will talk about the Commonwealth Grants Commission again. For the benefit of the people in the gallery, the Commonwealth Grants Commission is a federal body which assesses how much money the Territory government should be spending on certain items in the Northern Territory, and identifies line items such as roads spending - how much the Territory government should spend on roads in any financial year. They assess how much money the Northern Territory government should have available. They assess how much extra money the Commonwealth should throw in as part of GST revenue because, keep in mind, under the Commonwealth Grants Commission, they assess the Northern Territory has a high level of disadvantage, we are very remote, it is very hard to deliver services, and we need extra money.
All things being equal, New South Wales government, I think, gets 97 in the dollar. The Northern Territory government gets $5 to the $1. We get five times, all things being equal. We get much more money from the federal government.
If we look at roads funding - I am sure Peter Grigg from Tourism Central Australia will be interested to hear this, because I know he is very interested in the Mereenie Loop Road. We see in road spending in the 2007-08 budget, the Commonwealth Grants Commission, the supreme authority on these figures, assessed the Northern Territory government needed to spend $267.76m on roads in the Northern Territory. It identified the NT government had assessed about $78.96m. It made that assessment. We know the Northern Territory government is not awash with money and, through this model called horizontal fiscal equalisation, the Commonwealth government assessed it had to give it $188.8m extra in the 2007-08 financial year. That is what they said.
All up, they needed to spend, as assessed by the Commonwealth Grants Commission, $267m. What did they spend in the 2007-08 financial year? What did they spend? They spent $98m! I know these are big numbers, but it costs a large amount of money to build a road. They had $267m; they got an extra $188m of that from the Commonwealth; and they only spent $98m. They could not even spend more than half of the extra the Commonwealth gave them, despite their own money.
What that means is, they spent 37% of the roads budget in 2007-08 - a year, I might add, when the Mereenie Loop Road was part of the budget commitment by this government when they did not do anything. They did not do the Ernest Giles, they have not done the inner and outer loop, and they have not done the Sandover. Their commitment for Moving Alice Ahead when they said they were going to work to seal the Tanami Road, has not happened. The mine at the Granites even offered to pay half the money to seal the Tanami - could not do that. However, I see here you have a $169.7m underspend in the 2007-08 financial year; you had $114m underspend in the 2006-07 financial year; $98m underspend the year before; $52m underspend the year before; and $49m underspend the year before. What it is saying is you are getting worse; you are spending less on roads. No wonder you put the speed limit on the open roads because you cannot service the roads. You cannot have people driving at 150 km/h on a dodgy road. We know why you brought in the speed limits, because you are not investing in the roads. We know exactly why you have done it.
Let us get to Family and Community Services. We have heard of the abhorrent nature of child abuse in the Northern Territory, especially over the last two years. We have heard of the Little Children Are Sacred report. We know why Mal Brough had to intervene in the Northern Territory; why he had to stand up. We know, in 2007-08, the year the Little Children Are Sacred report was launched, the Commonwealth Grants Commission assessed the Northern Territory government needed $216m to address Family and Community Services. They even gave an extra $187.8m to support protecting children. What did the government do with this $216m? They spent $71m. They spent 33% of the budget they had available to them.
The intervention was launched in June 2007. This budget is from 1 July 2007 and 12 months after. They had a month to know the intervention had started before the financial year started. They were assessed as needing to spend $216m, got an extra $187m off the federal government, and they spent $71m - 33% of the budget.
Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I say to the government: what are they doing for the kids in Alice Springs? We all know we have Family and Community Services issues in Alice Springs; what are they doing for those kids? Where is their heart? This is about the children - $216m and you could not even protect the children. You spent $103m repaying debt in the Northern Territory government in the 2007-08 financial year, but you only spent $71m on children. You spent $103m on depreciation and $71m on children. You spent $358m on public service superannuation, but you only spent $71m on children, despite the intervention starting. You spent $79m on culture and recreation - aka the wave pool - but you only spent $71m on children.
The year before - these are big numbers - $94m on culture and recreation. The year before - because I am sure it gets better - $110m on culture and recreation; in 2004-05, $99m on culture and recreation; and in 2003-04 - $93m on culture and recreation. Each year, overspending more than the Community Services budget to protect children; spending money on culture and recreation. The wave pool in Darwin - nearly $500m in five years has gone to culture and recreation. You cannot invest in children. You cannot invest in land release. You cannot invest in housing. You cannot invest in homelessness. For homelessness, with $66m assessed in 2007-08, you spent $17m. We have the worse housing crisis, and you spent 26% of the budget on homelessness. You should hang your heads in shame!
I stand in parliament often talking about getting rural children to school. We had $14.7m, as assessed by the Commonwealth Grants Commission, to get children to school. What did you spend? What did this lousy government spend? $1m. You spent 7% of the budget to transport rural children to school. Going by the Northern Territory government’s figures, you spent $57m on urban transport for Darwin. You spent $1m attempting to get children to school in the bush. Where are your priorities? How does it work? What are the inner thoughts of Cabinet?
I wonder how things will improve, because this graph I hold in my hand shows a litany of problems. You have underspent on everything. The only things you have overspent on are gas and electricity, but the member for Daly still cannot keep the lights on. You have overspent on depreciation, debt by 750%, urban transport 246% overspent, superannuation, $358m; culture and recreation, $500m. We do not have a wave pool or a waterfront here. We cannot utilise those facilities.
We would like to see Anzac Oval upgraded. We would like to see ANZAC Hill High School service the students it is supposed to service, and look after the parents. We would like to see the Mereenie Loop sealed. We would like to see commitments made to Alice Springs Hospital undertaken. We would like to see police put on the street and protect us. We would like to see drunks rehabilitated rather than put through the police station every night - 13 000 people through the police station at night for being drunk. What do you do? Put them back on the streets the next day and give them all grog. Imagine what would happen if you tried to rehabilitate those drunks? We could extend our hours for access to alcohol so people could have a choice about when to buy a drink, not keep turning them out of the police station at 7 am in the morning to buy more grog. Most of these people wake up in the morning to buy grog. This is your one-legged policy; the one-legged Phar Lap policy.
How much money have you put into infrastructure in improving the sewer service in Alice Springs? Not a dime! We cannot build more than 100 houses on the north side of town because the sewer through The Gap will not handle the capacity. Are you going to fix it? No. ‘We do not have $20m to spare; we have to put $15m a year into the waterfront’.
I know I am drawing to the conclusion of my time. I support the member for Greatorex in bringing this forward. I reiterate the performance of this government in land release, in sewer infrastructure, in town camps, supporting our housing crisis, family and community services, homelessness, is absolutely appalling.
The member for Daly has had $672m to build houses for Aboriginal people out bush. Has not done it; everyone comes to town, and we are already full. No land, no houses. However, I would like to leave people on a more pleasant note.
Unfortunately, earlier today, I painted a terrible picture in people’s minds. I spoke about the waterfront. I spoke about the Chief Minister in budgie smugglers, and I am completely ashamed I have done that, and I apologise. Everyone who was in the Chamber at the time had this terrible visual image of the Chief Minister in budgie smugglers standing at the waterfront. Madam Deputy Speaker, I am going to make it worse. As a gift to this parliament I have designed a postcard of the Chief Minister at the waterfront in his budgie smugglers, and a picture of the member for Daly in a nice yellow and white polka-dotted two-piece. People can take that away and they can understand where the money is going. This is where the money from Alice Springs is going, because this lazy, lacklustre, tired, arrogant government has completely forgotten about Alice Springs ...
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, your time has expired.
Mr HAMPTON (Central Australia): Madam Deputy Speaker, the member for Braitling should stick to his day job.
I am very pleased, and I actually thank the member for Greatorex for bringing on the censure motion because it is a very important one for Alice Springs and Central Australia. I am very honoured to speak, not only as the Minister for Central Australia, but as a local person who was born and bred here.
The member for Greatorex’s contribution to his own motion was quite disappointing. He did not articulate his motion very well. He has some work to do as well. Maybe he should be looking at becoming a designer on the computer, not like the member for Braitling.
Regarding this government’s commitment, I have been in Cabinet for 12 months and in parliament for three years. There is no doubt this government has a very committed approach to Central Australia. We have heard from the Chief Minister, in his contribution about police, our grog policy, the Alice Springs Alcohol Management Plan and infrastructure. I would like to go over those issues.
The Treasurer, the member for Karama, does a lot of hard work on infrastructure in Central Australia. This year’s financial budget is a case in point. This financial year, there has been an unprecedented $1.3bn across the Northern Territory in our infrastructure budget. It is all about protecting jobs, but it is all about spreading that money across the Northern Territory. I am proud to say Central Australia has not missed out. Central Australia has been allocated $293m under budget 2009-10. This is 21% of the infrastructure budget – 21%, so there goes your argument ...
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! It goes to repetition. I have just heard the speech from the Chief Minister almost word for word.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Please resume your seat. Order! Minister, you have the call.
Mr HAMPTON: Good news is really hard to take on the other side with regard to Central Australia, but I will go over it again: Central Australia has been allocated $293m under budget 2009-10. This is 21% of the infrastructure budget and is a record investment. That is $110m more than last year’s record. There is $72m in works already under way in the first four months of this financial year. This government is a government which does things; it is action.
Investments into the building and the tourism industries in Alice Springs have been welcomed. The Chief Minister today talked about some of the impressive tourist numbers in Central Australia. That goes back to the confidence shown in this government.
Education is another point. We are delivering infrastructure in our schools. In the last week, I have been around to quite a few schools in Alice Springs, including Gillen Primary School, where the work is under way with the Building Education Revolution dollars. They are very happy at the school with this new infrastructure going in. I also went to the School of the Air, to Braitling Primary School and to Acacia Hill School. The school program includes the Australian government’s stimulus spending of $35m across Central Australia, to upgrade every primary school and deliver major upgrades to classrooms and school halls.
The first item in the censure motion, failing to provide essential services argument, does not wear. You just need to look at the infrastructure spending by this government, along with our colleagues in Canberra, to demonstrate we are committed and we are spending in Central Australia. In my electorate, you need to look at Yuendumu School, the Lajamanu School and secondary education. The mob on this side did not deliver one secondary high school in the bush during their 26 years. They should be ashamed of themselves. They should bury their heads in the sand. They did not deliver one secondary education facility in the bush.
The Chief Minister was in my ex-electorate, at the community of Arlparra at Utopia, a couple of months ago opening a new middle school; something the CLP never ever did. As the previous member, when I travelled out there and went around to the homeland learning centres it was a disgrace - an absolute disgrace - what the CLP delivered there in education. This government has delivered a new middle school.
Education is something this government has done very well. The BER is something the opposition did not support. I am sure the people in the gallery will be interested to hear that: the CLP did not support the stimulus package from the federal government. Yet, they are quite happy to go out to schools in their electorates where all these new classrooms are being built. I am sure, once they are completed, they will be there shaking hands and saying how good it looks. It is a shame.
In delivering health infrastructure, $60m out of our record $293m is going into Alice Springs and Central Australia. The Alice Springs Hospital receives $59m, including the upgrade of the emergency department, and the secure care facility and the remediation works - $60m.
In my electorate, I had the pleasure of going to Kalkarindji, where we are in partnership with the Commonwealth government to open a new clinic. That is something the CLP never ever thought about. They were quite happy to push them aside or sweep it under the carpet, because it was all too hard. A new clinic in my electorate, in the community of Kalkarindji, was much needed and delivered by this government.
In road projects and jobs, there is $50m out of that record budget of $293m. The member for Braitling talked about the Mereenie Loop Road, but there are other roads as well. Look at the Tanami which is being sealed. I was out there a couple of months ago. The graders are out there; I have seen it for myself. I travel around in my electorate, and the Tanami Highway is being sealed as we speak. On the Sandover Highway, we have done work within the lease of the land trust, between the store and the airstrip; sealing has taken place. Regarding the Maryvale Road, and the Pine Hill Access Road to support horticulture and jobs in the bush - $4m out of the last budget is going into the Pine Hill Access Road to support horticulture and jobs in the Ti Tree Region. The Santa Teresa Road and the Kintore Road are other roads to mention. Under the record $293m infrastructure budget of this government, $50m is being delivered in roads.
Regarding my portfolios, I am very proud to have had held this year - right here in the convention centre - the Indigenous Economic Development Forum. Regarding my department, this government has made a big commitment to the regions by relocating the majority of my staff in the Department of Regional Development in the regions where it matters; where decisions are made by the people on the ground. I am very pleased to acknowledge some of my workers in the department: Fran Kilgariff, another born and bred local in Alice Springs, who is the Executive Director of my Department of Regional Development based in Alice Springs. That is a commitment this government made during the election; to get regional development in the regions where it matters. Also Richard Galton, the CE, is also based in Alice Springs.
The four Economic Development Committees in Central Australia are all local people who live in the regions making decisions and advising me on the issues which concern them. The four Economic Development Committees include the Alice Springs Economic Development Committee, headed up by Mr Neil Ross, the West MacDonnell Economic Development Committee, headed up by Mr Ken Lechleitner a great Central Australian; and the Anmatjere and Tennant Creek Economic Development Committees - all working hard and delivering things for people in the regions where it matters.
In the projects some of them have identified, they have undertaken economic profiles of the regions. The economic profile of Alice Springs is one, as an example. They are also working on a plan for growth for Ti Tree, a community in my electorate as well. Also, the Tanami partnership agreement; talking about jobs and delivering for people in the Tanami.
This government has a plan; the opposition has no plans. For them, it is quite easy to come up here and be a ‘gunna be’ government. The 20 growth towns in our plans, which my colleague, the Minister for Indigenous Policy has carriage of, are well under way. We are creating real towns in our remote communities. It is about creating real towns and real jobs. It is no easy challenge, and we do not have all the answers, but we are going to give it a go.
Recently, the Indigenous Economic Development Strategy was released and identifies how we can capitalise on some of the business opportunities which already exist in the Territory’s Indigenous communities. This work will be a focus of my Department of Regional Development in the future. As I said, it presents many opportunities for Alice Springs as a supply centre and as the major population base in the area.
The Chief Minister also touched on the Youth Action Plan, and that is something close to my heart as well. I would like to quote - as we all have on our desks - from the Ross Park Primary School, which won first prize in the parliamentary sittings art award: ‘The time is always right to do what is right’. There is more truth to that particular quote than ever before.
Another case in point is the Youth Action Plan. The Youth Action Plan is about making our communities safe, but it is also about supporting families and children. There are quite a number of elements to the Youth Action Plan. The Chief Minister, in his contribution, talked about the Alice Springs middle schools, the new Centralian Middle School. The Chief Minister and I were out there only this week to announce a new tender of $3.3m for the much-needed upgrade of facilities at the Alice Springs High School complex. Regarding ANZAC Hill High School, we heard the member for Braitling again saying we are closing schools down. That is simply not true. The Alice Springs Centralian Middle School is about providing our kids with the best education. It is about providing them with choices. This is what the Centralian Middle School will do next year.
Regarding closing schools down, we only have to look at the form of the CLP, and go back to 1991 with Traeger Park Primary School - a school I went to as a youngster living at The Gap. Despite 6500 signatures on a petition, the then minister, Shane Stone, continued to go ahead and close Traeger Park Primary School. That was a real shame. What we are doing is building the Centralian Middle School to give our families and kids better choices and a better education.
As the Chief Minister also stated, we have opened the Police Beat, something the opposition would close down if they were in government. The Alice Springs Police Beat in the mall has been a big success. There is a resounding success regarding businesses, the crime which happens in the Todd Mall, the CCTV cameras, in addition to the Police Beat. It is having a real effect in reducing crime in the mall, and is supporting our traders.
Regarding the Youth Action Plan, there is the youth hub. Very shortly, we will be announcing the successful tenderer for the demolition of the old building at ANZAC Hill. What will replace that will be much better than has been there in the past. We have appointed Superintendent Michael White as the Youth Services Coordinator, and the hub is where they are going to be based and coordinate services for the youth of Alice Springs. In other interests in the youth hub, I have had talks with the Richmond Football Club, and they are very keen to get on board. That is great news for the youth of Alice Springs. Mission Australia has expressed their interest, and that is what the youth hub is all about. It is about coordinating the youth services in Alice Springs to provide a better service for our young people.
The Youth Action Plan is also about providing better youth activities. Michael White, who is doing a fantastic job, as I said, is coordinating youth service providers - non-government and government - in preparation for the Christmas holiday break, and ensuring there are plenty of activities for young people to do in Alice Springs, but also including those kids from remote communities. This government is prepared to go outside the square to do things differently, to try different things. There is no better example than the ice skating rink right here in the convention centre. I am sure many of my colleagues will get down for Christmas and try out the ice skating to get away from the humidity in Darwin.
The ice skating rink has raised much attention. One of the things I wanted to do was make sure youth in the bush would also have access to it. It is very good to see the General Manager of the convention centre, Mr Scott Boocock, is talking to the shires to ensure kids in the bush also have access to this great facility when it is up and running.
Over $15m has been committed by this Labor government over the next four to five years to the youth of Alice Springs, to support the Youth Action Plan, the Centralian Middle School, and to provide our kids with a better future.
In my portfolio as Minister for Central Australia, I am sure my colleagues on this side of the House know how passionate I am about Central Australia. It is my home, where my family grew up. It is where my children are growing up, and it will always be my home. I have every confidence in my colleagues. I know they are committed to Central Australia. We can talk about figures. I know the member for Braitling loves tossing figures around.
I can toss figures around as I have tonight: over $15m in the Youth Action Plan, and a record budget in infrastructure for Central Australia. I know my Chief Minister, and this side of the House, is committed to Central Australia.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I certainly do not support this motion.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the motion be put.
Motion agreed to.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question now is that the motion be agreed to.
The Assembly divided:
Ayes 12 Noes 12
Ms Anderson Mrs Aagaard
Mr Bohlin Dr Burns
Ms Carney Mr Gunner
Mr Chandler Mr Hampton
Mr Conlan Mr Henderson
Mr Elferink Mr Knight
Mr Giles Ms Lawrie
Mr Mills Mr McCarthy
Ms Purick Ms McCarthy
Mr Styles Ms Scrymgour
Mr Tollner Mr Vatskalis
Mr Westra van Holthe Ms Walker
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, there being 12 ayes and 12 noes, pursuant to section 27(1) of the Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act, as there is not a majority of votes, the question is resolved in the negative.
Motion negatived.
ADJOURNMENT
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr HENDERSON (Wanguri): Madam Deputy Speaker, I was asked by the member for Macdonnell if her picture, and the member for Arafura’s picture, had been removed from the Northern Territory government newsroom site on purpose or on instruction from the government. The answer is no.
Upon receiving a question from the ABC regarding this matter, my office contacted the Department of the Chief Minister. My office was told a junior officer of the department had taken it upon himself to remove the photographs. My office instructed the images be restored. If that has caused offence to the member, it is unfortunate, but it was not intentional.
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Goyder, you have the call.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Deputy Speaker, I will talk about a family who has …
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order! Member for Greatorex, given you have just returned to the Chamber after an hour’s absence, I ask you to please cease interjecting.
Ms PURICK: … a history in the town of Alice Springs spanning nearly 50 years and includes four generations. This is four generations of commitment: dedication to the economic growth of the town, commitment and dedication to the community spirit of the town, and to the history and future prosperity of the town.
It is my pleasure to talk briefly on the Aspinall and Anderson families. There is so much could be told; however, with my limited time, I will do my best to capture the essence of these wonderful families.
Robert and Phyllis Aspinall came to Alice Springs in 1960 from South Australia when the town had a mere 2000 residents. With a population of 2000 people, it would have been a country town and, no doubt, it had the country town lifestyle to go with it. Upon arriving in the town, Robert and Phyllis soon set to work and set up an engineering business, where they employed four people, as well as training many apprentices over the years.
One of their apprentices took out Apprentice of the Year for the Northern Territory and went on to bigger and better things, which shows the decent training and skills improvement given by Robert Aspinall and his team paid off. The reputation of the Aspinall engineering business grew quickly and they were called upon frequently to assist other business people with tricky engineering and mechanical issues. Given the size of the town, at that stage, there were not many other like-minded businesses around.
Robert’s love of all things mechanical engineering took him into the speedway world, where he was instrumental in establishing the Arunga Park Speedway, where he raced saloon cars for nearly 10 years. Over the years, Robert served on the committee on many occasions and, for his tireless work and commitment, was made a life member in the 1970s. This speedway involvement passed to his grandchildren, with the boys being involved in speedway racing Formula 500, and speedway cars.
Their grandson, Steven Anderson, has also been the president of the speedway, and has been a committee member for many years. His father, Ron, also raced cars and was successful in taking out the special Copper 2000 race in Mount Isa.
Sadly, Robert Aspinall passed away in 1984, well before his time. However, on a bright and happy note, I am pleased to say Phyllis Aspinall still reigns over the family, at the grand old age of 93 years. I met with Phyllis again yesterday and she is a treasure. I sincerely hope her longevity genes have been passed through to all her family members.
One of these family members is Jacki Anderson, who has been a dear and close friend of mine for some 25 years, and is a tremendous mother, businesswoman, and friend. I acknowledge her in the gallery tonight.
George Anderson and his family came to Alice Springs in 1947, when the population was much less than when the Aspinalls arrived in 1960. George was involved in the electrical industry and was one of the key people who worked on upgrading the Alice Springs Power Station as the town increased in population.
One of George’s sons is named Ron or, as he is often called, Ronnie. In 1968, Ron and Jacki married and, three years later, started the Gillen Meat Supply which they operated for nearly 18 years. The business is now called Milner Meats. During this time operating the butcher shop, Ron became involved as a working director of the Wamboden Abattoirs, which are located on the Bond Springs Station. As well as running the butchering business, Ron worked for 17 years as a working director with Wamboden. The shop employed many staff, trained apprentices and, at the abattoir, employed 30 people at any point in time. It was during this time that Ron, his business and his family, criss-crossed Central Australia, delivering bulk meat orders to Aboriginal communities and stores, and provided many Christmas hampers, sometimes travelling over 800 km for one hamper for a family.
At a time when camel meat was gaining interest, Ron and his family set up the first camel station, interestingly called One Hump Downs, to supply camel meat to Australian and overseas markets. It was through this work that Ron became very knowledgeable in camel husbandry, harvesting and export.
Ron and his family should be recognised for this pioneering work, and the history should not be lost, particularly nowadays, when wild camels are presenting so many environmental issues across Central Australia. Ron was involved, and continues to be involved, in the Camel Industry Association Inc.
While Ron was the face of the butchering business and the abattoirs, Jacki was just as involved in the business, and managed the behind-the-scenes business matters. Along the way, Jacki also got involved in community work, including raising funds through what was then called the Mrs Australia Quest. Jacki was also involved with Toast Mistresses, and encouraged others to improve their skills in public speaking and presentation. Not one to stay still, Jacki started the first fashion accessory shop in the town, and ran it successfully for many years.
In between their busy schedules, Ronnie and Jacki produced four children. I am pleased to have known these people since they were little primary schoolchildren. Steven, Gail, Scott and Phil all live in the town and are continuing the family tradition of dedication and commitment to the community. They have all carved out their place in the town, obtained diverse qualifications and trades, and become involved in all manner of activities including speedway, BMX, Finke Desert Race, the annual show and cattle sales - even television shows. Members may recall the popular TV series Outback Adventures which was hosted by Troy Dann and featured Steven Anderson in every show, as they are the best of friends. I admit I enjoyed the series very much, and was disappointed when they did not continue into a second series.
Steven undertook management work in the concrete industry and, at the very young age of 21 years, managed the cattle station. Gail has done vet nurse training and work; Phil obtained his sign writing ticket; and Scott obtained his plumbing and gas fitting qualifications. It has been a delight to see the family grow and expand and stay in Alice Springs. They are a close family, which is a rare thing, at times, in our community.
Steven’s partner is Kylie, and their children are Jasmine and Reece. Gail and Owen’s children are Jake and Georgia, and they currently live at Kulgera, where Owen is the OIC of the police station. Phil and his partner, Brigete, have one child, Chloe Rose. Scott and his partner Jacki announced the arrival of their first child, Thomas, two weeks ago.
In 1999, Scott and Jacki established SDA Plumbing, and I know when this business started, Scott had his four-wheel-drive vehicle, his plumbing tools, a $2000 loan, and a big load of determination and drive. Today, this business employs 20 people, including four apprentices, and has the involvement of family members. The business has gained government contracts, has a thriving domestic side, and provides great service to bush locations, where it is often hard to get good help and service. It was only two years ago that SDA put in the water mains to the ablution blocks at the Finke, so now all the riders competing in this famous race can have a hot and cold shower at the end of a big day.
Madam Deputy Speaker, the Aspinalls and Andersons are remarkable families and have made the centre of Australia their home, as this is where their hearts are well and truly placed. I commend and compliment the families on the continuous commitment, drive, and support for the many community and business activities they have been involved with over the years and will continue to do so in the future. To Phyllis Aspinall, an inspirational woman, I wish her much happiness in the future and happiness to her wonderful family.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, I listened carefully to certain debates earlier today, and one of the things which concerns me about the way the government portrays the history of the Northern Territory is it has a tendency and a delight to rewrite history with complete untruths.
Actually, no, I have a confession to make. When the Country Liberals lost office, after 28 years of power, it gave the new Labor government of the Northern Territory a total wasteland. Come to think of it, the World War II, that was us too – we were responsible for that. The World War I, yes, that was us. The American Civil War, in fact, all the way back to the Battle of Salamis, I am sure you could find Country Liberal members dotted throughout history, wrecking the track of human history, and laying waste anything which was decent and civilised in all that time. I am quite sure if Darius had not been a Country Liberals member, he probably would have defeated Alexander the Great at the Battle of - I was about to say Salamis, but it is the wrong battle.
This is the rewriting of history, which I am getting so cranky about. When this government came to power, you would swear from the things they said and the words they uttered, they inherited nothing – a wasteland; a complete waste, a vacuum, a void even, and they had single-handedly, with the sweat of their brow, created the Northern Territory by themselves.
They always talk about the houses which do not exist in the bush, when they were the inheritors of several thousand houses. In fact, they were the inheritors of houses throughout the bush and in our urban communities in much larger numbers than today. All those police stations which were around in 2001 were built two seconds after the August election in 2001, when the Labor Party came to power, because there were no police stations, health clinics, or roads in the bush - nothing, it was just a void. The CLP had done nothing for 28 years. That is what these people would have the people of the Northern Territory believe.
Then along came St Clare, who walked amongst the children and said: ‘Suffer unto me little children, I shall create for you a beautiful new utopia and you shall all be saved’. Nothing like that actually happened. What concerns me about this approach is, whilst they rewrite history, they very carefully and assiduously avoid, if you like, the issues they face themselves. They cannot, for all of their attempts to fudge, spread rumours, and rewrite history, take away from the problems they have themselves. Currently, there is not a minister on that side of the House who does not carry the growing baggage of a tired and decrepit government.
The member for Johnston, the Minister for Business, at the moment, former Minister for Health and minister for other stuff, moves around a little - I have seen chess pieces move less. He has recently been all over the newspapers about how much he hates the Treasurer. The Treasurer has presided over huge amounts of incomes, vast reserves of income, and most Territorians would be astonished to discover the Northern Territory budget today is more than twice it was when they came to power in 2001. If you include the total government sector, they receive about $4.5bn to spend. They continue to suggest they are spending big and getting great results when, the fact is, they do not. They certainly spend big, but they do not give great results.
For example, ‘We are spending $30m on the power station in Alice Springs’. That is true, but the reason you are moving the power station is because the Titan and the Triton generators are too damn noisy, and the only thing you can do is move the power station in answer to the problem. Whose decision was it to purchase those two items? It was the Minister for Essential Services, the guy who presides over, if you like, the continuing power cuts which plague Darwin, and the decay of an infrastructure system which he is incapable of stemming ...
Mr Knight interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: I hear him interject but, quite frankly, what right does he have to interject? Let us look at his shadow portfolios. The portfolio of Public Employment: my God, all those public servants are not going to get a pay rise which even keeps up with CPI. Let us look at Essential Services. He has done a great job in Essential Services - wonderful job. Let us look at Local Government, where he was apologising to the people of the Northern Territory the other day because of the consummate stuff-up which his administration has been. What is his last portfolio? That is right - Housing. He is the Minister for Housing; this is the person who gave us SIHIP. He was so good, so effective as a minister, Madam Deputy Speaker …
Members interjecting.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: … there was a second intervention in the Northern Territory, into his administration of SIHIP which, two years after it was announced, still had not, and still has not, built a single house, despite a budget of around $700m to make it happen.
My goodness gracious, but the wasteland they replaced was this disaster area, and they had come to save us! They are our friends, and as the people of the Northern Territory, we can enjoy their friendship. With friends like them, who needs enemies?
The minister for Family and Community Services is presiding over a department in decay. The Minister for Health is presiding over a Health department which, despite being a huge sinkhole for expenditure, has seen several ministers pass through.
The minister for Transport is struggling with his portfolio areas and with the gaol. As the minister for Corrections, the moving of the gaol is proving itself to be an extremely difficult process.
I just listened to the Minister for Central Australia read from exactly the same notes the Chief Minister used in his defence of this government.
All this is in an atmosphere where they hate and undermine each other, where ministers jump ship and then more ministers jump ship: Elliot McAdam jumped ship; the member for Arafura jumped ship, the member for Macdonnell has jumped ship. The only reason the member for Arafura went back was because she hates them slightly less than she hates members on this side of the House. That is the sort of shemozzle governing the Northern Territory.
At the tail-end of all this, the government of the Northern Territory attempted a rewrite of history today, like in the novel 1984. I remind honourable members of the department of truth in 1984 which had the sole function of rewriting history. In this government, the department of truth has to rewrite history. What did they do, in a most seriously and embarrassingly churlish way? They expunge the faces of their critics from the public record. If a minister asks: ‘Why are you rewriting history? Why are you expunging faces from the Territory’s history books? Why are you rewriting history again, even about us?’ The answer is: ‘Someone in the typing pool did it’. No, it is not credible or believable. It is beyond the scope of credibility that some junior little AO2 public servant tucked away in the department - probably the tea lady - suddenly took it upon themselves to say: ‘I am going to expunge all these faces off the public record because they were critical of the Northern Territory government’.
This government has a predisposition and a desire to paint itself in the most positive way it possibly can. It commits $9m per year on its fanciful propaganda machine - Joseph Goebbels would be proud. To come in and suggest, ‘It is nothing to do with us, it was the chick in the typing pool who did it’, is an insult to the people of the Northern Territory.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Madam Deputy Speaker, the member for Port Darwin was so competent, they refused to make him a Cabinet minister of any sort, or give him any sort of authoritative position. When he was with the CLP last time around he was completely ignored and left alone.
I will move on to my electorate and to some informative aspects of what is happening in the Territory.
I acknowledge the Taminmin High School Year 12 Class of 2009. I was very pleased to be invited to attend the Taminmin High School Year 12 Graduation Ceremony last Tuesday evening. I was proud of all the students graduating and was honoured to present the Caltex Best All Rounder Award, Certificate and Medal, to Luke Richardson, and the Cane Plant Hire Work Ready Student of the Year, Certificate and cheque for $150, to Stevie-Rose Stoll.
Next Tuesday, I will present to students from Taminmin, at the Senior School Awards evening and, on Thursday, for the Middle School at the Charles Darwin University. I congratulate all those students around my electorate who are graduating to the next step of their education, whether they are moving on to their next school, university, or into the workforce.
I seek leave to incorporate the names of the Year 12 Taminmin High School students graduating into the Parliamentary Record.
Leave granted.
Rebecca Ascoli Cathrine Mayo
Jordan Bishell Michael McCrory
Jesse Bliss Anthony McDevitt
Caitlin Boulter Ben McHugh
Belinda Brooker Erin McIntosh
Danielle Brown Kallum McLennan
Jesse Brown Ella Melhuish
Jessica Cannons Lachlan Miller
Joel Cavanough Ashlee Modra
Nateesha Collins Jono Murphy
Demus Collins-Sing Robert Nguyen
Aaron Cotton Royce Nott
Kirsty Cunningham Jack O’Shaughnessy
Jaxon De Santis Jamie Packham
Declan Edwards Chloe Pelizzo
Colin Ellsworth Leah Renshaw
Jessica Fallas Luke Richardson
Carson Fisk Jess Roach
Courtney Flynn Thomas Robinson
Steven Fox Koby Scarff
Lucy Fry Michael Schuster
Rachel Gerdes Sarah Soppings
Gene Gomez Sean Shanahan
Kurt Griffiths Haley Sharp
Ryan Hampel Tom Sherley
Kate Harris Ashlee Smith
Daniel Henwood Brody Smith
Glenn Higgins Rhian Spencer
Mike Holden Jimmy Stewart
Linda Hopkinson Richard Stoddard
Melissa Husband Stevie-Rose Stoll
Janis Keating-Lowe Jessica Sunk
Alanah Kelly Rachael Timson
Sarah Kirk Tara-Lee Walsh
Andrew Lague Jack Wickham
Kaelin Laurie Jessica Wilkins
Derrick Lim Alix Willian
Terry Lim Naomi Woods
Robert Lyness Ellee Yorston
Ricky Mahan
Mr KNIGHT: I also table the program. It is great to see all those students. They are great kids at Taminmin, and they have done their parents, families and carers proud. It is a great school which is growing every year. I look forward to the evolution of the school into something beyond what it is at the moment. Congratulations to Tony Considine and his staff for all the work they do.
In my adjournment, during the last sittings, I announced that Lisa Wain, CEO of the Coomalie Shire Council, was retiring. I have met with Lisa’s replacement, Mr John Hughes, who has recently moved to Batchelor from positions in Queensland. I welcome John and his family to the council. As the local member, I look forward to working very hard with John. I know John has big shoes to fill in Lisa’s role, but he has. At the functions where I have met him recently, and at Lisa’s going away, the community is embracing him. We have some big challenges ahead with the council, and I look forward to working with him and the council on those challenges. Welcome, John, we have much work to do.
Last, I thank the Legislative Assembly staff for all their hard work throughout the year. To the Clerk, Ian McNeill, for all his work; the Deputy Clerk, Captain Horton; and all the Chamber staff, Annette, Stokesy, Gaddy, and many more staff I probably missed. The hard-working ladies in Hansard do a great job of deciphering all the speeches. We get to hear some of them but they get to hear all of them, sadly, and there are probably many things they hear they probably do not want to. Thanks very much for a great year.
I thank my Electorate Officer, Sharon McAlear who has done a great job. It is always difficult in the electorate office; she is pretty isolated. I am away much of the time with ministerial responsibilities, and she keeps the electorate office going, fielding many questions and solving many problems. I thank Sharon and her family for supporting her in the role.
I also thank my ministerial staff: Brett Brogan, Katie Woolf, Jacki Whittaker, Michelle Walker, Therla Fowlestone, and Leigh Jenner for all their hard work this year. It has been a particularly tough year, with many challenges, and we have come together as a really strong team. There are many things which are thrown up on almost a minute or an hourly basis, and they have responded quickly and efficiently to all those challenges which come forward. We know 2010 is going to be a successful year. There is much happening, much being achieved and delivered, and we look forward to the results.
I also thank all the stakeholder groups I have been working with this year in the Housing portfolio, and the non-government organisations – I will not go through them all - which are all incorporated under the NT Shelter. It has been great working in a close relationship with them in solving the social housing problems in the Northern Territory.
I also thank the staff of Power and Water. They have endured much ridicule from the CLP opposition over the last 12 months. They denigrate the staff on almost a daily basis in the parliament, particularly the member for Fong Lim. I thank them for all their hard work. It is a tough job on the lines, in the substations, in the switching yards, but they do a great job, and I thank them for all their hard work.
I thank the staff of the Department of Local Government and Housing, another very tough job. We have put many challenges up to the department to do more than they have ever done before, and I thank them for their contribution.
To the Office of the Commissioner of Public Employment and its staff, next year is going to be a challenging year, with about 10 EBAs coming up. I thank them for all the work they do.
Last, I thank my kids for putting up with me not being there. To Cody and Lily, I love you very much and I miss the time when I am not with you.
Thanks very much to everyone in the Chamber. To my colleagues, it has been a very rough year but, as I say, next year with, I guess, some colleagues and some political Taliban, we are a tight team, the tightest team I have seen in my time in the parliament. We have many capabilities in our team, more than the CLP opposition. I look forward to next year. We are the best group of people to lead the Territory. Whatever issues we have, we are the better, more capable and more caring group of people to lead the Northern Territory. I look forward to working with you next year.
Mr STYLES (Sanderson): Madam Deputy Speaker, it is very interesting. I listened to my colleague, the member for Port Darwin, speak about the government trying to rewrite history. I just heard the member for Daly speak about what a wonderful job it is doing and how they are the best people to run the Northern Territory.
I am standing here, and I would like the member for Daly to make a phone call right now and find out why the power in my electorate is off, at this very moment, having just received a couple of text messages saying, ‘Pete, we are in darkness here, the power is off again’ - on and on and on. These are people who own businesses with freezers which are going off; there are all sorts of damage. We have people in my electorate who come into my office and say: ‘What happened to the $80 rebate, Pete? I do not have it yet. I put in for it six months ago and still do not have the $80 rebate’.
It is a disgrace for the member for Daly to stand and say: ‘We are the people who care about the Territory. We are the best people to govern the Territory’. That may be your opinion, member for Daly, but I can assure you, on our side we absolutely disagree with him. It would be really good if you would make that phone call, member for Daly, and get back to me tonight, because I have some constituents who would really like an answer.
We talk about thanking the Power and Water Corporation staff. I thank those people as well. The member for Daly insinuates we do not care about anyone, and nothing ever happened in the 27 years. There are a couple of glossy brochures out, which outlined some of the achievements. In fact, there are whole pages of achievements and, if the member for Daly would like it, I can arrange to send him a couple of copies, so he can have a look at the great stuff the Country Liberals did for this great Territory which we now enjoy and which they inherited from us.
They say all sorts of wonderful things how they have spent more money. Every time you hear them talking, they are saying ‘We spent more money on this and more money on that’. When you get an extra $1.3bn you never budgeted for, then you can probably afford to spend a few extra bucks here and there. It is just a fact of life: if you get a pay rise you can afford to spend more money on your family, a car, food, or entertainment; it is just the reality of getting more money. But, no, we hear the government members, who stand up and grandstand and say: ‘We spent more than the CLP’. When you get more money you can spend more, so it is a no-brainer.
To all those hard-working public servants who, perhaps, the government thinks we do not care about, I assure the government we actually do care. I dispute the statement by the member for Daly when he said they care more. We could have a competition to see who cares the most. I know who would win.
We listened to the government trying to rewrite history. Let us talk about housing. In my electorate people are still living in tents, and it is now the build-up; they are not very happy. There is no emergency accommodation. The member for Daly said, ‘We are the people who care the most’, yet, he is the one currently responsible and answerable for the 2000-plus homes this government has sold since they came into government in 2001. The member for Daly will stand up at some stage and say, ‘Oh yes, but you sold 700 homes’, or some figure like that but, in actual fact, when you look at the figures – and these are figures put out by a government department which anyone has access to - you only have to do the mathematics and you will find it is in excess of 2000 homes which they have sold off. Then we wonder why there is no emergency accommodation for people.
I heard the member for Arnhem say, hand on heart: ‘We have done great things for all these people. It is White Ribbon Day’. Yet, I hear, time and time again, these refuges are underfunded; they are turning people away. I have not seen the current annual report for the women’s refuge in the northern suburbs, but I know, in the previous financial year, they turned away, I believe, 352 families, which involved 608 people. They were women and children who were turned away from the women’s refuge because, ‘Sorry, we do not have the capacity to help you’.
We do not have emergency accommodation. When we start reading reports, we find out it is because they have sold off all these premises around the place, Territory Housing dwellings, which were there and are no longer. We are not building anywhere near enough to try to keep up with the demand.
I was on the phone today to a young mother who is desperate to get an emergency home. They said, nine months, and then they suggested to her – this is a constituent of mine – ‘Why do you not leave home and live in the YMCA or the Salvation Army, then we can put you on the emergency housing list, and we can probably get you a house in between six to nine months?’ So, she has to move out of a place - granted, at least she has a roof over her head and she is not living in a tent or a car at Nightcliff Beach; she is more fortunate than those. Yet, this is the advice the government gives people through its departments. Why? Because they have sold off many homes and they are not investing in new homes. It is increasingly difficult for young people and young families to buy homes; they cannot even afford to rent. As a result, we are losing people. Constituents from my electorate are losing their children because they cannot afford a home. Four I know of moved to Adelaide.
We are losing nurses, doctors, motor mechanics, a psychologist and a number of other professionals. These are not low-income people, these are middle-income people, who have reasonably good jobs and should be able to afford to buy a house in the Northern Territory. But, the government fails to release sufficient land, artificially inflates the price of everything, and prices people out of the market. I heard the Chief Minister say: ‘We are trying to recruit police auxiliaries in Alice Springs to man the phone system so it is not moved to Darwin’ and ‘We cannot recruit anyone’. The reason you cannot recruit anyone, in my understanding, is because there is a 0.03% vacancy rate for houses for rent or purchase in Alice Springs; you cannot buy a house in Alice Springs. I understand they released land here, and it was snapped up in about three-and-a-half minutes. This indicates there is not enough property to purchase.
These are systemic policy failures of the government. I am astounded! I sit and listen to these ministers say, hand on heart: ‘We are doing a great job. We will do better than the Country Liberals’. The next election is going to be interesting because, I believe, from what the people are telling me, an overwhelming number of them have had enough. I have had enough. I sit there, day in day out, and listen to the tragic stories of people who have to leave town, and the families who have to be ripped apart because they cannot get reasonable housing.
The man who is going to be thrown out of his home, with his three children, has been on the housing list for nearly five years. He went in and was told it is another 12 months, when they said he could have a house about 18 months ago. I still have not received a letter from the Housing Minister in relation to what they are going to do about that. It goes on and on.
I listen to the minister for Police, the Chief Minister, talk about the faces of Aboriginal ladies, beaten to a pulp, and he about the rivers of alcohol he believes we are going to turn on. Perhaps the Chief Minister might like to talk to some of the police officers at the coalface who deal with these issues day in and day out. They have to find these people and deal with these things in the dark. The offenders, in these instances, use darkness to cover their crimes and their actions. The police have to find them. The police have to go out there at 5 pm, 6 pm and 7 pm, when they are trying to cover the enormous workload they have, to catch up with the good people, the taxpayers of this town, to get statements.
It is not about turning on the rivers of alcohol, members of the government, it is about shifting the time, so it is better for the resources the police have to apply to these horrendous problems. It is a real shame they cannot see the realities of their policies. The failures of some of these policies, and the instructions they give to the police, are absolutely horrific because they have unreal results. As a former police officer, I can attest to how hard they work, and the dedication they apply to their duties day in and day out, without any help from the government policy they have to endure.
I ask the government to look at these things and, before they put their hand on their heart and say what a fantastic job they are doing, get on and fix some of the issues which the everyday Territorian has to face, because some of them are horrific. They are causing a brain drain for the Northern Territory. For a whole host of reasons which I have run out of time to describe, these people have to face these issues on a daily basis because of the government’s failure to do the right thing by Territorians.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Madam Deputy Speaker, as a Central Australian, I am proud of the honesty and directness of ‘we’ locals but, unfortunately, that honesty does not extend to some of those opposite, particularly the member for Araluen. I want to correct the record about some misleading statements the member made here this week, regarding the concessions available to senior Territorians who have joined the Alice Solar City Initiative.
The following information was in a letter I provided to the member for Araluen recently. Residents of the Alice Solar City, who are members of the Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme, will receive a concession on the power they use if it exceeds the power they generate.
The letter stated:
- If a resident of the Alice Solar City uses less electricity than they generate, they will receive a credit from the Power and Water Corporation for the excess power. This credit can be used on a quarterly basis to offset water and sewerage costs, or can be refunded on a yearly basis.
If a resident of the Alice Solar City, who is also a member of the Northern Territory Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme, uses more power than they generate, then the power concession will be applied to the amount owing.
It is a shame the member for Araluen can do nothing more than show she is careless with the truth, in front of her fine constituents and talks down the Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme. Madam Deputy Speaker, I am proud to talk up the Northern Territory Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Madam Deputy Speaker, I have had a number of complaints about the process involved with water allocation by the Northern Territory government in the Mataranka and Katherine regions.
From the information I have received, I now share the same level of concern about how the Northern Territory government appears to use unnecessary and excessive power to impose water licence conditions, introduce policies, and discriminate against different levels of agricultural development, by using unreliable data and a plan which provides little environmental benefits.
It would appear my fears are being realised, as I am aware of a number of irrigators in the Katherine area who have now commenced legal action against the government. What a mess this has become and at what cost.
The following information indicates the water allocation plans will severely impact future agricultural development and food production in northern Australia.
The proposed introduction of security levels for groundwater entitlements within the agricultural sector is clearly discriminatory against farmers’ different farming practices, with no beneficial outcomes for the environment. Currently, Mataranka is in the early stages of development. Prior to Mataranka becoming part of a gazetted water control district in December 2008, only one water licence for 355 ML has been issued for the entire Mataranka region. The introduction of security levels for groundwater within the agricultural sector is unprecedented in Australia.
This is creating uncertainty for farmers and future agricultural development, particularly when Mataranka is only in the early stages of development. Security levels introduced in the Katherine water allocation plan in August 2009 have caused angst amongst farmers, resulting in landholders formally appealing their water licence allocation, which has already resulted in litigation against the government.
Special conditions being introduced will restrict a farmer to a certain crop type and irrigation method, as the licence stipulates the amount of water a farmer will use each year for the next 10 years. If an up-front volumetric water entitlement was issued at the commencement of the plan, which could be used for the entire irrigation development - reviewed at the five-year review, and then again at the 10-year review, in line with the water allocation plan in the Water Act - it would then allow the government to reduce water entitlements if development had not been undertaken. This would not allow the farmer the flexibility to respond to climatic, economic and market demands, with the ability to change crops and irrigation methods to ensure the ongoing sustainability, efficiency, and success of agricultural development. This will inhibit development, and will, perhaps, have an adverse effect on the environment, as farmers may be forced to use more water than they need in a given year to ensure they protect their future water allocation.
This is ridiculous and mirrors the usual budget process in many government departments, where they rush off before the end of the financial year and spend, spend, spend. Are we trying to create a water plan based on a public service budget process, where departments spend instead of saving money, because the system does not reward you for being efficient, a sound financial manager or, in this case, a sound water manager? It takes away or reduces a budget because you did not spend it all. Is this really the best we can do?
Currently, water licences can be cancelled when there is any subdivision involved. Accordingly, you may reapply for the water licence, but there is no guarantee it will be reissued, or whether there will be additional requirements. In effect, this is discouraging efficiency and diversification, as people will not be prepared to subdivide their agricultural land in fear they will lose their water entitlement. Full water entitlements should have the ability to be transferred, as long as no additional water is needed.
The methodology for calculating available water resources in the Mataranka area is not consistent with other areas in the Daly Roper Water Control District. By example, Katherine uses the Bureau of Meteorology figures from 1957 to 2006 in the hydrological model, which was commissioned by the Commonwealth. This determined the average recharge, and the water controller considered this as conservative. By comparison, the department is using figures for Mataranka all the way back to 1900, so we are using figures from 1900 to 2008. Prior to 1954, these are very unreliable figures. No rainfall figures exist before 1917, and there are only 17 years of Wet Season rainfall recordings prior to 1954. There were no gauging stations recording river flows for the Roper prior to 1960.
There is 50 years of reliable data from the 1950s until now, with hydrologists predicting no reduction in rainfall for the next 30 years. Why are we going back so far, using unreliable recording figures to allocate water? When reliable figures are available since the 1950s, why are they not being used? Unless, of course, you want to skew the truth, manipulate the figures to paint a different picture, or have an alternative motive.
My understanding is the Northern Territory government is making it a requirement you must sign your licence accepting conditions, prior to receiving your water allocation. I also understand conditions on a licence permit are enforceable by the act and regulations; therefore, the actual signing of the licence should not be a requirement at that stage. Why is the government introducing this as part of the process, because you cannot argue there are any environmental outcomes? Is it a legal requirement for farmers to physically have to sign their water licence, accepting the conditions, before they receive the licence, or is it a form of blackmail or departmental intimidation in order for farmers to receive their entitlement?
The first question is: is the process of water allocation in the Northern Territory open and transparent? Is the future development of northern Australia going to be severely impacted by these issues, with no improvement in environmental outcomes resulting from their introduction?
I call on the Northern Territory government to address these issues directly, and be cautious in using advisory committees which have no expertise in these fields. My understanding is the department liaises with the Mataranka Advisory Committee. My concern with this arrangement, however, is this committee makes its decisions based on the data and information supplied directly from the department. Of course, some of these decisions have been made based on this information - information which is, perhaps, biased and unreliable, given the period they are taking these rainfall figures from.
There are some serious issues related to policy, regulatory, and legal issues, which will have implications of national significance and development of northern Australia. It needs to be taken into strong consideration; it is the farmers in northern Australia who will be assisting the government in gaining its additional science, and contributing to Australia’s future food production. It is important at sustainable development is embraced and nurtured, to ensure ongoing development, without unnecessary barriers and disincentives.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I hope these issues can be resolved, as we all have the same goal: to have sustainable agricultural development while looking after our environment. However, we need to ensure there is a little faith given to our future farmers and, for heaven’s sake, we should not be discouraging them with unnecessary regulation based on science which has no improved environmental outcomes. In effect, if some of these issues are not addressed, including the current methodology, excessive regulations and specific conditions, not only will the Northern Territory government be caught up in the courts for years, it has the real potential to lock up any future development in our north for the next 10 years.
Ms McCARTHY (Arnhem): Madam Deputy Speaker, tonight I acknowledge the people of Arnhem, in particular the people of Ramingining, whom I just spent time with recently at their festival; the many people in Ramingining and Bulman along the way. It is important, as we come to the end of the parliamentary year, we look back and acknowledge and pay respects to those who have helped us along the way. I notice today is the 25 November and, in a month’s time, we will be celebrating Christmas with our families, and this is the last sittings of the year.
To those people in Bulman, and in particular the families who have suffered much, a special thank you for the support you have provided throughout the year, with the many ups and downs.
To the many students in Milingimbi, who are preparing for their graduation. Also, to the students in Ramingining; it is a place which has grown and grown. It is tremendous to see the amount of work which has gone on with the school there. Well done, to Coralyn Armstrong and the teachers, for the work you are doing with the children.
To Milingimbi, and to the students, congratulations, I know you are looking forward to the graduation next week. It is so important we have been able to see so many students graduate from Year 12, and the ones who are continuing.
I pay special tribute to the people of Ngukurr, who have been my guiding light and a font of wisdom in the many things I have to carry with the roles and responsibilities as a member of parliament, but also as a minister. To the many families in Ngukurr for the work you are doing with the football oval, the preparation for the Wet Season, and the food supplies which have to come in, knowing that the Roper and the Wilton Rivers are going to come up again soon, I wish you well through the Wet Season. I will be keeping an eye on how things go with the flooding in that area.
It was wonderful to see the school at Beswick, my former community electorate, opened recently. I recall the many struggles the people of Beswick had, and the many floods which inundated the people in that region. They now have a fantastic school, on higher ground, relocated in an area with many houses. I wish them a terrific Christmas this time.
To the people of Numbulwar, an amazing place, always a source of strength, if you like, in the cultural identity of the Roper and Gulf region, and very strong in my family kinships. They are the ones who keep us strong, especially when times have been really tough. I say thank you to all my constituents and my family in the Numbulwar region.
I will highlight the many inspiring people on Groote Eylandt. Tony Wurramarrba, I hold you in the highest esteem. I believe, with your tremendous ability to show leadership in the many risks and struggles in trying to take the people of Groote Eylandt forward with the 40-year lease and the regional partnership agreement, you have given so much and will continue to do so. I say thank you.
To Walter and the people at the Anindilyakwa Council, to the Umbakumba mob and the Angurugu mob, keep up the good work. It was terrific to see the football has taken off. I know you are leading the way with the training programs which are going on in both those communities. I believe the achievement of recent days, just with the signing of the agreement and your contribution from the royalties of GEMCO, are outstanding. You show leadership and you inspire the many Aboriginal families and communities that look to Groote Eylandt and see what is going on.
Also, with the alcohol program, and the way you have the alcohol permit system, where families have seen the violence and crime has been reduced. The alcohol permit system is a system that is borne of the people, by the people, for the people, in the way they want to see their families and children grow up in the region.
To the people at Alyangula, who are very much a part of the Groote Eylandt community, I say a special thank you to John Hanson at GEMCO. I acknowledge the police at Alyangula and the work they do.
To the women’s program, which is kicking off with the Anindilyakwa Land Council, and the Anindilyakwa rangers - keep up the good work. I look forward to working more with you into the future.
Closer to home, in staffing, a very special thank you goes to my Electorate Officer, Charles. You are amazing; you have been there all the way through. I know you will continue to be there all the way through with us. Thank you for your wonderful support throughout this year and your continuing advice. To my staff in the ministerial office, Peter and Fred, who has worked with me most of the year, thank you very much for the work you do. To Tanya and Eddie, Beth, Karen, Jackie, when you spent time with me, thank you very much for your hard work, loyalty, and commitment.
To my colleagues, I believe it is important to acknowledge we have had an incredibly tumultuous year through our own journey, our own pain and suffering, in many respects. I say to each of my colleagues I am incredibly proud of each of you, to stand by you, to work alongside you. I know we can only go from strength to strength in our journey this year.
I acknowledge the member for Nelson, and the incredible load and burden he carries. I thank him and his family. I believe it is important we recognise the humanity and the importance of holding those values, and to remember each of us here, the 25 members, represent the people of the Northern Territory. While, at times, we may want to forget that, I believe it is always important to remember the values and the respect we should show one another in this House. On this occasion, I pay special mention to the member for Nelson, and also the member for Macdonnell, because I know, in the year to come, there will be tremendous ways forward for the people of the Northern Territory.
To each of my parliamentary colleagues, on the other side of the House, I wish you well over the Christmas break. I believe it is a time for everyone to reflect on what has happened this year, in each of our roles and responsibilities, as members in this House, and also how we can, together, make life for the people in the Northern Territory much better, and one which provides opportunities and choice for each and every individual, and each and every family across the Northern Territory.
Finally, I thank the people who are my rock – my husband, my children, my sisters, and the many children we care for in our family: the Yanyuwa and Garawa people. Thank you for your strength and wisdom and for guiding me through the many ups and downs and, no doubt, what I will need to continue in 2010.
I acknowledge the Legislative Assembly staff; the work you do is so important. To Ian, David, Gaddy, Annette, and Stokesy – thank you so much for your work. To Helen and the ladies in Hansard, thank you for deciphering what we have to say. I am sure at times you must raise a few eyebrows. Ladies, I wish you all the best for the Christmas season. Thank you very much for organising the parliamentary time in Alice Springs. I wish each individual a very safe and happy Christmas.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Deputy Speaker, you are a wonderful person. I appreciate the call.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: I wish I could believe you, member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: You can believe me, Madam Deputy Speaker. I add to the comments made by the member for Port Darwin. I have also read the book 1984 by George Orwell, with the famous ministry of truth, which he spoke about.
I believe it is an Orwellian nightmare in which Territorians are living at the moment - this rewriting of history.
We heard today, from the member for Macdonnell, how the members for Arafura and Macdonnell have had their histories completely expunged from the government records - pictures and names taken out of media releases. We had an explanation from the Chief Minister, a few minutes ago, that it was a minor mistake by someone in the typing pool. This defies logic; that someone in the typing …
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker!
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please pause, Member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: What have I done wrong this time?
Dr BURNS: It is not what the Chief Minister said at all and the member for Fong Lim should keep to what the Chief Minister said. He did not use the words ‘typing pool’ at all.
Mr TOLLNER: What did he say?
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, there is no point of order. Resume your seat, member for Johnston.
Mr TOLLNER: I would hate to misinterpret what he said, but I believe he put it down to someone in a lowly position in government who did not know what was going on. In any case, it defies logic that sort of thing could happen, without the knowledge and instruction of someone from a senior level within this government. I would say someone in the Cabinet would direct it to be done and, obviously, the reason it was done is because the Labor Party hates a rat.
The government does not like a person who quits its ranks or calls attention to its shortcomings, and is quite prepared to expunge them from the history of the Labor Party and the government - once the media gets hold of them. There is nothing which makes this government act quicker than a phone call from someone in the media, and things are instantly repaired. That is the way things go.
I felt particularly upset today with the minister for non-housing, the minister for non-power supply, and the minister for stuffing up local government. He jumped up here, and he was quite adamant in the fact I spent six years in the federal parliament and only gave one speech. He was asked to withdraw the comments, but then said he cannot deny the truth. I jumped on the Internet soon after that. It took me about three minutes to get the information. My record, in the six years I was in the federal parliament, was I made 97 speeches and asked 88 questions during Question Time.
Dr Burns: Did you read Work Choices?
Mr TOLLNER: Here we go again, the Leader of Government Business cannot help himself. He has to put some weird spin on a story that came out. Of course, I read Work Choices. I was Secretary of the Employment and Workplace Relations Policy Committee, which did quite a number of years of work pulling that legislation together. To suggest I had no idea of what was in the bill defies logic. I never failed to attend a meeting of that committee, so I knew exactly what was in it. The Labor Party also take great delight in telling everyone I had my fingerprints all over that legislation which, figuratively speaking, is somewhat true, because I was very much involved with that committee crafting policy.
The Chief Minister is another one who has no problems in rewriting history, so to speak. During an education debate, today or yesterday, I believe he said I was the minister for flag poles or something like that, inferring the only thing I had ever achieved with Territory schools was getting a few flag poles delivered. It is correct, I did manage to have flag poles delivered to quite a number of schools. That was part of a national program to maintain pride in Australia and, in particular, the Australian flag, by school-aged children. It was the government’s desire to make sure all schools had a flag pole and had the ability to have flags.
I delivered flags to schools, there is no doubt about that. Quite often, I have been asked whether I have a Northern Territory flag to deliver to my local schools. Interestingly enough, the Northern Territory government does not supply flags to members of parliament to give to their local schools. We have to go to National Flags in Searcy Street and purchase them if we want to give a flag to our local school. We have to go and purchase a flag because they are not supplied by this government. I remember, in years gone by, flags were readily available to many people and organisations within the community, and to dignitaries who visited the Territory. They were given a pack, expressing the virtues and good points of the Territory. However, as soon as this Labor government came to power, all of that stuff went by the wayside.
It is particularly disheartening, hearing from the Chief Minister, that the only thing we delivered was flag poles, because it flies in the face of logic. The Chief Minister is aware of the Investing in our Schools Program run by the federal government. I can honestly say, every school in the Solomon electorate received grants of around $120 000 to $150 000 to the school council for projects the councils deemed were important in its school. I can understand the Chief Minister did not like this program, because the money went directly to schools, not via the Education department. But, it defies logic to suggest the only thing I delivered in that electorate was flag poles. There were a range of other programs such as democracy in our schools, and some of the Defence history curriculum items were also delivered. The Investing in our Schools component, went to things such as computers and other IT equipment, shade cloth in sporting areas, sporting gear, furniture, etcetera - whatever the school council thought was most appropriate for its school. I thought it was important.
I do not get het up about these things, but the desire to change and rewrite history seems to me to be a complete fascination with this government. It is completely driven, for some reason, to belittle the forefathers of this great Northern Territory and to undermine their achievements. As the member for Port Darwin said, before this government arrived, this place was a desert devoid of anything; that is the way the government tries to promote it. However, it is not true.
The Territory was built by many great people and, it is probably fair to say there have been federal Labor governments which have delivered things in the Northern Territory as well. To sit there and suggest the Howard government and the Country Liberals never did anything, and it has all come about in the last eight years, is completely wrong, and should be spoken of as often as we can. These people should not be able to get away with this stuff. It belittles the legacy of our forefathers and other people who have worked so hard to make the Territory what it is today. In actual fact, it belittles the government for trying to carry that out.
Madam Deputy Speaker, we seem to living this Orwellian nightmare at the moment, where the government is preoccupied with spin, spending $9m a year on propaganda, but refusing to address the most critical issues of concern to Territorians.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Deputy Speaker, tonight I discuss a few issues. We need to continue with the line of rewriting history, so the history is about the truth again.
You have heard me say before in this parliament: eight years and counting, so far. This government has had eight years, enough time to make its own stamp, to mould the Territory in its own fashion. But what have we seen? The member for Sanderson pointed out, tonight, to the residents of his electorate: no power in our suburbs. The major capital city of the Northern Territory has been plagued for the last week by massive blackouts. For eight years, you have delivered massive blackouts to our capital city. That is disgusting. Eight years of abject failures. Left, right, centre, wherever you look, there is another failure.
I hear on the grapevine even the Taminmin High School, which has achieved some fantastic results, has a couple of classrooms which are run off generators, because it needs to do power upgrades. I have not had the time to get out there, because it is not my electorate, but if it is true, it is astounding. It is the Essential Services Minister’s electorate, and he cannot even get power to his own high school to power the entire place. That is unbelievable. Eight years, and the power system is failing. Some of the biggest issues with that is preventative maintenance, and you cannot pin preventative maintenance on our side of the table. Eight years, member for Barkly. I know you have not been here for that long, but welcome - welcome to their failures.
While we are talking about failures, we are very lucky roads do not move, because we can find them, we can look at them, and we can drive on them. We can understand the state of decay they are going through under this government. The member for Stuart mentioned some of the roads around his area where he has seen investments. One of those was the Kintore Road. I have driven that road once or twice, and I cannot tell you that it is looking too crash hot. If anyone wants to know, it is just down the road; it is not hard, it has not moved for a while.
Member for Barkly, I went to Oenpelli the other day, for a very sincere event. Whilst I was driving home, I thought I would take some time to look at the highway - this is a major tourism place. Many tourists go there all the time, it is a beautiful place and, I have to say, it is an amazing place; the Territory is full of amazing places. However, the white line you follow on the left hand side of your car, which gives you a guide to where the edge of the road is, is gone. It does not exist any more, because it has broken away. The edge of the road is so badly destroyed it has broken away. Then we see, occasionally, the white line comes back in. Because there is enough bitumen to hold it up, there is the white line again. If the member for Barkly would like, I have photos. This is putting the lives of Territorians and international tourists at risk. I am not talking about a little of the white line gone, I am talking about 30 cm of the line gone - gone, gone, gone - inside the roadway. There are massive shoulders with great drop-offs. It is disgusting.
Chambers Pillars is down the road and, I will accept, there has been some substantial upgrades on the old south road towards Chambers Pillars. However, do not go too far down that road, if you are a tourist, because the road turns poor rather quickly. I have driven that road a few times. There is a fantastic sporting venue, but you have to be careful because, if you take a tour drive down, you might get bogged. These are major tourist roads.
The Mereenie Loop – an eight year promise, and they have not even resealed it. Eight years of absolute failures.
I highlight some figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. At the top of this page it states:
- 3218.0 Regional Population Growth of Australia released at 11.30 am, Canberra time, 23 April 2009.
There you go; it is a real document. For the people from Central Australia who have not heard the Chief Minister talk about how the housing crisis we have across the Northern Territory is not his fault; it is not eight years of a neglectful government. He said, how could we have predicted growth was going to go out of control and was going to grow so much? I will give you some statistics.
For the total Northern Territory population - from the same document I just mentioned - over the last five years, there has been an increase of 17 755 Territorians. That is a few people, and I am very proud to say we have so many new Territorians. The Chief Minister asked how the government could know the population was going to grow so much. He could have asked the Australian Bureau of Statistics. He could have looked at some data and read it properly. That figure is over the last five years; that 17 000, did not happen in one year. Over the last eight years, under this government - this failed government, of pure neglect - we have grown by 22 050 residents, according to this document.
This government sat on its hands, held onto the land, failed to release the land, thinking it could make money here. ‘We can raise the price of houses and make it more beneficial for people to invest’. He said it last year in the parliament, when he bragged about what an economic genius he was; how he had driven up the price of land, which was great for investment. What about people who cannot get a house? I am sure the member for Johnston has constituents who struggle with their rent. I am sure he knows people who struggle to buy their first home. I am sure they are telling him. I am sure you know you have failed the Territory.
The Chief Minister rests his hand on his heart and says: ‘Oh my God! How could we know this was happening?’ The data was as raw as it could be. The data was available, and it showed a significant growth pattern, but you failed to see, you failed to absorb and use to your benefit. Absolute failures.
You have had billions more money than the Territory has ever had, and you have failed everywhere you look. Yes, you have a few bright sparks, but they are probably the earthing out of power lines somewhere. You have been an absolute failure: eight years of bringing the Territory to its knees. If it was not for the great businesses of the Territory, we would be in trouble, because it has not been your management. The only bright sparks we have seen are the flashes in the power lines.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Katherine): Madam Deputy Speaker, another example of the way this government carries on its business, on a daily basis, as we have referred to it before in this parliament; it is government by glossy brochure. Here is another small, glossy brochure. I am fairly sure this is the size it came out in, in Katherine today. Most of the glossy brochures they print are A3 or something like that, but Katherine, apparently, does not warrant a big brochure.
I was having a look and I thought I would go through this and see what the government is saying about Katherine and the things it is doing here. The first thing I noticed was a rather nice photo of Katherine Gorge. I looked closer and I could see a canoe with two people in it. I tried to blow it up to see who they were, but it is too small; I cannot tell. You can probably guess it would not be the members for Johnston or Karama. If they were, I suspect you would see a little speech bubble included, with one saying: ‘I hate you’. I look closer at the photo and I see one of the people in the canoe is wearing a life jacket, the other one is not. I do not know if there is any inference which can be drawn from that, but if they were the members for Johnston and Karama, and one was wearing a life-jacket and one was not - have a think about it.
The reason I picked this up is because I would like to clear the record and add more to this brochure, which it chooses not to state. The first article talks about the new Police Beat for Katherine:
- The Territory government is working with the Katherine community and has committed to establishing a Police Beat in Katherine.
What it should say is: ‘The Territory government was embarrassed into providing a Police Beat in Katherine, because the business community decided it needed to raise the money itself to open a Police Beat because the Northern Territory government would not do it’. That is what it should say.
The business community of Katherine, guided largely by the Chamber of Commerce, and other interested people in town, decided, because the Northern Territory government was ignoring them and their pleas. Notwithstanding the antisocial problems Katherine faces every day, the number of drunks taken into custody in Katherine every year, which amounts to somewhere between 7000 and 9000 drunks per year, Katherine did not deserve a Police Beat. The business community got on top of this, and decided to fundraise through pledges, and embarrassed the Northern Territory government into conceding a Police Beat.
What it does not say here is when this Police Beat will be coming to Katherine. It says Police Beats and increased police presence and visibility in local communities and blah, blah, blah, but nothing of a commitment as to when. They should be ashamed of themselves.
The brochure goes on to talk about the Katherine Regional Cultural Precinct. I acknowledge the contributions the Australian government, the Northern Territory government and the Katherine Town Council are making towards this project. It is a shame it has taken such a long, long time to occur; this has been going on since about 2004.
The brochure talks about the Historical Society and the museum, and that is nice. Then it moves on to the third page where it talks about the Jawoyn anniversary, which was the 20-year celebration of the hand back of the Nitmiluk National Park. It says:
- Chief Minister Paul Henderson, addressed the huge crowd at the 20th Anniversary of the hand back of Nitmiluk National Park to the Jawoyn on 12 September 2009.
It goes on to quote more from that article.
What it neglects to say and what it should say: ‘The federal member for Lingiari, Warren Snowdon, stood before the Jawoyn today to address several hundred people and tore open some extremely old racism wounds which were around 20 years ago’. What irks me is the spin which comes from the Northern Territory government promoting only what they think the Northern Territory public deserves to hear; and the thought of that is becoming more and more abhorrent every day.
The people of the Northern Territory are intelligent and clever people, and they are seeing through the spin. No longer will the Labor government of the Northern Territory be able to produce spinning, glossy brochures like this, and expect the people of the Northern Territory to just swallow them. They might have got away with it for a while, but the collective intelligence of the people of the Northern Territory is now such they see through this.
The brochure, on page 4, talks about the $350 000 main street development; it talks about the Territory government investing money in the main street of Katherine. What it does not say, of course, is the owners of the buildings affected by this upgrade in the main street also have to contribute to make this project happen. I want to set the record straight so people in the Northern Territory know the business community of Katherine - no doubt the business community of other towns in other parts of the Northern Territory - are having to prop up the government because they are failing to invest sufficient money in regional areas of the Northern Territory to complete the commitments required in those communities.
The last part here talks about Katherine land release. It says:
- The Territory government recognises land availability is a big issue for Katherine residents.
It goes on to talk about a subdivision which will yield up to 39 urban blocks in Katherine. If you talk to anyone who has anything to do with land release - and I spoke to people in the Housing Industry Association at their last awards night - land release planning is a project which does not occur within one or two years; it is something which happens over five, 10, 20, and in the case of the previous CLP government, 30 years.
What I have discovered – and I put my thinking cap on many times over this – is Katherine has not had a government land release since the early 1980s. That was Katherine East Stages 1 and 2 which was planned and put together by the previous CLP government. And, guess what? The block of land which was recently sold was part of Stage 3 of Katherine East; a plan also put together by the previous CLP government.
I go now to a media release which talked about land release and said the government is committed to looking at further land releases around Katherine. Well, I can tell you, looking at further land releases around Katherine simply will not cut it. Like so many other places in the Northern Territory, this government has no strategic plan for Katherine ...
Dr Burns: Are you going to apologise? You have 25 seconds left.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: This government has no strategic plan for Katherine or for many other parts of the Northern Territory; that is evident when you talk to people who had been around the Territory for a long time.
Madam Speaker, it is nice to have the opportunity to put on record the true facts behind this glossy brochure. I am pleased I have had the opportunity …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, your time has expired. Thank you.
Ms CARNEY (Araluen): Madam Deputy Speaker, tonight I wanted to talk about one thing in particular but, something else has arisen, so I will deal with that first. An unpleasant matter is the first part; a pleasant matter is the second part.
In Question Time, when talking of the alleged behaviour of the member for Katherine, the Chief Minister said:
- However, there are standards of behaviour I imagine everyone here would expect of our politicians, particularly when we are in Alice Springs performing our parliamentary duties.
He also said:
- This goes to the quality and the calibre of our elected members of parliament.
He went on and said to the member for Katherine:
- He needs to apologise to this Convention Centre for defacing public property.
- The Leader of the Opposition needs to bring this rabble under control …
About an hour ago, for a significant period, we heard a series of disruptions in the opposition lobby. We heard what sounded to be an object hit around the government lobby; we heard cheering and clapping. It was clear something was going on. The noise was such it disturbed those of us working in the lobby at the time. It was significant. Something was being thumped around the room. My colleague, the member for Port Darwin, went into the room and came back and said they were playing cricket.
The Minister for Housing was playing cricket, with others, in the government lobby; cheering and carrying on like a clown throughout. It is important to note this was in an area where there is electronic equipment such as computers, paid for by Territorians. I bet the people who were playing cricket do not do it in their own lounge rooms - and they should not do it here. Such was the noise, I understand security intervened.
This is a parliament; it is not a cricket pitch. It is not appropriate for a minister of the Crown, in particular the member for Daly and his friends, to be playing cricket and carrying on in the government lobby. They are here for parliament, and I ask, quoting the Chief Minister’s words: ‘He needs to bring this rabble under control’. If there is any damage to the Convention Centre as a result of what we believe, and it certainly sounded like, a cricket ball being thumped around this Convention Centre, then appropriate action should be taken.
It is pretty disgraceful. They say they come to Alice Springs because they care. I thought it needed to be put on the record in light of the time the Chief Minister took up - with your comments, member for Johnston; you hate Delia - and given the time he took up saying: ‘Oh, the opposition needs to do this; isn’t it disgraceful’. A minister of the Crown, in Alice Springs, playing cricket in the government lobby - spare me!
On to another matter, Madam Deputy Speaker …
Dr Burns interjecting.
Ms CARNEY: Well, if you would like to talk about this, member for Johnston - I do not believe you have given an adjournment debate - if you would like to apologise for the member for Daly, go your hardest. If you would like to justify this stupid behaviour, go your hardest. I look forward to hearing from you, member for Johnston. If you think it was reasonable, please say so. We do not; and I am sure your Chief Minister does not. I am sure your Chief Minister will, and should, be taking the member for Daly in hand and saying: ‘You are here to work, the parliament is still sitting, perhaps you should keep your cover drives and your slip fields for another day’.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the Speaker, the member for nightclub - nightclub? Well, talking about the shenanigans going on in this parliament as we speak, you would think it was a nightclub and a cricket pitch happening next door in the government lobby - the member for Nightcliff - I am sure members will not object - Jane Aagaard.
I thank her for her generosity and the easy way we could work together in her office, the Speaker’s office, assisting with the exhibition Limited Edition Highlights from my art collection at the Peta Appleyard Gallery on Friday 30 October. I thank one of the Speaker’s staff in particular, Karen Philp. It worked very well. I was particularly pleased Madam Speaker accepted my invitation to open this exhibition, and she did it with great skill, much grace and humour on the night. It really did go down a treat.
It is significant because it did form part of the lead-up of events to these important Alice Springs sittings, which I believe was important. It was a significant and generous gesture – so, my sincere, heartfelt thanks to Jane Aagaard and her staff for their assistance and generosity.
I also thank Peta Appleyard, the owner of Peta Appleyard Gallery, and Nathan King, the Manager of the gallery. They seemed pleased with the exhibition, and it was one the greatest pleasures I have had to do this. I was blown away by the fact people were blown away that I not only have an interest in art, but am something of a collector. I was also blown away they were blown away by the part of the collection displayed for a week starting from 30 October. I was also very moved by people who thanked me for sharing the exhibition. Anyone who enjoys art enjoys sharing it with others, and it was, as I say, one of the greatest pleasures I have had in this job.
Some of the artists represented include: Robert Dickerson, Sir Sidney Nolan, Jeffrey Smart, Brett Whiteley AO, Fred Williams OBE, Charles Blackman OBE, John Olsen AO OBE, David Rankin; English artists Barbara Hepworth DBE and Victor Passmore; Louis Kahan, Sir Lionel Lindsay, Victor Cobb, Henri van Raalte, Beatrice Darbyshire, Max Ragless, John Baxter Mather, Herbert Gallop, William Hunter, Joseph Goodheart, Marion Sussex, Ralph Warner, Audrey Dickenson, Karl Dahmen and Cedric Emanuel OAM.
It is appropriate - notwithstanding there are a couple of typos in it which is very disappointing, given it was part of the lead-up to the sittings and the assistance so generously provided by Madam Speaker - I table for the record a copy of the catalogue. I am very pleased to advise members I was successful at an auction interstate earlier tonight in gaining another piece to add to my collection.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to talk about land release. I believe Darwin and Alice Springs have one thing in common - land is expensive and in short supply. I will make a few comments tonight about the Alice Springs area - where there is a will, there is a way. If the government wants to do things, I believe we can at least put a dint in the shortage of land problem.
At the Council of Territory Cooperation recently, the Mayor of Alice Springs spoke about the shortage of land and available rental properties. I believe he mentioned a figure of 0.01% - the Mayor of Alice Springs is nodding, so, I will go for the 0.01% - which is to say it is very difficult to get a house or a unit to rent in Alice Springs and, if you do get one, it is very highly priced. It highlights what the Mayor of Alice Springs said: Alice Springs used to be a go-get--it sort of place, a place where you could get along; but now we seem to have killed that get-up-and-go attitude because people have difficulty finding a place to live here. If they do, they have to spend all their time paying the rent or the mortgage.
The government has said they have developed the Mt Johns Valley subdivision. Then I looked at the paper and saw the prices people had to pay for the land. I believe it was about $300 000. Where is the affordable land for affordable housing? It does not seem to be there. We seem to be putting out small amounts of land in dribs and drabs and the market price stays high, and young Territorians find it more and more difficult to buy a house.
I believe the government has to step up - there is land; they are talking about AZRI – and get in there and not talk about it anymore; they have to do something about it: ‘We are going to do it quicker than we said’. I believe we should be encouraging the federal government to develop the airport land. The airport land has been around since the 2004 report which mentioned it as part of the Alice Springs Airport 2004 Final Master Plan.
It says in the airport land use section of the latest master plan for the airport that since the 2004 master plan was approved by the then minister under the Airports Act, the pressure for more residential land to be made available for development has increased. So, this is not something new; there has been a move to have land available for housing near the Alice Springs Airport. People might ask how you can have housing at the Alice Springs Airport. I say: ‘Get a copy of the master plan they put out for comment’, and you will see the Alice Springs Airport has a very large area around it, and the reason for that was dust suppression. That land is vacant and has the possibility of opening up quite a large number of rural blocks for subdivision.
It requires pressure from the Northern Territory government on the Commonwealth government. The airport comes under Commonwealth control, and the minister responsible for the airport, Mr Albanese, is the only one who can give permission for this land to be developed. We are talking about quite a large piece of land. The total land for the airport is 3550 ha; less than 800 ha is needed for the airport; so there is a substantial parcel of land available for residential and commercial use. In the Alice Springs Master Plan Preliminary Draft 2009, they stated this land could be available for affordable housing. It is interesting to note it said, in relation to this land:
- It provides a platform for a joint Northern Territory Government-ASA integrated residential and commercial development where both parties would pursue:
sustainable development subdivision design including water re-use and probable partial solar power generation.
It should be noted that it continues:
- The planned rural residential land is outside the 20 ANEF contour, and hence residential development is not restricted by the aircraft noise projected in 40 years. Even beyond 40 years, it is unlikely that the 20 ANEF contour would widen much further.
It goes on to say:
- The minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has recently advised that any residential development on airports will be subject to the Major Development Plan (MDP) process under the Airports Act.
Other development envisaged in the Airport land includes horticulture in the Horticultural Zone, aircraft storage in the Aviation Reservation and Dust Suppression Zones, General Aviation expansion in the Aviation Activities Zone, warehousing in the Light Industry Zone and a restaurant in the Heritage Zone.
I know there are problems when it comes to planning regarding Commonwealth land but I am sure, with fair dinkum discussion, this plan could be developed as part of an Alice Springs Land Use Objectives Plan; perhaps it already is under the 2004 master plan. The reality is, there is land which could be brought on quickly. We need to put pressure on the Commonwealth government; we need to develop the AZRI land. We know people want land badly in Alice Springs, and we know young people cannot buy land at a reasonable price.
The airport master plan is saying there is an estimated low headworks cost of only $12 000 per block. I am not saying every block will be developed for that price, but you have to wonder if the airport can develop rural blocks at $12 000, how come we are paying $300 000 in other places?
What really has to come out in the discussions we are having about land is what the real cost of development is, and what the margin of profit taken is. That is also an important issue in relation to affordability of land. If land is dear, the house and land package, for many young people, will be unaffordable. If it is affordable, it is more than likely they will be paying off the mortgage for the rest of their lives.
Alice Springs is no different to Darwin; actually, it is probably worse off when it comes to the amount of land available for subdivision. We need to do something. We already have issues in relation to developing new houses and town camps which, at the moment is stalled because of the court case. There is very little we can do about that until the court case is solved. However, we can do something about moving on much faster than we have.
It is not rocket science to develop a subdivision. We should know all the facts about whether the land is under water, whether the land has a certain soil type, where the sewerage is to be connected, and where the power is to be connected. People in Alice Springs - the engineers, the town planners - should all know that now.
If we really want to change things, we have to get off our backsides and open up this land quickly. We have to write to Anthony Albanese. Bring him here to have a look for himself; send him facts and figures about what land is available, and that 0.01% of units and houses are available for rent. Bring him out here and say: ‘We are not building in the flight path. We are far enough away from the flight path to have a residential land. This land is suitable, let us get on with it; otherwise we will be back in two years time saying exactly the same thing’.
The government has to get it going - not stand around talking anymore. Let us get this thing going and give young people - especially our first homeowners - a chance to get affordable land so they can build an affordable house.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016