2011-11-22
Madam Speaker Aagaard took the Chair at 10 am.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move - That the Northern Territory Assembly congratulates both Houses of the federal parliament in Canberra for the successful passage of legislation which increases the rights of Territorians.
This is a very simple but important motion because what we saw in the federal parliament a couple of weeks ago was a small but significant step on the path to statehood for the Northern Territory, which all of us in this parliament believe in. Up until the passage of the legislation, a Commonwealth minister could strike out Northern Territory legislation with the stroke of a pen. We could pass legislation in this parliament and a Commonwealth minister could determine not to like the legislation and sign an instrument to overturn it, which would then go to Executive Council. No debate in the federal parliament- none at all required. It is the whim of a Commonwealth minister to recommend to Cabinet, and then through to Executive Council, the overturning of our rights as an elected parliament in the Northern Territory to pass laws for and on behalf of the people of the Northern Territory. It defies belief that any of us here could support such an unprincipled lack of transparency and lack of debate about that power.
Now, a Commonwealth minister cannot. Quite simply, the rights of this parliament and the rights of Territorians are stronger as a result. Of course, we still do not have the same rights as the other states. We are not a state, and the Commonwealth parliament still has the ability to override any legislation we enact. There still is no defence to that provision but, at least, the Commonwealth parliament involves debate which is open, transparent, and on the public record. It requires the voting actions of members of the Commonwealth parliament to be recorded so people can be held accountable for the position they take on any matter regarding the Northern Territory by way of their contribution to the debate in the two Houses of federal parliament and, ultimately, in the vote in regard to that legislation.
At least it is the parliament, at least it is two Houses of the parliament and, at least, the debate and voting is transparent to Territorians. It certainly is still not good enough; we should have the right to legislate unfettered in the same manner other states do. Very simply, a Commonwealth minister could, at the stroke of a pen, and through Cabinet and Executive Council - now hundreds of politicians have to agree to overturn our legislation, not just one. As I said, a small step but a significant one on the road to statehood.
It is staggering the Country Liberals decided not to support it. Their attempts to justify being a lapdog to Tony Abbott on this were embarrassing. The combined claims of the federal member for Solomon, Senator Scullion, and the member for Fong Lim were absurd. They claimed, as a result of this change to legislation in Canberra, that we could start our own army. I do not know where members are on the other side, but they believe ...
A member: Triton.
Mr HENDERSON: Yes, planet Triton. They claim we would establish our own currency.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! For the Chief Minister’s information, he should be aware Triton is a moon not a planet.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat.
Mr HENDERSON: Triton will never leave the member for Fong Lim’s legacy. More people know about Triton as a result of the member for Fong Lim’s absurd comments about climate change than ever before. Perhaps we should have it as part of the national curriculum that climate change only occurs on the planet Triton, or the moon Triton, to pick up on the comments.
The CLP claimed this was a terrible day for the Northern Territory, an appalling day for Territorians, and that we would be able to start our own army to repress the good people of the Territory. Start our own currency was another furphy put around or, even more bizarre, claims that we could establish our own department of immigration. Our own department of immigration was one of the claims from the CLP. We were going to have all this unfettered power to start armies, create currencies, our own borders, our own visa system, and require passports for people to come to the Northern Territory. This is the level of intellect in defending the indefensible because Tony Abbott said this is the way you have to vote, and the CLP lackeys in the federal parliament and the lack of leadership from the Leader of the Opposition who said: ‘Hang on here’. They should have said: ‘This is a matter of principle. We are elected by Territorians for Territorians, and it does not matter what you say, Mr Abbott, we must support the legislation being proposed’.
The new law does nothing in relation to the Territory’s power – this was another furphy - to legislate in relation to the Commonwealth Marriage Act. That is another debate, but saying somehow this was part of a secret plan for gay marriage - absolutely not. This law does nothing in relation to the Territory’s power to legislate in relation to the Commonwealth Marriage Act, and none of the spurious claims they put up about why they should not support the legislation are true. They could not find one constitutional lawyer anywhere to back up their claims, not one.
The member for Port Darwin might think he is the greatest constitutional lawyer the Territory has ever managed to spawn. I would like to hear him in debate about how this legislation gives us the ability to start our own army, to establish our own currency, to establish a border control system, requirement for passports, and our own department of immigration. These were the claims they put up to say they could not support this. In fact, very well regarded constitutional lawyers who have been working with a committee of this parliament to look at progression towards statehood, George Williams, have made it very clear the claims are completely wrong. This is someone who has been working, in a bipartisan way, through a committee of this parliament to move towards statehood.
It is not only legal representatives, the people of the Northern Territory are wondering what on earth is happening to a Country Liberal Party that used to say it stood up for the Territory. There was no leadership from the Leader of the Opposition. All of us saw the comments and read the letter to the NT News from Marshall Perron, former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory and, regardless of politics, he is widely respected across the political divide in the Northern Territory as being a man of integrity. He was, outside the political debates at the time, one of the Territory’s better chief ministers since self-government. Marshall Perron was absolutely outraged by the fact his party, the party he once led and I assume still belongs to - I assume he would have been made a life member of the CLP - absolutely slammed the member for Solomon and the Leader of the Opposition for their failure to stand up for a point of principle he believed was enshrined in the Country Liberal Party’s constitution. Whatever their version of their platform is, it was very embarrassing.
The chain of command is very clear in regard to the once proud, independent Country Liberal Party. Tony Abbott instructs the CLP what to do and how to vote on matters of principle in regard to the sovereignty of the Northern Territory and legislation of this House. Marshall Perron made it clear he, and other CLP old-timers, is very upset about what has become of their party. His letter, from a former leader of the CLP and former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, was something to be seen.
There is history here. The current senator, Senator Scullion, rolled the previous senator, Senator Tambling, over the Territory’s rights. Senator Tambling was standing on issues in regard to Internet gambling and was rolled by the CLP for not standing up for Territory rights. I do not believe, in regard to the strategic and constitutionally important move this is, whatever Senator Tambling’s wrongs were in the eyes of the hierarchy of the CLP, they were not of the same import as this issue: removing the right of a federal minister to overturn the laws of this parliament by the stroke of a pen. If the Leader of the Opposition cannot stand up to Tony Abbott on this, what on earth can you stand up to him on? It is a simple point of principle …
Mr Tollner: You tell us how it works, Hendo. You know about standing up to people, don’t you?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Do you guys really believe that a federal minister, regardless of whether it is a Labor minister, a Liberal minister or a National Party minister, should be able to sit in Canberra and sign an instrument saying: ‘I, as the minister, move the disallowance of this legislation from the Northern Territory’ …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim!
Mr HENDERSON: … take it into Cabinet, get Cabinet to endorse it, off to the Governor-General and, at the stroke of a pen without any debate, without any discussion, without any vote in any democratic and transparent way at all, overturn legislation that has gone through this House? It is a simple question. Do you believe a federal minister should have those powers or not?
I find it astounding that, unlike Marshall Perron who thought it was a very simple, straightforward, small and symbolic step on the way to statehood - yes, a journey is made up of many steps, not taken in one great leap - that that was a simple thing to do. However, the gutless wonders over there and in the federal parliament rolled over to Tony Abbott despite their once proud heritage. Old-timers like Marshall Perron and others are aghast at the lack of backbone and spine from the Leader of the Opposition and members in the federal parliament.
This is a very simple motion; it is about this parliament standing up and asserting our belief that this parliament should be able to legislate without the ability of a federal minister - without any debate, any discussion, no transparency - being able to, at the stroke of a pen, overturn a law. On the road to statehood, do we believe that is too small a step to take?
Madam Speaker, regardless of people’s views of our parliament being able to legislate, the Commonwealth parliament still has the ability to overturn laws. However, with debate, with transparency, with the recording of how people voted, and with hundreds of people contributing to the debate instead of one and just a handful in Cabinet - it is a very simple motion. I commend it to the House. I encourage the Leader of the Opposition to stand up for the Territory, admit he was wrong, and support this motion.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for the encouragement. This is Day 2 of the last two weeks of parliament for the year. Yesterday, we had a motion focused on the afterglow of the visit of the President of the United States. You were basking in that glory and trying to have some of it reflect on you to enhance your kudos in the electorate. It cheapened you, Chief Minister.
Then, today, the hollow men upstairs have worked out some clever tactic. They think: ‘Oh, this will get them. This will get them’. So, they are rubbing their hands in glee up there, thinking: ‘We have ‘em now. This is what parliament is about; this is what politics is about’. Oh, grow up! Tomorrow, I predict, we are going to have those same little hollow men thinking: ‘I know what we will do tomorrow’ - getting a bit ahead of ourselves – ‘we will craft a motion from the Chief Minister that urges the parliament to push out Trish Crossin and Warren Snowdon from their positions for their failure to stand up for the Territory’. No, they would not do that …
A member: Oh, no.
Mr MILLS: No, I do not think so, because that would provide an uncomfortable level of inconsistency and show us there is more to this than there really is.
There is nothing to this. This is clearly a political tactic - anyone can see it. I find it a bit sad. I do not even use the term ‘once proud Labor Party’. You come into this House with such a juvenile tactic thinking you have scored a major hit when Territorians want a government to lead in their best interests and talk about things that matter to them. Territorians - just look at the gallery, guys, look at the gallery …
Members interjecting.
Mr MILLS: Yes, anyway. The Chief Minister, this institution, this parliament - which is to debate matters of great concern to Territorians and to advance the best interests of Territorians - has been brought to a fairly low ebb by this tactic this morning.
The Chief Minister knows well, if he cares to reflect beyond his concerns about the Country Liberal Party, which seems to be the obsession now of the Chief Minister - he is obsessed with the Leader of the Opposition and the Country Liberal Party. We have the well-educated minister and Leader of Government Business completely focused on what is going on here, reading the play constantly and commentating on what is going on, on this side of the House. Guys, could you just get your eyes back on the job?
Let us now focus on this. If the Chief Minister had the capacity to reflect, to think about this, and to come away from the grips of the hollow men upstairs with their clever little tactics, he would have recognised that well before he had the courage to stand up on this particular issue, I have done so, and done so consistently. Any gesture, any decision, any matter that advances and increases the rights of Territorians will be supported by the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory - as it has been. I can always remember the Chief Minister squirming in discomfort because he has not a grasp on the issues behind this. Senator Brown initially weighed into this before 2008, apparently having the best interests of the Territory at heart. I do not think so. He has the best interests of The Greens’ agenda and things they want to promote. Their social agenda is what they are seeking to promote, and it was the issue of euthanasia at the time thinking: ‘Here’s a go. Let’s find a way to get this issue up on the national agenda and let us appeal to the territories and increase their rights and their capacity to legislate on this matter’.
If the Chief Minister was honest, he would check his own appalling and weak response to that matter. He had to second guess and work out a comfortable spot to stand. If he goes back on the record, even though my position is very clear on euthanasia - I do not support euthanasia – but I supported, notwithstanding I knew what Senator Brown was up to, any opportunity to increase the rights of Territorians. I did that without reserve and did it at that time. This issue is the same.
I can see quite plainly, as anyone with eyes can see, what Senator Brown’s intention is, what his motivation is, just as I can see the motivation of the Labor Party in the Northern Territory and what sits behind this motion today. Make no mistake: the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory will support any legislation that increases the rights of Territorians. Consequently, it may be a surprise and the hollow men upstairs might be thinking this might have backfired a little. Yes, we support the motion, as we have done so consistently. However, there are aspects of this debate you have not troubled yourself with in your haste to score a political point for your short-term advantage.
There are things for you to consider, but it is a waste of words to go much further on this - gift horses need to be looked in the mouth. You need to assess what these matters address, where they come from, what is their purpose, and how they will be applied. As I said, it is quite simple for us. In the Territory parliament, we will support any measure that increases the rights of Territorians. However, this is dealing with constitutional matters that have an effect nationally. We have an obligation in the Territory to respond to this from what is in the best interests of Territorians and that is to increase the Territory’s rights. However, we have a federal parliament with the responsibility to consider matters as to their effect on the nation and so it may be difficult for you – and, once again, I am sure it is a waste of words – but there are matters that should be considered in the passage of this legislation, recognising its intent and its purpose.
Do you believe Senator Brown’s real interest is to increase our rights; that he is thinking about us and wants to improve the constitutional and legal capacity Territorians enjoy? I do not think so. It is quite clear what The Greens are up to and what their agenda is. I can see that. Nonetheless, we will accept, but I tell you what, we will not give up the fight and increase the fight for us to be given the exact same rights as any other Australian. This is a gift horse we will look in the mouth and let go.
My colleagues, and our colleagues in the federal parliament, have an obligation to weigh this with a different balance and that is to its impact nationally and on the Australian Constitution. Does it, in fact, strengthen …
Ms Lawrie: Canberra before the Territory? Pretty simple: Canberra before the Territory.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Tollner: Well, that is your response.
Ms Lawrie: No, that is exactly what he was saying. Run that one out there, Terry.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr MILLS: Thank you, Madam Speaker, save me from that.
If the member opposite, with that feigned and disturbing concern which is just unpersuasive, unconvincing and, in fact, disturbing - there has been no concern exhibited whatsoever of this Chief Minister standing behind the Prime Minister and nodding in approval, in agreement, with the decision to impose a blanket ban on the live cattle trade in the Northern Territory. We saw that, and we have seen time and time again this Chief Minister not standing up. He will only stand with the approval and consent of those who have authority over him. He may be a tall man, but he does not stand tall when it comes to matters to do with his position within the pecking order of the Labor movement nationally.
We have never seen, unless we provided him the space with the live cattle trade, this man stand up. We recalled parliament. That gave him a place to stand, and to stand with us to sort this matter out. At no time did this Chief Minister criticise the Prime Minister. Not one time did this Chief Minister criticise anyone in his own organisation who had responsibility for a devastating decision that damaged, and causes lingering concern and problems, to our pastoral industry and related industries. Not once did this Chief Minister raise his concern, nor any member opposite, for Senator Crossin standing in support of the ban of live trade. Not once! You hear not a peep from them.
Do you have an opposition preoccupied and obsessed with the Labor Party in the Northern Territory? No, we are focused on things that matter. You guys who are supposed to be the government, supposed to be providing us with leadership, are providing no leadership whatsoever, so much so that you would take the first item of business, try to play this tactic, and you have not listened to nor understood what is going on.
Madam Speaker, I said at the outset, perhaps to your surprise and consternation, that we will be supporting this motion. That has been consistent with our position all the way through. We will leave it at that.
There are other matters that probably do not trouble the mind or the conscience of those opposite, but we understand the matters that were dealt with in the federal parliament. We understand the position our federal colleagues were placed in because they had a greater responsibility to look this gift horse in the mouth and to see what its impact would be nationally. They have other responsibilities. We have a simple and straightforward responsibility: we will support any matter or any decision that is taken that advances and increases the rights of the Territory.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I was not overly interested in speaking on this topic, not because I disagree with the sentiment, but because I was very cynical about its reasons for being brought before parliament today. The reason is because I knew, straightaway, there was some party political ammunition being thrown around in relation to this, a fairly important topic, and I was right.
That is what this really is about: to have a go at the opposition. You could say that is fair enough, but I would have thought this debate could have risen above that. If we wanted to have a debate about statehood or about the rights of the Territory to run its own matters, that would be fair enough. It is a matter we have debated over many years but, obviously, this was, I presume, a tactic to have a go at the federal members of parliament who represent the Country Liberals in Canberra.
I support much of what the Leader of the Opposition has said. Whilst I agree with the principle of the motion that has been put forward, I am also disturbed that The Greens have not done this for the benefit of the Territory, not in any way, because we know how The Greens really support the Territory: no live cattle exports. You can see The Greens are really pushing hard - no uranium mining. The Greens are all for the Territory, you can see that! No fishing. Yes, restricting it pretty well and not necessarily on science. The Greens are not exactly friends of the Territory, but are friends when they need to be friends and are friends because they have an agenda …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WOOD: They have a social agenda which includes …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Arafura!
Mr WOOD: … as the Opposition Leader said, The Greens support euthanasia and I have been on the record for many years - even when this was first debated in parliament many years ago, before I was a member of parliament, I publically opposed euthanasia. I will continue to oppose euthanasia because there are much better options. The option I support is one which respects life through places like a hospice, which we now have in the Northern Territory. That is a far better way of helping people in the last days of their life.
I am cynical about this debate because it has not touched on some of those issues as the motivation behind The Greens bringing this forward in parliament. They have a social agenda which they want to promote, hopefully, using the Territory as the means to push that forward. I am totally cynical about that because of their lack of support for the Territory in other important areas. They do not support our pastoral industry, they do not support the families of those pastoral properties, whether Indigenous or non-Indigenous, whose livelihoods depend on the live cattle trade. They do not support uranium mining even though we have agreed to sell uranium to India, even though the Chief Minister has stated nuclear power is a clean form of power, except he will not agree it should be in Australia but is happy for it to be in other countries. The Greens are saying they do not support uranium mining which proves to me their reason behind the promotion of the changes in the federal government to ensure Territory legislation is not overridden at the whim of a particular federal minister. We should call a spade a spade and say The Greens are phonies when they say they support the rights of Territorians. Whilst I support this, my view on matters needs to be made clear.
The Territory should have the right to enact its own legislation. From a technical point of view, I say what is the bleeding obvious: while we are a territory, while we come under a federal government act, we will always be under the power of the Commonwealth similar to the power the Territory has over local government.
I found it quite amusing as a member of the local government association in the days when the Territory first pushed for statehood and we were telling Canberra to nick off, the government in the Northern Territory at the time dissolved the council at Yulara at the stroke of a pen. I remember the advertisements in the paper saying: ‘Canberra, Canberra, Canberra, Hands Off the Territory’. If I had the money I would have said: ‘Darwin, Darwin, Darwin, Hands Off Yulara’. We sometimes apply philosophies where it suits us, but where it does not suit us we are quite happy to forget all those things. Local government has been, and still is to some extent, subject to the whims - I am not picking on the present Minister for Local Government - technically, local government is at the whim of the minister and a council can be dissolved.
You need to keep things in perspective when talking about rights because rights vary from circumstance to circumstance.
Madam Speaker, as I said, I will support this, but I am a little cynical about the motivation behind it being brought forward. It does give me an opportunity to say what I think about The Greens’ motivation behind introducing this legislation. They are certainly not supporters of the Northern Territory; they are supporters of their own agenda and their own self-interest.
Ms McCARTHY (Statehood): Madam Speaker, I support this motion and congratulate both Houses of the federal parliament for the important step taken in increasing the rights of Territorians. The journey for this parliament began long before I came into parliament. I would like to reflect on the last six years of work we have done as a parliament, in a bipartisan approach, working to improve the rights for the people of the Northern Territory on that equal basis, knowing we had to work together in order to do that, not only for the people of the Northern Territory but, naturally, in our discussions with the Commonwealth.
It is a huge step to take when you consider what we are trying to embark on here. We are about to prepare for the Constitutional Convention in April. Talking to people across the Northern Territory, urging people to consider standing in the March elections for that convention, is a dialogue that is quite respectful. There is a great deal of interest out there and much curiosity. Many may not stand but want to understand what it is and why this parliament is proceeding down this path.
The road to become the seventh state in the federation is a long road. It is a journey that has had its ups and downs. We know the first vote was a story in itself. After the 1998 Referendum this parliament convened to examine what it was about that process we did not want to repeat on the second process. If there is one thing I believe parliamentarians on both sides have consistently agreed on, it is the need to be able to represent the people of the Northern Territory at the highest level. The sense of equality we, as Australians, want to receive and, respectfully, should receive, and the dignity, comes with knowing the fight for the right to vote is a fight that belongs to all people of the Northern Territory, as much as it does to our fellow Australians in each of the states.
For Indigenous Australians, it is four decades since being given the right to vote. It is still a very short time when we look at the history of democracy in this country for all Australians, recognising it is only a couple of decades for us to have so many Indigenous representatives at territory, state and federal level, with only this year, in this term of the federal parliament, the first Indigenous member of parliament. Again, we still have a long way to go ...
Mr Elferink: Nonsense! Have you never heard of Neville Bonner?
Ms McCARTHY: In the House of Representatives, I should say. Yes, you are correct, member for Port Darwin. We had Senator Neville Bonner as the very first senator and Indigenous person …
Mr Elferink: But not in the current parliament!
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms McCARTHY: … in the federal parliament. We recognise we still have a fair way to go, but that should not block us wanting to strive to be equal with our fellow Australians. In order to do that …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms McCARTHY: In order to do that we need to work together. It is incredibly difficult …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim!
Ms McCARTHY: I have to say, it is incredibly difficult to maintain that bipartisan approach when you have some quite derogatory comments from the opposition. I commend those members who make a sincere effort in wanting to walk in a very bipartisan way, but there are others who lower the bar with their derogatory comments to the people of the Northern Territory. I thank those members for maintaining the persistence to walk in a bipartisan way.
This year is our centenary year; 100 years from when the Northern Territory was surrendered to the Commonwealth. We were surrendered to the Commonwealth under the Northern Territory Surrender Act 1908. That act was about South Australia handing us over to the Commonwealth saying: ‘You are too much of a problem, Northern Territory. We cannot deal with you; you cost too much, you are a long way away, we are not making any real gains out of having you, and we are going to hand you over to the Commonwealth’. The people of the Northern Territory now have an opportunity to look at where we are going in the future. Are we to remain a people under surrender? I believe not. We are not to remain a people under surrender. We are a people who are very proud of our cultural languages across the Northern Territory, our incredible diversity with the multicultural groups who have made the Northern Territory home, with our cattle industry, and our history – both good and bad.
In this centenary year we have the opportunity to reflect on all those things so we can, in a mature and sensible way, look at where we wish to go as people of the Northern Territory to become the seventh state in the federation. That requires a bipartisan effort at both the Northern Territory and federal level. It is an incredible challenge; 226 members of both the lower House and the Senate, and out of those 226, four are from the Northern Territory. Of course, our voices are not heard. How can they be? They are not loud enough and, for equality, we have a long way to go.
When we have a member - it does not matter who that member is – from the Northern Territory unable and unwilling to support the rights of the people of the Northern Territory, we always have to question that, as we should and as this parliament should. We have maintained in this parliament that we will walk together in a bipartisan way, despite all the ups and downs and our other issues - we certainly have many ups and downs and other issues, and many problems which we need always to debate.
I am grateful to this parliament that during the six years I have had to work with the process of statehood - incredibly grateful to all members of this parliament to forge ahead through the many ups and downs we have had to maintain this bipartisan process. We need to extend it to our colleagues in the federal parliament. We need to say to all members of the federal parliament - in particular our four members of the federal parliament - that they have to stand with us as the Northern Territory parliament which represents the people of the Northern Territory. Stand with us, so when we go to the federal parliament to pursue the opportunity to become the seventh state in the federation, you four members are standing there with us.
If any of those members, particularly the member for Solomon, do not understand that process, we are more than willing to give advice. We are more than willing to say: ‘This is what you should be doing. Are there any questions?’ Some commonsense here! If one of our members down there does not understand, pick up the phone and explain what our process has been for the last six years, coming on seven years; explain that we are just about to head into a Constitutional Convention; explain that we have had numerous workshops and consultations over the last four years on this topic; and explain the necessity to connect it to what is going on with the constitution of this country being examined in a referendum, be it about Indigenous people or about local government.
We need to maintain that strength and unity to the federal parliament because we have to convince the other 222 politicians that this is important to this parliament.
That is why this motion is important and why it is important to consider and debate where we are going as the people of the Northern Territory, and as representatives of the people of the Northern Territory.
The Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Amendment (Disallowance and Amendment Power of the Commonwealth) Act passed by the Commonwealth parliament has removed the power of the Commonwealth Executive to overturn Territory legislation behind closed doors. I also note the introduction of this act to right a wrong enjoyed strong bipartisan support of the Territory’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee. In their evidence to a Senate committee on the draft bill, both the opposition spokesperson on Statehood, the member for Goyder, and committee member, the member for Brennan, noted their support for this legislation and I commend them for that.
The member for Goyder noted support for the bill was centred on improving the rights of Northern Territory people, particularly when it comes to their constitutional standing. The member for Goyder said: ‘It is a point of principle that we do not share and enjoy the similar rights to other Australians. This bill is a step to rectify that position and put us on the same playing field as all other Australians’. The member for Brennan said: ‘Why our party supports this, and why this has bipartisan support in relation to both this proposed legislation and, of course, our duty to statehood goes without saying. We deserve the right to be equal right across this country no matter where we reside’. Well said, member for Brennan. Our duty to statehood goes without saying.
When we talk about our steps towards a Constitutional Convention, we need to ensure our federal members are informed. I say to the member for Solomon: ‘Be informed. I am more than happy to provide an update of what our parliament is doing on the road to statehood and brief you on the journey we have travelled as a parliament in a bipartisan way to take the steps we have’. The challenges in front of us are enormous, but if we can maintain the link on both sides of politics it will go a long way to ensuring our rights will one day be equal to our fellow Australians.
I have said from the outset, when I look at the constitutional aspect of the intervention and Indigenous Australians, if there was ever a time you needed, as an Australian, to see your constitutional vulnerability, the decision of the federal parliament at the time to intervene on the Northern Territory, again, from a legal and constitutional perspective, showed the vulnerability of Australians in the Northern Territory, particularly Indigenous Australians. As Australians who uphold democracy as the cornerstone of what we believe in, where men and women have fought in world wars for democracy for this country, we must always be vigilant about laws being made that override the rights of a person, and no more clearer has it been for Indigenous Australians than the intervention. The recognition of that constitutional vulnerability has never been so profound as when that legislation came into being. The federal government is about to embark on the next step of what it may or may not look like.
The Labor government in the Northern Territory has maintained the investment from the federal government is important, but not the intervention. Let the people of the Northern Territory determine the way they should improve their lives. Let the Indigenous people of the Northern Territory determine the way they wish to improve their lives. In order to do that, they need a political voice; a voice from within their families, from within their organisations, from within their shire councils, from the Northern Territory parliament, a voice that is heard, listened to and acted on. That is democracy. An imperfect structure, no doubt, but we must always be vigilant we have not demonised one section of the Australian community under the pretext of it being good for them. We must not. As Australians, we must always be vigilant about the laws we make.
Madam Speaker, on that note, I urge this parliament to continue in that bipartisan manner to ensure, as we lead up to the Constitutional Convention, there are many representatives who want to put their hand up in our electorates across the Northern Territory, to remind our members in the federal parliament, in particular the Northern Territory members, especially the member for Solomon, this is an important part of representation of the people of the Northern Territory. Be very clear; get a brief and understand the work done not only by members of the Northern Territory parliament, but by ordinary citizens of the Northern Territory to pursue equality for all Australians.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Speaker, from the outset, can I say what a pathetic fool the member for Arnhem is. To come into this House and trot out that nonsense demonstrates all that is wrong with Indigenous policy in Australia. For the member to stand here five years after the intervention and say it is wrong where, for the vast majority of that five years, she and her party, both in the Territory and federally, have supported the intervention is completely ludicrous and shows the depths these guys are prepared to plumb trying to win a vote.
The fact is, in the entire time the member for Arnhem has been a member in this House, things have become worse in her own electorate. The intervention showed some real hope for Indigenous people. Law and order and the rule of law were enforced. Many of these communities never had the rule of law enforced. Money has been put into housing. Irrespective of how poorly it has been administered by the Territory government, money has been put into housing, and enormous efforts have been put into health and education.
For the minister to condemn a government - admittedly, it was put in place by the Howard government, but that lasted four months. Four months after it was instigated the Howard government was swept out of power by the Rudd government. If this government has some issue with the intervention, why was it not, five years ago, yelling, screaming and carrying on to Kevin Rudd saying it did not want a bar of it in the Northern Territory? The fact is, they are nothing but lackeys and lapdogs for their federal counterparts and there is no way known they were going to rock the boat.
The motion the Chief Minister put up - good on him! We are all legislators in some regard in the Northern Territory and the idea of unrestricted power to create legislation is quite appealing. We can raise our own army! We can create our own currency! We can stop federal taxes, and I am sure my good friend and colleague, the member for Port Darwin, will enunciate some of the things this legislation allows us to do. Quite simply, the legislation allows the territories to bypass section 51 of the Australian Constitution which says states and territories cannot make laws contradictory to federal laws.
That is probably not a bad thing here providing it is used responsibly, but wearing the hat of an Australian - and I note everyone in this House is; we are all Australians - it is in our interest as Australians to have a working federal parliament. This legislation has the ability, if allowed to stand, which I doubt because the first time it is tested it will be found to be unconstitutional and struck off the books, however, if it is allowed to stand we could have unfettered ability to create our own laws in the Northern Territory but, as an Australian, that could create chaos and mayhem in the federal parliament. That is not in Australia’s best interests, irrespective of how much power it gives us in the Northern Territory.
It was interesting to hear the Chief Minister talk about constitutional lawyers. Well, he only mentioned one, Professor George Williams, from the University of New South Wales. Why did he mention George Williams? Because George Williams says the legislation is okay; it is constitutional, workable, and all that type of thing. He would say that. George Williams is not a familiar name around the Northern Territory; not too many people have heard of him. However, Google him. He is a card-carrying member of the Labor Party. Not only that, he has been seeking preselection in the Labor Party! He announced he was seeking preselection in the Labor Party in January 2010 when he said he wanted to oust the sitting member for Fraser, Mr Bob McMullan - Bob McMuddled we called him when I was in Canberra. I have to say, George Williams is right when he says Bob McMuddled is a loser and a failure as a federal rep and has to go. It was not long after George Williams announced his candidature for preselection that Bob McMullen announced his retirement. It all got too hot for him in the Big House in Canberra and he announced his retirement and George Williams, of course, had his hand up for preselection.
So, George Williams is in the business of endearing himself to his Labor mates because George Williams wants preselection. He will say and do those things that endear him to his Labor mates. I was wondering how this government came across this George Williams character who has something to do with our statehood push. Lo and behold! Of course, he is one of the apparatchiks; a senior person in the party in Canberra who is seriously keen on getting preselection in the federal parliament. So, enough of the George Williams stuff!
Find yourself an independent constitutional expert. It would be good to have an independent constitutional expert advising us on statehood and not running political lines for the government in its effort to pull the wool over Territorians’ eyes in relation to statehood. Quite frankly, this government is not interested in statehood. It might well surprise you because, whilst it talks about bipartisan approaches to statehood, it is playing funny, little political games. We have spotted it!
There is to be an election next year in March - same time as shire and council elections. It is the first time ever where we have the shires and councils going to election at the same time. It creates many logistical problems for the Electoral Commission trying to work out how to manage that part of the process. It is happening in March, the height of the Wet Season. Most communities in the Northern Territory will be cut off; people will have huge difficulties accessing polling booths. Throw in, on top of that, a statehood convention election and you have absolute chaos and total mayhem.
It is interesting we are now going to support 16- and 17-year-olds having the vote. We are getting towards the end of November and somehow or other the Electoral Commission has to, between now and if the legislation is passed, encourage 16- and 17-year-olds to enrol to vote. The logistical problem with that, in itself, is an absolute nightmare.
I note today, finally, the government is allowing the opposition to be briefed by the Northern Territory Electoral Commission. I am very keen to get to that briefing; other briefings have been cancelled. You say: ‘Oh, we have to have a bipartisan approach’. Here, we are at the eleventh hour and the Chief Minister’s office has finally conceded to the opposition’s calls for a briefing with the Electoral Commissioner. That will be an interesting appointment this afternoon.
You have to ask why? Why would a government which says it is committed to statehood want to run an election in March with a convention some time in 2013 knowing full well there is a general election in August 2012? We are going to have 75 new politicians - three from each electorate - distracting people from the general election. At the same time, we are going to have candidates standing for a general election trying to suck up oxygen in the media from the statehood nominated members whilst there is a general election happening. In whose interests, you have to ask, is distraction a good thing? Whose interest? I sit in this House and I see a foolish, moribund, pathetic, useless government, and an opposition with new ideas, fresh ideas ready to take on a campaign. It is in our interests to have clear air; to let Territorians make an informed decision. It is not in the government’s interest to have clear air. It is in the government’s interest to have a heap of distractions occurring the whole time because the last thing it wants is anyone to focus on it.
That is what this is about. This is about playing funny, little political games with statehood. The fact is, those opposite could not give a rats about statehood; it is simply a tool to pull the wool the over voters’ eyes and get yourself re-elected for another term of your dodgy government.
What a pathetic effort! They are running advertisements on the television, in the newspaper and on the radio like it is already a done deal. We have not even discussed it in parliament - sitting there spending taxpayers’ money. We have not had the discussion! These people have the audacity to say they support statehood - what a load of crock! What a pathetic bunch of people you are …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask you remind the member for Fong Lim to direct his comments through the Chair, please.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, thank you very much, member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: Of course, Madam Speaker. I am talking of your colleagues in the Labor Party, but things have to go through you, Madam Speaker, and I apologise.
Madam Speaker, the Chief Minister’s motion is about playing funny, little political games, somehow or other trying to embarrass the Country Liberals …
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: Of course we are going to support it. As I say, as a Territory legislator, I want unfettered power, wearing the hat of an Australian …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, direct your comments through the Chair, please.
Mr TOLLNER: … I can see there are problems with this legislation passed in the federal parliament. If we had a gung ho government in the Northern Territory which stood up for Territorians, we would be playing merry hell in Canberra with this legislation. I remember reading stories of the Everingham government and the wars he fought with Canberra. There was a bloke who stood up for the Territory, who was not scared to get out there and have a go irrespective of the political stripe of the people occupying the government benches in Canberra. Not this mob, not this mob! Whatever Julia says, whatever Kevin says, whatever any of them say, these guys are ready to jump.
Look at the live cattle export ban, a classic example. Rather than the Chief Minister screaming blue murder and going to Canberra and kicking a few of his Labor colleagues’ heads, he says: ‘No, it was a good circuit breaker’. He supported that fool, Joe Ludwig, who the parliament asked to be dismissed - asked to be removed from office. It is absolutely pathetic. These people have the audacity to say, somehow or other, they support Territorians. What a pathetic joke. They say they support statehood; they do not give a rat’s about statehood, it is a political football for them. It is something to be used in the political fight to get re-elected, which is what they are doing right now with this whole process. Rather than say: ‘All right, let it cool off until after the Territory election when we will not have any distractions or disturbances’, no, they want to run it across a general election. They do not give a stuff about the logistical problems …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, can you rephrase, please? The language you are using is a little excitable. Could you please withdraw that and rephrase. Thank you.
Mr TOLLNER: I am sorry, Madam Speaker. Stuff, was it?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, I am not going to repeat unparliamentary language.
Mr TOLLNER: All right. They could not give two cents.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much, member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: I apologise, Madam Speaker. Sometimes I get a bit worked up and my language can be colourful. However, I am pretty passionate about this issue. I have long been a supporter of statehood. I believe Territorians deserve the right to focus on statehood and take into account those issues important for statehood. It should not be a distraction from a Territory election, and a Territory election should not be a distraction from statehood. It is wrong on both counts. People should be able to look, objectively, at the issues of statehood. So, why in goodness’ name would you decide to run a statehood referendum, or a statehood convention election, when you are running a general election? There is only one reason for it, and we all know what it is.
This government is scared silly people will focus on it come a general election and it will get its just desserts. That is why it is scared and doing everything in its power to distract Territorians; to move them away from the issues that matter with their representatives in the Territory Legislative Assembly and push on them a statehood debate right at the time when we are running a general election. This is completely wrong. At the same time, it is running advertisements on the television, radio and in the newspaper. We have not even passed the legislation. We have not even been allowed to have a briefing with the Electoral Commission. It is wrong!
To say because one committee of parliament agrees on something we all have to agree on it - what a load of nonsense. It is codswallop. You have to bring things into this Chamber and have them debated. No way, not with this government. They are the ultimate political spin doctors, political animals, and will do whatever is in their power to distract people from their own failings, and that is all they are using statehood for.
Meanwhile, we have this pathetic Minister for Statehood rambling on about how she hates the intervention. We did not hear her talking to Jenny Macklin, Julia Gillard or Kevin Rudd about how much she hates the intervention. It is only now, after the Chief Minister says: ‘The word ‘intervention’ will never come into our language again; we will never do that again’. How pathetic! This woman should be put on the backbench. She has been a joke for ages. Aboriginal people are poorly represented by this woman. It is wrong and, for some reason or other, she has the Statehood portfolio. It shows the contempt these people have for statehood when they give her the portfolio. Now the poor, silly woman is running around trying to promote her statehood campaign. What a joke! We deserve better in the Northern Territory.
Madam Speaker, the Chief Minister comes into this House with these motions: ‘We will embarrass Nigel and Natasha. Yes, we will make Terry pick a side’. It will not happen because the legislation passed in Canberra is nonsense. All Territorians want is a fair go; they want the same opportunities as everyone else, nothing more or nothing less. We want statehood. It is the only way to go; however, while we have this mob running the show we have Buckley’s of getting statehood. They use it as a political football to distract people from their own failures and incompetence.
Dr BURNS (Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I will be brief. To seize on the words often used by the member for Fong Lim: ‘Do not be swayed by what they say; look at what they do’. That was never truer than in this debate. What we saw the CLP do in the federal parliament is knock back the Territory, that is simple. That was reflected by Marshall Perron in his letter to the NT News.
The member for Fong Lim can argue all he likes. It was a great performance by the member for Fong Lim, far superior to the member for Blain. It made me reflect a little on my early days in this parliament where we had the then Leader of the Opposition, who was then the member for Blain, we had the former Leader of the Opposition, who was the member for Brennan, and the member for Blain had agreed to certain things, as I recollect, within a committee of this parliament. The exact details escape me now, but I remember the then member for Brennan standing almost exactly where you are sitting now saying exactly what you said: these are not matters for committees; these are matters for the parliament to determine. He completely undermined the authority of the member for Blain as opposition leader. That is exactly what you have done today because the bipartisanship you are rejecting with the convention - the methodology for election and timing for election - was agreed to by your leader, through a bipartisan committee of this parliament …
Mr BOHLIN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member fully knows his comments should go through the Chair.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Drysdale. Direct your comments through the Chair, please.
Dr BURNS: Here we have history repeating itself over this crucially important issue of statehood. The member for Fong Lim belittles the people of the Northern Territory saying they have such a short attention span they cannot focus on the issue of statehood and a general election …
Mr Tollner: You do not want them to.
Dr BURNS: You are belittling them.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim! Order! Member for Fong Lim!
Dr BURNS: I have more confidence in the people of the Northern Territory than you do, member for Fong Lim, and they will see through your rhetoric. Good try; good distraction; not a bad performance, but what you have done and what you have put on the Parliamentary Record today directly undermines your leader, who has agreed to this.
Bring this debate on because you are scrabbling around looking for excuses not to support the statehood convention legislation and the methodology of selecting people from all over the Territory to go into this convention by electorate. Politicians are excluded. I understand there has already been tremendous interest in this convention, literally hundreds - somewhere between 600 and 700 people have registered their interest in the statehood convention. You are belittling the people of the Northern Territory in the same way the member for Solomon, Natasha Griggs, and Nigel Scullion did two weeks ago in the federal parliament.
You say you are angry; I am a little angry with your attitude and the way you are undermining the process of statehood.
On that, Madam Speaker, I say nothing more except I support this motion.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, what a sad day for the Northern Territory. I thought we had a bipartisanship approach towards an agreed road map towards statehood. This is something you, Madam Speaker, the Minister for Statehood, and previous ministers for Statehood have been working on diligently for the last 10 years of this government, in a bipartisan way, to find an agreed road map to statehood. All along, there have been collaborative meetings of the Statehood Steering Committee and the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee of this parliament. There have been bipartisan trips to Canberra, meetings of the Statehood Steering Committee and the constitutional committee around the Northern Territory in a bipartisan way, with a road map towards statehood. All of this has been agreed to ...
Mr Tollner: Why don’t we get a briefing, Hendo?
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Fong Lim!
Mr HENDERSON: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has been in full agreement. I have been in meetings with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Opposition where we have agreed to this process and the timing. The whole approach to this has been - and I can say this because I mean it – genuinely, from our side, bipartisan. None of these issues have been raised through all the meetings that have taken us to this point in time; to the road map and the timing of that road map. None of these issues have been raised with us as a concern until today’s incredible outburst by the member for Fong Lim. I do not know why the member for Fong Lim feels so threatened by democratic process around statehood. I do not know why you feel threatened …
Mr Tollner: You are a joke!
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Fong Lim!
Mr Tollner: You are trying to derail the democratic process.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, cease interjecting!
Mr HENDERSON: … by a democratic process where people will be elected to come together at a convention - 16- and 17-year-old kids to talk about their aspirations and vision for a future constitution for the Northern Territory. I do not know why you would believe that is threatening in any way, and why you believe, as my colleague, the Education minister said, Territorians cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. It is pretty offensive that people cannot think about a constitutional convention in April next year. The election is not until August; there is daylight between the two. I find it astounding that, without reference to us, any formal request to change things or do things differently, we have an outburst from the member for Fong Lim which, potentially, sets statehood back once again.
It is obvious that the member for Fong Lim is running the show. The Leader of the Opposition is not in control of this at all. I had a media conference with you, Madam Speaker, and the Leader of the Opposition announcing this path to statehood, the constitutional convention, when it was going to be held, and how it was would be elected. The Leader of the Opposition was at that media conference giving absolute support for all of this. I think your words, Leader of the Opposition, were: ‘Encouraging Territorians to put their names forward and nominate for the convention’. There was no sign of any discomfort with this at all!
In the same way the member for Fong Lim has rolled the Leader of the Opposition on climate change policy - that is all gone. That was launched by the Leader of the Opposition - a very detailed climate change policy and not a bad one at all. It is probably one of the more detailed policies the Leader of the Opposition had. However, that is rolled - that has disappeared. There is not even a shadow minister for Climate Change any more; they do not believe in that anymore. The Leader of the Opposition was comprehensively rolled by the member for Fong Lim in the decision not to support any future mining at Angela Pamela. The Leader of the Opposition was saying: ‘No, we have heard the people of Alice Springs and we agree with the government; we would not see Angela Pamela mined 20 km from Alice Springs’. We all know of the infamous e-mail.
We know with the rural shires, the position the Deputy Leader has put regarding the makeup of sizes in the rural shires, contradicting the Leader of the Opposition’s own policy. We know the member for Fong Lim is backing the Deputy, so rolling the leader again. There is consistent and constant undermining and rolling of the Leader of the Opposition on matters of significant public policy.
I am wondering when the rest of the members of the parliamentary wing will put the Leader of the Opposition out of his misery. Leader of the Opposition, you have no control, no authority, you display no leadership, and to be comprehensively rolled on your public position and support for the process to establish a pathway to an eventual vote on statehood, and a road map to deliver an elected constitutional convention which you agreed to - to be rolled in such a comprehensive way, I do not know how you can sit there as leader any more. You have no authority, no dignity; you have been totally ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The Leader of the Opposition spoke first in this debate for the opposition so why did the Leader of the Opposition not say: ‘We do not support the road map. We do not support what I previously agreed to …’
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The Leader of the Opposition had an opportunity in this debate to say that. It would have been a complete backflip if he had, and I know he would have been totally embarrassed by it; however, the member for Fong Lim could not even afford the Leader of the Opposition the dignity, as leader, to announce his own backflip; it had to be done for him. There is no dignity left for the Leader of the Opposition regarding his leadership ...
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move that the member no longer be heard.
Motion negatived.
Mr CONLAN: I call a division, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! A division is called ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Greatorex will cease interjecting!
The Assembly divided:
Motion negatived.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would have thought that motion from the Country Liberals to be unprecedented. We all know the member for Greatorex is off his trolley much of the time in here; however, to vote to shut down - it is not about me, but the Chief Minister speaking about statehood - wanting to gag the Chief Minister talking about statehood is absolutely outrageous …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bohlin: Talk about the motion.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale!
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, this is a very sad day on what I thought was a genuine bipartisan approach. We have played a straight bat on this all the way through. We have had the support of many hundreds, and some thousands of Territorians who have attended Statehood Steering Committee meetings across the Northern Territory.
As to the outburst by the member for Fong Lim encouraging people to nominate for the convention, this all occurred because we thought we had an agreed position. I did a media conference with the Leader of the Opposition, and we jointly agreed to an elected constitutional convention and the timing and methodology for that - we were going to create history in the Northern Territory by providing for 16- and 17-year-olds to vote on their future and that was exciting.
We had debates in this parliament about reports from the steering committee, all bipartisan. When I have that level of commitment from the Leader of the Opposition on the public record, why would we not encourage people to put their hands up because people need to think about these things? It was going to take up people’s time to go to the convention and they want to talk to their family and friends about whether they should do this or not. People do not wake up in the morning and decide to put their hand up for election to run in a constitutional convention. Why would you not be ahead of the game given the fact we have debated this up hill and down dale in this House over many years.
We have an agreed position with the Leader of the Opposition and, if I were in your shoes, I would walk away. You have been totally humiliated today by the member for Fong Lim. Leader of the Opposition, you have put your leadership on the line today over statehood …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Come out next week when we debate this legislation and stand by your public position of support. You have been involved; your deputy has been involved in this since day one. You should be joined at the hip. I am joined at the hip with my deputy, Leader of the Opposition. You have been …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: You have been through all these issues and red herrings the member for Fong Lim has thrown out and come to a position …
Mr BOHLIN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is very clear; the member fully knows he should direct his comments through the Chair. He is clearly going across the Chamber.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much, member for Drysdale.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale, can I remind you not to interject as well. Thank you.
Mr HENDERSON: Leader of the Opposition, this is about your leadership. You need to get back into the party room and they need to say whether they back you and your public commitment to this process. You have been involved all along. Your deputy has been there all along agreeing to the road map, the process, the pathway, the timetable; everything has been negotiated and agreed to.
At the last minute the member for Fong Lim declares he does not support it - you guys will not support the legislation you have agreed to. The legislation has been agreed to. It has been provided to your office. It was an agreed position through your deputy and through your words at that media conference. You had the legislation before it was tabled in this parliament. I wanted to be convinced, when providing you with the legislation, that we had your support before we came into this House. I was given an assurance of your support by your deputy, Leader of the Opposition. Your leadership is on the line over this. You need to support your agreed position or you have been rolled and humiliated, Leader of the Opposition, on statehood - unprincipled for a member of the Country Liberal Party.
This is a very sad day unless the Leader of the Opposition can reassert some semblance of leadership from his tattered credibility. He was rolled on climate change, rolled on Angela Pamela, rolled on rural house blocks, and now rolled on statehood. This is a point of principle. You have agreed all the way through this, Leader of the Opposition. The legislation was provided to you before being tabled in this House. I had a rock solid assurance from your deputy that there was support for this. Today, it has all fallen apart and your leadership is in tatters.
Motion agreed to.
Continued from 19 October 2011.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, the opposition indicates its support for this legislation. It is fairly straightforward and deals with six effective amendments, with some sundry amendments attached to it. There is nothing the opposition finds particularly repugnant in relation to this legislation. I say at the outset, however, I welcome the new Attorney-General to his role and look forward to debating other legislation with him on other occasions.
The first amendment deals with compensational restitution orders. This is a good amendment and heartily supported by this side of the House. There is no shortage of orders of restitution made from time to time in the lower and higher courts in the Northern Territory. Occasionally, extracting those restitution amounts from the people ordered to pay restitution is a very troublesome process. Whilst I have not done a great deal of homework, from memory, for a restitution amount ordered, ultimately, you still have to go back to a court to apply for the order to be enforced if the person refuses to pay, etcetera. I believe by the time you get to the point where you have been found guilty, convicted, and ordered to pay restitution, a person who is the beneficiary - for a lack of better words - of that order of restitution should not have to go back to a court or go through another bureaucracy to recover that which is determined by a court as being owed to them.
The second fundamental, substantive change in this legislation is the time to pay arrangement. This side of the House has no major problem with that. If a person who is the subject of the fine, in good faith, seeks to negotiate an opportunity for time to pay and comes to an arrangement to enable that, why would they not if they are still attempting to pay their fines?
Third, the bill makes provision for cessation of business provisions. I confess I was less than thoroughly enthusiastic about this, but I understand what is being attempted here. On balance, we can understand what government is seeking to do. I hope the powers which are being granted under this arrangement will be used in careful fashion. I do not want to see businesses having to close if there is some cash flow problem. I hope a business, before it comes to the point where the cessation of business provisions are being applied, will have negotiated some time to pay. I encourage businesses to go through a process so, if there is a cash flow problem, they would turn to the second amendment proposed by this legislation.
The FRU, the Fines Recovery Unit, has administrative costs associated with the issuing of courtesy letters. The question I have for the minister in relation to this is: how much will those administrative costs be? If he makes clear that these administrative costs are not excessively onerous, we would not be standing in the way of that either.
The fifth component is changing the cut-out rate, or the rate by which a person works off their fine - either in gaol or otherwise - currently set at $100 a day. That figure of $100 a day dates back at least 20 years. They are exemplified by warrants of commitment which were known colloquially as the ‘money or the body’ warrant. You could front the person who had not paid their fine and the police officer would say: ‘Do you have X number of dollars on you?’ If the answer was ‘no’ that person was then arrested and they cut out that fine at a rate of $100 a day. This is, essentially, an allowance for inflation over time. Now, the cut-out rate or the rate of – I forget what it is called, but I will refer to it as the cut-out rate - the rate of which the fine is reduced will be two penalty units per day, which is equivalent to $274. This side of the House has no major problem with that. It is a realistic figure to apply, and $100 is probably a little on the low side considering the amount of change over the last 20 years.
I recall a time in the 1980s when a warrant of commitment came to my attention. We had to collect 1.5s.2d or something of that nature. Needless to say, we never bothered to execute that warrant.
The other thing the government has sought from this House – and we have no major objection on this side – is the limitation period for issuing an enforcement order be changed from six months to 12 months. Because of the toing and froing of certain fines, or the issuing of fines between drivers, car owners and that type of thing, that six month period can become a little tight. We are of the opinion on this side of the House that if you commit the crime be prepared to do the time or, ultimately, pay the fine. We have no major problems with extending that period of recovery or issue of enforcement order in circumstances when there is correspondence back and forth between vehicle owners, particularly, and the Fines Recovery Unit.
The final amendment is to amend the act to capture changes to the Service and Execution of Process Act 1992 of the Commonwealth. As made clear in the second reading speech, the Commonwealth act was amended and this Territory legislation is now being amended to accommodate the Commonwealth legislation.
Madam Deputy Speaker, all in all, I hope to get a response on the questions I have asked of the minister in his reply. If not, we may have to go into committee, but we will see what the minister has to say.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I support the bill. I have a couple of questions and I could either leave them to the committee stage, if that is where the member for Port Darwin is going, or I could ask them now and, if they are answered sufficiently, I will not bother during the committee stage.
In the second reading there is a statement about the effect on bodies corporate which says the amendments will allow the FRU to request the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to cease business with a body corporate. This means that although there will not necessarily be any immediate implications for the body corporate, if it does not pay the fine or enter into a time to pay arrangement, when they go to register a vehicle, renew vehicle registration, or take other action specified in the act, it will be unable to do so until they either pay their fine or enter into a time to pay arrangement with the FRU. There might be a very simple answer to it, but if they have a fleet of vehicles all due for registration, does that mean the whole fleet would not be allowed to be registered or just one of the vehicles? It is just clarification as to whether it applies to all the vehicles owned by the body corporate.
The other question relates to the courtesy letter and recovering the money required to produce a courtesy letter. What happens if a person refuses to pay for the courtesy letter? What is the punishment? How much do the courtesy letters cost and why did we go down this path of a separate expenditure item when perhaps they should be included in the total bill, if that is required? Why are they set out as a separate item?
They are relatively minor questions, but I want to clarify those points. I have no doubt that somewhere in the future someone will ring me and say: ‘The FRU has sent me a bill for $2.50 for a courtesy letter’ and I will wonder why. If the minister could answer that I would appreciate it. However, I do not have any concerns about the changes; they are commonsense changes. It shows most of our legislation does not quite get it right the first time, but at least it has come back for amendment to make it better legislation.
Mr KNIGHT (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the members for Port Darwin and Nelson for their comments. As both members highlighted, the provisions in the bill enhance the workability of the Fines Recovery Unit. I thank all the staff within the Fines Recovery Unit as they do a fabulous job. They have been putting forward suggestions for improvements to the Fines Recovery Unit. They collect a high rate of outstanding fines and this will assist them in doing their work. It will also give people who owe money to the Northern Territory government through unpaid fines the ability to pay that off within their means prior to going into any sort of enforcement provision.
These are enhancements and we look forward to their workability over time. The act was introduced in 2001 and, over that time, there have been several comments within the unit and the judiciary about how these things can be fixed. These are quite comprehensive and will not be the last, but they come a long way.
I will pick up on some of the questions raised by members. I only picked up one of your issues, member for Port Darwin, the cost of the courtesy letter …
Mr Elferink: Yes, that was one of them.
Mr KNIGHT: Yes, and also the member for Nelson. It is 20 revenue units, which is about $20.40, for the courtesy letter. That is set out in the regulations. There are other charges in the regulations for other forms of correspondence as well. That is, correspondence from the Motor Vehicle Registry in regard to preventing a body corporate or an individual from registering their car. There are different charges within the regulations and the courtesy letter is $20.40 or 20 revenue units.
One of the other questions the member for Port Darwin asked was about time to pay arrangements for business. When a time-to-pay arrangement is entered into, the ban on registration of the vehicle is lifted and they can continue with that. With respect to a fleet, if they have a fleet of vehicles once an order has been placed every vehicle that comes before the MVR is prevented from being re-registered until a time to pay arrangement has been put in place or the fine is paid out. Only one vehicle might come forward and it will be knocked back, and I guess it will build up if they continue not to pay. As I said, there are time-to-pay arrangements after enforcement, and time-to-pay arrangements prior to reaching that stage. If people realise it is a fairly hefty fine and want to pay it off if they cannot pay the lump sum, it gives that flexibility.
I hope I have been able to answer those questions for you. We look forward to this being an effective tool for both the Fines Recovery Unit and for people who find themselves on the wrong side of a fine. I thank members for their contributions.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Chair, there are several things in relation to what the minister said I want to make clear in my mind. As far as the minister is concerned, how is the Fines Recovery Unit going to deal with companies, businesses or bodies corporate that come to the attention of the Fines Recovery Unit for outstanding fines? I presume the process will be the person representing the body corporate will go to Motor Vehicle Registry for the purposes of renewing the registration on a vehicle and the Motor Vehicle Registry will have a flag against the name of that body corporate saying there is an outstanding fine and the vehicle cannot be registered. Then, I presume, an offer will be made by the Motor Vehicle Registry, or the Fines Recovery Unit, that the body corporate can either pay the fine or enter into an agreement for time to pay. Is that how it is going to work?
Mr KNIGHT: You have described it fairly accurately. There is a fair process and lead-up to this. They receive an infringement notice, a courtesy letter, an enforcement order, and then there is cessation of business. I believe that is where you are going.
Mr ELFERINK: Basically, it is just the mechanics of how this works. I suspect that after those notifications they will not be ignorant, but will probably plead ignorance: ‘Oh, hell, I did not know about that’. What happens when you are at the Motor Vehicle Registry, which is somewhere remote from the Fines Recovery Unit - do you have to phone from the Motor Vehicle Registry to the Fines Recovery Unit? Is there some capacity for the Motor Vehicle Registry to bypass the flag?
Mr KNIGHT: I am advised there will be a phone at the MVR so you can call the FRU to sort out your outstanding account. Presumably, there will be some kind of verbal arrangement to enter into for time to pay. Presumably, people are not going in on the day their vehicle runs out of registration; they are going in prior to that and can deal with it prior to it running out of registration.
Mr ELFERINK: I accept that. Any number of bodies corporate will probably wait until the death knell, particularly those that have their motor vehicle registry inspections done remotely from the Motor Vehicle Registry. They may wait until the last day, but that is their problem. I am not overwhelmed by a deep sense of sympathy for someone who has ignored the fines they have received. It is the mechanics of how this works.
If a business finds itself in a situation where the flag has come up on the computer system I presume it says: ‘Sorry, this body corporate cannot register a vehicle, it has outstanding fines’, they then pick up the phone, speak to the Fines Recovery Unit and enter into some type of verbal agreement. How does that work? Is there a typist on the other end of the phone saying: ‘I am typing this information into the computer?’ Is the FRU’s computer system sufficiently well-linked to the MVR’s computer system to ensure the flag is lifted the moment that agreement is entered into?
Mr KNIGHT: I am advised they pick up the phone, talk to the FRU and, if they have a credit card, they can sort out the fine there and then. If it is another form of payment it may take a little longer. As soon as that time to pay arrangement has been entered into, the flag is lifted and the vehicle is able to be registered.
Mr ELFERINK: Yes. The question I am asking is: with the body corporate, potentially, standing there saying: ‘Oh, hell! I did not know anything about this’ - often it is just a staff member of the body corporate, and we are talking about a business or a company or something like that. It will not be the CEO who is driving down re-registering the vehicle; it is going to the poor old administrative officer of the company or the fleet manager saying: ‘Oh, hell! We have this fine’. I realise that is an internal problem for the company inasmuch as anything else. However, the question specifically was: once the operator at the Fines Recovering Unit presses ‘we are lifting the flag’, how long does it take for the flag to be lifted from the Motor Vehicle Registry? Is there a lag time - half-an-hour, or does it happen instantly?
Mr KNIGHT: I am advised it is pretty much the same system they have so it is instantaneous. Confirmation of the time to pay – if you have a staff member going in there who cannot commit to funds from the company it would be case-by-case. The Fines Recovery Unit will need authorisation from directors of the company that they will pay this off. It might be e-mail – whatever it might be. They need authority for confirmation. I am advised it can be pretty much be lifted instantaneously.
Mr ELFERINK: That is me done.
Mr WOOD: Following up on the response you gave on the courtesy letter, what happens if someone does not pay their courtesy letter? Will they not be able to register their vehicle, or will it go through the normal process of trying to recover a debt? Is the non-payment of the courtesy letter going to incur – you will not be able to register your vehicle until you pay it?
Mr KNIGHT: It is an available tool. They will have an outstanding fine, which is why the courtesy letter is issued. There is still a considerable outstanding amount, so it will be wrapped together. There is the ability to put the enforcement order and the cessation of business. It is a tool that can be used by the Fines Recovery Unit. It is an escalation of enforcement available to the FRU. Yes, the courtesy letter cost would be wrapped up in the total amount to be recovered, either simply or through measures with the Motor Vehicle Registry.
Bill agreed to, without amendment.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Mr KNIGHT (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Continued from 19 October 2011.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I rise today to make a contribution from the Country Liberals in relation to this bill. It is curious that this is very much an ‘oops’ bill which is not only the product of a decision by the High Court the government must have been aware was on foot at the time, but moreover, the government had some warning of the issues raised in the High Court, not least of which was by members of this House.
I remind honourable members of the debates that go back to 2009 – I have to lay my hands on the media releases from government at the time – where the Chief Minister, on 11 June 2009, under the media release Tough New Bikie Laws Introduced Into Parliament says:
That was not actually true. The Northern Territory government was following other states in relation to their tough new bikie laws:
Too right, but it is happening anyhow. Recent information, which is now public knowledge, is a fellow by the name of Alex Vella, head of the Rebels motorcycle group is looking for some real estate around town to help set up his organisation.
In a media release on 21 October 2009, Tough New Organised Crime Laws Passed, the then Attorney-General, Ms Lawrie said:
The language of urgency surrounded the debate at the time. It was of course, like every other priority of government, the number one priority. It has had many number one priorities, but this was to be a really important thing it was doing. Needless to say, by December 2010, the Administrator had not passed this into law because the government knew there were problems with the legislative instrument pretty much from the time the legislative instrument was passed. Issues were raised by the then shadow Attorney-General, Ms Carney, in relation to the legislation at the time, and I also contributed to the debate.
On 19 October 2009, speaking in response to concerns I raised in the House during that debate, the Attorney-General said - I will confirm that date. It was 21 October 2009 and the Serious Crime Control Bill (Serial 48). The then Attorney-General said:
Madam Speaker, indeed the issue of judicial review was a matter of deep concern to me. In fact, I will point out some of the comments I made at the time:
Madam Speaker, I approach the issue from an administrative law point of view and, indeed, the court case which brings this government back into this House with amendments is Wainohu and New South Wales [2011] HCA 24, 23 June 2011. There was also another case which touched on these matters, and that was the case of the State of South Australia against Totani and Others, which was 2010 High Court of Australia, 39.
Reading from the media release, because it is easier to refer to the media release:
The case of Wainohu also touches on these issues and, essentially, the separation of powers. It is worth noting the comments or observations by the justices in that particular case. I quote:
That deals with issues of the Commonwealth; however, the idea and concept in those comments filters down to the operation of the separation of powers at a state level.
Madam Speaker, to cut a long story short, at a state level it would still be determined by the court that it undermines the institutional integrity of the Supreme Court of New South Wales - which was the determination of the High Court - in relation to the operation of the New South Wales legislation upon which the Territory legislation, according to the then Attorney-General, was modelled.
I voiced concern from an administrative law point of view because I was concerned there was no effective capacity constructed into the legislation for judicial review. The courts have taken that much further and have determined the structure of the legislation undermines the judicial or institutional integrity of the Supreme Court. We are now stuck in the same place.
As a consequence, amendments are now required to make this legislative instrument work in the Northern Territory. That is what these amendments are all about today. As a consequence, the opposition indicates its support for the bill; however, I ask that the Attorney-General listens to what people have to say about these legislative instruments because the issues addressed by the High Court were, in part, raised in this House and, as I understand it, in other jurisdictions in relation to the original bills.
I accept that I supported the legislation in the hope the offences I identified at the time were not so grave as to render the bill ineligible. As it turns out, it did. I hope the government turns its attention to these things before adopting these legislative instruments so they can work properly from day one, rather than having all the media releases saying how tough we are on crime, etcetera, only to find ourselves with a law that does not work for two years. We are then back in this House amending a bill to ensure it operates within the lawful parameters identified by some of the institutions implied and protected by the principles of our Westminster system and our system of separation of powers.
That is what this amendment seeks to do. It would have been nice to get it right in the first place, but, there you go. Hopefully, we get it right eventually.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to comment on the amendment to a bill that, as the member for Port Darwin said, has not yet been enacted because it has not been gazetted by the Administrator. It has been sitting around for two years and, obviously, even when this legislation was put forward there were words to say all was quiet on the western front when in fact it was not. I quote from the summing up speech on 21 October 2009 by the minister at the time:
Whilst I agree with the last part of that sentence – ‘has evolved out of a very considered process by government’ - it has not quite happened. I note comments from the Law Society, and other members of parliament, in relation to concerns about this bill when it was first introduced.
I do not believe anyone is against the reason to introduce this bill, but it is a little difficult to trust government if it puts forward a bill it says will do certain things then you find that bill, having been subject to an appeal or a review in New South Wales, says there are sections of this bill which need amending, which are the amendments we have coming forward today.
I am not against those amendments. Those amendments are an answer to the decisions by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, especially in relation to eligible judges which are now, basically, scrapped and replaced by the Supreme Court - as a layman, something I believe is a good move. At the time - again as a layman - I trusted the government to tell me this process of eligible judges was the correct process for this parliament. You rely on those statements and hope they will be backed up by facts. The proof of the pudding will be this legislation has been tested and proved to be good legislation.
I was trying to find a statement by the minister at the time which said the government had done all the right things. For instance, on 21 October 2009, the minister said:
I note, already, the Law Society of the Northern Territory has some serious concerns about the legislation. What concerns me is whether there was enough legal analysis of the legislation before it was introduced, especially if the Chief Magistrate, the court, relevant stakeholders, and the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services looked at it. Advice was also obtained from the Solicitor-General regarding its constitutionality.
My concern is if you had all these people looking at this bill originally and, then, we find two years later there was something wrong, is there something amiss in the systems we have to check legislation in the first place to ensure it can stand scrutiny in our courts? Or is it always going to be the case that you have to test the legislation? I understand much legislation works in that way. There was much fanfare around this legislation. It was going to tackle organised crime in the Northern Territory and that has not happened because it has not been enacted and, two years later, we do not have this legislation. Why did this happen in the first place? Why has it had to come back to parliament to be amended? As I say, terrific, the amendments will make this a much better act. However, I query the process you would hope to be really thorough, because many of the issues in relation to this bill were in relation to the deprivation of liberty, to some extent, as mentioned by the Law Society. The previous member for Araluen also mentioned some of these things.
It was a change from the norm in relation to the rights of people in the Northern Territory based on the fact they were involved in organised crime. Be that as it may, we, basically, had a proposal before us which took away some of the rights law-abiding citizens would normally not accept. We made some changes because we felt there was a need to restrict the move by organised crime into our society.
Madam Deputy Speaker, whilst I support the changes to the bill, it is of some concern this bill was debated in parliament two years ago and we were given guarantees - told this was good law and it was going to change things in relation to organised crime. That did not happen and is the very reason we are here today. If I see more bills in relation to organised crime I will give them as much scrutiny as possible, even if I am told they are foolproof. I am uncertain I will take that on face value any more. I will ensure, whenever bills come forward where people’s liberties are being curtailed, they require serious study to ensure what is put forward will work, and is fair and reasonable.
Mr KNIGHT (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank members for their contributions. I thank the Department of Justice staff who have worked tirelessly on the preparation of this amending legislation, and for the contribution of the police department and other jurisdictions that have assisted in the preparation of this.
I might start with where the member for Nelson was heading. I will speak in layman’s terms because I am coming to terms with legal speak.
I attended the Standing Council on Law and Justice and this issue was discussed. Looking back through the whole process, through police intelligence across the country, they felt they needed significantly greater powers to deal with organised crime, particularly bikie gangs. South Australia was one of those key jurisdictions. They introduced legislation in 2008; New South Wales in 2006. There was a belief gangs would drift to softer jurisdictions, and that is when we started our consultation in 2009 and passed the legislation in 2009. Queensland did in 2009 as well.
There was the Totani High Court case in 2010. Our legislation was modelled on the New South Wales legislation. This was very much a balance of workability for the police - we want to get these guys; we want to cut through - so it was a workability issue versus a legal issue of judicial process, fairness, and constitutionality. That was the balancing act to get it right. In the Totani case where the Attorney-General was the declaring body - he or she made the declaration of an organisation - that was challenged in the High Court.
The Wainohu challenge, which was handed down mid-year, was really about eligible judges not being required to hand down any reasons for the declarations being made, there being no appeal rights within the decision being made, and the doctrine of Kable. They came down with that decision.
The reason Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, the Northern Territory - our judicial system, our department – did not pick it up was because we cannot predict the minds of High Court judges. They came up with those decisions. At that meeting I attended last week, everyone was scrambling to shift that balance - to keep the workability there and make it constitutionally valid so it does not end up in the High Court.
I expect this legislation, and the Western Australian legislation, to head off to the High Court as well, because this is going to be a cat and mouse game. That was discussed at the meeting of the Standing Council on Law and Justice. Ideally, you would have a national scheme but, obviously, we cannot wait for that to happen. We have to have this legislation to give police the power to declare these organisations and put in control orders on individuals in those organisations. It has been a balancing act. It will be a bit of cat and mouse with organised criminal gangs to get this right, so we have come up with a very reasonable balance where the Supreme Court now makes the declarations. Supreme Court judges issue reasons for the declarations being made, and there are appeal rights, as is normal within the Supreme Court. We have gone down a safer road. South Australia is sticking with eligible judges but will give reasons, and there will be appeal rights. Western Australia will be introducing legislation this week. I believe they are sticking with eligible judges as well, with those caveats in there.
It is a mixed bag around Australia and legislation will be challenged. I believe we have a very good balance here. People have some judicial process, they have some appeal rights, but the police believe they can make this work. I believe it is a very good balance. Everyone went into this, including this Chamber, with the desire to make it work but we obviously cannot predict the views of the High Court. It came down with a decision and we are moving to fix those areas it has highlighted.
I thank members for their contribution. Hopefully, we have a very workable tool. I do not believe it will be the last time we talk about amending this legislation given the cat and mouse game with criminal gangs. I thank members and I look forward to the committee stage.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Chair, my first question relates to the minister’s closing remarks. On what grounds do you expect to find yourself back in the High Court? You signalled that, as a result of your meeting with SCLJ, you expected there would be further challenges to this. Where do you anticipate those challenges coming from?
Mr KNIGHT: As I said, our legislation is much more finely balanced between workability and what we believe is the constitutional validity of it. Possibly, other jurisdictions with more of a workable model for their police force might be under pressure, you never know. These laws are the first amendment to this legislation in the country. They are tougher but, having said that, they are fairer as well. I am predicting we will be back there; I cannot say what it will be. We know, in the cases of Totani and Wainohu, they got together, put their money together, and challenged those laws. I would not be surprised if we were challenged in this area. I believe there will be challenges in other jurisdictions. There was a discussion with Attorney-General Porter from Western Australia about different jurisdictions having different legislation - different variations.
We will learn from each other who is challenged first and what loophole needs to be plugged until we have a law accepted by the High Court. Hopefully, in the future we reach national harmony with these laws because the business model of criminal gangs - they have their own patches but operate across the country. Ultimately, we will need national laws because these guys are operating internationally as well. I cannot say what areas are going to be challenged; however, I would not be surprised if we end up in court.
Mr ELFERINK: Minister, I am surprised you have so little confidence in your legislative instrument. Wainohu was fairly clear. The decision in that matter was pretty straight up and down in relation to the reasons for invalidity, and your amendments address those issues. However, I notice you have, in the amendments, placed at clause 21: court not bound by the rules of evidence. Why would you not seek to bind a court to the rules of evidence in this instance?
Mr KNIGHT: My understanding is they are not bound by them but can use them.
Mr ELFERINK: I understand that, and I would expect a court to act reasonably, but there are other legislative instruments where the court sidesteps the rules of evidence. I can name probably two or three off the top of my head, but I am asking you why you have chosen to go down that path in relation to this clause. Why do you feel it is necessary for a court not to be bound by the rules of evidence?
Mr KNIGHT: Other parts of the legislation highlight protected evidence and protected witnesses. We have to give discretion to the Supreme Court judges on how they treat evidence and how public that evidence is allowed to be. We have put in those protections - protected witnesses and protected evidence - where the court makes a decision about the liability of that evidence as well. There is some discretion for the Supreme Court judge.
Mr ELFERINK: Minister, the reason I raise the issue is you are talking to an ex-copper so I know what is trying to be achieved. Whilst I have never practiced, I have had cause to study a bit of law over the last few years as well as turn my attention to my political science studies over the years. I understand the balance between the needs of the executive as expressed by the police to do their job, but limiting the powers of that executive. What I am seeking to test is the quality of the limitations we are placing. It was the excessive restraint placed on the courts by the parliament in an effort to support the executive’s battle, for lack of better words, against these criminal gangs that lead to the executive coming to this parliament and asking for powers that, ultimately, were ruled to be invalid because of the way they operated.
Under the Bail Act, a court is not bound by the rules of evidence. It can receive hearsay evidence and those types of things. Similarly, a coroner can receive hearsay evidence and those types of things where, under the normal rules of evidence, they would not be allowed to. I can understand that in the Bail Act because the rules of evidence restrict, to some degree, the other extraneous material a court may hear when issuing or not an order for bail. Because the Coroner’s Court is of an inquisitorial nature rather than a strictly judicial nature, a Coroner’s Court sidesteps the rules of evidence for the purposes of gleaning as much information as possible. The coroner then has the discretion to remove what evidentiary procedures are involved.
Both bailment and the Coroner’s Court deal with some pretty low level issues of what evidence is and those sorts of things. These orders move towards a much more serious political freedom, if you like. I note the full court did not find there were grounds for the - I will quote it. I am, basically, getting myself on the record here more than - here we are: The implied right to political association, paragraph 186. I am not going to quote the whole thing because it is a bit long but, in essence, there is a clear distinction made by the court that this is not about political association and an implied right to political association which, by the way, is not quite that clear. This is about targeting criminal gangs, and was the comment I made, specifically, the last time we debated this issue.
What concerns me is there are now arguments in the ether about that particular association. By removing, if you like, the evidentiary protocols, I am concerned that may enable your concern you described - there will be some wriggle room for the forces of darkness, for the lack of better words, to find grounds for another appeal. The question to you is: are you confident the removal, in this instance, of the rules of evidence in the way you are asking for them is not going to be struck down? If not, can you describe the reasons as to why you are confident it is not going to be struck down?
Mr KNIGHT: I go back to my previous answer. It is the discretion of the court to apply the rules of evidence or not. The judge in that case would make a considered decision which could be open to appeal. I do not know if it could be challenged as legislation. It could be challenged on the court case itself …
Mr Elferink: That is how these things end up.
Mr KNIGHT: Yes. It would have to prove the judge erred in consideration of a particular piece of evidence.
Again, we are getting back to the workability and the balance with judicial challenge. At the moment, we have allowed the discretion to be made by the learned judge. I guess we will see where it goes from there. It offers discretion for them to use the rules of evidence or not.
Mr ELFERINK: I believe you missed my point, but I am not going to labour it. Essentially, the thrust of my point is by limiting or removing, if you like, a form of protection for the innocent - bearing in mind the fundamental principles of our system is individuals who live in our community have certain rights – this might be seen by some as diminishing those rights. There may be grounds for an appeal if someone feels they have been poorly treated as a result of side-stepping or setting aside the rules of evidence.
This is not entirely different to the principles involved in bailment. Therefore, you may find a court would simply say: ‘No, this is similar to the operation of the Bail Act or the issue of other orders which can set aside the rules of evidence’. I am concerned that might come up as grounds for an appeal should someone be unsatisfied with the decision of a court.
That is about it, Madam Chair. I will let this one sail through, and hope we are not going to be back here again.
Bill agreed to, without amendment.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Mr KNIGHT (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
Continued from 27 October 2011.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I commend the Ombudsman’s 2010-11 Annual Report to the House and, as members will see, it provides a detailed assessment of the office’s performance and operations during the financial year and the financial statements required under the Financial Management Act.
As honourable members of this House would be aware, the Ombudsman’s term of appointment is for a fixed term of seven years without the capacity for re-appointment. The current Ombudsman, Ms Carolyn Richards’ term as the Ombudsman will end in 2012 and, accordingly, this is likely to be her last annual report to this Assembly. On behalf of the government, I take this opportunity to thank Ms Richards for her stewardship of the Ombudsman’s Office and her commitment to improving the quality and accountability of public administration. It will be a difficult task to pick an Ombudsman of the same calibre as Ms Richards, but that is the cycle of the appointments of Ombudsmen, and I wish Ms Richards well.
I read in the newspaper she has a property, I think, at Dundee Beach. I am not sure whether she is a keen angler or what her interests are, but that is a great part of the world and I am sure she is going to have a great time at Dundee Beach. I read she intends to do much reading - probably not of annual reports and matters she normally deals with. I am sure she will have much enjoyable reading at Dundee Beach and, if I am out there fishing as I hope to be, I might run into the Ombudsman at the Lodge of Dundee. It would be interesting to have a drink with the Ombudsman in retirement.
Perusal of this report shows quite a number of things. The scope of what the Ombudsman does crosses all departmental areas from Parks and Wildlife to NRETAS. One that caught my eye was Henbury School on page 71:
The Ombudsman’s office took the allegations made by the complainant to DET to respond to and, in the first instance, a meeting took place at Henbury School. The meeting resulted in four agreed outcomes: the complainant and her son would explore a graduated entry into the Casuarina Senior College outreach centre of Henbury School; the school would draw up a timetable and playground map restricting where each of the children could go at lunch, ensuring they are not in contact; staff would reinforce the need to be vigilant at recess in keeping the two boys apart; and the complainant would undertake to open lines of communication with her son’s new teacher and school senior staff would facilitate. The result, according to the Ombudsman, was the complainant was happy with this outcome and the matter was closed.
Here is an instance of a complaint, the Ombudsman taking an active role in it, and facilitating a result that is satisfactory to the complainant. I commend the work of the Ombudsman. Possibly in debate, other members will draw attention to other concerns raised within the Ombudsman’s report. I could go on with other matters; there are a number of things related to education. In most cases, people are satisfied with the result.
The role of the Ombudsman is to facilitate results for people, results for the public, in a fearless fashion. Our Ombudsman has been fearless in the discharge of her duties. Once again, I commend the 2010-11 annual report to members. I commend the work of the Ombudsman over the past seven years or so, and wish her all the best in retirement.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I want to speak briefly on several items in the Ombudsman’s annual report. I agree with the minister and the member for Johnston, the Ombudsman is a person of high integrity and high purpose. I wish her well in her non-Ombudsman’s duty. I am aware of her property at Dundee and hope she has a lovely time there with all the scary feral residents that live there, constituents of the good member for Daly …
Ms Scrymgour: My brother-in-law lives there. He is not feral.
Ms PURICK: I take up the interjection from the member for Arafura. I am sure she will be good friends with the member for Arafura’s scary brother as well.
On a serious note, I wanted to comment on the small section on the Department of Resources, which is good. There were three complaints about Department of Resources’ service. They were referred to the agency and obviously addressed because the complainants did not return to the Ombudsman’s office. I am not surprised because that department, regardless of whether it is the minerals people, the fisheries or the primary industry people, are very open and cooperative and want to get things resolved if there has been a misunderstanding, or a client or someone in industry is not happy. So that is good …
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I draw your attention to the state of the House.
Madam SPEAKER: A quorum is required. Ring the bells. A quorum is present.
Ms PURICK: Madam Speaker, I commend the Department of Resources for its competency and efficiency in dealing with any matters brought before it in regard to concerns or complaints.
The other area I would like to comment on - because I have a very strong interest in this and am aware of the case study - involves a constituent family of mine. It is on page 82 of the Ombudsman’s report and relates to Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport. It was a complaint in regard to the Bushfires NT burn off which caused substantial damage to property and assets of my constituent in the Arnhem Land area. He took it up with the department and it is yet to be satisfactorily resolved to my constituent’s way of thinking. I will talk to my constituent in regard to (1) tabling of this report, and (2) his complaint has been investigated –which he would know – but it said the complainant did not return to the Ombudsman’s office at the conclusion of the department’s investigation.
I will be advising my constituent he needs to take it up again with the Ombudsman’s office. He is not comfortable with how the matter has been handled. He suffered substantial loss of property and assets as a result of a Bushfires NT burn. I know the minister is aware of this because I wrote to him about it. I will ensure my constituent gets the best attention possible from the department and the minister’s office so it can be resolved satisfactorily.
That is all I have to say at this time. I commend the Ombudsman’s office for producing this report which is in a good format, and easy to read. I wish the Ombudsman all the best when her term finishes.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I thought there would be a few more speakers on the other side.
I thank the Ombudsman for her efforts, unlike some members on the other side who keep interjecting with strange comments. The Ombudsman has been a fantastic advocate for NT people’s rights, and we see again today, when reading through this report, she has had another decent go at a few issues, which is what we need when it comes to openness and accountability.
I thank her and her fantastic staff for the effort they have put in. It has been a very difficult time, as it always is, operating under some very extreme conditions and dealing with some people I am sure all our officers and electorate officers send to her at times.
I will point out a complaint raised against the Northern Territory Library, Parliament House. The staff in our library are some of the best I have ever met; they are some of the most helpful people. I read that complaint with interest to find the person’s behaviour was such that the Legislative Assembly issued that person with a trespass notice. Obviously, he had raised a complaint which was not true. We all know the staff in the library are fantastic people. I often bring guests to this library because it is such a great place. It is as you would expect a library to be with multiple levels, the ornate handrails and the like. It was good that the Ombudsman saw the complaint for what it was and promptly told that person they should perhaps not complain anymore.
I have another one which, unfortunately, relates to one of my constituents. It is on page 45, Case Study 4 - Racing, Gaming and Licensing. It is there for members to read, and there is quite a lengthy discussion into what happened. There were some media reports on this issue recently where a letter I had sent to the Chief Minister was leaked to the media. I had not given that letter to the media myself. I am still waiting on a reply from the Chief Minister and it pertains to this. It is a very contentious issue that relates to a young man taking his life, and the actions and incidents that occurred prior to that. There is, unfortunately, some very distressing video footage available for viewing on this case that was brought to me. I know it has been taken to the Chief Minister’s electorate office. I know he had footage taken to his office. Obviously, he did not watch it. The footage is very distressing. To say there were concerns about some of the outcomes and processes that have occurred, is to say the least.
The Ombudsman has agreed with my concerns. It is a shame to see that, although we have people identifying an issue, suggesting it needs further investigation to find out what really happened, the government closes its eyes, and the departments are not interested or appear not to be interested. We even have the Ombudsman saying it is not good enough. I will read the second last paragraph of the Ombudsman’s explanation:
They are the comments from the Ombudsman. It was a very sad case; it is still a very sad case. I am sure, unfortunately for the family, it is not finished. Contrary to some reports or personal comments relayed to the media on this, the family is very aware of it. The family is very aggrieved by the whole process and wants justice. These comments in the Ombudsman’s report should be ringing a few alarm bells on the fifth floor, but I doubt they are listening. They are more interested in spin doctoring, not about finding out what really happened to one young Territorian no matter what his background.
Most of us have kids and we want to ensure they are looked after when they go out and about; when they reach that magical age of 18 and can drink. We want to know when our kids go out they are looked after properly and, when something happens to them, people investigate it properly and do not find loopholes to avoid the investigation.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I put on the record my thanks to the Ombudsman who, of course, is a parliamentary officer, for her many years working for our parliament.
Motion agreed to; report noted.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, today I speak about the work our government is doing to ensure the 21st century, the century of Northern Australia, will be defined by an unprecedented resources development boom in this part of the world. The old economies of Europe are in decline, exemplified by the current European debt mess. Contrast this with the economic rise of the Asia-Pacific region led by China. The Northern Territory is perfectly placed in our geography and resources to take full advantage of this economic changing of the guard. It will also be a century of opportunity and prosperity for all Territorians and their families.
As I have said many times before, times are changing in Australia. A new economic paradigm is emerging in our country; an economic paradigm that will see northern Australia and the resource-rich jurisdictions of Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory drive economic growth deep into the 21st century. It will be northern Australia and, in particular, the emergence of Darwin as a resource development and export location that will lead the way when it comes to the major projects and investments that will turbo-charge our national economy, and power the Territory economy for generations to come.
A strong and robust economy is not an end in itself; it never is. A strong economy is the great enabler; it enables us to do the things Labor governments have always done, and that is to invest in our cities, towns and communities across the Territory, to create new jobs and new opportunities for Territorians no matter where they live, and to provide the quality services our people demand for themselves and their families.
In other words, these major projects, these landmark investments, allow our economy to grow and diversify and that in turn gives us the capacity to build the Territory and create better lives for our people. That is the Labor way. This work is especially important at this point in the Territory’s evolution because experience tells us that when economies like us grow and transform, when economies like ours attract new investment and new people in search of new opportunities, there can be growing pains. That is why we developed our Territory 2030 strategy, and why we are on the front foot when it comes to managing this growth.
Today, I want to talk about how our government is gearing up for growth and how we will sustain growth, sustain jobs, and sustain success. I want to briefly talk about the massive potential of the resources boom in the Territory. I then want to talk about the steps we are taking to ensure we continue to be seen as one of the most investor-friendly, business-friendly destinations in the world. Finally, I want to talk about how we are investing in our community and in our people to ensure Territorians continue to lead the affordable and family-friendly lives to which they have become customised.
We are fast approaching the final investment decision for the $30bn INPEX LNG project at Blaydin Point. This project will be the biggest resource development in Territory history, and it is not just big by Territory standards. The semi-submersible floating production and processing platform, and the floating production and off-take vessel, will be ranked alongside the biggest of their kind in the world. The offshore pipeline, when both length and diameter are considered, will rank amongst the biggest pipelines in the world. The initial onshore development is somewhat more modest but still a world-scale development. The construction of the proposed two LNG trains at Blaydin Point will be staggered by about a year, meaning construction time of five years which is close to double the construction time of the Darwin LNG plant at Wickham Point. The boost to our economy from this single project alone will be substantial. We are also planning for future growth which is why we have allocated sufficient land on, and adjacent to, Blaydin Point to accommodate a further four LNG trains.
Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the excellent whole-of-government approach and the highly professional major project assistance to Ichthys as being significant factors in securing this great project. I take this opportunity to thank the many public servants, including those in my own department, for all their hard work and commitment over the past three years.
Of course, there is more to the resources boom than INPEX and its expansion trains. There is a massive potential for further LNG expansion from discovered and yet to be discovered offshore and onshore gas fields. Indeed, the opportunity is there to have seven to 10 floating LNG projects either in production or at an advanced stage of development within the next 10 years, and Darwin will become the centre for marine support and operations maintenance for these projects.
Furthermore, our onshore unconventional oil and gas resources, shale oil and gas, have the potential to be enormous with up to 70% of our land area being considered prospective. Whilst it is a little early to speculate on the impact of these resources, there is some activity under way right now that may provide us with a good indication of their prospectivity.
These projects build on our existing world-class resource projects which are an ongoing source of construction, service, and maintenance activity; projects such as ERA’s Ranger uranium mine, Alcan Gove’s bauxite and alumina plant, GEMCO’s manganese mine, Xstrata’s MRM lead and zinc mine, OM Holdings manganese mine, and Newmont’s Tanami gold mine. When you consider companies are forecast to spend around $1bn on exploration alone in the Territory over the next five years, we have every reason to be optimistic about the future.
We have already seen the early signs of what is to come, with a 31% increase in mineral exploration expenditure last financial year. We must never lose sight of the fact these projects not only power our economy, they also mean jobs for Territorians, not only for us today, but also for our children and grandchildren, and we are not just talking about production workers. These projects will generate demand for a host of professions and skills covering everything from graphic designers to engineers, human resource managers to environmental scientists, from plumbers and electricians to lawyers and medical staff - the list goes on.
These projects are quite literally transforming the Territory, but we cannot rest on our laurels. We must continue to build our capacity and build our reputation as an investor-friendly, business-friendly destination because our aim is to sustain growth, sustain jobs and sustain success, and to ensure our children and grandchildren have the same opportunities as we have today.
Sustaining success is why we are working with industry and the community to boost business capability in the Territory. We need to do this because the engagement of business in major resource projects is not a simple and straightforward task. Our companies require high standards of capability and safety, world-class project management skills, accreditation familiarity with complex tendering procedures, and so on. This high level of complexity is why we have been working closely with industry for several years to address these other issues. It is why the Department of Business and Employment ran a series of topic-specific seminars to assist Northern Territory business to grow capabilities and engage with INPEX and other resource projects.
The department is also promoting workforce planning in the wider business community to help employers plan training and retention strategies to deal with the increased pressures on their workforce during the resources boom.
In addition to this work, the Northern Territory Industry Capability Network continues to do an excellent job of connecting NT business with the INPEX LNG project, just as it has done with other headline resource developments in the Territory. NTICN’s project, Gateway, provides a computerised system of databases and messaging to keep suppliers and contractors aware of business opportunities. Its consultants and other databases keep developers and their contractors informed of the capability and experience of Territory business. Major projects typically involve several tiers of contractors seeking local suppliers, so the ICN’s computer systems and experienced staff are a linchpin for Territory business accessing the resources boom now and into the future.
Madam Speaker, whilst the major construction phase of the INPEX project will generate many jobs, we understand it is the supply and service sector that will provide long-term jobs and business opportunities for Territorians. That is why our focus is on growing this sector, and we are succeeding.
Consider this: in 2006, our Southeast Asia Australia Offshore Conference attracted 180 delegates and six exhibitors. In 2011, the same conference attracted over 800 delegates and more than 100 exhibitors. Many of those delegates were from our local and interstate supply and service sector. We are also actively facilitating trade and investment in this sector with a planned program of inwards and outwards industry missions scheduled during 2012. These missions will connect local business with major international supply and service providers in the region. The aim is to establish joint venture Australian agency or other partnership agreements.
I can report planning is already under way, in conjunction with the NTICN and the Manufacturers Council, to take a group of our local supply and service companies to meet with major contractors in Aberdeen, Singapore and specific marine supply and service centres in Malaysia and Thailand.
Speaking of Aberdeen, this Assembly will be aware of our engagement with the ‘Granite City’. Our aim is to learn as much as possible about an economy that has transformed itself into a world-class oil and gas come energy supply and service hub. Aberdeen is at the forefront of education and training for the oil and gas industry. We want to replicate this model in the Northern Territory to produce a fully-skilled workforce so Territorians will be able to take full advantage of the growth in oil and gas activity in our region.
Professor Barney Glover and the team at Charles Darwin University are already moving in that direction. Construction of a new north Australian centre for oil and gas will soon begin at Charles Darwin University’s Casuarina Campus. This will provide Territorians access to the education and training needs of the petroleum sector in our region, including vocational, diploma, and degree qualifications, post-graduate study and research. This facility will be jointly funded by Charles Darwin University, the Northern Territory government and industry. With its activities guided by an advisory board, most importantly, there will be strong industry representation on the board.
The experience in Aberdeen has been that appropriate education and training is vital to allow the local population to fully benefit from the expansion of the industry. That is why CDU is positioning itself to become a key provider of the skills and accreditation required by industry. Indeed, CDU is actively engaging with Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University, together with the United Kingdom’s oil and gas industry training organisation, OPITO, and the acknowledged world leader in oil and gas technician training, ASET, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aberdeen College.
There are two points I want to emphasise in relation to Aberdeen. We learnt that over 80% of the suppliers to the oil and gas industry in Aberdeen involve companies that employ fewer than 100 people, and whilst global oil and gas supply firms tend to retain their specialised core activities, they widely contract out to suitably capable local industry where possible. This tells us two things: that small to medium enterprises can compete, and that innovative local entrepreneurs will quickly adapt to the opportunity and the requirements for supplying this industry.
Local business has every reason to feel confident about the future. In addition to our ongoing partnership with local industry, we are also investing in the kind of infrastructure that will sustain growth, sustain jobs, and sustain success. Our new Marine Supply Base will provide world-class logistical support to the offshore oil and gas industry for its exploration, construction and operational activities. Contractual close is targeted by Christmas, and construction will begin next year with completion by the end of 2013.
The Darwin Business Park and our Common User Facility will provide growing support to local fabricators and other industry as they participate in construction and major maintenance and operations activities, resources and other projects. At East Arm Wharf, the Darwin Port Corporation released its master plan in 2010 to prepare for growth in our resources sector. Projects being planned at the port include: a rail balloon loop and additional bottom dump station to manage multiple train loads simultaneously; a bulk minerals conveyor; reclamation and ground improvement for expansion of hardstand and bulk minerals and storage; general and bonded cargo sheds; an amphibious landing craft area for commercial and Defence use; berths for tugs and other smaller vessels; alternative access roads for improved traffic flow; and secure road and service corridors for future expansion.
A skilled and flexible workforce is the key to sustaining growth and jobs in the years and decades ahead. It is the key objective of this government, and a personal passion of mine, to grow the number of highly skilled and highly paid jobs - jobs for our kids, jobs for our grandchildren. We are pursuing the same on a number of fronts.
We are engaging with proponents of major projects to understand their job needs and skill gaps and are funding skilled training accordingly. Our target of 10 000 apprenticeships over four years will be met and we are ramping up initiatives to attract skilled workers to address skill shortages, not only in the major resource projects, but also to backfill jobs left vacant in the broader economy. We all want these highly paid jobs to be filled by Territorians or Australians, but these projects and our economy will be best served by minimising job shortages. The Aberdeen experience tells us that whilst there may be an influx of expatriate labour in the early years of growth to plug the gaps, the training, upskilling and transfer of experience to the local workforce will mean more Territorians in the workforce in the long term. That is our aim, and it will be institutions like Charles Darwin University and the Larrakia Trade Training Centre which will play a major role in training and upskilling our workforce.
The Northern Territory government has been investing in our community and our people for many years. Our aim has always been to ensure our affordable and family-friendly lifestyle is enjoyed by all Territorians now and into the future. Nothing is more important to Territory families, whether they are new to the Territory or whether they have lived here for years, than being able to access the best education and health services as well as appropriate and affordable housing.
In relation to education, we have worked hard to ensure our education system remains competitive and accessible as our population grows. Territorians expect nothing less and that is why we have invested well over $500m in our schools since 2001, and why we continue to build new schools and upgrade existing schools to meet the needs of our growing remote and urban communities. We have built urban schools like Darwin Middle School, the state-of-the-art Roseberry middle and primary schools which provide Palmerston children with world-class facilities, and in the bush at Emu Point, Manyallaluk and Yilpara.
We have also worked hard to get the best people to teach our kids. We have introduced our new Remote Teaching Service, we have ensured our teachers are amongst the best paid in Australia, and we have continued to provide principals and teachers with professional development opportunities and the support they need to do their jobs.
We have also worked hard to future-proof our health system. We have more than doubled health funding since 2001, ensuring all Territorians can access the treatment and health services they need when they need it. This includes the super clinic in the growing city of Palmerston, world-class cancer care treatment at Royal Darwin Hospital, the new 26-room Barbara James House in Darwin, and the new Palmerston hospital, a key priority of the 2030 strategy, with $110m committed to this project. I look forward to the release of the final clinical services plan.
Let us not forget we have also opened the $28m NT Clinical School this year, which means Territory kids can now, for the very first time, train to become doctors without ever having to leave the Territory. In good news, the GP super clinic for the northern suburbs is back on track. I congratulate my colleague, the Health Minister, for getting down to Canberra and getting that commitment back on the table.
As the resources boom unfolds and our population rises, demand will increase for appropriate and affordable housing. To meet this challenge, I announced our Housing the Territory policy in 2009. It has four key elements: accelerated land release and infill; making the housing market more competitive; redevelopment of public housing; and affordable rents. The aim of the strategy is to ensure all Territorians can access the housing they need now and into the future and we are making progress. For example, we fast-tracked land release - the fastest release ever - to meet the demand generated by a rising population. We are creating new suburbs in and around Darwin such as Bellamack, Mitchell, Zuccoli and Johnston in the Palmerston area, and Lyons and Muirhead in the northern suburbs. Of course, planning for Weddell, which will create 10 000 new homes and be the Territory’s newest city, is well under way. We are also keeping 15% of all new releases for affordable housing, with the first already online in Bellamack and Johnston.
In addition, we have reduced stamp duty, increased the Principal Place of Residence rebate to $3500, and introduced a senior’s reduction of $8000. We have also waived stamp duty for houses up to the value of $540 000 for first homebuyers.
In conclusion, the century of northern Australia is unfolding and, with it, will come unprecedented prosperity and growth as major resource projects and investments such as INPEX come online. Our aim, as a government, is to plan for growth and sustain that growth - and this is what we are doing. When doing this, we must ensure our affordable family-friendly lifestyle is preserved and all Territorians benefit from the good times to come. This is also to ensure it can be enjoyed by future generations of Territorians. If we achieve these aims, we will create better and more prosperous lives for all of our people no matter where they live across the Territory.
Madam Speaker, I commend the statement to the House. I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, it is an extraordinary time in this parliament when the party that likes to parade itself as the party of business goes silent on a policy debate around how you gear up to ensure the business sector can take advantage of major projects on the horizon - the small- and medium-size enterprises get to take advantage of the major projects on the horizon, and that the mums and dads in the community understand the opportunities through education, training and employment in major projects that bring significant economic growth. It is unbelievable that the opposition should completely vacate this policy debate in the Chamber today.
I invite them to contribute to a debate on how best the Territory positions itself so every Territorian can achieve opportunities from major projects. There is no doubt the Territory is on the cusp of an economic boom of a scale the Territory has never seen before. The opposition likes to apply spin to things, but look at what Deloitte Access Economics - independent economic commentators - have to say about our economic growth prospects and the boom. They use the term ‘boom’ in connection with the horizon project of the Ichthys field, and the work with INPEX and Total in bringing that to final investment decision. They also recognise the oil and gas hub opportunities in the Northern Territory. They recognise the onshore resource opportunities in the Northern Territory. The boom Access Economics talk about and show through the economic data reports they issue, is very real and it is appropriate to debate a policy statement in the Chamber. We want to hear the views of all Territorians on this critical time in our history, and how they can best realise the advantages of the opportunities coming their way.
I support the hard work of the Chief Minister in positioning the Territory to this point in time. This has not come about by accident or pure luck; this has been a deliberate strategy of pursuing the big projects – the oil and gas offshore and the resources onshore. It takes a great deal of planning and hard work to get to this point.
Similarly, there is an enormous amount of planning and hard work that will drive forward and ensure the economic benefits flow right through, as I said, not just to the big end of town with the big companies that are seeing significant investment to make these projects a reality - I acknowledge the significant efforts being undertaken by INPEX and their partner, Total, in getting the project to this point, and the tremendous amount of work by the staff of INPEX and Total working in concert with our government, realising the opportunities the Territory can deliver for bringing their Ichthys field to production.
At the heart of this boom is, of course, the $30bn Ichthys project. We aggressively and actively pursued this project. If you look at the history of this you will see commentators at the time were writing us off saying we did not have any chance of achieving the Ichthys field project and delivering it as an LNG plant in Darwin. All the doubters were there; it could not happen, we could not achieve it. All the doubters maintained that project would remain in Western Australia and, if you recall the history of this, to his eternal shame, the member for Blain, the Leader of the Opposition, called it a 19th century project. He could not have been more wrong. Since then, the opposition is starting to change its tune. The fact remains, if it had been left to Terry Mills, INPEX would not have had the confidence to look at Darwin.
We are well-placed to take the advantages from the horizon and land them into a very real investment and boost into our economy. The resources boom is going to hold the Territory in good stead through decades and decades.
We recognise such strength in economic growth has come off the back of successively increasing evidence of our capacity to work with industry, for instance, the ConocoPhillips DLNG plant at Wickham Point. That history is we recognised a project pursued under the CLP, but delivered under a Labor government which did the heavy lifting and the hard work involved in the planning scheme requirements and all the investment around that. We recognise, from doing all the work, landing the DLNG project with ConocoPhillips, there is a requirement for a workforce, skilled trades, and how we learn from the experience of the past to best position Territorians with opportunities in those critical skilled trade areas, and the professional areas such as engineering.
That is why we released a Jobs NT employment strategy in 2010 which provided a framework as well as short- medium- and long-term plans for growing, retaining, and skilling up our own Territory workforce. The Jobs NT plan supports workforce growth and development. We have committed $312m to invest in this skilling up. Jobs NT provide jobs and training, it targets help and support for businesses, for employers, and for job seekers.
In June, the then Minister for Business and Employment launched the Gearing Up Local Business for Major Projects task force. That task force is co-chaired by the Chief Executive of the Department of Business and Employment and the Chief Executive of the NT Chamber of Commerce, Chris Young, and includes senior representatives from INPEX, ConocoPhillips, the Master Builders Association, Civil Contractors Federation NT, Road Transport Association, Manufacturers Council, Unions NT, Charles Darwin University, ENI Australia, and the NT Industry Capability Network, NTICN as it is colloquially referred to. The task force is working strategically with government on industry and workforce development. It is getting the message out to local business about the imperative to recruit, train and retain staff, and providing assistance to help those businesses undertake these tasks.
We understand developing and training up a local workforce is our first priority. Priority No 1 is to train our own. They are obviously residents of the Territory, have a connection with the Territory, and are more likely to be a retained workforce rather than being upskilled in the Territory and then going to another jurisdiction. First priority is to train our own. The government is committed to aligning our education and our training initiatives to ensure we are helping fill those identified labour shortage areas.
We have also put considerable effort and resources into the training sector, building on year on year on year to get a record level of investment into training and we are starting to see some very promising results from that. This is with a specific focus on supporting training for skills shortage occupations, particularly in the traditional trades and training areas, in what we know will be the future labour demands because we have done some profiling around those demands. We have a focus on skilling up Territorians so they can take advantage of the job opportunities because, whilst we know there will be significant job opportunities around the major project itself - the INPEX Total Ichthys project - we know there is always a pull-through effect on the workforce; people step up into major projects, so the SMEs - the smaller medium-sized enterprises - sitting in behind them will also provide significant training in job opportunities for our local workforce.
We are directly, through the gearing up task force, focusing on the specific needs across business, across the industry sectors, and the needs of these individuals to be able to achieve the leg up into the training environment, achieve the mentoring and support through that environment, and achieve the retention within the workforce we want to see. We are not underestimating the challenges involved in that through literacy and numeracy requirements and the like - through the linkages with education - and through focusing on Indigenous Territorians and the opportunities we have to deliver for real work in these skilled areas and also unskilled areas.
I am pleased to say the NT has the highest vocational educational and training - VET training - participation in our nation. This is not just saying what we aspire to do; we are working and focused on it to achieve the highest VET participation rate in training in our nation. In 2010, NT VET student numbers were at record levels, with over 24 000 students participating in a broad variety of courses. We have seen our apprentice and trainee numbers also increasing. We currently have a record number of apprentices and trainees in training, at 4780. This is more than double the number we had in training in 2001. So, within a decade, we have doubled the effort of delivering apprentices and trainees into key training areas. Around 41% of our apprentices and trainees are in the traditional trade occupations where we are experiencing some of our most acute skills shortages. This is one of the highest rates in the nation.
I am also pleased to note around 25% of apprentices and trainees are Indigenous. You may recall, back in 2005, we set a target of 10 000 apprentice and traineeship commencements over four years to 2008. Although that was an ambitious goal, we reached it. Again, the naysayers said: ‘You can set your target at 10 000, but you will not get there’. Well, we did. We delivered 10 000 apprentices and trainees through a focused and resourced plan which also targeted those critical skill shortage areas. We then set a new target of 10 000 apprentice and trainee commencements. We set that target in January 2009, and are well on the way to reaching this number. We have had 8360 commencements since January 2009. In response to this record number of apprentices and trainees, we have injected an additional $1m into training and supporting our future trades people and skilled workers.
This additional funding comes on top of a record investment by this government in training, skilling and workforce development. Funding has been continued to support apprentices with the cost of their training and to encourage employers to take on additional apprentices and trainees. Well over 10 500 Northern Territory apprentices and trainees have received the Workwear/ Workgear bonus which provides financial assistance to apprentices and trainees to help them buy the necessary tools and equipment to commence their training. Territory employers have benefited directly too. Close to 2560 incentives have been allocated to businesses and organisations which employ additional apprentices and trainees in skilled shortage areas or from disadvantaged groups.
Our Build Skills NT program is another great example of the Northern Territory government not only doing what it can to support the resources boom, but to also upskill and re-skill our existing workforce in a number of industry areas and occupations. The Build Skills NT program supports partnerships between government, industry and employers to ensure the Territory’s workforce has the skills needed for the future. In 2010-11, close to 340 Territorians have enhanced their skills under 17 Build Skills NT programs. We have invested over $500 000 to conduct targeted training for people who already work in a range of industries including construction, electrical, manufacturing, plumbing, food safety, hospitality, primary industry and community services.
The joint Australian and Northern Territory government funded Productivity Places Program has enabled Territorians to increase the overall training effort. The funding purchases training places for both job seekers and existing workers. Much of this has gone towards training for occupations associated with the major projects, including occupational health and safety, project management, training and assessment, building and construction, engineering and mining, and transport and storage and utilities.
Since 2009, more than 3750 additional qualifications have been funded. Whilst we recognise training and skilling up our own and retaining our own Territorians to meet the workforce needs arising out of the major projects and backfilling into small- and medium-sized enterprises is critical, we know we need to complement that effort through skilled migration. Some of our workforce will need to be sourced from interstate or overseas to fill gaps for local businesses because, as we recognise, we will get that pull through effect in the workforce moving up from the small- and medium-sized businesses into the better paid jobs on the major projects.
The Jobs in the NT campaign of 2011 includes a schedule of events developed in partnership with industry and released earlier this year. Delegations were made up of industry and the Northern Territory government and have visited, or will visit, Indonesia, Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Adelaide. I also took a delegation to Thailand to look at the workforce and migration opportunities in our Asian neighbour.
The government continues to actively negotiate with the Australian government on a range of existing skilled migration programs that allow in skilled workers to fill jobs where Territorians are not immediately available. We are currently negotiating a regional migration agreement with the Australian government, and I have meetings at the end of this week around the Regional Migration Agreements. The negotiation underpins the principles of our Territory - Territorians first take advantage of those workforce opportunities, Australians take advantage of those workforce opportunities but, in the process of transparency and fairness to employers and employees and in flexibility, we need a migration agreement to help meet the workforce demands as a result of the major projects.
We will seek to provide a three-year migration progress unique to the Territory to cover areas in the Territory, visa types, occupation types, skills and, of course, English language levels. It is anticipated employers who can demonstrate they have met the criteria under the RMAs - the Regional Migration Agreements - will be able to access skilled workers through a streamlined process. That is very welcome news to employers across the Territory.
As I have been fond of saying to people, the Territory is unique; we have a multicultural heritage and background. We are very embracing of people who move here to take advantage of employment opportunities in the Territory. We understand the critical importance of ensuring we train our own first; that our own are at the top of the queue, at the front of the line in realising opportunities. We also embrace a migration workforce that has helped to build the Territory to date and, I have no doubt, will seamlessly fit in across the multicultural community we have and help build the Territory of the future.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I also recognise, quite aside from the skilling, training and educational requirements necessary to provide the workforce pipeline to deliver the outcomes of the projects, we also have to ensure, across our society, we deal with the other challenges seen in an economic boom. We need to ensure we are looking at the inflationary pressures. If you want to look at the inflationary pressure points when you go through an economic boom, housing supply and demand is a critical area. To that extent, our government has fast-tracked land release. We are turning off land at five times the fastest rate in the history of the Territory. We are not resting …
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! It is fine for the Treasurer to fire shots across this side of the House for us not speaking on this matter, but I draw your attention to the state of the House.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Katherine. We lack a quorum. Ring the bells, please. Thank you, we have a quorum.
Ms LAWRIE: Meeting the demands of the housing market in economic boom times is a critical challenge. It is a challenge we are well and truly on top of and busy delivering on. We have looked at the major project peak construction periods in employment flows across each calendar year - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. If you look at that forward projection you can see the real detail around the major construction projects. You then factor into that the construction workforce requirements of the prison, the Marine Supply Base and, of course, landing the Ichthys project from INPEX and Total. There will be different categories within those employments. There will be requirements around the construction, the construction village itself, dredging, engineering, designing, and other trade requirements as well.
You then look at the development and planning approvals processes, and which of the developments have already been approved through the Development Consent Authority. So, you look at, for example, Oasis on Woods, C2 Esplanade, and how many units will be yielded from that. Look at, for example, Zest Darwin heritage apartments; how many units will come through those unit development projects. Look at who is in the marketplace for CBD projects - whether it is Soho Darwin, Kim on Smith or the Waterfront Stage 2, and what the yield from that will be. You look at the variety of projects mooted beyond 2012 into 2013 and what each of the yields …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: I remind members about mobile phones being on silent.
A member: Sorry, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Ms LAWRIE: … and then you look at the unit development projects. A major part of meeting housing demand, particularly when you are looking at workforce demand, is you cannot underestimate the importance of unit developments. Of course, not everyone wants to live in a unit. Families will go for a house in the Palmerston East areas as well as, for example, Muirhead. Most of your construction activity workforce will be in unit developments. If you want to genuinely look at what your pipeline is going to deliver and whether it can meet the workforce numbers with housing supply numbers, you have to understand what is happening in the unit development pipeline.
We have done all the analysis and all the detailed work around that and it was the CBD. We have also sliced across suburban areas, looked at the existing development approvals in place, those lodging development approval applications before the DCA, and where they exist. They exist across Parap, Johnston, Rosebery, Rapid Creek, quite a few in Parap, Coconut Grove and Millner. You have slices of unit developments across the suburbs as well as the pipeline I talked about in the CBD. You then look at the yield and when those yields are likely in relation to construction and sale.
You also understand and get a picture of what is happening around the expansion of caravan parks because they are quite good short-term accommodation and …
Mr Wood: Long term is a bit risky.
Ms LAWRIE: I will pick up on that interjection. We are going to every extent we can to make long-term as stable as it can be, member for Nelson. I would be happy to have a conversation with you about the efforts we have gone to. There are already 52 units under construction at Lee Point caravan park. Shady Glen Caravan Park has building approval, and we also see the activity and effort Charles Darwin University is making with its student accommodation.
Switch across into pure land supply we are funding through our capital works program to provide the headworks we have carved into subdivisions and put into the private marketplace. We have two local Territory companies delivering subdivisions in Johnston. Brierty is doing extremely well with Bellamack and is planning to fast-track the Bellamack stages because it sees a very exciting housing market occurring in Palmerston. Quite a beautiful development is occurring - go out and look for yourself. If you do not believe it, these things are real and are happening today. They are not what we are talking about; they are happening.
For Palmerston, Bellamack has acceleration opportunities and Johnston Stage 2 is about to get under way as well. We have Zuccoli in a joint venture between our Land Development Corporation, Urbex, and Charles Darwin University’s subdivision going through the development approvals process.
So, combining the activity at Muirhead, the activity across Bellamack, Johnston and Zuccoli, what I will continue to refer to as the Charles Darwin University Palmerston project, you can see the land supply picture combined with the unit development picture. This is not a space we have vacated; we have actively put considerable planning, effort and resources into this to ensure that, as best we can, we understand the movements and flows, which can be tricky. For example, it takes a Defence shift in the marketplace to adjust some of these calculations and figures, but, again, we have an MOU with Defence Housing for managing Defence movements in and out of the marketplace.
Understanding the capacity within the housing supply market has been critical to planning the gearing up for the major projects. We are not just looking at the workforce requirements, the skilling up and the training requirements, we are also looking at the housing and accommodation requirements and at schools, as people will come in with families and children. We have put the hard investment into the power, water and sewerage upgrades to accommodate all of this massive expansion, quite aside from the investment in the road networks we have also undertaken.
It is an incredibly exciting time to be in the Territory and to see the opportunities of this economic boom with the major projects, and the opportunities flowing into the small- and medium-sized businesses. I acknowledge that INPEX has been a constructive and solid corporate citizen in the efforts it takes to explain and provide information to people about what it is doing. It is not always easy to capture all of the information being delivered by INPEX, but I encourage people to read it provided, as it is, on a regular basis. Working with INPEX has been a rewarding process because my experience of the company is, when it gives a commitment, it is genuine in following through on the commitment.
If you want a classic example of that, go to the Larrakia Development Corporation’s Trade Trading Centre and see the 500-odd apprentices being trained today, funded by a company that has yet to make a final investment decision. That is unheard of. It is unheard of to see investment to that extent occur in training from a corporate citizen before it has signed off on FID. There is a genuine relationship and mutual respect I have seen between the Larrakia people and INPEX. As a Territorian born and raised in Darwin, I am delighted to work with a corporate citizen of such integrity.
There will always be details, challenges and issues on the pathway to work through. There will always be people’s expectations of what they want to realise from their small business with their tender for work, which will meet its own challenges. I have been able to work very closely and constructively with the management of INPEX and Total in raising issues on behalf of Territorians. My experience has been it takes issues we raise seriously. It works actively on them and follows up. It does its very best to deliver on the expectations people have, recognising in any tender process where there are competitive bids, there are some who win and some who do not get that tender.
Have we geared up for the major project on the horizon? Yes, we have a task force in place; we have done the analysis; we have done all the work. We have lobbied successfully over the years to get the Regional Migration Agreement in place. We have the training effort in place, and we are building up to a local workforce supply in that area. I acknowledge the effort and work of the Chief Minister, working with Professor Barney Glover, to ensure Charles Darwin University is an oil and gas hub, grasping the opportunities and lessons learnt through Aberdeen for the high level of skills needed, and train our own Territorians to deliver and realise very exciting careers working in the oil and gas industry.
This is an exciting time in our economic present and leading into our future, and a great social time for the Territory. Proud Territorian as I am, I have always been disappointed when people think we are the little, sleepy cousins of the Australian jurisdictions. Well, no one thinks we are sleepy. Everyone understands we are punching above our weight and delivering more and better, and in a very exciting and innovative way in the Territory. That brings a sense of community pride and respect, and improves social outcomes when there is recognition of how great a place the Territory is and how amazing it is.
I am pleased to support the Chief Minister’s statement, Gearing Up for Major Projects. I am disappointed there is not a genuine policy debate occurring in this Chamber today, with the exception of the Independent member, who I see will contribute to this debate. I am bitterly disappointed that, yet again, with an opportunity to debate policy in the Chamber and genuinely test each other’s ideas, test the information, the CLP picks up its bat and ball and runs away. They have had a bruising day. We saw the unedifying experience of the member for Fong Lim this morning smashing his leader, the member for Blain, over the head and completely rolling him on one of the most respectful bipartisan issues our government has taken a journey on, statehood.
Madam Deputy Speaker, it has been a pretty bad day at the office for the CLP, but that is no excuse to vacate a critically important policy debate on how we provide benefits to Territorians from the opportunities of major projects in the Territory.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to talk on a range of projects, some of which the Chief Minister mentioned in his statement. The reality is, the Litchfield area is where the growth is with: the proposed abattoir; INPEX LNG plant; INPEX village; proposed Girraween Lagoon subdivision; the new shopping centre and residential area at Coolalinga; proposals to develop the forestry land into rural blocks; the new prison; a possible new regional waste facility; Weddell; and the expansion of Robertson Barracks to allow for the influx of American troops, plus the existing expansion of Robertson Barracks for single persons quarters. The rural area is where the big development is occurring in the Northern Territory at the moment. That is where the job growth will be, so I am pleased to speak about those opportunities and point out some deficiencies, from the government’s point of view, in forward planning.
We have heard about the prison. The member for Karama mentioned it tonight; the prison is a big project - nearly $500m. It will create jobs and is presently under way. However, planning has fallen down to some extent and the minister for Resources would have received an e-mail today from the extractive mining people. I mentioned similar issues to the minister for Lands and Planning last night in relation to the concerns of the extractive mining people about access to and from their existing extractive mining leases on the Howard Peninsula. I hoped it would have been sorted out before it reached this stage. There needs to be an urgent response from the government as the Wet Season approaches, because the government is spending much money on a new road and a perimeter fence. It is unfortunate that that perimeter fence is now regarded as the boundary for the construction site. That being the case, the existing roads to the extractive mining area will be cut off because they will be dissecting a construction site.
There are two possible solutions. One is to fence off the prison site but allow the exterior perimeter not to be regarded as the construction area. The second is the government, with the extractive mine companies, continue the new prison road, which is to be sealed in early December, further north to link up with some existing heavy haul roads that already exist in the area. That would also allow the small number of people living in the north part of the Howard Peninsula access to their local shopping centre at Howard Springs. I hope something can be done to ensure there are no problems in relation to the construction of the prison and to maintain a good relationship with the extractive miners who use the area where the new prison is to be built.
The Chief Minister mentioned his favourite area, the development of INPEX. What he did not mention is the INPEX village will be going, I presume, to the planning authority next month. The village will house at least 2700 people and be in existence for seven to 10 years. It will make a big impact on the rural area; there is no doubt about that.
There is no doubt that just those two projects - the prison and the INPEX village – will increase traffic in the area. With an expansion of the Good Shepherd Lutheran middle and secondary school, the traffic in that area is not going to reduce. When the statement by the minister is headed Gearing up for Major Projects, it would be good to hear from the minister about proposed plans for the future traffic flow that will come from these projects. It is not that anyone is opposing these projects, but they do have a local effect. One of the major local effects will be traffic and how it is handled, and how we can reduce traffic bottlenecks in the area.
The abattoir is certainly another great opportunity for employment. With the prison and the INPEX camp - there will be over 200 people to construct the camp. The camp, when it is up and running, will employ about 270 people to maintain that community. The same with the prison; there will be up to 1000 people employed in building the prison and the prison will have its own workforce as well.
In the case of the abattoir, it still has to go through some planning matters. They are legitimate planning matters about possible pollution and smell. If it gets approval, there will be the ability for 240 or 270 people to gain employment. I hope there will be opportunities for Indigenous Territorians from remote areas to find work at a place like the abattoir. I have suggested to the abattoir management they should look at a hostel on-site to encourage people who could come from areas where there was high unemployment and little chance of real jobs, to get a job at the abattoir.
The Girraween Lagoon subdivision is part of land owned by the Churcher Estate. The Churcher Estate has, for many years, developed land in the rural area. I regard the Churcher Estate as one of the better developers which tries to ensure their developments are not wet – some developers appear to have taken little notice of that - and tries to do the right thing by the community. This subdivision is probably one of the last subdivisions the Churcher Estate will have as nearly all the land they have had over the many years, going back to the 1800s, has now been developed.
Unfortunately, with the shortage of land, I have been notified by the Churcher Estate that Litchfield Council will not take over Girraween Lagoon. In all my time on the council, the council would take over these natural wet areas and maintain them. It is disappointing to know Litchfield Council has decided not to take over this land and has asked, I believe, the government to take it over as park. I am unsure of the government’s response, but I would be very surprised if the government did that. With the number of ratepayers who have moved into that area because of the amount of land subdivided by Mr Churcher over the last 10 to 15 years, a percentage of the rates the council gathers would easily maintain this area in a natural state.
At the moment we have an opportunity to develop 80 blocks of land, and because Litchfield Council has, all of a sudden, made a decision out of the blue, certainly from the Churcher Estate point of view - after much discussion over many years they were of the opinion the council would take it over and were shocked to find council had decided not to. Again, there is great potential for land development in the rural area.
For some time there has been a proposal to build a shopping centre at north Coolalinga, as I call it, with a seven-storey building and a residential precinct. That development has now occurred. There are around 50 to 90 houses to be developed at the rear of Coolalinga, and a shopping centre as well. Whether the multi-storey building is built at this stage I am unsure, but there will be a shopping centre and one of the large supermarket companies will be developing there. It shows you that the rural area is continuing to grow, and there will be plenty of jobs and opportunities for small business as well in that area, which is good.
It is possible to have development in district centres without destroying the rural amenity. You do not have to spread the suburbs into the rural area; you can maintain rural lifestyle at the same time as develop the local areas through the development of district centres …
A member: Keep the rural, rural.
Mr WOOD: That is right – keep the rural, rural - and you do not want to have a lisp.
The other area which is not mentioned is Weddell. If you are looking at major projects, surely the development of Weddell, which has been pretty quiet - I have not heard much from the government about where Weddell is at, except there has been an advertisement in the paper talking about the design competition. I have not heard anything from the government in recent times about where Weddell is at. Weddell is potentially a city of 65 000. This year we had the design competition, and it is important it is also recognised as a major project for the region. Again, that is not mentioned in this document – housing in Palmerston is, but not the future city of Weddell.
In recent times we have been discussing the American buildup with the USA saying it will bring up to 2500 troops to Darwin. There is potential for more growth, but also a need for better planning. Again, the Chief Minister has said gearing up for major projects. I have said before, if you are going to put another 2500 troops at Robertson Barracks, infrastructure is required to ensure the locals are not inconvenienced by the extra traffic that will develop with the movement of troops to the Northern Territory, especially Robertson Barracks. That needs to be looked at now not when they come.
The regional waste facility has been on the cards for a number of years. The minister for Resources has his name on the Litchfield Land Use Objectives document, and you will find a little red diamond there which shows you where the regional waste facility will be. I am not certain that is going to happen because I read an article in the NT News the other day quoting the Lord Mayor saying they can keep the Shoal Bay facility going for the next 100 years. I am not sure if that is the case. I imagine Darwin is not very interested in a regional waste facility if it believes it can keep its own going for another 100 years. A regional waste facility is a major project. A modern regional waste facility is not just a hole in the ground. It will be an environmentally developed facility which will, hopefully, recycle as much product as possible but, at the same time, will not cause impact on the surrounding areas, especially water tables, local rivers and billabongs and, in the case of Shoal Bay, mangroves.
That is just some of the big development in the Litchfield area. The reason I am pushing this tonight is because people forget we need jobs. We are lucky because there is low unemployment, but that is only in the Darwin region. There is high unemployment in many of our remote communities. I hope the government can see opportunities to bring young people from remote communities to Darwin and give them the opportunity for a real job.
The reality is there are limited real jobs in the bush. The reality is there is high unemployment and a heavy dependence on welfare. I know they are talking to other people. I have heard the member for Arafura say the same thing - I do not know if it was here or on Bathurst Island. I have heard the member for Arnhem say at times we need to look elsewhere for jobs for these people. That is not to say they will not go back to their homes, their country, but we need to keep our feet on the ground and say: ‘If you want an opportunity, you are not all going to find it back on your community. If you want to take the big step into the big world, you are going to have to be brave and get jobs elsewhere’. As I say, you can always go back home; you can always regard your home as home forever. The reality is there will not be enough jobs. So, here are opportunities for people and they do not have to leave the Territory.
We will need people to work in the prison. It would be great to see more Indigenous Correctional Services people working in the prison, because 80% of our prisoners are Indigenous. There are the abattoirs. Many people already work in small abattoirs at Gunbalanya and Palumpa. Here is an opportunity to work in a very modern 21st century abattoir, which I believe will be one of the great boons for the local area and the Territory.
It is the same with INPEX. The only problem there is I heard the member for Karama talk about training, but I was asked by a constituent where to find training to get ready for INPEX. What is missing is we are not training people specifically for INPEX-type development. We are training apprentices and that is okay, but are we gearing up to have people with those qualifications to work in a modern, highly scientific plant like INPEX is going to build at Blaydin Point? I am unsure if we have done that. We have apprentices, and that is fine, but you are going to need more than apprentices with basic skills at Blaydin Point; you will want very skilled people in that area. They will be paying big money for top operators. They are the people I expect to see at the INPEX village at Howard Springs. I wonder whether the government geared up enough trying to upskill people, especially young people, so they could get a job at INPEX instead of INPEX having to import much of the labour required to build this huge plant.
The Chief Minister spoke about the sites happening around the port, etcetera - some development around that area, but what both the member for Karama and the Chief Minister have missed and not alluded to is the lack of planning for any future development. Once Blaydin Point has its LNG plant, can someone in the government say where the next LNG plant is going? Where is the next LNG plant? The government has put out its version of the Darwin Regional Land Use Structure Plan. It has gone back on what it did some years ago, which was propose industrial development at Glyde Point.
I must admit, through all the gloss I laugh a bit. The reason INPEX is at Blaydin Point is because the government decided to pull the pin on the idea of industrial development on Glyde Point, turned the land into open recreation, said it was worth conserving but did not turn it into conservation, changed the rules for development on Wickham Point and was able to develop land at Middle Arm Peninsula when they could not do it under the existing rules …
Mr BOHLIN: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! I move an extension of time for my colleague pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, member for Drysdale. We are not planning for the future. We are dealing with the present and doing a reasonable job, but much of that work would be done by INPEX itself. If you have seen some of the work INPEX has done in preparing the site for the new village at Howard Springs you would be most impressed. They have conducted plans to the nth degree. They have plans on geology, soil, water, flora and fauna, weeds, vegetation, slope, and there are probably a few others I have missed. They have gone to enormous detail to prepare for this village. They have undertaken traffic studies. They looked at the population in the area and have a very detailed plan for development of that facility.
They have already done similar things with their proposal to build their plant on Blaydin Point. What has the government done? It is now building Jenkins Road in conjunction with INPEX. INPEX is paying for some of that development. What is the next process? Where is the next industrial area? Where is the next INPEX or ConocoPhillips going to be? There is no room left in Darwin Harbour for it.
What is the government’s plan? What are the long-term and short-term plans for the development of Glyde Point? A township is proposed there – Murrumujuk - about 10 000 people. If water and electricity could be supplied now it would sell very quickly. It is a beautiful area overlooking Shoal Bay. The government does not seem to have any plans for development past INPEX …
A member: We do, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: It has plans - well, you both have plans …
A member: A Darwin plan.
Mr WOOD: … and the greater Darwin plan is a good one but was developed in 1992. The same people wrote the new plan - I know them very well.
I have some issues about damming the Elizabeth River - that did not go away from one plan to the other. Be that as it may, that is part of the debate we should have. There is nothing wrong with having different perspectives on development, but the government needs to be on the front foot because if another company says: ‘We have some gas out there in the sea, we would like to bring it to Darwin’, and ConocoPhillips and INPEX say: ‘We are full’, where are the new developments going?
It will be good when the Chief Minister sums up today, especially as this statement is titled ‘Gearing Up for Major Projects’ - where is the gearing up for the next major project? I do not believe the government has that in mind at the present time and it is disappointing it is still sitting on a Darwin regional plan. Thank heavens it is reconsidering the development of the rural area, but it could leave that part out for the time being if it was not satisfied the plans for the rural area are the best. It could release its plan for industrial development, which will not affect the rural centres of Litchfield.
Yes, there is no doubt we can be positive about the amount of work occurring in the Litchfield area at the moment which will affect all the Territory, especially the Darwin region. These projects give great opportunity for young people to get good jobs and we must take notice there is an opportunity to close the gap, not in the sense the federal government talks about, but in the sense of closing it between the haves and the have-nots. I have said before, we have a danger in the Northern Territory of having a very wealthy part and a very poor part of the Territory. If we let that gap increase, do not be surprised if we have social disorder in this Territory one day.
We should be doing our best to ensure people in remote communities who do not have jobs or the opportunities are included in this development. It is not just for the people of Litchfield or the people of Darwin. It is for the people of the Northern Territory - whether you are black or white. If we are fair dinkum about closing the gap, from the Commonwealth government point of view, let us ensure there is a percentage of people who have an opportunity to turn their lives around with decent jobs. Otherwise, we are only blowing in the wind and talking clichs.
I would like the Chief Minister to say, with all these jobs, how many people from out bush will benefit from them. What chance do we have to ensure they share in the wealth of the Territory? From a Labor government perspective, surely that should be one of the main goals they have: sharing the wealth. Their background - and I am not being cynical here - is socialism and sharing wealth. However, are we developing the wealth for a small group and leaving a larger section out?
Madam Deputy Speaker, yes, it is a good time to be in the Territory, and a good time to get a job if you want one. It is a sign of the maturity of the Northern Territory that we have these projects. However, the government cannot be satisfied with these jobs today. If we do not gear up for the future, we are likely to come to a big crunch, especially if another company comes to the Territory and says: ‘Where do I put the next LNG plant?’ When they find they cannot, you know where they will go - Western Australia.
Mr VATSKALIS (Health): Madam Deputy Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement in relation to the exciting future of the Territory with regard to the major projects. Our government has worked very hard to ensure these major projects become a reality, and to position ourselves for the future.
As for the comment by my colleague, the Treasurer, about the lack of any statement by the opposition on this policy area, it is not surprising. Most of the policies we have seen from the opposition are lacking. The business policy tabled yesterday by the member for Fong Lim creates more questions than it provides answers, not to mention the so-called policy about child protection - $9m to create an independent Children’s Commissioner, a position which has already been created by our government. Not much in that, so I am not really surprised I have not heard anything from the opposition. I will be very surprised if any of the opposition provide constructive criticism of the Chief Minister’s statement.
The development of the Northern Territory will be driven, to a large extent, by the resources sector. The growth of this sector will also see an increase in demand for the many services available in the Northern Territory, including health services. When you look at our economy, our resource and energy sector is the largest industry sector. It contributes about 25% of our gross state product, second only to Western Australia. If you look at the national level, it accounts for only 9% of the national GDP. When it comes to the resource sector, it is the investment we see today in exploration that will underpin future development of our resource sector, and the future prosperity of Territorians, as there is a natural lag between making a discovery and opening new mines - usually five to seven years.
Today, I will elaborate on the initiative of this government in underpinning the resources boom the Territory is experiencing, and also share with the House what we are going to do, as a government, to facilitate positive change in our economic environment. Whether it is growth of the exploration sector during the global financial crisis when all other jurisdictions when backwards and we went forward, or our record level of investment this year, it simply does not happen by chance.
The boom in the resources sector in the Northern Territory has not happened by accident. We have been working hard to attract investment to the Northern Territory. I recall very well the Chief Minister, in 2001, when he became the first Labor Mines minister, told me when he entered his office he found 700 exploration licences sitting on the desk of the previous minister. They were sitting on the desk of the previous minister and had been for many months, some for years, because the CLP chose to play politics rather than promote the Territory as a resources province. The CLP preferred to play politics, blaming Indigenous interests, land rights and native title for not allowing the mining companies exploration licences. The reality is, the CLP did not do try to resolve some of the issues and preferred to have the applications sitting on the desk.
We talked to the land councils and we talked to Indigenous people, and we managed to unlock many of the land issues that could have been locked away forever. We now have enormous exploration potential in this area and significant applications and licences granted for areas that previous CLP governments would not allow to be explored.
Exploration for new mineral resources in the Northern Territory is currently at extremely high levels. A record $195m was spent on new exploration in the Territory last financial year. In one month only, $55m was spent on exploration. In 2005, for the whole year, the expenditure for exploration was only $51m.
A major factor in stimulating the exploration boom has been the Territory’s effort to support and encourage exploration through the government’s seven year $25.8m Bringing Forward Discovery. When I became the minister for Resources, I had the pleasure to receive a visit from the then Chinese Ambassador, Madam Fu Ying, to discuss the different issues facing Australia and China. Of course, I highlighted the development growth of China and the need in China for resources. As we were sitting in my office looking at the map, she pointed out to me that Darwin was the closest Australian port to China and her question was: ‘Why have you not invited Chinese investors, Chinese miners, to look at the Territory and invest in the Territory?’ I asked myself that question: ‘Why have we not done it?’
From that visit, I asked the department to work with me and we put together the Chinese Investment Attraction Strategy and on top of that, because we cannot put all our eggs in one basket, the Japanese Investment Attraction Strategy. That was in 2007. Since then, the continuous visits to China to promote the Territory have paid dividends. I have personally visited China about 10 times, which is twice a year, and the department many more times, to promote the Territory in China and Japan for our investment attraction strategy. We promoted the Territory. We showed China what the Territory has to offer. We provided the information they needed to make the informed decision and attracted exploration expansion in the Territory. The reason the government is investing in this program is that increased exploration improves the chances of large mineral discoveries that can become major mining projects to support the Territory’s economy in the coming decades.
The member for Nelson pointed out much of this development will take place in the rural area. Yes, it will, but much of it will take place where no other jobs exist - in the Tanami Desert, near Borroloola, near Yuendumu, near Ngukurr, some places that do not have any other manufacturing industry. There is some pastoral industry, but nothing that can generate the hundreds of jobs required for people who live in the communities to have a meaningful job and a meaningful life.
The Northern Territory currently has 12 mining projects with development proposals submitted and under various stages of assessment and approvals processes. Three projects have Notices of Intent (NOI) under assessment; five projects are preparing Environmental Impact Statements (EIS); one project is preparing a Public Environmental Report (PER); and three projects have completed environmental assessment and are in the mining approvals process:
there are a number of Notices of Intent submitted and under assessment including: Tanami Gold – Tanami Central Project; Aard Metals – Warrego Tailings Project; and Thor Mining- Molyhil Project;
there is a PER in preparation for Australian Illmenite Resources – Sill80 Ilmenite Project due in late 2011;
a number of EISs are also in preparation including: Arafura Resources – Nolans Project; the Sherwin Iron – Roper River Project; the Western Desert Resources – Roper Bar Project; the Xstrata – McArthur River Plant Expansion; and the Vista Gold – Mt Todd Project;
we also have a number of completed EISs: Minemakers – Wonarah Project Stage 1; the Redbank Copper – Redbank Expansion; and the AAM – Spinifex Bore; and
there are currently Mining Management Plans (MMP) requiring submission and approval: Minemakers – Wonarah Project (Stage 1); Redbank Copper – Redbank Expansion; and AAM – Spinifex Bore which is due in December 2011 or early 2012.
To provide further context for these approvals, the 12 mining development projects currently involved in assessment and approval will provide the Territory: an estimated $1.2bn to $2.5bn in capital expenditure; an estimated 1300 additional jobs in operations and approximately 1900 in construction; nine of the 12 projects have an estimated mine life of 10 years or more; and six of the 12 projects have an estimated mine life of 20 years or more.
Madam Speaker, our government has the vision to see the development of the Northern Territory is well positioned to underpin the growth of Australia in Asia. This is why we have developed and recently updated our international investment strategies. In order to attract overseas investment to support the development of the Territory’s mineral and energy projects and other related major infrastructure projects, the Department of Resources has an investment attraction strategy which targets the priority markets of China, Japan, and now Korea. The strategy is in its fourth year and has delivered considerable results, not to mention the $195m in exploration, 165 inward visits by overseas investors to the Territory, and $195m in publically announced overseas direct investment.
The China Minerals Investment Attraction Strategy has been refined and matured over recent years to target both direct investment into Territory exploration and mining companies, as well as encourage and facilitate the establishment of Australian-based companies by Chinese investors to undertake exploration directly. The strategy combines the following elements:
the development of high level strategic relationships with Chinese central government ministries and agencies that control and influence investment decisions, policy and regulation in China including: the Ministry of Commerce; the National Development Reform Commission; the Ministry of Lands and Resources; the China Council for the Promotion of Trade; and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council;
the development of high level strategic relationships with major industry associations and major national level State-owned enterprises including: the China Mining Association; the China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals and Chemicals Importers and Exporters; the China Development Bank; and the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group;
the development of high level strategic relationships with the senior government officials and geological exploration bureaux of the most prospective Chinese provinces including: Jiangsu, Hunan, Yunnan, Anhui, Shandong, Jiangxi, and Guizhou; and
the targeting of high level private Chinese investors and major related Chinese private companies.
The investment attraction program includes ministerial and technical market visits to coincide with The China Mining Congress. It also includes coordinated inward market visits for Chinese investors to the Territory, now more than 50 per year, the production of marketing collateral, including a quarterly updated list of all available projects seeking investment, and an annually updated Investment Guide produced in Chinese language. I should make mention that the guide was developed in consultation with the Chinese Embassy in Canberra.
The Japanese investment attraction program contains the same principal elements as the Chinese program, but is further tailored for the more mature Japanese investment market. The key components of the Japanese investment strategy include the development of high-level strategic relationships with Japanese central government ministries and agencies that control and influence investment policy and regulation. Key partners include:
the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry; the Agency of Natural Resources and Energy; the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation; the Japan External Trade Organisation; and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation;
The development of high-level relationships with the major Japanese trading and investment companies and the investment attraction program includes ministerial and technical market visits, coordinated inward market visits for Japanese investors to the Territory, and the production of marketing collateral, including a quarterly updated list of all available projects seeking investment.
We will focus on Korea now. The Korean investment attraction program has only been developed for one year, culminating with the first Department of Resources-led market visit to showcase accompanying Territory exploration companies in October 2011. The Korean investment attraction program, based on the success of the Japanese program, is focused on the development of high-level strategic relationships with Korean central government agencies, including the state-owned Korea Resources Corporation and the Korean Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. The strategy also includes the ongoing development of high-level relationships with major Korean trading and investment companies.
In October 2011, the Department of Resources travelled to Korea with three exploration companies to promote the Territory to potential Korean investors. The delegation included TUC Resources, Rum Jungle Resources and Uranium Equities Limited. The Territory delegation had a very full schedule of productive meetings in Seoul facilitated by Austrade.
After Korea, the Department of Resources accompanied the Chief Minister’s visit to Japan. The largest delegation of mineral explorers attended, which included TUC Resources, Thor Mining, Rum Jungle Resources, Uranium Equities Limited, and Arafura Resources.
In Question Time earlier this week, the member for Nelson asked about the level of support offered to the rare earth industry in the Territory. While the location of a processing facility is a commercial decision for operators, Arafura Resources offered its thanks for the invitation to participate in this delegation to Japan. The company was introduced to a range of potential customers which it may have otherwise not met. My department ran a successful Northern Territory Mineral Investment Seminar attended by 56 key Japanese clients. The event was supported by JOGMEC. The Territory delegation attended more than 20 meetings with Japanese companies which resulted in a number of advanced discussions with industry.
In November 2011, I led a major industry delegation to China. We visited Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong and Hunan provinces, where senior provincial government officials and investors were briefed on Territory investment opportunities. TUC Resources, Sherwin Iron, TNG limited, Thor Mining, AMETS, Clayton Utz, Minter Ellison and PricewaterhouseCoopers were part of our delegation. I attended the Australia China Business Council’s Regional Investment Roundtable, delivered and addressed at China Mining Congress in Tianjin, and witnessed the signing of an investment agreement facilitated by the investment program between TNG Ltd and East China Minerals Exploration and Development Bureau. The investment in TNG will form a strategic partnership with ECE to underpin development of the Mount Peake Iron-Vanadium Project.
In Beijing, my department held a very successful Northern Territory Mineral Investment Seminar which attracted 60 investor delegates. The market visit also covered the Shandong and Hunan provinces where Northern Territory Mineral Investment seminars were also held, providing further platforms for the industry delegation to present on their investment opportunity. The seminars were a great success with cooperation from the government and exploration bureaus in these provinces. Visiting the two Chinese provinces has been instrumental to further advancing the Territory’s competitive position in China.
The Chief Minister has already discussed the opportunities the Ichthys Project will bring to the Territory, but let me elaborate on what the Department of Resources has done and will be doing to facilitate the development of the project in the Territory.
Pipeline licences from the proposed offshore production facility to East Arm were granted by the Department of Resources in May 2011. The next step is the ‘consent to construct’ to enable the start of construction of the three nautical mile pipeline. Harbour and onshore approvals only are required as the pipeline is not in Commonwealth waters. A pipeline management plan is required for this approval. Once construction is completed the next step will be the consent to operate, which is not due until production plants are built and commissioned. Auxiliary approvals required will include extractive mineral tenure for construction material to assist in building the process plant at East Arm. Up to four million tonnes of armour rock may be required, which is in addition to the existing industry requirements for construction in the Northern Territory. My department will do everything necessary to ensure the approval process is as expeditious as possible.
It is not only the Ichthys Project we are working on. In the past 12 months there has been a surge in uptake of petroleum tenure in the Territory with over 80% of the land now covered under application or granted tenure. Previously it was only 30%. With data from industry and the Territory’s geological survey group, it is estimated there is approximately 302 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves and 633 billion barrels of oil reserves in the Territory. That was a guesstimate. Some results recently from Falcon Oil have indicated very significant reserves of gas, as a geologist translated, in the Dunmarra region. Sinopec was in town talking to some of the explorers because they are very interested in gas and petroleum. In the last 12 months, 87 new petroleum exploration applications have been lodged and three new petroleum exploration titles granted.
Onshore exploration expenditure is at present around the $30m mark and will rise to over $34m in 2012. Proposed work programs for all permit applications are in excess of $600m over a five year period if and when granted.
The main focus of client tenure has been unconventional oil and gas mainly in the Beetaloo Basin, McArthur Basin, Georgina Basin and in the Eromanga-Amadeus Basin; however, the remaining areas of the Territory have also attracted many applications for similar resources. Companies that are most active in the Territory are Hess Exploration Australia, with a large survey in the Beetaloo Basin; PetroFrontier, drilling two wells and two surveys in the Georgina Basin, and they advised me they had some very good results; Armour Energy, with a survey in the McArthur Basin; Falcon Oil and Gas with a re-entry in the Beetaloo Basin; and Central Petroleum with a survey and planned well for 2012 in the Eromanga-Amadeus Basin.
One of the issues many people are discussing is fracking and, of course, coal seam methane. Looking at what is happening in other countries and also in Queensland, quite a few people are anxious about the impact this type of exploration may have on water tables. The main difference between us and other jurisdictions in Australia is, while in Queensland the water table is shallow and the exploration is very shallow - up to 200 m - our water table is 200 m and exploration takes place 2000 m below ground level. The potential for any negative impact on the water table is minimal. However, no exploration licences will be approved unless all the ‘i’s are dotted and all the ‘t’s are crossed. We want development, but not at any cost. We have learnt from mistakes the previous government made; Mt Todd comes to mind. We do not want to create another problem and we will not create one.
The Economic Development of the Northern Territory is not limited to the expanding resources sector. The agriculture sector is also playing a critical role. The Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) is proposing to build a state-of-the-art food processing facility at Livingstone Valley, Noonamah. The facility will process up to 1000 head of cattle a day, producing beef products - ground beef for export to markets in the USA, Asia and Europe. This new facility would not compete with the live export market, but would complement the live cattle market. Currently, north Australian cattle producers are sending their out-of-specification cattle - cattle heavier than 350 kg, cull cows and cull bulls - to interstate markets resulting in significant costs in freight and spelling charges.
The proposed facility will provide employment for up to 240 people during construction, 270 jobs during operation, and will use the latest technology and innovation to minimise impact on the environment. These are permanent, ongoing jobs and, of course, jobs for Indigenous Territorians. Our government has worked very closely with AACo for the past 18 months, providing detailed information on potential cattle numbers and weights, options for site location, infrastructure requirements and negotiations, and approval processes. Skilled meat processing workers will be required and the Territory will work with the AACo and the Australian government to provide the necessary training for local people seeking to work in the industry.
The Ord East Kimberley Expansion Project is a $415m project funded by the Western Australian and Commonwealth governments. The Western Australian government funds the irrigation infrastructure required for the project, while the Commonwealth government funds the social infrastructure needed to support the project. In early 2011, the Western Australian government, through Landcorp WA, began the land release phase of the Ord Expansion Project through a Request for Tender and Expression of Interest process. The release of over 15 000 ha of land includes 7400 ha of irrigable land in the Goomig Farm area, 1700 ha on the Ord West Bank, and 6000 ha at Knox Plain ...
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move that the member be given an extension of time pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to
Mr VATSKALIS: Thank you, member for Johnston.
As members would be aware, the Ord is progressively being developed from the west to the east since the commissioning of Lake Argyle in 1967, 40 years ago. The latest development takes advantage of infill developments. Our government will continue to work closely with the Western Australian government in relation to the Ord Expansion Project as land is developed towards the border with the Northern Territory.
While the government is supporting the boom of the resources sector which will provide for the future prosperity of the Territory, we are also gearing up our health system to continue to develop a healthy Territory. On 4 May 2011, the Chief Minister and the federal Minister for Indigenous Health announced the allocation of $110m for the joint funding of Palmerston hospital, following a submission to the Health and Hospitals Fund by the Department of Health for infrastructure. The need for clinical services planning for greater Darwin, including Palmerston and the rural areas, has been identified to meet the service scope for Palmerston hospital. This will allow for decisions about the phasing of Palmerston hospital to meet expected future demand in these areas of significant population growth.
Residents of Palmerston and the rural areas were invited to provide input through the Palmerston hospital questionnaire, and we have received 183 completed surveys. Key findings included: accident and emergency services is the highest ranked health priority for the Palmerston community, with almost nine in 10 respondents ranking it as a top priority from a list of six services.
I met with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, last week in Melbourne and gained her assurance that the $5m for the northern suburbs GP super clinic is available to be spent in the Territory - and will be spent in the Territory. I presented her with a preliminary proposal by a private provider, with Northern Territory government support for land, to enable a suitable bulkbilling facility to be developed. Minister Roxon is carefully considering this proposal.
Of course, the most important thing happening in the past few years is the establishment of the Northern Territory Clinical School. I have said many times that students of the Territory now can start at preschool and finish as doctors without having to leave the Territory. The reality is, with not many doctors available around Australia - thanks to a decision by a previous minister of government to reduce places for training doctors - now Australia relies heavily upon foreign-trained doctors. The Territory’s lack of doctors is significant. While down south you will get 90 doctors per 100 000 population, here in Darwin we get about 53 doctors per 100 000 population. If you do not believe me you only have to think of a child sick in a time of significant sickness in the community - try to get a doctor’s appointment - you have to wait two or three days. That creates problems not only with GPs, but also with the emergency department being flooded with people with Category 4 or 5 incidents which can be attended to and treated by a GP.
Having a medical school in Darwin will provide us with an opportunity to grow our own doctors and, of course, encourage Indigenous Territorians to train as doctors. These are the people we need, especially for our remote areas; people who understand the culture, people who speak the language, people who can attend to the needs of Indigenous Territorians.
I am looking forward to the first group of doctors graduating from this school. It will take years. It will not happen straightaway, but from 2015 we will see 40 doctors coming out of this medical school every year. It is a bipartite formula - train them here and they stay here, whether they be engineers, midwives, nurses and now doctors.
Our government has ensured, and will continue to ensure, it takes full advantage of the economic opportunities that lie ahead for the Territory. We have demonstrated foresight and vision, facilitating strategic relationships with our trading partners to the north, and have actively encouraged investments in the Territory’s rich resources.
We have laid the foundation today for the future prosperity of the Northern Territory. When I came to Darwin from Western Australia I was astounded that the Northern Territory was virtually unexplored. I had seen in Western Australia, with the growth in mineral resources, the biggest export port in Australia at Port Hedland, the railway line 500 km from Newman to Port Hedland or Dampier, and I was astounded things like that were not in the Territory. It did not happen in the Territory because the previous CLP government did not have the foresight, and possibly not the will, to develop these things but preferred to play politics with land rights and Indigenous land. We have turned the page. We have decided that, for us, it is better to work together with all Territorians than fight court battles - spending Territorians’ money, taxpayers’ money – that we will lose in the end. That has paid dividends. We have opened land not opened before with exploration in places that before had no exploration because the previous government would not allow it or would not negotiate with traditional owners …
Mr Elferink: Nonsense!
Mr VATSKALIS: I note what the member for Port Darwin said. Tomorrow, I will be prepared to table maps that show exploration in 2001 and exploration now. The member for Port Darwin will realise the only nonsense heard in this House is that which comes from his mouth.
Madam Deputy Speaker, we have made efforts and have gone to places no government has gone before and our efforts have paid dividends. There are major projects coming to the Territory and they will be happening for many years to come and will provide jobs for Territorians, especially Indigenous Territorians, as most of these projects will take place in remote areas in the Territory.
Debate adjourned.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, the Speaker has received the following letter from the member for Katherine:
It is signed by Mr Willem Westra van Holthe, member for Katherine.
Is the proposed discussion supported? It is supported.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Katherine): Madam Deputy Speaker, in speaking on this matter of significant public importance tonight I make a request to the minister: please, when you respond to this, and whoever else from the other side responds to this, tell the business people of Alice Springs, the people who are involved in the tourism sector in the beautiful heart of the Northern Territory, what you are going to do to assist with the serious decline in tourism in that region, and what you are going to do to mitigate the effects of that decline.
I say that for good reason and on the back of a number of responses and orations by the current minister in recent months which have been lacking substance, lacking any real detail, and lacking anything that resembles something a tourism operator can grab hold of and say: ‘I feel better now because I know the NT government is doing something to help’. That is not happening.
I was not at the Brolga Awards on the weekend just gone - a week-and-a-half ago - for good reason. In some respects, I was glad not to have to listen to the eulogy the minister provided by way of her speech. It was about the death of tourism. A number of people have reported to me they felt like they were at a funeral; they should be crying at the state of the industry espoused by the minister. I find that quite reprehensible, but I know my colleagues are going to talk a little more about that. I did not get to the Brolgas because I was in Katherine on electorate duties meeting with the Acting Consul of Indonesia. The minister, no doubt, will have a go at me for not attending; however, she should be careful about casting aspersions lest she run the risk of offending the Indonesians once again. Remember the cattle ban debacle and the insult you levied on the Indonesians during that.
It is worth mentioning the shadow minister for Tourism did not get an invitation to attend the Brolgas, but that is something we can deal with once we get into government, should that happen.
In August this year, I brought another matter of public importance to this House discussing the tourism industry. I listened very carefully to what the minister had to say. Out of the 15 or 20 minutes she spoke, three, four minutes, maybe a bit longer, was devoted to me. She was talking about me. I am flattered, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am flattered the minister was talking about me; she would fill the airspace not talking about tourism but talking about me or the CLP. Very flattering, but not what I, or the people in the tourism industry, wanted to hear. They want to hear what you are doing to assist the industry in the Northern Territory and Central Australia.
Out of the 15 or 20 minutes of her last speech, probably five or six minutes was spent on doom and gloom, which is now the hallmark of this minister when she talks about the tourism sector. Doom and gloom is the only thing that comes from her mouth, and all she is doing is looking for excuses to hide the monumental failures. Minister, unless you are giving an address which relates to the state of the industry, for goodness sake, stop the excuses, stop the doom and gloom, and get on with what the operators want to hear - what you are doing to assist the tourism industry in the Northern Territory and Central Australia.
In that same speech, a few more minutes were wasted on motherhood statements. Minister, I urge you to look at who is writing your speeches. For goodness sake, we want to hear what you are doing to fix the industry.
I will reflect a little further on what was said in that speech because it is important we look at what is said in this House. The people of the Northern Territory expect their ministers will take up the mantle and provide leadership, direction, even, dare I say it, provide some decisions to advance the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory. Apparently, decision-making is not in the job profile of a minister in this Labor government. One only has to look at what the Chief Minister said yesterday in Question Time:
That really sums this government up nicely, doesn’t it? Do not stand in this House and spout motherhood statements. Do not stand here and make excuses. Do not stand here and talk about me, or the CLP, or basket weaving. For goodness sake, tell the industry what you are doing to fix tourism in the Northern Territory.
If I refer to the two-and-a-half pages of speech the minister gave last time, three quarters of the first paragraph was about me. The first line of the second paragraph was doom and gloom, and the second half of the paragraph was about me. Then there was an interjection. If we move down to another paragraph it was doom and gloom, talking about the circumstances and how tough they were, talking about the Australian dollar, increasing fuel prices, the impact of the new carbon tax - excuses.
In the next paragraph she talks about the natural disasters that are still impacting on tourism, and the Australian dollar. Half of that paragraph is doom and gloom and then, finally, the minister moves on to talk about some strategies they have in place. She talks about the Red Centre campaign - a paragraph on that, which has apparently had no effect because of the falling number of tourists going to the Red Centre under your watch, minister.
The next paragraph is another motherhood statement and then we move to a paragraph about basket weaving and Indigenous business hubs. I have had a go at Indigenous business hubs before - the only Indigenous business hub I can find is on a website. There is a difference of opinion on how something like that should be defined. There is another paragraph about the CLP being this and motherhood that. Another paragraph on the CLP, doom and gloom, motherhood, doom and gloom, Oprah Winfrey, and the last half page finishes off talking about me, the CLP, and another motherhood statement to finish. Oh my goodness, another pathetic response.
There is probably, out of all that, fewer than 10 minutes where the minister spoke about tourism and some of the strategies in place to deal with tourism in the Northern Territory, a vitally important industry.
Let us talk a little about Alice Springs. In the Centralian Advocate on Friday, 11 November 2011, the front page article was ‘Stop the Bleeding. It says:
One hundred thousand fewer in nine years! Is it not coincidental nine or 10 years coincides with this Labor government’s regime. Is it not a large decline? Unbelievable! A local tourism operator, Chris Chambers, described the tourism industry in Central Australia as being subjected to death by 1000 cuts. In 2001, 394 315 tourists visited Uluru, and that number dropped to 298 034 tourists in 2010. One only has to look at a graph of what that looks like. You can see tourism numbers have dropped from 2001 to 2010 under the stewardship of this Labor government and, in the last few years, under the stewardship of this minister. This minister clearly has no vision for the direction of tourism in the Northern Territory lest she would be crowing from the rooftops about how they will fix the abysmal problems we are facing in tourism in the Northern Territory.
The article goes on:
Well, isn’t that interesting? Another minister from a litany of ministers in that portfolio over a number of years. That is part of the problem, no continuity? They are constantly shifting the deckchairs on the Titanic and this is what happens to tourism when they do it. Mr Chambers said:
This government is telling tourism operators in Central Australia they do not know what they are talking about. That is the height of arrogance. How dare they! How dare they condescend to the operators of tourism in Central Australia and tell them they do not know what they are talking about! Nothing coming from this government surprises me. Mr Chambers went on to say he has translated the fall in revenue to be worth about $63m.
The reason I spoke about the constant doom and gloom and litany of excuses coming from this minister is because it appears to be catching like SARS or bird flu. It seems Tourism NT’s CEO might have caught the same disease the minister has – let us call it the doom and gloom disease. You cannot really wonder why when the minister does not have the courage to stand in the public arena, face the media and do the interviews with the Centralian Advocate. No doubt, she is going to trot out the CEO and throw him into the firing line, throw the public servants into the firing line. They are good at doing that. He is going to trot out the same lines as the minister.
Let us look at what he said in this article:
Here come the excuses:
Further along Mr Fitzgerald went on to say:
The CEO, it would seem, has caught the same doom and gloom disease as the minister. There is nothing concrete in there to give any form of confidence - just a glimmer of hope in the tourism sector that this lame duck minister has a plan for growing tourism in the Red Centre? Nothing! Nix, zero, zilch! Nothing! One might ask: ‘Where the bloody hell are you on tourism, minister?’ One thing is sure: the results are not here. I could ask: ‘Where the bloody hell are the results?’ Well, I can show you the results are a decline in tourist numbers - 100 000 of them at Uluru in the 10 years of your Labor government. Tell me you are committed to tourism! What are you doing about it? You cannot keep throwing money at it saying: ‘We are spending X number of dollars’. This side of the House keeps telling you money is an input not an outcome.
I know where some of the dollars are we talked about - the $63m Mr Chambers said they had lost in the Red Centre due to the decline. They have gone to other parts of the country where tourists are still spending money. They have gone to Queensland, to New South Wales, to wherever. That is what has happened. All that money that could have been coming into the Northern Territory has gone to other states. Instead of spending money in Alice Springs, Kings Canyon or Ayers Rock, it has been decreasing since your insipid, weak, visionless government came into power.
I want to do a little maths and, perhaps, a little logical exercise. Visitor numbers to the Rock at Uluru - which probably is not a bad indicator of tourism activity in Central Australia - are down over that period of 10 years from 2001 just a little over 400 000, to below 300 000, almost 25%. Mr Fitzgerald, in The Centralian Advocate, said domestic visitor numbers have remained relatively stable. So, the logical conclusion to draw is the decline of more than 100 000 visitors per year can be attributed to international visitors. I believe that is logical, Madam Deputy Speaker, don’t you? We have established that, since 2001, international arrivals into Australia have increased overall, notwithstanding short-term declines due to the doom and gloom and excuses constantly spewed out by the minister. In fact, international arrivals to the country are up by one million in the same period. They have reduced by 100 000 in Uluru but up by one million in Australia.
It is reported in The Centralian Advocate article that, over the same period, visitors to another Australian icon, the Great Barrier Reef, have remained steady at about 1.8 million per annum. So, given all the doom and gloom and the excuses the minister offers, what does she say about that? It would be interesting to hear. The Great Barrier Reef can maintain its numbers given all that doom and gloom, yet visitors to the NT’s icon, Uluru, and by extension Alice Springs, and the other tourism locations in Central Australia are down about 25%.
This government has no idea about business concepts. In a growing market, it would be acceptable to have your market share grow by the same rate the market is growing. It is bad enough, as in the case of the Great Barrier Reef, to maintain an unchanged market share, but to have lost 25% on raw numbers in a significant market share - in a growing market over that period - is palpable.
We have a growing market. I have another graph which does not show it very well. We have a growing market of international visitors to this country - one million more now than 10 years ago yet that is the comparison graph for Uluru. Why are we losing visitors to Uluru and Central Australia when we have growing international numbers coming into the country? That is the question I would like the minister to answer. Why is that? You should be ashamed of yourself, you poor minister. She sits there with a chuckle and smile - this must be funny. You think it is hilarious, don’t you? The business operators in Alice Springs are struggling. How many of them are closing down or facing imminent closure? There are many, and you sit there with a smile and a chuckle. You should be absolutely ashamed of yourself, minister. In fact, what you should do is the honourable thing and pull the pin on your ministry. You should resign and find someone who can run the ministry well; someone with some passion and vision.
I want to give you a couple of hints before I sit down. For goodness sake, minister, listen to people on the ground. Get out there and do what people say you have failed to do - listen to operators. Stop assigning a dollar figure in an attempt to dress it up as an outcome. Money is an input not an outcome. Also, please stop talking about me and the Country Liberals and talk about something operators want to hear about: how your government is going to address the needs of tourism in Central Australia now and into the future.
Ms McCARTHY (Tourism): Madam Deputy Speaker, I welcome the matter of public importance brought on by the member for Katherine. Clearly, the discussions and debates we have in this parliament are, from this side of the House, very much about the optimism and vision we have for the future of the Northern Territory, recognising the many challenges faced by the tourism industry across the Northern Territory
There were a couple of points there. First, the Brolga Awards was a pretty wonderful evening. It was the 25th anniversary of the Brolga Awards and it was good to celebrate those awards in the red desert country of the Arrernte people under the beautiful stars at night. There were commendations for many tour operators. In fact, it is an opportunity to acknowledge some of those people. Lyn Conway and her husband, Ian, were the recipients of the Perpetual Trophy in Tourism. We were able to acknowledge the hard work of people like the Conways who, for the last three decades, have welcomed thousands and thousands of people to their home in the desert country.
There were so many operators that evening, and it is a real shame that the member for Katherine, the shadow minister for Tourism, was unable to be there. I was aware the member for Greatorex was there, the Leader of the Opposition was also there, and no doubt passed on what a wonderful night it was. I apologise, but I did not see the member for Araluen; however, I have some arms pointing in that direction, so member for Araluen, we could have been on the dance floor, it was such a great night. That would have been a vision, wouldn’t it?
I said on the evening there have been enormous challenges facing the industry across the Northern Territory and across Australia. Central Australia has not been isolated from that. It has certainly felt a great deal of that pain, for many different reasons. It is not about putting on the record these are excuses, which is what has been referred to in the debate so far. They are certainly not excuses. There are very real reasons outside the control of many people.
For instance, the most recent example of the impact to tourism was the grounding of Qantas flights, and the immediate impact felt in Alice Springs in particular - not only the immediate impact of not being able to fly out, but also the sense of isolation in Central Australia. I have been consistently on the record pursuing Tiger’s return to Central Australia. My office met with Tiger only last week to pursue the low cost airline returning to Central Australia; however, it is not the only option. When Qantas suspended its flights - and I commend the work of Julian Barry, who I worked with constantly over that weekend to ensure we could move the 350 passengers in Alice Springs needing to reach other destinations quickly once the flights commenced. These are conditions out of the control of tourism ministers, and certainly out of the control of tourism operators. They are not excuses; they are legitimate reasons and one of many that impact on, not just tourism, but business generally.
The other thing is the Australian dollar, and that is not an excuse. I spoke about this previously and, again, it is outside our control. It is wonderful for people who want to travel overseas knowing the Australian dollar has such a high value, but it is having an impact in the Northern Territory and across Australia. They are not excuses; they are real and credible impacts on all business, not just tourism.
The Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Central Australia are very positive about wanting to pursue the benefits for people of Central Australia. I have to acknowledge and thank the work of people like Peter Grigg, who has moved on for personal reasons. It would be good to see Peter continue, in some capacity, to represent the people of Central Australia. Peter’s big message after his years in tourism in the Centre was people need to stop talking Alice Springs down. Peter said we need to tell the good stories and tell everyone why we love the town. Peter will continue to do that wherever he is; however, we continue to run up against the negativity of some in Central Australia.
That is a real challenge. It is by no means saying the impact is the only thing causing the problem; it is not. However, it is very much a real impact we have to continuously work on and be vigilant about. Our attitudes have a terrific impact. They can also have a negative impact depending on which way you look at it.
Lasseters Casino is investing $35m in a significant upgrade of facilities; $35m which says they believe in the future of Central Australia; $35m which says they see a future there. Again, they need the support of good news, of talking up Central Australia. Our government has given the Alice Springs Town Council $5m towards a revitalisation of the mall and CBD, and I am advised the council is expected to ratify the plans next month. Piggly’s supermarket has had a $250 000 facelift, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service is investing in a significant upgrade to its visitor centre. All these things contribute to a holistic approach to improving tourism and benefit the people of Central Australia.
Some of the suggestions from retailers involve looking at their trading hours, investigating opportunities presented by the clean energy future and Alice Springs’ status as a solar city, and having opportunities to learn from businesses and similar environments elsewhere. These are the things coming back from the Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the town council. Local businesses want to be proactive and are working together to attract and retain customers, and I support those efforts. A smaller group nominated at the business forum is due to meet this Friday, and I am interested to see what directions and ideas they will be pursuing and how government can work with them to continue to foster opportunities.
The Northern Territory government, through the Department of Business and Employment, invests considerably to assist local businesses to seize new opportunities and foster a positive business output. All these things contribute to welcoming visitors to Central Australia. Under the Territory Business Growth program, in 2010-11 $79 215 in grants was provided to 20 businesses in Alice Springs. The Business Enterprise Centre held 20 workshops in Alice Springs. The Business Upskills program held 21 workshops in Alice Springs. October Business Month this year was very successful, with 16 events and 547 people attending. These events included people like Lisa Curry, who was also in the local newspaper, talking about business success and work life balance. Overcoming the challenges facing remote Australian businesses, driving your business, business upskills and understanding your workforce needs - tourism is very much a part of all those things. That is what our government is doing consistently, day in, day out, to assist businesses in Central Australia.
Having access to reliable, fast and cost-effective technologies is also important for Alice Springs. I was very pleased to hear Telstra’s recent announcement that faster mobile access will soon be available. Since Nextgen laid its cable on the back of the nation building investment in the NBN, Alice Springs is rapidly becoming the leader in telecommunications.
My job as Minister for Tourism is to talk up the benefits for tourism in the Northern Territory and the magnificent country we have because someone has to do it. We do not hear it from the opposition - other than trashing the Territory, and that is not what our government is about. We believe there is a very good reason people want to come to the Northern Territory and that is to experience the wonderful benefits of being here, whether it is to do with the lifestyle, the scenery, Indigenous culture, or whether it is to learn how to drive across magnificent country, especially when you look at the many international tourists who come here.
The Germans for example, one of our largest numbers to the Northern Territory, love coming here for the adventure side of it. They love coming here to self-drive. They love coming here because we have things they do not have. Naturally, we have to continuously market to all those different places. The United Kingdom is our greatest market ever, and now we are trying to expand into China. The Chinese have an incredible interest and desire to visit places in Central Australia. This is what we are working on day in and day out. It does not stop.
In Central Australia alone we can see - I am looking at some comparisons here. The statistics for the Great Barrier Reef, often cited as a comparison with Uluru, show a 22% decline in visitor numbers over the past decade. There you go!
Mr Westra van Holthe: Not what I had.
Ms McCARTHY: I am not sure what statistics you are reading, member for Katherine. Clearly, we will have to compare those statistics later.
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! Perhaps the person who put the statistics in the police annual report might have put the same statistics together.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order, member for Braitling.
Ms McCARTHY: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. We also have, in Central Australia with Uluru, an incredible investment - a $300m investment in the Red Centre which will have spin-offs for all those living in Central Australia; whether it is to do with direct employment to the Yulara resort, direct employment for those in outlying communities, or a by-product of joining on to tourism operators who travel between Alice Springs and the Rock, and Kings Canyon and other places. There will be spin-offs to this. $300m is an enormous amount of money that has been invested there.
The Indigenous Economic Development Taskforce recently met at Uluru. One of the things I looked at while at Uluru was how it was going with the investment of the $300m. The fact it is going to be the national Indigenous hospitality training centre was unheard of before. That is what our government, and the federal government, has supported. When the tourism ministers visited in April, I pushed every tourism minister, along with the federal minister, to ensure we had unanimous national support for the growth of Central Australia.
These are the things I am doing as Minister for Tourism in the Northern Territory. This is what I am pushing and advocating for the people of Central Australia. Not a week goes by where we are not conscious of forever wanting to improve tourism in the Northern Territory and, in particular, in Central Australia. We are not about talking down and trashing the Northern Territory.
I touched on the Lasseters Hotel Casino $35m enhancement to its existing venue to provide 66 additional guest accommodation rooms. This is absolute confidence in the growth of Central Australia. I mentioned the $300m for the purchase of Ayers Rock resort. The Indigenous Land Corporation is planning to invest a further $20m to refresh the facilities, including new conferencing facilities, spa, and golf course. The owners are establishing it as a national Indigenous hospitality sector.
Regarding my staff and Tourism NT, I welcome the work of John Fitzgerald, the CEO, and his team at Tourism NT. They are forever working to improve tourism opportunities across the Northern Territory. On the weekend of the Brolgas, we had a number of visitors from interstate travel agencies. Earlier in the year, February, we travelled from the Gold Coast to Sydney, to Melbourne and Canberra, taking tourism operators from Central Australia and the Top End to put their wares on the market nationally. We did that in the annual muster - a terrific experience. In fact, if you spoke to some of those who went from Central Australia, they will tell you how successful that was and has been for them.
We were also able, in the lead-up to the Brolgas, to ensure it was reciprocated; this time it was about the travel agents from interstate coming to Alice Springs. We spent an evening at the Desert Park. They had a chance over the following days to look around the Red Centre. Again, this is about linking with the states, the travel agents - linking tourism. With the announcement of the Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games, there is an obvious link again, tapping in to those experiences that bring tourists from around the country and around the world to particular places - if not directly to the Northern Territory, then we act to ensure they come to us from places like the Gold Coast or Sydney.
We will continue to market Central Australia, both domestically and internationally, with another Red Centre campaign which is scheduled for early next year. We had a successful one this year. Again, that was in the midst of other issues occurring in Alice Springs – social issues which, unfortunately, impacted and took away negative images and messages that were being felt around the country and around the world. These things were fed back to me on the night of the Brolgas, and throughout the year, and people regretted putting that campaign together and wondered whether they had achieved what they thought they were going to. In fact, they felt it backfired in some respects.
We know that come February next year, we are going to have to work that much harder to ensure the Red Centre campaign for Central Australia is an even greater success for the people of Central Australia.
New imagery, both still and moving, has been taken of Alice Springs to populate Tourism NT’s revamped website, including two short promotional videos that feature local personalities, Mr Charlie Mahar and Ms Miriam Pickard, enjoying a variety of experiences in and around Alice Springs. Tourism NT recently partnered with Mini and Frosch Touristik International in Germany to promote the ‘Best Test Drive of Your Life Down Under’ as part of MINI’s launch of its Countryman vehicle in Germany, a digital campaign utilising MINI’s social media channels which was also promoted in car dealerships throughout Germany, offering consumers a chance to win travel to Alice Springs.
In May, when we had the launch of the Long Walk and the centenary events in Melbourne, we linked that to the Beanie Festival in Central Australia. All of these things we keep driving and pushing to promote Central Australia. Right now, 10 prizewinners are travelling through the Red Centre experiencing our outback adventure and hospitality and their experiences are being captured by a German media company which will tell the prizewinners’ stories and showcase images of Central Australia in Germany.
As part of Tourism NT’s focus on increasing trade education, the NT Roundup trade event was held in Alice Springs on 11 November for 32 accredited operators who arrived just prior to the Brolgas. They participated in a famil of the region from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon and Uluru.
I will come back to the Brolga Awards, Madam Deputy Speaker, because this is really where we have an opportunity to showcase the winners from Central Australia. Central Australia performed very well, proving the quality of businesses, individuals and products in this region, scooping the pool with 10 category winners:
Alice Springs School of the Air Visitor Centre - a tremendous effort;
Ms McCARTHY: Yes, I thought you would be happy with that, member for Barkly.
SEIT Outback Australia- absolutely wonderful. In fact, the night before with SEIT Outback Australia, I was able to spend time with them at the Desert Park as we did a night tour of the Desert Park.
There was a highly commended award to Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race. Here is something for you - Antony Yoffa and the Mayor of Alice Springs are going to China in January to look at opportunities for the Finke Desert Race and a direct relationship with the Chinese and interest in the race. This is great news for Central Australia.
Four Encouragement Awards were given to Longhorn Bike Hire, Alice Springs Convention Centre, Wayoutback Desert Safaris, Haven Backpackers …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Deputy Speaker, I am a little old-fashioned when it comes to tourism. I am from Queensland, as you know. I am an Australian first and foremost and my children belong in Yipirinya, as I say in this House many times. I grew up in Queensland, which essentially – I am talking about the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s - prided itself as the tourism capital of Australia and the world - certainly the South Pacific. At one stage it was all Queensland ever had. They took tourism very seriously because they did not have much else.
We had a bit of mining, but to market ourselves against the rest of Australia - the wineries of South Australia, the cosmopolitan streets of Melbourne, and Sydney Harbour, it was pretty tough. I am sure the member for Johnston would know. He grew up in Queensland in the 1950s and 1960s and would know how important tourism was to Queensland in the early days of the Gold Coast and the old Chevron Hotel. He might remember it quite well. My parents spent their honeymoon at the old Chevron Hotel in 1958. Tourism was very important to the Queensland economy and they took it very seriously. Even today if you go back, it is interesting to look at the difference in the border towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads. If you are in Coolangatta at 5 am or 6 am the beaches are graded, even during winter. The council grades the beach, cleans it all up for, hopefully, another profitable day of tourism. When you cross the border into New South Wales it is not quite as impressive. There are still lovely beaches and lovely countryside, but the local councils, and in turn the government, do not take tourism and the beaches as seriously as Queenslanders do.
My point is they take the industry very seriously. It is an industry we need to start taking seriously once again. I am a little old-fashioned when it comes to tourism campaigns. There is nothing like a great television jingle, a real catchy jingle, lots of smiling faces and people having a great time, with some shots of the place you are trying to promote. Get it out there. Who can forget Paul Hogan: put another shrimp on the barbie. It took Australia from 49th on the American most-travelled destinations to first in the space of a very short campaign. There is nothing like a real catchy campaign, a catchy jingle, to get the numbers travelling to the destination you are trying to promote.
It is obvious we have dropped the ball when it comes to tourism, for whatever reason. Of course, we will say it is the fault of the government. At the end of the day, the responsibility has to lie with the Northern Territory government. We hear about SARS and the Ansett collapse. We had Tiger and Virgin come and go into Central Australia, then Qantas as well, and 11 September. There have been some factors, including the Australian dollar and the GFC. A swag of things contributed. They are obstacles but, unfortunately, have become stumbling blocks for the Northern Territory government. It has not embraced the challenges or overcome those challenges.
The Share our Story campaign was delivered with enthusiasm, the intention was good, but it has not delivered. It is clear the Share our Story campaign has not delivered for Central Australia or the Northern Territory if you look at the numbers and the whole Share our Story thing. It might be a little controversial; however, I believe the pendulum has swung too far towards Indigenous tourism. As important as it is, as vital as it is, it is not all of our tourism industry. We have neglected other parts of our tourism industry for Indigenous tourism and are selling a philosophy, a doctrine. We are selling an idea rather than tangible stuff on the ground.
It is all very well to show wonderful pictures of the lovely desert, or the bush or the ranges, and a picture of a four-wheel drive and a couple sitting there with a fire and a cup of tea saying: ‘Isn’t this great?’ People want that, but they also want to have a hot shower, a cold beer, and a nice meal in a restaurant, and walk the streets of a community or a town. They do not see that in the Share Our Story campaign. It really is focused on the Dreaming by virtue of what the Share Our Story means. It is based on the Dreaming of the Territory and not much on the communities, the townships, the engine room of the Territory - the balloon operators, the hoteliers, the restaurants, the four-wheel drive companies, and the bars and bistros throughout the Northern Territory, and we have plenty of them. We have some of the best restaurants in Alice Springs and they do not get much of a run.
The pendulum has swung a bit too far towards Indigenous tourism. The Share Our Story campaign was made with the best intentions but it has failed, at an enormous cost to the Territory taxpayer because those commercials would not have been cheap to make.
It is not exclusively about the Indigenous experience, especially the domestic market. The international market might be a little more interested, but in the domestic market the interest is much broader. They like to know what else is on the ground once they travel to Central Australia. There is plenty to do: fishing, camping, and bushwalking. As an example of that pendulum swinging too far towards Indigenous tourism, at Nitmiluk all the signage is about Dreaming. It is about the serpent and the lightning bolt and all that type of thing. That is okay, but there is nothing about the geology or what really happened. It is Dreaming; however, the land was formed scientifically as well. Three hundred million years ago this happened - water rushing through that gorge. There is none of that. There is no information about that and it is starting to infiltrate across the Northern Territory and across our parks. I do not agree with that; it is not the best way to engage people. People also like a sense of what really happened, or at least an option to decide: ‘I will take one way or the other’.
We have put so much effort into the Indigenous tourism doctrine, the Indigenous tourism philosophy, and you cannot sell that philosophy. We have tried to sell it and it has failed. It is a vital component to our industry but not the only component yet all we see in the marketing campaigns is this. There is a missed opportunity, which is probably why we are seeing some issues with tourism. We are focusing on a niche market and tourism is a lot broader than that, certainly in the Northern Territory. There is much more to do than read a sign about Aboriginal Dreaming in a particular place.
I can flag what the Country Liberals are gathering information about to develop policy - there are some policies. A policy is being developed at the moment by a number of us with a stake in the Territory who are very keen to see the tourism industry move forward. We need a figurehead. It was interesting at the Brolgas where we heard Barry Skipsey sing You will never ever know, if you never ever go. I thought: ‘Well, isn’t that interesting? Here we are reminiscing’. John Fitzgerald said: ‘Barry, can you sing the song for us?’ They handed out song sheets and we all sang it. People love this campaign and everyone wants it. We remember it and love it; it is very dear to our hearts. I remember it very well; growing up in Queensland it was on the television. Here we were singing this song at the Brolgas. Barry was being asked to play it again, and everyone was clapping their hands saying: ‘Isn’t this a fantastic jingle? Wasn’t that a fantastic campaign?’ Why don’t we go back to something like that? We need a figurehead. We used to have Catriona Rowntree and Daryl Somers as the face of the Territory and Territory tourism. They not only promoted us across the country and on the national stage, but at events like the Brolgas. They were the ones handing out the awards.
We need to get back to something like that. We have to start getting back to the basics. Stop selling this philosophy, this doctrine, this intangible thing, and get back to selling something we can seriously put our hands on. It is something we can get our hands dirty on. A figurehead is very important. Those instantly recognisable faces that fronted our televisions were the face of tourism.
There needs to be some serious consideration about bringing tourism back into a commission; however, that is a debate for another time. It is not a policy of the Country Liberals but is something we are looking at and will consider if it is practical or feasible. My gut feeling is if it is at arm’s length from the department and able to make its own decisions and act with some autonomy, we will see a much better product delivered on the ground.
We also need to have a long-term minister. If you are going to have someone at the head of this industry you need to keep them there. We have seen a massive revolving door of ministers with this government - over and over again. There must have been half a dozen; maybe eight or so ministers - at least six - in the last 10 years. That is too many. You have had two-and-a-half terms, nearly three terms. To have one or two Tourism ministers would have - and certainly could have - strengthened this industry and provided certainty to the operators. The minister would have been able to make decisions and follow through on those decisions. There are many ambitious people who see tourism as a junior portfolio and want to climb the greasy pole. However, it is very important to have stability, and if you were to have a minister who was there for a long period of time - at least one term, preferably two - it would be a wonderful portfolio to have. We would then see much more stability around the industry and much more certainty. That person would also be able to work on those contacts and networks they have been able to establish when things get tough.
I have to comment on the minister’s speech. Unfortunately, it sounded like a eulogy at the Brolgas the other night. John Fitzgerald said what the minister should have said. He had a smile on his face and a spring in his step. He lamented about the old days and linked the old tourism with the new tourism, how we are going to go and where we are going to go. The minister said: ‘I know it is tough but we are there with you and are going to hold hands and do everything we possibly can to make things okay’. She became lost and muddled. It was one of those awkward moments when you see someone is caught up and does not know how to get out of where they are; they have themselves in a spot. She could not quite get out of it but did eventually. John Fitzgerald, thankfully, inspired the crowd. I wish Fitzy all the best. I do not know him very well, but I wish him all the very best. He has a tough gig ahead of him.
There is plenty to talk about with tourism, and I will hand over to the next speaker …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, your time has expired.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Araluen): Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise to talk on the matter of public importance brought before parliament by my colleague, the member for Katherine. What does it say about a town in which the St Vincent de Paul second-hand shop closes? That says it all when you are talking about the state of affairs in Alice Springs and tourism and business. Our local St Vinnie’s op shop closed a few weeks ago because of the lack of viability in running that business. Not even a second-hand shop like St Vincent’s is doing well in Alice Springs.
Generally, the state of affairs of the tourism industry in Alice is not good. I am not going to repeat what my colleagues have already discussed in parliament tonight, but there are a few things I would like to talk about. The reason we have seen this 10 years of decline in tourism in Central Australia – yes, it can be put down partly to the global financial crisis, and it can be partly attributed to the exchange rate, which is inspiring more people from Australia to take their dollar overseas, but there are other factors that are putting people off spending their tourism dollar in Central Australia.
One of those is the very high crime rate in Alice Springs. We have seen some staggering figures come out in parliament this week. The rate of property offences in Alice Springs doubles that of Darwin. Darwin has a population of around 160 000, Alice Springs has around 30 000, and we have had double the rate of property offences in Alice Springs over the last financial year. Who wants to visit a town where their property is not safe and they are not safe? What I am hearing from the industry is there is a problem with a deteriorating product. The providers of tourism are struggling, and struggling to maintain their product in a fashion which is expected, particularly of international tourists. This is a big problem. If you are not getting the money in you cannot spend it on upgrading your facilities and your product.
One of the key issues around tourists not coming to Central Australia is the debacle when it comes to airlines servicing Central Australia. One passenger carrier servicing Alice Springs – Qantas – and it is not in such a good state at the moment. I know I am stating the obvious, but when you are reliant on Qantas to bring tourists in and out of Central Australia there will be problems, and there certainly have been problems in the last few months.
The expectations of tourists are high and when the town is struggling, when the tourism operators are struggling, they will not necessarily meet the expectations of tourists. I heard a story recently of an international tourist who came to the Northern Territory because of an interest in telegraph stations in three different parts of the Northern Territory. This tourist was not able to access one of those sites because of a lack of facilities and amenities within the telegraph station. Going down the line, they encountered similar problems in the second one, and the third one in Alice Springs was satisfactory. International tourists want to be serviced; they want to be looked after and, with a struggling economy and tourism industry, they may not get a product which meets their expectations.
What we have in Alice Springs is 10 years of neglect. The government does not want to hear about that and constantly accuses us of talking the town down and being negative. However, if you cannot talk about reality in parliament when it comes to what is happening in the Northern Territory, in Alice Springs or any part of the Territory, it really defeats the purpose of parliament full stop. We have to be honest; we have to appraise and assess what is going on in our part of the world, and we have to represent our constituents.
Tonight I want to talk about the reality of what is happening in Alice Springs and what has been happening in Alice Springs over the last 10 years: a decline in tourism and a decline in business. The article in the Centralian Advocate two weeks ago featured a local tourism operator, Chris Chambers. He has been tracking the decline of tourism in the town over the last 10 years. He was able to provide the Centralian Advocate with some quite startling and very disappointing statistics proving it is not a figment of our imagination. Things have progressively become worse; tourism numbers have dropped in Alice Springs since the Olympic Games came to Australia. This has not been satisfactorily addressed by this government. You can flick it off as being caused by this, that and the other, but when you have a government which has not only neglected the tourism industry in Central Australia, but many other aspects of the town for 10 years, you need to look at it realistically and take some responsibility. However, responsibility is not what we are hearing from this government.
We have had so many businesses close in Alice Springs over the last few years. I will list for the parliament tonight some of the shops that have closed. Polka Dot, a haberdashery/dressmaking shop, has closed in the last six months; Swank Shoes, which was located in Yeperenye decided to amalgamate with another store they owned and closed their Yeperenye shop. We have lost several bakeries in Alice Springs over the last few years. The CAAMA shop in the Todd Mall closed. Ooraminna, the great tourism facility up the road from Alice Springs has closed in the last six months. We have also had two newsagencies close in the last six months. Keller’s Restaurant closed in the last six months. Ali’s Emporium on the north Stuart Highway closed recently. We had a hat shop just down from Bojangles in Todd Street closed recently. We had a travel agency in the Alice Plaza close within the last six months. There are others. And the Red Cross Blood Bank has closed. What a staggering loss to the community, the Red Cross blood bank closing, as was the closure of St Vinnie’s op shop – unbelievable!
All these businesses have closed and very few new businesses have come in. This is serious. We are not here in parliament tonight just to have a go at the government. We are highlighting what is really happening in Alice Springs, in Central Australia. Our local economy is suffering. Businesses are closing, and I do not see much reaction, response or action from the government to what is happening.
We have had Mbantua Gallery downsize. Along Gregory Terrace towards the river, you have on one side of the street Mbantua Gallery, the three large windows with big ‘for lease’ signs on the front, and most of the shops on the right-hand side also have ‘for lease’ signs on the windows. I cannot tell you what those businesses used to be, but most of them were art galleries. That is one block of the CBD of Alice Springs lined with ‘for lease’ signs on the shop windows. This is not a good look for tourism in Alice Springs.
The Minister for Tourism talked about - once again it staggers me that any minister from this government could mention the revitalisation of the CBD of Alice Springs, because this alone is the greatest embarrassment of all for this government - six years of consultation about how we can revitalise the CBD of Alice Springs. For many years - beyond six years - the CBD of Alice Springs has been in a total state of decline. My father has been visiting me in Alice Springs for almost 20 years now, and every year in the last 15 years has said: ‘Oh, the mall is looking a bit tired, Rob. It needs a facelift’. We can all see it. My father who visits once a year has been seeing it, the tourists see it. They walk around and see a drab, tired CBD.
This government has undertaken a six-year consultation process looking into how to revitalise the CBD of Alice Springs. We hear from the minister tonight that within a month - please tell me if I am wrong - there will be some action on those plans that have taken six years to put together. What a disgrace that is! I do not believe the minister when she says there is going to be some action because there is no commitment from the Labor Northern Territory government to give our Todd Mall, our CBD, the much-needed facelift required.
The Minister for Tourism also mentioned Piggly’s having a facelift, goodness me. Piggly’s, this obscure supermarket in my electorate down Gap Road, a much-loved little supermarket for the people living in the area – yes, she is right. Piggleys had a facelift but, goodness me, if you have to scrape the barrel that low to highlight a fairly obscure supermarket on the fringe of the CBD of Alice Springs having a significant facelift, things are really looking grim.
I am told by many tour operators in Alice Springs things are looking very grim for them. I am not going to name names, apart from the one that is obvious. Tailormade Tours, quite a sizeable business in Alice Springs, had an advertisement in the paper. They are selling off their bus transport side of the business and concentrating on the other side of the business. They have made a decision that the transport side of the business is no longer what it used to be and have decided to sell that off. Other tour operators in town are struggling; their business has reached an all-time low. One particular company is looking interstate to provide transport for mining companies. Things are looking very bad. We are not talking the town down; we are talking about what is really happening. This government does not want to know what is really happening in Alice Springs because we are a great shame and embarrassment to it.
I want to talk a little about the Brolgas. I had never been to the Brolga Awards and was lucky enough to attend last Saturday. It was a spectacular evening, but for me quite a curious evening. I was staggered by the lack of nominations. In some categories there were one or two nominations. I spoke to one of the judges who informed me the reason why there are so few nominations for the Brolga Awards is because it is a long, onerous, complicated process to nominate. It is expensive, very time consuming, and most tour operators do not bother. The Minister for Tourism, although she had a fabulous night - we all had a fabulous night - needs to look at this. If the Brolga Awards are truly a representation of the quality product in existence in the tourism industry in the Northern Territory, surely the Brolgas should be made more accessible to more tour operators. In most of those categories you do not have one, two, three or four nominees; you have perhaps dozens representing the true size and importance of the tourism industry.
Madam Deputy Speaker, we are not talking the town down; we are concerned about Central Australia. As members of parliament representing Central Australia, it is our responsibility to highlight these issues. Alice Springs is suffering 10 years of decline in tourism. The business sector is really suffering. I have listed dozens of businesses that have closed in the last six to 12 months alone. This is a very serious problem which cannot be underestimated. The responsibility of this government to do something about it is compelling and should be immediate.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, you might wonder why I would like to speak on this matter. I very much enjoyed my times in Alice Springs. I have said before, the first place I visited way back in 1964 was Alice Springs. I remember it when it was a little town. Of course, it is a much bigger town today.
I should preface my comments by saying I still believe Alice Springs is a wonderful place. I enjoy going there for the Masters Games; I enjoy going there when parliament is sitting. Last year, I went down before parliament sat to look at the issues being raised at that time in relation to gangs of people breaking into premises. I wanted to see for myself what the problems were. I intend to do that again next year to see if things have improved, if what the government says is working; that is, it puts in the numbers of people, especially police, to ensure what happened last year is not repeated.
As I said, Alice Springs is a wonderful town; I have friends there. I enjoy the wonderful weather, the landscapes, and the people both in and around Alice Springs. The parents of my assistant come from Alice Springs, and she has a great affiliation with the Centre as well. Through my local government connections years ago, it was always great to go to Alice Springs for Local Government Association meetings. I remember with fondness meeting Alice Springs’ mayors such as Andy McNeill who has passed away, and Damien Ryan, the new Mayor of Alice Springs, who is sometimes criticised unfairly. He is a local government person who is very much a supporter of the future of Alice Springs.
I would like to read a couple of e-mails sent to me recently. Some of my family do Aboriginal art work and sell their paintings to art galleries in Alice Springs. I asked one of the owners about the state of Alice Springs and his response was quite negative. He said there are businesses closing in Alice Springs and fewer tourists than before. On top of that, when Qantas pulls out for a while and Tiger Airways pulls out, it does not help. He said, in general, the mall is like a ghost town after 4.30 pm. He sent me a copy of comments from another art gallery owner who is in the Todd Mall. That lady - and I will not mention her name - runs a fairly well-known art gallery in the Todd Mall. She sent this to Jeff the other day. This gives an indication of the problems occurring in Alice Springs which need to be addressed. She said:
This, by the way, is 29 October 2011:
She said thank you for trying to create some positive changes.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I do not know this lady but am reporting something sent to me that is not about politics. The reality is that Alice Springs is a town that very much depends on tourism and its image will be tarnished, and is tarnished, when people see this type of behaviour. If people feel they are being threatened, either verbally or physically, they will not come back to Alice Springs. They will tell their friends when they go south or overseas that Alice Springs is not a good place to visit. What will they do? They will fly to Yulara like they used to in days gone by. Planes would fly over Alice Springs to Ayers Rock and there is the danger that this will happen if people do not feel safe.
I know the member for Katherine, who brought forward this matter, has similar problems in his town. I understand those problems because I have come into Katherine from both the south and the north and at 6 pm or 7 pm in the Dry Season when it is getting dark, wanting to go to Red Rooster …
Ms Purick: That is not very good, healthy stuff.
Mr WOOD: Well, it is chicken and therefore is naturally healthy, member for Goyder. You find people across the road from the Crossways bottle shop waiting to bludge a beer or two from someone. I guess I am used to it - I have lived here for a long time. It is not pleasant, but I have some idea what it is about. However, for 65- to 70-year-old tourists in the campervan who have just arrived in Katherine that night thinking: ‘We will pop over for some Red Rooster’, and you have these people on the other side, it is very threatening for them. It is the same with Alice Springs.
I love Alice Springs. It is a great place and there are many good people in Alice Springs and I would not denigrate those good people. You see them at the Masters Games at the softball and cricket. That is what I enjoy. I get a chance to meet other Territorians - ones who can live in dry weather. Unfortunately, there is a growing group of people causing antisocial behaviour which is affecting the town; affecting business and affecting confidence in the town.
I am not ashamed to say it again: people who are continually picked up for being drunk need to be removed from the streets and taken to a place where they have a chance to think about changing their lives around, even if it is for six months. I am not saying put them in a prison-type facility. I say put them in a facility where they have to stay; it might have medical facilities, a garden, some woodwork equipment, a library and some education facilities. People come to a point where their liberties and freedom are being affected and it is a two-way street. Behave and have good manners, and if you do not do that there is a consequence. If you are drunk and threatening people, abusing people, that is affecting not only the person, but the good character of the town, the good name of the town, and sometimes intervention is required for the purpose of helping those people.
People who have major alcohol problems - and many of the people we are talking about do - we are not talking about a crime; we are talking about a sickness. It is a sickness, in many cases, where people cannot help themselves; they do not have the willpower to turn their lives around, they need assistance. That assistance, in some cases, should be a requirement not just making an effort to turn up to rehabilitation - it will be compulsory and there needs to be consequences if they do not.
There needs to be a bigger effort on solutions. Yes, we have people working - we have too many people working in Alice Springs in different groups. It has been said before: the number of agencies working in Alice Springs is enormous when you look at the population. Perhaps you could start to bring some of those groups together to have better or more efficient use of the money and be able to focus more on groups. I have always felt one good, big youth centre in Alice Springs instead of three, where some are more for non-Indigenous and some are more for Indigenous, is a little sad. It has occurred over time. It is a pity those youth facilities, to some extent, have evolved around the colour of your skin rather than what is good for youth in general.
There seems to be an enormous number of Aboriginal organisations in Alice Springs. Do they have a reason for their existence? If so, is part of that to help overcome problems with their own people - trying to be part of the solution - or do they step back and hope the police or the government will fix it all up. What is the role of Aboriginal communities in Alice Springs? Are they there only to talk to one another about land, sacred sites, or development? That is all fine, but if people are being affected by alcohol, if young families and young children are being affected by this behaviour, if people in Alice Springs are scared because of that behaviour, if businesses are leaving, then everyone has to take responsibility. You cannot step back and say it is the job of Damien Ryan, the Chief Minister, or the Police Commissioner. We are all part of a society and we all have to take some responsibility.
In this debate, whilst I can highlight the problems advised by the lady from the art gallery in the Todd Mall, it is also beholden on us to see what solutions we can put forward to government. We need to have some positive ideas coming out of this debate otherwise we will be seen as knockers for the sake of knockers.
I hope I have put some constructive points of view forward. I am not an Alice Springs person, but I am a Territorian. It does not matter where you come from. These issues are not unique to Alice Springs, they are throughout the Territory. We should all be working together as a parliament to do our best to turn things around in Alice to make a great place even better.
Discussion concluded.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I wish to talk about a couple of issues.
The first one is to bring to the attention of the House to the 2011 Centralian Girls Academy Awards night that I attended on 10 November in Alice Springs. I acknowledge the attendance of the members for Macdonnell and Araluen, who also attended the Academy Awards night.
It was a great night at the Chifley Alice Springs Resort near the Todd River with standing room only. It was well and truly supported by parents, friends and family who were there to witness the celebration of both the Centralian Middle School and the Centralian Senior Secondary College Girls Academies.
The Chief Minister has often spoken about the Clontarf Academy for young Indigenous men in the Northern Territory; however, they are going to be rivalled by the Girls Academy over the coming years in its success and the outcomes it is achieving in Alice Springs.
I acknowledge the organisers, some of the teachers and coordinators of the Girls Academies in Alice Springs, Beverley Angeles and Jenny Nixon from the senior college and the middle school, both coordinators and program managers of the academies, who worked tirelessly assisting, mentoring and supporting those young women through their education life at the colleges. I also acknowledge the school leaders of those colleges, Mr Andrew Leslie, Principal at Centralian Middle School and Mr Tony Collins, the Assistant Principal at Centralian Senior College. They are both worthy of acknowledgement. They worked tirelessly, with Beverley and Jenny, supporting these young women in what they have successfully achieved. They deserve a pat on the back because they played a big part in those achievements.
In relation to the MCs for the evening, two young ladies compered the night and did a fantastic job. I acknowledge Valerie Fuschtei, a Year 12 student from Centralian Senior College, and Brianna Briscoe, a Year 8 Centralian Middle School student. I know Brianna’s parents, Dean and Cecile Briscoe, great role models and parents for Brianna. Dean, coming from the Mount Allan community, was there to see his daughter MC the night, and she did a fantastic job.
I acknowledge many of the sponsors of the evening. I was happy to be there, and I donated the Academy Sportswoman of the Year Award to the Centralian Senior College recipient, and the member for Araluen donated the Academy Friendship Award for Centralian Middle School. It was a great night.
I also acknowledge Cassie Boyle and Allie Langham Cole, Year 7 students from Centralian Middle School, who made a speech on behalf of their fellow students. Sarah Fuss, a Year 12 student at Centralian Senior College, and Priscilla Ah Chee, a Year 12 student at Centralian Senior College, both spoke very well. Getting these young ladies up in front of a big crowd is a real experience for them and they did really well and it will boost their confidence.
The solo performance by Alexis Fenton-Woods, a Year 7 student at CMS, shows she has a very nice voice and a big career ahead of her. Perhaps she could go on Australian Idol or Australia’s Got Talent because she has a very bright future.
To everyone involved with those colleges, the girls academies - I have visited a couple of times this year and I took the Chief Minister to Centralian Senior College one day. We popped into the girl’s room, and they could not believe the Chief Minister was there; they were left speechless, but it was good to get the Chief Minister out and about visiting the young women and seeing what support there is for them. My colleague, the member for Arnhem, and I went to Centralian Middle School, to the Girls Academy room and had breakfast with them. We made a few speeches and really engaged with the young women. They look up to having people like us there to inspire them to continue their education. It is a really important part of their lives and having us spend some time with them helps them along their way.
The academy awards night was fantastic, and it was great to see the support of parents and families. We are always on about Every Child, Every Day and the need for families to support their children through education, and there was no better example of this than at the awards night last week in Alice Springs.
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, Darwin Middle School is a new campus building a strong culture. Obviously, what they do in the early years of the school go a long way towards creating and building a really positive school culture.
Some students have taken an active interest in improving their grounds. Civic pride in the area you use is always a very positive thing, and they have taken an active interest in their grounds under the leadership of teacher, Judy Maddalozzo, and have turned a dry, unused corner of their yard at the back of the school into a promising garden. There are two classes involved, and I seek leave to have the students’ names - 54 of them - incorporated into the Parliamentary Record.
Leave granted.
Mr Elferink: That is not very nice. I will do it in the spirit that I asked for it to be done …
Mr GUNNER: I understand it is not unusual practice to have names incorporated. Obviously, content is …
Mr Elferink: You check with your Speaker, mate.
Mr GUNNER: Contents, obviously, can be an issue, but my understanding is names are okay ...
Mr Elferink: No, you check with your Speaker.
Mr GUNNER: Based on what the member for Port Darwin is saying, I appreciate his courtesy in this instance.
They have planted the garden with the help of the community, Charles Darwin University lecturer on permaculture and aquaculture, Scott McDonald, and Botanic Gardens staff, Anthony, Helen, and David, who have lent their expertise. Bunnings has made significant donations and Bunnings’ community officer and horticulturalist, Janet Grey, is a regular visitor. Leslie Allaway from Shoal Bay has provided much needed mulch, and compost, and janitor, Frits Van Der Berg, has also made a contribution above and beyond his ordinary duties.
I enjoyed spending time with the students in the garden, getting my hands dirty, planting a few trees, pulling a few weeds, and digging a few holes. People are taking an active interest. There were a few kids whose knowledge of gardening varied considerably. One of them was giving us advice on potting tomatoes now so they are ready to plant in the late Wet - which I had not heard of, but that was good - to get them nice and mature in a pot ready to plant in the ground, and others had never seen a truck back up and tip out dirt before - which are the different levels of experience people had in gardening. This also reflects the different places they live; from units to townhouses, to big yards, to the rural area. There is a big difference in people’s living experiences in Darwin. It is fantastic that at school you can experience things you might not always have experienced, and you can share your knowledge with classmates.
It was good to see the positive attitude people had to gardening - getting out and looking after what was a dry, unused corner of the schoolyard and turning it into a promising garden.
The leadership Judy Maddalozzo showed was fantastic, and the students have really embraced and run with that, and I am looking forward to spending more time with them in their garden. I have bought some trees and some other stuff from Bunnings to help them with it and look forward to getting out there again on the end of a shovel.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to send a get well message to someone who is very special to many people in this House; that is, Tracker Tilmouth who is in hospital at the moment. I hope you recover soon, brother, and come back to Darwin.
I place on the record my condolences to Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, the people of Utopia, Rosalie’s daughter, Ngarla, and grandchildren, Amelia and Ruby, and record the passing of Bill Monks and talk about his life briefly.
Bill was a beautiful man, a man who walked comfortably in both worlds, accepted both worlds, loved both worlds, did not try to be someone he was not, appreciated both lives, loved everyone, and welcomed anyone with his personality, warmth and kindness, and love. You could guarantee when you went to Bill and Rosie’s place there was a meal for anyone on the table – the rich, the poor, the famous, and the homeless. That is the kind of man he was.
I remember a trip Rosie and I took from Utopia to Ampilatwatja and he was our driver. I was sitting in the back seat and Rosie in the front. Rosie and I were having a political debate in the car, and all you got was a smile and laugh from Bill as he was driving - nothing like two strong women having a debate about the things that are going on. That is the kind of person he was.
He was cremated yesterday in Victoria, and his ashes will be scattered, half in the place where he grew up in Victoria, and half in Utopia. He loved both places, both people and both cultures equally. That is the remarkable man he was. His love was just unchallengeable, the warmth and respect he gave to anyone who walked in his path or came to his house, or hopped in his car. If you met him anywhere on the road, the first thing you saw was a smile on his face.
Bill and Rosie had been married for 47 years and had a fantastic life. I spoke to Rosie this morning. When his coffin went inside to be cremated, all Rosie saw were the bush flowers coming out of the desert - not the flames - the bush flowers. That is a fantastic thought from someone who has spent 47 years with a man she loved. I said to her: ‘Sister, Bill’s spirit will always be waiting for you at your home at Utopia on your outstation’.
Bill leaves behind a beautiful daughter in Ngarla who is very softly spoken, just like her father, and strong like her mother. That is the person these two people bred, a beautiful young woman who gave birth to two beautiful girls, Amelia and Ruby, who are the granddaughters of Bill Monks. These four beautiful princesses, as he called them, of the Utopia region, will still survive through the strength and the love and the passion they have for Utopia, Indigenous people in the Northern Territory in general; and they will survive with Bill’s spirit and strength and love and warmth.
I take this opportunity to congratulate Marion Swift for 28 years in the health service, and congratulate her on her achievements and the good work she has done working with children while she has had three children of her own as well - Damien, Janese and young Nicholas. It is just amazing to see beautiful things coming from a beautiful woman who also extended her love and knowledge of health care to other members of the family, and she has taken in her nieces and nephews and her grandchildren. So, again, I take this opportunity to congratulate you, Mimi. Thank you, and well done.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, the Northern Territory Tourism Awards, the Brolgas, is a fantastic event and a veritable institution on the Territory’s tourism calendar. Receiving a Brolga is a true commendation from both industry peers, and the customer, about the standards of service and experience offered by a business or organisation.
This year, the Northern Territory Library was highly commended for its submission to the specialised Tourism Services category. This category is for tourism businesses and organisations which enhance the visitor experience and contribute to the tourism industry as a whole.
As members of this House, we are extremely lucky to have ready access to the services on offer at the Northern Territory Library. Jo McGill and her team do a great job and their service is well received by the many locals and tourists who come into the library. Tourists, in particular, often come to the Territory library to find information that adds value to their experience of the Territory. Providing information about the Northern Territory’s history and culture gives tourists a greater sense of place, helping to heighten their experience and increase their knowledge about the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory Library inspires visitors to learn more about the Northern Territory by visibly showcasing aspects of the Territory’s people, history and culture.
During 2010-11, there were 146 820 visitors to the Northern Territory Library. A snapshot of June 2010 showed almost 90% of visitors to the Northern Territory Library were from interstate or overseas. Staff at the library provide support to access extensive Territory-specific knowledge resources and research services, including for tourism businesses which might require scientific, environmental, historical or cultural content for their operations. The access to information technology, freely available to tourists at the Northern Territory Library, also enables tourists to search for, and book, tours, accommodation and flights.
The Northern Territory Library is an important facility for linking with other cultural institutions and tourist attractions. Linking with other services helps provide visitors with a multilayered and authentic experience of Darwin and the Northern Territory. In fact, the Library’s Brolga submission was supported by many testimonials from interstate and overseas visitors, and from cultural institutions. The Northern Territory Library connects Territorians and tourists alike with the Territory’s wonderful history, events and activities, an important asset in the cultural growth of our community. I commend the Northern Territory Library on their highly commended submission to the Brolga Awards.
I would like to highlight the achievements of a number of Barkly constituents who have achieved some great individual and organisational outcomes over the past few months.
Northern Territory Police Auxiliary Ken Williams left the Tennant Creek station last month after a decade of serving the community in the town as part of a wonderful career in the police force. I wish Ken and Pauline well for the future.
Wayne Green and the Desert Storm cricket team, the first School Sport NT cricket squad in 10 years out of Tennant Creek, competed in the Under-12 cricket exchange held in Katherine in 2011 and were, once again, outstanding. Eight teams competed in the carnival, with the Desert Storm Barkly team voted Best Team Spirit in Pool B. Congratulations to Matthew Green, who was selected in the Northern Territory team and will represent at a state level in the upcoming national carnival.
Tennant Creek Show Society President, Greg Marlow, was recently elected as Chairman for the Northern Territory Show Council at its AGM. Greg has his distinguished Tennant Creek Show service record since 1994, and now has the esteemed task of leading the show circuit across the Northern Territory.
The Winanjjikari Music Centre continues to provide sound event management across the Northern Territory, with a recent contract in Kintore for the Walungurru 30-year celebration. Congratulations to manager Adrian McNamara, who works tirelessly with the musicians and sound engineers to keep the organisation growing, progressing and developing.
Long-term members of the Winanjjikari Music Centre and Indigenous Music Hall of Fame members, the Tableland Drifters, have just secured a three-day gig at the 2012 Woodford Folk Festival and should blow that east coast crowd away with original Barkly country rock.
The famous Fernanda’s Restaurant in Tennant Creek won its second Gold Plate Award in 2011 for Best Family Restaurant category. Congratulations to Helio De Sousa and Jess Wooler for their brilliant combination as Chef and Front of House, with the incredible family support of Luis and Fernanda De Sousa who has extended the restaurant’s reputation of great food and a friendly atmosphere, both nationally and internationally.
A very special event in tourism excellence is the Northern Territory Brolga Awards, and the 25th annual Brolgas included Tennant Creek’s cultural gem, the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre. Nyinkka Nyunyu won the best Business Category Award for Indigenous Tourism in 2011, recognition for fostering excellence in cultural interpretation and arts development. Congratulations to General Manager, Kate Foran, and the important Warumungu staff and traditional owners who make our local art and culture centre a celebrated centrepiece for both visitors and locals alike.
I congratulate Jason Newman from the Heritage Caravan Park in Alice Springs, and his brother, Mark Newman, from the Eldorado Motor Inn Tennant Creek. Not only did the Eldorado take out an award at the Telstra Regional Business Awards, but also the BlackBerry People’s Choice Award, and I was happy to put my vote to the Eldorado in that campaign.
The Newman brothers also won awards at the Central Australian Tourism Awards held in Alice Springs recently. Mark Newman won the Young Achiever of the Year Award, and Jason Newman took out the Industry Leader category.
I also congratulate Rebecca Healy, who this year won the Australian and Northern Territory Barnardos Mother of the Year, and the NT Young Australian of the Year 2012.
Well done, Tennant Creek, and to the locals who give above and beyond the call of duty for creating the valuable community outcomes for our town and, most importantly, for the people who live and raise their families there.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Araluen): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I wish to talk about the Department of Children and Families Annual Report 2010-11. This makes very interesting reading, and I have spent some time going through it in detail.
One fascinating feature of this report is on page 38, a section titled ‘New research into False positive in the diagnosis of sexually transmitted Chlamydia trachomatis infection in children’. This was quite an anomaly in a report designed primarily to report on the performance and business of the Department of Children and Families in the last financial year.
The article goes on to describe how the Menzies School of Health Research, with support and collaboration from the department’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, successfully won a three year grant for $700 000 from the National Health and Medical Research Council. It goes on to talk generally about how children acquire sexually transmitted infections in the same way as adults, through sexual intercourse which, by definition, is abuse. They say with alarmingly high positive results especially for chlamydia, questions have been raised about whether other modes of transmission were possible
They talk about how this research is trying to get a better scientific understanding of how chlamydia is transmitted to children. It is hoped the research will provide new knowledge which will assist the Department of Children and Families to determine whether a child protection/police response is required. They are looking at undertaking research to find faulty testing for chlamydia in children; to find other means of transmission of the infection of chlamydia to children.
What does this mean? Quite frankly, when I read it, I was stunned and bewildered that: (a) it would be included in the Department of Children and Families Annual Report, and (b) what it was really saying. From my understanding, this means the Department of Children and Families is questioning whether the very high incidence of Aboriginal children with the sexually transmitted disease of chlamydia is due to child sexual abuse.
It sounds to me like the Department of Children and Families would prefer to find another explanation for the high incidence of children with Chlamydia in the Northern Territory so it does not have to investigate these matters which will, of course, reduce their workload. It is conducting research into how these ‘… alarmingly high positive results … for chlamydia could be caused by non-sexual conduct’; whether other modes of transmission are possible.
This information could be interpreted in two ways: this research could enlighten the practices of the Department of Children and Families and minimise their workloads, although the probability of this seems slim given the long-term understanding that chlamydia is transmitted either through direct sexual contact, or passed on from mother to baby during vaginal childbirth. Or, this research could be interpreted that the Department of Children and Families is desperate to find another explanation. Apart from the horrific incidence of child sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities as outlined in the Little Children are Sacred report, they are using $700 000 of federal government funds, or taxpayers’ money, to try to find a non-sexual abuse reason for children in the Northern Territory having chlamydia.
Research is usually a positive thing, but the motives for research can sometimes be questionable. If a child is found to have chlamydia, presumably one of the first steps in the assessment of this child is to find out if the mother could have transferred infection to the child during vaginal birth. If this is found, then the child would not be referred to the Child Protection Authority for investigation. The child and mother can be medically treated, and there would be no involvement by the Department of Children and Families. If the child did not contract chlamydia from its mother, then the case is managed as a child protection case and investigated as such, with possible police involvement.
This research would suggest the Department of Children and Families, the child protection authority of the Northern Territory, is not inclined to treat all these cases as sexual abuse cases or child protection cases. The problems and challenges encountered in the implementation of the initiatives of the Northern Territory Emergency Response, or ‘the intervention’ as it is known, which came about due to the Little Children Are Sacred report, was trying to address the insidious and hidden problem of child sexual abuse in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.
For the Northern Territory government to now publish a piece in the Department of Children and Families Annual Report 2010-11 about the government endorsing the expenditure of $700 000 to try to prove that children with chlamydia may not have acquired it through non-sexual means, or through vaginal birth, is mighty suspicious from my perspective. If I am proven to be wrong and other means of transmission of chlamydia are found through this research, then I will be the first to make a formal apology. However, my suspicion is that there will be no other means of transmission found; there will be no other way in which children are found to be able to contract chlamydia. It will either be through vaginal birth or through sexual contact.
To me, this seems like avoidance by the Department of Children and Families. It is denial. It is an expensive effort to get out of attending to one of the greatest tragedies of life in the Northern Territory. This is an attempt to hide from one of the greatest shames of our times - the horrific, horrendous and prolific sexual abuse of Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory. To me, this seems like a major cop-out.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I speak about an issue I have with some government ministers in the way they respond to requests from the opposition, in particular, shadow ministers. In some cases, the responses are very good and, in other cases, they are not very good because they are non-existent.
I refer, first, to the Minister for NRETAS. On 8 November, we had the opportunity to be in Tennant Creek to speak to a number of locals in the area. Two or three weeks prior to 8 November, I e-mailed the minister and asked permission to meet with a couple of the newly recruited park rangers in Tennant Creek – as advised by the minister; to visit the Telegraph Station, and to talk to bushfire staff in the area.
At the same time, I sent an e-mail to the minister for Education, Dr Burns, requesting a similar opportunity to speak with a couple of schools in Tennant Creek and people within the Education department. The difference is quite a contrast. With the Education department, Dr Burns was able to get back to me in a very timely manner, set up times with the head of the Education department in Tennant Creek at Barkly House, set up meetings with the principal of the Tennant Creek Primary School, to visit that school and tour the school to see firsthand what the facilities were like, and to talk openly with the principal.
Further meetings were established with the middle school and senior college. I had the opportunity to visit the new trades facilities, the unopened basketball stadium constructed with BER funding and speak to both principals and other teachers and departmental staff. It was a wonderful opportunity to see firsthand how education is delivered in some of our more remote areas.
In recent times, minister Burns has also allowed me the opportunity to go to Nhulunbuy and Elcho Island, to Shepherdson College and talk to the Principal and other teachers and tour the school. I had a tour of the Alice Springs School of the Air, Nightcliff Middle School, Minyerri School at Hodgson Downs, out to Ngukurr, and I have even had the opportunity to speak with teachers at Wadeye. That has been wonderful support from the minister for Education allowing me the opportunity to see, at the coalface, a warts-and-all approach to education in the Northern Territory; hiding nothing and openly allowing me to learn more to, hopefully, come up with very sound policies based on real experience of seeing them from the ground up.
Conversely, our minister for Environment, our Minister for Parks and Wildlife, did not get back to me at all. I will read you the e-mail dated 3 November 2011:
Signed, Pete Chandler.
Immediately, the minister got back to me.
From the same minister, I am still waiting on feedback, either briefings or letters, in regard to a snake contract that was let; feedback on Tennant Creek rangers about which he told me the department had given him to understand the recruitment process was over and we would have Tennant Creek rangers on the ground as soon as possible. Obviously, the reason the minister could not give me the opportunity to meet with rangers in Tennant Creek is because they do not exist. They still do not exist, and it was absolute rot what the minister was telling me in this House.
I am also waiting on a response in regard to fires in Central Australia and how one particular property had lost years worth of growth they could have used for cattle that were about to be moved into paddocks; paddocks that had been rested for years and were about to receive many thousands of head of cattle, all burnt out by a fire lit by NRETAS staff on neighbouring national parks.
The advice at the time was those fires should not have been lit in those particular areas. They were lit by staff, whether employed by NRETAS or rangers in the area, but those fires were lit by government employees and burnt through private property. I am still waiting for a response from this minister about what action he is going to take in regard to that issue.
We have another minister, minister McCarthy, who has been very timely with his responses. In fact, sometimes when I write to minister McCarthy on issues that are happening in my electorate of Brennan, and before he has even responded, I can see works have been undertaken - so, get in, get the things fixed up, and then respond - that is fantastic. As a local member, you could not ask for more from a government minister where you have identified a real concern in the community and, before a response has even been received, work has already commenced. To me that shows a minister who is doing his job.
We have another minister who cannot even organise a couple of meetings in Tennant Creek, and other ministers do not seem to have a problem at all.
I just needed to vent a little tonight, because I do not believe it is good enough. Why do we have ministers on the other side who can be very supportive when they want to be, and other ministers who provide no support? I really wonder what kind of control they have over their department. They are certainly not leading from the front; perhaps the tail does wag the dog in some of these departments. In the Northern Territory, we need strong ministers who provide leadership and guidance to our government departments.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a few comments about what is going on around my electorate.
Down at the Daly River we had a very big Wet Season last year with the tail end of Cyclone Carlos cutting south-west from Darwin through the Daly River region. There was a great deal of flooding and the residents of Nauiyu community and around the Wooliana Road area did a great job in evacuating the community.
I thank and acknowledge all the people who helped out, which I did not do at the time: Robbie Douglas, who owns Cookes Tour Coaches, did a fabulous job; he came down and it was one of the best evacuations they have ever had at Daly River, and they have done many evacuations and they will do many in the future. There were several trips back to Batchelor with him and his staff, and I congratulate Robbie for all the great work he did after hours and through the evening to get everyone safely and quickly to Batchelor.
I would also like to talk about my footy team, the Wadeye Magic. They have entered into a trial of 10 games in the Division 1, which is the old NTFA or Reserves. I believe they have played six games now; they have won five, and they are top of the ladder, so it is certainly great work. The players come from around Wadeye, Palumpa and Peppimenarti, and are doing a fabulous job. I acknowledge the great work their coach, Jock McLeod, is doing. Jock worked at Wadeye as the Government Business Manager for many years and did a great job. I was sad to see him move on, but he is still giving back to the community through his work as the coach.
James McNamee is doing a fabulous job at Wadeye; he is now the Manager of the Wadeye Football Club. He is an active manager, and also a great player, and has brought those guys together and gives us regular updates on where they are at. I thank James for all his work. I know he will be moving on next year, but his effort and determination in getting the club going has been repaid with their big wins.
Last week saw their Captain, Leon Kinthari and his team have its biggest win by defeating - and I am sorry to say this, Steven Stokes - the great Darwin Buffaloes by 200 points. There were some new additions who debuted, including Edward Weekend, Eammon Mott, John Tipiloura and Barty Narjic. To the rest of the players, and all the supporters who have been turning up, it was a great team effort. You will only have one loss against Banks. I am hoping they will smash Banks in one of their replay games coming up before the end of the year.
I also acknowledge the great work that goes on at Daly River at the Merrepen Arts and Sports Festival. We had a few players from the Wadeye Magic play there, and I believe it is one of the premier bush sporting events in the Northern Territory. There are about 12 football teams, nine softball teams, and a heap of basketball teams. It runs over three days, and it is a great event. There have been some ups and downs lately with the art show, but I believe it is well placed for next year. I congratulate Lizz Bott for her great effort as Manager of the Arts Centre, and also to Aaron McTaggart and Patricia McTaggart on the board. Aaron has been helping and managing the organisation in the past, and has done a fabulous job and, with Patricia as the Chair of the board, they have been leading it back in the right direction. We look forward to a great festival next year.
I also had the opportunity to purchase some artwork from the local schools. I bought a painting by Dylan Minggun. Young Dylan was in the movie, Australia; I believe he is only eight-years old, and he goes to St Francis Xavier School. I am hoping it will increase in value because I believe Dylan is going to be a fabulous artist in the future.
I also bought a painting by Josephine Munar from the Nganmarriyanga School, that is Palumpa School; and one by Renee Narndu from the Nganambala School, the Emu Point School, which is a new school that was established and is now a standalone school. It was part of the Peppimenarti School, but we had the official opening of the brand new standalone school at Emu Point, and it was a great day for everyone concerned.
In the sporting area there are many volunteers who help out in Red Dust, which is a group of high profile sporting and artistic people who come up and volunteer, and they did a great job this year.
My congratulations go to Rosanne Rowlings, the Sport and Recreation Officer for the Nauiyu community, and every year she does a fabulous job. She usually loses her voice with all the yelling and screaming and organising coaches and reorganising matches. However, this year she had a great deal of help, thank goodness, and retained her voice. It was great to have her there on Sunday night and she could still talk quite clearly.
I would also like to mention the 15 schools in my electorate. During the year many of those schools received funding from the federal government initiative, Building the Education Revolution, and we held morning teas and special assemblies to open the new multi-purpose halls and learning centres.
I attended the opening of the multi-purpose room at Nganmarriyanga School, and also Batchelor Area School. It was very exciting to finally be at the official opening of Berry Springs Primary School’s new assembly hall which doubles as the cyclone shelter. It is a fabulous building built to withstand a direct hit from a major cyclone; it is a very strong building and a great facility for their end of year performances, which I look forward to attending.
The Berry Springs community will be treated to an open day to celebrate the school’s new building within the next few weeks. I congratulate the Principal, Leah Crockford and her staff for the great work they have done with the school and the grounds; also to the school council Chair, Collette Greaves, for her work with the school council; and the fundraising guru, Juliet Gullefer and her council members. I look forward to the open day and the fundraising that goes on. I try to help out where I can, but the effort that goes in from those school council members, and also the volunteers, who raise money for the school needs to be acknowledged.
Congratulations to some of my smaller community schools. I was at the Belyuen School for the opening with Warren Snowdon. Tim is the Principal, and they have great facilities and a high rate of attendance. It is great to see those kids appreciating it.
Woolaning School and Woolaning Christian College have also received funding through the Building the Education Revolution and recently celebrated additions to their school.
Another highlight in the school community of my electorate was a chance to officially open the Nganambala School at Emu Point, as I mentioned. I congratulate all the staff – Matt Gale, who has recently been appointed Principal, and his staff, Marie Louise Sams, and all her family who work there; and the leadership of Terry Sams, the community leader, has done a fabulous job. Marie Louise Sams provides great support to Matt Gale as the teaching Principal.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I will continue my remarks tomorrow night, but I congratulate all those members of my community. They need to be acknowledged as they are doing a fabulous job. I look forward to making further comments about great people in my electorate.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, tonight I wish to speak about the growing concern I have about the Northern Territory government and its strategy on how it is going to approach the next election.
One of the downsides of the four-year electoral cycle and fixed four-year terms is, unfortunately, in the last year both parties tend to start thinking ahead towards the next election. That is clearly the high priority of members opposite because there has been a tangible and noticeable change in the way they do business in this House and in other places. They are trying to achieve two things. One, they are trying to talk up their own successes - you would expect a government to do that - but they are also engaged in an aggressive campaign to tear down all things Country Liberals; you would also expect a government to do that. What concerns me about the way the government is approaching this particular issue is that some 80% or 90% of what they utter in this place is now aimed directly at tearing down the Country Liberals. Well, that is fine; that is their choice and the approach they could take.
However, if you read through the Hansard from Question Time today, or listened to Question Time today, you would have gained the distinct impression the only thing that is really occupying the government’s mind is the Country Liberals. I find that extremely disappointing when this government has promised so much. So, the question I ask Territorians to think about is: what exactly is driving the government to pursue the Country Liberals in such an aggressive fashion, bearing in mind this government has prided itself - or always talked about in the past - and tried to talk up its achievements?
The answer can be found in the government’s own documentation. If you look at something such as the 2030 Strategic Plan and you see how that is tracking, you realise very quickly the government is starting to fail to achieve its benchmarks and time lines. It is not achieving the targets it has set for itself, and it is not achieving the targets the strategic plan has set for them. If you look at what the strategic plan says about getting housing out into the marketplace and those types of things, they have already failed. In the 2030 Strategic Plan, which has only been in existence a year - maybe two years now - the first benchmarks have failed. Government has stumbled over most of them.
If you look at the things that were supposed to be done by 2011, many of them have not been done or, if they have been done, the government has been very silent about them. What the 2030 Strategic Plan demonstrates is the Northern Territory government has not achieved even the most basic benchmarks that it set for itself. You only have to go back a couple of years to look at the 2009 advertisements in the newspaper saying when blocks were going to be off, to know how poorly this government meets its own targets.
The government is aware that the effect of highlighting its shortcomings through this process means it cannot trumpet its successes. What it has to then do is attach itself, in a parasite like fashion, to other projects that occur independently of government. For example, the INPEX project which would occur under a Country Liberals or a Labor government, and it then attached itself to the side of the AACo abattoir. It has attached itself to the side of the development that was announced yesterday for the Mall and the Paspaley Building. It simply attaches itself to the side of other people’s work and hopes that makes it look like an active player in the community. I urge members of the community to look at the 2030 Strategic Plan, and you will quickly grasp the points I am trying to make.
All that is left for this government is to tear down those people it considers are a threat to it. As a consequence, Territorians, sadly, will have to get used to hearing a Chief Minister who continually attacks - and will continue to attack - members of the Country Liberals and whoever else, for any reason, and will engage in the most virulent attacks on those people - be they personal attacks, attacks about policy or whatever else - simply because the government is tired, old, and has run out of ideas. It is bereft of any more policy ideas and, moreover, the policy ideas it has have been so poorly implemented it has nothing else to offer Territorians.
To continue to attack the Country Liberals will only draw attention to the fact that this government has nothing else to offer. It is tired, old, and a spent force. This government will spend the next eight months bombarding Territorians with its vitriol and contempt of all things not sycophantic to the Labor cause.
The 2030 Strategic Plan, upon my reading, I cannot find the word ‘law’ in that strategic plan, I cannot find the word ‘order’ in that strategic plan - law and order. One would expect to see that in a 2030 Strategic Plan. It is not there. If you go through the PDF document and you type in the word ‘social’ it is chockers with social this and social that. That is fine; this is a left wing government and that is what you expect from a bunch of lefties. But, the problem is the government is not even reaching its own benchmarks and targets and, as a consequence, its only goal will be to tear down and destroy, to ruin and to cast asunder, to wreck and to slander, to liable and to abuse. These are going to be the political tools of this current government for the next eight months. What a tragedy! What a tragedy because Territorians deserve so much better and it is all decaying into politically motivated stunts.
Even this House is being used as a platform for politically motivated stunts. Day one: the Obama Motion. Oh, look, we are going to cuddle up to Obama and hope some of the gloss wears off onto us. Day two: the silly little motion this morning which they thought would be the great wedge for the Country Liberals. If you are so fixated with the Country Liberals and the things the Country Liberals stand for, then step aside and let us govern. Then you can criticise us for all our shortcomings and all our failings. But if you cannot bring yourself to do that, then what I would say to this Chief Minister and this government is: stand up and govern on behalf of Northern Territorians, keep your eye firmly fixed on the goals you have set yourself in the 2030 document, because I suspect if this government put half as much energy into pursuing this 2030 Strategic Plan as they do into conspiring and hating in the way they do, then you would be impressed by the improvement of the results of the 2030 Strategic Plan.
This is not going to be the hallmark of the Henderson government. It is a tired government; it is a government which is held together by a promise and a deal made with an Independent. Fair enough, it has a promise and a deal made with that Independent, good luck to it. But for the government to worry about our division and things it will allege about division on our side of the House only goes to resonate in my mind some of the shortcomings that surround the government and the arrangements which hold the Chief Minister in place.
The Chief Minister is there by virtue of an agreement struck outside of the Caucus and, true to people who have no ideas and are desperate, Caucus does not even have the courage to challenge its own Chief Minister on that particular arrangement, as well. They all fall into line and they obey. It is small wonder the imagination we would hope from government is absent. It is small wonder the drive that we would expect from government is absent, and it is small wonder the only thing left for Territorians to observe on the government benches is their negativity and their focus on the Country Liberals because they see them as a threat; a threat to their government and a threat to their great social plans.
Well, we are a threat to their government, but I suspect they would have more chance of convincing Territorians of their efficacy if they were able to focus less on us and more on the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish to give a report on matters that have really come to the fore with the visit of the President of the United States and what has been discussed in this Chamber before that visit regarding putting into a more prominent position the need for strategic plans and a long-term view. That has been spoken of for some time and with some urgency by me and the opposition, and it certainly has been a topic of conversation in the wider community.
It was brought into focus when the opportunity to attract INPEX to the Northern Territory was available, and the only place that could be offered to take advantage of that opportunity was the harbour. That caused people to recognise this is a government that had failed to attend to the long-term planning obligations that any government has - planning beyond the next election; planning beyond how you conduct campaigns and little tactics to hold on to power. There was an opportunity presented to the Labor government when it came to office over 10 years ago to continue with the bigger thinking, putting down real pegs in the ground showing us where we are going, well over the horizon, and to provide that level of leadership.
The next phase came with the decision of INPEX to come to the Northern Territory. It came with the increase in property prices for a place that is land rich but restricted by a land release program which made land scarce and drove prices up could only have occurred through a lack of planning and foresight and, as a result, the Treasurer can speak today of having low unemployment. The reality is those who do not have a job here and can work, choose to go somewhere else. If they do not have a good job here, they cannot stay here because of the cost of housing, so they go somewhere else. As a result, we are losing people, skilled people, and that is a result of the failure to have a plan; a long-term plan that makes things happen, that you drive from government.
Now, with the decision of the United States, which had been coming for some time, with the rise of China and the assurance that has given us, economically, to shift the focus from Europe and the Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Asia Pacific region, leaves us with the remaining concern about long-term strategic planning, but now it is combined with urgency. We need to get on with this.
That is why my announcement of a strategic planning commission is the essential component to maximise the opportunities and to put ourselves in a position where we can make better and more efficient decisions. There will be some risks, of course, in managing this when we move into a place that is going to be new to us. It brings into play relationships with our neighbours - Indonesia, China, Singapore, Japan, Korea and India. We are now in the zone, and we need to be better equipped. Once again, we still need that longer-term view about how we are going to use our land in order to accommodate an increased population, where heavy industry goes, and those questions need to be asked and answered.
One aspect of this opportunity is clearly the north of Western Australia and the Top End, the Northern Territory, are both facing the region of growth, particularly with the growth and increase in Indonesia. It is for that reason I visited and spoke to senior officials in Western Australia at the weekend, on Friday, to begin a dialogue about regional planning for mutual benefit, given that the Kimberleys, with its great opportunities and resources, particularly Ord and Ord Stage 2, and what may come from there, has a mutual benefit both to Western Australia and the Northern Territory. With the Ichthys gas from Western Australia coming across to the Northern Territory; the live cattle trade being the same one side of the border as the other and affecting us both commonly with quarantine issues; with the provision of health and education services there is the opportunity, I believe, for a higher level of cooperation in advancing specific issues to our mutual benefit, and that is one area I will be exploring as we move forward.
Another thing is to acknowledge the Territory as the centre of world attention with our economic growth within the region. Not only do we need to plan in a physical sense with infrastructure and land use and how we develop better models to make more efficient and effective far-reaching decisions, but we also need to plan for our people through the increase in teaching Asian languages.
I came to the Northern Territory well over 20 years ago and was drawn to the Northern Territory because of the proximity to Asia. The recognition that this nation is in the region, and the Northern Territory, had a very particular part to play in that decision. I had already been involved in Indonesia before coming here, and in Thailand, and was drawn to the Territory because I felt we were a part of something very exciting and very important.
At that stage I was principal of a non-government school and had been principal for 10 years. Every kid in that school, whether they were five-years of age or the oldest kids in the school, all learnt Indonesian and were involved in education programs; kids going there and staying with Indonesian families, and Indonesian kids and their families coming to live in our homes. That was not just our school; that was across the schools of Palmerston and the northern suburbs of Darwin. There were well-advanced and sophisticated exchange programs building a greater capacity to understand and engage. If you can do that with your young people, you can be assured in the time to come there will be a greater capacity to avail themselves of the opportunities of being in this exciting region.
There needs to be a great commitment to the teaching of Asian languages and culture in our schools. A case in point is the provision of exchange programs that provide Indonesian students, in this case, greater exposure and involvement in the Territory. I commend the university for the work it is doing in providing attractive courses for students from within the region.
Only two weeks ago I met a gentleman by the name of Nyoman Hardika, an exchange student from Bali. He loves the place and spent much of his youth here at school. He then went off and studied in other places, but this was the place he had a particular connection to. He went to Bali with his family, made some money in business and has chosen, because of the connection and understanding he has of the place where he spent much of his childhood, to come back to the Northern Territory. He invests very well in Darwin and the Northern Territory.
This is what can occur if we have that kind of investment. You do not know where it is going to go, but you make that investment, and it has the capacity to go somewhere you do not expect. One thing we must have is a greater commitment to the opportunities presented with the planning around education, the provision of education, and also the strategic long-term planning in all aspects to take advantage of the opportunities that are clearly presented to us.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
MOTION
Increased Rights for Territorians
Increased Rights for Territorians
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, I move - That the Northern Territory Assembly congratulates both Houses of the federal parliament in Canberra for the successful passage of legislation which increases the rights of Territorians.
This is a very simple but important motion because what we saw in the federal parliament a couple of weeks ago was a small but significant step on the path to statehood for the Northern Territory, which all of us in this parliament believe in. Up until the passage of the legislation, a Commonwealth minister could strike out Northern Territory legislation with the stroke of a pen. We could pass legislation in this parliament and a Commonwealth minister could determine not to like the legislation and sign an instrument to overturn it, which would then go to Executive Council. No debate in the federal parliament- none at all required. It is the whim of a Commonwealth minister to recommend to Cabinet, and then through to Executive Council, the overturning of our rights as an elected parliament in the Northern Territory to pass laws for and on behalf of the people of the Northern Territory. It defies belief that any of us here could support such an unprincipled lack of transparency and lack of debate about that power.
Now, a Commonwealth minister cannot. Quite simply, the rights of this parliament and the rights of Territorians are stronger as a result. Of course, we still do not have the same rights as the other states. We are not a state, and the Commonwealth parliament still has the ability to override any legislation we enact. There still is no defence to that provision but, at least, the Commonwealth parliament involves debate which is open, transparent, and on the public record. It requires the voting actions of members of the Commonwealth parliament to be recorded so people can be held accountable for the position they take on any matter regarding the Northern Territory by way of their contribution to the debate in the two Houses of federal parliament and, ultimately, in the vote in regard to that legislation.
At least it is the parliament, at least it is two Houses of the parliament and, at least, the debate and voting is transparent to Territorians. It certainly is still not good enough; we should have the right to legislate unfettered in the same manner other states do. Very simply, a Commonwealth minister could, at the stroke of a pen, and through Cabinet and Executive Council - now hundreds of politicians have to agree to overturn our legislation, not just one. As I said, a small step but a significant one on the road to statehood.
It is staggering the Country Liberals decided not to support it. Their attempts to justify being a lapdog to Tony Abbott on this were embarrassing. The combined claims of the federal member for Solomon, Senator Scullion, and the member for Fong Lim were absurd. They claimed, as a result of this change to legislation in Canberra, that we could start our own army. I do not know where members are on the other side, but they believe ...
A member: Triton.
Mr HENDERSON: Yes, planet Triton. They claim we would establish our own currency.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! For the Chief Minister’s information, he should be aware Triton is a moon not a planet.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat.
Mr HENDERSON: Triton will never leave the member for Fong Lim’s legacy. More people know about Triton as a result of the member for Fong Lim’s absurd comments about climate change than ever before. Perhaps we should have it as part of the national curriculum that climate change only occurs on the planet Triton, or the moon Triton, to pick up on the comments.
The CLP claimed this was a terrible day for the Northern Territory, an appalling day for Territorians, and that we would be able to start our own army to repress the good people of the Territory. Start our own currency was another furphy put around or, even more bizarre, claims that we could establish our own department of immigration. Our own department of immigration was one of the claims from the CLP. We were going to have all this unfettered power to start armies, create currencies, our own borders, our own visa system, and require passports for people to come to the Northern Territory. This is the level of intellect in defending the indefensible because Tony Abbott said this is the way you have to vote, and the CLP lackeys in the federal parliament and the lack of leadership from the Leader of the Opposition who said: ‘Hang on here’. They should have said: ‘This is a matter of principle. We are elected by Territorians for Territorians, and it does not matter what you say, Mr Abbott, we must support the legislation being proposed’.
The new law does nothing in relation to the Territory’s power – this was another furphy - to legislate in relation to the Commonwealth Marriage Act. That is another debate, but saying somehow this was part of a secret plan for gay marriage - absolutely not. This law does nothing in relation to the Territory’s power to legislate in relation to the Commonwealth Marriage Act, and none of the spurious claims they put up about why they should not support the legislation are true. They could not find one constitutional lawyer anywhere to back up their claims, not one.
The member for Port Darwin might think he is the greatest constitutional lawyer the Territory has ever managed to spawn. I would like to hear him in debate about how this legislation gives us the ability to start our own army, to establish our own currency, to establish a border control system, requirement for passports, and our own department of immigration. These were the claims they put up to say they could not support this. In fact, very well regarded constitutional lawyers who have been working with a committee of this parliament to look at progression towards statehood, George Williams, have made it very clear the claims are completely wrong. This is someone who has been working, in a bipartisan way, through a committee of this parliament to move towards statehood.
It is not only legal representatives, the people of the Northern Territory are wondering what on earth is happening to a Country Liberal Party that used to say it stood up for the Territory. There was no leadership from the Leader of the Opposition. All of us saw the comments and read the letter to the NT News from Marshall Perron, former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory and, regardless of politics, he is widely respected across the political divide in the Northern Territory as being a man of integrity. He was, outside the political debates at the time, one of the Territory’s better chief ministers since self-government. Marshall Perron was absolutely outraged by the fact his party, the party he once led and I assume still belongs to - I assume he would have been made a life member of the CLP - absolutely slammed the member for Solomon and the Leader of the Opposition for their failure to stand up for a point of principle he believed was enshrined in the Country Liberal Party’s constitution. Whatever their version of their platform is, it was very embarrassing.
The chain of command is very clear in regard to the once proud, independent Country Liberal Party. Tony Abbott instructs the CLP what to do and how to vote on matters of principle in regard to the sovereignty of the Northern Territory and legislation of this House. Marshall Perron made it clear he, and other CLP old-timers, is very upset about what has become of their party. His letter, from a former leader of the CLP and former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, was something to be seen.
There is history here. The current senator, Senator Scullion, rolled the previous senator, Senator Tambling, over the Territory’s rights. Senator Tambling was standing on issues in regard to Internet gambling and was rolled by the CLP for not standing up for Territory rights. I do not believe, in regard to the strategic and constitutionally important move this is, whatever Senator Tambling’s wrongs were in the eyes of the hierarchy of the CLP, they were not of the same import as this issue: removing the right of a federal minister to overturn the laws of this parliament by the stroke of a pen. If the Leader of the Opposition cannot stand up to Tony Abbott on this, what on earth can you stand up to him on? It is a simple point of principle …
Mr Tollner: You tell us how it works, Hendo. You know about standing up to people, don’t you?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Do you guys really believe that a federal minister, regardless of whether it is a Labor minister, a Liberal minister or a National Party minister, should be able to sit in Canberra and sign an instrument saying: ‘I, as the minister, move the disallowance of this legislation from the Northern Territory’ …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim!
Mr HENDERSON: … take it into Cabinet, get Cabinet to endorse it, off to the Governor-General and, at the stroke of a pen without any debate, without any discussion, without any vote in any democratic and transparent way at all, overturn legislation that has gone through this House? It is a simple question. Do you believe a federal minister should have those powers or not?
I find it astounding that, unlike Marshall Perron who thought it was a very simple, straightforward, small and symbolic step on the way to statehood - yes, a journey is made up of many steps, not taken in one great leap - that that was a simple thing to do. However, the gutless wonders over there and in the federal parliament rolled over to Tony Abbott despite their once proud heritage. Old-timers like Marshall Perron and others are aghast at the lack of backbone and spine from the Leader of the Opposition and members in the federal parliament.
This is a very simple motion; it is about this parliament standing up and asserting our belief that this parliament should be able to legislate without the ability of a federal minister - without any debate, any discussion, no transparency - being able to, at the stroke of a pen, overturn a law. On the road to statehood, do we believe that is too small a step to take?
Madam Speaker, regardless of people’s views of our parliament being able to legislate, the Commonwealth parliament still has the ability to overturn laws. However, with debate, with transparency, with the recording of how people voted, and with hundreds of people contributing to the debate instead of one and just a handful in Cabinet - it is a very simple motion. I commend it to the House. I encourage the Leader of the Opposition to stand up for the Territory, admit he was wrong, and support this motion.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Speaker, I thank the Chief Minister for the encouragement. This is Day 2 of the last two weeks of parliament for the year. Yesterday, we had a motion focused on the afterglow of the visit of the President of the United States. You were basking in that glory and trying to have some of it reflect on you to enhance your kudos in the electorate. It cheapened you, Chief Minister.
Then, today, the hollow men upstairs have worked out some clever tactic. They think: ‘Oh, this will get them. This will get them’. So, they are rubbing their hands in glee up there, thinking: ‘We have ‘em now. This is what parliament is about; this is what politics is about’. Oh, grow up! Tomorrow, I predict, we are going to have those same little hollow men thinking: ‘I know what we will do tomorrow’ - getting a bit ahead of ourselves – ‘we will craft a motion from the Chief Minister that urges the parliament to push out Trish Crossin and Warren Snowdon from their positions for their failure to stand up for the Territory’. No, they would not do that …
A member: Oh, no.
Mr MILLS: No, I do not think so, because that would provide an uncomfortable level of inconsistency and show us there is more to this than there really is.
There is nothing to this. This is clearly a political tactic - anyone can see it. I find it a bit sad. I do not even use the term ‘once proud Labor Party’. You come into this House with such a juvenile tactic thinking you have scored a major hit when Territorians want a government to lead in their best interests and talk about things that matter to them. Territorians - just look at the gallery, guys, look at the gallery …
Members interjecting.
Mr MILLS: Yes, anyway. The Chief Minister, this institution, this parliament - which is to debate matters of great concern to Territorians and to advance the best interests of Territorians - has been brought to a fairly low ebb by this tactic this morning.
The Chief Minister knows well, if he cares to reflect beyond his concerns about the Country Liberal Party, which seems to be the obsession now of the Chief Minister - he is obsessed with the Leader of the Opposition and the Country Liberal Party. We have the well-educated minister and Leader of Government Business completely focused on what is going on here, reading the play constantly and commentating on what is going on, on this side of the House. Guys, could you just get your eyes back on the job?
Let us now focus on this. If the Chief Minister had the capacity to reflect, to think about this, and to come away from the grips of the hollow men upstairs with their clever little tactics, he would have recognised that well before he had the courage to stand up on this particular issue, I have done so, and done so consistently. Any gesture, any decision, any matter that advances and increases the rights of Territorians will be supported by the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory - as it has been. I can always remember the Chief Minister squirming in discomfort because he has not a grasp on the issues behind this. Senator Brown initially weighed into this before 2008, apparently having the best interests of the Territory at heart. I do not think so. He has the best interests of The Greens’ agenda and things they want to promote. Their social agenda is what they are seeking to promote, and it was the issue of euthanasia at the time thinking: ‘Here’s a go. Let’s find a way to get this issue up on the national agenda and let us appeal to the territories and increase their rights and their capacity to legislate on this matter’.
If the Chief Minister was honest, he would check his own appalling and weak response to that matter. He had to second guess and work out a comfortable spot to stand. If he goes back on the record, even though my position is very clear on euthanasia - I do not support euthanasia – but I supported, notwithstanding I knew what Senator Brown was up to, any opportunity to increase the rights of Territorians. I did that without reserve and did it at that time. This issue is the same.
I can see quite plainly, as anyone with eyes can see, what Senator Brown’s intention is, what his motivation is, just as I can see the motivation of the Labor Party in the Northern Territory and what sits behind this motion today. Make no mistake: the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory will support any legislation that increases the rights of Territorians. Consequently, it may be a surprise and the hollow men upstairs might be thinking this might have backfired a little. Yes, we support the motion, as we have done so consistently. However, there are aspects of this debate you have not troubled yourself with in your haste to score a political point for your short-term advantage.
There are things for you to consider, but it is a waste of words to go much further on this - gift horses need to be looked in the mouth. You need to assess what these matters address, where they come from, what is their purpose, and how they will be applied. As I said, it is quite simple for us. In the Territory parliament, we will support any measure that increases the rights of Territorians. However, this is dealing with constitutional matters that have an effect nationally. We have an obligation in the Territory to respond to this from what is in the best interests of Territorians and that is to increase the Territory’s rights. However, we have a federal parliament with the responsibility to consider matters as to their effect on the nation and so it may be difficult for you – and, once again, I am sure it is a waste of words – but there are matters that should be considered in the passage of this legislation, recognising its intent and its purpose.
Do you believe Senator Brown’s real interest is to increase our rights; that he is thinking about us and wants to improve the constitutional and legal capacity Territorians enjoy? I do not think so. It is quite clear what The Greens are up to and what their agenda is. I can see that. Nonetheless, we will accept, but I tell you what, we will not give up the fight and increase the fight for us to be given the exact same rights as any other Australian. This is a gift horse we will look in the mouth and let go.
My colleagues, and our colleagues in the federal parliament, have an obligation to weigh this with a different balance and that is to its impact nationally and on the Australian Constitution. Does it, in fact, strengthen …
Ms Lawrie: Canberra before the Territory? Pretty simple: Canberra before the Territory.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Tollner: Well, that is your response.
Ms Lawrie: No, that is exactly what he was saying. Run that one out there, Terry.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr MILLS: Thank you, Madam Speaker, save me from that.
If the member opposite, with that feigned and disturbing concern which is just unpersuasive, unconvincing and, in fact, disturbing - there has been no concern exhibited whatsoever of this Chief Minister standing behind the Prime Minister and nodding in approval, in agreement, with the decision to impose a blanket ban on the live cattle trade in the Northern Territory. We saw that, and we have seen time and time again this Chief Minister not standing up. He will only stand with the approval and consent of those who have authority over him. He may be a tall man, but he does not stand tall when it comes to matters to do with his position within the pecking order of the Labor movement nationally.
We have never seen, unless we provided him the space with the live cattle trade, this man stand up. We recalled parliament. That gave him a place to stand, and to stand with us to sort this matter out. At no time did this Chief Minister criticise the Prime Minister. Not one time did this Chief Minister criticise anyone in his own organisation who had responsibility for a devastating decision that damaged, and causes lingering concern and problems, to our pastoral industry and related industries. Not once did this Chief Minister raise his concern, nor any member opposite, for Senator Crossin standing in support of the ban of live trade. Not once! You hear not a peep from them.
Do you have an opposition preoccupied and obsessed with the Labor Party in the Northern Territory? No, we are focused on things that matter. You guys who are supposed to be the government, supposed to be providing us with leadership, are providing no leadership whatsoever, so much so that you would take the first item of business, try to play this tactic, and you have not listened to nor understood what is going on.
Madam Speaker, I said at the outset, perhaps to your surprise and consternation, that we will be supporting this motion. That has been consistent with our position all the way through. We will leave it at that.
There are other matters that probably do not trouble the mind or the conscience of those opposite, but we understand the matters that were dealt with in the federal parliament. We understand the position our federal colleagues were placed in because they had a greater responsibility to look this gift horse in the mouth and to see what its impact would be nationally. They have other responsibilities. We have a simple and straightforward responsibility: we will support any matter or any decision that is taken that advances and increases the rights of the Territory.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Speaker, I was not overly interested in speaking on this topic, not because I disagree with the sentiment, but because I was very cynical about its reasons for being brought before parliament today. The reason is because I knew, straightaway, there was some party political ammunition being thrown around in relation to this, a fairly important topic, and I was right.
That is what this really is about: to have a go at the opposition. You could say that is fair enough, but I would have thought this debate could have risen above that. If we wanted to have a debate about statehood or about the rights of the Territory to run its own matters, that would be fair enough. It is a matter we have debated over many years but, obviously, this was, I presume, a tactic to have a go at the federal members of parliament who represent the Country Liberals in Canberra.
I support much of what the Leader of the Opposition has said. Whilst I agree with the principle of the motion that has been put forward, I am also disturbed that The Greens have not done this for the benefit of the Territory, not in any way, because we know how The Greens really support the Territory: no live cattle exports. You can see The Greens are really pushing hard - no uranium mining. The Greens are all for the Territory, you can see that! No fishing. Yes, restricting it pretty well and not necessarily on science. The Greens are not exactly friends of the Territory, but are friends when they need to be friends and are friends because they have an agenda …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr WOOD: They have a social agenda which includes …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Arafura!
Mr WOOD: … as the Opposition Leader said, The Greens support euthanasia and I have been on the record for many years - even when this was first debated in parliament many years ago, before I was a member of parliament, I publically opposed euthanasia. I will continue to oppose euthanasia because there are much better options. The option I support is one which respects life through places like a hospice, which we now have in the Northern Territory. That is a far better way of helping people in the last days of their life.
I am cynical about this debate because it has not touched on some of those issues as the motivation behind The Greens bringing this forward in parliament. They have a social agenda which they want to promote, hopefully, using the Territory as the means to push that forward. I am totally cynical about that because of their lack of support for the Territory in other important areas. They do not support our pastoral industry, they do not support the families of those pastoral properties, whether Indigenous or non-Indigenous, whose livelihoods depend on the live cattle trade. They do not support uranium mining even though we have agreed to sell uranium to India, even though the Chief Minister has stated nuclear power is a clean form of power, except he will not agree it should be in Australia but is happy for it to be in other countries. The Greens are saying they do not support uranium mining which proves to me their reason behind the promotion of the changes in the federal government to ensure Territory legislation is not overridden at the whim of a particular federal minister. We should call a spade a spade and say The Greens are phonies when they say they support the rights of Territorians. Whilst I support this, my view on matters needs to be made clear.
The Territory should have the right to enact its own legislation. From a technical point of view, I say what is the bleeding obvious: while we are a territory, while we come under a federal government act, we will always be under the power of the Commonwealth similar to the power the Territory has over local government.
I found it quite amusing as a member of the local government association in the days when the Territory first pushed for statehood and we were telling Canberra to nick off, the government in the Northern Territory at the time dissolved the council at Yulara at the stroke of a pen. I remember the advertisements in the paper saying: ‘Canberra, Canberra, Canberra, Hands Off the Territory’. If I had the money I would have said: ‘Darwin, Darwin, Darwin, Hands Off Yulara’. We sometimes apply philosophies where it suits us, but where it does not suit us we are quite happy to forget all those things. Local government has been, and still is to some extent, subject to the whims - I am not picking on the present Minister for Local Government - technically, local government is at the whim of the minister and a council can be dissolved.
You need to keep things in perspective when talking about rights because rights vary from circumstance to circumstance.
Madam Speaker, as I said, I will support this, but I am a little cynical about the motivation behind it being brought forward. It does give me an opportunity to say what I think about The Greens’ motivation behind introducing this legislation. They are certainly not supporters of the Northern Territory; they are supporters of their own agenda and their own self-interest.
Ms McCARTHY (Statehood): Madam Speaker, I support this motion and congratulate both Houses of the federal parliament for the important step taken in increasing the rights of Territorians. The journey for this parliament began long before I came into parliament. I would like to reflect on the last six years of work we have done as a parliament, in a bipartisan approach, working to improve the rights for the people of the Northern Territory on that equal basis, knowing we had to work together in order to do that, not only for the people of the Northern Territory but, naturally, in our discussions with the Commonwealth.
It is a huge step to take when you consider what we are trying to embark on here. We are about to prepare for the Constitutional Convention in April. Talking to people across the Northern Territory, urging people to consider standing in the March elections for that convention, is a dialogue that is quite respectful. There is a great deal of interest out there and much curiosity. Many may not stand but want to understand what it is and why this parliament is proceeding down this path.
The road to become the seventh state in the federation is a long road. It is a journey that has had its ups and downs. We know the first vote was a story in itself. After the 1998 Referendum this parliament convened to examine what it was about that process we did not want to repeat on the second process. If there is one thing I believe parliamentarians on both sides have consistently agreed on, it is the need to be able to represent the people of the Northern Territory at the highest level. The sense of equality we, as Australians, want to receive and, respectfully, should receive, and the dignity, comes with knowing the fight for the right to vote is a fight that belongs to all people of the Northern Territory, as much as it does to our fellow Australians in each of the states.
For Indigenous Australians, it is four decades since being given the right to vote. It is still a very short time when we look at the history of democracy in this country for all Australians, recognising it is only a couple of decades for us to have so many Indigenous representatives at territory, state and federal level, with only this year, in this term of the federal parliament, the first Indigenous member of parliament. Again, we still have a long way to go ...
Mr Elferink: Nonsense! Have you never heard of Neville Bonner?
Ms McCARTHY: In the House of Representatives, I should say. Yes, you are correct, member for Port Darwin. We had Senator Neville Bonner as the very first senator and Indigenous person …
Mr Elferink: But not in the current parliament!
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms McCARTHY: … in the federal parliament. We recognise we still have a fair way to go, but that should not block us wanting to strive to be equal with our fellow Australians. In order to do that …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Ms McCARTHY: In order to do that we need to work together. It is incredibly difficult …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim!
Ms McCARTHY: I have to say, it is incredibly difficult to maintain that bipartisan approach when you have some quite derogatory comments from the opposition. I commend those members who make a sincere effort in wanting to walk in a very bipartisan way, but there are others who lower the bar with their derogatory comments to the people of the Northern Territory. I thank those members for maintaining the persistence to walk in a bipartisan way.
This year is our centenary year; 100 years from when the Northern Territory was surrendered to the Commonwealth. We were surrendered to the Commonwealth under the Northern Territory Surrender Act 1908. That act was about South Australia handing us over to the Commonwealth saying: ‘You are too much of a problem, Northern Territory. We cannot deal with you; you cost too much, you are a long way away, we are not making any real gains out of having you, and we are going to hand you over to the Commonwealth’. The people of the Northern Territory now have an opportunity to look at where we are going in the future. Are we to remain a people under surrender? I believe not. We are not to remain a people under surrender. We are a people who are very proud of our cultural languages across the Northern Territory, our incredible diversity with the multicultural groups who have made the Northern Territory home, with our cattle industry, and our history – both good and bad.
In this centenary year we have the opportunity to reflect on all those things so we can, in a mature and sensible way, look at where we wish to go as people of the Northern Territory to become the seventh state in the federation. That requires a bipartisan effort at both the Northern Territory and federal level. It is an incredible challenge; 226 members of both the lower House and the Senate, and out of those 226, four are from the Northern Territory. Of course, our voices are not heard. How can they be? They are not loud enough and, for equality, we have a long way to go.
When we have a member - it does not matter who that member is – from the Northern Territory unable and unwilling to support the rights of the people of the Northern Territory, we always have to question that, as we should and as this parliament should. We have maintained in this parliament that we will walk together in a bipartisan way, despite all the ups and downs and our other issues - we certainly have many ups and downs and other issues, and many problems which we need always to debate.
I am grateful to this parliament that during the six years I have had to work with the process of statehood - incredibly grateful to all members of this parliament to forge ahead through the many ups and downs we have had to maintain this bipartisan process. We need to extend it to our colleagues in the federal parliament. We need to say to all members of the federal parliament - in particular our four members of the federal parliament - that they have to stand with us as the Northern Territory parliament which represents the people of the Northern Territory. Stand with us, so when we go to the federal parliament to pursue the opportunity to become the seventh state in the federation, you four members are standing there with us.
If any of those members, particularly the member for Solomon, do not understand that process, we are more than willing to give advice. We are more than willing to say: ‘This is what you should be doing. Are there any questions?’ Some commonsense here! If one of our members down there does not understand, pick up the phone and explain what our process has been for the last six years, coming on seven years; explain that we are just about to head into a Constitutional Convention; explain that we have had numerous workshops and consultations over the last four years on this topic; and explain the necessity to connect it to what is going on with the constitution of this country being examined in a referendum, be it about Indigenous people or about local government.
We need to maintain that strength and unity to the federal parliament because we have to convince the other 222 politicians that this is important to this parliament.
That is why this motion is important and why it is important to consider and debate where we are going as the people of the Northern Territory, and as representatives of the people of the Northern Territory.
The Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Amendment (Disallowance and Amendment Power of the Commonwealth) Act passed by the Commonwealth parliament has removed the power of the Commonwealth Executive to overturn Territory legislation behind closed doors. I also note the introduction of this act to right a wrong enjoyed strong bipartisan support of the Territory’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee. In their evidence to a Senate committee on the draft bill, both the opposition spokesperson on Statehood, the member for Goyder, and committee member, the member for Brennan, noted their support for this legislation and I commend them for that.
The member for Goyder noted support for the bill was centred on improving the rights of Northern Territory people, particularly when it comes to their constitutional standing. The member for Goyder said: ‘It is a point of principle that we do not share and enjoy the similar rights to other Australians. This bill is a step to rectify that position and put us on the same playing field as all other Australians’. The member for Brennan said: ‘Why our party supports this, and why this has bipartisan support in relation to both this proposed legislation and, of course, our duty to statehood goes without saying. We deserve the right to be equal right across this country no matter where we reside’. Well said, member for Brennan. Our duty to statehood goes without saying.
When we talk about our steps towards a Constitutional Convention, we need to ensure our federal members are informed. I say to the member for Solomon: ‘Be informed. I am more than happy to provide an update of what our parliament is doing on the road to statehood and brief you on the journey we have travelled as a parliament in a bipartisan way to take the steps we have’. The challenges in front of us are enormous, but if we can maintain the link on both sides of politics it will go a long way to ensuring our rights will one day be equal to our fellow Australians.
I have said from the outset, when I look at the constitutional aspect of the intervention and Indigenous Australians, if there was ever a time you needed, as an Australian, to see your constitutional vulnerability, the decision of the federal parliament at the time to intervene on the Northern Territory, again, from a legal and constitutional perspective, showed the vulnerability of Australians in the Northern Territory, particularly Indigenous Australians. As Australians who uphold democracy as the cornerstone of what we believe in, where men and women have fought in world wars for democracy for this country, we must always be vigilant about laws being made that override the rights of a person, and no more clearer has it been for Indigenous Australians than the intervention. The recognition of that constitutional vulnerability has never been so profound as when that legislation came into being. The federal government is about to embark on the next step of what it may or may not look like.
The Labor government in the Northern Territory has maintained the investment from the federal government is important, but not the intervention. Let the people of the Northern Territory determine the way they should improve their lives. Let the Indigenous people of the Northern Territory determine the way they wish to improve their lives. In order to do that, they need a political voice; a voice from within their families, from within their organisations, from within their shire councils, from the Northern Territory parliament, a voice that is heard, listened to and acted on. That is democracy. An imperfect structure, no doubt, but we must always be vigilant we have not demonised one section of the Australian community under the pretext of it being good for them. We must not. As Australians, we must always be vigilant about the laws we make.
Madam Speaker, on that note, I urge this parliament to continue in that bipartisan manner to ensure, as we lead up to the Constitutional Convention, there are many representatives who want to put their hand up in our electorates across the Northern Territory, to remind our members in the federal parliament, in particular the Northern Territory members, especially the member for Solomon, this is an important part of representation of the people of the Northern Territory. Be very clear; get a brief and understand the work done not only by members of the Northern Territory parliament, but by ordinary citizens of the Northern Territory to pursue equality for all Australians.
Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Speaker, from the outset, can I say what a pathetic fool the member for Arnhem is. To come into this House and trot out that nonsense demonstrates all that is wrong with Indigenous policy in Australia. For the member to stand here five years after the intervention and say it is wrong where, for the vast majority of that five years, she and her party, both in the Territory and federally, have supported the intervention is completely ludicrous and shows the depths these guys are prepared to plumb trying to win a vote.
The fact is, in the entire time the member for Arnhem has been a member in this House, things have become worse in her own electorate. The intervention showed some real hope for Indigenous people. Law and order and the rule of law were enforced. Many of these communities never had the rule of law enforced. Money has been put into housing. Irrespective of how poorly it has been administered by the Territory government, money has been put into housing, and enormous efforts have been put into health and education.
For the minister to condemn a government - admittedly, it was put in place by the Howard government, but that lasted four months. Four months after it was instigated the Howard government was swept out of power by the Rudd government. If this government has some issue with the intervention, why was it not, five years ago, yelling, screaming and carrying on to Kevin Rudd saying it did not want a bar of it in the Northern Territory? The fact is, they are nothing but lackeys and lapdogs for their federal counterparts and there is no way known they were going to rock the boat.
The motion the Chief Minister put up - good on him! We are all legislators in some regard in the Northern Territory and the idea of unrestricted power to create legislation is quite appealing. We can raise our own army! We can create our own currency! We can stop federal taxes, and I am sure my good friend and colleague, the member for Port Darwin, will enunciate some of the things this legislation allows us to do. Quite simply, the legislation allows the territories to bypass section 51 of the Australian Constitution which says states and territories cannot make laws contradictory to federal laws.
That is probably not a bad thing here providing it is used responsibly, but wearing the hat of an Australian - and I note everyone in this House is; we are all Australians - it is in our interest as Australians to have a working federal parliament. This legislation has the ability, if allowed to stand, which I doubt because the first time it is tested it will be found to be unconstitutional and struck off the books, however, if it is allowed to stand we could have unfettered ability to create our own laws in the Northern Territory but, as an Australian, that could create chaos and mayhem in the federal parliament. That is not in Australia’s best interests, irrespective of how much power it gives us in the Northern Territory.
It was interesting to hear the Chief Minister talk about constitutional lawyers. Well, he only mentioned one, Professor George Williams, from the University of New South Wales. Why did he mention George Williams? Because George Williams says the legislation is okay; it is constitutional, workable, and all that type of thing. He would say that. George Williams is not a familiar name around the Northern Territory; not too many people have heard of him. However, Google him. He is a card-carrying member of the Labor Party. Not only that, he has been seeking preselection in the Labor Party! He announced he was seeking preselection in the Labor Party in January 2010 when he said he wanted to oust the sitting member for Fraser, Mr Bob McMullan - Bob McMuddled we called him when I was in Canberra. I have to say, George Williams is right when he says Bob McMuddled is a loser and a failure as a federal rep and has to go. It was not long after George Williams announced his candidature for preselection that Bob McMullen announced his retirement. It all got too hot for him in the Big House in Canberra and he announced his retirement and George Williams, of course, had his hand up for preselection.
So, George Williams is in the business of endearing himself to his Labor mates because George Williams wants preselection. He will say and do those things that endear him to his Labor mates. I was wondering how this government came across this George Williams character who has something to do with our statehood push. Lo and behold! Of course, he is one of the apparatchiks; a senior person in the party in Canberra who is seriously keen on getting preselection in the federal parliament. So, enough of the George Williams stuff!
Find yourself an independent constitutional expert. It would be good to have an independent constitutional expert advising us on statehood and not running political lines for the government in its effort to pull the wool over Territorians’ eyes in relation to statehood. Quite frankly, this government is not interested in statehood. It might well surprise you because, whilst it talks about bipartisan approaches to statehood, it is playing funny, little political games. We have spotted it!
There is to be an election next year in March - same time as shire and council elections. It is the first time ever where we have the shires and councils going to election at the same time. It creates many logistical problems for the Electoral Commission trying to work out how to manage that part of the process. It is happening in March, the height of the Wet Season. Most communities in the Northern Territory will be cut off; people will have huge difficulties accessing polling booths. Throw in, on top of that, a statehood convention election and you have absolute chaos and total mayhem.
It is interesting we are now going to support 16- and 17-year-olds having the vote. We are getting towards the end of November and somehow or other the Electoral Commission has to, between now and if the legislation is passed, encourage 16- and 17-year-olds to enrol to vote. The logistical problem with that, in itself, is an absolute nightmare.
I note today, finally, the government is allowing the opposition to be briefed by the Northern Territory Electoral Commission. I am very keen to get to that briefing; other briefings have been cancelled. You say: ‘Oh, we have to have a bipartisan approach’. Here, we are at the eleventh hour and the Chief Minister’s office has finally conceded to the opposition’s calls for a briefing with the Electoral Commissioner. That will be an interesting appointment this afternoon.
You have to ask why? Why would a government which says it is committed to statehood want to run an election in March with a convention some time in 2013 knowing full well there is a general election in August 2012? We are going to have 75 new politicians - three from each electorate - distracting people from the general election. At the same time, we are going to have candidates standing for a general election trying to suck up oxygen in the media from the statehood nominated members whilst there is a general election happening. In whose interests, you have to ask, is distraction a good thing? Whose interest? I sit in this House and I see a foolish, moribund, pathetic, useless government, and an opposition with new ideas, fresh ideas ready to take on a campaign. It is in our interests to have clear air; to let Territorians make an informed decision. It is not in the government’s interest to have clear air. It is in the government’s interest to have a heap of distractions occurring the whole time because the last thing it wants is anyone to focus on it.
That is what this is about. This is about playing funny, little political games with statehood. The fact is, those opposite could not give a rats about statehood; it is simply a tool to pull the wool the over voters’ eyes and get yourself re-elected for another term of your dodgy government.
What a pathetic effort! They are running advertisements on the television, in the newspaper and on the radio like it is already a done deal. We have not even discussed it in parliament - sitting there spending taxpayers’ money. We have not had the discussion! These people have the audacity to say they support statehood - what a load of crock! What a pathetic bunch of people you are …
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I ask you remind the member for Fong Lim to direct his comments through the Chair, please.
Madam SPEAKER: Yes, thank you very much, member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: Of course, Madam Speaker. I am talking of your colleagues in the Labor Party, but things have to go through you, Madam Speaker, and I apologise.
Madam Speaker, the Chief Minister’s motion is about playing funny, little political games, somehow or other trying to embarrass the Country Liberals …
Members interjecting.
Mr TOLLNER: Of course we are going to support it. As I say, as a Territory legislator, I want unfettered power, wearing the hat of an Australian …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, direct your comments through the Chair, please.
Mr TOLLNER: … I can see there are problems with this legislation passed in the federal parliament. If we had a gung ho government in the Northern Territory which stood up for Territorians, we would be playing merry hell in Canberra with this legislation. I remember reading stories of the Everingham government and the wars he fought with Canberra. There was a bloke who stood up for the Territory, who was not scared to get out there and have a go irrespective of the political stripe of the people occupying the government benches in Canberra. Not this mob, not this mob! Whatever Julia says, whatever Kevin says, whatever any of them say, these guys are ready to jump.
Look at the live cattle export ban, a classic example. Rather than the Chief Minister screaming blue murder and going to Canberra and kicking a few of his Labor colleagues’ heads, he says: ‘No, it was a good circuit breaker’. He supported that fool, Joe Ludwig, who the parliament asked to be dismissed - asked to be removed from office. It is absolutely pathetic. These people have the audacity to say, somehow or other, they support Territorians. What a pathetic joke. They say they support statehood; they do not give a rat’s about statehood, it is a political football for them. It is something to be used in the political fight to get re-elected, which is what they are doing right now with this whole process. Rather than say: ‘All right, let it cool off until after the Territory election when we will not have any distractions or disturbances’, no, they want to run it across a general election. They do not give a stuff about the logistical problems …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, can you rephrase, please? The language you are using is a little excitable. Could you please withdraw that and rephrase. Thank you.
Mr TOLLNER: I am sorry, Madam Speaker. Stuff, was it?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, I am not going to repeat unparliamentary language.
Mr TOLLNER: All right. They could not give two cents.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much, member for Fong Lim.
Mr TOLLNER: I apologise, Madam Speaker. Sometimes I get a bit worked up and my language can be colourful. However, I am pretty passionate about this issue. I have long been a supporter of statehood. I believe Territorians deserve the right to focus on statehood and take into account those issues important for statehood. It should not be a distraction from a Territory election, and a Territory election should not be a distraction from statehood. It is wrong on both counts. People should be able to look, objectively, at the issues of statehood. So, why in goodness’ name would you decide to run a statehood referendum, or a statehood convention election, when you are running a general election? There is only one reason for it, and we all know what it is.
This government is scared silly people will focus on it come a general election and it will get its just desserts. That is why it is scared and doing everything in its power to distract Territorians; to move them away from the issues that matter with their representatives in the Territory Legislative Assembly and push on them a statehood debate right at the time when we are running a general election. This is completely wrong. At the same time, it is running advertisements on the television, radio and in the newspaper. We have not even passed the legislation. We have not even been allowed to have a briefing with the Electoral Commission. It is wrong!
To say because one committee of parliament agrees on something we all have to agree on it - what a load of nonsense. It is codswallop. You have to bring things into this Chamber and have them debated. No way, not with this government. They are the ultimate political spin doctors, political animals, and will do whatever is in their power to distract people from their own failings, and that is all they are using statehood for.
Meanwhile, we have this pathetic Minister for Statehood rambling on about how she hates the intervention. We did not hear her talking to Jenny Macklin, Julia Gillard or Kevin Rudd about how much she hates the intervention. It is only now, after the Chief Minister says: ‘The word ‘intervention’ will never come into our language again; we will never do that again’. How pathetic! This woman should be put on the backbench. She has been a joke for ages. Aboriginal people are poorly represented by this woman. It is wrong and, for some reason or other, she has the Statehood portfolio. It shows the contempt these people have for statehood when they give her the portfolio. Now the poor, silly woman is running around trying to promote her statehood campaign. What a joke! We deserve better in the Northern Territory.
Madam Speaker, the Chief Minister comes into this House with these motions: ‘We will embarrass Nigel and Natasha. Yes, we will make Terry pick a side’. It will not happen because the legislation passed in Canberra is nonsense. All Territorians want is a fair go; they want the same opportunities as everyone else, nothing more or nothing less. We want statehood. It is the only way to go; however, while we have this mob running the show we have Buckley’s of getting statehood. They use it as a political football to distract people from their own failures and incompetence.
Dr BURNS (Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I will be brief. To seize on the words often used by the member for Fong Lim: ‘Do not be swayed by what they say; look at what they do’. That was never truer than in this debate. What we saw the CLP do in the federal parliament is knock back the Territory, that is simple. That was reflected by Marshall Perron in his letter to the NT News.
The member for Fong Lim can argue all he likes. It was a great performance by the member for Fong Lim, far superior to the member for Blain. It made me reflect a little on my early days in this parliament where we had the then Leader of the Opposition, who was then the member for Blain, we had the former Leader of the Opposition, who was the member for Brennan, and the member for Blain had agreed to certain things, as I recollect, within a committee of this parliament. The exact details escape me now, but I remember the then member for Brennan standing almost exactly where you are sitting now saying exactly what you said: these are not matters for committees; these are matters for the parliament to determine. He completely undermined the authority of the member for Blain as opposition leader. That is exactly what you have done today because the bipartisanship you are rejecting with the convention - the methodology for election and timing for election - was agreed to by your leader, through a bipartisan committee of this parliament …
Mr BOHLIN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member fully knows his comments should go through the Chair.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Drysdale. Direct your comments through the Chair, please.
Dr BURNS: Here we have history repeating itself over this crucially important issue of statehood. The member for Fong Lim belittles the people of the Northern Territory saying they have such a short attention span they cannot focus on the issue of statehood and a general election …
Mr Tollner: You do not want them to.
Dr BURNS: You are belittling them.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Fong Lim! Order! Member for Fong Lim!
Dr BURNS: I have more confidence in the people of the Northern Territory than you do, member for Fong Lim, and they will see through your rhetoric. Good try; good distraction; not a bad performance, but what you have done and what you have put on the Parliamentary Record today directly undermines your leader, who has agreed to this.
Bring this debate on because you are scrabbling around looking for excuses not to support the statehood convention legislation and the methodology of selecting people from all over the Territory to go into this convention by electorate. Politicians are excluded. I understand there has already been tremendous interest in this convention, literally hundreds - somewhere between 600 and 700 people have registered their interest in the statehood convention. You are belittling the people of the Northern Territory in the same way the member for Solomon, Natasha Griggs, and Nigel Scullion did two weeks ago in the federal parliament.
You say you are angry; I am a little angry with your attitude and the way you are undermining the process of statehood.
On that, Madam Speaker, I say nothing more except I support this motion.
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, what a sad day for the Northern Territory. I thought we had a bipartisanship approach towards an agreed road map towards statehood. This is something you, Madam Speaker, the Minister for Statehood, and previous ministers for Statehood have been working on diligently for the last 10 years of this government, in a bipartisan way, to find an agreed road map to statehood. All along, there have been collaborative meetings of the Statehood Steering Committee and the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee of this parliament. There have been bipartisan trips to Canberra, meetings of the Statehood Steering Committee and the constitutional committee around the Northern Territory in a bipartisan way, with a road map towards statehood. All of this has been agreed to ...
Mr Tollner: Why don’t we get a briefing, Hendo?
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Fong Lim!
Mr HENDERSON: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has been in full agreement. I have been in meetings with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Opposition where we have agreed to this process and the timing. The whole approach to this has been - and I can say this because I mean it – genuinely, from our side, bipartisan. None of these issues have been raised through all the meetings that have taken us to this point in time; to the road map and the timing of that road map. None of these issues have been raised with us as a concern until today’s incredible outburst by the member for Fong Lim. I do not know why the member for Fong Lim feels so threatened by democratic process around statehood. I do not know why you feel threatened …
Mr Tollner: You are a joke!
Madam SPEAKER: Order, member for Fong Lim!
Mr Tollner: You are trying to derail the democratic process.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, cease interjecting!
Mr HENDERSON: … by a democratic process where people will be elected to come together at a convention - 16- and 17-year-old kids to talk about their aspirations and vision for a future constitution for the Northern Territory. I do not know why you would believe that is threatening in any way, and why you believe, as my colleague, the Education minister said, Territorians cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. It is pretty offensive that people cannot think about a constitutional convention in April next year. The election is not until August; there is daylight between the two. I find it astounding that, without reference to us, any formal request to change things or do things differently, we have an outburst from the member for Fong Lim which, potentially, sets statehood back once again.
It is obvious that the member for Fong Lim is running the show. The Leader of the Opposition is not in control of this at all. I had a media conference with you, Madam Speaker, and the Leader of the Opposition announcing this path to statehood, the constitutional convention, when it was going to be held, and how it was would be elected. The Leader of the Opposition was at that media conference giving absolute support for all of this. I think your words, Leader of the Opposition, were: ‘Encouraging Territorians to put their names forward and nominate for the convention’. There was no sign of any discomfort with this at all!
In the same way the member for Fong Lim has rolled the Leader of the Opposition on climate change policy - that is all gone. That was launched by the Leader of the Opposition - a very detailed climate change policy and not a bad one at all. It is probably one of the more detailed policies the Leader of the Opposition had. However, that is rolled - that has disappeared. There is not even a shadow minister for Climate Change any more; they do not believe in that anymore. The Leader of the Opposition was comprehensively rolled by the member for Fong Lim in the decision not to support any future mining at Angela Pamela. The Leader of the Opposition was saying: ‘No, we have heard the people of Alice Springs and we agree with the government; we would not see Angela Pamela mined 20 km from Alice Springs’. We all know of the infamous e-mail.
We know with the rural shires, the position the Deputy Leader has put regarding the makeup of sizes in the rural shires, contradicting the Leader of the Opposition’s own policy. We know the member for Fong Lim is backing the Deputy, so rolling the leader again. There is consistent and constant undermining and rolling of the Leader of the Opposition on matters of significant public policy.
I am wondering when the rest of the members of the parliamentary wing will put the Leader of the Opposition out of his misery. Leader of the Opposition, you have no control, no authority, you display no leadership, and to be comprehensively rolled on your public position and support for the process to establish a pathway to an eventual vote on statehood, and a road map to deliver an elected constitutional convention which you agreed to - to be rolled in such a comprehensive way, I do not know how you can sit there as leader any more. You have no authority, no dignity; you have been totally ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The Leader of the Opposition spoke first in this debate for the opposition so why did the Leader of the Opposition not say: ‘We do not support the road map. We do not support what I previously agreed to …’
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: The Leader of the Opposition had an opportunity in this debate to say that. It would have been a complete backflip if he had, and I know he would have been totally embarrassed by it; however, the member for Fong Lim could not even afford the Leader of the Opposition the dignity, as leader, to announce his own backflip; it had to be done for him. There is no dignity left for the Leader of the Opposition regarding his leadership ...
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move that the member no longer be heard.
Motion negatived.
Mr CONLAN: I call a division, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! A division is called ...
Mr Conlan interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Greatorex will cease interjecting!
The Assembly divided:
- Ayes 12 Noes 13
- Ms Anderson Mrs Aagaard
Mr Bohlin Dr Burns
Mr Chandler Mr Gunner
Mr Conlan Mr Hampton
Mr Elferink Mr Henderson
Mr Giles Mr Knight
Mrs Lambley Ms Lawrie
Mr Mills Ms McCarthy
Ms Purick Mr McCarthy
Mr Styles Ms Scrymgour
Mr Tollner Mr Vatskalis
Mr Westra van Holthe Ms Walker
Mr Wood
Motion negatived.
Mr HENDERSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would have thought that motion from the Country Liberals to be unprecedented. We all know the member for Greatorex is off his trolley much of the time in here; however, to vote to shut down - it is not about me, but the Chief Minister speaking about statehood - wanting to gag the Chief Minister talking about statehood is absolutely outrageous …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bohlin: Talk about the motion.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale!
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, this is a very sad day on what I thought was a genuine bipartisan approach. We have played a straight bat on this all the way through. We have had the support of many hundreds, and some thousands of Territorians who have attended Statehood Steering Committee meetings across the Northern Territory.
As to the outburst by the member for Fong Lim encouraging people to nominate for the convention, this all occurred because we thought we had an agreed position. I did a media conference with the Leader of the Opposition, and we jointly agreed to an elected constitutional convention and the timing and methodology for that - we were going to create history in the Northern Territory by providing for 16- and 17-year-olds to vote on their future and that was exciting.
We had debates in this parliament about reports from the steering committee, all bipartisan. When I have that level of commitment from the Leader of the Opposition on the public record, why would we not encourage people to put their hands up because people need to think about these things? It was going to take up people’s time to go to the convention and they want to talk to their family and friends about whether they should do this or not. People do not wake up in the morning and decide to put their hand up for election to run in a constitutional convention. Why would you not be ahead of the game given the fact we have debated this up hill and down dale in this House over many years.
We have an agreed position with the Leader of the Opposition and, if I were in your shoes, I would walk away. You have been totally humiliated today by the member for Fong Lim. Leader of the Opposition, you have put your leadership on the line today over statehood …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Come out next week when we debate this legislation and stand by your public position of support. You have been involved; your deputy has been involved in this since day one. You should be joined at the hip. I am joined at the hip with my deputy, Leader of the Opposition. You have been …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: You have been through all these issues and red herrings the member for Fong Lim has thrown out and come to a position …
Mr BOHLIN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It is very clear; the member fully knows he should direct his comments through the Chair. He is clearly going across the Chamber.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you very much, member for Drysdale.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Drysdale, can I remind you not to interject as well. Thank you.
Mr HENDERSON: Leader of the Opposition, this is about your leadership. You need to get back into the party room and they need to say whether they back you and your public commitment to this process. You have been involved all along. Your deputy has been there all along agreeing to the road map, the process, the pathway, the timetable; everything has been negotiated and agreed to.
At the last minute the member for Fong Lim declares he does not support it - you guys will not support the legislation you have agreed to. The legislation has been agreed to. It has been provided to your office. It was an agreed position through your deputy and through your words at that media conference. You had the legislation before it was tabled in this parliament. I wanted to be convinced, when providing you with the legislation, that we had your support before we came into this House. I was given an assurance of your support by your deputy, Leader of the Opposition. Your leadership is on the line over this. You need to support your agreed position or you have been rolled and humiliated, Leader of the Opposition, on statehood - unprincipled for a member of the Country Liberal Party.
This is a very sad day unless the Leader of the Opposition can reassert some semblance of leadership from his tattered credibility. He was rolled on climate change, rolled on Angela Pamela, rolled on rural house blocks, and now rolled on statehood. This is a point of principle. You have agreed all the way through this, Leader of the Opposition. The legislation was provided to you before being tabled in this House. I had a rock solid assurance from your deputy that there was support for this. Today, it has all fallen apart and your leadership is in tatters.
Motion agreed to.
FINES AND PENALTIES (RECOVERY)
AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 181)
AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 181)
Continued from 19 October 2011.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, the opposition indicates its support for this legislation. It is fairly straightforward and deals with six effective amendments, with some sundry amendments attached to it. There is nothing the opposition finds particularly repugnant in relation to this legislation. I say at the outset, however, I welcome the new Attorney-General to his role and look forward to debating other legislation with him on other occasions.
The first amendment deals with compensational restitution orders. This is a good amendment and heartily supported by this side of the House. There is no shortage of orders of restitution made from time to time in the lower and higher courts in the Northern Territory. Occasionally, extracting those restitution amounts from the people ordered to pay restitution is a very troublesome process. Whilst I have not done a great deal of homework, from memory, for a restitution amount ordered, ultimately, you still have to go back to a court to apply for the order to be enforced if the person refuses to pay, etcetera. I believe by the time you get to the point where you have been found guilty, convicted, and ordered to pay restitution, a person who is the beneficiary - for a lack of better words - of that order of restitution should not have to go back to a court or go through another bureaucracy to recover that which is determined by a court as being owed to them.
The second fundamental, substantive change in this legislation is the time to pay arrangement. This side of the House has no major problem with that. If a person who is the subject of the fine, in good faith, seeks to negotiate an opportunity for time to pay and comes to an arrangement to enable that, why would they not if they are still attempting to pay their fines?
Third, the bill makes provision for cessation of business provisions. I confess I was less than thoroughly enthusiastic about this, but I understand what is being attempted here. On balance, we can understand what government is seeking to do. I hope the powers which are being granted under this arrangement will be used in careful fashion. I do not want to see businesses having to close if there is some cash flow problem. I hope a business, before it comes to the point where the cessation of business provisions are being applied, will have negotiated some time to pay. I encourage businesses to go through a process so, if there is a cash flow problem, they would turn to the second amendment proposed by this legislation.
The FRU, the Fines Recovery Unit, has administrative costs associated with the issuing of courtesy letters. The question I have for the minister in relation to this is: how much will those administrative costs be? If he makes clear that these administrative costs are not excessively onerous, we would not be standing in the way of that either.
The fifth component is changing the cut-out rate, or the rate by which a person works off their fine - either in gaol or otherwise - currently set at $100 a day. That figure of $100 a day dates back at least 20 years. They are exemplified by warrants of commitment which were known colloquially as the ‘money or the body’ warrant. You could front the person who had not paid their fine and the police officer would say: ‘Do you have X number of dollars on you?’ If the answer was ‘no’ that person was then arrested and they cut out that fine at a rate of $100 a day. This is, essentially, an allowance for inflation over time. Now, the cut-out rate or the rate of – I forget what it is called, but I will refer to it as the cut-out rate - the rate of which the fine is reduced will be two penalty units per day, which is equivalent to $274. This side of the House has no major problem with that. It is a realistic figure to apply, and $100 is probably a little on the low side considering the amount of change over the last 20 years.
I recall a time in the 1980s when a warrant of commitment came to my attention. We had to collect 1.5s.2d or something of that nature. Needless to say, we never bothered to execute that warrant.
The other thing the government has sought from this House – and we have no major objection on this side – is the limitation period for issuing an enforcement order be changed from six months to 12 months. Because of the toing and froing of certain fines, or the issuing of fines between drivers, car owners and that type of thing, that six month period can become a little tight. We are of the opinion on this side of the House that if you commit the crime be prepared to do the time or, ultimately, pay the fine. We have no major problems with extending that period of recovery or issue of enforcement order in circumstances when there is correspondence back and forth between vehicle owners, particularly, and the Fines Recovery Unit.
The final amendment is to amend the act to capture changes to the Service and Execution of Process Act 1992 of the Commonwealth. As made clear in the second reading speech, the Commonwealth act was amended and this Territory legislation is now being amended to accommodate the Commonwealth legislation.
Madam Deputy Speaker, all in all, I hope to get a response on the questions I have asked of the minister in his reply. If not, we may have to go into committee, but we will see what the minister has to say.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I support the bill. I have a couple of questions and I could either leave them to the committee stage, if that is where the member for Port Darwin is going, or I could ask them now and, if they are answered sufficiently, I will not bother during the committee stage.
In the second reading there is a statement about the effect on bodies corporate which says the amendments will allow the FRU to request the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to cease business with a body corporate. This means that although there will not necessarily be any immediate implications for the body corporate, if it does not pay the fine or enter into a time to pay arrangement, when they go to register a vehicle, renew vehicle registration, or take other action specified in the act, it will be unable to do so until they either pay their fine or enter into a time to pay arrangement with the FRU. There might be a very simple answer to it, but if they have a fleet of vehicles all due for registration, does that mean the whole fleet would not be allowed to be registered or just one of the vehicles? It is just clarification as to whether it applies to all the vehicles owned by the body corporate.
The other question relates to the courtesy letter and recovering the money required to produce a courtesy letter. What happens if a person refuses to pay for the courtesy letter? What is the punishment? How much do the courtesy letters cost and why did we go down this path of a separate expenditure item when perhaps they should be included in the total bill, if that is required? Why are they set out as a separate item?
They are relatively minor questions, but I want to clarify those points. I have no doubt that somewhere in the future someone will ring me and say: ‘The FRU has sent me a bill for $2.50 for a courtesy letter’ and I will wonder why. If the minister could answer that I would appreciate it. However, I do not have any concerns about the changes; they are commonsense changes. It shows most of our legislation does not quite get it right the first time, but at least it has come back for amendment to make it better legislation.
Mr KNIGHT (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank the members for Port Darwin and Nelson for their comments. As both members highlighted, the provisions in the bill enhance the workability of the Fines Recovery Unit. I thank all the staff within the Fines Recovery Unit as they do a fabulous job. They have been putting forward suggestions for improvements to the Fines Recovery Unit. They collect a high rate of outstanding fines and this will assist them in doing their work. It will also give people who owe money to the Northern Territory government through unpaid fines the ability to pay that off within their means prior to going into any sort of enforcement provision.
These are enhancements and we look forward to their workability over time. The act was introduced in 2001 and, over that time, there have been several comments within the unit and the judiciary about how these things can be fixed. These are quite comprehensive and will not be the last, but they come a long way.
I will pick up on some of the questions raised by members. I only picked up one of your issues, member for Port Darwin, the cost of the courtesy letter …
Mr Elferink: Yes, that was one of them.
Mr KNIGHT: Yes, and also the member for Nelson. It is 20 revenue units, which is about $20.40, for the courtesy letter. That is set out in the regulations. There are other charges in the regulations for other forms of correspondence as well. That is, correspondence from the Motor Vehicle Registry in regard to preventing a body corporate or an individual from registering their car. There are different charges within the regulations and the courtesy letter is $20.40 or 20 revenue units.
One of the other questions the member for Port Darwin asked was about time to pay arrangements for business. When a time-to-pay arrangement is entered into, the ban on registration of the vehicle is lifted and they can continue with that. With respect to a fleet, if they have a fleet of vehicles once an order has been placed every vehicle that comes before the MVR is prevented from being re-registered until a time to pay arrangement has been put in place or the fine is paid out. Only one vehicle might come forward and it will be knocked back, and I guess it will build up if they continue not to pay. As I said, there are time-to-pay arrangements after enforcement, and time-to-pay arrangements prior to reaching that stage. If people realise it is a fairly hefty fine and want to pay it off if they cannot pay the lump sum, it gives that flexibility.
I hope I have been able to answer those questions for you. We look forward to this being an effective tool for both the Fines Recovery Unit and for people who find themselves on the wrong side of a fine. I thank members for their contributions.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Chair, there are several things in relation to what the minister said I want to make clear in my mind. As far as the minister is concerned, how is the Fines Recovery Unit going to deal with companies, businesses or bodies corporate that come to the attention of the Fines Recovery Unit for outstanding fines? I presume the process will be the person representing the body corporate will go to Motor Vehicle Registry for the purposes of renewing the registration on a vehicle and the Motor Vehicle Registry will have a flag against the name of that body corporate saying there is an outstanding fine and the vehicle cannot be registered. Then, I presume, an offer will be made by the Motor Vehicle Registry, or the Fines Recovery Unit, that the body corporate can either pay the fine or enter into an agreement for time to pay. Is that how it is going to work?
Mr KNIGHT: You have described it fairly accurately. There is a fair process and lead-up to this. They receive an infringement notice, a courtesy letter, an enforcement order, and then there is cessation of business. I believe that is where you are going.
Mr ELFERINK: Basically, it is just the mechanics of how this works. I suspect that after those notifications they will not be ignorant, but will probably plead ignorance: ‘Oh, hell, I did not know about that’. What happens when you are at the Motor Vehicle Registry, which is somewhere remote from the Fines Recovery Unit - do you have to phone from the Motor Vehicle Registry to the Fines Recovery Unit? Is there some capacity for the Motor Vehicle Registry to bypass the flag?
Mr KNIGHT: I am advised there will be a phone at the MVR so you can call the FRU to sort out your outstanding account. Presumably, there will be some kind of verbal arrangement to enter into for time to pay. Presumably, people are not going in on the day their vehicle runs out of registration; they are going in prior to that and can deal with it prior to it running out of registration.
Mr ELFERINK: I accept that. Any number of bodies corporate will probably wait until the death knell, particularly those that have their motor vehicle registry inspections done remotely from the Motor Vehicle Registry. They may wait until the last day, but that is their problem. I am not overwhelmed by a deep sense of sympathy for someone who has ignored the fines they have received. It is the mechanics of how this works.
If a business finds itself in a situation where the flag has come up on the computer system I presume it says: ‘Sorry, this body corporate cannot register a vehicle, it has outstanding fines’, they then pick up the phone, speak to the Fines Recovery Unit and enter into some type of verbal agreement. How does that work? Is there a typist on the other end of the phone saying: ‘I am typing this information into the computer?’ Is the FRU’s computer system sufficiently well-linked to the MVR’s computer system to ensure the flag is lifted the moment that agreement is entered into?
Mr KNIGHT: I am advised they pick up the phone, talk to the FRU and, if they have a credit card, they can sort out the fine there and then. If it is another form of payment it may take a little longer. As soon as that time to pay arrangement has been entered into, the flag is lifted and the vehicle is able to be registered.
Mr ELFERINK: Yes. The question I am asking is: with the body corporate, potentially, standing there saying: ‘Oh, hell! I did not know anything about this’ - often it is just a staff member of the body corporate, and we are talking about a business or a company or something like that. It will not be the CEO who is driving down re-registering the vehicle; it is going to the poor old administrative officer of the company or the fleet manager saying: ‘Oh, hell! We have this fine’. I realise that is an internal problem for the company inasmuch as anything else. However, the question specifically was: once the operator at the Fines Recovering Unit presses ‘we are lifting the flag’, how long does it take for the flag to be lifted from the Motor Vehicle Registry? Is there a lag time - half-an-hour, or does it happen instantly?
Mr KNIGHT: I am advised it is pretty much the same system they have so it is instantaneous. Confirmation of the time to pay – if you have a staff member going in there who cannot commit to funds from the company it would be case-by-case. The Fines Recovery Unit will need authorisation from directors of the company that they will pay this off. It might be e-mail – whatever it might be. They need authority for confirmation. I am advised it can be pretty much be lifted instantaneously.
Mr ELFERINK: That is me done.
Mr WOOD: Following up on the response you gave on the courtesy letter, what happens if someone does not pay their courtesy letter? Will they not be able to register their vehicle, or will it go through the normal process of trying to recover a debt? Is the non-payment of the courtesy letter going to incur – you will not be able to register your vehicle until you pay it?
Mr KNIGHT: It is an available tool. They will have an outstanding fine, which is why the courtesy letter is issued. There is still a considerable outstanding amount, so it will be wrapped together. There is the ability to put the enforcement order and the cessation of business. It is a tool that can be used by the Fines Recovery Unit. It is an escalation of enforcement available to the FRU. Yes, the courtesy letter cost would be wrapped up in the total amount to be recovered, either simply or through measures with the Motor Vehicle Registry.
Bill agreed to, without amendment.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Mr KNIGHT (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
SERIOUS CRIME CONTROL AMENDMENT BILL
(Serial 182)
(Serial 182)
Continued from 19 October 2011.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Speaker, I rise today to make a contribution from the Country Liberals in relation to this bill. It is curious that this is very much an ‘oops’ bill which is not only the product of a decision by the High Court the government must have been aware was on foot at the time, but moreover, the government had some warning of the issues raised in the High Court, not least of which was by members of this House.
I remind honourable members of the debates that go back to 2009 – I have to lay my hands on the media releases from government at the time – where the Chief Minister, on 11 June 2009, under the media release Tough New Bikie Laws Introduced Into Parliament says:
- The Northern Territory government continues to lead the way in combating gangs involved in illegal activity through a range of legislative measures.
That was not actually true. The Northern Territory government was following other states in relation to their tough new bikie laws:
- The safety of the community is a top priority of this government and we don’t want criminal gangs fleeing other states and coming here.
Too right, but it is happening anyhow. Recent information, which is now public knowledge, is a fellow by the name of Alex Vella, head of the Rebels motorcycle group is looking for some real estate around town to help set up his organisation.
In a media release on 21 October 2009, Tough New Organised Crime Laws Passed, the then Attorney-General, Ms Lawrie said:
- The Henderson government is tough on crime and criminal activity. These new laws will restrict and disrupt activities of people and organisations involved in serious criminal activity.
The language of urgency surrounded the debate at the time. It was of course, like every other priority of government, the number one priority. It has had many number one priorities, but this was to be a really important thing it was doing. Needless to say, by December 2010, the Administrator had not passed this into law because the government knew there were problems with the legislative instrument pretty much from the time the legislative instrument was passed. Issues were raised by the then shadow Attorney-General, Ms Carney, in relation to the legislation at the time, and I also contributed to the debate.
On 19 October 2009, speaking in response to concerns I raised in the House during that debate, the Attorney-General said - I will confirm that date. It was 21 October 2009 and the Serious Crime Control Bill (Serial 48). The then Attorney-General said:
- The member for Port Darwin raised the issue of judicial review, and his unease is not in there. I recognise his support for the legislation, but I also recognise there was some unease. There is no appeal from a declaration; however, section 22 provides for revocation of an eligible judge’s decision to make a declaration, and this mirrors a like provision in the New South Wales legislation.
Madam Speaker, indeed the issue of judicial review was a matter of deep concern to me. In fact, I will point out some of the comments I made at the time:
- The government is asking for powers for our police force which would be described as extraordinary. I harbour concerns about the lack of capacity for a judicial review, particularly when you consider, under the constructs of administrative law, judicial review is essentially limited to ultra vires, which means if the legislature says it may be so, and there is no fault in the compliance by the executive with the legislative instrument, then it is lawful because the legislature has said so.
Madam Speaker, I approach the issue from an administrative law point of view and, indeed, the court case which brings this government back into this House with amendments is Wainohu and New South Wales [2011] HCA 24, 23 June 2011. There was also another case which touched on these matters, and that was the case of the State of South Australia against Totani and Others, which was 2010 High Court of Australia, 39.
Reading from the media release, because it is easier to refer to the media release:
- A majority of the court considered that the provision authorised the executive to enlist the Magistrates Court in implementing decisions of the executive and that the manner in which that occurred was incompatible with the Magistrates Court’s institutional integrity.
The case of Wainohu also touches on these issues and, essentially, the separation of powers. It is worth noting the comments or observations by the justices in that particular case. I quote:
Chapter III of the Constitution requires the separation of judicial power from other powers at the Commonwealth level. That separation of powers is why Ch III prevents the Commonwealth parliament from conferring on federal judges as designated persons functions inconsistent with the exercise of judicial power, such as the executive functions. Thus Gaudron J said in Kable v Director of Public Prosecutions NSW.
- The prohibition on state legislative power which derives from Ch III is not at all comparable with the limitation of the legislature power of the Commonwealth enunciated in R v Kirby; ex parte Boilermakers’ Society of Australia. The Boilermakers’ doctrine, as it is sometimes called, prevents the parliament of the Commonwealth from conferring judicial power on bodies other than courts and prevents it from conferring any power that is not judicial power or a power incidental thereto on the courts specified in section 71 of the Constitution. It also prevents the parliament from conferring functions on judges in their individual capacity if the functions are inconsistent with the exercise of judicial power in the sense explained in Grollo v Palmer. The limitation on state legislative power is more closely confined and relates to powers or functions imposed on a state court, rather than its judges in their capacity as individuals, and is concerned with powers or functions that are repugnant or incompatible with the exercise of the judicial power of the Commonwealth. And Gibbs CJ, Wilson and Dawson JJ said in Hilton and Wells that, in the case of federal judges, the Boilermakers’ doctrine would apply to render invalid legislation if ‘the nature or extent of the functions cast upon judges were such as to prejudice their independence or to conflict with the proper performance of their judicial functions’.
That deals with issues of the Commonwealth; however, the idea and concept in those comments filters down to the operation of the separation of powers at a state level.
Madam Speaker, to cut a long story short, at a state level it would still be determined by the court that it undermines the institutional integrity of the Supreme Court of New South Wales - which was the determination of the High Court - in relation to the operation of the New South Wales legislation upon which the Territory legislation, according to the then Attorney-General, was modelled.
I voiced concern from an administrative law point of view because I was concerned there was no effective capacity constructed into the legislation for judicial review. The courts have taken that much further and have determined the structure of the legislation undermines the judicial or institutional integrity of the Supreme Court. We are now stuck in the same place.
As a consequence, amendments are now required to make this legislative instrument work in the Northern Territory. That is what these amendments are all about today. As a consequence, the opposition indicates its support for the bill; however, I ask that the Attorney-General listens to what people have to say about these legislative instruments because the issues addressed by the High Court were, in part, raised in this House and, as I understand it, in other jurisdictions in relation to the original bills.
I accept that I supported the legislation in the hope the offences I identified at the time were not so grave as to render the bill ineligible. As it turns out, it did. I hope the government turns its attention to these things before adopting these legislative instruments so they can work properly from day one, rather than having all the media releases saying how tough we are on crime, etcetera, only to find ourselves with a law that does not work for two years. We are then back in this House amending a bill to ensure it operates within the lawful parameters identified by some of the institutions implied and protected by the principles of our Westminster system and our system of separation of powers.
That is what this amendment seeks to do. It would have been nice to get it right in the first place, but, there you go. Hopefully, we get it right eventually.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to comment on the amendment to a bill that, as the member for Port Darwin said, has not yet been enacted because it has not been gazetted by the Administrator. It has been sitting around for two years and, obviously, even when this legislation was put forward there were words to say all was quiet on the western front when in fact it was not. I quote from the summing up speech on 21 October 2009 by the minister at the time:
- … the legislation we have before us, as well as the amendments, has evolved out of a very considered process by government, bearing in mind the fundamentals underpinning this are to ensure we do not become a safe haven for serious and organised crime in the Territory …
Whilst I agree with the last part of that sentence – ‘has evolved out of a very considered process by government’ - it has not quite happened. I note comments from the Law Society, and other members of parliament, in relation to concerns about this bill when it was first introduced.
I do not believe anyone is against the reason to introduce this bill, but it is a little difficult to trust government if it puts forward a bill it says will do certain things then you find that bill, having been subject to an appeal or a review in New South Wales, says there are sections of this bill which need amending, which are the amendments we have coming forward today.
I am not against those amendments. Those amendments are an answer to the decisions by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, especially in relation to eligible judges which are now, basically, scrapped and replaced by the Supreme Court - as a layman, something I believe is a good move. At the time - again as a layman - I trusted the government to tell me this process of eligible judges was the correct process for this parliament. You rely on those statements and hope they will be backed up by facts. The proof of the pudding will be this legislation has been tested and proved to be good legislation.
I was trying to find a statement by the minister at the time which said the government had done all the right things. For instance, on 21 October 2009, the minister said:
- The bill has been developed in consultation with the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services. Submissions were also sought from the courts and relevant stakeholders. Submissions were received from the Chief Magistrate, and the Law Society of the Northern Territory.
I note, already, the Law Society of the Northern Territory has some serious concerns about the legislation. What concerns me is whether there was enough legal analysis of the legislation before it was introduced, especially if the Chief Magistrate, the court, relevant stakeholders, and the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services looked at it. Advice was also obtained from the Solicitor-General regarding its constitutionality.
My concern is if you had all these people looking at this bill originally and, then, we find two years later there was something wrong, is there something amiss in the systems we have to check legislation in the first place to ensure it can stand scrutiny in our courts? Or is it always going to be the case that you have to test the legislation? I understand much legislation works in that way. There was much fanfare around this legislation. It was going to tackle organised crime in the Northern Territory and that has not happened because it has not been enacted and, two years later, we do not have this legislation. Why did this happen in the first place? Why has it had to come back to parliament to be amended? As I say, terrific, the amendments will make this a much better act. However, I query the process you would hope to be really thorough, because many of the issues in relation to this bill were in relation to the deprivation of liberty, to some extent, as mentioned by the Law Society. The previous member for Araluen also mentioned some of these things.
It was a change from the norm in relation to the rights of people in the Northern Territory based on the fact they were involved in organised crime. Be that as it may, we, basically, had a proposal before us which took away some of the rights law-abiding citizens would normally not accept. We made some changes because we felt there was a need to restrict the move by organised crime into our society.
Madam Deputy Speaker, whilst I support the changes to the bill, it is of some concern this bill was debated in parliament two years ago and we were given guarantees - told this was good law and it was going to change things in relation to organised crime. That did not happen and is the very reason we are here today. If I see more bills in relation to organised crime I will give them as much scrutiny as possible, even if I am told they are foolproof. I am uncertain I will take that on face value any more. I will ensure, whenever bills come forward where people’s liberties are being curtailed, they require serious study to ensure what is put forward will work, and is fair and reasonable.
Mr KNIGHT (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I thank members for their contributions. I thank the Department of Justice staff who have worked tirelessly on the preparation of this amending legislation, and for the contribution of the police department and other jurisdictions that have assisted in the preparation of this.
I might start with where the member for Nelson was heading. I will speak in layman’s terms because I am coming to terms with legal speak.
I attended the Standing Council on Law and Justice and this issue was discussed. Looking back through the whole process, through police intelligence across the country, they felt they needed significantly greater powers to deal with organised crime, particularly bikie gangs. South Australia was one of those key jurisdictions. They introduced legislation in 2008; New South Wales in 2006. There was a belief gangs would drift to softer jurisdictions, and that is when we started our consultation in 2009 and passed the legislation in 2009. Queensland did in 2009 as well.
There was the Totani High Court case in 2010. Our legislation was modelled on the New South Wales legislation. This was very much a balance of workability for the police - we want to get these guys; we want to cut through - so it was a workability issue versus a legal issue of judicial process, fairness, and constitutionality. That was the balancing act to get it right. In the Totani case where the Attorney-General was the declaring body - he or she made the declaration of an organisation - that was challenged in the High Court.
The Wainohu challenge, which was handed down mid-year, was really about eligible judges not being required to hand down any reasons for the declarations being made, there being no appeal rights within the decision being made, and the doctrine of Kable. They came down with that decision.
The reason Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, the Northern Territory - our judicial system, our department – did not pick it up was because we cannot predict the minds of High Court judges. They came up with those decisions. At that meeting I attended last week, everyone was scrambling to shift that balance - to keep the workability there and make it constitutionally valid so it does not end up in the High Court.
I expect this legislation, and the Western Australian legislation, to head off to the High Court as well, because this is going to be a cat and mouse game. That was discussed at the meeting of the Standing Council on Law and Justice. Ideally, you would have a national scheme but, obviously, we cannot wait for that to happen. We have to have this legislation to give police the power to declare these organisations and put in control orders on individuals in those organisations. It has been a balancing act. It will be a bit of cat and mouse with organised criminal gangs to get this right, so we have come up with a very reasonable balance where the Supreme Court now makes the declarations. Supreme Court judges issue reasons for the declarations being made, and there are appeal rights, as is normal within the Supreme Court. We have gone down a safer road. South Australia is sticking with eligible judges but will give reasons, and there will be appeal rights. Western Australia will be introducing legislation this week. I believe they are sticking with eligible judges as well, with those caveats in there.
It is a mixed bag around Australia and legislation will be challenged. I believe we have a very good balance here. People have some judicial process, they have some appeal rights, but the police believe they can make this work. I believe it is a very good balance. Everyone went into this, including this Chamber, with the desire to make it work but we obviously cannot predict the views of the High Court. It came down with a decision and we are moving to fix those areas it has highlighted.
I thank members for their contribution. Hopefully, we have a very workable tool. I do not believe it will be the last time we talk about amending this legislation given the cat and mouse game with criminal gangs. I thank members and I look forward to the committee stage.
Motion agreed to; bill read a second time.
In committee:
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole.
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Chair, my first question relates to the minister’s closing remarks. On what grounds do you expect to find yourself back in the High Court? You signalled that, as a result of your meeting with SCLJ, you expected there would be further challenges to this. Where do you anticipate those challenges coming from?
Mr KNIGHT: As I said, our legislation is much more finely balanced between workability and what we believe is the constitutional validity of it. Possibly, other jurisdictions with more of a workable model for their police force might be under pressure, you never know. These laws are the first amendment to this legislation in the country. They are tougher but, having said that, they are fairer as well. I am predicting we will be back there; I cannot say what it will be. We know, in the cases of Totani and Wainohu, they got together, put their money together, and challenged those laws. I would not be surprised if we were challenged in this area. I believe there will be challenges in other jurisdictions. There was a discussion with Attorney-General Porter from Western Australia about different jurisdictions having different legislation - different variations.
We will learn from each other who is challenged first and what loophole needs to be plugged until we have a law accepted by the High Court. Hopefully, in the future we reach national harmony with these laws because the business model of criminal gangs - they have their own patches but operate across the country. Ultimately, we will need national laws because these guys are operating internationally as well. I cannot say what areas are going to be challenged; however, I would not be surprised if we end up in court.
Mr ELFERINK: Minister, I am surprised you have so little confidence in your legislative instrument. Wainohu was fairly clear. The decision in that matter was pretty straight up and down in relation to the reasons for invalidity, and your amendments address those issues. However, I notice you have, in the amendments, placed at clause 21: court not bound by the rules of evidence. Why would you not seek to bind a court to the rules of evidence in this instance?
Mr KNIGHT: My understanding is they are not bound by them but can use them.
Mr ELFERINK: I understand that, and I would expect a court to act reasonably, but there are other legislative instruments where the court sidesteps the rules of evidence. I can name probably two or three off the top of my head, but I am asking you why you have chosen to go down that path in relation to this clause. Why do you feel it is necessary for a court not to be bound by the rules of evidence?
Mr KNIGHT: Other parts of the legislation highlight protected evidence and protected witnesses. We have to give discretion to the Supreme Court judges on how they treat evidence and how public that evidence is allowed to be. We have put in those protections - protected witnesses and protected evidence - where the court makes a decision about the liability of that evidence as well. There is some discretion for the Supreme Court judge.
Mr ELFERINK: Minister, the reason I raise the issue is you are talking to an ex-copper so I know what is trying to be achieved. Whilst I have never practiced, I have had cause to study a bit of law over the last few years as well as turn my attention to my political science studies over the years. I understand the balance between the needs of the executive as expressed by the police to do their job, but limiting the powers of that executive. What I am seeking to test is the quality of the limitations we are placing. It was the excessive restraint placed on the courts by the parliament in an effort to support the executive’s battle, for lack of better words, against these criminal gangs that lead to the executive coming to this parliament and asking for powers that, ultimately, were ruled to be invalid because of the way they operated.
Under the Bail Act, a court is not bound by the rules of evidence. It can receive hearsay evidence and those types of things. Similarly, a coroner can receive hearsay evidence and those types of things where, under the normal rules of evidence, they would not be allowed to. I can understand that in the Bail Act because the rules of evidence restrict, to some degree, the other extraneous material a court may hear when issuing or not an order for bail. Because the Coroner’s Court is of an inquisitorial nature rather than a strictly judicial nature, a Coroner’s Court sidesteps the rules of evidence for the purposes of gleaning as much information as possible. The coroner then has the discretion to remove what evidentiary procedures are involved.
Both bailment and the Coroner’s Court deal with some pretty low level issues of what evidence is and those sorts of things. These orders move towards a much more serious political freedom, if you like. I note the full court did not find there were grounds for the - I will quote it. I am, basically, getting myself on the record here more than - here we are: The implied right to political association, paragraph 186. I am not going to quote the whole thing because it is a bit long but, in essence, there is a clear distinction made by the court that this is not about political association and an implied right to political association which, by the way, is not quite that clear. This is about targeting criminal gangs, and was the comment I made, specifically, the last time we debated this issue.
What concerns me is there are now arguments in the ether about that particular association. By removing, if you like, the evidentiary protocols, I am concerned that may enable your concern you described - there will be some wriggle room for the forces of darkness, for the lack of better words, to find grounds for another appeal. The question to you is: are you confident the removal, in this instance, of the rules of evidence in the way you are asking for them is not going to be struck down? If not, can you describe the reasons as to why you are confident it is not going to be struck down?
Mr KNIGHT: I go back to my previous answer. It is the discretion of the court to apply the rules of evidence or not. The judge in that case would make a considered decision which could be open to appeal. I do not know if it could be challenged as legislation. It could be challenged on the court case itself …
Mr Elferink: That is how these things end up.
Mr KNIGHT: Yes. It would have to prove the judge erred in consideration of a particular piece of evidence.
Again, we are getting back to the workability and the balance with judicial challenge. At the moment, we have allowed the discretion to be made by the learned judge. I guess we will see where it goes from there. It offers discretion for them to use the rules of evidence or not.
Mr ELFERINK: I believe you missed my point, but I am not going to labour it. Essentially, the thrust of my point is by limiting or removing, if you like, a form of protection for the innocent - bearing in mind the fundamental principles of our system is individuals who live in our community have certain rights – this might be seen by some as diminishing those rights. There may be grounds for an appeal if someone feels they have been poorly treated as a result of side-stepping or setting aside the rules of evidence.
This is not entirely different to the principles involved in bailment. Therefore, you may find a court would simply say: ‘No, this is similar to the operation of the Bail Act or the issue of other orders which can set aside the rules of evidence’. I am concerned that might come up as grounds for an appeal should someone be unsatisfied with the decision of a court.
That is about it, Madam Chair. I will let this one sail through, and hope we are not going to be back here again.
Bill agreed to, without amendment.
Bill reported; report adopted.
Mr KNIGHT (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to; bill read a third time.
MOTION
Note Paper – Office of the Ombudsman, Annual Report 2010-11
Note Paper – Office of the Ombudsman, Annual Report 2010-11
Continued from 27 October 2011.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I commend the Ombudsman’s 2010-11 Annual Report to the House and, as members will see, it provides a detailed assessment of the office’s performance and operations during the financial year and the financial statements required under the Financial Management Act.
As honourable members of this House would be aware, the Ombudsman’s term of appointment is for a fixed term of seven years without the capacity for re-appointment. The current Ombudsman, Ms Carolyn Richards’ term as the Ombudsman will end in 2012 and, accordingly, this is likely to be her last annual report to this Assembly. On behalf of the government, I take this opportunity to thank Ms Richards for her stewardship of the Ombudsman’s Office and her commitment to improving the quality and accountability of public administration. It will be a difficult task to pick an Ombudsman of the same calibre as Ms Richards, but that is the cycle of the appointments of Ombudsmen, and I wish Ms Richards well.
I read in the newspaper she has a property, I think, at Dundee Beach. I am not sure whether she is a keen angler or what her interests are, but that is a great part of the world and I am sure she is going to have a great time at Dundee Beach. I read she intends to do much reading - probably not of annual reports and matters she normally deals with. I am sure she will have much enjoyable reading at Dundee Beach and, if I am out there fishing as I hope to be, I might run into the Ombudsman at the Lodge of Dundee. It would be interesting to have a drink with the Ombudsman in retirement.
Perusal of this report shows quite a number of things. The scope of what the Ombudsman does crosses all departmental areas from Parks and Wildlife to NRETAS. One that caught my eye was Henbury School on page 71:
- The complainant called my office in regard to her 15-year-old son who was a student at Henbury Avenue School. The complainant stated her son had been the victim of bullying at the school for the last eight months, perpetrated by another 15-year-old student and that all the bullying instances had been of a physical nature.
The complainant stated that her son had been scratched, pushed, grabbed and wrestled on an almost daily basis. On one occasion, the complainant’s son returned from school with scratch marks on his arm which had drawn blood. The complainant also said that her son did not feel safe at the school and was staying home.
The complainant said this issue was raised with the teachers at Henbury Avenue, but felt staff were not doing anything to put a stop to this behaviour. The complainant stated apart from personally speaking with the school she had also spoken to two staff both from the School Division Team.
The complainant stated that as a result of her discussions with the school the teachers were being rude to her son. The complainant said the bullying behaviour continues and she would like something done about it.
The Ombudsman’s office took the allegations made by the complainant to DET to respond to and, in the first instance, a meeting took place at Henbury School. The meeting resulted in four agreed outcomes: the complainant and her son would explore a graduated entry into the Casuarina Senior College outreach centre of Henbury School; the school would draw up a timetable and playground map restricting where each of the children could go at lunch, ensuring they are not in contact; staff would reinforce the need to be vigilant at recess in keeping the two boys apart; and the complainant would undertake to open lines of communication with her son’s new teacher and school senior staff would facilitate. The result, according to the Ombudsman, was the complainant was happy with this outcome and the matter was closed.
Here is an instance of a complaint, the Ombudsman taking an active role in it, and facilitating a result that is satisfactory to the complainant. I commend the work of the Ombudsman. Possibly in debate, other members will draw attention to other concerns raised within the Ombudsman’s report. I could go on with other matters; there are a number of things related to education. In most cases, people are satisfied with the result.
The role of the Ombudsman is to facilitate results for people, results for the public, in a fearless fashion. Our Ombudsman has been fearless in the discharge of her duties. Once again, I commend the 2010-11 annual report to members. I commend the work of the Ombudsman over the past seven years or so, and wish her all the best in retirement.
Ms PURICK (Goyder): Madam Speaker, I want to speak briefly on several items in the Ombudsman’s annual report. I agree with the minister and the member for Johnston, the Ombudsman is a person of high integrity and high purpose. I wish her well in her non-Ombudsman’s duty. I am aware of her property at Dundee and hope she has a lovely time there with all the scary feral residents that live there, constituents of the good member for Daly …
Ms Scrymgour: My brother-in-law lives there. He is not feral.
Ms PURICK: I take up the interjection from the member for Arafura. I am sure she will be good friends with the member for Arafura’s scary brother as well.
On a serious note, I wanted to comment on the small section on the Department of Resources, which is good. There were three complaints about Department of Resources’ service. They were referred to the agency and obviously addressed because the complainants did not return to the Ombudsman’s office. I am not surprised because that department, regardless of whether it is the minerals people, the fisheries or the primary industry people, are very open and cooperative and want to get things resolved if there has been a misunderstanding, or a client or someone in industry is not happy. So that is good …
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I draw your attention to the state of the House.
Madam SPEAKER: A quorum is required. Ring the bells. A quorum is present.
Ms PURICK: Madam Speaker, I commend the Department of Resources for its competency and efficiency in dealing with any matters brought before it in regard to concerns or complaints.
The other area I would like to comment on - because I have a very strong interest in this and am aware of the case study - involves a constituent family of mine. It is on page 82 of the Ombudsman’s report and relates to Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport. It was a complaint in regard to the Bushfires NT burn off which caused substantial damage to property and assets of my constituent in the Arnhem Land area. He took it up with the department and it is yet to be satisfactorily resolved to my constituent’s way of thinking. I will talk to my constituent in regard to (1) tabling of this report, and (2) his complaint has been investigated –which he would know – but it said the complainant did not return to the Ombudsman’s office at the conclusion of the department’s investigation.
I will be advising my constituent he needs to take it up again with the Ombudsman’s office. He is not comfortable with how the matter has been handled. He suffered substantial loss of property and assets as a result of a Bushfires NT burn. I know the minister is aware of this because I wrote to him about it. I will ensure my constituent gets the best attention possible from the department and the minister’s office so it can be resolved satisfactorily.
That is all I have to say at this time. I commend the Ombudsman’s office for producing this report which is in a good format, and easy to read. I wish the Ombudsman all the best when her term finishes.
Mr BOHLIN (Drysdale): Madam Speaker, I thought there would be a few more speakers on the other side.
I thank the Ombudsman for her efforts, unlike some members on the other side who keep interjecting with strange comments. The Ombudsman has been a fantastic advocate for NT people’s rights, and we see again today, when reading through this report, she has had another decent go at a few issues, which is what we need when it comes to openness and accountability.
I thank her and her fantastic staff for the effort they have put in. It has been a very difficult time, as it always is, operating under some very extreme conditions and dealing with some people I am sure all our officers and electorate officers send to her at times.
I will point out a complaint raised against the Northern Territory Library, Parliament House. The staff in our library are some of the best I have ever met; they are some of the most helpful people. I read that complaint with interest to find the person’s behaviour was such that the Legislative Assembly issued that person with a trespass notice. Obviously, he had raised a complaint which was not true. We all know the staff in the library are fantastic people. I often bring guests to this library because it is such a great place. It is as you would expect a library to be with multiple levels, the ornate handrails and the like. It was good that the Ombudsman saw the complaint for what it was and promptly told that person they should perhaps not complain anymore.
I have another one which, unfortunately, relates to one of my constituents. It is on page 45, Case Study 4 - Racing, Gaming and Licensing. It is there for members to read, and there is quite a lengthy discussion into what happened. There were some media reports on this issue recently where a letter I had sent to the Chief Minister was leaked to the media. I had not given that letter to the media myself. I am still waiting on a reply from the Chief Minister and it pertains to this. It is a very contentious issue that relates to a young man taking his life, and the actions and incidents that occurred prior to that. There is, unfortunately, some very distressing video footage available for viewing on this case that was brought to me. I know it has been taken to the Chief Minister’s electorate office. I know he had footage taken to his office. Obviously, he did not watch it. The footage is very distressing. To say there were concerns about some of the outcomes and processes that have occurred, is to say the least.
The Ombudsman has agreed with my concerns. It is a shame to see that, although we have people identifying an issue, suggesting it needs further investigation to find out what really happened, the government closes its eyes, and the departments are not interested or appear not to be interested. We even have the Ombudsman saying it is not good enough. I will read the second last paragraph of the Ombudsman’s explanation:
- I do not have directive powers and could not take this matter further. The only venue left was to notify the complainant of the result. The complainant went to his MLA. The MLA attended my office. The MLA stated he was concerned that nothing had been done about the security officers. Further, that he had seen the CCTV footage and believed the violence used was excessive and that an aggravated assault had occurred. I agree.
They are the comments from the Ombudsman. It was a very sad case; it is still a very sad case. I am sure, unfortunately for the family, it is not finished. Contrary to some reports or personal comments relayed to the media on this, the family is very aware of it. The family is very aggrieved by the whole process and wants justice. These comments in the Ombudsman’s report should be ringing a few alarm bells on the fifth floor, but I doubt they are listening. They are more interested in spin doctoring, not about finding out what really happened to one young Territorian no matter what his background.
Most of us have kids and we want to ensure they are looked after when they go out and about; when they reach that magical age of 18 and can drink. We want to know when our kids go out they are looked after properly and, when something happens to them, people investigate it properly and do not find loopholes to avoid the investigation.
Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I put on the record my thanks to the Ombudsman who, of course, is a parliamentary officer, for her many years working for our parliament.
Motion agreed to; report noted.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Gearing up for Major Projects
Gearing up for Major Projects
Mr HENDERSON (Chief Minister): Madam Speaker, today I speak about the work our government is doing to ensure the 21st century, the century of Northern Australia, will be defined by an unprecedented resources development boom in this part of the world. The old economies of Europe are in decline, exemplified by the current European debt mess. Contrast this with the economic rise of the Asia-Pacific region led by China. The Northern Territory is perfectly placed in our geography and resources to take full advantage of this economic changing of the guard. It will also be a century of opportunity and prosperity for all Territorians and their families.
As I have said many times before, times are changing in Australia. A new economic paradigm is emerging in our country; an economic paradigm that will see northern Australia and the resource-rich jurisdictions of Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory drive economic growth deep into the 21st century. It will be northern Australia and, in particular, the emergence of Darwin as a resource development and export location that will lead the way when it comes to the major projects and investments that will turbo-charge our national economy, and power the Territory economy for generations to come.
A strong and robust economy is not an end in itself; it never is. A strong economy is the great enabler; it enables us to do the things Labor governments have always done, and that is to invest in our cities, towns and communities across the Territory, to create new jobs and new opportunities for Territorians no matter where they live, and to provide the quality services our people demand for themselves and their families.
In other words, these major projects, these landmark investments, allow our economy to grow and diversify and that in turn gives us the capacity to build the Territory and create better lives for our people. That is the Labor way. This work is especially important at this point in the Territory’s evolution because experience tells us that when economies like us grow and transform, when economies like ours attract new investment and new people in search of new opportunities, there can be growing pains. That is why we developed our Territory 2030 strategy, and why we are on the front foot when it comes to managing this growth.
Today, I want to talk about how our government is gearing up for growth and how we will sustain growth, sustain jobs, and sustain success. I want to briefly talk about the massive potential of the resources boom in the Territory. I then want to talk about the steps we are taking to ensure we continue to be seen as one of the most investor-friendly, business-friendly destinations in the world. Finally, I want to talk about how we are investing in our community and in our people to ensure Territorians continue to lead the affordable and family-friendly lives to which they have become customised.
We are fast approaching the final investment decision for the $30bn INPEX LNG project at Blaydin Point. This project will be the biggest resource development in Territory history, and it is not just big by Territory standards. The semi-submersible floating production and processing platform, and the floating production and off-take vessel, will be ranked alongside the biggest of their kind in the world. The offshore pipeline, when both length and diameter are considered, will rank amongst the biggest pipelines in the world. The initial onshore development is somewhat more modest but still a world-scale development. The construction of the proposed two LNG trains at Blaydin Point will be staggered by about a year, meaning construction time of five years which is close to double the construction time of the Darwin LNG plant at Wickham Point. The boost to our economy from this single project alone will be substantial. We are also planning for future growth which is why we have allocated sufficient land on, and adjacent to, Blaydin Point to accommodate a further four LNG trains.
Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the excellent whole-of-government approach and the highly professional major project assistance to Ichthys as being significant factors in securing this great project. I take this opportunity to thank the many public servants, including those in my own department, for all their hard work and commitment over the past three years.
Of course, there is more to the resources boom than INPEX and its expansion trains. There is a massive potential for further LNG expansion from discovered and yet to be discovered offshore and onshore gas fields. Indeed, the opportunity is there to have seven to 10 floating LNG projects either in production or at an advanced stage of development within the next 10 years, and Darwin will become the centre for marine support and operations maintenance for these projects.
Furthermore, our onshore unconventional oil and gas resources, shale oil and gas, have the potential to be enormous with up to 70% of our land area being considered prospective. Whilst it is a little early to speculate on the impact of these resources, there is some activity under way right now that may provide us with a good indication of their prospectivity.
These projects build on our existing world-class resource projects which are an ongoing source of construction, service, and maintenance activity; projects such as ERA’s Ranger uranium mine, Alcan Gove’s bauxite and alumina plant, GEMCO’s manganese mine, Xstrata’s MRM lead and zinc mine, OM Holdings manganese mine, and Newmont’s Tanami gold mine. When you consider companies are forecast to spend around $1bn on exploration alone in the Territory over the next five years, we have every reason to be optimistic about the future.
We have already seen the early signs of what is to come, with a 31% increase in mineral exploration expenditure last financial year. We must never lose sight of the fact these projects not only power our economy, they also mean jobs for Territorians, not only for us today, but also for our children and grandchildren, and we are not just talking about production workers. These projects will generate demand for a host of professions and skills covering everything from graphic designers to engineers, human resource managers to environmental scientists, from plumbers and electricians to lawyers and medical staff - the list goes on.
These projects are quite literally transforming the Territory, but we cannot rest on our laurels. We must continue to build our capacity and build our reputation as an investor-friendly, business-friendly destination because our aim is to sustain growth, sustain jobs and sustain success, and to ensure our children and grandchildren have the same opportunities as we have today.
Sustaining success is why we are working with industry and the community to boost business capability in the Territory. We need to do this because the engagement of business in major resource projects is not a simple and straightforward task. Our companies require high standards of capability and safety, world-class project management skills, accreditation familiarity with complex tendering procedures, and so on. This high level of complexity is why we have been working closely with industry for several years to address these other issues. It is why the Department of Business and Employment ran a series of topic-specific seminars to assist Northern Territory business to grow capabilities and engage with INPEX and other resource projects.
The department is also promoting workforce planning in the wider business community to help employers plan training and retention strategies to deal with the increased pressures on their workforce during the resources boom.
In addition to this work, the Northern Territory Industry Capability Network continues to do an excellent job of connecting NT business with the INPEX LNG project, just as it has done with other headline resource developments in the Territory. NTICN’s project, Gateway, provides a computerised system of databases and messaging to keep suppliers and contractors aware of business opportunities. Its consultants and other databases keep developers and their contractors informed of the capability and experience of Territory business. Major projects typically involve several tiers of contractors seeking local suppliers, so the ICN’s computer systems and experienced staff are a linchpin for Territory business accessing the resources boom now and into the future.
Madam Speaker, whilst the major construction phase of the INPEX project will generate many jobs, we understand it is the supply and service sector that will provide long-term jobs and business opportunities for Territorians. That is why our focus is on growing this sector, and we are succeeding.
Consider this: in 2006, our Southeast Asia Australia Offshore Conference attracted 180 delegates and six exhibitors. In 2011, the same conference attracted over 800 delegates and more than 100 exhibitors. Many of those delegates were from our local and interstate supply and service sector. We are also actively facilitating trade and investment in this sector with a planned program of inwards and outwards industry missions scheduled during 2012. These missions will connect local business with major international supply and service providers in the region. The aim is to establish joint venture Australian agency or other partnership agreements.
I can report planning is already under way, in conjunction with the NTICN and the Manufacturers Council, to take a group of our local supply and service companies to meet with major contractors in Aberdeen, Singapore and specific marine supply and service centres in Malaysia and Thailand.
Speaking of Aberdeen, this Assembly will be aware of our engagement with the ‘Granite City’. Our aim is to learn as much as possible about an economy that has transformed itself into a world-class oil and gas come energy supply and service hub. Aberdeen is at the forefront of education and training for the oil and gas industry. We want to replicate this model in the Northern Territory to produce a fully-skilled workforce so Territorians will be able to take full advantage of the growth in oil and gas activity in our region.
Professor Barney Glover and the team at Charles Darwin University are already moving in that direction. Construction of a new north Australian centre for oil and gas will soon begin at Charles Darwin University’s Casuarina Campus. This will provide Territorians access to the education and training needs of the petroleum sector in our region, including vocational, diploma, and degree qualifications, post-graduate study and research. This facility will be jointly funded by Charles Darwin University, the Northern Territory government and industry. With its activities guided by an advisory board, most importantly, there will be strong industry representation on the board.
The experience in Aberdeen has been that appropriate education and training is vital to allow the local population to fully benefit from the expansion of the industry. That is why CDU is positioning itself to become a key provider of the skills and accreditation required by industry. Indeed, CDU is actively engaging with Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University, together with the United Kingdom’s oil and gas industry training organisation, OPITO, and the acknowledged world leader in oil and gas technician training, ASET, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aberdeen College.
There are two points I want to emphasise in relation to Aberdeen. We learnt that over 80% of the suppliers to the oil and gas industry in Aberdeen involve companies that employ fewer than 100 people, and whilst global oil and gas supply firms tend to retain their specialised core activities, they widely contract out to suitably capable local industry where possible. This tells us two things: that small to medium enterprises can compete, and that innovative local entrepreneurs will quickly adapt to the opportunity and the requirements for supplying this industry.
Local business has every reason to feel confident about the future. In addition to our ongoing partnership with local industry, we are also investing in the kind of infrastructure that will sustain growth, sustain jobs, and sustain success. Our new Marine Supply Base will provide world-class logistical support to the offshore oil and gas industry for its exploration, construction and operational activities. Contractual close is targeted by Christmas, and construction will begin next year with completion by the end of 2013.
The Darwin Business Park and our Common User Facility will provide growing support to local fabricators and other industry as they participate in construction and major maintenance and operations activities, resources and other projects. At East Arm Wharf, the Darwin Port Corporation released its master plan in 2010 to prepare for growth in our resources sector. Projects being planned at the port include: a rail balloon loop and additional bottom dump station to manage multiple train loads simultaneously; a bulk minerals conveyor; reclamation and ground improvement for expansion of hardstand and bulk minerals and storage; general and bonded cargo sheds; an amphibious landing craft area for commercial and Defence use; berths for tugs and other smaller vessels; alternative access roads for improved traffic flow; and secure road and service corridors for future expansion.
A skilled and flexible workforce is the key to sustaining growth and jobs in the years and decades ahead. It is the key objective of this government, and a personal passion of mine, to grow the number of highly skilled and highly paid jobs - jobs for our kids, jobs for our grandchildren. We are pursuing the same on a number of fronts.
We are engaging with proponents of major projects to understand their job needs and skill gaps and are funding skilled training accordingly. Our target of 10 000 apprenticeships over four years will be met and we are ramping up initiatives to attract skilled workers to address skill shortages, not only in the major resource projects, but also to backfill jobs left vacant in the broader economy. We all want these highly paid jobs to be filled by Territorians or Australians, but these projects and our economy will be best served by minimising job shortages. The Aberdeen experience tells us that whilst there may be an influx of expatriate labour in the early years of growth to plug the gaps, the training, upskilling and transfer of experience to the local workforce will mean more Territorians in the workforce in the long term. That is our aim, and it will be institutions like Charles Darwin University and the Larrakia Trade Training Centre which will play a major role in training and upskilling our workforce.
The Northern Territory government has been investing in our community and our people for many years. Our aim has always been to ensure our affordable and family-friendly lifestyle is enjoyed by all Territorians now and into the future. Nothing is more important to Territory families, whether they are new to the Territory or whether they have lived here for years, than being able to access the best education and health services as well as appropriate and affordable housing.
In relation to education, we have worked hard to ensure our education system remains competitive and accessible as our population grows. Territorians expect nothing less and that is why we have invested well over $500m in our schools since 2001, and why we continue to build new schools and upgrade existing schools to meet the needs of our growing remote and urban communities. We have built urban schools like Darwin Middle School, the state-of-the-art Roseberry middle and primary schools which provide Palmerston children with world-class facilities, and in the bush at Emu Point, Manyallaluk and Yilpara.
We have also worked hard to get the best people to teach our kids. We have introduced our new Remote Teaching Service, we have ensured our teachers are amongst the best paid in Australia, and we have continued to provide principals and teachers with professional development opportunities and the support they need to do their jobs.
We have also worked hard to future-proof our health system. We have more than doubled health funding since 2001, ensuring all Territorians can access the treatment and health services they need when they need it. This includes the super clinic in the growing city of Palmerston, world-class cancer care treatment at Royal Darwin Hospital, the new 26-room Barbara James House in Darwin, and the new Palmerston hospital, a key priority of the 2030 strategy, with $110m committed to this project. I look forward to the release of the final clinical services plan.
Let us not forget we have also opened the $28m NT Clinical School this year, which means Territory kids can now, for the very first time, train to become doctors without ever having to leave the Territory. In good news, the GP super clinic for the northern suburbs is back on track. I congratulate my colleague, the Health Minister, for getting down to Canberra and getting that commitment back on the table.
As the resources boom unfolds and our population rises, demand will increase for appropriate and affordable housing. To meet this challenge, I announced our Housing the Territory policy in 2009. It has four key elements: accelerated land release and infill; making the housing market more competitive; redevelopment of public housing; and affordable rents. The aim of the strategy is to ensure all Territorians can access the housing they need now and into the future and we are making progress. For example, we fast-tracked land release - the fastest release ever - to meet the demand generated by a rising population. We are creating new suburbs in and around Darwin such as Bellamack, Mitchell, Zuccoli and Johnston in the Palmerston area, and Lyons and Muirhead in the northern suburbs. Of course, planning for Weddell, which will create 10 000 new homes and be the Territory’s newest city, is well under way. We are also keeping 15% of all new releases for affordable housing, with the first already online in Bellamack and Johnston.
In addition, we have reduced stamp duty, increased the Principal Place of Residence rebate to $3500, and introduced a senior’s reduction of $8000. We have also waived stamp duty for houses up to the value of $540 000 for first homebuyers.
In conclusion, the century of northern Australia is unfolding and, with it, will come unprecedented prosperity and growth as major resource projects and investments such as INPEX come online. Our aim, as a government, is to plan for growth and sustain that growth - and this is what we are doing. When doing this, we must ensure our affordable family-friendly lifestyle is preserved and all Territorians benefit from the good times to come. This is also to ensure it can be enjoyed by future generations of Territorians. If we achieve these aims, we will create better and more prosperous lives for all of our people no matter where they live across the Territory.
Madam Speaker, I commend the statement to the House. I move that the Assembly take note of the statement.
Ms LAWRIE (Treasurer): Madam Speaker, it is an extraordinary time in this parliament when the party that likes to parade itself as the party of business goes silent on a policy debate around how you gear up to ensure the business sector can take advantage of major projects on the horizon - the small- and medium-size enterprises get to take advantage of the major projects on the horizon, and that the mums and dads in the community understand the opportunities through education, training and employment in major projects that bring significant economic growth. It is unbelievable that the opposition should completely vacate this policy debate in the Chamber today.
I invite them to contribute to a debate on how best the Territory positions itself so every Territorian can achieve opportunities from major projects. There is no doubt the Territory is on the cusp of an economic boom of a scale the Territory has never seen before. The opposition likes to apply spin to things, but look at what Deloitte Access Economics - independent economic commentators - have to say about our economic growth prospects and the boom. They use the term ‘boom’ in connection with the horizon project of the Ichthys field, and the work with INPEX and Total in bringing that to final investment decision. They also recognise the oil and gas hub opportunities in the Northern Territory. They recognise the onshore resource opportunities in the Northern Territory. The boom Access Economics talk about and show through the economic data reports they issue, is very real and it is appropriate to debate a policy statement in the Chamber. We want to hear the views of all Territorians on this critical time in our history, and how they can best realise the advantages of the opportunities coming their way.
I support the hard work of the Chief Minister in positioning the Territory to this point in time. This has not come about by accident or pure luck; this has been a deliberate strategy of pursuing the big projects – the oil and gas offshore and the resources onshore. It takes a great deal of planning and hard work to get to this point.
Similarly, there is an enormous amount of planning and hard work that will drive forward and ensure the economic benefits flow right through, as I said, not just to the big end of town with the big companies that are seeing significant investment to make these projects a reality - I acknowledge the significant efforts being undertaken by INPEX and their partner, Total, in getting the project to this point, and the tremendous amount of work by the staff of INPEX and Total working in concert with our government, realising the opportunities the Territory can deliver for bringing their Ichthys field to production.
At the heart of this boom is, of course, the $30bn Ichthys project. We aggressively and actively pursued this project. If you look at the history of this you will see commentators at the time were writing us off saying we did not have any chance of achieving the Ichthys field project and delivering it as an LNG plant in Darwin. All the doubters were there; it could not happen, we could not achieve it. All the doubters maintained that project would remain in Western Australia and, if you recall the history of this, to his eternal shame, the member for Blain, the Leader of the Opposition, called it a 19th century project. He could not have been more wrong. Since then, the opposition is starting to change its tune. The fact remains, if it had been left to Terry Mills, INPEX would not have had the confidence to look at Darwin.
We are well-placed to take the advantages from the horizon and land them into a very real investment and boost into our economy. The resources boom is going to hold the Territory in good stead through decades and decades.
We recognise such strength in economic growth has come off the back of successively increasing evidence of our capacity to work with industry, for instance, the ConocoPhillips DLNG plant at Wickham Point. That history is we recognised a project pursued under the CLP, but delivered under a Labor government which did the heavy lifting and the hard work involved in the planning scheme requirements and all the investment around that. We recognise, from doing all the work, landing the DLNG project with ConocoPhillips, there is a requirement for a workforce, skilled trades, and how we learn from the experience of the past to best position Territorians with opportunities in those critical skilled trade areas, and the professional areas such as engineering.
That is why we released a Jobs NT employment strategy in 2010 which provided a framework as well as short- medium- and long-term plans for growing, retaining, and skilling up our own Territory workforce. The Jobs NT plan supports workforce growth and development. We have committed $312m to invest in this skilling up. Jobs NT provide jobs and training, it targets help and support for businesses, for employers, and for job seekers.
In June, the then Minister for Business and Employment launched the Gearing Up Local Business for Major Projects task force. That task force is co-chaired by the Chief Executive of the Department of Business and Employment and the Chief Executive of the NT Chamber of Commerce, Chris Young, and includes senior representatives from INPEX, ConocoPhillips, the Master Builders Association, Civil Contractors Federation NT, Road Transport Association, Manufacturers Council, Unions NT, Charles Darwin University, ENI Australia, and the NT Industry Capability Network, NTICN as it is colloquially referred to. The task force is working strategically with government on industry and workforce development. It is getting the message out to local business about the imperative to recruit, train and retain staff, and providing assistance to help those businesses undertake these tasks.
We understand developing and training up a local workforce is our first priority. Priority No 1 is to train our own. They are obviously residents of the Territory, have a connection with the Territory, and are more likely to be a retained workforce rather than being upskilled in the Territory and then going to another jurisdiction. First priority is to train our own. The government is committed to aligning our education and our training initiatives to ensure we are helping fill those identified labour shortage areas.
We have also put considerable effort and resources into the training sector, building on year on year on year to get a record level of investment into training and we are starting to see some very promising results from that. This is with a specific focus on supporting training for skills shortage occupations, particularly in the traditional trades and training areas, in what we know will be the future labour demands because we have done some profiling around those demands. We have a focus on skilling up Territorians so they can take advantage of the job opportunities because, whilst we know there will be significant job opportunities around the major project itself - the INPEX Total Ichthys project - we know there is always a pull-through effect on the workforce; people step up into major projects, so the SMEs - the smaller medium-sized enterprises - sitting in behind them will also provide significant training in job opportunities for our local workforce.
We are directly, through the gearing up task force, focusing on the specific needs across business, across the industry sectors, and the needs of these individuals to be able to achieve the leg up into the training environment, achieve the mentoring and support through that environment, and achieve the retention within the workforce we want to see. We are not underestimating the challenges involved in that through literacy and numeracy requirements and the like - through the linkages with education - and through focusing on Indigenous Territorians and the opportunities we have to deliver for real work in these skilled areas and also unskilled areas.
I am pleased to say the NT has the highest vocational educational and training - VET training - participation in our nation. This is not just saying what we aspire to do; we are working and focused on it to achieve the highest VET participation rate in training in our nation. In 2010, NT VET student numbers were at record levels, with over 24 000 students participating in a broad variety of courses. We have seen our apprentice and trainee numbers also increasing. We currently have a record number of apprentices and trainees in training, at 4780. This is more than double the number we had in training in 2001. So, within a decade, we have doubled the effort of delivering apprentices and trainees into key training areas. Around 41% of our apprentices and trainees are in the traditional trade occupations where we are experiencing some of our most acute skills shortages. This is one of the highest rates in the nation.
I am also pleased to note around 25% of apprentices and trainees are Indigenous. You may recall, back in 2005, we set a target of 10 000 apprentice and traineeship commencements over four years to 2008. Although that was an ambitious goal, we reached it. Again, the naysayers said: ‘You can set your target at 10 000, but you will not get there’. Well, we did. We delivered 10 000 apprentices and trainees through a focused and resourced plan which also targeted those critical skill shortage areas. We then set a new target of 10 000 apprentice and trainee commencements. We set that target in January 2009, and are well on the way to reaching this number. We have had 8360 commencements since January 2009. In response to this record number of apprentices and trainees, we have injected an additional $1m into training and supporting our future trades people and skilled workers.
This additional funding comes on top of a record investment by this government in training, skilling and workforce development. Funding has been continued to support apprentices with the cost of their training and to encourage employers to take on additional apprentices and trainees. Well over 10 500 Northern Territory apprentices and trainees have received the Workwear/ Workgear bonus which provides financial assistance to apprentices and trainees to help them buy the necessary tools and equipment to commence their training. Territory employers have benefited directly too. Close to 2560 incentives have been allocated to businesses and organisations which employ additional apprentices and trainees in skilled shortage areas or from disadvantaged groups.
Our Build Skills NT program is another great example of the Northern Territory government not only doing what it can to support the resources boom, but to also upskill and re-skill our existing workforce in a number of industry areas and occupations. The Build Skills NT program supports partnerships between government, industry and employers to ensure the Territory’s workforce has the skills needed for the future. In 2010-11, close to 340 Territorians have enhanced their skills under 17 Build Skills NT programs. We have invested over $500 000 to conduct targeted training for people who already work in a range of industries including construction, electrical, manufacturing, plumbing, food safety, hospitality, primary industry and community services.
The joint Australian and Northern Territory government funded Productivity Places Program has enabled Territorians to increase the overall training effort. The funding purchases training places for both job seekers and existing workers. Much of this has gone towards training for occupations associated with the major projects, including occupational health and safety, project management, training and assessment, building and construction, engineering and mining, and transport and storage and utilities.
Since 2009, more than 3750 additional qualifications have been funded. Whilst we recognise training and skilling up our own and retaining our own Territorians to meet the workforce needs arising out of the major projects and backfilling into small- and medium-sized enterprises is critical, we know we need to complement that effort through skilled migration. Some of our workforce will need to be sourced from interstate or overseas to fill gaps for local businesses because, as we recognise, we will get that pull through effect in the workforce moving up from the small- and medium-sized businesses into the better paid jobs on the major projects.
The Jobs in the NT campaign of 2011 includes a schedule of events developed in partnership with industry and released earlier this year. Delegations were made up of industry and the Northern Territory government and have visited, or will visit, Indonesia, Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Adelaide. I also took a delegation to Thailand to look at the workforce and migration opportunities in our Asian neighbour.
The government continues to actively negotiate with the Australian government on a range of existing skilled migration programs that allow in skilled workers to fill jobs where Territorians are not immediately available. We are currently negotiating a regional migration agreement with the Australian government, and I have meetings at the end of this week around the Regional Migration Agreements. The negotiation underpins the principles of our Territory - Territorians first take advantage of those workforce opportunities, Australians take advantage of those workforce opportunities but, in the process of transparency and fairness to employers and employees and in flexibility, we need a migration agreement to help meet the workforce demands as a result of the major projects.
We will seek to provide a three-year migration progress unique to the Territory to cover areas in the Territory, visa types, occupation types, skills and, of course, English language levels. It is anticipated employers who can demonstrate they have met the criteria under the RMAs - the Regional Migration Agreements - will be able to access skilled workers through a streamlined process. That is very welcome news to employers across the Territory.
As I have been fond of saying to people, the Territory is unique; we have a multicultural heritage and background. We are very embracing of people who move here to take advantage of employment opportunities in the Territory. We understand the critical importance of ensuring we train our own first; that our own are at the top of the queue, at the front of the line in realising opportunities. We also embrace a migration workforce that has helped to build the Territory to date and, I have no doubt, will seamlessly fit in across the multicultural community we have and help build the Territory of the future.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I also recognise, quite aside from the skilling, training and educational requirements necessary to provide the workforce pipeline to deliver the outcomes of the projects, we also have to ensure, across our society, we deal with the other challenges seen in an economic boom. We need to ensure we are looking at the inflationary pressures. If you want to look at the inflationary pressure points when you go through an economic boom, housing supply and demand is a critical area. To that extent, our government has fast-tracked land release. We are turning off land at five times the fastest rate in the history of the Territory. We are not resting …
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! It is fine for the Treasurer to fire shots across this side of the House for us not speaking on this matter, but I draw your attention to the state of the House.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Katherine. We lack a quorum. Ring the bells, please. Thank you, we have a quorum.
Ms LAWRIE: Meeting the demands of the housing market in economic boom times is a critical challenge. It is a challenge we are well and truly on top of and busy delivering on. We have looked at the major project peak construction periods in employment flows across each calendar year - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. If you look at that forward projection you can see the real detail around the major construction projects. You then factor into that the construction workforce requirements of the prison, the Marine Supply Base and, of course, landing the Ichthys project from INPEX and Total. There will be different categories within those employments. There will be requirements around the construction, the construction village itself, dredging, engineering, designing, and other trade requirements as well.
You then look at the development and planning approvals processes, and which of the developments have already been approved through the Development Consent Authority. So, you look at, for example, Oasis on Woods, C2 Esplanade, and how many units will be yielded from that. Look at, for example, Zest Darwin heritage apartments; how many units will come through those unit development projects. Look at who is in the marketplace for CBD projects - whether it is Soho Darwin, Kim on Smith or the Waterfront Stage 2, and what the yield from that will be. You look at the variety of projects mooted beyond 2012 into 2013 and what each of the yields …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: I remind members about mobile phones being on silent.
A member: Sorry, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Ms LAWRIE: … and then you look at the unit development projects. A major part of meeting housing demand, particularly when you are looking at workforce demand, is you cannot underestimate the importance of unit developments. Of course, not everyone wants to live in a unit. Families will go for a house in the Palmerston East areas as well as, for example, Muirhead. Most of your construction activity workforce will be in unit developments. If you want to genuinely look at what your pipeline is going to deliver and whether it can meet the workforce numbers with housing supply numbers, you have to understand what is happening in the unit development pipeline.
We have done all the analysis and all the detailed work around that and it was the CBD. We have also sliced across suburban areas, looked at the existing development approvals in place, those lodging development approval applications before the DCA, and where they exist. They exist across Parap, Johnston, Rosebery, Rapid Creek, quite a few in Parap, Coconut Grove and Millner. You have slices of unit developments across the suburbs as well as the pipeline I talked about in the CBD. You then look at the yield and when those yields are likely in relation to construction and sale.
You also understand and get a picture of what is happening around the expansion of caravan parks because they are quite good short-term accommodation and …
Mr Wood: Long term is a bit risky.
Ms LAWRIE: I will pick up on that interjection. We are going to every extent we can to make long-term as stable as it can be, member for Nelson. I would be happy to have a conversation with you about the efforts we have gone to. There are already 52 units under construction at Lee Point caravan park. Shady Glen Caravan Park has building approval, and we also see the activity and effort Charles Darwin University is making with its student accommodation.
Switch across into pure land supply we are funding through our capital works program to provide the headworks we have carved into subdivisions and put into the private marketplace. We have two local Territory companies delivering subdivisions in Johnston. Brierty is doing extremely well with Bellamack and is planning to fast-track the Bellamack stages because it sees a very exciting housing market occurring in Palmerston. Quite a beautiful development is occurring - go out and look for yourself. If you do not believe it, these things are real and are happening today. They are not what we are talking about; they are happening.
For Palmerston, Bellamack has acceleration opportunities and Johnston Stage 2 is about to get under way as well. We have Zuccoli in a joint venture between our Land Development Corporation, Urbex, and Charles Darwin University’s subdivision going through the development approvals process.
So, combining the activity at Muirhead, the activity across Bellamack, Johnston and Zuccoli, what I will continue to refer to as the Charles Darwin University Palmerston project, you can see the land supply picture combined with the unit development picture. This is not a space we have vacated; we have actively put considerable planning, effort and resources into this to ensure that, as best we can, we understand the movements and flows, which can be tricky. For example, it takes a Defence shift in the marketplace to adjust some of these calculations and figures, but, again, we have an MOU with Defence Housing for managing Defence movements in and out of the marketplace.
Understanding the capacity within the housing supply market has been critical to planning the gearing up for the major projects. We are not just looking at the workforce requirements, the skilling up and the training requirements, we are also looking at the housing and accommodation requirements and at schools, as people will come in with families and children. We have put the hard investment into the power, water and sewerage upgrades to accommodate all of this massive expansion, quite aside from the investment in the road networks we have also undertaken.
It is an incredibly exciting time to be in the Territory and to see the opportunities of this economic boom with the major projects, and the opportunities flowing into the small- and medium-sized businesses. I acknowledge that INPEX has been a constructive and solid corporate citizen in the efforts it takes to explain and provide information to people about what it is doing. It is not always easy to capture all of the information being delivered by INPEX, but I encourage people to read it provided, as it is, on a regular basis. Working with INPEX has been a rewarding process because my experience of the company is, when it gives a commitment, it is genuine in following through on the commitment.
If you want a classic example of that, go to the Larrakia Development Corporation’s Trade Trading Centre and see the 500-odd apprentices being trained today, funded by a company that has yet to make a final investment decision. That is unheard of. It is unheard of to see investment to that extent occur in training from a corporate citizen before it has signed off on FID. There is a genuine relationship and mutual respect I have seen between the Larrakia people and INPEX. As a Territorian born and raised in Darwin, I am delighted to work with a corporate citizen of such integrity.
There will always be details, challenges and issues on the pathway to work through. There will always be people’s expectations of what they want to realise from their small business with their tender for work, which will meet its own challenges. I have been able to work very closely and constructively with the management of INPEX and Total in raising issues on behalf of Territorians. My experience has been it takes issues we raise seriously. It works actively on them and follows up. It does its very best to deliver on the expectations people have, recognising in any tender process where there are competitive bids, there are some who win and some who do not get that tender.
Have we geared up for the major project on the horizon? Yes, we have a task force in place; we have done the analysis; we have done all the work. We have lobbied successfully over the years to get the Regional Migration Agreement in place. We have the training effort in place, and we are building up to a local workforce supply in that area. I acknowledge the effort and work of the Chief Minister, working with Professor Barney Glover, to ensure Charles Darwin University is an oil and gas hub, grasping the opportunities and lessons learnt through Aberdeen for the high level of skills needed, and train our own Territorians to deliver and realise very exciting careers working in the oil and gas industry.
This is an exciting time in our economic present and leading into our future, and a great social time for the Territory. Proud Territorian as I am, I have always been disappointed when people think we are the little, sleepy cousins of the Australian jurisdictions. Well, no one thinks we are sleepy. Everyone understands we are punching above our weight and delivering more and better, and in a very exciting and innovative way in the Territory. That brings a sense of community pride and respect, and improves social outcomes when there is recognition of how great a place the Territory is and how amazing it is.
I am pleased to support the Chief Minister’s statement, Gearing Up for Major Projects. I am disappointed there is not a genuine policy debate occurring in this Chamber today, with the exception of the Independent member, who I see will contribute to this debate. I am bitterly disappointed that, yet again, with an opportunity to debate policy in the Chamber and genuinely test each other’s ideas, test the information, the CLP picks up its bat and ball and runs away. They have had a bruising day. We saw the unedifying experience of the member for Fong Lim this morning smashing his leader, the member for Blain, over the head and completely rolling him on one of the most respectful bipartisan issues our government has taken a journey on, statehood.
Madam Deputy Speaker, it has been a pretty bad day at the office for the CLP, but that is no excuse to vacate a critically important policy debate on how we provide benefits to Territorians from the opportunities of major projects in the Territory.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to talk on a range of projects, some of which the Chief Minister mentioned in his statement. The reality is, the Litchfield area is where the growth is with: the proposed abattoir; INPEX LNG plant; INPEX village; proposed Girraween Lagoon subdivision; the new shopping centre and residential area at Coolalinga; proposals to develop the forestry land into rural blocks; the new prison; a possible new regional waste facility; Weddell; and the expansion of Robertson Barracks to allow for the influx of American troops, plus the existing expansion of Robertson Barracks for single persons quarters. The rural area is where the big development is occurring in the Northern Territory at the moment. That is where the job growth will be, so I am pleased to speak about those opportunities and point out some deficiencies, from the government’s point of view, in forward planning.
We have heard about the prison. The member for Karama mentioned it tonight; the prison is a big project - nearly $500m. It will create jobs and is presently under way. However, planning has fallen down to some extent and the minister for Resources would have received an e-mail today from the extractive mining people. I mentioned similar issues to the minister for Lands and Planning last night in relation to the concerns of the extractive mining people about access to and from their existing extractive mining leases on the Howard Peninsula. I hoped it would have been sorted out before it reached this stage. There needs to be an urgent response from the government as the Wet Season approaches, because the government is spending much money on a new road and a perimeter fence. It is unfortunate that that perimeter fence is now regarded as the boundary for the construction site. That being the case, the existing roads to the extractive mining area will be cut off because they will be dissecting a construction site.
There are two possible solutions. One is to fence off the prison site but allow the exterior perimeter not to be regarded as the construction area. The second is the government, with the extractive mine companies, continue the new prison road, which is to be sealed in early December, further north to link up with some existing heavy haul roads that already exist in the area. That would also allow the small number of people living in the north part of the Howard Peninsula access to their local shopping centre at Howard Springs. I hope something can be done to ensure there are no problems in relation to the construction of the prison and to maintain a good relationship with the extractive miners who use the area where the new prison is to be built.
The Chief Minister mentioned his favourite area, the development of INPEX. What he did not mention is the INPEX village will be going, I presume, to the planning authority next month. The village will house at least 2700 people and be in existence for seven to 10 years. It will make a big impact on the rural area; there is no doubt about that.
There is no doubt that just those two projects - the prison and the INPEX village – will increase traffic in the area. With an expansion of the Good Shepherd Lutheran middle and secondary school, the traffic in that area is not going to reduce. When the statement by the minister is headed Gearing up for Major Projects, it would be good to hear from the minister about proposed plans for the future traffic flow that will come from these projects. It is not that anyone is opposing these projects, but they do have a local effect. One of the major local effects will be traffic and how it is handled, and how we can reduce traffic bottlenecks in the area.
The abattoir is certainly another great opportunity for employment. With the prison and the INPEX camp - there will be over 200 people to construct the camp. The camp, when it is up and running, will employ about 270 people to maintain that community. The same with the prison; there will be up to 1000 people employed in building the prison and the prison will have its own workforce as well.
In the case of the abattoir, it still has to go through some planning matters. They are legitimate planning matters about possible pollution and smell. If it gets approval, there will be the ability for 240 or 270 people to gain employment. I hope there will be opportunities for Indigenous Territorians from remote areas to find work at a place like the abattoir. I have suggested to the abattoir management they should look at a hostel on-site to encourage people who could come from areas where there was high unemployment and little chance of real jobs, to get a job at the abattoir.
The Girraween Lagoon subdivision is part of land owned by the Churcher Estate. The Churcher Estate has, for many years, developed land in the rural area. I regard the Churcher Estate as one of the better developers which tries to ensure their developments are not wet – some developers appear to have taken little notice of that - and tries to do the right thing by the community. This subdivision is probably one of the last subdivisions the Churcher Estate will have as nearly all the land they have had over the many years, going back to the 1800s, has now been developed.
Unfortunately, with the shortage of land, I have been notified by the Churcher Estate that Litchfield Council will not take over Girraween Lagoon. In all my time on the council, the council would take over these natural wet areas and maintain them. It is disappointing to know Litchfield Council has decided not to take over this land and has asked, I believe, the government to take it over as park. I am unsure of the government’s response, but I would be very surprised if the government did that. With the number of ratepayers who have moved into that area because of the amount of land subdivided by Mr Churcher over the last 10 to 15 years, a percentage of the rates the council gathers would easily maintain this area in a natural state.
At the moment we have an opportunity to develop 80 blocks of land, and because Litchfield Council has, all of a sudden, made a decision out of the blue, certainly from the Churcher Estate point of view - after much discussion over many years they were of the opinion the council would take it over and were shocked to find council had decided not to. Again, there is great potential for land development in the rural area.
For some time there has been a proposal to build a shopping centre at north Coolalinga, as I call it, with a seven-storey building and a residential precinct. That development has now occurred. There are around 50 to 90 houses to be developed at the rear of Coolalinga, and a shopping centre as well. Whether the multi-storey building is built at this stage I am unsure, but there will be a shopping centre and one of the large supermarket companies will be developing there. It shows you that the rural area is continuing to grow, and there will be plenty of jobs and opportunities for small business as well in that area, which is good.
It is possible to have development in district centres without destroying the rural amenity. You do not have to spread the suburbs into the rural area; you can maintain rural lifestyle at the same time as develop the local areas through the development of district centres …
A member: Keep the rural, rural.
Mr WOOD: That is right – keep the rural, rural - and you do not want to have a lisp.
The other area which is not mentioned is Weddell. If you are looking at major projects, surely the development of Weddell, which has been pretty quiet - I have not heard much from the government about where Weddell is at, except there has been an advertisement in the paper talking about the design competition. I have not heard anything from the government in recent times about where Weddell is at. Weddell is potentially a city of 65 000. This year we had the design competition, and it is important it is also recognised as a major project for the region. Again, that is not mentioned in this document – housing in Palmerston is, but not the future city of Weddell.
In recent times we have been discussing the American buildup with the USA saying it will bring up to 2500 troops to Darwin. There is potential for more growth, but also a need for better planning. Again, the Chief Minister has said gearing up for major projects. I have said before, if you are going to put another 2500 troops at Robertson Barracks, infrastructure is required to ensure the locals are not inconvenienced by the extra traffic that will develop with the movement of troops to the Northern Territory, especially Robertson Barracks. That needs to be looked at now not when they come.
The regional waste facility has been on the cards for a number of years. The minister for Resources has his name on the Litchfield Land Use Objectives document, and you will find a little red diamond there which shows you where the regional waste facility will be. I am not certain that is going to happen because I read an article in the NT News the other day quoting the Lord Mayor saying they can keep the Shoal Bay facility going for the next 100 years. I am not sure if that is the case. I imagine Darwin is not very interested in a regional waste facility if it believes it can keep its own going for another 100 years. A regional waste facility is a major project. A modern regional waste facility is not just a hole in the ground. It will be an environmentally developed facility which will, hopefully, recycle as much product as possible but, at the same time, will not cause impact on the surrounding areas, especially water tables, local rivers and billabongs and, in the case of Shoal Bay, mangroves.
That is just some of the big development in the Litchfield area. The reason I am pushing this tonight is because people forget we need jobs. We are lucky because there is low unemployment, but that is only in the Darwin region. There is high unemployment in many of our remote communities. I hope the government can see opportunities to bring young people from remote communities to Darwin and give them the opportunity for a real job.
The reality is there are limited real jobs in the bush. The reality is there is high unemployment and a heavy dependence on welfare. I know they are talking to other people. I have heard the member for Arafura say the same thing - I do not know if it was here or on Bathurst Island. I have heard the member for Arnhem say at times we need to look elsewhere for jobs for these people. That is not to say they will not go back to their homes, their country, but we need to keep our feet on the ground and say: ‘If you want an opportunity, you are not all going to find it back on your community. If you want to take the big step into the big world, you are going to have to be brave and get jobs elsewhere’. As I say, you can always go back home; you can always regard your home as home forever. The reality is there will not be enough jobs. So, here are opportunities for people and they do not have to leave the Territory.
We will need people to work in the prison. It would be great to see more Indigenous Correctional Services people working in the prison, because 80% of our prisoners are Indigenous. There are the abattoirs. Many people already work in small abattoirs at Gunbalanya and Palumpa. Here is an opportunity to work in a very modern 21st century abattoir, which I believe will be one of the great boons for the local area and the Territory.
It is the same with INPEX. The only problem there is I heard the member for Karama talk about training, but I was asked by a constituent where to find training to get ready for INPEX. What is missing is we are not training people specifically for INPEX-type development. We are training apprentices and that is okay, but are we gearing up to have people with those qualifications to work in a modern, highly scientific plant like INPEX is going to build at Blaydin Point? I am unsure if we have done that. We have apprentices, and that is fine, but you are going to need more than apprentices with basic skills at Blaydin Point; you will want very skilled people in that area. They will be paying big money for top operators. They are the people I expect to see at the INPEX village at Howard Springs. I wonder whether the government geared up enough trying to upskill people, especially young people, so they could get a job at INPEX instead of INPEX having to import much of the labour required to build this huge plant.
The Chief Minister spoke about the sites happening around the port, etcetera - some development around that area, but what both the member for Karama and the Chief Minister have missed and not alluded to is the lack of planning for any future development. Once Blaydin Point has its LNG plant, can someone in the government say where the next LNG plant is going? Where is the next LNG plant? The government has put out its version of the Darwin Regional Land Use Structure Plan. It has gone back on what it did some years ago, which was propose industrial development at Glyde Point.
I must admit, through all the gloss I laugh a bit. The reason INPEX is at Blaydin Point is because the government decided to pull the pin on the idea of industrial development on Glyde Point, turned the land into open recreation, said it was worth conserving but did not turn it into conservation, changed the rules for development on Wickham Point and was able to develop land at Middle Arm Peninsula when they could not do it under the existing rules …
Mr BOHLIN: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! I move an extension of time for my colleague pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to.
Mr WOOD: Thank you, member for Drysdale. We are not planning for the future. We are dealing with the present and doing a reasonable job, but much of that work would be done by INPEX itself. If you have seen some of the work INPEX has done in preparing the site for the new village at Howard Springs you would be most impressed. They have conducted plans to the nth degree. They have plans on geology, soil, water, flora and fauna, weeds, vegetation, slope, and there are probably a few others I have missed. They have gone to enormous detail to prepare for this village. They have undertaken traffic studies. They looked at the population in the area and have a very detailed plan for development of that facility.
They have already done similar things with their proposal to build their plant on Blaydin Point. What has the government done? It is now building Jenkins Road in conjunction with INPEX. INPEX is paying for some of that development. What is the next process? Where is the next industrial area? Where is the next INPEX or ConocoPhillips going to be? There is no room left in Darwin Harbour for it.
What is the government’s plan? What are the long-term and short-term plans for the development of Glyde Point? A township is proposed there – Murrumujuk - about 10 000 people. If water and electricity could be supplied now it would sell very quickly. It is a beautiful area overlooking Shoal Bay. The government does not seem to have any plans for development past INPEX …
A member: We do, Gerry.
Mr WOOD: It has plans - well, you both have plans …
A member: A Darwin plan.
Mr WOOD: … and the greater Darwin plan is a good one but was developed in 1992. The same people wrote the new plan - I know them very well.
I have some issues about damming the Elizabeth River - that did not go away from one plan to the other. Be that as it may, that is part of the debate we should have. There is nothing wrong with having different perspectives on development, but the government needs to be on the front foot because if another company says: ‘We have some gas out there in the sea, we would like to bring it to Darwin’, and ConocoPhillips and INPEX say: ‘We are full’, where are the new developments going?
It will be good when the Chief Minister sums up today, especially as this statement is titled ‘Gearing Up for Major Projects’ - where is the gearing up for the next major project? I do not believe the government has that in mind at the present time and it is disappointing it is still sitting on a Darwin regional plan. Thank heavens it is reconsidering the development of the rural area, but it could leave that part out for the time being if it was not satisfied the plans for the rural area are the best. It could release its plan for industrial development, which will not affect the rural centres of Litchfield.
Yes, there is no doubt we can be positive about the amount of work occurring in the Litchfield area at the moment which will affect all the Territory, especially the Darwin region. These projects give great opportunity for young people to get good jobs and we must take notice there is an opportunity to close the gap, not in the sense the federal government talks about, but in the sense of closing it between the haves and the have-nots. I have said before, we have a danger in the Northern Territory of having a very wealthy part and a very poor part of the Territory. If we let that gap increase, do not be surprised if we have social disorder in this Territory one day.
We should be doing our best to ensure people in remote communities who do not have jobs or the opportunities are included in this development. It is not just for the people of Litchfield or the people of Darwin. It is for the people of the Northern Territory - whether you are black or white. If we are fair dinkum about closing the gap, from the Commonwealth government point of view, let us ensure there is a percentage of people who have an opportunity to turn their lives around with decent jobs. Otherwise, we are only blowing in the wind and talking clichs.
I would like the Chief Minister to say, with all these jobs, how many people from out bush will benefit from them. What chance do we have to ensure they share in the wealth of the Territory? From a Labor government perspective, surely that should be one of the main goals they have: sharing the wealth. Their background - and I am not being cynical here - is socialism and sharing wealth. However, are we developing the wealth for a small group and leaving a larger section out?
Madam Deputy Speaker, yes, it is a good time to be in the Territory, and a good time to get a job if you want one. It is a sign of the maturity of the Northern Territory that we have these projects. However, the government cannot be satisfied with these jobs today. If we do not gear up for the future, we are likely to come to a big crunch, especially if another company comes to the Territory and says: ‘Where do I put the next LNG plant?’ When they find they cannot, you know where they will go - Western Australia.
Mr VATSKALIS (Health): Madam Deputy Speaker, I support the Chief Minister’s statement in relation to the exciting future of the Territory with regard to the major projects. Our government has worked very hard to ensure these major projects become a reality, and to position ourselves for the future.
As for the comment by my colleague, the Treasurer, about the lack of any statement by the opposition on this policy area, it is not surprising. Most of the policies we have seen from the opposition are lacking. The business policy tabled yesterday by the member for Fong Lim creates more questions than it provides answers, not to mention the so-called policy about child protection - $9m to create an independent Children’s Commissioner, a position which has already been created by our government. Not much in that, so I am not really surprised I have not heard anything from the opposition. I will be very surprised if any of the opposition provide constructive criticism of the Chief Minister’s statement.
The development of the Northern Territory will be driven, to a large extent, by the resources sector. The growth of this sector will also see an increase in demand for the many services available in the Northern Territory, including health services. When you look at our economy, our resource and energy sector is the largest industry sector. It contributes about 25% of our gross state product, second only to Western Australia. If you look at the national level, it accounts for only 9% of the national GDP. When it comes to the resource sector, it is the investment we see today in exploration that will underpin future development of our resource sector, and the future prosperity of Territorians, as there is a natural lag between making a discovery and opening new mines - usually five to seven years.
Today, I will elaborate on the initiative of this government in underpinning the resources boom the Territory is experiencing, and also share with the House what we are going to do, as a government, to facilitate positive change in our economic environment. Whether it is growth of the exploration sector during the global financial crisis when all other jurisdictions when backwards and we went forward, or our record level of investment this year, it simply does not happen by chance.
The boom in the resources sector in the Northern Territory has not happened by accident. We have been working hard to attract investment to the Northern Territory. I recall very well the Chief Minister, in 2001, when he became the first Labor Mines minister, told me when he entered his office he found 700 exploration licences sitting on the desk of the previous minister. They were sitting on the desk of the previous minister and had been for many months, some for years, because the CLP chose to play politics rather than promote the Territory as a resources province. The CLP preferred to play politics, blaming Indigenous interests, land rights and native title for not allowing the mining companies exploration licences. The reality is, the CLP did not do try to resolve some of the issues and preferred to have the applications sitting on the desk.
We talked to the land councils and we talked to Indigenous people, and we managed to unlock many of the land issues that could have been locked away forever. We now have enormous exploration potential in this area and significant applications and licences granted for areas that previous CLP governments would not allow to be explored.
Exploration for new mineral resources in the Northern Territory is currently at extremely high levels. A record $195m was spent on new exploration in the Territory last financial year. In one month only, $55m was spent on exploration. In 2005, for the whole year, the expenditure for exploration was only $51m.
A major factor in stimulating the exploration boom has been the Territory’s effort to support and encourage exploration through the government’s seven year $25.8m Bringing Forward Discovery. When I became the minister for Resources, I had the pleasure to receive a visit from the then Chinese Ambassador, Madam Fu Ying, to discuss the different issues facing Australia and China. Of course, I highlighted the development growth of China and the need in China for resources. As we were sitting in my office looking at the map, she pointed out to me that Darwin was the closest Australian port to China and her question was: ‘Why have you not invited Chinese investors, Chinese miners, to look at the Territory and invest in the Territory?’ I asked myself that question: ‘Why have we not done it?’
From that visit, I asked the department to work with me and we put together the Chinese Investment Attraction Strategy and on top of that, because we cannot put all our eggs in one basket, the Japanese Investment Attraction Strategy. That was in 2007. Since then, the continuous visits to China to promote the Territory have paid dividends. I have personally visited China about 10 times, which is twice a year, and the department many more times, to promote the Territory in China and Japan for our investment attraction strategy. We promoted the Territory. We showed China what the Territory has to offer. We provided the information they needed to make the informed decision and attracted exploration expansion in the Territory. The reason the government is investing in this program is that increased exploration improves the chances of large mineral discoveries that can become major mining projects to support the Territory’s economy in the coming decades.
The member for Nelson pointed out much of this development will take place in the rural area. Yes, it will, but much of it will take place where no other jobs exist - in the Tanami Desert, near Borroloola, near Yuendumu, near Ngukurr, some places that do not have any other manufacturing industry. There is some pastoral industry, but nothing that can generate the hundreds of jobs required for people who live in the communities to have a meaningful job and a meaningful life.
The Northern Territory currently has 12 mining projects with development proposals submitted and under various stages of assessment and approvals processes. Three projects have Notices of Intent (NOI) under assessment; five projects are preparing Environmental Impact Statements (EIS); one project is preparing a Public Environmental Report (PER); and three projects have completed environmental assessment and are in the mining approvals process:
there are a number of Notices of Intent submitted and under assessment including: Tanami Gold – Tanami Central Project; Aard Metals – Warrego Tailings Project; and Thor Mining- Molyhil Project;
there is a PER in preparation for Australian Illmenite Resources – Sill80 Ilmenite Project due in late 2011;
a number of EISs are also in preparation including: Arafura Resources – Nolans Project; the Sherwin Iron – Roper River Project; the Western Desert Resources – Roper Bar Project; the Xstrata – McArthur River Plant Expansion; and the Vista Gold – Mt Todd Project;
we also have a number of completed EISs: Minemakers – Wonarah Project Stage 1; the Redbank Copper – Redbank Expansion; and the AAM – Spinifex Bore; and
there are currently Mining Management Plans (MMP) requiring submission and approval: Minemakers – Wonarah Project (Stage 1); Redbank Copper – Redbank Expansion; and AAM – Spinifex Bore which is due in December 2011 or early 2012.
To provide further context for these approvals, the 12 mining development projects currently involved in assessment and approval will provide the Territory: an estimated $1.2bn to $2.5bn in capital expenditure; an estimated 1300 additional jobs in operations and approximately 1900 in construction; nine of the 12 projects have an estimated mine life of 10 years or more; and six of the 12 projects have an estimated mine life of 20 years or more.
Madam Speaker, our government has the vision to see the development of the Northern Territory is well positioned to underpin the growth of Australia in Asia. This is why we have developed and recently updated our international investment strategies. In order to attract overseas investment to support the development of the Territory’s mineral and energy projects and other related major infrastructure projects, the Department of Resources has an investment attraction strategy which targets the priority markets of China, Japan, and now Korea. The strategy is in its fourth year and has delivered considerable results, not to mention the $195m in exploration, 165 inward visits by overseas investors to the Territory, and $195m in publically announced overseas direct investment.
The China Minerals Investment Attraction Strategy has been refined and matured over recent years to target both direct investment into Territory exploration and mining companies, as well as encourage and facilitate the establishment of Australian-based companies by Chinese investors to undertake exploration directly. The strategy combines the following elements:
the development of high level strategic relationships with Chinese central government ministries and agencies that control and influence investment decisions, policy and regulation in China including: the Ministry of Commerce; the National Development Reform Commission; the Ministry of Lands and Resources; the China Council for the Promotion of Trade; and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council;
the development of high level strategic relationships with major industry associations and major national level State-owned enterprises including: the China Mining Association; the China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals and Chemicals Importers and Exporters; the China Development Bank; and the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group;
the development of high level strategic relationships with the senior government officials and geological exploration bureaux of the most prospective Chinese provinces including: Jiangsu, Hunan, Yunnan, Anhui, Shandong, Jiangxi, and Guizhou; and
the targeting of high level private Chinese investors and major related Chinese private companies.
The investment attraction program includes ministerial and technical market visits to coincide with The China Mining Congress. It also includes coordinated inward market visits for Chinese investors to the Territory, now more than 50 per year, the production of marketing collateral, including a quarterly updated list of all available projects seeking investment, and an annually updated Investment Guide produced in Chinese language. I should make mention that the guide was developed in consultation with the Chinese Embassy in Canberra.
The Japanese investment attraction program contains the same principal elements as the Chinese program, but is further tailored for the more mature Japanese investment market. The key components of the Japanese investment strategy include the development of high-level strategic relationships with Japanese central government ministries and agencies that control and influence investment policy and regulation. Key partners include:
the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry; the Agency of Natural Resources and Energy; the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation; the Japan External Trade Organisation; and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation;
The development of high-level relationships with the major Japanese trading and investment companies and the investment attraction program includes ministerial and technical market visits, coordinated inward market visits for Japanese investors to the Territory, and the production of marketing collateral, including a quarterly updated list of all available projects seeking investment.
We will focus on Korea now. The Korean investment attraction program has only been developed for one year, culminating with the first Department of Resources-led market visit to showcase accompanying Territory exploration companies in October 2011. The Korean investment attraction program, based on the success of the Japanese program, is focused on the development of high-level strategic relationships with Korean central government agencies, including the state-owned Korea Resources Corporation and the Korean Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. The strategy also includes the ongoing development of high-level relationships with major Korean trading and investment companies.
In October 2011, the Department of Resources travelled to Korea with three exploration companies to promote the Territory to potential Korean investors. The delegation included TUC Resources, Rum Jungle Resources and Uranium Equities Limited. The Territory delegation had a very full schedule of productive meetings in Seoul facilitated by Austrade.
After Korea, the Department of Resources accompanied the Chief Minister’s visit to Japan. The largest delegation of mineral explorers attended, which included TUC Resources, Thor Mining, Rum Jungle Resources, Uranium Equities Limited, and Arafura Resources.
In Question Time earlier this week, the member for Nelson asked about the level of support offered to the rare earth industry in the Territory. While the location of a processing facility is a commercial decision for operators, Arafura Resources offered its thanks for the invitation to participate in this delegation to Japan. The company was introduced to a range of potential customers which it may have otherwise not met. My department ran a successful Northern Territory Mineral Investment Seminar attended by 56 key Japanese clients. The event was supported by JOGMEC. The Territory delegation attended more than 20 meetings with Japanese companies which resulted in a number of advanced discussions with industry.
In November 2011, I led a major industry delegation to China. We visited Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong and Hunan provinces, where senior provincial government officials and investors were briefed on Territory investment opportunities. TUC Resources, Sherwin Iron, TNG limited, Thor Mining, AMETS, Clayton Utz, Minter Ellison and PricewaterhouseCoopers were part of our delegation. I attended the Australia China Business Council’s Regional Investment Roundtable, delivered and addressed at China Mining Congress in Tianjin, and witnessed the signing of an investment agreement facilitated by the investment program between TNG Ltd and East China Minerals Exploration and Development Bureau. The investment in TNG will form a strategic partnership with ECE to underpin development of the Mount Peake Iron-Vanadium Project.
In Beijing, my department held a very successful Northern Territory Mineral Investment Seminar which attracted 60 investor delegates. The market visit also covered the Shandong and Hunan provinces where Northern Territory Mineral Investment seminars were also held, providing further platforms for the industry delegation to present on their investment opportunity. The seminars were a great success with cooperation from the government and exploration bureaus in these provinces. Visiting the two Chinese provinces has been instrumental to further advancing the Territory’s competitive position in China.
The Chief Minister has already discussed the opportunities the Ichthys Project will bring to the Territory, but let me elaborate on what the Department of Resources has done and will be doing to facilitate the development of the project in the Territory.
Pipeline licences from the proposed offshore production facility to East Arm were granted by the Department of Resources in May 2011. The next step is the ‘consent to construct’ to enable the start of construction of the three nautical mile pipeline. Harbour and onshore approvals only are required as the pipeline is not in Commonwealth waters. A pipeline management plan is required for this approval. Once construction is completed the next step will be the consent to operate, which is not due until production plants are built and commissioned. Auxiliary approvals required will include extractive mineral tenure for construction material to assist in building the process plant at East Arm. Up to four million tonnes of armour rock may be required, which is in addition to the existing industry requirements for construction in the Northern Territory. My department will do everything necessary to ensure the approval process is as expeditious as possible.
It is not only the Ichthys Project we are working on. In the past 12 months there has been a surge in uptake of petroleum tenure in the Territory with over 80% of the land now covered under application or granted tenure. Previously it was only 30%. With data from industry and the Territory’s geological survey group, it is estimated there is approximately 302 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves and 633 billion barrels of oil reserves in the Territory. That was a guesstimate. Some results recently from Falcon Oil have indicated very significant reserves of gas, as a geologist translated, in the Dunmarra region. Sinopec was in town talking to some of the explorers because they are very interested in gas and petroleum. In the last 12 months, 87 new petroleum exploration applications have been lodged and three new petroleum exploration titles granted.
Onshore exploration expenditure is at present around the $30m mark and will rise to over $34m in 2012. Proposed work programs for all permit applications are in excess of $600m over a five year period if and when granted.
The main focus of client tenure has been unconventional oil and gas mainly in the Beetaloo Basin, McArthur Basin, Georgina Basin and in the Eromanga-Amadeus Basin; however, the remaining areas of the Territory have also attracted many applications for similar resources. Companies that are most active in the Territory are Hess Exploration Australia, with a large survey in the Beetaloo Basin; PetroFrontier, drilling two wells and two surveys in the Georgina Basin, and they advised me they had some very good results; Armour Energy, with a survey in the McArthur Basin; Falcon Oil and Gas with a re-entry in the Beetaloo Basin; and Central Petroleum with a survey and planned well for 2012 in the Eromanga-Amadeus Basin.
One of the issues many people are discussing is fracking and, of course, coal seam methane. Looking at what is happening in other countries and also in Queensland, quite a few people are anxious about the impact this type of exploration may have on water tables. The main difference between us and other jurisdictions in Australia is, while in Queensland the water table is shallow and the exploration is very shallow - up to 200 m - our water table is 200 m and exploration takes place 2000 m below ground level. The potential for any negative impact on the water table is minimal. However, no exploration licences will be approved unless all the ‘i’s are dotted and all the ‘t’s are crossed. We want development, but not at any cost. We have learnt from mistakes the previous government made; Mt Todd comes to mind. We do not want to create another problem and we will not create one.
The Economic Development of the Northern Territory is not limited to the expanding resources sector. The agriculture sector is also playing a critical role. The Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) is proposing to build a state-of-the-art food processing facility at Livingstone Valley, Noonamah. The facility will process up to 1000 head of cattle a day, producing beef products - ground beef for export to markets in the USA, Asia and Europe. This new facility would not compete with the live export market, but would complement the live cattle market. Currently, north Australian cattle producers are sending their out-of-specification cattle - cattle heavier than 350 kg, cull cows and cull bulls - to interstate markets resulting in significant costs in freight and spelling charges.
The proposed facility will provide employment for up to 240 people during construction, 270 jobs during operation, and will use the latest technology and innovation to minimise impact on the environment. These are permanent, ongoing jobs and, of course, jobs for Indigenous Territorians. Our government has worked very closely with AACo for the past 18 months, providing detailed information on potential cattle numbers and weights, options for site location, infrastructure requirements and negotiations, and approval processes. Skilled meat processing workers will be required and the Territory will work with the AACo and the Australian government to provide the necessary training for local people seeking to work in the industry.
The Ord East Kimberley Expansion Project is a $415m project funded by the Western Australian and Commonwealth governments. The Western Australian government funds the irrigation infrastructure required for the project, while the Commonwealth government funds the social infrastructure needed to support the project. In early 2011, the Western Australian government, through Landcorp WA, began the land release phase of the Ord Expansion Project through a Request for Tender and Expression of Interest process. The release of over 15 000 ha of land includes 7400 ha of irrigable land in the Goomig Farm area, 1700 ha on the Ord West Bank, and 6000 ha at Knox Plain ...
Dr BURNS: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I move that the member be given an extension of time pursuant to Standing Order 77.
Motion agreed to
Mr VATSKALIS: Thank you, member for Johnston.
As members would be aware, the Ord is progressively being developed from the west to the east since the commissioning of Lake Argyle in 1967, 40 years ago. The latest development takes advantage of infill developments. Our government will continue to work closely with the Western Australian government in relation to the Ord Expansion Project as land is developed towards the border with the Northern Territory.
While the government is supporting the boom of the resources sector which will provide for the future prosperity of the Territory, we are also gearing up our health system to continue to develop a healthy Territory. On 4 May 2011, the Chief Minister and the federal Minister for Indigenous Health announced the allocation of $110m for the joint funding of Palmerston hospital, following a submission to the Health and Hospitals Fund by the Department of Health for infrastructure. The need for clinical services planning for greater Darwin, including Palmerston and the rural areas, has been identified to meet the service scope for Palmerston hospital. This will allow for decisions about the phasing of Palmerston hospital to meet expected future demand in these areas of significant population growth.
Residents of Palmerston and the rural areas were invited to provide input through the Palmerston hospital questionnaire, and we have received 183 completed surveys. Key findings included: accident and emergency services is the highest ranked health priority for the Palmerston community, with almost nine in 10 respondents ranking it as a top priority from a list of six services.
I met with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, last week in Melbourne and gained her assurance that the $5m for the northern suburbs GP super clinic is available to be spent in the Territory - and will be spent in the Territory. I presented her with a preliminary proposal by a private provider, with Northern Territory government support for land, to enable a suitable bulkbilling facility to be developed. Minister Roxon is carefully considering this proposal.
Of course, the most important thing happening in the past few years is the establishment of the Northern Territory Clinical School. I have said many times that students of the Territory now can start at preschool and finish as doctors without having to leave the Territory. The reality is, with not many doctors available around Australia - thanks to a decision by a previous minister of government to reduce places for training doctors - now Australia relies heavily upon foreign-trained doctors. The Territory’s lack of doctors is significant. While down south you will get 90 doctors per 100 000 population, here in Darwin we get about 53 doctors per 100 000 population. If you do not believe me you only have to think of a child sick in a time of significant sickness in the community - try to get a doctor’s appointment - you have to wait two or three days. That creates problems not only with GPs, but also with the emergency department being flooded with people with Category 4 or 5 incidents which can be attended to and treated by a GP.
Having a medical school in Darwin will provide us with an opportunity to grow our own doctors and, of course, encourage Indigenous Territorians to train as doctors. These are the people we need, especially for our remote areas; people who understand the culture, people who speak the language, people who can attend to the needs of Indigenous Territorians.
I am looking forward to the first group of doctors graduating from this school. It will take years. It will not happen straightaway, but from 2015 we will see 40 doctors coming out of this medical school every year. It is a bipartite formula - train them here and they stay here, whether they be engineers, midwives, nurses and now doctors.
Our government has ensured, and will continue to ensure, it takes full advantage of the economic opportunities that lie ahead for the Territory. We have demonstrated foresight and vision, facilitating strategic relationships with our trading partners to the north, and have actively encouraged investments in the Territory’s rich resources.
We have laid the foundation today for the future prosperity of the Northern Territory. When I came to Darwin from Western Australia I was astounded that the Northern Territory was virtually unexplored. I had seen in Western Australia, with the growth in mineral resources, the biggest export port in Australia at Port Hedland, the railway line 500 km from Newman to Port Hedland or Dampier, and I was astounded things like that were not in the Territory. It did not happen in the Territory because the previous CLP government did not have the foresight, and possibly not the will, to develop these things but preferred to play politics with land rights and Indigenous land. We have turned the page. We have decided that, for us, it is better to work together with all Territorians than fight court battles - spending Territorians’ money, taxpayers’ money – that we will lose in the end. That has paid dividends. We have opened land not opened before with exploration in places that before had no exploration because the previous government would not allow it or would not negotiate with traditional owners …
Mr Elferink: Nonsense!
Mr VATSKALIS: I note what the member for Port Darwin said. Tomorrow, I will be prepared to table maps that show exploration in 2001 and exploration now. The member for Port Darwin will realise the only nonsense heard in this House is that which comes from his mouth.
Madam Deputy Speaker, we have made efforts and have gone to places no government has gone before and our efforts have paid dividends. There are major projects coming to the Territory and they will be happening for many years to come and will provide jobs for Territorians, especially Indigenous Territorians, as most of these projects will take place in remote areas in the Territory.
Debate adjourned.
MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Alice Springs - Tourism
Alice Springs - Tourism
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, the Speaker has received the following letter from the member for Katherine:
- Dear Madam Speaker,
I propose for discussion this day the following definite matter of public importance - The current state of tourism and related business in and around Alice Springs.
It is signed by Mr Willem Westra van Holthe, member for Katherine.
Is the proposed discussion supported? It is supported.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE (Katherine): Madam Deputy Speaker, in speaking on this matter of significant public importance tonight I make a request to the minister: please, when you respond to this, and whoever else from the other side responds to this, tell the business people of Alice Springs, the people who are involved in the tourism sector in the beautiful heart of the Northern Territory, what you are going to do to assist with the serious decline in tourism in that region, and what you are going to do to mitigate the effects of that decline.
I say that for good reason and on the back of a number of responses and orations by the current minister in recent months which have been lacking substance, lacking any real detail, and lacking anything that resembles something a tourism operator can grab hold of and say: ‘I feel better now because I know the NT government is doing something to help’. That is not happening.
I was not at the Brolga Awards on the weekend just gone - a week-and-a-half ago - for good reason. In some respects, I was glad not to have to listen to the eulogy the minister provided by way of her speech. It was about the death of tourism. A number of people have reported to me they felt like they were at a funeral; they should be crying at the state of the industry espoused by the minister. I find that quite reprehensible, but I know my colleagues are going to talk a little more about that. I did not get to the Brolgas because I was in Katherine on electorate duties meeting with the Acting Consul of Indonesia. The minister, no doubt, will have a go at me for not attending; however, she should be careful about casting aspersions lest she run the risk of offending the Indonesians once again. Remember the cattle ban debacle and the insult you levied on the Indonesians during that.
It is worth mentioning the shadow minister for Tourism did not get an invitation to attend the Brolgas, but that is something we can deal with once we get into government, should that happen.
In August this year, I brought another matter of public importance to this House discussing the tourism industry. I listened very carefully to what the minister had to say. Out of the 15 or 20 minutes she spoke, three, four minutes, maybe a bit longer, was devoted to me. She was talking about me. I am flattered, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am flattered the minister was talking about me; she would fill the airspace not talking about tourism but talking about me or the CLP. Very flattering, but not what I, or the people in the tourism industry, wanted to hear. They want to hear what you are doing to assist the industry in the Northern Territory and Central Australia.
Out of the 15 or 20 minutes of her last speech, probably five or six minutes was spent on doom and gloom, which is now the hallmark of this minister when she talks about the tourism sector. Doom and gloom is the only thing that comes from her mouth, and all she is doing is looking for excuses to hide the monumental failures. Minister, unless you are giving an address which relates to the state of the industry, for goodness sake, stop the excuses, stop the doom and gloom, and get on with what the operators want to hear - what you are doing to assist the tourism industry in the Northern Territory and Central Australia.
In that same speech, a few more minutes were wasted on motherhood statements. Minister, I urge you to look at who is writing your speeches. For goodness sake, we want to hear what you are doing to fix the industry.
I will reflect a little further on what was said in that speech because it is important we look at what is said in this House. The people of the Northern Territory expect their ministers will take up the mantle and provide leadership, direction, even, dare I say it, provide some decisions to advance the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory. Apparently, decision-making is not in the job profile of a minister in this Labor government. One only has to look at what the Chief Minister said yesterday in Question Time:
- Let me make it very clear at the outset: when he says ‘government’, government ministers do not make decisions ...
That really sums this government up nicely, doesn’t it? Do not stand in this House and spout motherhood statements. Do not stand here and make excuses. Do not stand here and talk about me, or the CLP, or basket weaving. For goodness sake, tell the industry what you are doing to fix tourism in the Northern Territory.
If I refer to the two-and-a-half pages of speech the minister gave last time, three quarters of the first paragraph was about me. The first line of the second paragraph was doom and gloom, and the second half of the paragraph was about me. Then there was an interjection. If we move down to another paragraph it was doom and gloom, talking about the circumstances and how tough they were, talking about the Australian dollar, increasing fuel prices, the impact of the new carbon tax - excuses.
In the next paragraph she talks about the natural disasters that are still impacting on tourism, and the Australian dollar. Half of that paragraph is doom and gloom and then, finally, the minister moves on to talk about some strategies they have in place. She talks about the Red Centre campaign - a paragraph on that, which has apparently had no effect because of the falling number of tourists going to the Red Centre under your watch, minister.
The next paragraph is another motherhood statement and then we move to a paragraph about basket weaving and Indigenous business hubs. I have had a go at Indigenous business hubs before - the only Indigenous business hub I can find is on a website. There is a difference of opinion on how something like that should be defined. There is another paragraph about the CLP being this and motherhood that. Another paragraph on the CLP, doom and gloom, motherhood, doom and gloom, Oprah Winfrey, and the last half page finishes off talking about me, the CLP, and another motherhood statement to finish. Oh my goodness, another pathetic response.
There is probably, out of all that, fewer than 10 minutes where the minister spoke about tourism and some of the strategies in place to deal with tourism in the Northern Territory, a vitally important industry.
Let us talk a little about Alice Springs. In the Centralian Advocate on Friday, 11 November 2011, the front page article was ‘Stop the Bleeding. It says:
- Tourist numbers to Uluru have slumped by 100 000.
One hundred thousand fewer in nine years! Is it not coincidental nine or 10 years coincides with this Labor government’s regime. Is it not a large decline? Unbelievable! A local tourism operator, Chris Chambers, described the tourism industry in Central Australia as being subjected to death by 1000 cuts. In 2001, 394 315 tourists visited Uluru, and that number dropped to 298 034 tourists in 2010. One only has to look at a graph of what that looks like. You can see tourism numbers have dropped from 2001 to 2010 under the stewardship of this Labor government and, in the last few years, under the stewardship of this minister. This minister clearly has no vision for the direction of tourism in the Northern Territory lest she would be crowing from the rooftops about how they will fix the abysmal problems we are facing in tourism in the Northern Territory.
The article goes on:
- Mr Chambers presented data showing a decline as far back as 2006 to the Northern Territory Tourist Commissioner and former Tourism minister, Paul Henderson.
Well, isn’t that interesting? Another minister from a litany of ministers in that portfolio over a number of years. That is part of the problem, no continuity? They are constantly shifting the deckchairs on the Titanic and this is what happens to tourism when they do it. Mr Chambers said:
- Many of the Tourism Central Australian members came up to me and said they couldn’t agree more with the figures. Everyone agreed with the picture I had painted.
Individual operators throughout the period have presented our issues to Tourism NT. The last regime was not interested and we were basically told we did not know what we were talking about.
This government is telling tourism operators in Central Australia they do not know what they are talking about. That is the height of arrogance. How dare they! How dare they condescend to the operators of tourism in Central Australia and tell them they do not know what they are talking about! Nothing coming from this government surprises me. Mr Chambers went on to say he has translated the fall in revenue to be worth about $63m.
The reason I spoke about the constant doom and gloom and litany of excuses coming from this minister is because it appears to be catching like SARS or bird flu. It seems Tourism NT’s CEO might have caught the same disease the minister has – let us call it the doom and gloom disease. You cannot really wonder why when the minister does not have the courage to stand in the public arena, face the media and do the interviews with the Centralian Advocate. No doubt, she is going to trot out the CEO and throw him into the firing line, throw the public servants into the firing line. They are good at doing that. He is going to trot out the same lines as the minister.
Let us look at what he said in this article:
- International visitor numbers to Central Australia have declined since the 2000-01 Olympic year peak, while the number of domestic visitors has remained relatively stable over the past decade.
Here come the excuses:
- International markets have been impacted by a series of significant global challenges, including the September 2001 terrorist attacks, SARS pandemic, swine flu, Japanese recession, and the global financial crisis creating economic instability since 2008.
Further along Mr Fitzgerald went on to say:
- Changing visitor trends, as a result of rising fuel prices …
- … and the introduction of low cost carriers has seen visitors taking more short breaks rather than the annual self-drive holidays, impacting on the length of stay.
The CEO, it would seem, has caught the same doom and gloom disease as the minister. There is nothing concrete in there to give any form of confidence - just a glimmer of hope in the tourism sector that this lame duck minister has a plan for growing tourism in the Red Centre? Nothing! Nix, zero, zilch! Nothing! One might ask: ‘Where the bloody hell are you on tourism, minister?’ One thing is sure: the results are not here. I could ask: ‘Where the bloody hell are the results?’ Well, I can show you the results are a decline in tourist numbers - 100 000 of them at Uluru in the 10 years of your Labor government. Tell me you are committed to tourism! What are you doing about it? You cannot keep throwing money at it saying: ‘We are spending X number of dollars’. This side of the House keeps telling you money is an input not an outcome.
I know where some of the dollars are we talked about - the $63m Mr Chambers said they had lost in the Red Centre due to the decline. They have gone to other parts of the country where tourists are still spending money. They have gone to Queensland, to New South Wales, to wherever. That is what has happened. All that money that could have been coming into the Northern Territory has gone to other states. Instead of spending money in Alice Springs, Kings Canyon or Ayers Rock, it has been decreasing since your insipid, weak, visionless government came into power.
I want to do a little maths and, perhaps, a little logical exercise. Visitor numbers to the Rock at Uluru - which probably is not a bad indicator of tourism activity in Central Australia - are down over that period of 10 years from 2001 just a little over 400 000, to below 300 000, almost 25%. Mr Fitzgerald, in The Centralian Advocate, said domestic visitor numbers have remained relatively stable. So, the logical conclusion to draw is the decline of more than 100 000 visitors per year can be attributed to international visitors. I believe that is logical, Madam Deputy Speaker, don’t you? We have established that, since 2001, international arrivals into Australia have increased overall, notwithstanding short-term declines due to the doom and gloom and excuses constantly spewed out by the minister. In fact, international arrivals to the country are up by one million in the same period. They have reduced by 100 000 in Uluru but up by one million in Australia.
It is reported in The Centralian Advocate article that, over the same period, visitors to another Australian icon, the Great Barrier Reef, have remained steady at about 1.8 million per annum. So, given all the doom and gloom and the excuses the minister offers, what does she say about that? It would be interesting to hear. The Great Barrier Reef can maintain its numbers given all that doom and gloom, yet visitors to the NT’s icon, Uluru, and by extension Alice Springs, and the other tourism locations in Central Australia are down about 25%.
This government has no idea about business concepts. In a growing market, it would be acceptable to have your market share grow by the same rate the market is growing. It is bad enough, as in the case of the Great Barrier Reef, to maintain an unchanged market share, but to have lost 25% on raw numbers in a significant market share - in a growing market over that period - is palpable.
We have a growing market. I have another graph which does not show it very well. We have a growing market of international visitors to this country - one million more now than 10 years ago yet that is the comparison graph for Uluru. Why are we losing visitors to Uluru and Central Australia when we have growing international numbers coming into the country? That is the question I would like the minister to answer. Why is that? You should be ashamed of yourself, you poor minister. She sits there with a chuckle and smile - this must be funny. You think it is hilarious, don’t you? The business operators in Alice Springs are struggling. How many of them are closing down or facing imminent closure? There are many, and you sit there with a smile and a chuckle. You should be absolutely ashamed of yourself, minister. In fact, what you should do is the honourable thing and pull the pin on your ministry. You should resign and find someone who can run the ministry well; someone with some passion and vision.
I want to give you a couple of hints before I sit down. For goodness sake, minister, listen to people on the ground. Get out there and do what people say you have failed to do - listen to operators. Stop assigning a dollar figure in an attempt to dress it up as an outcome. Money is an input not an outcome. Also, please stop talking about me and the Country Liberals and talk about something operators want to hear about: how your government is going to address the needs of tourism in Central Australia now and into the future.
Ms McCARTHY (Tourism): Madam Deputy Speaker, I welcome the matter of public importance brought on by the member for Katherine. Clearly, the discussions and debates we have in this parliament are, from this side of the House, very much about the optimism and vision we have for the future of the Northern Territory, recognising the many challenges faced by the tourism industry across the Northern Territory
There were a couple of points there. First, the Brolga Awards was a pretty wonderful evening. It was the 25th anniversary of the Brolga Awards and it was good to celebrate those awards in the red desert country of the Arrernte people under the beautiful stars at night. There were commendations for many tour operators. In fact, it is an opportunity to acknowledge some of those people. Lyn Conway and her husband, Ian, were the recipients of the Perpetual Trophy in Tourism. We were able to acknowledge the hard work of people like the Conways who, for the last three decades, have welcomed thousands and thousands of people to their home in the desert country.
There were so many operators that evening, and it is a real shame that the member for Katherine, the shadow minister for Tourism, was unable to be there. I was aware the member for Greatorex was there, the Leader of the Opposition was also there, and no doubt passed on what a wonderful night it was. I apologise, but I did not see the member for Araluen; however, I have some arms pointing in that direction, so member for Araluen, we could have been on the dance floor, it was such a great night. That would have been a vision, wouldn’t it?
I said on the evening there have been enormous challenges facing the industry across the Northern Territory and across Australia. Central Australia has not been isolated from that. It has certainly felt a great deal of that pain, for many different reasons. It is not about putting on the record these are excuses, which is what has been referred to in the debate so far. They are certainly not excuses. There are very real reasons outside the control of many people.
For instance, the most recent example of the impact to tourism was the grounding of Qantas flights, and the immediate impact felt in Alice Springs in particular - not only the immediate impact of not being able to fly out, but also the sense of isolation in Central Australia. I have been consistently on the record pursuing Tiger’s return to Central Australia. My office met with Tiger only last week to pursue the low cost airline returning to Central Australia; however, it is not the only option. When Qantas suspended its flights - and I commend the work of Julian Barry, who I worked with constantly over that weekend to ensure we could move the 350 passengers in Alice Springs needing to reach other destinations quickly once the flights commenced. These are conditions out of the control of tourism ministers, and certainly out of the control of tourism operators. They are not excuses; they are legitimate reasons and one of many that impact on, not just tourism, but business generally.
The other thing is the Australian dollar, and that is not an excuse. I spoke about this previously and, again, it is outside our control. It is wonderful for people who want to travel overseas knowing the Australian dollar has such a high value, but it is having an impact in the Northern Territory and across Australia. They are not excuses; they are real and credible impacts on all business, not just tourism.
The Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Central Australia are very positive about wanting to pursue the benefits for people of Central Australia. I have to acknowledge and thank the work of people like Peter Grigg, who has moved on for personal reasons. It would be good to see Peter continue, in some capacity, to represent the people of Central Australia. Peter’s big message after his years in tourism in the Centre was people need to stop talking Alice Springs down. Peter said we need to tell the good stories and tell everyone why we love the town. Peter will continue to do that wherever he is; however, we continue to run up against the negativity of some in Central Australia.
That is a real challenge. It is by no means saying the impact is the only thing causing the problem; it is not. However, it is very much a real impact we have to continuously work on and be vigilant about. Our attitudes have a terrific impact. They can also have a negative impact depending on which way you look at it.
Lasseters Casino is investing $35m in a significant upgrade of facilities; $35m which says they believe in the future of Central Australia; $35m which says they see a future there. Again, they need the support of good news, of talking up Central Australia. Our government has given the Alice Springs Town Council $5m towards a revitalisation of the mall and CBD, and I am advised the council is expected to ratify the plans next month. Piggly’s supermarket has had a $250 000 facelift, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service is investing in a significant upgrade to its visitor centre. All these things contribute to a holistic approach to improving tourism and benefit the people of Central Australia.
Some of the suggestions from retailers involve looking at their trading hours, investigating opportunities presented by the clean energy future and Alice Springs’ status as a solar city, and having opportunities to learn from businesses and similar environments elsewhere. These are the things coming back from the Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the town council. Local businesses want to be proactive and are working together to attract and retain customers, and I support those efforts. A smaller group nominated at the business forum is due to meet this Friday, and I am interested to see what directions and ideas they will be pursuing and how government can work with them to continue to foster opportunities.
The Northern Territory government, through the Department of Business and Employment, invests considerably to assist local businesses to seize new opportunities and foster a positive business output. All these things contribute to welcoming visitors to Central Australia. Under the Territory Business Growth program, in 2010-11 $79 215 in grants was provided to 20 businesses in Alice Springs. The Business Enterprise Centre held 20 workshops in Alice Springs. The Business Upskills program held 21 workshops in Alice Springs. October Business Month this year was very successful, with 16 events and 547 people attending. These events included people like Lisa Curry, who was also in the local newspaper, talking about business success and work life balance. Overcoming the challenges facing remote Australian businesses, driving your business, business upskills and understanding your workforce needs - tourism is very much a part of all those things. That is what our government is doing consistently, day in, day out, to assist businesses in Central Australia.
Having access to reliable, fast and cost-effective technologies is also important for Alice Springs. I was very pleased to hear Telstra’s recent announcement that faster mobile access will soon be available. Since Nextgen laid its cable on the back of the nation building investment in the NBN, Alice Springs is rapidly becoming the leader in telecommunications.
My job as Minister for Tourism is to talk up the benefits for tourism in the Northern Territory and the magnificent country we have because someone has to do it. We do not hear it from the opposition - other than trashing the Territory, and that is not what our government is about. We believe there is a very good reason people want to come to the Northern Territory and that is to experience the wonderful benefits of being here, whether it is to do with the lifestyle, the scenery, Indigenous culture, or whether it is to learn how to drive across magnificent country, especially when you look at the many international tourists who come here.
The Germans for example, one of our largest numbers to the Northern Territory, love coming here for the adventure side of it. They love coming here to self-drive. They love coming here because we have things they do not have. Naturally, we have to continuously market to all those different places. The United Kingdom is our greatest market ever, and now we are trying to expand into China. The Chinese have an incredible interest and desire to visit places in Central Australia. This is what we are working on day in and day out. It does not stop.
In Central Australia alone we can see - I am looking at some comparisons here. The statistics for the Great Barrier Reef, often cited as a comparison with Uluru, show a 22% decline in visitor numbers over the past decade. There you go!
Mr Westra van Holthe: Not what I had.
Ms McCARTHY: I am not sure what statistics you are reading, member for Katherine. Clearly, we will have to compare those statistics later.
Mr GILES: A point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker! Perhaps the person who put the statistics in the police annual report might have put the same statistics together.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order, member for Braitling.
Ms McCARTHY: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. We also have, in Central Australia with Uluru, an incredible investment - a $300m investment in the Red Centre which will have spin-offs for all those living in Central Australia; whether it is to do with direct employment to the Yulara resort, direct employment for those in outlying communities, or a by-product of joining on to tourism operators who travel between Alice Springs and the Rock, and Kings Canyon and other places. There will be spin-offs to this. $300m is an enormous amount of money that has been invested there.
The Indigenous Economic Development Taskforce recently met at Uluru. One of the things I looked at while at Uluru was how it was going with the investment of the $300m. The fact it is going to be the national Indigenous hospitality training centre was unheard of before. That is what our government, and the federal government, has supported. When the tourism ministers visited in April, I pushed every tourism minister, along with the federal minister, to ensure we had unanimous national support for the growth of Central Australia.
These are the things I am doing as Minister for Tourism in the Northern Territory. This is what I am pushing and advocating for the people of Central Australia. Not a week goes by where we are not conscious of forever wanting to improve tourism in the Northern Territory and, in particular, in Central Australia. We are not about talking down and trashing the Northern Territory.
I touched on the Lasseters Hotel Casino $35m enhancement to its existing venue to provide 66 additional guest accommodation rooms. This is absolute confidence in the growth of Central Australia. I mentioned the $300m for the purchase of Ayers Rock resort. The Indigenous Land Corporation is planning to invest a further $20m to refresh the facilities, including new conferencing facilities, spa, and golf course. The owners are establishing it as a national Indigenous hospitality sector.
Regarding my staff and Tourism NT, I welcome the work of John Fitzgerald, the CEO, and his team at Tourism NT. They are forever working to improve tourism opportunities across the Northern Territory. On the weekend of the Brolgas, we had a number of visitors from interstate travel agencies. Earlier in the year, February, we travelled from the Gold Coast to Sydney, to Melbourne and Canberra, taking tourism operators from Central Australia and the Top End to put their wares on the market nationally. We did that in the annual muster - a terrific experience. In fact, if you spoke to some of those who went from Central Australia, they will tell you how successful that was and has been for them.
We were also able, in the lead-up to the Brolgas, to ensure it was reciprocated; this time it was about the travel agents from interstate coming to Alice Springs. We spent an evening at the Desert Park. They had a chance over the following days to look around the Red Centre. Again, this is about linking with the states, the travel agents - linking tourism. With the announcement of the Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games, there is an obvious link again, tapping in to those experiences that bring tourists from around the country and around the world to particular places - if not directly to the Northern Territory, then we act to ensure they come to us from places like the Gold Coast or Sydney.
We will continue to market Central Australia, both domestically and internationally, with another Red Centre campaign which is scheduled for early next year. We had a successful one this year. Again, that was in the midst of other issues occurring in Alice Springs – social issues which, unfortunately, impacted and took away negative images and messages that were being felt around the country and around the world. These things were fed back to me on the night of the Brolgas, and throughout the year, and people regretted putting that campaign together and wondered whether they had achieved what they thought they were going to. In fact, they felt it backfired in some respects.
We know that come February next year, we are going to have to work that much harder to ensure the Red Centre campaign for Central Australia is an even greater success for the people of Central Australia.
New imagery, both still and moving, has been taken of Alice Springs to populate Tourism NT’s revamped website, including two short promotional videos that feature local personalities, Mr Charlie Mahar and Ms Miriam Pickard, enjoying a variety of experiences in and around Alice Springs. Tourism NT recently partnered with Mini and Frosch Touristik International in Germany to promote the ‘Best Test Drive of Your Life Down Under’ as part of MINI’s launch of its Countryman vehicle in Germany, a digital campaign utilising MINI’s social media channels which was also promoted in car dealerships throughout Germany, offering consumers a chance to win travel to Alice Springs.
In May, when we had the launch of the Long Walk and the centenary events in Melbourne, we linked that to the Beanie Festival in Central Australia. All of these things we keep driving and pushing to promote Central Australia. Right now, 10 prizewinners are travelling through the Red Centre experiencing our outback adventure and hospitality and their experiences are being captured by a German media company which will tell the prizewinners’ stories and showcase images of Central Australia in Germany.
As part of Tourism NT’s focus on increasing trade education, the NT Roundup trade event was held in Alice Springs on 11 November for 32 accredited operators who arrived just prior to the Brolgas. They participated in a famil of the region from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon and Uluru.
I will come back to the Brolga Awards, Madam Deputy Speaker, because this is really where we have an opportunity to showcase the winners from Central Australia. Central Australia performed very well, proving the quality of businesses, individuals and products in this region, scooping the pool with 10 category winners:
Alice Springs School of the Air Visitor Centre - a tremendous effort;
- Mr McCarthy: Hear, hear!
Ms McCARTHY: Yes, I thought you would be happy with that, member for Barkly.
SEIT Outback Australia- absolutely wonderful. In fact, the night before with SEIT Outback Australia, I was able to spend time with them at the Desert Park as we did a night tour of the Desert Park.
There was a highly commended award to Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race. Here is something for you - Antony Yoffa and the Mayor of Alice Springs are going to China in January to look at opportunities for the Finke Desert Race and a direct relationship with the Chinese and interest in the race. This is great news for Central Australia.
Four Encouragement Awards were given to Longhorn Bike Hire, Alice Springs Convention Centre, Wayoutback Desert Safaris, Haven Backpackers …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Mr CONLAN (Greatorex): Madam Deputy Speaker, I am a little old-fashioned when it comes to tourism. I am from Queensland, as you know. I am an Australian first and foremost and my children belong in Yipirinya, as I say in this House many times. I grew up in Queensland, which essentially – I am talking about the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s - prided itself as the tourism capital of Australia and the world - certainly the South Pacific. At one stage it was all Queensland ever had. They took tourism very seriously because they did not have much else.
We had a bit of mining, but to market ourselves against the rest of Australia - the wineries of South Australia, the cosmopolitan streets of Melbourne, and Sydney Harbour, it was pretty tough. I am sure the member for Johnston would know. He grew up in Queensland in the 1950s and 1960s and would know how important tourism was to Queensland in the early days of the Gold Coast and the old Chevron Hotel. He might remember it quite well. My parents spent their honeymoon at the old Chevron Hotel in 1958. Tourism was very important to the Queensland economy and they took it very seriously. Even today if you go back, it is interesting to look at the difference in the border towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads. If you are in Coolangatta at 5 am or 6 am the beaches are graded, even during winter. The council grades the beach, cleans it all up for, hopefully, another profitable day of tourism. When you cross the border into New South Wales it is not quite as impressive. There are still lovely beaches and lovely countryside, but the local councils, and in turn the government, do not take tourism and the beaches as seriously as Queenslanders do.
My point is they take the industry very seriously. It is an industry we need to start taking seriously once again. I am a little old-fashioned when it comes to tourism campaigns. There is nothing like a great television jingle, a real catchy jingle, lots of smiling faces and people having a great time, with some shots of the place you are trying to promote. Get it out there. Who can forget Paul Hogan: put another shrimp on the barbie. It took Australia from 49th on the American most-travelled destinations to first in the space of a very short campaign. There is nothing like a real catchy campaign, a catchy jingle, to get the numbers travelling to the destination you are trying to promote.
It is obvious we have dropped the ball when it comes to tourism, for whatever reason. Of course, we will say it is the fault of the government. At the end of the day, the responsibility has to lie with the Northern Territory government. We hear about SARS and the Ansett collapse. We had Tiger and Virgin come and go into Central Australia, then Qantas as well, and 11 September. There have been some factors, including the Australian dollar and the GFC. A swag of things contributed. They are obstacles but, unfortunately, have become stumbling blocks for the Northern Territory government. It has not embraced the challenges or overcome those challenges.
The Share our Story campaign was delivered with enthusiasm, the intention was good, but it has not delivered. It is clear the Share our Story campaign has not delivered for Central Australia or the Northern Territory if you look at the numbers and the whole Share our Story thing. It might be a little controversial; however, I believe the pendulum has swung too far towards Indigenous tourism. As important as it is, as vital as it is, it is not all of our tourism industry. We have neglected other parts of our tourism industry for Indigenous tourism and are selling a philosophy, a doctrine. We are selling an idea rather than tangible stuff on the ground.
It is all very well to show wonderful pictures of the lovely desert, or the bush or the ranges, and a picture of a four-wheel drive and a couple sitting there with a fire and a cup of tea saying: ‘Isn’t this great?’ People want that, but they also want to have a hot shower, a cold beer, and a nice meal in a restaurant, and walk the streets of a community or a town. They do not see that in the Share Our Story campaign. It really is focused on the Dreaming by virtue of what the Share Our Story means. It is based on the Dreaming of the Territory and not much on the communities, the townships, the engine room of the Territory - the balloon operators, the hoteliers, the restaurants, the four-wheel drive companies, and the bars and bistros throughout the Northern Territory, and we have plenty of them. We have some of the best restaurants in Alice Springs and they do not get much of a run.
The pendulum has swung a bit too far towards Indigenous tourism. The Share Our Story campaign was made with the best intentions but it has failed, at an enormous cost to the Territory taxpayer because those commercials would not have been cheap to make.
It is not exclusively about the Indigenous experience, especially the domestic market. The international market might be a little more interested, but in the domestic market the interest is much broader. They like to know what else is on the ground once they travel to Central Australia. There is plenty to do: fishing, camping, and bushwalking. As an example of that pendulum swinging too far towards Indigenous tourism, at Nitmiluk all the signage is about Dreaming. It is about the serpent and the lightning bolt and all that type of thing. That is okay, but there is nothing about the geology or what really happened. It is Dreaming; however, the land was formed scientifically as well. Three hundred million years ago this happened - water rushing through that gorge. There is none of that. There is no information about that and it is starting to infiltrate across the Northern Territory and across our parks. I do not agree with that; it is not the best way to engage people. People also like a sense of what really happened, or at least an option to decide: ‘I will take one way or the other’.
We have put so much effort into the Indigenous tourism doctrine, the Indigenous tourism philosophy, and you cannot sell that philosophy. We have tried to sell it and it has failed. It is a vital component to our industry but not the only component yet all we see in the marketing campaigns is this. There is a missed opportunity, which is probably why we are seeing some issues with tourism. We are focusing on a niche market and tourism is a lot broader than that, certainly in the Northern Territory. There is much more to do than read a sign about Aboriginal Dreaming in a particular place.
I can flag what the Country Liberals are gathering information about to develop policy - there are some policies. A policy is being developed at the moment by a number of us with a stake in the Territory who are very keen to see the tourism industry move forward. We need a figurehead. It was interesting at the Brolgas where we heard Barry Skipsey sing You will never ever know, if you never ever go. I thought: ‘Well, isn’t that interesting? Here we are reminiscing’. John Fitzgerald said: ‘Barry, can you sing the song for us?’ They handed out song sheets and we all sang it. People love this campaign and everyone wants it. We remember it and love it; it is very dear to our hearts. I remember it very well; growing up in Queensland it was on the television. Here we were singing this song at the Brolgas. Barry was being asked to play it again, and everyone was clapping their hands saying: ‘Isn’t this a fantastic jingle? Wasn’t that a fantastic campaign?’ Why don’t we go back to something like that? We need a figurehead. We used to have Catriona Rowntree and Daryl Somers as the face of the Territory and Territory tourism. They not only promoted us across the country and on the national stage, but at events like the Brolgas. They were the ones handing out the awards.
We need to get back to something like that. We have to start getting back to the basics. Stop selling this philosophy, this doctrine, this intangible thing, and get back to selling something we can seriously put our hands on. It is something we can get our hands dirty on. A figurehead is very important. Those instantly recognisable faces that fronted our televisions were the face of tourism.
There needs to be some serious consideration about bringing tourism back into a commission; however, that is a debate for another time. It is not a policy of the Country Liberals but is something we are looking at and will consider if it is practical or feasible. My gut feeling is if it is at arm’s length from the department and able to make its own decisions and act with some autonomy, we will see a much better product delivered on the ground.
We also need to have a long-term minister. If you are going to have someone at the head of this industry you need to keep them there. We have seen a massive revolving door of ministers with this government - over and over again. There must have been half a dozen; maybe eight or so ministers - at least six - in the last 10 years. That is too many. You have had two-and-a-half terms, nearly three terms. To have one or two Tourism ministers would have - and certainly could have - strengthened this industry and provided certainty to the operators. The minister would have been able to make decisions and follow through on those decisions. There are many ambitious people who see tourism as a junior portfolio and want to climb the greasy pole. However, it is very important to have stability, and if you were to have a minister who was there for a long period of time - at least one term, preferably two - it would be a wonderful portfolio to have. We would then see much more stability around the industry and much more certainty. That person would also be able to work on those contacts and networks they have been able to establish when things get tough.
I have to comment on the minister’s speech. Unfortunately, it sounded like a eulogy at the Brolgas the other night. John Fitzgerald said what the minister should have said. He had a smile on his face and a spring in his step. He lamented about the old days and linked the old tourism with the new tourism, how we are going to go and where we are going to go. The minister said: ‘I know it is tough but we are there with you and are going to hold hands and do everything we possibly can to make things okay’. She became lost and muddled. It was one of those awkward moments when you see someone is caught up and does not know how to get out of where they are; they have themselves in a spot. She could not quite get out of it but did eventually. John Fitzgerald, thankfully, inspired the crowd. I wish Fitzy all the best. I do not know him very well, but I wish him all the very best. He has a tough gig ahead of him.
There is plenty to talk about with tourism, and I will hand over to the next speaker …
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, your time has expired.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Araluen): Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise to talk on the matter of public importance brought before parliament by my colleague, the member for Katherine. What does it say about a town in which the St Vincent de Paul second-hand shop closes? That says it all when you are talking about the state of affairs in Alice Springs and tourism and business. Our local St Vinnie’s op shop closed a few weeks ago because of the lack of viability in running that business. Not even a second-hand shop like St Vincent’s is doing well in Alice Springs.
Generally, the state of affairs of the tourism industry in Alice is not good. I am not going to repeat what my colleagues have already discussed in parliament tonight, but there are a few things I would like to talk about. The reason we have seen this 10 years of decline in tourism in Central Australia – yes, it can be put down partly to the global financial crisis, and it can be partly attributed to the exchange rate, which is inspiring more people from Australia to take their dollar overseas, but there are other factors that are putting people off spending their tourism dollar in Central Australia.
One of those is the very high crime rate in Alice Springs. We have seen some staggering figures come out in parliament this week. The rate of property offences in Alice Springs doubles that of Darwin. Darwin has a population of around 160 000, Alice Springs has around 30 000, and we have had double the rate of property offences in Alice Springs over the last financial year. Who wants to visit a town where their property is not safe and they are not safe? What I am hearing from the industry is there is a problem with a deteriorating product. The providers of tourism are struggling, and struggling to maintain their product in a fashion which is expected, particularly of international tourists. This is a big problem. If you are not getting the money in you cannot spend it on upgrading your facilities and your product.
One of the key issues around tourists not coming to Central Australia is the debacle when it comes to airlines servicing Central Australia. One passenger carrier servicing Alice Springs – Qantas – and it is not in such a good state at the moment. I know I am stating the obvious, but when you are reliant on Qantas to bring tourists in and out of Central Australia there will be problems, and there certainly have been problems in the last few months.
The expectations of tourists are high and when the town is struggling, when the tourism operators are struggling, they will not necessarily meet the expectations of tourists. I heard a story recently of an international tourist who came to the Northern Territory because of an interest in telegraph stations in three different parts of the Northern Territory. This tourist was not able to access one of those sites because of a lack of facilities and amenities within the telegraph station. Going down the line, they encountered similar problems in the second one, and the third one in Alice Springs was satisfactory. International tourists want to be serviced; they want to be looked after and, with a struggling economy and tourism industry, they may not get a product which meets their expectations.
What we have in Alice Springs is 10 years of neglect. The government does not want to hear about that and constantly accuses us of talking the town down and being negative. However, if you cannot talk about reality in parliament when it comes to what is happening in the Northern Territory, in Alice Springs or any part of the Territory, it really defeats the purpose of parliament full stop. We have to be honest; we have to appraise and assess what is going on in our part of the world, and we have to represent our constituents.
Tonight I want to talk about the reality of what is happening in Alice Springs and what has been happening in Alice Springs over the last 10 years: a decline in tourism and a decline in business. The article in the Centralian Advocate two weeks ago featured a local tourism operator, Chris Chambers. He has been tracking the decline of tourism in the town over the last 10 years. He was able to provide the Centralian Advocate with some quite startling and very disappointing statistics proving it is not a figment of our imagination. Things have progressively become worse; tourism numbers have dropped in Alice Springs since the Olympic Games came to Australia. This has not been satisfactorily addressed by this government. You can flick it off as being caused by this, that and the other, but when you have a government which has not only neglected the tourism industry in Central Australia, but many other aspects of the town for 10 years, you need to look at it realistically and take some responsibility. However, responsibility is not what we are hearing from this government.
We have had so many businesses close in Alice Springs over the last few years. I will list for the parliament tonight some of the shops that have closed. Polka Dot, a haberdashery/dressmaking shop, has closed in the last six months; Swank Shoes, which was located in Yeperenye decided to amalgamate with another store they owned and closed their Yeperenye shop. We have lost several bakeries in Alice Springs over the last few years. The CAAMA shop in the Todd Mall closed. Ooraminna, the great tourism facility up the road from Alice Springs has closed in the last six months. We have also had two newsagencies close in the last six months. Keller’s Restaurant closed in the last six months. Ali’s Emporium on the north Stuart Highway closed recently. We had a hat shop just down from Bojangles in Todd Street closed recently. We had a travel agency in the Alice Plaza close within the last six months. There are others. And the Red Cross Blood Bank has closed. What a staggering loss to the community, the Red Cross blood bank closing, as was the closure of St Vinnie’s op shop – unbelievable!
All these businesses have closed and very few new businesses have come in. This is serious. We are not here in parliament tonight just to have a go at the government. We are highlighting what is really happening in Alice Springs, in Central Australia. Our local economy is suffering. Businesses are closing, and I do not see much reaction, response or action from the government to what is happening.
We have had Mbantua Gallery downsize. Along Gregory Terrace towards the river, you have on one side of the street Mbantua Gallery, the three large windows with big ‘for lease’ signs on the front, and most of the shops on the right-hand side also have ‘for lease’ signs on the windows. I cannot tell you what those businesses used to be, but most of them were art galleries. That is one block of the CBD of Alice Springs lined with ‘for lease’ signs on the shop windows. This is not a good look for tourism in Alice Springs.
The Minister for Tourism talked about - once again it staggers me that any minister from this government could mention the revitalisation of the CBD of Alice Springs, because this alone is the greatest embarrassment of all for this government - six years of consultation about how we can revitalise the CBD of Alice Springs. For many years - beyond six years - the CBD of Alice Springs has been in a total state of decline. My father has been visiting me in Alice Springs for almost 20 years now, and every year in the last 15 years has said: ‘Oh, the mall is looking a bit tired, Rob. It needs a facelift’. We can all see it. My father who visits once a year has been seeing it, the tourists see it. They walk around and see a drab, tired CBD.
This government has undertaken a six-year consultation process looking into how to revitalise the CBD of Alice Springs. We hear from the minister tonight that within a month - please tell me if I am wrong - there will be some action on those plans that have taken six years to put together. What a disgrace that is! I do not believe the minister when she says there is going to be some action because there is no commitment from the Labor Northern Territory government to give our Todd Mall, our CBD, the much-needed facelift required.
The Minister for Tourism also mentioned Piggly’s having a facelift, goodness me. Piggly’s, this obscure supermarket in my electorate down Gap Road, a much-loved little supermarket for the people living in the area – yes, she is right. Piggleys had a facelift but, goodness me, if you have to scrape the barrel that low to highlight a fairly obscure supermarket on the fringe of the CBD of Alice Springs having a significant facelift, things are really looking grim.
I am told by many tour operators in Alice Springs things are looking very grim for them. I am not going to name names, apart from the one that is obvious. Tailormade Tours, quite a sizeable business in Alice Springs, had an advertisement in the paper. They are selling off their bus transport side of the business and concentrating on the other side of the business. They have made a decision that the transport side of the business is no longer what it used to be and have decided to sell that off. Other tour operators in town are struggling; their business has reached an all-time low. One particular company is looking interstate to provide transport for mining companies. Things are looking very bad. We are not talking the town down; we are talking about what is really happening. This government does not want to know what is really happening in Alice Springs because we are a great shame and embarrassment to it.
I want to talk a little about the Brolgas. I had never been to the Brolga Awards and was lucky enough to attend last Saturday. It was a spectacular evening, but for me quite a curious evening. I was staggered by the lack of nominations. In some categories there were one or two nominations. I spoke to one of the judges who informed me the reason why there are so few nominations for the Brolga Awards is because it is a long, onerous, complicated process to nominate. It is expensive, very time consuming, and most tour operators do not bother. The Minister for Tourism, although she had a fabulous night - we all had a fabulous night - needs to look at this. If the Brolga Awards are truly a representation of the quality product in existence in the tourism industry in the Northern Territory, surely the Brolgas should be made more accessible to more tour operators. In most of those categories you do not have one, two, three or four nominees; you have perhaps dozens representing the true size and importance of the tourism industry.
Madam Deputy Speaker, we are not talking the town down; we are concerned about Central Australia. As members of parliament representing Central Australia, it is our responsibility to highlight these issues. Alice Springs is suffering 10 years of decline in tourism. The business sector is really suffering. I have listed dozens of businesses that have closed in the last six to 12 months alone. This is a very serious problem which cannot be underestimated. The responsibility of this government to do something about it is compelling and should be immediate.
Mr WOOD (Nelson): Madam Deputy Speaker, you might wonder why I would like to speak on this matter. I very much enjoyed my times in Alice Springs. I have said before, the first place I visited way back in 1964 was Alice Springs. I remember it when it was a little town. Of course, it is a much bigger town today.
I should preface my comments by saying I still believe Alice Springs is a wonderful place. I enjoy going there for the Masters Games; I enjoy going there when parliament is sitting. Last year, I went down before parliament sat to look at the issues being raised at that time in relation to gangs of people breaking into premises. I wanted to see for myself what the problems were. I intend to do that again next year to see if things have improved, if what the government says is working; that is, it puts in the numbers of people, especially police, to ensure what happened last year is not repeated.
As I said, Alice Springs is a wonderful town; I have friends there. I enjoy the wonderful weather, the landscapes, and the people both in and around Alice Springs. The parents of my assistant come from Alice Springs, and she has a great affiliation with the Centre as well. Through my local government connections years ago, it was always great to go to Alice Springs for Local Government Association meetings. I remember with fondness meeting Alice Springs’ mayors such as Andy McNeill who has passed away, and Damien Ryan, the new Mayor of Alice Springs, who is sometimes criticised unfairly. He is a local government person who is very much a supporter of the future of Alice Springs.
I would like to read a couple of e-mails sent to me recently. Some of my family do Aboriginal art work and sell their paintings to art galleries in Alice Springs. I asked one of the owners about the state of Alice Springs and his response was quite negative. He said there are businesses closing in Alice Springs and fewer tourists than before. On top of that, when Qantas pulls out for a while and Tiger Airways pulls out, it does not help. He said, in general, the mall is like a ghost town after 4.30 pm. He sent me a copy of comments from another art gallery owner who is in the Todd Mall. That lady - and I will not mention her name - runs a fairly well-known art gallery in the Todd Mall. She sent this to Jeff the other day. This gives an indication of the problems occurring in Alice Springs which need to be addressed. She said:
- I just wanted to let you know some disturbing occurrences that happened in Alice Springs today.
This, by the way, is 29 October 2011:
- I was walking through the car park from the mall to the Yeperenye Shopping Centre at 2.30 pm today when I came upon 12 to 15 Indigenous people having a major altercation. They were openly drinking, mainly VB, and three or four were having a very loud argument. One young woman who was the main screamer was drinking Bundaberg rum (1 L bottle by the look of it) straight from the bottle. There was much screaming which could be still heard as I crossed the road to the shopping centre.
As I walked into the shopping centre, two Indigenous (male and female) were being escorted from the premises. They were yelling abuse and the male, at one stage, threw his sunglasses in anger.
By the time it took me to buy one item from Woolworths and leave the centre - about five minutes - the same couple were re-entering the shopping centre, still talking with much aggression in their voices. I thought about avoiding the walk through the car park, but as I saw the council ranger vehicle enter the car park, I thought they were there to sort the problem out. But, no, they drove straight past the group and proceeded to park very closely to the group who were still fighting verbally, and proceeded to write up an infringement to a car parked over time in the car park, which I might add was about quarter full at this time.
As I walked past the group I noticed the girl drinking the rum had all but finished the bottle. She must have shared it around a bit or she would have been hospitalised drinking so much in such a quick time without any mixers. From the shop I can see a lot of begging and harassing of customers having a meal or coffee at the two coffee shops opposite me. I actually closed the shop half an hour earlier as there were so many drunks in the mall and marauding groups of seven or eight carousing the mall. Obviously, there were very few tourists. I have noticed a considerable increase in this type of activity in the mall and car park in the last few weeks.
- The fighting, yelling and drinking in public seems to escalate weekly. Last Friday we had an incident where a woman nearly pushed a fellow through the glass shopfront window and on Tuesday when I walked through the grassed area to the car park about 11 am, there was a group of three sharing a bottle of wine, one of whom I know and he was already drunk. This is a common sight. The increase in police presence last year and early this year made a huge difference. Do we have to wait until there are more serious crimes before we get that same support?
She said thank you for trying to create some positive changes.
Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I do not know this lady but am reporting something sent to me that is not about politics. The reality is that Alice Springs is a town that very much depends on tourism and its image will be tarnished, and is tarnished, when people see this type of behaviour. If people feel they are being threatened, either verbally or physically, they will not come back to Alice Springs. They will tell their friends when they go south or overseas that Alice Springs is not a good place to visit. What will they do? They will fly to Yulara like they used to in days gone by. Planes would fly over Alice Springs to Ayers Rock and there is the danger that this will happen if people do not feel safe.
I know the member for Katherine, who brought forward this matter, has similar problems in his town. I understand those problems because I have come into Katherine from both the south and the north and at 6 pm or 7 pm in the Dry Season when it is getting dark, wanting to go to Red Rooster …
Ms Purick: That is not very good, healthy stuff.
Mr WOOD: Well, it is chicken and therefore is naturally healthy, member for Goyder. You find people across the road from the Crossways bottle shop waiting to bludge a beer or two from someone. I guess I am used to it - I have lived here for a long time. It is not pleasant, but I have some idea what it is about. However, for 65- to 70-year-old tourists in the campervan who have just arrived in Katherine that night thinking: ‘We will pop over for some Red Rooster’, and you have these people on the other side, it is very threatening for them. It is the same with Alice Springs.
I love Alice Springs. It is a great place and there are many good people in Alice Springs and I would not denigrate those good people. You see them at the Masters Games at the softball and cricket. That is what I enjoy. I get a chance to meet other Territorians - ones who can live in dry weather. Unfortunately, there is a growing group of people causing antisocial behaviour which is affecting the town; affecting business and affecting confidence in the town.
I am not ashamed to say it again: people who are continually picked up for being drunk need to be removed from the streets and taken to a place where they have a chance to think about changing their lives around, even if it is for six months. I am not saying put them in a prison-type facility. I say put them in a facility where they have to stay; it might have medical facilities, a garden, some woodwork equipment, a library and some education facilities. People come to a point where their liberties and freedom are being affected and it is a two-way street. Behave and have good manners, and if you do not do that there is a consequence. If you are drunk and threatening people, abusing people, that is affecting not only the person, but the good character of the town, the good name of the town, and sometimes intervention is required for the purpose of helping those people.
People who have major alcohol problems - and many of the people we are talking about do - we are not talking about a crime; we are talking about a sickness. It is a sickness, in many cases, where people cannot help themselves; they do not have the willpower to turn their lives around, they need assistance. That assistance, in some cases, should be a requirement not just making an effort to turn up to rehabilitation - it will be compulsory and there needs to be consequences if they do not.
There needs to be a bigger effort on solutions. Yes, we have people working - we have too many people working in Alice Springs in different groups. It has been said before: the number of agencies working in Alice Springs is enormous when you look at the population. Perhaps you could start to bring some of those groups together to have better or more efficient use of the money and be able to focus more on groups. I have always felt one good, big youth centre in Alice Springs instead of three, where some are more for non-Indigenous and some are more for Indigenous, is a little sad. It has occurred over time. It is a pity those youth facilities, to some extent, have evolved around the colour of your skin rather than what is good for youth in general.
There seems to be an enormous number of Aboriginal organisations in Alice Springs. Do they have a reason for their existence? If so, is part of that to help overcome problems with their own people - trying to be part of the solution - or do they step back and hope the police or the government will fix it all up. What is the role of Aboriginal communities in Alice Springs? Are they there only to talk to one another about land, sacred sites, or development? That is all fine, but if people are being affected by alcohol, if young families and young children are being affected by this behaviour, if people in Alice Springs are scared because of that behaviour, if businesses are leaving, then everyone has to take responsibility. You cannot step back and say it is the job of Damien Ryan, the Chief Minister, or the Police Commissioner. We are all part of a society and we all have to take some responsibility.
In this debate, whilst I can highlight the problems advised by the lady from the art gallery in the Todd Mall, it is also beholden on us to see what solutions we can put forward to government. We need to have some positive ideas coming out of this debate otherwise we will be seen as knockers for the sake of knockers.
I hope I have put some constructive points of view forward. I am not an Alice Springs person, but I am a Territorian. It does not matter where you come from. These issues are not unique to Alice Springs, they are throughout the Territory. We should all be working together as a parliament to do our best to turn things around in Alice to make a great place even better.
Discussion concluded.
ADJOURNMENT
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr HAMPTON (Stuart): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I wish to talk about a couple of issues.
The first one is to bring to the attention of the House to the 2011 Centralian Girls Academy Awards night that I attended on 10 November in Alice Springs. I acknowledge the attendance of the members for Macdonnell and Araluen, who also attended the Academy Awards night.
It was a great night at the Chifley Alice Springs Resort near the Todd River with standing room only. It was well and truly supported by parents, friends and family who were there to witness the celebration of both the Centralian Middle School and the Centralian Senior Secondary College Girls Academies.
The Chief Minister has often spoken about the Clontarf Academy for young Indigenous men in the Northern Territory; however, they are going to be rivalled by the Girls Academy over the coming years in its success and the outcomes it is achieving in Alice Springs.
I acknowledge the organisers, some of the teachers and coordinators of the Girls Academies in Alice Springs, Beverley Angeles and Jenny Nixon from the senior college and the middle school, both coordinators and program managers of the academies, who worked tirelessly assisting, mentoring and supporting those young women through their education life at the colleges. I also acknowledge the school leaders of those colleges, Mr Andrew Leslie, Principal at Centralian Middle School and Mr Tony Collins, the Assistant Principal at Centralian Senior College. They are both worthy of acknowledgement. They worked tirelessly, with Beverley and Jenny, supporting these young women in what they have successfully achieved. They deserve a pat on the back because they played a big part in those achievements.
In relation to the MCs for the evening, two young ladies compered the night and did a fantastic job. I acknowledge Valerie Fuschtei, a Year 12 student from Centralian Senior College, and Brianna Briscoe, a Year 8 Centralian Middle School student. I know Brianna’s parents, Dean and Cecile Briscoe, great role models and parents for Brianna. Dean, coming from the Mount Allan community, was there to see his daughter MC the night, and she did a fantastic job.
I acknowledge many of the sponsors of the evening. I was happy to be there, and I donated the Academy Sportswoman of the Year Award to the Centralian Senior College recipient, and the member for Araluen donated the Academy Friendship Award for Centralian Middle School. It was a great night.
I also acknowledge Cassie Boyle and Allie Langham Cole, Year 7 students from Centralian Middle School, who made a speech on behalf of their fellow students. Sarah Fuss, a Year 12 student at Centralian Senior College, and Priscilla Ah Chee, a Year 12 student at Centralian Senior College, both spoke very well. Getting these young ladies up in front of a big crowd is a real experience for them and they did really well and it will boost their confidence.
The solo performance by Alexis Fenton-Woods, a Year 7 student at CMS, shows she has a very nice voice and a big career ahead of her. Perhaps she could go on Australian Idol or Australia’s Got Talent because she has a very bright future.
To everyone involved with those colleges, the girls academies - I have visited a couple of times this year and I took the Chief Minister to Centralian Senior College one day. We popped into the girl’s room, and they could not believe the Chief Minister was there; they were left speechless, but it was good to get the Chief Minister out and about visiting the young women and seeing what support there is for them. My colleague, the member for Arnhem, and I went to Centralian Middle School, to the Girls Academy room and had breakfast with them. We made a few speeches and really engaged with the young women. They look up to having people like us there to inspire them to continue their education. It is a really important part of their lives and having us spend some time with them helps them along their way.
The academy awards night was fantastic, and it was great to see the support of parents and families. We are always on about Every Child, Every Day and the need for families to support their children through education, and there was no better example of this than at the awards night last week in Alice Springs.
Mr GUNNER (Fannie Bay): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, Darwin Middle School is a new campus building a strong culture. Obviously, what they do in the early years of the school go a long way towards creating and building a really positive school culture.
Some students have taken an active interest in improving their grounds. Civic pride in the area you use is always a very positive thing, and they have taken an active interest in their grounds under the leadership of teacher, Judy Maddalozzo, and have turned a dry, unused corner of their yard at the back of the school into a promising garden. There are two classes involved, and I seek leave to have the students’ names - 54 of them - incorporated into the Parliamentary Record.
Leave granted.
Mr Elferink: That is not very nice. I will do it in the spirit that I asked for it to be done …
Mr GUNNER: I understand it is not unusual practice to have names incorporated. Obviously, content is …
Mr Elferink: You check with your Speaker, mate.
Mr GUNNER: Contents, obviously, can be an issue, but my understanding is names are okay ...
Mr Elferink: No, you check with your Speaker.
Mr GUNNER: Based on what the member for Port Darwin is saying, I appreciate his courtesy in this instance.
- Will Andrews, Laura Bertrand, Mal Brown, Lachlan Bryan, Gabriella Cameirao, Valaree Chuah, Luke Dorward, Kayla Dunn, Emily Greenwell, Daniel Grist, Shana Harris, Max Hauff, Connor Lawrie, Kelly Lay, Colleen Lo, Crystal Lovell, Holly McGavin, Dustin Moran, Maria Papadakis, Melanie Peek, Elizabeth Pitia, Samantha Ramsey, Artia Ratahi, Jack Sherman, Mary Tendilla, Will Tollner.
Joel Brown, John Byrne, Jed Cabang, Karlene Cardona, Joshua Cercarelli, Gajanesh Chandran, Dimitris Cleanthous, Nakia Cockatoo, Tamara Dries, Ty Ede, Deon Fleming, Hamzah Hidayat, Georgia Johnson, Jordan King, Jessica Lane, Thomas Liebelt, Corey Lucas, Astrid McIntosh, Dainna Meyering, Chris Moran, Katrina Panter, Callum Reynolds, Sean Stanley, Siobhan Sullivan, Courtney Tilston, Nikki Tognolini, Brittany Weir.
They have planted the garden with the help of the community, Charles Darwin University lecturer on permaculture and aquaculture, Scott McDonald, and Botanic Gardens staff, Anthony, Helen, and David, who have lent their expertise. Bunnings has made significant donations and Bunnings’ community officer and horticulturalist, Janet Grey, is a regular visitor. Leslie Allaway from Shoal Bay has provided much needed mulch, and compost, and janitor, Frits Van Der Berg, has also made a contribution above and beyond his ordinary duties.
I enjoyed spending time with the students in the garden, getting my hands dirty, planting a few trees, pulling a few weeds, and digging a few holes. People are taking an active interest. There were a few kids whose knowledge of gardening varied considerably. One of them was giving us advice on potting tomatoes now so they are ready to plant in the late Wet - which I had not heard of, but that was good - to get them nice and mature in a pot ready to plant in the ground, and others had never seen a truck back up and tip out dirt before - which are the different levels of experience people had in gardening. This also reflects the different places they live; from units to townhouses, to big yards, to the rural area. There is a big difference in people’s living experiences in Darwin. It is fantastic that at school you can experience things you might not always have experienced, and you can share your knowledge with classmates.
It was good to see the positive attitude people had to gardening - getting out and looking after what was a dry, unused corner of the schoolyard and turning it into a promising garden.
The leadership Judy Maddalozzo showed was fantastic, and the students have really embraced and run with that, and I am looking forward to spending more time with them in their garden. I have bought some trees and some other stuff from Bunnings to help them with it and look forward to getting out there again on the end of a shovel.
Ms ANDERSON (Macdonnell): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I would like to send a get well message to someone who is very special to many people in this House; that is, Tracker Tilmouth who is in hospital at the moment. I hope you recover soon, brother, and come back to Darwin.
I place on the record my condolences to Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, the people of Utopia, Rosalie’s daughter, Ngarla, and grandchildren, Amelia and Ruby, and record the passing of Bill Monks and talk about his life briefly.
Bill was a beautiful man, a man who walked comfortably in both worlds, accepted both worlds, loved both worlds, did not try to be someone he was not, appreciated both lives, loved everyone, and welcomed anyone with his personality, warmth and kindness, and love. You could guarantee when you went to Bill and Rosie’s place there was a meal for anyone on the table – the rich, the poor, the famous, and the homeless. That is the kind of man he was.
I remember a trip Rosie and I took from Utopia to Ampilatwatja and he was our driver. I was sitting in the back seat and Rosie in the front. Rosie and I were having a political debate in the car, and all you got was a smile and laugh from Bill as he was driving - nothing like two strong women having a debate about the things that are going on. That is the kind of person he was.
He was cremated yesterday in Victoria, and his ashes will be scattered, half in the place where he grew up in Victoria, and half in Utopia. He loved both places, both people and both cultures equally. That is the remarkable man he was. His love was just unchallengeable, the warmth and respect he gave to anyone who walked in his path or came to his house, or hopped in his car. If you met him anywhere on the road, the first thing you saw was a smile on his face.
Bill and Rosie had been married for 47 years and had a fantastic life. I spoke to Rosie this morning. When his coffin went inside to be cremated, all Rosie saw were the bush flowers coming out of the desert - not the flames - the bush flowers. That is a fantastic thought from someone who has spent 47 years with a man she loved. I said to her: ‘Sister, Bill’s spirit will always be waiting for you at your home at Utopia on your outstation’.
Bill leaves behind a beautiful daughter in Ngarla who is very softly spoken, just like her father, and strong like her mother. That is the person these two people bred, a beautiful young woman who gave birth to two beautiful girls, Amelia and Ruby, who are the granddaughters of Bill Monks. These four beautiful princesses, as he called them, of the Utopia region, will still survive through the strength and the love and the passion they have for Utopia, Indigenous people in the Northern Territory in general; and they will survive with Bill’s spirit and strength and love and warmth.
I take this opportunity to congratulate Marion Swift for 28 years in the health service, and congratulate her on her achievements and the good work she has done working with children while she has had three children of her own as well - Damien, Janese and young Nicholas. It is just amazing to see beautiful things coming from a beautiful woman who also extended her love and knowledge of health care to other members of the family, and she has taken in her nieces and nephews and her grandchildren. So, again, I take this opportunity to congratulate you, Mimi. Thank you, and well done.
Mr McCARTHY (Barkly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, the Northern Territory Tourism Awards, the Brolgas, is a fantastic event and a veritable institution on the Territory’s tourism calendar. Receiving a Brolga is a true commendation from both industry peers, and the customer, about the standards of service and experience offered by a business or organisation.
This year, the Northern Territory Library was highly commended for its submission to the specialised Tourism Services category. This category is for tourism businesses and organisations which enhance the visitor experience and contribute to the tourism industry as a whole.
As members of this House, we are extremely lucky to have ready access to the services on offer at the Northern Territory Library. Jo McGill and her team do a great job and their service is well received by the many locals and tourists who come into the library. Tourists, in particular, often come to the Territory library to find information that adds value to their experience of the Territory. Providing information about the Northern Territory’s history and culture gives tourists a greater sense of place, helping to heighten their experience and increase their knowledge about the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory Library inspires visitors to learn more about the Northern Territory by visibly showcasing aspects of the Territory’s people, history and culture.
During 2010-11, there were 146 820 visitors to the Northern Territory Library. A snapshot of June 2010 showed almost 90% of visitors to the Northern Territory Library were from interstate or overseas. Staff at the library provide support to access extensive Territory-specific knowledge resources and research services, including for tourism businesses which might require scientific, environmental, historical or cultural content for their operations. The access to information technology, freely available to tourists at the Northern Territory Library, also enables tourists to search for, and book, tours, accommodation and flights.
The Northern Territory Library is an important facility for linking with other cultural institutions and tourist attractions. Linking with other services helps provide visitors with a multilayered and authentic experience of Darwin and the Northern Territory. In fact, the Library’s Brolga submission was supported by many testimonials from interstate and overseas visitors, and from cultural institutions. The Northern Territory Library connects Territorians and tourists alike with the Territory’s wonderful history, events and activities, an important asset in the cultural growth of our community. I commend the Northern Territory Library on their highly commended submission to the Brolga Awards.
I would like to highlight the achievements of a number of Barkly constituents who have achieved some great individual and organisational outcomes over the past few months.
Northern Territory Police Auxiliary Ken Williams left the Tennant Creek station last month after a decade of serving the community in the town as part of a wonderful career in the police force. I wish Ken and Pauline well for the future.
Wayne Green and the Desert Storm cricket team, the first School Sport NT cricket squad in 10 years out of Tennant Creek, competed in the Under-12 cricket exchange held in Katherine in 2011 and were, once again, outstanding. Eight teams competed in the carnival, with the Desert Storm Barkly team voted Best Team Spirit in Pool B. Congratulations to Matthew Green, who was selected in the Northern Territory team and will represent at a state level in the upcoming national carnival.
Tennant Creek Show Society President, Greg Marlow, was recently elected as Chairman for the Northern Territory Show Council at its AGM. Greg has his distinguished Tennant Creek Show service record since 1994, and now has the esteemed task of leading the show circuit across the Northern Territory.
The Winanjjikari Music Centre continues to provide sound event management across the Northern Territory, with a recent contract in Kintore for the Walungurru 30-year celebration. Congratulations to manager Adrian McNamara, who works tirelessly with the musicians and sound engineers to keep the organisation growing, progressing and developing.
Long-term members of the Winanjjikari Music Centre and Indigenous Music Hall of Fame members, the Tableland Drifters, have just secured a three-day gig at the 2012 Woodford Folk Festival and should blow that east coast crowd away with original Barkly country rock.
The famous Fernanda’s Restaurant in Tennant Creek won its second Gold Plate Award in 2011 for Best Family Restaurant category. Congratulations to Helio De Sousa and Jess Wooler for their brilliant combination as Chef and Front of House, with the incredible family support of Luis and Fernanda De Sousa who has extended the restaurant’s reputation of great food and a friendly atmosphere, both nationally and internationally.
A very special event in tourism excellence is the Northern Territory Brolga Awards, and the 25th annual Brolgas included Tennant Creek’s cultural gem, the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre. Nyinkka Nyunyu won the best Business Category Award for Indigenous Tourism in 2011, recognition for fostering excellence in cultural interpretation and arts development. Congratulations to General Manager, Kate Foran, and the important Warumungu staff and traditional owners who make our local art and culture centre a celebrated centrepiece for both visitors and locals alike.
I congratulate Jason Newman from the Heritage Caravan Park in Alice Springs, and his brother, Mark Newman, from the Eldorado Motor Inn Tennant Creek. Not only did the Eldorado take out an award at the Telstra Regional Business Awards, but also the BlackBerry People’s Choice Award, and I was happy to put my vote to the Eldorado in that campaign.
The Newman brothers also won awards at the Central Australian Tourism Awards held in Alice Springs recently. Mark Newman won the Young Achiever of the Year Award, and Jason Newman took out the Industry Leader category.
I also congratulate Rebecca Healy, who this year won the Australian and Northern Territory Barnardos Mother of the Year, and the NT Young Australian of the Year 2012.
Well done, Tennant Creek, and to the locals who give above and beyond the call of duty for creating the valuable community outcomes for our town and, most importantly, for the people who live and raise their families there.
Mrs LAMBLEY (Araluen): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I wish to talk about the Department of Children and Families Annual Report 2010-11. This makes very interesting reading, and I have spent some time going through it in detail.
One fascinating feature of this report is on page 38, a section titled ‘New research into False positive in the diagnosis of sexually transmitted Chlamydia trachomatis infection in children’. This was quite an anomaly in a report designed primarily to report on the performance and business of the Department of Children and Families in the last financial year.
The article goes on to describe how the Menzies School of Health Research, with support and collaboration from the department’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, successfully won a three year grant for $700 000 from the National Health and Medical Research Council. It goes on to talk generally about how children acquire sexually transmitted infections in the same way as adults, through sexual intercourse which, by definition, is abuse. They say with alarmingly high positive results especially for chlamydia, questions have been raised about whether other modes of transmission were possible
They talk about how this research is trying to get a better scientific understanding of how chlamydia is transmitted to children. It is hoped the research will provide new knowledge which will assist the Department of Children and Families to determine whether a child protection/police response is required. They are looking at undertaking research to find faulty testing for chlamydia in children; to find other means of transmission of the infection of chlamydia to children.
What does this mean? Quite frankly, when I read it, I was stunned and bewildered that: (a) it would be included in the Department of Children and Families Annual Report, and (b) what it was really saying. From my understanding, this means the Department of Children and Families is questioning whether the very high incidence of Aboriginal children with the sexually transmitted disease of chlamydia is due to child sexual abuse.
It sounds to me like the Department of Children and Families would prefer to find another explanation for the high incidence of children with Chlamydia in the Northern Territory so it does not have to investigate these matters which will, of course, reduce their workload. It is conducting research into how these ‘… alarmingly high positive results … for chlamydia could be caused by non-sexual conduct’; whether other modes of transmission are possible.
This information could be interpreted in two ways: this research could enlighten the practices of the Department of Children and Families and minimise their workloads, although the probability of this seems slim given the long-term understanding that chlamydia is transmitted either through direct sexual contact, or passed on from mother to baby during vaginal childbirth. Or, this research could be interpreted that the Department of Children and Families is desperate to find another explanation. Apart from the horrific incidence of child sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities as outlined in the Little Children are Sacred report, they are using $700 000 of federal government funds, or taxpayers’ money, to try to find a non-sexual abuse reason for children in the Northern Territory having chlamydia.
Research is usually a positive thing, but the motives for research can sometimes be questionable. If a child is found to have chlamydia, presumably one of the first steps in the assessment of this child is to find out if the mother could have transferred infection to the child during vaginal birth. If this is found, then the child would not be referred to the Child Protection Authority for investigation. The child and mother can be medically treated, and there would be no involvement by the Department of Children and Families. If the child did not contract chlamydia from its mother, then the case is managed as a child protection case and investigated as such, with possible police involvement.
This research would suggest the Department of Children and Families, the child protection authority of the Northern Territory, is not inclined to treat all these cases as sexual abuse cases or child protection cases. The problems and challenges encountered in the implementation of the initiatives of the Northern Territory Emergency Response, or ‘the intervention’ as it is known, which came about due to the Little Children Are Sacred report, was trying to address the insidious and hidden problem of child sexual abuse in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.
For the Northern Territory government to now publish a piece in the Department of Children and Families Annual Report 2010-11 about the government endorsing the expenditure of $700 000 to try to prove that children with chlamydia may not have acquired it through non-sexual means, or through vaginal birth, is mighty suspicious from my perspective. If I am proven to be wrong and other means of transmission of chlamydia are found through this research, then I will be the first to make a formal apology. However, my suspicion is that there will be no other means of transmission found; there will be no other way in which children are found to be able to contract chlamydia. It will either be through vaginal birth or through sexual contact.
To me, this seems like avoidance by the Department of Children and Families. It is denial. It is an expensive effort to get out of attending to one of the greatest tragedies of life in the Northern Territory. This is an attempt to hide from one of the greatest shames of our times - the horrific, horrendous and prolific sexual abuse of Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory. To me, this seems like a major cop-out.
Mr CHANDLER (Brennan): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, tonight I speak about an issue I have with some government ministers in the way they respond to requests from the opposition, in particular, shadow ministers. In some cases, the responses are very good and, in other cases, they are not very good because they are non-existent.
I refer, first, to the Minister for NRETAS. On 8 November, we had the opportunity to be in Tennant Creek to speak to a number of locals in the area. Two or three weeks prior to 8 November, I e-mailed the minister and asked permission to meet with a couple of the newly recruited park rangers in Tennant Creek – as advised by the minister; to visit the Telegraph Station, and to talk to bushfire staff in the area.
At the same time, I sent an e-mail to the minister for Education, Dr Burns, requesting a similar opportunity to speak with a couple of schools in Tennant Creek and people within the Education department. The difference is quite a contrast. With the Education department, Dr Burns was able to get back to me in a very timely manner, set up times with the head of the Education department in Tennant Creek at Barkly House, set up meetings with the principal of the Tennant Creek Primary School, to visit that school and tour the school to see firsthand what the facilities were like, and to talk openly with the principal.
Further meetings were established with the middle school and senior college. I had the opportunity to visit the new trades facilities, the unopened basketball stadium constructed with BER funding and speak to both principals and other teachers and departmental staff. It was a wonderful opportunity to see firsthand how education is delivered in some of our more remote areas.
In recent times, minister Burns has also allowed me the opportunity to go to Nhulunbuy and Elcho Island, to Shepherdson College and talk to the Principal and other teachers and tour the school. I had a tour of the Alice Springs School of the Air, Nightcliff Middle School, Minyerri School at Hodgson Downs, out to Ngukurr, and I have even had the opportunity to speak with teachers at Wadeye. That has been wonderful support from the minister for Education allowing me the opportunity to see, at the coalface, a warts-and-all approach to education in the Northern Territory; hiding nothing and openly allowing me to learn more to, hopefully, come up with very sound policies based on real experience of seeing them from the ground up.
Conversely, our minister for Environment, our Minister for Parks and Wildlife, did not get back to me at all. I will read you the e-mail dated 3 November 2011:
- Dear Karl
Apologies for using direct e-mail, however I still have not heard back from the department like you promised about possible visits in Tennant Creek on the Tuesday. I am free between 3 pm and 5 pm as mentioned. I would appreciate meeting the local park rangers, a look at the Telegraph Station and speak with bushfire staff or volunteers.
Thank you, Karl.
Signed, Pete Chandler.
Immediately, the minister got back to me.
- Thanks, Peter, I am chasing this up with my office and I will get back to you as soon as I hear.
From the same minister, I am still waiting on feedback, either briefings or letters, in regard to a snake contract that was let; feedback on Tennant Creek rangers about which he told me the department had given him to understand the recruitment process was over and we would have Tennant Creek rangers on the ground as soon as possible. Obviously, the reason the minister could not give me the opportunity to meet with rangers in Tennant Creek is because they do not exist. They still do not exist, and it was absolute rot what the minister was telling me in this House.
I am also waiting on a response in regard to fires in Central Australia and how one particular property had lost years worth of growth they could have used for cattle that were about to be moved into paddocks; paddocks that had been rested for years and were about to receive many thousands of head of cattle, all burnt out by a fire lit by NRETAS staff on neighbouring national parks.
The advice at the time was those fires should not have been lit in those particular areas. They were lit by staff, whether employed by NRETAS or rangers in the area, but those fires were lit by government employees and burnt through private property. I am still waiting for a response from this minister about what action he is going to take in regard to that issue.
We have another minister, minister McCarthy, who has been very timely with his responses. In fact, sometimes when I write to minister McCarthy on issues that are happening in my electorate of Brennan, and before he has even responded, I can see works have been undertaken - so, get in, get the things fixed up, and then respond - that is fantastic. As a local member, you could not ask for more from a government minister where you have identified a real concern in the community and, before a response has even been received, work has already commenced. To me that shows a minister who is doing his job.
We have another minister who cannot even organise a couple of meetings in Tennant Creek, and other ministers do not seem to have a problem at all.
I just needed to vent a little tonight, because I do not believe it is good enough. Why do we have ministers on the other side who can be very supportive when they want to be, and other ministers who provide no support? I really wonder what kind of control they have over their department. They are certainly not leading from the front; perhaps the tail does wag the dog in some of these departments. In the Northern Territory, we need strong ministers who provide leadership and guidance to our government departments.
Mr KNIGHT (Daly): Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a few comments about what is going on around my electorate.
Down at the Daly River we had a very big Wet Season last year with the tail end of Cyclone Carlos cutting south-west from Darwin through the Daly River region. There was a great deal of flooding and the residents of Nauiyu community and around the Wooliana Road area did a great job in evacuating the community.
I thank and acknowledge all the people who helped out, which I did not do at the time: Robbie Douglas, who owns Cookes Tour Coaches, did a fabulous job; he came down and it was one of the best evacuations they have ever had at Daly River, and they have done many evacuations and they will do many in the future. There were several trips back to Batchelor with him and his staff, and I congratulate Robbie for all the great work he did after hours and through the evening to get everyone safely and quickly to Batchelor.
I would also like to talk about my footy team, the Wadeye Magic. They have entered into a trial of 10 games in the Division 1, which is the old NTFA or Reserves. I believe they have played six games now; they have won five, and they are top of the ladder, so it is certainly great work. The players come from around Wadeye, Palumpa and Peppimenarti, and are doing a fabulous job. I acknowledge the great work their coach, Jock McLeod, is doing. Jock worked at Wadeye as the Government Business Manager for many years and did a great job. I was sad to see him move on, but he is still giving back to the community through his work as the coach.
James McNamee is doing a fabulous job at Wadeye; he is now the Manager of the Wadeye Football Club. He is an active manager, and also a great player, and has brought those guys together and gives us regular updates on where they are at. I thank James for all his work. I know he will be moving on next year, but his effort and determination in getting the club going has been repaid with their big wins.
Last week saw their Captain, Leon Kinthari and his team have its biggest win by defeating - and I am sorry to say this, Steven Stokes - the great Darwin Buffaloes by 200 points. There were some new additions who debuted, including Edward Weekend, Eammon Mott, John Tipiloura and Barty Narjic. To the rest of the players, and all the supporters who have been turning up, it was a great team effort. You will only have one loss against Banks. I am hoping they will smash Banks in one of their replay games coming up before the end of the year.
I also acknowledge the great work that goes on at Daly River at the Merrepen Arts and Sports Festival. We had a few players from the Wadeye Magic play there, and I believe it is one of the premier bush sporting events in the Northern Territory. There are about 12 football teams, nine softball teams, and a heap of basketball teams. It runs over three days, and it is a great event. There have been some ups and downs lately with the art show, but I believe it is well placed for next year. I congratulate Lizz Bott for her great effort as Manager of the Arts Centre, and also to Aaron McTaggart and Patricia McTaggart on the board. Aaron has been helping and managing the organisation in the past, and has done a fabulous job and, with Patricia as the Chair of the board, they have been leading it back in the right direction. We look forward to a great festival next year.
I also had the opportunity to purchase some artwork from the local schools. I bought a painting by Dylan Minggun. Young Dylan was in the movie, Australia; I believe he is only eight-years old, and he goes to St Francis Xavier School. I am hoping it will increase in value because I believe Dylan is going to be a fabulous artist in the future.
I also bought a painting by Josephine Munar from the Nganmarriyanga School, that is Palumpa School; and one by Renee Narndu from the Nganambala School, the Emu Point School, which is a new school that was established and is now a standalone school. It was part of the Peppimenarti School, but we had the official opening of the brand new standalone school at Emu Point, and it was a great day for everyone concerned.
In the sporting area there are many volunteers who help out in Red Dust, which is a group of high profile sporting and artistic people who come up and volunteer, and they did a great job this year.
My congratulations go to Rosanne Rowlings, the Sport and Recreation Officer for the Nauiyu community, and every year she does a fabulous job. She usually loses her voice with all the yelling and screaming and organising coaches and reorganising matches. However, this year she had a great deal of help, thank goodness, and retained her voice. It was great to have her there on Sunday night and she could still talk quite clearly.
I would also like to mention the 15 schools in my electorate. During the year many of those schools received funding from the federal government initiative, Building the Education Revolution, and we held morning teas and special assemblies to open the new multi-purpose halls and learning centres.
I attended the opening of the multi-purpose room at Nganmarriyanga School, and also Batchelor Area School. It was very exciting to finally be at the official opening of Berry Springs Primary School’s new assembly hall which doubles as the cyclone shelter. It is a fabulous building built to withstand a direct hit from a major cyclone; it is a very strong building and a great facility for their end of year performances, which I look forward to attending.
The Berry Springs community will be treated to an open day to celebrate the school’s new building within the next few weeks. I congratulate the Principal, Leah Crockford and her staff for the great work they have done with the school and the grounds; also to the school council Chair, Collette Greaves, for her work with the school council; and the fundraising guru, Juliet Gullefer and her council members. I look forward to the open day and the fundraising that goes on. I try to help out where I can, but the effort that goes in from those school council members, and also the volunteers, who raise money for the school needs to be acknowledged.
Congratulations to some of my smaller community schools. I was at the Belyuen School for the opening with Warren Snowdon. Tim is the Principal, and they have great facilities and a high rate of attendance. It is great to see those kids appreciating it.
Woolaning School and Woolaning Christian College have also received funding through the Building the Education Revolution and recently celebrated additions to their school.
Another highlight in the school community of my electorate was a chance to officially open the Nganambala School at Emu Point, as I mentioned. I congratulate all the staff – Matt Gale, who has recently been appointed Principal, and his staff, Marie Louise Sams, and all her family who work there; and the leadership of Terry Sams, the community leader, has done a fabulous job. Marie Louise Sams provides great support to Matt Gale as the teaching Principal.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I will continue my remarks tomorrow night, but I congratulate all those members of my community. They need to be acknowledged as they are doing a fabulous job. I look forward to making further comments about great people in my electorate.
Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, tonight I wish to speak about the growing concern I have about the Northern Territory government and its strategy on how it is going to approach the next election.
One of the downsides of the four-year electoral cycle and fixed four-year terms is, unfortunately, in the last year both parties tend to start thinking ahead towards the next election. That is clearly the high priority of members opposite because there has been a tangible and noticeable change in the way they do business in this House and in other places. They are trying to achieve two things. One, they are trying to talk up their own successes - you would expect a government to do that - but they are also engaged in an aggressive campaign to tear down all things Country Liberals; you would also expect a government to do that. What concerns me about the way the government is approaching this particular issue is that some 80% or 90% of what they utter in this place is now aimed directly at tearing down the Country Liberals. Well, that is fine; that is their choice and the approach they could take.
However, if you read through the Hansard from Question Time today, or listened to Question Time today, you would have gained the distinct impression the only thing that is really occupying the government’s mind is the Country Liberals. I find that extremely disappointing when this government has promised so much. So, the question I ask Territorians to think about is: what exactly is driving the government to pursue the Country Liberals in such an aggressive fashion, bearing in mind this government has prided itself - or always talked about in the past - and tried to talk up its achievements?
The answer can be found in the government’s own documentation. If you look at something such as the 2030 Strategic Plan and you see how that is tracking, you realise very quickly the government is starting to fail to achieve its benchmarks and time lines. It is not achieving the targets it has set for itself, and it is not achieving the targets the strategic plan has set for them. If you look at what the strategic plan says about getting housing out into the marketplace and those types of things, they have already failed. In the 2030 Strategic Plan, which has only been in existence a year - maybe two years now - the first benchmarks have failed. Government has stumbled over most of them.
If you look at the things that were supposed to be done by 2011, many of them have not been done or, if they have been done, the government has been very silent about them. What the 2030 Strategic Plan demonstrates is the Northern Territory government has not achieved even the most basic benchmarks that it set for itself. You only have to go back a couple of years to look at the 2009 advertisements in the newspaper saying when blocks were going to be off, to know how poorly this government meets its own targets.
The government is aware that the effect of highlighting its shortcomings through this process means it cannot trumpet its successes. What it has to then do is attach itself, in a parasite like fashion, to other projects that occur independently of government. For example, the INPEX project which would occur under a Country Liberals or a Labor government, and it then attached itself to the side of the AACo abattoir. It has attached itself to the side of the development that was announced yesterday for the Mall and the Paspaley Building. It simply attaches itself to the side of other people’s work and hopes that makes it look like an active player in the community. I urge members of the community to look at the 2030 Strategic Plan, and you will quickly grasp the points I am trying to make.
All that is left for this government is to tear down those people it considers are a threat to it. As a consequence, Territorians, sadly, will have to get used to hearing a Chief Minister who continually attacks - and will continue to attack - members of the Country Liberals and whoever else, for any reason, and will engage in the most virulent attacks on those people - be they personal attacks, attacks about policy or whatever else - simply because the government is tired, old, and has run out of ideas. It is bereft of any more policy ideas and, moreover, the policy ideas it has have been so poorly implemented it has nothing else to offer Territorians.
To continue to attack the Country Liberals will only draw attention to the fact that this government has nothing else to offer. It is tired, old, and a spent force. This government will spend the next eight months bombarding Territorians with its vitriol and contempt of all things not sycophantic to the Labor cause.
The 2030 Strategic Plan, upon my reading, I cannot find the word ‘law’ in that strategic plan, I cannot find the word ‘order’ in that strategic plan - law and order. One would expect to see that in a 2030 Strategic Plan. It is not there. If you go through the PDF document and you type in the word ‘social’ it is chockers with social this and social that. That is fine; this is a left wing government and that is what you expect from a bunch of lefties. But, the problem is the government is not even reaching its own benchmarks and targets and, as a consequence, its only goal will be to tear down and destroy, to ruin and to cast asunder, to wreck and to slander, to liable and to abuse. These are going to be the political tools of this current government for the next eight months. What a tragedy! What a tragedy because Territorians deserve so much better and it is all decaying into politically motivated stunts.
Even this House is being used as a platform for politically motivated stunts. Day one: the Obama Motion. Oh, look, we are going to cuddle up to Obama and hope some of the gloss wears off onto us. Day two: the silly little motion this morning which they thought would be the great wedge for the Country Liberals. If you are so fixated with the Country Liberals and the things the Country Liberals stand for, then step aside and let us govern. Then you can criticise us for all our shortcomings and all our failings. But if you cannot bring yourself to do that, then what I would say to this Chief Minister and this government is: stand up and govern on behalf of Northern Territorians, keep your eye firmly fixed on the goals you have set yourself in the 2030 document, because I suspect if this government put half as much energy into pursuing this 2030 Strategic Plan as they do into conspiring and hating in the way they do, then you would be impressed by the improvement of the results of the 2030 Strategic Plan.
This is not going to be the hallmark of the Henderson government. It is a tired government; it is a government which is held together by a promise and a deal made with an Independent. Fair enough, it has a promise and a deal made with that Independent, good luck to it. But for the government to worry about our division and things it will allege about division on our side of the House only goes to resonate in my mind some of the shortcomings that surround the government and the arrangements which hold the Chief Minister in place.
The Chief Minister is there by virtue of an agreement struck outside of the Caucus and, true to people who have no ideas and are desperate, Caucus does not even have the courage to challenge its own Chief Minister on that particular arrangement, as well. They all fall into line and they obey. It is small wonder the imagination we would hope from government is absent. It is small wonder the drive that we would expect from government is absent, and it is small wonder the only thing left for Territorians to observe on the government benches is their negativity and their focus on the Country Liberals because they see them as a threat; a threat to their government and a threat to their great social plans.
Well, we are a threat to their government, but I suspect they would have more chance of convincing Territorians of their efficacy if they were able to focus less on us and more on the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory.
Mr MILLS (Opposition Leader): Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish to give a report on matters that have really come to the fore with the visit of the President of the United States and what has been discussed in this Chamber before that visit regarding putting into a more prominent position the need for strategic plans and a long-term view. That has been spoken of for some time and with some urgency by me and the opposition, and it certainly has been a topic of conversation in the wider community.
It was brought into focus when the opportunity to attract INPEX to the Northern Territory was available, and the only place that could be offered to take advantage of that opportunity was the harbour. That caused people to recognise this is a government that had failed to attend to the long-term planning obligations that any government has - planning beyond the next election; planning beyond how you conduct campaigns and little tactics to hold on to power. There was an opportunity presented to the Labor government when it came to office over 10 years ago to continue with the bigger thinking, putting down real pegs in the ground showing us where we are going, well over the horizon, and to provide that level of leadership.
The next phase came with the decision of INPEX to come to the Northern Territory. It came with the increase in property prices for a place that is land rich but restricted by a land release program which made land scarce and drove prices up could only have occurred through a lack of planning and foresight and, as a result, the Treasurer can speak today of having low unemployment. The reality is those who do not have a job here and can work, choose to go somewhere else. If they do not have a good job here, they cannot stay here because of the cost of housing, so they go somewhere else. As a result, we are losing people, skilled people, and that is a result of the failure to have a plan; a long-term plan that makes things happen, that you drive from government.
Now, with the decision of the United States, which had been coming for some time, with the rise of China and the assurance that has given us, economically, to shift the focus from Europe and the Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Asia Pacific region, leaves us with the remaining concern about long-term strategic planning, but now it is combined with urgency. We need to get on with this.
That is why my announcement of a strategic planning commission is the essential component to maximise the opportunities and to put ourselves in a position where we can make better and more efficient decisions. There will be some risks, of course, in managing this when we move into a place that is going to be new to us. It brings into play relationships with our neighbours - Indonesia, China, Singapore, Japan, Korea and India. We are now in the zone, and we need to be better equipped. Once again, we still need that longer-term view about how we are going to use our land in order to accommodate an increased population, where heavy industry goes, and those questions need to be asked and answered.
One aspect of this opportunity is clearly the north of Western Australia and the Top End, the Northern Territory, are both facing the region of growth, particularly with the growth and increase in Indonesia. It is for that reason I visited and spoke to senior officials in Western Australia at the weekend, on Friday, to begin a dialogue about regional planning for mutual benefit, given that the Kimberleys, with its great opportunities and resources, particularly Ord and Ord Stage 2, and what may come from there, has a mutual benefit both to Western Australia and the Northern Territory. With the Ichthys gas from Western Australia coming across to the Northern Territory; the live cattle trade being the same one side of the border as the other and affecting us both commonly with quarantine issues; with the provision of health and education services there is the opportunity, I believe, for a higher level of cooperation in advancing specific issues to our mutual benefit, and that is one area I will be exploring as we move forward.
Another thing is to acknowledge the Territory as the centre of world attention with our economic growth within the region. Not only do we need to plan in a physical sense with infrastructure and land use and how we develop better models to make more efficient and effective far-reaching decisions, but we also need to plan for our people through the increase in teaching Asian languages.
I came to the Northern Territory well over 20 years ago and was drawn to the Northern Territory because of the proximity to Asia. The recognition that this nation is in the region, and the Northern Territory, had a very particular part to play in that decision. I had already been involved in Indonesia before coming here, and in Thailand, and was drawn to the Territory because I felt we were a part of something very exciting and very important.
At that stage I was principal of a non-government school and had been principal for 10 years. Every kid in that school, whether they were five-years of age or the oldest kids in the school, all learnt Indonesian and were involved in education programs; kids going there and staying with Indonesian families, and Indonesian kids and their families coming to live in our homes. That was not just our school; that was across the schools of Palmerston and the northern suburbs of Darwin. There were well-advanced and sophisticated exchange programs building a greater capacity to understand and engage. If you can do that with your young people, you can be assured in the time to come there will be a greater capacity to avail themselves of the opportunities of being in this exciting region.
There needs to be a great commitment to the teaching of Asian languages and culture in our schools. A case in point is the provision of exchange programs that provide Indonesian students, in this case, greater exposure and involvement in the Territory. I commend the university for the work it is doing in providing attractive courses for students from within the region.
Only two weeks ago I met a gentleman by the name of Nyoman Hardika, an exchange student from Bali. He loves the place and spent much of his youth here at school. He then went off and studied in other places, but this was the place he had a particular connection to. He went to Bali with his family, made some money in business and has chosen, because of the connection and understanding he has of the place where he spent much of his childhood, to come back to the Northern Territory. He invests very well in Darwin and the Northern Territory.
This is what can occur if we have that kind of investment. You do not know where it is going to go, but you make that investment, and it has the capacity to go somewhere you do not expect. One thing we must have is a greater commitment to the opportunities presented with the planning around education, the provision of education, and also the strategic long-term planning in all aspects to take advantage of the opportunities that are clearly presented to us.
Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016